Chapter Text
Sonic kept his eyes trained on the road in front of him, the grocery store shrinking behind them. The heart-shaped box of chocolates in his lap crinkled loudly as they passed over a rough patch, jostling the car. So much for staying subtle, he thought. He glanced nervously out the window, feeling Maddie’s self-controlled silence reach its limit.
“So…” She finally said, playful curiosity lacing her tone. “Are you going to tell me who those are for?”
Sonic jumped. “What? These? They’re- uh, for me! ‘Cause… I just love chocolate! Ha ha! Totally a normal thing to buy, right?” He cringed at his terrible deflection, knowing that Maddie wouldn’t buy it.
She raised an eyebrow, smiling knowingly. Her tone softened as she spoke again, though her eyes didn’t leave the road. “You can tell me, Sonic. But if you don’t want to, I won’t push. I was just curious.” She glanced over at him, smiling reassuringly.
Sonic remained uncharacteristically quiet, long enough that Maddie almost wondered if he’d fallen asleep. “It’s just…” he mumbled, eyes staring straight forward. “I don’t think you would approve.” He rigidly clutched the pink box of chocolates that Maddie had bought for him earlier. He’d snuck it into the cart when she wasn’t looking, and while she’d given him a confused glance, she’d purchased them anyway.
“Why not?” Maddie asked gently, and Sonic pulled his arms to his chest in a tight hug. He felt cornered, even if that wasn’t Maddie’s intention. Being under a spotlight wasn’t a new experience to him, but this felt different. He swallowed hard. The words had been twisting in his chest for months; he hadn’t told anyone this– not even Knuckles or Tails.
His grip on the chocolate box tightened, his heart pounding. “I-it’s a guy,” he forced out, his voice barely audible. He shrunk into himself, avoiding her gaze.
Maddie blinked. “Okay. That doesn’t change my question, sweetheart.”
Sonic’s head snapped up in surprise. “You’re not upset? Or mad?”
Maddie shook her head, her eyebrows crinkling. “Why would I be?”
Sonic lowered his eyes before continuing. “I thought… people thought it was bad. Or wrong. I’ve heard them talking about it– like it’s disgusting or something.” He paused, one of his worst fears slipping out of his mouth. “I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me,” he mumbled.
Maddie frowned, then wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “There are… people out there who think that, yes. But I will never be upset with you simply for being you, Sonic.”
He leaned his head into her shoulder, feeling like an enormous weight had been lifted off his chest. Or at least, one part of a weight– Tom still didn’t know. That’s tomorrow’s problem, he thought. One big confession per day.
“Well?” Maddie asked expectantly, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Who’s the lucky guy?”
“Um.” Sonic sat up, fidgeting with the box of chocolates before answering. “It’s… it’s Shadow.”
Sonic couldn’t help but notice the way Maddie tensed, even if it was only for a moment. “Oh. Well,” she said carefully, clearly trying to keep her voice level.
“That’s part two of why I was worried,” Sonic said sheepishly, feeling ashamed. “I know he’s made some… mistakes,” he started.
“He almost killed your father,” Maddie said flatly. Sonic winced, studying her face for any signs of judgement. She seemed more apprehensive than anything at the moment.
“Yes, but he thought Dad was Walters because of the holograms, remember?” Sonic pointed out. “And he did apologize for it later,” he added. Much later. Maddie nodded, considering the argument.
Finally, she smiled. “I probably should’ve connected the dots sooner,” she murmured, amused. “You do talk about him a lot.”
“Do I?!” Sonic asked, alarmed. His face turned red as he realized he was caught. “I mean, what? No I don’t,” he quickly said, earning a sideways grin from Maddie as they pulled into the driveway. Before she could reach for the door handle, Sonic grabbed her arm. “Mom, wait.” She stopped, looking back at him questioningly.
“Please don’t tell Dad… what I told you. I’m going to tell him soon, I just… don’t know how, yet. So–”
“I won’t,” she interrupted, squeezing his arm gently. “Promise.”
. . . . .
That night, Sonic laid awake in his pitch dark room, staring at the ceiling. Knuckles snored loudly across the room, though that wasn’t the reason he was still awake. Tails muttered in his sleep, curling one of his yellow tails around himself as Sonic sat up, checking the time. It was just past 11:30– time to go.
He crept out of bed and slipped his shoes on. Reaching under his mattress, he retrieved the box of chocolates and a card he’d made the other day before soundlessly climbing out of the window.
