stillamobiandefender | whoops here we go

continuation of this

Well, at least Shadow wasn’t yelling at him anymore.

“Getting hurt over this, maybe even letting my legs get chopped off in the first place,” Sonic said matter-of-factly, remaining perfectly still as Shadow continued to wrap his stumps. The first one that was already in place itched pretty badly, but in no way was he going to attempt to scratch it in the black hedgehog’s presence. He’d already proved to be an idiot enough in one day. “I was your big rival before, after all. Not anymore. I kinda just sit around now.”

Pretty useless for anything. How cool. Everyone idolizes you, Sonic the Hedgehog.

“Sometimes I wonder why you even bother stop by every day.”

And immediately he clapped his hand over his mouth. Oh why did he say that. WHY. He stared in frustration at his lower half, his fingers starting to dig into the sheets. He just couldn’t keep his mouth shut, could he? He couldn’t really do much of anything. Let’s see just how far a hero will fall through bad decisions before he realizes he should call it quits.

“Never mind,” he amended, “I need to sleep. I’m tired. Once you’re done, can I go to bed?”

His automatic solution. He’d done enough damage for the day.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Shadow froze. Sometimes I wonder why you even bother to stop by every day.

He stood up in a flash, face clearly marked with hurt and anger that flowed in Sonic's direction, every little thing he said digging deep. He wasn't disappointed in him, nor was he upset at him for getting hurt. If anything, he wanted to saw off the certain perpetrator's legs and see how they liked it because they did this to him and- and--!

...

He just as quickly settled down, ears hanging low as he began to tend to the other stump again, finishing up the bandaging and closing it tight.

"... Yes. You can."

He paused, a frown lacing his features.

Sonic... needed him.

Once his rival, he was now his caretaker, the one who replaced his bandaging and tended to any reactions to his wounds.

Every night, he went home thinking about him, wondering how he was doing, almost... fearing if he would even find him alive the next morning. Such a thought bothered him deep into his core, the idea of him just... dying, suffering from being unable to run.

Now it's inevitable.

He furrowed his brows.

"... I might stay the night."

Sonic nearly leaped back when his friend started to take a stand (as much as he could without the two essential limbs needed for high leaps, anyway) and his ears perked curiously when he settled back down. He hadn't exactly been expecting that reaction, and he wasn't going to get an elaboration on it, that was clear, since Shadow had apparently calmed down and only addressed his question.

'I might stay the night.'

The blue hedgehog's eyes widened a fraction at that, and he couldn't tell whether it was relief or fear that he was feeling in response. Nights tended to be roughest for him, and if Shadow saw him like that, what would he even think? He considered them companions, sure, but that would only take them so far. Would he leave if he saw the scares, the creeps, the tearing that he knew he wouldn't be able to control, even in the other's presence?

At the same time, he detested being alone, and the thought of having company at a hard time... soothed him. He still loathed every fiber of his being, that wasn't going to disappear just because of the other hedgehog, but he could at least feel at ease that the black hedgehog, somehow, some way, wanted something to do with him. Enough to stay. He doubted it'd even be comfortable for him, and yet he wanted to anyway.

"Are you sure?" he asked, trying to take on the cheery tone he'd exhibited earlier. "I'm known to be a snorer. Woke Tails up all the time." He barked out a laugh that sounded somewhat artificial. "You gotta know what risks you're taking when you sign that contract."

He used his hands to shift his position on the bed, and then drew them again to the covers and pulled them over himself, almost as a makeshift shield. He protected himself from the winds, could protect himself from the scrutiny of the black hedgehog in front of him. If he needed to grip at his leg, he'd do so without Shadow knowing.

He felt those weird sensations again, which took the hatred up a spike. Couldn't he leave himself alone? His wiggling imaginary leg apparently answered that question with a big fat, "No."

That laugh felt... off. Shadow made note of that, an eyebrow rising as he lifted himself from the floor, first aid kit having been reassembled as Sonic situated himself beneath the sheets again. That didn't sound like the usual Sonic laughter, but how? It didn't sound like pain.

...

At least, not like physical pain.

He lifted his eyes to the nearby window, staring out into moonlit skies and twinkling stars, a beautiful sight for such a tragic scene, one of a runner who can no longer... well, run.

