Chapter Text
Shadow walked down the hospital corridor. It was a bright day, sunlight streaming through the windows. He could hear voices all around him — adults chatting, children running through the hall and laughing — but he couldn’t quite focus on them. The sounds seemed distant, as though reaching him from far away.
In his hands he carried a bouquet of fresh white lilies, her favorite flowers. He would place them in the vase on the table beside her bed. Shadow appreciated their beauty, though he found their fragrance a little overwhelming when there were too many of them.
He turned into the hallway where the room he was looking for was located. The door stood slightly ajar.
“Shadow!” he heard her sweet, cheerful voice call from beyond it. She always seemed so excited whenever he came to visit. “Come quick, I want to show you something!”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“I’m coming, I’m coming…” he murmured.
He stepped inside and stopped in the doorway, one hand resting on the handle.
The smile froze on his face.
Maria wasn’t in the bed. The sheets had already been removed, and the duvet and blanket lay bare without their covers. Dust motes drifted through the bright shafts of sunlight pouring into the room, glittering almost like tiny specks of gold.
The sunlit room was completely empty.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Shadow squeezed his eyes shut, then slowly opened them again. Sunlight slipped beneath his eyelids, painting shifting patterns across the darkness behind them.
Had he fallen asleep?
The suburban bus he was riding jolted slightly as it rolled over an uneven stretch of road.
The inside of the vehicle would have been unbearably warm if not for the half-open window. A wonderfully cool breeze drifted through the gap, carrying the scent of forests and sunshine.
For early May, it was unusually warm. Probably a little too warm for the leather jacket he was wearing.
In the nearly empty bus, Shadow sat with his forehead resting against the window, slowly trying to shake off the strange half-sleep he’d drifted into. He felt as though he had been dreaming, but he couldn’t quite remember what about.
The landscape beyond the glass had remained unchanged for quite some time: green forests, fields where grain swayed in the wind, colorful patches of wildflowers, and gentle hills stretching into the distance beneath a blue sky with white, fluffy clouds. Occasionally the land dipped low enough to reveal the bay, its calm blue waters sparkling beneath the sunlight.
Shadow narrowed his eyes slightly. The scenery was idyllic, he had to admit that.
At the moment, however, it was difficult to appreciate it fully, the more awake he became. Beneath the calm expression on his face, emotions churned restlessly inside him.
Until recently, Shadow had never had trouble maintaining control over himself, especially over his own body. Thanks to numerous calming techniques, essential in a profession that demanded complete concentration like his, he could slow his heartbeat and steady his pulse at will. He could even quiet his mind almost completely, preventing intrusive thoughts from interfering with the task he’s been given.
At least, that had been true until now.
He grimaced slightly. For a brief moment, a small crease appeared on his forehead, disturbing the composure of his features.
Everything had started about a month ago, although according to Rouge — his partner in the field and someone Shadow reluctantly considered a friend — the real problems had begun much earlier.
He couldn’t think calmly about what had happened a month ago, or rather, about everything that had followed. About how, after their last operation, he had been placed on mandatory leave.
He had worked as a special agent for G.U.N for many years and had always performed flawlessly. He took on every kind of mission, even the most difficult and demanding ones.
In accordance with protocol, like every other agent, he met with a psychologist once a month to monitor his mental condition. Shadow had always treated those sessions as a preventative measure. He had never felt any need to dwell on his past, something he considered entirely irrelevant to the present. Whenever asked about his psychological state, he gave textbook answers — as far as he was concerned, completely truthful ones.
The symptoms that affected some of his colleagues had always seemed foreign to him. He didn’t suffer from panic attacks or sleepless nights. He lived a healthy lifestyle, exercised regularly, got enough sleep, and paid attention to his diet. He could probably cut back on the coffee, but aside from that, he had nothing to criticize himself for. He hadn’t even smoked anymore.
The first symptoms had appeared roughly six months ago.
At first, it was increased fatigue, even when he got the recommended eight hours of sleep. Over time, the exhaustion became so severe that after returning home from work, Shadow often had no choice but to go straight to bed, forcing him to postpone all other activities until his days off.
Then came the racing heartbeat, appearing for no apparent reason. Sometimes it struck in the middle of an operation, though Shadow always managed to regain control. Other times it woke him in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and struggling to catch his breath.
He began having nightmares he couldn’t remember, and they gradually ruined the quality of his sleep.