Moving carefully through the dark forest, he made his way to his old cave. It was an odd feeling; he thought he’d never return after being adopted by the Wachowskis, but now he looked forward to visiting, for one very specific reason– he happened to know that Shadow was currently living there.
Sonic had discovered by accident while on a run, and Shadow had rather forcibly sworn him to silence. He’d obeyed, not telling even Tom or Maddie that their most recent enemy was living less than three miles from their home. He’d only visited a handful of times so far. He wished he could go see Shadow more, but the black hedgehog had made it clear he didn’t really enjoy the company. Not that it stopped Sonic from showing up uninvited, but he did try to restrain himself for Shadow’s sake.
Tonight’s different, though, he thought to himself as he arrived at the entrance to his old home. He took a deep breath, trying to still his nervously racing heart. His feet felt like blocks of concrete, making it difficult to move. Shivering in the cold February air, he finally entered.
If he hadn’t known better, he would’ve thought that the cave was still unoccupied. The hazy Christmas lights he’d hung up a little over a year ago were dark, the only illumination streaming through the hole in the ceiling. Everything was covered by a thin layer of dust, and the room felt devoid of life. It was just as cold in the cave as it was outside, and he shivered again.
As he listened closely though, he could hear soft breathing coming from the beanbag chair, which had been pushed to one corner. Sonic made his way over, careful not to disturb anything on the floor. Sure enough, curled up and shivering in the soft cushion, laid Shadow. He looked thinner than the last time they’d seen each other. Sonic tentatively reached out to wake the other hedgehog, but at the moment his hand brushed Shadow’s bony shoulder, red eyes flew open. He vanished in a flash of light.
Sonic barely had time to turn around to see Shadow reappear behind him, crackling with crimson Chaos Energy. Sonic quickly raised his hands to show he meant no harm, realized what he was still holding, and hid them behind his back with an embarrassed smile.
Shadow sighed in obvious irritation. “What do you want?” He asked gruffly, clearly less than thrilled at being woken up. His quills were ruffled, a few stray strands sticking out. He blinked a few times, perhaps wondering if this was a dream.
“I…” Sonic said, suddenly at a loss for words, his mouth going dry. Even after being violently thrown from sleep, Shadow still looked… stunning. “I-I brought these for you,” he said, pointing to the chocolates and the card. Shadow stared at him with a blank expression. Sonic, unable to handle the awkward tension filling the room, rushed forward and shoved the items into Shadow’s arms.
Shadow didn’t break eye contact with Sonic. “Why?” He asked, extremely confused and still somewhat groggy. He rubbed his eyes and finally looked down and studied the card that Sonic had painstakingly colored the day before. “Be mine… Valentine?”
Sonic smiled, a bead of sweat making its way down the side of his face. He knew his cheeks were bright pink, and for the first time, he was grateful for the lack of light in the room. Then he remembered Shadow had some sort of night vision, and could probably see perfectly fine.
“What is that? A… Valentine?” Shadow asked slowly, meeting Sonic’s eyes again. Sonic couldn’t help but notice the hint of intrigue in Shadow’s tone, his ears pricking forward ever so slightly.
“You don’t- okay. I guess that’s fair. I didn’t know about it until Tom and Maddie told me about it last year,” Sonic said, anxiously wringing his hands. “It’s a holiday, where you, um, ask someone you like to be your ‘Valentine’. Then they get each other chocolates, flowers, and cards.”
He started pacing around the room, unable to stay still any longer. He noticed with a tiny spark of glee that some of his comic books had been moved– Shadow had gotten bored, apparently. “You can say no,” he said quickly, stopping in place. “And don’t worry about getting me anything, either.” He eyed Shadow nervously, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.
After what felt like an eternity, Shadow finally responded. “What do I do, then?”
“How about you come to dinner at my house tomorrow? Around six? My mom is making chili dogs to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Weird tradition, maybe, but nothing can top her chili dogs,” Sonic replied coolly, hoping his voice wasn’t betraying his internal shouts of joy. He hadn’t expected to get this far.
Shadow reluctantly sighed, sounding resigned. “If I say yes, will you let me go back to sleep?”
Sonic nodded enthusiastically, trying and failing to stop a huge grin from spreading across his face.
“...fine,” Shadow muttered, turning away from Sonic and settling back into the beanbag chair.
“See you tomorrow, then!” Sonic exclaimed, silently pumping his fists in the air and zipping out of the cave before Shadow could change his mind. The dark hedgehog glanced once more at the card, shaking his head softly before curling up again.