A runner isn't a runner without his legs. Without that, he's just... Sonic, the not-so-super-sonic hedgehog.

He grimaced. Was he in more anguish than he wanted to let on...?

"I know the risks, and I know that you will regret awakening me if you do," he warned, yet his tone didn't match his words, soft and smooth and almost solacing, as if he'd said something comforting when he hadn't. "However, when I hold a duty, I will see it through."

All while his eyes glimmered with the reflection of depressingly shiny stars.

Sonic's ears perked at the tone Shadow used with him, frowning in puzzlement. It didn't match his words, yes, but more than that -- he hadn't expected the black hedgehog to use that tone with him for any reason at all. Now that he was, it was all the more confusing to him and he wondered if there was more to him that he didn't understand.

He shrugged to himself, slipping further under the covers, addressing it as a non-issue at the moment. He absolutely regretted the action as he felt a scrape a scrape where his knee would be, sending a jolt up his spine. It felt, it felt as if he was running several mail filers over it and making it bleed; and the blue hedgehog almost checked to make sure he wasn't bleeding down there before remembering he was bandaged.

Still, this made him cry out in surprised agony as he gripped tightly on his pillow, trying his best to still himself. It was absolutely excruciating, and he mashed his teeth desperately, as if it would ward off the pain. Finally, it began to gradually ebb as he held himself still, and he, realizing he'd stopped breathing at some point during this pain adventure, let out a shaky breath through his nose. His lip hurt now also, since it had drawn tightly as his jaw clenched and he more than likely bit down into it just the slightest. He loosened his grip, feeling drained, distracted, scattered.

Not good things for him to be.

"Yeah, I'm sleeping now," he rasped, cursing his voice for sounding so weak. There was no way he was going to let his body act up like that again.

That cry...

He really didn't like hearing that.

Shadow knew that he would be hearing wails and screams of pain frequently, at the very best, as a wound like that took a hell of a lot of work to recover from. Losing a limb is hell on the nerves, he's sure, and for Sonic to be going through it...

He bit his lip down hard enough that he swore he tasted a trace of metallic saltiness as a result.

"Rest," he urged, stepping up and ignoring the sting to his lip as he brought the covers over the hedgehog's shoulders. He had a feeling it would be a little chilly tonight, so... might as well make sure he's tucked in neatly or something.

"And don't you dare take your bandaging off, because I will be here."

With that, he pulled up a nearby chair and sat down in it. Yeah, he was just... going to be here, reading a book to keep himself occupied. He didn't need to sleep yet.

And so he did. With the pain disappearing, Sonic could allow himself to drift, his eyelids going closed. Sleeping had become almost a coping mechanism; it helped him to cast aside anything that was nagging at him and when he'd wake up the next morning, all of it would be gone and he'd have more energy to face the day. With the days needing so much energy as of late, he's had to sleep more and more. He'd nearly dropped phone conversations with Tails because he simply didn't have the energy to continue. He'd fallen asleep in Knuckles's presence.

He couldn't recall a time when Shadow accompanied him, though. He suspected it was because of the discovery of the bandages. Still, that chair didn't look too comfortable to sleep in...

The world gradually disappeared around him, vision darkening, sparking on occasion with brilliant color. The color became more and more vivid as it went along as well as other sensory sensations, such as a sense of falling, and lack thereof, such as noiselessness that cloaked him. It would be fanciful at first, making little sense -- the colors simply a mishmash of what'd he'd seen earlier, perhaps colors he'd see later, colors he'd never laid his eyes on, at least not for the past several years. Sometimes it'd come close to startling him awake as the thought of it being surreal popped into his head, but he'd stifle it and let himself become absorbed, become nothing.

He wasn't sure when he'd fully submerged, but it wasn't long before he regretted he had.

What was going on through his mind? He probably wouldn't remember, but outside, he was starting to shift, starting to whimper beyond his control. His fingers searched aimlessly for his nonexistent legs underneath him, getting caught several times on the blanket (no doubt affecting his dream, whatever it was), and his eyes winced further shut. A grimace began to make its way over his countenance, accompanying shakes and frights and more whimpers.

Whatever it was that was that gave him the spotlight of dreams, it was obviously not benevolent.