Then his hands started trembling.
Like the other symptoms, it came without warning, but unlike the others, Shadow couldn’t do anything to stop it.
His physical health, however, remained impeccable. He knew it, he had his tests done regularly.
He was probably just overworked. That was what he kept telling himself… until the symptoms began affecting his duties for the first time.
A month ago, a sudden tremor in his hands caused him to miss a sniper positioned on the opposite side of a building. Fortunately, thanks to Rouge, who had been standing by as backup, they still managed to neutralize the target without anyone getting hurt.
That was how Shadow found himself transferred from the field to a desk.
With his usual meticulous precision, he now fought spreadsheets and reports instead of criminals.
His superiors worked very hard to avoid using the word demotion, though in practice his current situation fit the description in many respects. His pay hadn’t been cut, nor had he been formally punished, but management was far from pleased that their best agent had been reduced to office work.
In their view, however, that was still the least severe consequence of spending months concealing the truth about his condition.
Shadow didn’t fully understand the decision.
Still, he had to admit that he no longer wanted to put others at risk because of these strange symptoms.
So he took the medication he had been prescribed, stayed focused on his work, and followed his routines with unwavering discipline, hoping that before long he would return to the front lines.
Yes, he was simply… overworked.
Nothing was truly wrong with him. Not really.
And he hoped this whole situation would finally come to an end.
Apparently, however, those hopes had been nothing more than an illusion.
Shadow remembered the look on Rouge’s face and the tone of her voice when the bat had appeared beside his desk and handed him a bus ticket. Beneath her usual mask of confidence and flirtatious amusement, there had been uncertainty. And… concern.
Shadow had been silently working his way through a mountain of report when she came to him. Finally he looked up and noticed the expectant expression on her face, he understood her intentions and nearly snorted aloud.
His gaze settled on the paper ticket she held between her fingers. Her hand was covered by the gloves, but Shadow knew there was a perfectly maintained manicure beneath them.
“What exactly is this supposed to mean?” he grumbled.
“It means you’ve spent enough time rotting behind that desk while spring is in full bloom, hon!” she sang cheerfully. “You’re going on vacation!”
Vacation. Huh.
Shadow was probably the last person in the world who needed something as pointless as a vacation. Rouge, however, refused to let the matter drop, as though she had already made the decision for him.
“Everything’s taken care of. Towers approved it,” she added smugly, confirming Shadow’s suspicions and robbing him of his strongest argument: the lack of authorization from his superiors.
“You’ve been exhausted lately,” Rouge continued as Shadow glared at the ticket beneath furrowed brows, stubbornly refusing to take it from her.
“I feel perfectly fine,” he replied in a low, gruff voice.
As though mocking him, his right hand trembled slightly. Shadow subtly slid it off the desk and clenched it around his knee. Rouge’s eyes flicked in that direction before returning to his face. Her expression hardened ever so slightly.
“When was the last time you took a vacation?” she asked.
Her voice remained sweet, almost too sweet.
“I don’t need a vacation,” he replied flatly.
Rouge let out a heavy sigh.
She placed the ticket on Shadow’s desk, a workspace as minimalist as the hedgehog himself, maintained in immaculate order and devoid of unnecessary decoration.
Shadow grimaced at the sight of the ticket, as though touching it might burn him. Even so, he read the destination printed on it.
“Green Hill?” he muttered. “What’s that supposed to be?”
“It’s a small seaside town.” Rouge crossed her arms and leaned casually against his desk. A teasing smile curved her lips. “Very picturesque. Peace and quiet. Birds singing. The perfect place to relax.”
Shadow was about to object yet again when a new detail registered.
Using his free, non-trembling hand, he picked up the ticket and examined both sides as though the answer might be hidden on the back.
“Where’s the return ticket?” he asked.
Rouge laughed and waved a dismissive hand.
“No point worrying about that right now.”
Shadow’s fingers tightened around the ticket. He shot her a murderous glare from beneath his brows.
“Rouge…” he growled.
“Listen, Shadow.” She clicked her tongue and straightened up slightly. She was looking at him with the sort of irritation reserved for a child one was rapidly losing patience with. Her wings twitched nervously behind her. “Think of it as… medical leave.”
Shadow’s frown deepened.
“I’ve never taken medical leave in my life.”
“That explains a lot, hon,” Rouge laughed, though her tone sounded more mocking than amused.
