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Shadow awoke in a cold sweat. He sat bolt upright, his clawed hands gripping the bed sheets with ironclad force, almost slicing them open and unleashing the cotton stuffing from its prison. He remained frozen solid for seemingly hours, shivering and panting, tear stains marking his ebony cheeks.
Light peaceful snores snapped him out of that fearful trance. The black hedgehog’s gaze shifted to Sonic, whom still slept soundly, lost in dreamland. A faint smile battled against his usual neutral expression to take ownership of his face, and ultimately won. His ruby red eyes sparkled with a familiar fondness as he observed his blissfully unaware companion - caught between a yearning desire to reach out and stroke his blue quills but not wishing to disturb him. Alas, his minuscule smile did not win the war, and his features soon dipped into a frown.
The adrenaline rush coursing through Shadow’s veins subsided. He rubbed his sleep crusted eyes, banished any lingering tears, and began untangling himself from the white sheets. Once that arduous task was completed, he planted his feet on the solid oak floor and stood up. He traded one final glance with Sonic, before swiping his gloves off the nightstand and exiting the room.
Their home was modest yet comfortable. Besides their bedroom, they had a tiny kitchen, no larger than the bathroom, and an even smaller storage area. Home was a loose term - Shadow and Sonic travelled the globe on a regular basis, camped under the stars, booked rooms in hotels with a wide ranging scale of quality, and bunked with kind strangers. However, they returned to this tiny beach shack often. It was a place where Sonic stashed his most prized possessions.
Shadow collected his chao themed watering can off the kitchen worktop and placed it directly under the sink tap. He twisted the handle and a worrying rumble followed. The pipe quaked as cold water gushed through the archaic system and erupted from the faucet. Once the watering can was filled to the brim, he mercifully switched off the faulty tap and started hydrating his collection of exotic plants, arranged neatly on the windowsill. Octavia the Pink Orchid, Vincent the Venus Fly Trap, Sophie the Strelitzia, Bob the Bonzai and, of course, who could forget Spiky the Cactus. Sonic was responsible for Spiky’s name, since he bought the cactus as a gift for Shadow.
He reminds me of you! Sonic had cheekily proclaimed. Prickly AND lovable.
Shadow’s heart swelled as he carefully manoeuvred around Spiky’s sharp exterior and stroked the orange flower which bloomed atop him like a crown.
A relaxing breeze blew through the open window, causing the sky blue voile curtains to flap and sway gently. Shadow closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the salty sea air. Seagulls squawked as they patrolled the sky, searching for an easy meal, and the ocean waves crashed against the shore like cymbals on a drum kit. Whilst he indulged in this simple pleasure, he wondered if Sonic would like a drink or perhaps breakfast.
I’ll ask him when he wakes up. If he wakes up. Didn’t crawl out of bed until noon yesterday. He thought.
The Ultimate Lifeform had no desire for food. Limitless chaos energy sustained him. Sleep was unnecessary as well. He participated in both daily rituals in order to establish a quote on quote “normal” routine and connect with Sonic, although nightmares forever plagued him.
Memories from the previous night reared their ugly head. Images flashed behind his sealed eyelids. Slick grey metallic walls. A girl with golden hair and navy eyes. Soldiers cloaked in black. Ear splitting gunfire. Crimson blood.
His eyelids rushed open and a strangled gasp escaped his throat. “Maria!” Her name lingered on his tongue but he did not speak it into existence.
Only then did he notice that his socks were soaking wet. The watering can lay in a puddle on the floor. When had he dropped it?
Shadow exhaled a heavy sigh. After I’ve cleaned up this mess, maybe I should take a walk on the beach. Clear my head.
Thus he did exactly that. He changed into a new pair of socks, left his damp ones to dry on the windowsill, mopped the floorboards, slipped on his air shoes, and was out the front door in record time.
Tendrils of golden sunlight crept over the horizon. They looked like long otherworldly fingers, almost as if that morning star was gripping the very edge of the world, in order to hoist itself up and break free from night’s shackles. That warm heavenly glow kissed the rippling ocean and refracted dazzling rainbows. Shadow walked along the bright white sand and stopped at the shoreline, allowing the foamy waves to lap against his shoes. He took deep measured breaths and pictured the tides carrying his stress, guilt and nagging doubts far out to sea, where they would slowly drown in the black abyss.