The time from then on was completely peaceful beyond Shadow's own turbulent thoughts. His worrying for Sonic... was ridiculous, he noted with a grimace. He would be fine. He was still smiling and laughing and managing. He shouldn't be so concerned about a being that he'd lose in the end, anyway.

He knotted his brows together, flipping through the pages of his book and reading deeply into it in an attempt to get his mind off of the other hedgehog, yet even as he did so, he couldn't help but swivel his ears and lift his eyes to ensure that he was... okay enough.

Soon enough, his ears caught a sound that didn't at all sound pleasant. He lifted his head from the literature again, positive that it was just a howl of the wind or a creature roaming outside, but instead, it was... him.

Sonic was whimpering, but that's not all he was doing. He was squirming and making noise and looking downright terrified.

That was enough to make his blood run cold.

He rose from the chair, book set aside on the nearby dresser, and knelt down next to the bed, a hand reaching out to shake at his shoulder. He started gently at first, but then went a little rougher. Come on. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!!

"Sonic, wake up...!"

It didn't take long for the terrified hedgehog to respond to the shaking, the yelling, and he blinked awake, gasping, and almost involuntarily clutched onto Shadow as if for dear life. His breathing was loud, rapid, and his heart was pounding, threatening to explode from his chest. He dug his fingers into the other's back, dignity the very last thing on his mind at the moment -- for there was an anxiety, an absolute and pure terror that kept him in a thick fog, and he needed something to ground him so he could break free.

He buried his head into his friend's shoulder, a gasp, a hitch, almost a sob passing through his lips, his body jittery with tenseness and his spine arched backward as if he was readying to curl up. His quills were bristling, his ears were flattened, and he was nothing short of a hedgehog near full fight-or-flight response.

It took him a few moments before he was managing to reel himself in, to calm himself, and evidence in the healing showed through how he slumped into Shadow. His breathing was slowing, his heart rate started to settle, and the trembling left him. There was silence as he simply took solace in how close his friend was, how all of what he dreamed was just that, a nightmare. Everything was okay. He's okay.

Well, except the absence of two limbs, but that was the least of his priorities given what had just haunted his subconscious.

He loosened the death grip he'd taken on the black hedgehog and gazed into eyes, except not really. His own sight was murky with lack of focus.

"Ahhh..." He felt like tearing at the bandages again. Anything was better than what just happened. "It's, heh... n-nice to see you, Shadow. You're lookin' pretty..." He swallowed, "pretty... lively today." A lackadaisical smile made its way on his countenance, not making his earlier appearance of fright any less powerful.

He scooted back, letting him go entirely, and stared off at the wall. "How long was I asleep? Still looks like nighttime to me. Couldn't have been long." And sheets. "Sorry for that, by the way. Usually they aren't that bad."

That was a lie, of course. But he didn't expect to get one tonight. He wondered how much this damaged his self-image... Not that he hadn't destroyed it already.

The next thing he knew, Sonic was clinging to him, fingers digging into his flesh in a movement of clear desperation and fear. Shadow practically felt the bile rise into his throat at that very moment, his stomach twisting in a reaction to what was clearly Sonic, his Sonic, in such a state of trauma and woe.

A nightmare. A bad one, at that. He had to imagine it only involved his legs or something somehow related, as that was really the only thing that likely clogged that usually clean and crisp subconscious of his. At least, that is what Shadow had to gather as he attempted to put himself in his friend's shoes.

He didn't know how wrong he was.

Just as his shock wore off, as he was ready to bring a hand up to a furry blue back to sooth and rub, he'd pulled away, leaving the ebony hedgehog feeling surprisingly... empty. Lacking. He wanted to hold him again, to tear him from the mattress and squeeze him against his fluffy white chest, to murmur to him and tell him it's all okay.

... Of course, his shielded heart and clouded mind was not about to allow that. Instead, he stared in bewilderment, hands trembling and breathing unbalanced and laced with a clammy heat from the situation.

"You've... only been asleep for about an hour," he responded with his approximate guess, a hand inching closer and closer to his body. Shadow flinched, thoughts from earlier swirling in his head and making him disconcerted by how this came about a little more easily to him, the need to comfort. It was all as if his need to distance himself had lessened, due to the fact that his efforts up until now were... clearly all for naught.