Shadow continued glaring daggers at her while Rouge pushed herself away from the desk as if preparing to leave. Halfway through her first step, she glanced back over her shoulder.
“I’ve booked you for a month.”
“A month?! You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Quite the opposite.” She shrugged with almost comical exaggeration. “Like I said, that’s just a preliminary estimate. In case your condition doesn’t improve.”
Shadow nearly crushed the ticket in his hand.
“There is no ‘condition,’” he said through clenched teeth.
“Oh? So the shortness of breath is gone?”
Shadow made a strangled, irritated noise.
Rouge looked back over her shoulder again, narrowing eyes accented by pale blue eyeshadow. (Honestly, she was the only person Shadow knew who could actually pull off makeup like that).
“And the insomnia?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “The tremors?”
“Rouge…” Shadow said again, this time sounding more pleading than angry.
“Think of it as a test, if you have to,” she suggested lightly. “If you manage to improve your condition and reduce your stress levels, you might even get cleared for active duty again. Who knows?”
Well, there was one thing Rouge had been absolutely right about.
She really had handled all the paperwork, and Towers had signed off on it.
Shadow had officially been placed on leave for an unspecified period of time, and there wasn’t even an appeals process available to him.
In truth, all he could do was leave his computer behind and return to his apartment on the outskirts of Central City.
A few days later, he found himself on an overheated bus that bounced relentlessly along a pothole-ridden road badly in need of repairs.
He already missed the motorcycle he’d left at home. Green Hill was a little too far away for a trip by bike, especially considering the medication he was taking. Besides, if he was really expected to spend an entire month there, he needed a suitcase and transporting one by bus was considerably easier — a bus that only departed once a week.
So if Shadow suffered a sudden bout of claustrophobia and decided he needed to escape the sleepy little seaside town, he’d have to wait up to seven days for salvation.
Wonderful.
⋆˚✿˖°
Eventually, the bus reached its destination.
The station was tiny, consisting mostly of an empty square and a small building containing a few ticket windows.
Shadow retrieved his suitcase from the luggage compartment and headed for the nearest taxi stand.
From the very first moments, the town struck him as sleepy and peaceful — and full of shade of green, of course.
Just two blocks from the station stretched a pretty large park. It blended seamlessly into the town square, which was surrounded by trees and shrubs, and featured a fountain at its center. The square opened onto the hotel itself, a building that resembled the renovated summer residence of some long-forgotten aristocrat. Maybe not a grand palace of the sort one might find in a major city, but rather a modest little manor house.
Shadow took his luggage from the taxi driver and pulled it toward the hotel. He looked up at the exact moment someone slammed into him at full strength.
Shadow let out a weak grunt, staggered, and was sent stumbling backward. His suitcase went down with him.
“Ugh, sorry, sorry,” he heard. “My bad! You okay?”
The voice sounded only vaguely apologetic. More than anything, it was cheerful and overflowing with enthusiasm. Without even looking, Shadow could already tell it belonged to someone excessively positive and energetic, someone annoyingly, unrealistically optimistic.
He reached behind himself to check on his fallen suitcase, running a hand over it. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to have suffered any damage.
Shadow muttered under his breath and pushed himself to his feet. Behind him, he could hear the person responsible for the collision doing the same (judging by the noises, with remarkable clumsiness).
At last, Shadow turned around.
“It would help if you paid attention to where you’re—”
The words died on his lips.
Standing before him was a blue hedgehog dressed in a red plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of faded, well-worn jeans.
He looked like Shadow’s complete opposite, as the dark hedgehog was dressed in black pants, a black V-neck t-shirt that revealed the white fur on his chest, and a black leather jacket.
The stranger’s fur was the most incredible shade of blue Shadow had ever seen, something between royal blue and cobalt. Here and there, lighter highlights ran through it, likely the result of spending long hours in the sun rather than the first signs of gray. He was a bit chubby, but his shoulders, on which his shirt was slightly tight, looked strong, as if from hard work. His features suggested he was around thirty, roughly Shadow’s age. Despite that, there was still something boyish and mischievous about his appearance.
In any case, he was really handsome, in a rugged, rural sort of way that Shadow had no hope of achieving with his own urban lifestyle.
The stranger looked at him with mild embarrassment, but his green eyes sparkled almost playfully. They were an impossibly vivid shade, like emeralds.