Footsteps advancing towards him caused his ears to twitch. He glanced over his shoulder and was pleasantly surprised to see Sonic. A winning smile spread across the blue hedgehog’s wrinkled cheeks. “Good morning, Shadow.” He greeted, before performing a few quick warmup stretches. His old bones clicked in protest.
“Morning, Sonic.” The black hedgehog responded plainly.
“You ready to go?” Sonic asked, whilst stretching down to touch his toes. He failed. For a brief moment, Shadow was convinced that his partner would not be able to straighten his back and was doomed to be stuck hunched over for the rest of his life. Thankfully, he was incorrect, although it did take a while for Sonic to regain an upright posture.
A confident smirk tugged at Shadow’s lips. “Always.”
No more words needed to be exchanged. Their morning race was a well-known tradition. Thoughts of coffee and breakfast were long forgotten.
Giddy with overflowing excitement, Sonic dragged his foot through the sand to create a starting line. The two hedgehogs then entered a readied stance. “You better not give yourself an early lead this time.” Shadow warned, unable to stop himself from slipping in some harmless banter.
Sonic flashed him a devious grin. “I make no promises.”
The blue hedgehog then cleared his throat and began to count down. “3…”
Shadow shifted the weight of his foot, in order to maintain his balance on the ever changing sand.
“2…”
His anticipation hung off each number Sonic breathed.
“1…”
The waves roared like a cheering crowd, and the flock of seagulls swooped down to watch this curious display.
“GO!” Sonic yelled at the top of his lungs.
Shadow dashed forwards at blinding speed, kicking up an alarming amount of sand which created a mighty dust cloud in his wake. The seagulls in their path shrieked and flapped their wings, littering the ground with feathers as they hurriedly flew skyward, not wishing to be flattened.
The two rivals blazed across the beach and zipped over the ocean waves, spraying each other with cool crisp water. Shadow stole a glance at Sonic and noticed he was lagging behind. An elaborate trick, no doubt. He would not let it phase him. A white cliff towered before them, but scaling it would be child’s play for the Ultimate Lifeform and the Fastest Thing Alive. Chaos Control was banned from their races but Shadow had no need for it.
Flames burst from his shoes as he propelled himself into the air and ran up the jagged cliffside vertically. Rocks and sediment were shaken loose and tumbled into the watery depths. Shadow reached the peak in record time and zoomed towards the finish line - a lonesome sycamore tree atop a desolate hill.
The black hedgehog screeched to a halt, sending grass clumps and dirt flying. He slapped his hand against the tree trunk with so much unintentional force, he almost uprooted it entirely. He sharply turned his head, expecting to see Sonic right beside him. After all, their races always ended in a draw.
The only thing he saw were knotted tree roots and bladed grass. An empty space where Sonic should have been. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and his stomach lurched - its meagre contents threatening to bubble up his throat.
I… won?
How could that be possible? These morning races were purely for fun and a means of exercise. No one was supposed to win. In fact, Sonic losing was a statistical wonder - he was the Fastest Thing Alive for crying out loud!
…Keyword being “was”.
Mere seconds later, a blue flash whizzed into view, producing a thunderclap that left his ears ringing and ferocious whirlwind that tussled Shadow’s quills, and ripped the healthy summer leaves from their branches. Shadow continued to stare unblinking, his face frozen in a horrified expression and unphased by the stinging gale. Sonic rested both hands against the tree for support and began to dry heave. His entire body trembled from overexertion and his lungs screamed for fresh air, and so he obliged by gulping up a plentiful supply.
Shadow felt like he was seeing Sonic for the very first time. He studied his wiry frame, rocky spine, wispy greying fur, wrinkled face and the crow’s feet around his eyes. Features he had seen daily but never truly absorbed. The black hedgehog’s heart dropped and shattered into tiny fragmented pieces.
Where did the time go? All those years… Gone in a blink.
His eyes watered from being open for far too long. He blinked rapidly and tore his unflinching gaze off the blue hedgehog. He yearned to flee - to run to Holoska and lay curled up in that frozen wasteland. Those harsh elements seemed like a mild inconvenience compared to the emotional turmoil eating him alive. Alas, his body remained as stiff as a statue. His only capability was slumping against the sycamore tree. The bark scratched and clawed at his back. He did not care if it drew blood.
