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---XXX---
"You're in too deep!"
Shadow rolled his eyes and turned back to look at the panic stricken hedgehog still on the shore. The orange colour of the lifejacket that was wrapped around him making the blue of his body pop out more from contrast.
"I'm only up to my waist Sonic!" he called over to the other that was still safely on shore.
"That's plenty deep enough to drown," Sonic yelled back watching the Ultimate Lifeform going in deeper into the water, "That's WAY too deep now!"
"I'm only up to my chest and I can still touch bottom," Shadow retorted back, "Plus I can swim and I'm willing to teach you, which I might add is a thousand times better than having the echidna throw you in a lake."
"I know that," Sonic muttered to himself so the other couldn't hear him. He looked at the water's edge and took at deep breath in.
"Okay Sonic, you got this," he pep-talked to himself in his mind, eyes closed, "All you have to do is walk. That's it, keep walking. It's above your ankles...almost to your knees..."
Sonic froze as his eyes snapped open, watching as the water brush across knees. His breath quickened. How did he let himself get out this deep?
"Shads?" he yelled in a panic, "Shadow help!"
Shadow turned and rushed over to the side of the frantic hero.
---XXX---
" You got further in this time than you have all week," Shadow tried to reassure the blue hedgehog who was pouting, "You are getting better, and I'm proud of you for getting in as far as you did today."
Sonic said nothing. He looked over towards the hybrid and the back at his knees that his arm were currently wrapped around as they sat on the sofa together.
"Look, I know it isn't easy to get over a phobia, and I promise that I will make sure you are safe by all means."
"...yeah and the last person you promised that to didn't end up so well," Sonic muttered bitterly, just mad over the whole situation that they were in. Instant regret rushed through him as he felt Shadow get off from his spot, knowing damn well he heard him.
"Shadow! Look I'm sorry. I didn't mean it," Sonic quickly rushed his words out, watching as the black hedgehog was nearing the door, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going for a walk, because I cannot deal with you right now," he spat as he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him leaving Sonic all alone.
---XXX---
"You think they're doing okay?"
"Miles I'm getting tired of the same question," Knuckles answered the younger fox, "We would've heard from them if something went wrong so chill."
"Yeah but I--"
"Shadow will make sure he's okay kid. He loves him too much not to," Rouge reassured. The three sat in silence for a bit before the bell on the door chimed signifying that someone had entered.
"Bar's not open," Rouge called over, glancing up to see one very pissed off pink hedgehog.
"Where is he?!" She demanded, getting the other two's attention.
"Oh, hey Amy," Knuckles greeted her.
"Hey Ames!" Who're looking for?" Tails asked trying to be oblivious to the whole situation.
"You know who I'm exactly looking for!" Amy yelled, "He's probably got a new girlfriend and you two just don't want to tell me so I don't destroy her!"
"Oh sweetie, I like to see you try to destroy him," Rouge remarked with a half laugh, not yet knowing what had just slipped through her mouth.
"Him?" Amy repeated, not too sure if she heard that right. She looked over towards Rouge, who was biting her bottom lip.
"Oh good going bat girl," Knuckles scowled at her.
"It slipped!" she yelled back at the echidna.
"But...Sonic's not into guys," Amy said trying to convince herself that she heard wrong.
"I'm not staying here to explain this one. This is your mess batgirl. I'm out," Knuckles yelled as he walked over to the door, "You coming Tails?"
"Good luck," Tails sighed out and ran over towards the door and the two were out of sight. Rouge sighed looking back over to Amy.
"He's not into guys," Amy shouted looking over to Rouge.
"I hate the fact you have to find out this way, but I'm gonna have to blunt here. He's got a boyfriend," Rouge sighed and watched the emotions of the girl rise and bubble over with big fat tears. The bat walked around the counter and give the poor distraught hedgehog into a tight hug.
"...do you know who it is?" Amy whispered out through sobs.
"Yes I do. I got to do a wellness call anyways with scrambled service so they're not caught. Confidential stuff but it does involve Eggman so GUN is taking everything with serious precaution," Rouge informed her, "I'm not opening the bar tonight so you can stay as long as you like." She grabbed her phone and started scrolling through her contacts until she reached one labelled 'My Idiot' and clicked it. As it rang, Rouge put it on speaker and pressed her finger to her lips for Amy to keep quiet.