“Yeah, I’m really sorry. Happens more often than I’d like to admit,” the blue hedgehog mumbled with a smile. He raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “So…”
He looked at Shadow expectantly.
Shadow blinked.
In an instant, he realized that for the last thirty seconds he’d been openly staring— and, judging by the slight parting of his lips, not even able to hide it.
He cleared his throat and quickly looked away, hoping the warmth spreading across his cheeks hadn’t manifested itself as an actual blush.
He brushed off his jacket and pants, then deliberately avoided looking at the blue hedgehog again. Instead, he popped his collar slightly higher, as if to emphasize his usual indifference.
(The fact that he felt the need to make such a gesture just to convince himself said a lot about how little indifference he was actually feeling at the moment. He decided not to dwell on that.)
“Uh…” The blue hedgehog glanced at Shadow’s luggage, probably searching desperately for something to keep the conversation alive after such an unfortunate introduction. His smile widened. “So you probably just came to Green Hill, huh? It’s a really charming town. I’m sure you’ll love it. Here for vacation or business?”
Shadow briefly wondered what kind of business could possibly bring anyone to Green Hill. He chose not to answer.
“I need to check into the hotel,” he muttered.
“Um… want some help carrying your luggage?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Without waiting for any further conversation, Shadow grabbed his suitcase and finally headed toward the hotel entrance.
“M-My name’s Sonic!” he heard from behind him.
Shadow gave a brief nod over his shoulder, not wanting to seem like a complete jerk. That said, he had no particular reason to introduce himself.
He opened the hotel doors and rolled his suitcase inside, hoping he wouldn’t run into that clumsy hedgehog again.
No matter how handsome he happened to be.
The inside of the building had clearly seen better days, but it was impeccably clean.
The lobby was dominated by light, pastel colors, and sunshine streamed through the windows. The floor was covered in cream-and-white tiles arranged in a checkerboard pattern and the reception desk was made of painted white wood.
What drew the eye most, however, was the abundance of flowers.
Large and small pots overflowed with greenery. Shadow recognized monsteras tucked into a shaded corner, ferns, and a peace lily with its pale blossoms. Behind the counter there was a garland of pink and red roses.
A ceramic vase sat on the reception desk, holding a bouquet of pale pink tulips decorated with gerberas, daisies, and sprigs of myrtle.
Shadow wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about flowers, aside from the usual houseplants he kept in his minimalist apartment in Central City to soften its otherwise sterile appearance.
Still, he had to admit the bouquet was beautiful.
It is probably supposed to remind of Green Hill’s countryside charm and of the hotel itself.
It stirred something unexpectedly pleasant inside him, almost as though the bouquet itself were offering him a warm welcome.
As if in confirmation of that thought, footsteps approached from the back room.
Shadow managed to tear his gaze away from the flowers and looked up just as a pink hedgehog stepped behind the reception desk. Her pink quills framed her face and fell to just above her shoulders, and her green eyes matched the fresh colors of the room. She wore a pale pink blouse tucked neatly into elegant brown trousers.
She didn’t look at him immediately. Instead, she walked straight to the vase and gently adjusted the arrangement.
“Tulips for care and good wishes, daisies for friendship and new beginnings, gerberas for positive energy- and a bit of myrtle for hospitality and a warm welcome,” she explained.
Only then did she place hand over her chest and look directly at Shadow.
“In other words: I’m glad you’re here. I wish you happiness and a pleasant stay. You can feel comfortable and safe here.”
Shadow blinked, trying to process the unusual greeting.
The pink hedgehog simply let out a small, slightly embarrassed giggle and shook her head.
Then she straightened behind the desk and rested her hands lightly on the countertop.
“I’m Amy Rose, the owner,” she said with a friendly smile. “Welcome to Green Hill. How can I help you?”
“I have… a reservation,” Shadow muttered at last. “Shadow Robotnik. Although… I didn’t make the reservation myself, so it might be under a different name.”
“Ah! Mr. Robotnik, of course!” Amy leaned over the computer hidden behind the desk and typed something into the keyboard. Judging by the loud clacking of the keys, the machine had to be quite old. “Green Hill is truly an excellent choice at this time of year. The sea is nearby, there are countless green spaces to enjoy, and the cottage itself features a unique, one-of-a-kind rose garden!”
She looked up and bit her lip slightly in embarrassment.
“Sorry, may I call you by your name?”