“T-that… wa-was… a… fluke.” Sonic stated, wheezing out each word in between gasping breaths. After finally getting a sufficient amount of air back into his circulation, he continued to speak with more fluidity and energy. “Let’s go again, I’ll beat you this time!”
“I think I’ve had enough.” Shadow replied dejectedly, his eyes fixated on the unearthed soil.
“Aw c’mon Shads, things were just starting to get interesting!” His partner pleaded, clasping his gloved hands together, puppy dog eyes in full effect.
“Maybe later. I have other matters to attend to.” He muttered, his response cold and uncommitted. Close your heart to it. Don’t let it rattle you.
“Alright grumpy.” Sonic teased. “But you owe me a rematch now.” He added, waggling his finger in Shadow’s face.
“Sure, I’ll pencil you in.”
Whenever Shadow needed a break from wrestling against his inner demons, he would venture to Tails’ workshop and tinker with his motorcycle. A 1957 Harley-Davidson Sportster.
To call her an old girl would be an understatement. He had stumbled upon her a year prior at a garage sale in complete disarray, being sold for dirt cheap. The kind old gentleman even threw in a free video game for Sonic - Tomatopotamuses 3. He was deeply passionate about this restoration project, he only wished he could devote more precious time to it. Unfortunately, there was no room for her in his and Sonic’s humble shack - lest they wanted to keep her slap-bam in the middle of the kitchen, and constantly trip over a minefield of spare parts.
Empathising with his plight, Tails generously offered to keep her in storage with his biplane - the Tornado 2 - and numerous inventions. He had also given Shadow a key, to allow him to come and go as he pleased.
Sonic accompanied him on this occasion, most likely because he was worried about Shadow’s rapid mood shift. Alternatively, perhaps he simply wanted to visit his little brother. Although Tails was not so little anymore. Time had caught up with the two-tailed fox as well. His eyesight was failing him, so he often wore prescription glasses or his protective goggles. The two siblings were in the adjacent room, chatting away without a care in the world. He could hear their muffled voices through the door, but could not quite decipher what they were saying. He reached for the nearby radio and cranked up the volume, hoping to drown the duo out. Eavesdropping was impolite, plus Shadow had a hunch that he was the main topic of conversation, and would rather not hear it.
With the heavy metal music now blasting his eardrums, he began to rummage through his red toolbox. His search for a wrench to help tighten a pesky bolt was interrupted, when he noticed a tall crystal glass of lemonade sitting on a forgotten stool. A lemon slice floated in the fizzy liquid. Ice cubes also bobbed on the surface, but they were starting to melt. A green post-stick note was nestled at the base.
In case you get thirsty :) ~ Sonic
How thoughtful. The blue blur must have brought him a drink whilst he was welding earlier, completely oblivious to his environment.
Shadow scooped up the glass and took a sip. The ice cold beverage quenched his dry throat. As he indulged in a few more sips, his mind wandered back to their morning race.
In his younger years, Shadow would have been beyond thrilled to beat Sonic. He would have taunted his partner constantly, held that victory over his head for decades and never let him forget about it, not even for a single second.
But this win… It only filled his heart with melancholy. It was not earned. Shadow did not beat Sonic because he had trained vigorously over a period of months or years. Quite the contrary, Shadow had been slacking in terms of his workout routine. It was because Sonic was old. Sonic was weak. Sonic was slower.
Sonic was… mortal.
…“Younger years?” What a joke. Shadow was static and unchanging. As time marched on, his body remained youthful and healthy.
Sonic’s body did not. His fur was turning grey. He slept longer. He ate less. His bones creaked.
They had already ceased their sparring matches in regards to Sonic’s worsening condition. He no longer healed as quickly as he once did. It was only a matter of time until he would not be able to race at all. To run. To walk. To get out of bed. It was already a struggle to get him out of bed some days.
Shadow had known all of this, of course. He was not naive nor plain stupid. However, he had blocked it out, pretended not to notice, and convinced himself that Sonic was eternal.
His thoughts drifted to Maria. His never ending nightmares. Is that why her ghost haunted him still, even after he had moved on and put the past behind him? Was she here to remind him that no matter what he did, no matter how many times he saved Sonic from cataclysmic events or Eggman’s schemes, he could not save him from death itself?
The radio continued to blast music at full volume. The cacophony of screaming vocals, guitar strings and drums was just as deafening as his spiralling thoughts. He squeezed the drink in his grasp in a futile attempt to ground himself.