He shut his eyes, squeezing them tightly as he lifted a hand and placed it tenderly atop his companion's shoulder. The move was incredibly sweet and tranquil compared to their usual scuffles, the only moments he ever did lay a hand on him, but now... Now it was all different. Too different.

"How... bad was it?" The words that poured forth came at a tone just as gentle as it was earlier, something that made him want to recoil at that very instant. He resisted, keeping his palm planted firmly, yet gingerly on top of blue, his mind in emotional turmoil as he conflicted with wanting to stay away and wanting to be there.

Sonic, oblivious to Shadow's internal turmoil, relaxed further at the tone, the touch, his breathing becoming easier and easier as time passed. The nightmare was fading away, becoming nothing more than a distant haunt, a fairy tale, a ghost story, and that allowed him to turn back to the black hedgehog, smile not there but a certain easiness in its place. It also helped that his gaze was entirely focused instead of strangely blank.

"Really bad," he answered, but thankfully he didn't seem disturbed anymore. Now that he knew it wasn't a reality, he was fine. He's going to be fine. "Don't remember the details -- but my first thought when I woke up seeing you was, Oh man, I'm so glad he's alive, if that's any indicator." Yes, he was letting Shadow into some of his weakness. It didn't really matter; he'd already sacrificed any dignity when he went to cling to his friend.

He settled down in the bed, rolling his shoulders a little, pulling himself together piece by piece. That was definitely terrifying, but he was okay now. He was safe. And Shadow here helped him. Helped him. And he was the very one who Sonic had earlier doubted would even give a care to that sort of thing.

A smile started to inch its way on his face, genuine unlike his last one, and he murmured, "Thanks. Just... having you here... grounded me. I think." He knew he tossed it all out the window, tossed all of his own little walls he'd put up out of fear of disappointing the black hedgehog. At least, he chipped at a brick and let it clatter noisily to the floor; and so, his friend was let in just a little.

He still greatly feared that disappointment. But he knew he feared something else far more than that: losing him permanently.

So glad that he was alive... Thankful for him being there...

Shadow's heart skipped a beat. Sonic was being so surprisingly tender, reaching out to him and reeling him in. Like a strong-willed fish, he was being reeled in, but not without a fight as every emotion and feeling worked against it. The walls he'd put up around himself were strong, and upon mentioning death, that strengthened them further.

The reason why? It's pretty obvious.

"Idiot," he muttered, placing a hand on the other hedgehog's forehead after he snuggled back down into the bed. "If I ever do die, it will not be in your lifetime. I will likely outlive many of your descendants before that happens."

A sad fact, but one nonetheless, one that made him want less and less to be here for his own sake, and yet...

If he wasn't here, who would be here for him? At least as much as he was, bandaging him and staying the night and watching over him...

All like a guardian angel of sorts.

Sonic's ears lowered at that, but his smile didn't falter. At least, not at first. "Yeah, I am an idiot," he agreed. He was silent for a few moments before he continued, the smile shifting mood rather quickly, tinged with melancholy, "An idiot about a lot of things, actually. About myself, about others, about Eggman... don't even know how to take care of myself, you have to do it for me."

The quietness took him again. He heaved a sigh, staring up, up, counting dots on the ceiling before his gaze switched back to Shadow. Then, he added onto his other statements, voice very quiet, "About you. I'm an idiot about you. I don't understand you.

"Why do you take care of me when I'm really just a burden to you? I don't get it. I can't run with you anywhere. I can't repay anything you do for me. I can't do anything except for lie here," his voice had increased in volume as he continued on, and it was practically a yell at that point, "sit, look pretty, and disappoint you!"

The noise stopped, the noise dripping from his lips, replaced with a dreadful respite that was heavier than the Titanic. The blue hedgehog was wide-eyed, apparently caught by what he himself said, and it took him a minute or two before he reeled himself in, all that extra energy that popped out like the top of a teapot boiling, and he sank into the mattress and the pillow. Way to make yourself look even more like a fool, Sonic. You can't even control what you say.

Swallowing, he finished with, "I don't get you. And I don't think I ever will."

Shadow could not do much more than stare, certainly astonished by what Sonic was dishing out at him. He's an idiot about him, he doesn't get why he's helping him, he's a burden to him, he disappoints him, and what what what what?

No.

He refused for him to berate himself that way.

He placed his hand on his chest, eyes full of a flurry of rage and emotion -- the former being from seeing him beat himself up -- and gave a hiss.