Shadow wasn’t particularly thrilled by the idea, but he lacked the energy to argue.
“Well… if you must.”
“Wonderful!” Amy practically clapped her hands and beamed. Pulling a brochure from a drawer, she straightened up and handed it to him. “Here you go. This contains a map of the town and information about the most interesting local attractions. You might be interested in the Flower Festival, which will take place a little over a month from now. It’s a truly special event for the entire community!”
“Hm,” Shadow replied, taking the brochure.
The entire front page was occupied by a photograph of green hills overlooking a bay, with WELCOME TO GREEN HILL written across it in elaborate lettering.
“You’re quite a special guest, huh?” Amy continued.
Shadow looked up and noticed a small, almost conspiratorial smile on her lips. For some strange reason, it reminded him of Rouge.
“Staying with us for an entire month! I have to admit, that doesn’t happen very often.”
Shadow managed to keep his face from twisting into an even more obvious grimace.
“Can I… have the keys to the cottage?” he asked.
Based on Rouge’s rather brief explanation, Shadow wasn’t actually staying in the hotel. He was only meant to collect the keys to a separate company-owned property, a cottage situated near the forest, complete with a garden overlooking the sea.
He had to admit, it was thoughtful of Rouge to reserve an entire place just for him. Shadow valued his privacy immensely, so sharing space with other guests— even if only in hotel corridors or the lobby— wasn’t particularly appealing. Honestly, he was surprised by how considerate she’d been.
“Of course, of course.” Amy nodded enthusiastically, apparently setting aside whatever mysterious thoughts had occupied her and returning to her role as the perfect hostess.
She opened another drawer and fished out the keys. They were made of old metal and attached to a rose-shaped keychain.
“Here you are! One key for the gate, one for the front door. I’ve marked the location on the map in your brochure. The cottage is about a twenty-five-minute walk from here. But of course you won’t be walking all the way there, absolutely not! I’ll ask my co-worker to give you a ride.”
Shadow swallowed, a growing sense of discomfort creeping into him.
Honestly, he had no desire whatsoever to meet more locals. All he wanted was to reach the cottage and, if possible, collapse into a nap.
“That won’t be necessary. I don’t want to be a bother-”
“Are you sure?” Amy tilted her head. “It really wouldn’t be any trouble. Sonic was here just a moment ago. I’m sure he’d be happy to-”
Shadow’s heart suddenly slammed against his ribs.
He snatched the keys off the counter.
“Is that everything, Ms. Rose?” he interrupted. “If so, I’ll be on my way.”
“Umm…” Amy studied him as though he’d suddenly transformed into an intricate puzzle begging to be solved. “Yes, that’s everything…”
He didn’t need to be told twice.
⋆˚✿˖°
One thing Shadow really disliked was admitting his mistakes.
As a result, he firmly refused— even to himself— to entertain the possibility that perhaps, just this once, he might have made the wrong choice.
Which wasn’t to say his decision had actually been wrong. Just… less convenient.
According to Amy Rose, the walk to the cottage was supposed to take a little under thirty minutes — or slightly more, in Shadow’s case, considering he was dragging a suitcase behind him along roads that alternated between gravel and sand.
He could have called a taxi, of course.
The problem was that there wasn’t a taxi stand in sight, he didn’t have a local cab company’s phone number, and if he lingered around town much longer, he risked running into Amy’s so-called friend again.
Fortunately, the blue hedgehog had already disappeared somewhere.
By car, the journey would probably have taken six minutes at most.
Well, that wasn’t important at all.
Shadow tried to calm himself by focusing on the pleasant scenery around him.
Nothing brought him as much joy, however, as the sight of a white-painted fence finally emerging around a bend in the road.
He nearly cried with relief.
Using the key he got from Amy, he opened the gate, slightly rusted and clearly long past its prime, then dragged his suitcase inside. He crossed the yard, hauled the luggage up a short set of steps onto the porch, and finally stepped indoors.
The cottage was surprisingly spacious, especially for a rental intended for a single occupant.
It had two floors, and from outside Shadow had noticed an additional extension attached to the main building.
The main room was decorated in a traditional countryside style. The house had clearly been built many years ago, though it was renovated once or twice, it still preserved its classic character.
The ground floor contained a living room that opened into a combined kitchen with a dining area, and a small bathroom.
Large glass doors led from the main room out into the garden. Shadow also saw the other, smaller doors, that probably led to the extension of the building.