Maria was his purpose. He was created to heal her. After her death, Sonic became his purpose. After Sonic dies… What would be his purpose then? Restoring this meaningless bike?
Who am I without someone to protect?
The glass shattered in his vice-like grip. Sometimes Shadow’s own strength startled even him. Ice cubes melted into tiny puddles on the concrete floor, melding with the much larger spillage. Sticky wet lemonade drenched his glove. A particularly large shard was embedded in his palm.
Huh. Wet socks and now a wet glove. I’m not having a good day.
“Shadow?” Sonic called out.
Dammit. Shadow cursed internally. He flicked off the radio and scanned the room for a towel or rag, anything to hide his injury under.
Too late. The workshop door clicked and Sonic entered the room. “I heard glass breaking, you didn’t knock over one of Tails’ inventions, did you?” He questioned. “-I mean, I’m sure he’ll forgive you but he’ll probably go ballistic first.”
Sonic surveyed his surroundings, searching for a nonexistent broken machine, before his gaze settled on Shadow. His emerald eyes darted between the glass littering the floor and the shard buried in his partner’s hand. His mouth fell agape. “Chaos, what happened?! Are you okay? Does it hurt? Do you feel dizzy? Sick? Do you need to lie down?” He asked several rapid fire questions.
“I’m fine, Sonic. No need to fuss. I just broke my glass, that’s all.” The black hedgehog replied in a dismissive and nonchalant manner.
Sonic’s fingers grazed the door handle. “Ok, don’t move. Let me go grab Tails, he has this instant heal device-“
“No!” Shadow snapped, startling Sonic with his outburst. Guilt washed over him immediately, so he adjusted his tone and spoke softer. “Please don’t drag Tails into this, I don’t want to worry him - I’ve worried you enough already.”
“We’ll go old school then.” Sonic stated, complying with Shadow’s request and venturing over to Tails’ workbench. “I think there’s a first aid kit somewhere around here.” He muttered aloud. He rummaged through the first drawer, but found nothing. His search in the second drawer was more fruitful, as he produced a first aid kit from within. He blew on it, sending a cloud of dust into the air that tickled Shadow’s nose.
The blue hedgehog swiftly approached and dragged over the nearby stool. He sat down and reached for Shadow’s hand, but his partner flinched away. “You don’t need to do this. My body will naturally push the shard out and heal in a matter of hours - that’s what it was designed to do.”
Sonic rolled his eyes so hard they nearly fell out of his skull. “Oh come on, you can’t just leave it in there!” He protested.
Shadow grunted and folded his arms with tremendous difficulty.
The blue hedgehog leaned closer, fluttering his eyelashes. Was he trying to do his best Amy impression? “Let me take care of you for a change. Pretty please with a cherry on top?”
Sonic returned to his laid back position, but reached out an open palm, waiting expectantly. Shadow heaved a sigh and relented, uncrossing his arms and hesitantly resting his injured hand in Sonic’s.
His partner placed the first aid kit on his lap, unhooked the latch and opened it. He then removed a pair of tweezers from inside and used them to carefully grip the shard. “This might hurt a little.” He forewarned. With a tug, the shard came loose and blood blossomed from the open wound. Shadow barely reacted but his face wrinkled at a slight twinge of discomfort, albeit momentarily. His pain receptors were dull at best.
Sonic removed Shadow’s glove, leaving him with only his inhibitor ring. With the cut now on full display, he was able to dab it with a cotton wool ball and stem the blood flow. He kept the cotton wool ball pinned to the wound and cupped Shadow’s other hand, guiding it to the pressure point. “Hold that there for a sec.” Sonic instructed, and his partner obliged. With both hands free, the blue hedgehog dug out a bottle of antiseptic solution and unscrewed the cap.
Shadow scowled. “I don’t need that, my immune system is flawless.”
“Uh-huh.” Sonic hummed, not listening to a word he said. He poured a hefty amount of antiseptic solution onto the wound, leaving Shadow with a stinging sensation. “Now we just need to bandage you up.”
“You love pretending to be a doctor, don’t you?” Shadow questioned.
Sonic smirked as he started bandaging the cut. “Maybe.” He chuckled. After wrapping three layers around Shadow’s hand, he snipped off the extra bandages with medical scissors. “There, all finished. Would you like me to kiss it better?”
