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°‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡°‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡°‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡
Sonic had never run this fast before.
It all started on a totally normal Tuesday when Sonic tripped over literally nothing and faceplanted right in front of Shadow.
Shadow, arms crossed, leaning dramatically against a tree like he was in a music video nobody asked for, raised an eyebrow.
“Pathetic.”
Sonic groaned, face still in the dirt. “I meant to do that.”
“Ah yes,” Shadow said flatly. “The ancient art of eating grass.”
Sonic pushed himself up way too fast, immediately slipping a little and pretending that also didn’t happen. “Whatever, faker.”
Shadow didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Possibly didn’t breathe.
A leaf fell between them.
Sonic: “So… uh…”
Shadow: “What.”
Sonic: “Your quills look… uh… extra pointy today.”
Shadow blinked once, slowly. “That is the worst compliment I’ve ever received.”
“IT WASN’T A COMPLIMENT,” Sonic panicked. “I mean—NOT THAT YOU DON’T—uh—LOOK—GOOD—I mean—YOU LOOK—NORMAL—LIKE—AGGRESSIVELY NORMAL—”
Shadow’s eyes narrowed. “Aggressively… normal.”
“YEAH, LIKE—INTENSELY—AVERAGE—WAIT NO—”
“You think I look good?”
Sonic froze like his soul just exited his body and filed for divorce. “…I think I need to leave.”
He turned to run.
He ran directly into a tree.
The same tree.
There was a long silence.
Shadow closed his eyes briefly. “You ran into the same tree twice.”
“I like consistency,” Sonic said weakly, sliding down the trunk like a defeated cartoon character.
Shadow sighed so hard it could be considered a weather pattern shift. “Hopeless.”
…But he walked over anyway.
Sonic dramatically held out a hand toward the sky. “If I pass out, tell everyone I was cool.”
“You were never cool,” Shadow replied.
“…wow.”
Another pause. The air got weird again.
Shadow (clearly fighting every instinct telling him to just teleport away) awkwardly held out a hand.
Sonic stared at it like it might explode. “Is this… a trap?”
“It’s called helping someone up,” Shadow said, already regretting every life choice that led to this moment.
“…you’ve changed,” Sonic whispered.
“I haven’t.”
Sonic grabbed his hand anyway.
Their eyes met.
Time slowed.
A bird screeched like it also felt uncomfortable.
Somewhere, a breeze whispered this is cringe.
Sonic: “Your hand is… warm.”
Shadow immediately yanked his hand back like Sonic had just confessed to a crime. “Never say that again.”
“Sorry,” Sonic mumbled. “I got nervous.”
“…Why.”
“I don’t know, you just make me feel like… like I’m gonna run into more trees.”
“You already do that.”
“Yeah but now it’s emotional.”
Shadow stared at him.
Sonic stared back.
Neither of them blinked.
“…I hate this,” Shadow muttered.
“…same,” Sonic said, for once completely sincere.
They stood there in silence.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
Fifteen seconds.
Sonic opened his mouth.
Shadow immediately pointed at him. “Don’t.”
Sonic closed it.
Two seconds later—
“…Do you wanna go get chili dogs?” Sonic blurted.
Shadow hesitated.
You could practically hear the internal debate:
Option A: Chaos control.
Option B: Accept to eating the meat cylinders with the idiot speed bump.
“…Fine.”
Sonic gasped like someone just told him gravity was optional. “Wait really?!”
“Don’t make it weird.”
“You literally agreed to hang out with me, it’s already weird.”
“…I’m going to regret this.”
“YOU WON’T. I MEAN—YOU WILL—BUT LIKE—IN A GOOD WAY—LIKE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT—”
“I don’t need character development.”
“Everyone needs character development, Shadow.”
“I am already perfect.”
“Wow.”
Shadow started walking.
Sonic followed.
Immediately tripped again.
Shadow didn’t even turn around. “I’m not helping you this time.”
“WOW. FAKE FRIEND.”
“…I am not your friend.”
“…yet?”
“…Sonic.”
“…yeah?”
“…please stop talking.”
“Okay.”
Three seconds of silence.
“…So about your hands—”
“Sonic I swear to—”
“THEY WERE JUST VERY—LIKE—SURPRISINGLY—LIKE—COMFORTABLE—NOT THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT—”
Shadow stopped walking.
Very slowly turned around.
Sonic froze mid-ramble.
“…You were thinking about it.”
“No.”
“You’re still thinking about it.”
“I am actively trying not to think about it.”
“Yet you keep speaking.”
“That’s my coping mechanism.”
“…Stop coping.”
“I CAN’T.”
Shadow sighed. “Why are you like this.”
“I don’t know,” Sonic said. “…but you keep hanging out with me anyway.”
“…I said one chili dog.”
“That’s how it starts.”
“It is not ‘how it starts.’”
“It is. First it’s chili dogs, then it’s like—boom—emotional attachment.”
“That will not happen.”
Sonic leaned in slightly. “You already helped me up.”
“…That was a mistake.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“…I know.”
Another pause.
Sonic shuffled awkwardly. “So… uh… are we walking together or like… aggressively near each other?”
“…Just walk.”
“Together?”
“…Yes.”
Sonic grinned. “Wow.”
“Don’t.”
“This is kinda nice.”
“It isn’t.”
“It is though.”
“It isn’t.”
“It is.”
Shadow sped up slightly.
Sonic matched him instantly.
“Stop matching my pace.”
“I literally can’t not.”
“…Why.”
“I like being next to you.”
Shadow stopped walking again.
Sonic stopped too, almost bumping into him.
“…You say things without thinking.”
“Yeah.”
“…That was one of those times.”
“…yeah.”
Shadow looked away.
“…Let’s just get the chili dogs.”
“Okay,” Sonic said softly.
They started walking again.
This time… a little less awkward.
Still embarrassing though, but not completely terrible.
Sonic tripped one more time.
Shadow caught him before he hit the ground.
They both froze.
“…Don’t say anything,” Shadow warned.
“…Your reflexes are amazing.”
“…I said don’t.”
“…and your hands are still warm—”
“S O N I C—”
⛧°.⋆༺THE END༻⋆.°⛧