. . . . .
The next morning after a late breakfast, Tom asked Sonic about going out on the lake. They tried to make a point of doing it more often, especially after Tom had gotten hurt. Sonic eagerly accepted, figuring there was no way Tom would have found out about his late-night antics already.
Turned out, he was sorely mistaken.
They made sandwiches to eat while they were out, grabbed the fishing gear, and left. The lake was peaceful today, only the tiniest of ripples rocking their small boat. A cool breeze drifted across the surface, and the sun wasn’t too hot. By all accounts, it was a perfect day for fishing.
After an hour or so had passed, Tom turned to Sonic, exhaling slowly. “We need to have a little talk, Sonic.”
Sonic felt his heart drop in his chest, carefully keeping his face casual and disinterested. “About what?” He asked, wincing as his voice cracked.
“I thought we were over the whole ‘sneaking out at night’ thing, bud,” Tom said, his eyes pinning Sonic in place.
“It was just last night, I swear,” Sonic said quickly, unsure of how much Tom knew. In truth, it had been more than just last night, just not… consecutively. “Also, how’d you find out so fast? Last time it took you weeks- I mean, days to catch on,” he hastily amended. Tom just rolled his eyes.
“Tails mentioned it this morning,” Tom admitted. “You also rarely sleep in, so that was another sign that something was up.”
Sonic sighed, dread growing in his stomach. It was only a matter of time before Tom asked where he had been, and he’d have to explain again. It felt slightly easier after his conversation with Maddie, but he still had no idea how Tom would react. “I’m sorry, Dad.” He could feel the words bubbling up in his chest, looking for the perfect moment to escape.
“I’m not upset, Sonic. A little disappointed, sure, but I’m not angry. I just want to know why-”
“I went to ask Shadow to be my Valentine and invited him over for supper tonight,” Sonic blurted, clapping a hand over his mouth. Tom fell silent. Unexpected tears blurred his vision as he leaned forward, staring at the floor of the boat. “I’m so sorry, Dad. Please don’t be angry,” he whispered.
Tom said nothing, which almost scared Sonic more. His heart thumped in his ears as he shut his eyes tightly. He shouldn’t have said anything. Now everything was ruined. His thoughts continued to spiral, at least until he heard a stifled snort from Tom. He looked up in surprise at his dad, who was struggling to contain his laughter.
“Y-you think it’s funny?” Sonic said incredulously, slightly hurt and more than a little worried by the reaction. “Or are you just so angry that you-”
Tom held out his other hand, cutting Sonic off. “I’m not laughing at you,” he reassured Sonic, smiling with delight. “It’s just– that’s almost exactly how Maddie and I started dating.”
Sonic’s eyes widened, ears flicking forward at the implications of this. His brain was slowly catching up. “You… snuck out to go see her?”
“Oh, all the time,” Tom said. “You could have just told me, Sonic. We’ve been through a lot together, and I haven’t left your side yet. Why would I stop now?”
“I know,” Sonic said nervously. “It’s just scary, that’s all. Since he’s the one who…” he trailed off, gesturing at Tom’s arm, which had only recently been freed from the confines of a cast.
Tom reached across the boat, firmly planting his other hand on Sonic’s shoulder. “You don’t have to feel like you need to hide things from me, bud. I’m going to be honest with you, but I’ll always support you.” He paused, licking his lips. “I can’t say I was expecting Shadow, but… if he makes you happy, that’s what matters.”
Sonic beamed, the weight fully lifting off his chest. Finally. Now all he had to worry about was his Valentine. “Mom said the same thing. You guys are awesome.”
“Wait, you told Mom before me?” Tom asked, pretending to be hurt.
“It was yesterday,” Sonic clarified. “I asked her not to tell you, because I wanted to tell you myself.”
Tom ruffled Sonic’s quills and turned, grabbing his fishing rod. “Thanks for trusting me. Although, let’s try to keep the sneaking out to a minimum, please.”
Sonic grinned, feeling free for the first time in months. He grabbed his sandwich from the cooler they’d brought with them and took a bite, catching an amused look from Tom.
“We ate like, an hour ago, Sonic. How are you hungry already?”
Sonic shrugged. “Coming out takes a lot of energy,” he said around a mouthful of food. Tom just chuckled, his eyes returning to the small red and white bobber cheerfully bouncing around the water’s surface.
. . . . .