Shadow briefly admired Sonic’s handiwork, before folding his arms yet again. “No thank you. It would be just as unnecessary as the antiseptic.”
“Spoil sport.” He childishly pouted. He missed several conversation beats until he piped up with another question. “Alright then, spit it out, what’s wrong? What did I do to piss you off this time? Did I hoard the quilt last night? Was there too much ice in your lemonade? Did you want a slice of lime rather than lemon?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” The black hedgehog answered, avoiding eye contact - his gaze fixed on the shattered glass, which twinkled like precious diamonds in the yellow fluorescent light.
“I know I act like it, but I wasn’t born yesterday, Shads. You’ve been avoiding me all day. You destroyed a drink that I so lovingly brought you. You only ever break things when you’re stressed out.” He raised his suspicions and concerns. “Is this about our race? I told you, it was a fluke! You owe me a rematch, remember? I’ll beat you next time and then we’ll be even again.” He attempted to reassure Shadow, but was only met with an unnerving silence. “Please Shads, talk to me. I don’t care how stupid you think it is, I promise I’ll listen.”
Shadow’s lip trembled. He gritted his teeth, forced himself not to cry. “…Nothing lasts forever.” He uttered in a hoarse whisper.
Sonic did not breathe a word. It looked like he was hardly breathing at all. He simply sat and waited with utmost patience for Shadow to continue.
“I’ve always loved gazing up at the solar system, I monitor the planets through my telescope weekly. But space is a daunting, ruthless void. Giant planets collide, stars burn so bright they die out or collapse in on themselves and become black holes, meteors threaten to wipe out all life on Mobius. My plants will wither and die. I can prolong the inevitable by watering them sufficiently, replanting them in new soil, and speaking to them so they get plenty of oxygen - but all that effort won’t save them. This bike - I can keep replacing parts until there is nothing left of the original, but sooner or later she will refuse to start. And then she will sit here, rusting, until she’s nothing but dust that the wind will blow away.” He paused, stroked the motorcycle with fondness. “Everything is temporary… Even you. Even Tails. And Amy. And Knuckles. And Rouge. And Cream. Even the good doctor, despite all his genius. Every single person I have ever met will grow old and die. Except me. I can’t grow old. I can’t get sick. I can’t die. All I’ll have left for company is Omega, but he’s a machine, and machines fail too. It only takes one part I can’t replace to break to put him out of commission permanently. One day… I’ll be alone. It’s a fate I can’t escape from. A constant cycle of love and loss.”
Sonic edged his hand close to Shadow’s uninjured one. Their fingers grazed, as Sonic waited for an invitation. Shadow silently opened his palm, and Sonic’s hand nestled in snuggly, their fingers interlocking. The blue hedgehog squeezed tightly, threatening to cut off blood circulation. His eyes were wet and glossy - was he about to cry? “Shads… You talk like I’m on my deathbed. Yeah, I know I’m old but I’m not that old. I’m only fifty-five, I don’t even have my foot in the grave yet. Sure, I’m past my prime but I’ve still got some fight left in me.”
“Says the hedgehog who struggles to get out of bed most days.” Shadow tearfully remarked.
“That’s not a symptom of being old, mister, that’s me being lazy. I’ve slept in since my twenties.” Sonic laughed. “I know my time on this planet is limited. I made peace with that long ago. And I know you cling to me for purpose. For meaning. I know you want me to give you some grand speech about all the things I want you to do in the name of my legacy. But you already owe enough promises to the dead - promises you have kept but still torture yourself over. I don’t want to make you carry one more burden.” He stopped momentarily, rested his other hand on Shadow’s knee. His emerald green eyes were overflowing with love and devotion. “That said, I would like to share with you a hope of mine. I hope that long after I’m gone, you’ll find your own purpose, your own reason to keep fighting for what you believe in. But that’s years away. We’ll talk more about it when my death draws nearer. Until then… Let’s cherish the little things. Continue to make memories that you and I can look back on fondly. So tell me, Shads, how would you like to spend the rest of the day?”
Shadow thought for a moment, his gaze eventually settling on his restoration project. “I’d like to take you out for a ride.”
“Is she ready?”
“As ready as she’ll ever be.”
Sonic grinned. “Then let’s do it.”