"No!"

...

Oh. Oops.

He settled down straight after, swallowing hard and audibly, breathing emitting from deep within. Shit. That was not the right reaction, um. Let's... try that again.

"... You do not disappoint me. I am here because you need somebody, and all I'd done..."

He huffs, looking away from him.

"Any ill-will... was my fault."

His fault for trying to distance himself.

While the sudden hiss did startle him, Sonic settled back into the sheets fairly quickly, continuing to insult himself internally for having burst out like that. Even with the black hedgehog's words, he didn't find himself feeling much better. It didn't matter if it was the ebony hedgehog's 'fault', he'd been an idiot and he obviously didn't know what to do with himself and he wanted to be close--

He remained silent for a few moments before he abruptly lifted to a sitting position, then flipped over, flopping his face into the pillow. When it'd landed in here, he couldn't help but utter a sharp cry at the protest his stubs of legs shot up his nerves, but other than the temporary pain he didn't care. He didn't move for several seconds, his breath hitching a little, his fingers digging into the mattress.

Then, he spoke again. This time, it wasn't a mile-high speech. But it conveyed that and so much more, even though it was so brief. Perhaps it was his body posture, smooshed into the bed belly-down that gave it such significance -- or maybe it was simply the way he said it. In any case, it was impossible for him to keep his fears from rolling all up into the statement.

"I just don't want you to leave," he whined wretchedly, peeling his head off just so Shadow could hear him. "I don't want to be alone..."

And something about the way he'd said it indicated that he didn't just mean physically.

...

That's all he wanted.

He didn't want to be alone.

Considering Shadow himself knew the feeling all too well, he could actually empathize, and for Sonic of all people to be fearing it, he- he--

Fuck it.

His efforts to peel away from him for his own selfish needs were all for naught. He needed him. He wanted him. He... had a duty as a protector. Just like with Maria, as he defended her from GUN in the ARK that very day...

And he wasn't about to fail.

He bit the bullet, leaning forward to press his muzzle against Sonic's in a soft nuzzle, something he'd never done before except for with Maria, and in a smoothness so soothing that he was surprised it even came from him...

"You won't be."

Three simple words, yet they spoke thousands.

It surprised Sonic too, honestly, but he wasn't complaining. When he felt Shadow's muzzle against his own, the blue hedgehog pulled himself up enough to nuzzle back. He did utter a small hiss of pain, but he tried to power through it as his hands weaved over the other's back, holding him again -- but unlike his previous grip, it wasn't desperate. It wasn't frightened. It was more likely a needy cling, grasping for that closeness that he so desired.

His ears flicked back on his head as he held onto his friend, allowing himself to sink into him. He hadn't ever expected to be with him like this, which made the feeling more of one that he wanted to savor. He took a deep breath, murmuring, "Thanks," within the exhale, and simply stayed, watching the nightmares in the back of his mind get chased away.

He also supposed he disliked himself a little less in that moment.

After a short amount of time, perhaps too short, he'd let go, unable to suppress a yawn. He felt so... relaxed now. After having absorbed Shadow, he felt himself dissolve into exhaustion. He placed his head on the pillow, now lying on his side, and curled his arms in front of his face some distance.

"I'm gonna try sleeping again," he told him. "I'm really tired."

He blinked once, then...

"I'm really glad you're here. I just want you to know that."

And then, those emerald eyes slipped closed.

"... It is no trouble."

Whether or not Sonic would hear that, Shadow spoke it, cheeks feeling a little warm and tingly from the remarkable... closeness he just had with him. This was something he never thought he would have with him, of all people, and yet here they were, more tightly-knit than they had ever been in their entire lives.

He honestly felt pretty okay with it. For now.

Let's see how long it'll last before his guilt and fretting over his own immortality catches up to him.

He stayed there, stroking the side of his muzzle gently with his fingertips, waiting a few minutes to ensure that he was okay. Not like it mattered, anyway. It wasn't like he was going to be leaving tonight.

Finally, he separated from him, heart drumming to a sweeter and friendlier tune than he'd anticipated, and leaned back into his chair again. He was just... going to rest a little. No reading right now.

...

He smiled. Just a little.

Glad that he could make him happy.

