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“Oops.”
…
Oops? Is that all he has to say?? Fucking OOPS.
“You son of a-“
——
Standing in Shadows crowded kitchen was no other than the one and only Guardian of the master emerald holding the pieces to a broken fine china plate.
Which, if I may I note, was not on the cheaper side .
Next to his feet: the blue quills of the one who seemed to have gotten on lady lucks side, and escaped the doom surely impending on the echidna frozen in fear at the realization he was abandoned (by his best friend no less) in a house it wasn’t even his idea to sneak into!
“Do you have anything to say for yourself knuckles.”
This was not a question nor was it phrased as one. Even in a bath robe Shadows formidable figure struck fear into enemies hearts- even the coldest of them.
“Our intent was not to break your plates”
“Your intent does not matter. They are broken now and you are the only one currently in my house holding my broken china.”
Not even a beat later “I can buy you new ones as an apology- I have the funds”
The funds?? The funds?! he breaks my fine china and has the gall to assume it’s replaceable?!?! “They are one of a kind. Correction- were one of a kind. Now they are just shards covered in quills on my kitchen tile.”
Yea. Shadow is definitely upset.
——
Sonic said it was going to be just a quick stop. Sonic said it would be In and out and Shadow would never know. Sonic said Shadow had something of his.
If he had known this something was as insignificant as a action movie dvd Shadow had borrowed and failed to return, and that this little night trip would end up breaking something precious to Shadow, knuckles would not have come with sonic at all.
“I am sorry about that..” truly he was. it still wasn’t technically his fault. But considering the real culprit left him in the dust the red echidna was on his own now.
His apology falls on deaf ears as shadow begins to reach down for the bigger pieces in the mess of ceramic plate shards covering the marble flooring.
Doing a once over of Shadows appearance Knuckles guilt seemed to thicken swirling around in his gut. This whole thing reminding him of a certain vase that belonged to a certain pink-ette , including the pink hair curlers that adorned the hedgehogs head like a helmet of fluffy cotton candy.
Quickly closing the distance between them close enough that knuckles can see the dark under eyes and the frustration in the hedgehogs brow- no doubt at being woken up by the commotion they made.
Guilt
Knees against the cold, hard floor His chest contorts and tightens to make room for the new frustration he feels with himself for causing unnecessary problems for the hedgehog.
he gently grabs the pieces out of shadows ungloved hands showcasing very well cared for (and sharp) nails.
“I will clean. It’s the least I can do for disturbing you and breaking your plates- not that this is all I will do. I will apologize correctly” tired and foggy red meet sorrow ridden purple “after the pieces are cleaned up. Again I am deeply sorry…”
——
Exhausted
Shadow was exhausted. Too tired to be upset with the guy on his knees cleaning up glass from the floor.
Too fatigued to show anger to the one most likely not at fault(although still in someone else kitchen at gods know what hour)- further investigation would show the grubby paw prints of a certain blue raspberry flavored, chili dog loving, sea urchin.
Shadow had no energy to be upset with knuckles, whose figure currently resembled a kicked dog who’s taking a small scolding to close to his heart.
Knuckles glassy eyes carefully observing each piece of glass as he puts them
together into a small, hand carved box.
Shadow had offered him the box to hold the pieces in since knuckles was adamant on keeping them.
——
Knuckles didn’t want Shadow to be upset about these plates and he was going to do his best to make sure this wouldn’t stain their somewhat-friendship. He was going to make sure Shadow got the apology and the plates back in one piece.
“Why keep the shards? It’s impractical now that they’re like this.”
“…I know a lady who restored Amy’s ceramic vase once when I broke it just a few months after we had met,” a small smile splayed on his lips as he recalled how he hid the pieces from her all day praying she wouldn’t notice the very obviously not-there vase.
“I was terrified all the friendship Id slowly built with her- with all of them, was going to be ruined. Something as big as life for me ruined by a vase so little.”
The story seemed to have come from a mix of the sleep deprivation from both parties and the echidnas tendency to overshare. Not that Shadow was complaining, too tired to fight the noise and a little to interested in where the story was going. Not that shadow would ever admit to it.
“So I hid it. Looking back on it now it wasn’t the smartest thing I could’ve done, it was also completely irrational,”
All of the pieces were in the small box, laying prettily against the carved wood.
“I was being blindly driven by my emotions and how scared I was to lose the only ones I had. I tried discreetly asking Tails for “hypothetical” advice on how to fix broken vases and they saw right through me. But Tails helped me, said they knew someone who could fix it good as new,”
Knuckles closes the clasp on the front of the box, eyes sunken but sure as he makes contact with Shadows red,
“And the lady fixed the vase brand new. As if I had never ruined it in the first place. I gave the vase to Amy and she wasn’t upset with me,”
He take a pause looking unsure for a split second
“Well- not friendship ending upset at least. She was kinda angry I didn’t tell her about it and I got scolded a lot, but they all still kept talking to me. It made me happy.”
Bandaged hands reach for the limp appendages at Shadows side. Warm flesh meets warm flesh as he fidgets slightly with the others knuckle’s.
Shadows eyes widen a hair at the sudden warmth and the feeling of cloth. Chest tightening and heart speeding up a fraction.
“I hope that these plates can be fixed and that I can make you happy too.”
Shadow believes for a moment. That happiness is within reach.