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Shadow shot up in bed, hands covering his mouth. His heaving breaths and beginnings of sobs were much too loud for comfort. He was currently staying over at his boyfriend's house, and the pathetic display could wake someone up. Still, shadow didn’t move and sat there shaking, as the images from his dream drifted in his mind.
Maria.
He let out a choked sob and teleported out, going from Sonic's place to a random street to the forest to Sonic's house to his crater, where he had fallen down to earth for a second time. His tears now overwhelmed him, and he zapped back to where sonic sat up in bed, staring around for him.
“Shads! Shads, where were-“ Sonic starts to ramble, throwing the covers off himself and running to the figure standing in the middle of his room. He cuts himself off, catching the look at shadows face.
“Wait, another nightmare?” Sonic asked. Shadow just tried teleporting out, running, but all he could focus on was the look on Sonic's face, causing him to just bounce around the same room. Sonic yelps and tries to follow shadow, who is zapping around the room, slowly breaking.
Sonic lunges and grabs shadow in the nick of time, grabbing his shoulder and pushing him down. Sonic follows, sitting cross legged, across from shadow; who sat there, and desperately tried to not allow sadness or weakness onto his face, his hands gripping his forearms to the point of pain.
Why had it hurt so much tonight? It’s not like these dreams are out of the ordinary. They’re nightly. So why are you crying, just stop crying.
Maria’s body lay there in his mind's eye.
You did this. You caused that.
Shadow made a horrible gasping noise, pushing the tears down. Sonic seemed afraid to approach him, just like everyone else at the lab. He hesitantly hovers just around shadows shaking form, not knowing what to do.
After a minute, sonic holds out his hands and waits to see if shadow is okay with grabbing his hands. He hopes it can be some form of grounding. After a second, shadow removes his hands from his wrists, leaving visible bruises, and grabs a hold of Sonics hands.
“Now. Follow me.” Sonic instructs lightly. Shadow just nods, silent tears streaming down his face.
Sonic inhales, squeezing shadows hands. Shadow follows his lead, and together they breathe until shadow has regained control of himself.
“So…” Sonic says, somewhat awkwardly. Shadow just stares at him, before muttering “im sorry.”
“For what!” Sonic asks indignantly. “It wasn’t your fault.” He assures shadow. “It’s okay, cryings a natural-“
“Crying is-“
“Shshshshshshshsh. Listen to me.” Sonic says, placing his hand across shadows mouth. He can feel shadows mouth smile slightly, the small amount of joy flickering in his watery eyes. Sonic smiles back in return, continuing his little speech.
“Crying is not… weak or silly. It’s okay! It’s okay to just be fine, or not be fine!” Sonic finishes.
Shadow just looks at him. “That was too much wasn’t it-“ Sonic says. Shadow breathily chuckles and just sits, still holding hands with sonic as he stares out the window at the peaceful night sky.
Shadow lay back in the bed, sonic in his arms. He slowly brushed through Sonics quills as he stared out at the stars. He liked the feeling of being there to protect sonic. Shadow stared up at the stars visible through Sonics window.
The light shines, even though the star is gone.
The memory of that night stings shadow, and his eyes start to bubble with tears again. Biting his lip, he pushes them down as sonic moves. Shadow looks down startled, only to see sonic cuddle closer to him, grabbing his chest and resting himself onto his shoulder. The move is comforting. Even asleep, sonic is always here for him. Shadow chuckles lightly, the smallest of smiles playing on his face as he tears his eyes away from the blue body beneath him and back to the stars above.