The sleep that Sonic had had was relatively dreamless. After it went black, it stayed that way, which he admired since it was far better than the nightmare that had woken him up before. The sensation of falling that had accompanied those strange colors didn't last him very long; it was clear that he was tired, because he sank into unconsciousness right in the middle of a train of thought.

It would surprise anyone, but the way the blue hedgehog slept was... still. He snorted and snored a few times, sure, but that was the only sign of any energy from him. He didn't move much at all, besides the occasional twitch of his fingers, as if he planned on doing something with that hand. His ears were flattened against his head, to prevent from waking up from shreds of sound his sensitive hearing could pick up. Indeed, it was peaceful. Mellow.

That wasn't to say that Sonic was quiet. His mouth was wide open, and breathing, even without the snores, turned out to be rather loud when he slept. Sometimes he'd close it and his breath would whistle through his teeth, an unusual sound that hardly lasted more than a few seconds because his lips would part again, allowing air to pass through freely.

He slept this way for a total of five hours, nothing disturbing him; he didn't even switch his position. All those phantom pains were gone when his subconscious was diverted elsewhere, and he was at complete ease. He wasn't in nirvana, but he was close enough that he didn't have passing images of fears clouding his mind.

Some time after the sun had started to trickle into the sky, the blue hedgehog felt himself coming back to himself, and his first sign of this was the perking of his ears. He yawned, loud and clear, and to the sound of birds chirping outside, he mumbled dazedly, "Five more minutes..."

Silly Sonic.

For someone who received accusations of snoring, Shadow sure didn't hear much of it. Sonic was surprisingly peaceful in his sleep -- well, at least enough so -- which left Shadow relatively undisturbed. He spent about an hour or two after Sonic had conked out resting himself, eyes shut with many of his usual negative thoughts buried under... him.

His touch. His warmth. His fur, silky and soft. His breathing, gentle as it comes. His entire being...

He wasn't sure quite why, but the blue 'hog had suddenly left him downright enamored.

After his little siesta, he awoke, and from there, he spent his time doing more miscellaneous things. Getting a drink or two, munching on some food (he'd buy more and replace the contents later), flipping through more of his book, and most importantly, checking on his companion from time to time.

Each time, Shadow couldn't help but let his lips tug. He seemed... so fine now.

That was such a relief. For now.

Towards the last little traces of nighttime leaving and making way for a bright, sunny sky, he remained by his side, resting on the chair and idly looking through the book he'd left with him. Soon enough, as the birds started chirping and the air welcomed morning's warmth...

"Five more minutes..."

Silly Sonic, indeed. He shook his head with amusement in his mind. With that, Shadow reached a hand out, gently nudging at his shoulder.

"... How are you feeling?"

He just had to know that much. Then he could let him rest some more, if need be.

Edited Date: 2012-05-26 11:30 pm (UTC)

The blue hedgehog's eyes blinked when his ears caught the sound of Shadow's voice directed at him. He propped himself up on his elbow, rolled over onto his back, winced, and yawned all within the span of a few seconds. He didn't really miss the throbbing in his legs, angry pain that demanded his attention. Still, it didn't bother him enough that he wasn't able to focus his gaze on his friend, green eyes cloudy with sleepiness.

Sonic took a pause to process the question. When he did, he opened and closed his mouth a total number of five times as he searched for something to say. Then, finally...

"I'm hungry."

Well then.

He wiggled his arms and his spine so that he could pull himself up to a sitting position, rolling his shoulders and head back and pushing his chest forward, then reversing it with his spine poking out and his shoulders moving inward, arms stretched. Even though he hadn't been able to run in a while, his body was still well-toned from the time he had; his arms were strong especially, since they'd gotten practice in hauling his body around in the place of his two absent limbs. It wasn't to the extent that he'd been doing push-ups every day, but he'd had to have used them often enough so that he had sufficient support on the bed and sometimes even off of it.

When he straightened again, he turned back to Shadow, raising an eye ridge expectantly, a silent Well? Yes, he was expecting to be fed. Right now. Get to it, chop chop, black hedgehog boy.

Shadow had expected a direct answer of something along the lines of pain, nightmares, pleasant dreams, refreshment, just something that wasn't... that.

Yep. Good ol' Sonic returned to the building for now.

