Chapter Text
Shadow has been rather quiet since he woke up a day ago. Wade was still completely unaware of the black hedgehog who was now awake, and not once has he questioned why Sonic has been taking two plates of his cooking everytime, to which Sonic was very thankful for. And just to make sure Shadow felt comfortable and safe in the house, Sonic kept his questions — and general presence — on the downlow; only really visiting Shadow in the attic to give him food and ask whether he wanted to take a shower. So far, the answer sounded like a “no”. It’s not like the black hedgehog had given him a very clear answer. And for Sonic, consent was everything.
“Unconscious people don’t want tea,” He muttered to himself, chuckling a bit as he washed the plate he had just taken from Shadow. “Don’t force it down their throat.”
So, yeah. Sonic was not going to force Shadow into anything he didn’t want. Didn’t matter if it was to talk, eat or clean; if Shadow doesn’t explicitly say “yes”, then it was a “no”.
“Blue?” A quiet voice came from around the corner, pulling Sonic’s gaze away from the sink. Green eyes met with a pair of shy, timid red.
“Oh, Shadow!” Sonic exclaimed happily, putting the wet plate into the drying rack. Shadow finally left the attic, what a pleasant surprise! “Good to see you on your feet, finally. How are you feeling?” As his mind backtracked a little, he blinked as he registered Shadow’s earlier greeting. “Wait a sec, did you just call me Blue?”
A light blush dashed across Shadow’s matted muzzle. The black hedgehog averted his gaze, rubbing his arm as he shrunk away from Sonic.
“Woah, woah.” Said blue hedgehog reached out towards him, gently grabbing Shadow’s arm to hold him still. “It’s okay, I don’t mind it. But, erm…can I know why?”
Shadow’s eyes fell to the floor, the blush on his face growing brighter. Sonic wasn’t the best at reading emotions, but it was easy to tell the black hedgehog felt ashamed. Or was it embarrassed? Actually, on second thought, embarrassed seemed more right. With a soft smile, Sonic gave Shadow’s arm a reassuring squeeze. Hesitantly, red eyes lifted from the floor to look into Sonic’s green.
“I don’t know your name…” Shadow murmured as his gaze fell to the floor once more. “They never told me. The doctors.”
A quiet “oh” left Sonic’s lips. Awkward silence filled the kitchen, leading the blue hedgehog to scratch the back of his quills with his free hand. And Shadow? He looked dejected, absolutely defeated, his embarrassed blush returning to his muzzle as he refused to look up at Sonic. Well this will not do.
“I guess proper introductions are in order, then?” Sonic chuckled, pulling away from Shadow before offering his open hand. “Hi! I’m Sonic the Hedgehog, what’s your name?”
“This isn’t necessary…” Shadow stuttered a little, waving his hands defensively.
“I insist!” With a bright, reassuring smile, Sonic took Shadow’s hand. Gripping it gently, just to make sure the black hedgehog won’t run away, he shook it. “Come on, what’s your name? I’m dying to know.”
Shadow sighed, shaking his head a little in annoyance. Yet, despite his best efforts to hide it, Sonic noticed the small amused smile that crept across his lips.
“If you insist,” Shadow murmured, shaking Sonic’s hand too. “My name is Shadow.”
“Nice to meet you!” Sonic beamed a toothy grin at the black hedgehog. Then, he pulled away, waltzing into the kitchen to grab one of the plates he had just washed. “Now, I don’t want to assume anything, but I’m guessing you came down because you’re hungry?”
As Shadow hummed a weak response, Sonic began to ramble.
“Wade isn’t the best cook, unlike Maddie, but he sure can work the kitchen! He said something about it being his mom’s recipes, but honestly, if the food is good it doesn’t matter where it comes from. I took some stuff up for you before, what was your favourite? I could probably get Wade to cook it again.”
Shadow didn’t really say anything. He just quietly slipped onto the high-chair that was at the kitchen counter, resting his head on the marble tiles and listening to the blue hedgehog’s endless ramblings. Only when the silence from the black hedgehog began to grow suspicious and uncomfortable did Sonic figuratively zip his lips.
“Sorry, you’re not much of a talker, are you?” He chuckled nervously, carrying over the plate that now had apple slices on it. When Shadow murmured again, Sonic sighed softly. This wasn’t right. “Hey. You don’t seem…okay.”
“I’m tired.” Shadow answered, taking a small bite out of the slice he picked while he kept his gaze on the table. Refusing to look at the blue hedgehog.