"Communicator," sighed the voice from the other end. Amy looked over at Rouge recognizing the voice.
"Speaker," Rouge announced, "How's it going on your end?"
"I wish it would be-ow-better, but it's going as well as it-ow-can right now," Shadow said, his voice sounding tired with a hint of annoyance.
"Aw, what's been Blue doing to ya?" She asked.
"We've been-ow-trying to get him over his fear of-ow- water and-ow-it hasn't been going-ow-well. I told him-ow-that I would make sure that he was-ow-safe and he said the last person I said that too-ow-didn't make it out alive.
"First real big deal of butting heads since you two started dating huh. I take it you went out for a walk?" the bat asked, "Because that's what you do when you get yourself into a stressful situation that you need time to think it over."
"You know me too well-ow-WILL YOU STOP?!"
"What is attacking you," Rouge laughed at the hybrid's frustration and constant chirping that came through the phone.
"One of those stupid birds! Fluckies? Flakeys?"
"Flickies?"
"YES! I found a-ow-a baby on the ground and am-ow trying to put it back into-ow-the nest but the mother won't stop-ow- bombarding me-ow-I'm ALMOST there! And there--AH." The next set of noise that came out of the phone were a lot of crashing and swearing until there was a soft thud on the ground.
"You okay?" Rouge asked.
"I just fell out of a tree. What do you think?"
"Well you're talking so I'm taking that as a sign you're okay."
"Well, nothing is broken so I will take that as a small win," Shadow told her, "I've probably been out too long and am making him worry, which are not my intentions. Maybe when I get back he'll have another ridiculous story for me. Last one involved genies."
"Did he tell you the one about him being King Arthur?" Amy piped up. There was a long silence in which Rouge gave her a glare, "Oops."
"How long has the pink one been there?" Shadow asked.
"The whole time," Rouge responded with a smile.
"You hurt him I'll beat you!" Amy yelled in the background.
"Noted. Just keep this quiet. Public doesn't know yet. And with that I'm out." And with a click the call ended.
"He seems to care for him," Amy said looking over to Rouge.
"Oh sweetie, if you saw how much Shadow actually loves and cares for Blue, you would completely get it and would be okay with them. Now with that being said...what do you think of that new green hedgehog with the accent?"
"Are you talking about Irish? I mean yeah he's nice if you could understand him...wait...are you trying to set up on a date?"
"...Maybe," Rouge laughed watching Amy's face go red.
---XXX---
Shadow sighed as he reached the door of the cottage. His body was sore and what he need was a good long soak in some warm water. What he wasn't expecting was being tackle hugged by Sonic in which he almost lost his footing .
"I'm sorry," Sonic quickly apologized, voice muffled from burying his face into the crook of the other's neck, "I didn't mean it, I really didn't, It's just...this whole situation...it just sucks, and there's hardly anywhere to go and swimming...it just..."
"Suck?" Shadow answered. Sonic pulled away and looked over Shadow, noticing sticky sap dirt and pine needles in his fur.
"What happened to you?" Sonic asked.
"I fell out of a tree," Shadow told him.
"Why were you in a tree?"
"Because a stupid bird fell from its nest and I was putting it back and its mother decided to attack me!"
"That's really sweet of you," Sonic praised the ebony hedgehog causing him to blush which was a rare thing to do.
"Yes...well....Rouge called in for a wellness check. A certain pink hedgehog may also know things."
"She is going to murder me," Sonic groaned.
"On the contrary, she seemed okay with us," he told Sonic and watched him relax with a sigh of relief.
---XXX---
"Okay...You ready for this?" Shadow asked. The two had a good night's sleep and Sonic insisted that they try again with the swimming again. Sonic took a deep breath in as he adjusted his lifejacket. Eyes locking to the other and gave a nod and the two started walking into the water. A small yelp came from Sonic when the water went over his tail.
"You okay?" Shadow asked.
"...yeah," Sonic quietly answered, "...I...I think this is far enough for today..."
"That's fine," Shadow told him and pulled him close to let Sonic know that he was okay.