Chapter Text
Monotony. If Shadow didn’t know better he’d swear the ‘Word of the day’ calendar Rouge had stuck to his fridge had been mocking him that morning.
It was the perfect word to describe things of late.
It felt like it had been eons since he fell to earth. Centuries since he had awoken in Eggman’s lab with amnesia… Decades since Black Doom had offered him the chance to rule the galaxy…Years since he had started doing contract work for G.U.N, Months since he had been trapped in an inky white void, reliving his past.
And now?
Time may as well have come to an end.
Day in and day out it was the same thing. Paperwork for G.U.N, missions for G.U.N, driving into the city on his bike, only to be briefed at HQ and head out again. Debrief at HQ. Drive back to his secluded slab of concrete where he would rest (if you could call it that) and train until it was time to leave again.
A blur of blue entered his field of vision.
Okay, maybe he was being dramatic. After all, there were…deviations in his schedule. Brightly colored, talkative, speedy ones.
No longer considered an enemy, Shadow occasionally found himself at the beck and call of Sonic the Hedgehog, and his ever expanding band of friends. All it took was a few words in a message or a call on the communicator and he was there, ready to take down any threat Robotnik or his collaborators would dish out.
Years earlier he wouldn’t have been so eager, but time did things to the mind. Well, time and maybe brain damage.
At least once a week Shadow would glance at his phone to find a message from the blue blur, insisting he come out to the islands to spar or race. And off he would go to get his face half bashed in. They would disappear for hours, speeding across the zones, fighting in canyons or open fields…All the while with Sonic quipping like some character from a comic book. His taunts didn’t even get under Shadow’s skin anymore, at least not like they used to. Sometimes they would sit in the dirt or lie in the grass and he’d let Sonic go on and on about nothing, only offering the occasional grunt in response before they both went home.
Meet me at Marble Hill Shads!
He wasn’t even sure how Sonic got his number, chalking it up to be Rouge’s doing, (as any intrusive element in his life tended to be)
Station Square, Central Perk. 5 p.m. Don’t be late!
Those races and sparring matches were just the start. With each one Sonic chipped at the barriers Shadow had set up between them. After blows and banter came offerings and invites, insisting that Shadow came to this thing or that meeting. And each positive response only egged Sonic on. Now he didn’t even ask anymore, as if were just a given that Shadow would materialize at any social gathering.
And the worst part was, Shadow couldn’t bring himself to say no.
He would arrive as asked, he would sit in a corner, unbothered. Rouge would pull him in for small talk, maybe Ms.Vanilla would offer him an appetizer, or Sonic would bring him a drink. But for the most part he was allowed to sit and watch in silence.
Are you coming to Amy’s party?
Of course he was. Just to sit there, saying nothing, doing nothing. Maybe he’d tack himself to the wall with the other decorations.
All because of one silly blue hedgehog, Shadow was turning into a fixture. A potted plant.
He was beyond saving.
Sonic was the sun, and he was a crusty old cactus in a corner office window.
“Shadow?”
Sonic blinked up at him, wide eyed and questioning. Shadow had one hand wrapped around Sonic's throat, the other in a tight fist coiled back for a strike. But he had frozen, no punch landing, the heel of his shoe digging into Sonic's stomach.
Sonic didn’t take the opening, head tilted in curiosity as he gazed upwards. He scrunched his muzzle in confusion, as if Shadow had committed some sort of faux pas by freezing up.
It was almost comical. How dare Shadow not pummel Sonic's face in?
“Let's stop for today.” Shadow lowered his fist, removed his air shoe from Sonic's belly, and took a step back.
The heavens above darkened for twilight. Dark purple melted into deep blue and stretched uninterrupted into the horizon.
Shadow stared. Why did the sky always look so beautiful at times like these? If he didn't know better--
“Rose will be upset if you appear injured at her event tomorrow.”
“Oh.” Sonic sat up, face melting into one of his easy smiles. “I thought you were spacing out on me for a minute there.” He leaned back, hands anchored in the dirt. “Turns out you're just overthinking…”His mouth quirked into a grin. “I can take a few more hits. If you can catch me, that is.”