He barely spared them a glance.
At the moment, he was far too tired to explore anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary.
With a weary sigh, he dragged his suitcase upstairs.
Just as he’d expected, the upper floor contained several additional rooms, at least three bedrooms, as well as another bathroom.
Shadow claimed the first bedroom he came across and finally, finally shrugged off his jacket, leaving himself in nothing but his pants and T-shirt.
The bed was wide and looked wonderfully comfortable, as though it had been patiently waiting for him to throw himself onto it and sleep for at least a few hours.
Before that could happen, however, he needed a bath. He wanted to wash away the dust of travel that had settled into his clothes and fur, not to mention the unpleasant smell that inevitably came from spending several hours on a bus.
After unpacking only the bare essentials, he grabbed his toiletry bag and headed for the bathroom.
As expected, it contained a classic bathtub.
Perfect.
He spent nearly an hour soaking blissfully in the warm water. He had added his favorite lavender oils to the bath, and their fragrance now lingered throughout the steamy room. Shadow almost purred with satisfaction as the warmth and scent soothed his nerves and eased the tension from his muscles.
Maybe this won’t be so bad after all, he thought sleepily, resting his head against the edge of the tub. Maybe this really was exactly what he needed…
After his bath, Shadow changed into comfortable clothes— a soft cotton T-shirt and sweatpants— and finally threw himself onto the bed.
Sleep claimed him almost immediately.
Exhausted from the journey, relaxed from the bath, and lulled by the pleasant coolness of the well-ventilated room and the quiet sounds of nature drifting through the cracked-open window, he drifted off at once. One moment he was curling beneath the blanket, and the next, oblivion wrapped itself around him.
⋆˚✿˖°
He couldn’t tell how much time had passed after he closed his eyes.
He only knew that something unexpectedly interrupted his sleep.
It wasn’t a sudden or intrusive sound, quite the opposite. It was wonderfully gentle, calm, and warm…
A distant melody.
At first, it merely accompanied the vague images behind his eyelids, but gradually it replaced them, chasing away the last remnants of sleep as the hedgehog slowly began to wake.
Shadow frowned slightly, still pleasantly absorbed in the sound. At the same time, his half-asleep mind supplied a memory that fit the melody perfectly.
Behind his closed eyes, he saw an instrument and a pair of pale, delicate hands holding it, one on the neck, the other plucking the strings.
“Listen, Shadow!” Maria said cheerfully between chords. “I almost finished my new song. Pretty cool, right?”
Shadow’s eyes flew open, as reality crashed into him all at once.
His heart skipped a beat, and for a moment he barely dared breathe.
A guitar. It was a guitar.
Now fully awake, he could hear it clearly.
Someone was inside the house, playing guitar.
The room lay in soft twilight. Outside, the sun was slowly setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and violet.
The music still drifted through the house. It was coming from downstairs.
Very slowly, careful not to make the old wooden bed creak, Shadow slid off the mattress. Step by step, he emerged from the room and followed the sound down the hallway toward the staircase.
He wished he had his gun with him.
He’d been forced to surrender all of his weapons, along with the rest of his equipment, when he was sent on mandatory leave.
Still, it didn’t matter.
If necessary, Shadow could turn virtually anything into a weapon, even if all he had were his bare hands.
Carefully placing nearly silent footsteps on each stair, Shadow made his way downstairs.
The couch in the living room faced away from the staircase, meaning the intruder couldn’t see him.
But Shadow could see him just fine— or at least the back of his head, slightly bowed as the Mobian continued playing. In the dim light of sunset, it was difficult to make out exactly who he was or what he looked like.
In a brief moment of surreal clarity, Shadow realized he recognized the song.
An old, somewhat rustic guitar tune. The kind of song meant for sitting around a campfire and roasting marshmallows.
Also… Whoever this was, played remarkably well. Under different circumstances, Shadow might have enjoyed listening.
If not for the fact that he disliked guitars for one very simple reason: they sound brought back memories he preferred not to think about.
And, of course, there was the small issue that someone had apparently broken into his house and decided to hold a private concert.
The song finally came to an end, as the stranger stopped playing. He leaned to one side to set the guitar down.
Shadow seized the opportunity.
He launched himself at the intruder from behind, earning from him a loud cry of surprise.
The two of them tumbled off the couch. A moment later, the stranger found himself pinned beneath Shadow, flat on his back, with Shadow’s knees pressing firmly against his sides.