Shadow opened the workshop shutter. The bone chilling night air rushed inside, seeking to rob every last morsel of heat. Sonic’s teeth chattered as the two climbed onto the rich leather seat. Shadow started the ignition and the motorcycle coughed and spluttered, spitting out black fumes. He tried again. And again, before she finally roared to life.
Sonic wrapped his arms around his partner’s waist as they sped off into the creeping twilight. Shadow’s injured hand burned, so he removed it from the handle bar to ease the soreness. He was more than capable at steering one handed anyway. Seizing this golden opportunity, he reached behind him and ran his fingers along Sonic’s leg.
The blue hedgehog leaned close to Shadow’s ear and spoke at a higher volume, hoping to rival the roaring engine and howling gale that whipped around them. “Y’know, while you were brooding, I was chatting with Tails and- well, he needs to run a few tests first, but he has a theory that my overexposure to the Chaos Emeralds might have extended my lifespan by about five-ten years, maybe more. It’s not much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s something, right?”
“Five-ten years, huh? Getting even one extra day with you is a blessing.”
Sonic’s heart thumped against Shadow’s back. He felt a sharp spike in his partner’s pulse. “D’aww, you sad sap. It’s been AGES since you said something so mushy to me. Maybe you should have an existential crisis more often.”
The black hedgehog’s brow furrowed into a deep frown. “Tsk, or maybe you should shut your mouth. Keep talking like that and I’ll never say anything mushy to you ever again.”
“Okay, Mr Grumpypants.” Sonic snickered. “Annnnyways, I was also thinking that, since you’ll live to meet Silver in his own timeline, maybe you could mentor him? Help him protect the planet from future threats?”
“…I do like the sound of that. Plus I’ve always had a fondness for Silver.”
He cocked an inquisitive eyebrow. “Oh yeah? You show ‘fondness’ towards people by kicking them in the head?”
“It’s how I used to show you affection, isn’t it?”
“True.” Sonic mumbled into his ebony fur, cheeks radiating with heat. Shadow glanced in the wing mirror and noticed that his face had flushed a bright sunburnt red.
They made it to the cusp of a sloping hill, overlooking a dazzling city skyline, before the motorcycle choked and died. “Still working out a few kinks.” The black hedgehog muttered, climbing off with Sonic following suit.
“Bummer. I was hoping we could drive to Empire City and grab a chilli dog. Maybe Tails will be kind enough to rustle up some grub.”
“I’m afraid we have far more pressing matters than your empty stomach.” Shadow responded, his attempts to get the old girl running again met with no results. “Damn. We’ll have to wheel her back.”
Sonic shrugged. “Oh well, I don’t mind walking.”
“I thought walking was too slow and boring for you.” He quipped.
“I can change my ways! I’m not an adrenaline junky anymore!” He rebutted. Something off in the distance procured the blue hedgehog’s interest before they could descend into a low stakes argument. “Hey look, the sun is still setting.” He commented, pointing at the mesmerising sight.
Shadow followed Sonic’s finger and basked in the evening glow. The sun was sinking beyond the rolling hills, casting rays that transformed the dusk sky from a tranquil blue to a magnificent concoction of vibrant colours - orange, pink and purple.
“Pretty, huh?”
“Beautiful.” Shadow uttered breathlessly.
It felt like Shadow had been watching the sun rise only a mere hour ago. What a waste of a day. He squandered precious time that he could have spent basking in Sonic’s delightful company.
He shook his head, banished those dreary thoughts. Starting now, he would no longer agonise over “wasted time” or what the future had in store. Any moment, big or small, was not insignificant.
Shadow whirled around and launched himself at Sonic, almost knocking him flat. He wrapped his arms around his wiry frame and gripped clumps of fur, wishing that if he held him tight enough, he would never fade away. “Thank you. For everything.” He whispered into his shoulder.
“No problem. Next time, just talk to me, alright? Don’t keep these things bottled up. You should know by now that you can tell me anything.” He said, returning the hug and gently stroking Shadow’s back quills.
“What can I say? Old habits die hard.” He admitted, burying his face deeper into Sonic’s fur. “Can we stay like this for a while?” He requested, voice muffled.
“Of course. For as long as you need.”
The two melted into the embrace. And for a fleeting moment, it felt like time froze. That the world stopped spinning and the sun paused just before it disappeared.
I want to always remember us this way.