Sonic anxiously paced back and forth in the living room, glancing up at the clock every few seconds. He watched as it hit 6… then 6:05… and still, no one had shown up. Maybe he forgot, Sonic thought nervously, peeking out the window and seeing nothing. Or maybe he’s still mad at me for waking him up last night and decided he didn’t want to come after all. He sighed. That was probably more likely.
The doorbell rang, interrupting his thoughts and making Sonic jump. Heart pounding in his chest, he shot over to the door and opened it slowly.
Shadow stood on the other side, his quills immaculately styled back and sticking up boldly. He was holding a varied bouquet of wildflowers, stems tied together with vines. Sonic gasped, the words he had planned on saying immediately evaporating from his brain. “I- what- huh?”
Shadow held the flowers out, the tiniest bit of pink tinging his cheeks. “You said people get each other flowers,” he said, his voice intentionally nonchalant as he held out the flowers to an extremely flustered Sonic.
How dumb would I look if I swooned, Sonic faintly thought, feeling lightheaded. He gently took the flowers, his fingers brushing Shadow’s. As he smelled them, the sweet aroma filled his nostrils, and he sighed involuntarily, relaxing. Shadow cleared his throat awkwardly, reminding Sonic of his presence. “Oh!” Sonic cried, stepping back. “Come in. I’ll, uh, see if we have a vase somewhere to put these in!” He zipped into the kitchen where Maddie was preparing the chili dogs.
“Mom,” he said, barely able to keep his voice low, bouncing energetically from foot to foot. “He brought me flowers and he looks amazing and– and–” he gushed, clutching his head as he grinned.
Maddie gasped, her brown eyes sparkling as she matched Sonic’s energy. “That’s a really good sign!” She whispered back gleefully before continuing to stir the chili.
Sonic scuffed his foot against the floor, looking down at the flowers in his hands. “I, um… I really like him, Mom,” he whispered. “Like, a lot.”
Maddie grinned to herself, seeing just how head-over-heels Sonic was. “I know. I’m happy for you, Sonic.” She glanced at the timer on the microwave before setting the spoon down. She reached into a cabinet above the fridge, pulled a glass vase out and filled it with water. When it was full, she handed it to Sonic, who delicately placed the flowers in it.
“Food will be ready soon,” Maddie called as Sonic left the room, returning to the chili.
“Okay,” he replied as he entered the dining room, placing the vase in the middle of the table. He gazed at it happily until he realized that Shadow was no longer in the room, though it didn’t take long to find him.
“What is he doing here?” Knuckles demanded angrily from the living room. Sonic walked in to see the echidna pointing a spiked fist at Shadow, who was glaring at Knuckles, quills bristling. “Here for round two?”
Shadow snorted derisively. “I beat you quite easily, if I recall.”
Knuckles growled indignantly, lifting his fists and starting towards Shadow, who only eyed him with mild disgust. Sonic leapt in between them, raising his hands. “Knuckles, relax. He’s here for Val- for supper,” he stuttered.
Knuckles leaned around Sonic to continue glaring at Shadow. “And why is that? He tried to-”
“I know,” Sonic interjected. “But he’s changed. For the better.”
Knuckles narrowed his eyes, lowering his fists. “If he tries anything-”
“I won’t,” Shadow said coldly, cutting Knuckles off.
“We’ll see,” the echidna muttered, storming out of the room and pushing past Tails, who was coming downstairs but froze when he saw Shadow.
“Um-” he started to say, only for Sonic to interrupt him.
“It’s okay. He’s here with me. For supper.”
Tails nodded slowly, his blue eyes meeting Sonic’s with no small amount of suspicion. He’s onto me, Sonic thought, worried. Knuckles wouldn’t catch on unless I told him, but Tails… He sighed. Tails was young, but he wasn’t stupid. “Uh, yeah. Okay,” the fox said, his eyes darting between Sonic and Shadow apprehensively. “Sonic, could you help me with something? Upstairs?”
Sonic grimaced, glancing back at Shadow. “I’ll be right back,” he assured the other hedgehog. Shadow’s eyes flicked towards Sonic before turning away with a nod. Sonic turned and followed Tails up the stairs, the wood creaking loudly underneath his feet.
At the top of the staircase, Tails tapped his foot impatiently. “So when were you going to tell us you had a crush on Shadow?”
Sonic desperately shushed him, but the fox was undeterred. “I thought you didn’t like him, yet here you are, immediately jumping to his defense.”
