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shadow didn’t do this often.
shadow wasn’t the type to let himself get vulnerable, leave the enemy open to attack, and have himself rendered useless to those said attacks.
no, that was incredibly out of character for him, and everyone knew that. from his friends, all the way to his mortal enemies, whoever that may be.
although there are exceptions.
shadow himself didn’t have much of a childhood, nor did sonic. both of theirs were sort of nonexistent to say the least. that was one of the many things they’ve bonded over through the years.
with sonic always on the run, even as a kid, and shadow being poked and prodded on the ark, both of them missed out on a normal easy going childhood as they should’ve had.
that’s why when the idea of “age regressing” came up one day in a talk with their fox friend tails, they both weren’t exactly opposed to it.
on the outside? sure, they would deny wanting to try it themselves. instead mentioning how it’s a good idea for others, just not them.
but when it was just them, alone and together, it was hard not to talk and think about that concept.
getting the chance back at a normal life was enticing. even if it was for a short time, they knew they would each make it worthwhile.
fast forward to now, shadow is sitting on the floor in-front of their shared T.V, wrapped in a shockingly soft black and pink blanket. it was a gift from rouge, another very close friend of shadow’s aside from sonic. they each stay by shadow’s side when he’s in this small state of mind.
but today, it’s just sonic and shadow alone and together.
sonic is laying on the couch positioned against the wall, aiming at the T.V. shadow is leaning against the couch, holding sonic’s hand thats lazily draped over the mentally smaller one’s shoulder.
sonic isn’t completely sure of what they’re watching. all he knows is it consists of a bear, an owl, a hen, a cat, and a girl.
as shadow intently watches the screen in his own world, sonic instead watches shadow.
it’s intriguing to sonic, how someone so stoic and “act first, think later” can now be so… different.
he’s normally not very talkative as opposed to sonic himself, that’s evident to anybody.
but as shadow enters a smaller mindset, it’s as if he’s a different hedgehog.
for starters he’s much, much quieter, never really verbally expressing his needs and wants. sonic and rouge tend to guess on that. he’ll make noises occasionally, but even that’s not every second.
seeing him smile and laugh without second thought is also something that makes sonic’s heart skip a beat. don’t get him wrong now, shadow isn’t soulless. he smiles, he laughs, but not to this degree.
when shadow is feeling smaller than the rest of the world, occasionally he’ll be more hyperactive than usual. and oh when he gets like that, sonic is always so happy right alongside him. shadow gives these big, fanged smiles and loud love-filled laughs as they play together in various ways.
another note is that shadow tends to be very tired when regressed. maybe from his individual stresses in life? or the fact that he rarely sleeps? sonic doesn’t know. shadow doesn’t exactly need sleep, being a biologically superior lifeform and all, but his smaller self has learned to love it and craves it. even though it’s not needed, rouge and sonic do note that he’s typically in a better mood after a nap time.
sonic is snapped back to reality as he feels two gentle pokes on his arm.
the two hedgehogs eyes interlock, shadow’s being wider than usual and sort of glossed over.
as sonic looks around, still holding shadow’s hand, he tries to think of what he may want.
coloring book? maybe. building blocks? nah, he doesn’t seem too destructive right now. bottle? well… sonic doesn’t think he’s thirsty. pacifier? god. sonic takes mental note that he should really clean later.
sonic is again snapped back to the current moment as the mentally smaller one tugs on his hand, pointing at the big, now paused, screen.
ah.
that’s it.
sonic gently apologizes, and a new episode is started. an equally gentle kiss is planted to the darker hedgehog’s cheek. there’s that fanged smile. sonic will do anything to see him happy like this.
and do anything he does and always will.
no matter the circumstances.