The sparkle of challenge made those green eyes glimmer like emeralds, an enchanting sight in the dimming light--
“No.” Shadow crossed his arms. He wouldn’t be goaded this time. “We're done.” He turned his back on Sonic, already climbing his way out of the crater they had made. “Get someone else to knock your teeth out for a few days.”
He'd made a mistake by turning away. Sonic knocked his feet from under him before bounding up and out of their destructive divot, and turned to stare down at him.
“A few days?” His ear twitched in a way Shadow definitely did not find adorable at all. “You’ll miss the party.”
And? It's not like he was the life of the party. Did Sonic think some cataclysmic event would happen if Shadow wasn't there to hover awkwardly behind the punchbowl?
Shadow teleported behind him and smacked Sonic on the back of his head. Or he would have, had Sonic not dodged at the last second.
“I'm tired of your games, hedgehog.”
“You sure? ‘cause it feels like ya wanna punch me again.”
Shadow ground his teeth together in frustration.
“Since when do you care what Amy thinks anyway?” Sonic slipped into a more idle stance, fingers laced together behind his quills, practically posing. “She's chewed us both out, but it never stopped you before. What? Are you scared of her or something?”
Scared? On the contrary. If anything he admired her. After all Amy Rose was capable of doing the one thing he swore he never would--
“Ultimate lifeform more like Ultimate Scaredy cat~”
He sneered, much to Sonic's delight.
“You're practically begging me to beat you.”
“Uh huh.” Sonic's grin was back in place. He pointed to his chin with one thumb. “ See if you can land a jab. Right. Here.”
Well, if he insisted.
Battered and bruised after another bout of sparring, the two laid in the grass, staring at the stars overhead.
Shadow made a silent wish. ‘Ancients, Gaea and whoever else…Give me the power to say no to this idiot.’
“So, where are you headed anyway?” Sonic asked, his gaze skyward.
“Classified.” Shadow grunted.
“G.U.N, again. Got it.” Sonic blinked with one eye this time, a shiner keeping his other eyelid swollen shut. “Classified.” He mimicked Shadow’s voice. “I don’t see why you can't tell me. Who would I even tell?”
Shadow looked over at him. “Oh sure, let me tell the world’s biggest blabbermouth all about my organization’s clandestine operations. That’ll go well.”
Sonic’s one good eye widened. “I think that’s the most you’ve ever said to me.” He grinned. “Do it again!”
Shadow looked away with a huff. “You’re such a child.”
“Am not.” Sonic pouted, before snorting at his own silliness.
If Shadow found that endearing, he’d certainly never admit it outloud.
Sonic rolled onto his stomach,crossing his arms and resting his head upon them. His body fully turned to face Shadow, who purposely did not look but could certainly feel those huge green eyes boring a hole through his head with their intensity.
“So, for how long?”
Shadow sucked his teeth. Instead of jabbering about nothing, it seemed Sonic was making him the focus tonight. Usually if Shadow rebuffed him enough times, Sonic kept his questions to himself.
“A few days, like I said.”
“Is it far?”
“No.” He stole at glance and nearly froze. Sonic was closer than he had expected, staring at him with one droopy eye, like a pathetic little puppy.
Shadow closed his eyes and tried to collect himself. No, Sonic did not look like a pathetic puppy and his eyes did not sparkle--
He felt Sonic’s breath ghost over his face and immediately bolted upright. Too close. He could have made a terrible mistake---
Sonic sighed heavily and rolled back over onto his back.
Shadow would have blipped away then and there, if Sonic didn’t suddenly growl audibly.
Twisting, Sonic turned onto his side, gritting his teeth and growling something into a gloved hand.
“What’s wrong with you?” Shadow asked, moving to hover over him, but froze before his hands could touch the other hedgehog.
“I think you broke something.” Sonic squeezed his shut, holding his stomach. “I was…trying to ignore it but…Heh, it hurts…”
It was Shadow’s turn to growl, this one out of frustration. Only Sonic could beg him to beat him up and then make him feel guilty about it.
“Hold still.”
“Hm?”
