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I’d been a simple question, spoken out of turn as a way to fill the empty silence they’d shared. A casual time waster and excuse to stretch his legs, to seize an opportunity to wander the abandoned station, to be alone with him. He had whispered it somewhat as to avoid those few who slept nearby, leaning into the other he asks expecting banter. Expecting an endearing impatience and for his constant queries to irritate and give way to the teasing play they so often fell into.
But the response off guards him, a simple ‘yes’ and his seated companion stands in front of the expansive window before them. It frames the vast strokes of space, an inked canvas bespeckled with distant illuminous stars. Mobius centers the composition as the Arc courses parallel to the expansive planet. From the scenic view he looks up to Shadows, never will Sonic tire of the sight. Imposed infront of the blue green of their world Shadow quirks the smallest of bittersweet smiles while staring out into space.
Standing himself he follows his friend through the slumbering Freedom Fighter members camping the room. The result of yet another battle against the madman’s shenanigans this time leading the fight into the stars. With it all over he’s glad Shadow had recommended the large open space as a spot to set camp while waiting until Sally and friends return with the ship to send another portion of them home.
Together they navigate through the crowd of slumbering mobians and conversing groups. Out the room they bypass the positioned guards and continue walking the starkly white halls. Even all these years later the sharp scent of antiseptic remains forever ingrained in the Arcs very bones. He eyes the lengthy ventilation shaft above and its occasional vented openings he hears to the sound of the recycled air and their echoing foot falls.
The tiled ceiling is the same throughout the structure as is the white walls and pristine flooring. Everything looks the same, every corner they turn leading them through a maze of a seemingly mirrored labyrinth. He feels lost and a bit disturbed, this place was Shadows childhood home in a sense. That only serves to bother him more, a child’s world is their environment so what does this place say about Shadows, in this place what was his world like?
It was widely known all that had happened on the ship in its prime, while video and photography alike had been wiped clean and privatized by GUN. There remained a myriad of printed material which had been forgotten or deemed unimportant to destroy. He’d been present to attend the exploration upon their arrival on the Arc. Saw the papers detailing meal plans and daily checkups, he didn’t always understand but knew that 24h surveillance and the constance of medical treatments was never a good thing.
One detail he’d noticed was the constant use of ‘it’ as a means to the describe Shadow. He understood the discrimination between mobian and overlander remained prominent in one form or another but in today’s world it wasn’t common. In those papers he’s confronted with the truth that in those years it had been a point of contention. How had that affected how they treated the youthful Shadow.
“You’re quiet”, overcome with melancholy Sonic hides behind his smile “thought you of all people would enjoy my silence”. He walks behind the other who once again turns another identical corner. “I don’t mind, it’s just unexpected,” a chuckle is Shadows answer “we’re close” Sonic again evaluates their surroundings. The same stark white walls and vivid lighting, a rhythmic patterned ceiling and the occasional surveillance cameras lined above, “how can you tell where you are? Everywhere looks the same” he remembers even during that excavation they’d needed a map to navigate.
Shadow looks to him confused “no it doesn’t, we’re here”, guess when you’ve lived on a space colony most your life even a labyrinth can become familiarly ordinary. Typing on the coded keypad swipes the door aside revealing a pitched darkness within. That same gloved hand reaching further to flick an associated switch. A stark light fills the space, it’s empty, and moderately sized, the walls similarly stark white. It’s eerie entering the colorless void, without the near imperceptible differences along each wall he’d think they had stepped into an unfinished reality.
First left, his head swivels to take in all he can of the unidentified room. A camera sits high in the left corner and his eye beelines its aim. To the right stands Shadow in front of a sole window. An inking darkness beyond the glass, in its depths stars stretch abundantly, they silhouetting its framed subject. Briefly Sonic becomes lost to the scene before him, only really blinking when Shadow speaks.
“My bedroom,” Sonic blushes slightly at the reveal, it’s such an intimate implication and one he recognizes as an unintentional one. That ruby gaze holds below, his own following down pass ring bound wrist to gloved fingers smoothing across a metal surface. Below the window an elevated block of metal noticeably sticks out perpendicular to the ground. Approaching, a pit buries itself within his stomach. The supposed slab had no chance in disguising the horrid reality that the barren cold steel was the supposed ‘bed’.