“He really has changed,” Sonic argued. “After we fought, we had a talk. I think he was just… lost. Alone.” He fell silent, remembering the conversation he’d had with the other hedgehog while sitting on the moon, watching the sun rise over the Earth, the Eclipse Cannon a speck in the distance. “I got through to him. And now we’re besties!”
Tails looked at him skeptically. “Okay, maybe we’re still working on that part.” He paused, watching Tails' face morph into something sinister. One only a mischievous younger sibling could make, driving a spike of fear into Sonic’s heart. “Please don’t tell him that I like him,” he begged, seeing where his brother’s mind was going.
“Sonic, you literally asked him to be your Valentine,” he deadpanned. “Nothing screams ‘I’m in love with you’ more than that.”
Sonic winced, hearing the truth in Tails’ words. “Still. Don’t say anything.”
Tails grinned, his eyes glinting with mischief. “We’ll see. Just… don’t be surprised if someone mentions it before the night is over.”
Sonic blanched. “You wouldn’t.”
“We’ll see,” Tails said again, heading back downstairs. Sonic followed him closely, hoping his presence would dissuade his brother from letting anything slip.
Still in the living room, Shadow was being mercilessly inspected by Ozzie. He stared coldly at the dog, who didn’t seem to notice or care. After a moment, he apparently decided that Shadow was alright and sat in front of him, looking at the black hedgehog expectantly.
“He wants you to pet him,” Sonic said, laughing at Shadow’s puzzled expression. He gingerly extended his hand and patted Ozzie’s head, who leaned into the contact. Shadow visibly relaxed, moving his other hand to the dog’s head, massaging his ears. A small smile crossed his face as Ozzie laid down and exposed his stomach, asking for a belly rub.
As Shadow crouched to continue petting Ozzie, a smile tugged at Sonic’s lips, a warmth spreading in his chest. He loved seeing Shadow’s smile, even if it was something the other hedgehog saved for very special occasions. Tails, who was still standing next to Sonic, noticed his expression and rubbed his hands together with a teasing grin. Sonic quickly looked away, realizing how much power his little brother now held over him.
Before Tails could say anything, Maddie saved him. “Dinner’s ready,” she called, sauntering into the room holding a large tray of sizzling hotdogs and setting it down on the table. She smiled affectionately when she saw Shadow giving Ozzie a belly rub, though he stood quickly when he realized he was being watched.
Tom followed behind Maddie, carrying another tray full of different toppings. Sonic licked his lips, nearly floating to the table when he smelled the chili. Knuckles entered the room, pointedly sitting on the opposite side of the table from Shadow, who only rolled his eyes, taking a seat next to Sonic.
There was a beat of awkward silence where everyone glanced at Shadow, until Knuckles broke the tension. “I’m starving,” he muttered, staring at the hotdogs longingly.
Everyone unfroze. Maddie grabbed a pair of tongs, standing. “If you want one, hold your plate up.”
All of them, except for Shadow, held their plates up. Maddie expertly placed a hotdog on each plate, then passed the tray of toppings around the table. Shadow glanced from one person to another, his ears folding back ever so slightly.
“Are you going to eat?” Sonic asked, noticing that Shadow’s plate remained empty.
The dark hedgehog shook his head, actually looking… shy? That’s a new one, Sonic thought. “I don’t know what to get,” he said quietly.
Sonic waited until everyone else was done putting the different toppings on their food, then he grabbed a hotdog, placing it on Shadow’s plate. He slid the toppings tray closer so Shadow could inspect the variety of options. “What looks good?”
Shadow shrunk back, looking overwhelmed. “Just- just pick a few things,” he mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut. Maddie shot Sonic a concerned look, who raised his arms helplessly.
“Shadow, honey, it’s okay,” Maddie said kindly. Shadow opened his eyes and glared at her, though she didn’t falter. “If you’re not sure, chili and cheese is a safe bet,” she suggested. He stared at her, sensing that he wouldn’t win in an argument.
“Fine,” he grumbled.
Sonic scooped chili and some shredded cheese onto the hotdog, then set it back in front of Shadow. The other hedgehog’s eyes warily glanced around the room, checking for some unseen trap or trick. After a long moment, he finally picked the hotdog up, sniffed it, and took a bite.
His eyebrows raised, red eyes lighting up at the taste. He quickly reset his expression, but not before Sonic noticed. “Good, right?”