“Look,” Sonic said, pulling a chair beside him to sit. “I don’t want to push any boundaries but clearly you’re feeling a bit more than just tired. And I have a feeling I know why.” He shuffled closer, almost brushing his shoulder against Shadow’s, and leaned in to whisper gently to him. “Why did you save me?”
Shadow tensed up. He stopped chewing as soon as he heard Sonic’s words and he slowly put down the apple slice he was eating. An uncomfortable silence settled over the room, making the blue hedgehog fidget in his seat while the other was as still and silent as a statue. And then, after what felt like forever, Sonic heard it.
Shadow…crying.
“I’m sorry,” He sniffled, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand.
“Woah, hey–” Sonic stammered and immediately scooted over next to Shadow, placing his hands firmly on the black hedgehog’s shoulders. Gently, to comfort him, Sonic rubbed his hands along Shadow’s shoulders. “There there, it’s okay.”
“No! It’s not!” Shadow cried, his hands covering his face and muffling his voice. “I had to save you. It was the only way to make things right!” A shudder ran through his body as he choked slightly. “This world doesn’t need me; someone who tried to destroy it. I failed everything the day I woke up.”
“Shadow…” Sonic tried, but was ignored.
“I had to set things right.” Shadow said, his voice weak and broken, sniffling as he kept wiping away the tears that kept flowing. “Because you’re a hero, I thought if I could protect you — save you — then I could be redeemed. If you lived, my life would have served its purpose.”
Without thinking — and without giving Shadow another chance to spiral down some deep rabbit hole of terrible thoughts — Sonic threw his arms around the black hedgehog, pulling him into a firm hug. Shadow tensed again, but just as Sonic had hoped, his crying slowly came to a stop as he melted into the embrace. He still let out a quiet sniffle or two, however it was a much better improvement. Once Sonic was sure Shadow had calmed down enough, he peeled himself around, gently turning the black hedgehog so his tear-filled eyes would face him.
“You never did anything wrong, Shadow. Didn’t ‘fail’ anything.” Sonic said, brushing his thumb across the hedgehog’s tan muzzle to wipe away stray tears. “You were just lost, confused. Probably scared.”
“Don’t say that.” Shadow let out a weak growl. “I don’t get scared.”
Sonic chuckled softly.
“You know what I mean…” He sighed. “As I was saying, there’s nothing that needs to be ‘set right’ anymore.” A gloved hand stroked over Shadow’s quills, smoothing them down after they were ruffled during Shadow’s crying fit. “You already made up for your mistake when you helped me save the world, Shads. You’ve already been redeemed. You don’t need to put your life on the line again.”
Red eyes, glistening with a thin layer of tears that were beginning to dry, looked up at him. Waiting. Hopeful. Innocent. Like a kid.
Shadow is just a kid…
A soft, yet sad smile spread across Sonic’s lips as he pulled Shadow into another hug.
“You’ll find a new purpose, Shadow. One that doesn’t get you hurt, or make you feel bad.” He said, patting the black hedgehog’s back. “It’s gonna be something that makes you happy. Something big, bold and grandtastic!” That’s probably not a word. Sonic snickered, but sighed softly as he included; “And it doesn’t have to be about me anymore.”
It was the right thing to say. Why did it feel so bad to say it?
For a few moments, the two hedgehogs sat in silence; Shadow was still caught in Sonic’s arms, and the blue hedgehog refused to let go. But then, a quiet whisper reached Sonic’s ears.
“I want it to be about you.”
Sonic pulled away, holding Shadow firmly as he just stared. And Shadow stared back, dazed and shocked, like a deer caught in headlights. A light layer of pink dashed across his face, just as it did on Sonic’s.
“What?” Sonic dared to ask. “Repeat that?”
Shadow averted his gaze, twisting himself out of the blue hedgehog’s arms, and his eyes fell to the table, glaring daggers into the wood as he avoided Sonic’s eyes. Sonic cursed at himself for ruining the moment.
“Okay, sorry, never mind then!” He exclaimed, a poor attempt at embarrassment recovery.
“It’s fine…” Shadow murmured, keeping his gaze locked firmly on the table.
Exasperated, Sonic fell back into his seat with a sigh, exhaling loudly as he tried to regain his composure. And to stop his stupid face from burning.
Green eyes found themselves staring at Shadow regardless, tracing up and down the black hedgehog’s body. Studying him. Noticing the layers of weeks-old dirt and grime that coated his velvety black fur. He’ll probably regret this later, but Sonic was not going to let Shadow walk around the house looking like that anymore.
“Hey,” he asked, rubbing the back of his quills with a sheepish grin. That stupid blush remained ever-so-present on his face as Shadow looked back at him. “Uh…do you like bubble baths?”