Shadow pulled a Chaos Emerald from his quills. Powerful as they were, the Emeralds were just as fickle, phasing in and out of existence to be collected again. He’d been holding onto it in the hopes of using it for his upcoming mission. If he was lucky he could use it to heal Sonic and back his own energy reserves for a while, but only if it decided to stick around.
With one hand pressed to Sonic’s chest he worked, making himself a conduit for the Emerald’s energy. Sonic had a natural affinity for the stuff--it was the reason he could use them to take on new forms and heal faster than the average Mobian, but he still had his limits. His fur glowed golden under Shadow’s hand, bruises near the spot quickly fading.
Essentially he was speeding up the healing process a bit with the Emerald’s help. Sonic’s body would still be doing the work of repair, just manipulated into ignoring the binds of time.
He moved one hand to Sonic’s face, and the other hedgehog leaned into his touch, a dopey smile on his face. “S’nice,” He slurred, before closing his eyes.
Shadow, of course, ignored the fluttering in his chest. He decided that Sonic was clearly concussed and definitely did not mean to nuzzle his hand like that.
“Thank you Shads…” Was the last thing the hero mumbled before succumbing to sleep, leaving an even more flustered Shadow in his wake.
If Sonic was bothered by waking up in a new location he didn’t show it,yawning loudly and stretching his arms before taking in his surroundings.The den of Shadow’s house consisted of slate grey walls and stone fixtures, minimalist touches and modern furniture. He sat up, gloved hands sinking into the soft leather of the couch he’d apparently spent the night on, while a grey duvet slipped onto the floor.
The strong scent of roasting coffee beans had awoken him, filling the massive room. Sonic glanced up at the high ceiling, seeing exposed beams and an oddly menacing contemporary interpretation of a chandelier. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think he was in the getaway house of some action hero.
“Finally.” A low voice grumbled.
Sonic followed the voice and the coffee aroma to a kitchenette beyond the den. Staying on theme, the kitchenette was more greys and blacks, accompanied by chrome appliances, in front of which stood Shadow. He had his back to Sonic, a long kitchen island separating the two.
“Goood Morningggg~” Sonic yawned.
Shadow turned to face him then, giving an audible grunt as he placed two cups of coffee on the island.
“Thanks!” Sonic hopped on a nearby stool, reaching for one. “Is this your place? It's huge! You could throw a sick house party in here!”
“Not that I'm the ‘house party’ type…” Shadow sipped his coffee before he continued. “I doubt anyone would want to come to that.”
“I would.” Sonic replied, with a level of sincerity Shadow couldn’t take so early in the day.His eyes darted away, anywhere but that sleepy smile--as he clung to the last dregs of his sanity.
He sipped his coffee and Sonic did the same, allowing Shadow to savor both the coffee flavor and a sliver of silence. Occasionally Sonic would allow him a moment like this, seemingly aware of Shadow’s limited social battery.
But prolonged silence ultimately resulted in Sonic getting sleepy or fidget-y. So Shadow decided to return the favor by speaking first.
“I have to get going.”
Sonic, who had been staring at the contents of his cup as if it held the universe’s secrets, looked up. “Oh. G.U.N stuff?”
“G.U.N stuff.” Shadow repeated with a grimace.
“Okay.” Sonic chuckled. “Kicking me out then?”
Shadow blinked at that. Sonic was known to float from place to place. He wasn’t even sure if the hero really had a home. Shadow only kept his own place to keep his distance from both G.U.N and civilians after Black Doom’s invasion. Only Rouge and Omega had stepped foot in the house…until now.
“I’m not,” Shadow finally blurted out, with some audible unease. “But--”
“I’m kidding.” Sonic hopped off the kitchen stool. “S’okay. I was gettin’ kinda hungry anyway…”
Shadow walked him out the front door, stopping before the gates. A long path of gravel wound outward into the forest, turning into a dirt road before disappearing into the trees.
“If you follow that and keep heading straight, you’ll wind up in Westopolis.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Sonic tapped the toe of each shoe against the path and gave him a wave.
“See ya.”
Like a gust of wind he was gone, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
That would be the last time Shadow would ever see Sonic, or any acquaintance he had, for that matter.
Maybe that’s why he was thinking of him now, as his lungs filled with blood and his legs turned to lead.