An anger morphs the hero’s features, he’s quick to turn from the scene under the guise of adjusting his quills.
Shadow stands there waiting. Perhaps a confirmation that he’s not the monster once assumed of him or an intentional attempt at an intimate connection. The latter Sonic doesn’t kid himself into believing though he does long for it.
He didn’t know what to say, compliments would feel disingenuous. The space is barren devoid of any sense of self rather it narrates the reality of a childhood devoid of care. A sharp contrast ordinarily associated with the labeling of bedroom, when noticing Shadows eye on him he settles with a forlorn smile.
Shadow averts from Sonic’s reaction his focus returning to the bed. “It’ll be a while before we ever come back. It’s not often Ivo brings his escapades to space”, thinking about it regardless of the actions associated with this place it had acted somewhat as a home to its residence. Its labyrinthian scope as familiar to his companion as his own childhood home had been. Quick to rebuttal the hero speaks of the possibility of them visiting again, “I’d rather not”.
Pulling his hand away the hybrid hedgehog walks the rooms length to its other side, the clacking of air shoes atop the steel flooring loudly sounding. “It’s…a bit overwhelming”, Sonic says nothing mentally berating for such an assumedly sentimental suggestion, he approaches watchful of way Shadows hand grazed the wall.
Upon closer inspection he sees them, the numerous deep scratches marring the eerily white surface. “I never allowed her in here. It was the one selfish thing I insisted upon”, a smile grazes ever slightly quirks Shadows face. As though lost to a memory the lifeforms sights glaze over and a silence persists.
Sonic doesn’t think to interrupt in times like these, when Shadow willingly shares the ugliness of his past. Another piece to an ever expanding puzzle and though its rigid edges poke and prod, as had most of Shadows shared memories, its revelation keeps him conscious of their closening relationship.
Those walls Shadow forcefully maintained he knew to be a defense against those who would take advantage of the vulnerability beneath. This was a show of trust ordinarily reserved only for Rouge and Omega. For a moment Sonic can hear nothing but the heart pounding in his chest and feel a tightness following.
His throat feels as though it’s closed and he’s temporarily breathless when that ruby gaze lifts to him and a hand squeezes his own. Looking down he’s quick to notice their hands locked, his own reaching and therefore being the one to unconsciously initiate such an intimacy.
Gaze rising he nearly startles at the closeness of Shadows approach. Sonic’s eye returning time and again his lips, the same ones which graze his own. The blurs reaction is instantaneous as he takes the lead in initiating the next one and then again till eventually they barely separate at all.
He never rushes the pace and at times their teeth clack against one another yet they both lean further into the act. Only separating when darkness encompasses them leaving only the windows softest illumination to dim the scene. He can barely see Shadows face and he assumes the same for himself, the heavy breathing and lingering taste of his rival on his lip is enough to reassure him what had occurred wasn’t a dream.
The door slides open thereafter and a shadow stretches the rooms length “Sonic? Oh hey where the lights?” Again the room is flushed with a stark brightness and the recognizable voice of Amy continues, “why is the light on the outside? The ship is here, there’s been a, oh hello Shadow”.
She notices, he sees her gaze linger below and Sonic still feels the warmth of their clasp hands. Shadow releases the hold much to Sonics yearning and leaves the room with a muttered “I’ll take this one back, I’ve seen enough”.
Door closed the duo are left alone, there’s that look in Amy’s eye. A looming defeat she attempts to hide by looking diverting her gaze but he’s already seen it. “Sally insists you return on this one, there’s enough fighters here to defend and with Eggman back on mobius there’s not likely to be an attack here. They’ve already started hatching plans for rebuilding and need you for reconnoissance.”
She continues on and on as though filling the silence will make the situation seemingly natural and distance her feelings behind the profession of her position. They’ve never dated but she had confessed to him a week prior, before this whole space adventure kicked up, and he’d yet to had any time to give any response. He needn’t say anything, she knows.
“I’ll go, thanks Amy,” She smiles politely though it doesn’t reach her eye. Then she departs and he’s left alone.