Shadow didn’t say anything, taking another large bite with a tiny grin. Sonic smiled, getting another glimpse at the other side of Shadow that he so rarely showed. A softer side, one that was… happier, maybe. Sonic was becoming more and more fascinated by it, already wondering what he could do to help pull that side out more.
Shadow finished the hotdog quickly, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Thank you for the food,” he said quietly, looking at Maddie. “It was good.”
She beamed at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “There’s plenty more, if you’re still hungry.”
He gave a small shake of his head, only for his stomach to loudly growl a moment later. His face reddened in embarrassment as Sonic laughed. He shot the blue hedgehog a withering glare, who only covered another hotdog in chili and offered it to Shadow. He eyed Maddie, wondering if she would be upset at him for eating another despite her assurances. Reluctantly, he accepted.
“So,” Tom asked, making Shadow flinch. He noticed, and softened his voice. “Where have you been holing up, Shadow?”
Sonic froze, his own loaded chili dog stopping just short of his mouth. Shadow didn’t look at Tom, only answering after taking a bite of the second hotdog. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”
Sonic gently kicked Shadow’s leg under the table, who whipped his head around to glare at the other hedgehog.
Be nice, Sonic mouthed, giving him a warning look. Shadow looked annoyed, but he turned back to Tom.
“In the woods,” he said vaguely, hoping to end the conversation. He didn’t need them knowing he was hiding so close to their house.
Tails spoke up, pushing his somehow spotless plate forward. “Is that why you’re so skinny, Shadow? No offense, I’m just saying.” Maddie choked on her hotdog, shooting Tails a sharp look after Tom whacked her on the back.
Shadow’s shoulders tensed, narrowing his eyes at the fox, who shrunk back in his seat. “Don’t worry about my eating habits,” he spat. Sonic noticed Shadow’s quills bristle, hinting that something about the question was bothering him.
Across the table, Knuckles also pushed his plate forward. It was covered in more chili than the third hotdog that Sonic had just passed to Shadow, which was saying a lot.
“The fox has a point, hedgehog. You and Sonic are the same size, but I can see your ribs,” the echidna said. Shadow’s jaw tightened, and a spark of Chaos Energy crackled across his body.
“Let’s maybe not–” Maddie started to say, trying to defuse the tension in the room, but she was too late.
Shadow’s chair scraped loudly against the floor as he abruptly stood. “I told you not to worry about it,” he snarled before stomping out of the room without another word. Silence filled the room as Sonic stood as well and followed the other hedgehog, worried. Was it the question itself that had set him off, or was there something else going on?
Shadow stood in the middle of the living room, facing away from the entrance. He finished the last of his third chili dog, then crossed his arms in irritation. A deep scowl formed on his face.
“Don’t,” he snapped as Sonic approached him, reaching out for his shoulder. The blue hedgehog obliged, pulling his hand back to his body.
“Are you okay? You can tell me,” Sonic asked softly, rubbing his arm anxiously. Something was going wrong, and he didn’t know how to fix it.
Shadow didn’t turn around to face Sonic. “I’m fine,” he muttered, his voice strained, the words sounding extremely forced.
“They didn’t mean to make you mad,” Sonic said. “They’re just… terrible at small talk, I think.”
Shadow nodded in agreement, finally turning to face the other hedgehog and shifting on his feet uncomfortably. Sonic noticed his hand drifting towards his stomach, Shadow’s face slightly paling. His red eyes slid shut, slowly breathing in and out through his nose. “Do you… have a bathroom?” He asked through gritted teeth.
Sonic nearly laughed, the question catching him off guard– though he stopped himself after seeing Shadow’s expression. “Yeah, down the hall to the left-”
The words barely left his mouth before Shadow disappeared, still holding his stomach. The bathroom door slammed shut a moment later. Sonic couldn’t help sympathizing with Shadow. He was well aware of what chili dogs could do to your stomach. Returning to the dining room, he made a mental note to avoid that bathroom for the rest of the night.
Maddie gave him a questioning look as he walked back in. Bathroom, he mouthed at her, and she winced with a smile as Sonic pulled his chair out to continue eating. Before he could sit, he heard a wet cough from the bathroom, the sound loud enough to cut through several walls. Sonic froze.
“Shadow?” He called, eyes meeting Maddie’s in a mix of fear and worry. He pushed his chair back slowly and cautiously started towards the bathroom.
The only response he received was retching, along with water splashing. Maddie quickly rose from her chair, glancing at the others with concern before motioning for them to stay put as she followed Sonic to the bathroom.