The intruder managed to raise both hands in surrender, but Shadow had already grabbed him by the front of his shirt. His other hand curled into a fist, ready to strike.
Then he noticed the red flannel shirt, the one he had definitely seen earlier that day.
“Ohhhh.” The drawn-out sound reached him.
Shadow froze. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to the stranger’s face.
Only to recognize the blue hedgehog from before.
“Nice to see you too, Shadow,” Sonic greeted him.
Shadow stared down at him, eyes slightly widened. Of everything absurd about the situation, one fact hit him hardest.
He tightened his grip on Sonic’s shirt, nearly lifting him by the fabric, and brought his fist closer to his face.
“How. Do you. Know. My name” he hissed.
Sonic rolled his eyes as though completely unconcerned by the very real threat Shadow posed.
“From Ames, obviously. I figured it was normal to want to know the name of my roommate.”
Roommate?
No. There had clearly been some kind of mistake.
And this guy was obviously insane.
“I’m losing patience, hedgehog,” Shadow snarled. “Tell me how you got in here.”
“Through the doooor?” Sonic replied, stretching out the word with the irritating ease of a spoiled teenager. “You know. The door with a lock. The one I put my keys into?”
“Where did you get the keys?” Shadow narrowed his eyes.
“Well, like I said. I’m your roommate.” Seeing the disbelief and hostility on Shadow’s face, Sonic raised his hands again in surrender, as though he was running out of ways to explain. “Hello? I live here. In this house. Do you want me to spell it out for you?”
Shadow’s eyes widened again. Panic closed around his throat.
“What?”
No. Nobody mentioned a roommate.
And yet Sonic’s utterly convinced expression, complete with a mildly irritated raised eyebrow, told a very different story.
Reality finally began to sink in, along with the exact position he had found himself in.
His knees pressed against Sonic’s sides. Their faces so close together that their breaths almost mingled.
Slowly, Shadow looked into those eyes, those damned emerald eyes.
He watched Sonic narrow them slightly, watched a triumphant smile spread across his face, a smile that practically said: finally figured it out?
As though this unbelievably awkward proximity wasn’t affecting him in the slightest.
Shadow abruptly released Sonic’s shirt. Embarrassment was joined by disbelief and weary resignation, draining the strength from his body.
He pushed himself away and awkwardly shuffled backward on his knees, finally returning Sonic’s personal space.
Sonic chuckled quietly to himself for reasons known only to him and slowly sat up. He dusted off his shirt, smoothed the wrinkles from the fabric, then looked at Shadow and grinned.
Behind him, the setting sun framed his face in golden light.
“Maybe we should start over?” he offered. Then he raised a thumbs-up toward Shadow in the most ridiculous gesture the dark hedgehog had ever seen.
“Hi. My name’s Sonic and I am your host!”
What. The. Hell.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Shadow croaked.
“Nope.” Sonic shook his head and settled more comfortably onto the floor. “Why would I? This is definitely better than me actually breaking into your house and randomly playing guitar, huh? I’d have to be completely crazy.”
Shadow chose not to mention that this was exactly the kind of crazy he’d assumed Sonic was.
His thoughts raced. At the same time, the full absurdity of the situation was finally catching up to him.
He could feel his pulse accelerating, his lungs seemed to tighten. He buried his hands in his quills and stared at the floor with slightly widened eyes.
Sonic kept talking, apparently oblivious to the nervous breakdown unfolding right in front of him.
“Pretty good tackle, by the way,” the blue hedgehog continued. “Do you usually ambush people from behind while they’re sitting on a couch?”
“Could you stop talking?” Shadow muttered without looking up.
Sonic lightly smacked a hand against his forehead, as though it hadn’t occurred to him that Shadow might not be in the mood for conversation.
“Sorry, sorry.” He raised his hands again. “I don’t get guests very often, you know. Especially ones who stay overnight.” He paused. “Uh. That sounded weird.”
That was too much.
Shadow nearly laughed hysterically.
He shot to his feet. Without another word, he headed straight for the staircase, ignoring the hedgehog still sitting on the floor.
This is a mistake, he thought frantically. This has to be a mistake.
“Are you hungry, Shadow?” Sonic called after him. “I’m not much of a cook, but I should have something in the freezer for dinner…”
Shadow reached his room and slammed the door shut behind him.