He gave a slight roll of the eyes, letting them fall back upon him as he stretched out his body, lithe and built and firm with a runner's form that somehow managed to maintain itself well enough. He proved that much to him, that he was still a strong and powerful hedgehog, even without his legs.

It made him miss the (good old?) days when they were able to fight each other. It was somehow... a fond memory.

...

No, none of that. He shook his head, and finally responded to the request:

"Then tell me what you want."

He ain't leaving until he knows what the hell, bro.

"Chili dog."

Did you really expect anything different.

Sonic slithered onto his belly, propping his head up on his hands, and he could easily imagine his legs flopping back behind him -- as it was, there were only too stumps somewhat pointed in the air. He gave his companion a smirk, lowering his eyelids slightly, almost as if he was about to touch him. Play with that chest fur, mmm. Yes.

Which he doesn't exactly do, but the insinuation is there. Or is it? It highly seemed like it, anyway, with that telling smile, that telling body posture, and basically that telling friggin' hedgehog. Was it honestly very Sonicky, though? He always shoved off the one who gave him constant affection, but still... Something about him told that he wouldn't exactly feel like sandpaper.

"Pleeeeeeease, Shadow? Chili dogs for breakfast. You could share."

What are you even doing Sonic.

Honestly, he had no idea if Shadow had even tried a chili dog, let alone would be interested in one, but hey. It was worth a shot.

Oh.

He should have freaking known.

Of course, Sonic would want a chili dog for breakfast. He would want any kind of junk food for breakfast. He is just a disgusting slob like that sometimes with no regard for personal nutrition, and...

... Why is he looking at him like that.

Sonic, stop that now.

And stop that pleading, too, it is making him succumb. No. Bad.

Shadow knelt before him, bringing himself down to level with him, man to man (hog to hog?), and...

"No. I am not going to buy you one of those disgusting excuses for food."

Ooooooooh shit son.

Yeah. Sonic wasn't about to back down with that.

The blue hedgehog leaned a bit closer to Shadow, pulling himself over with his hands (and wincing as his stubs dragged a little), and stared deeply into his eyes. Deeply. Well, mostly with those same convincing, charismatic eyes he'd been using earlier, not anything really any more significant than that. That would wait for soap operas.

"Yeah, you will..." And then, uh oh, his hands leaped up as he shifted himself to a sitting position and... started to comb through the other hedgehog's chest fur. Wasn't exactly the best plan, but how was he supposed to know what that spot actually did? In fact, he continued, "You will do anything I say..."

Which probably didn't help the case at all.

For a complete virgin, Sonic could be... rather seductive. Unintentionally.

Oh, no, Sonic, he was not going to succumb to your wiles, you sly speed demon. Shadow scowled in response, all up until... it happened.

He felt those hands press against his fur, shifting it and making the sensation reach all the way down to sensitive flesh beneath his plushness. He flinched in an instant, breath sharply pushing its way into his lungs at the feeling. Along with that, as if instinctively, his legs snapped together tight, warmth building up there and giving him pressure that he had not quite felt before.

Despite that, he knew what it was: arousal.

Oh. No.

He reached his hands up, face red as a beet, preparing to shove Sonic off of him, and yet... he didn't, his arms suspended in motion.

"What... What are you doing...?!"

Sonic's honestly taken aback by Shadow's reaction. He missed exactly what it meant (having no experience with arousal whatsoever), but he remembered something a little similar coming from Tails back when he still had his legs, that he reaaaally didn't like being touched on his tails and it made him flip out. Was it the same with the black hedgehog, but with his chest? He drew his fingers back; as much as he wanted to kid around with his friend, he didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

"Sorry." His tone was normalized, not manipulative or pleading as it was before. "Guess you don't like being touched there." He reached a hand behind his head and rubbed, tilting one ear backward as he closed his eyes and grinned nervously. Everyone makes mistakes, he supposed, but he still felt not quite too happy about it, a little started.

He then crossed his arms over his chest, puffing out his bottom lip just slightly as he continued, "But I still want a chili dog for breakfast!" He clearly wasn't ready to give up on the subject. Considering he practically lived on the darn foods, he was going to keep trying to get it until he croaked.

What, no, NO go back, go back! Except... no, wait, Shadow DIDN'T want him to go back! Why was he being so aroused by this?! That made no sense at all, especially because this... this was Sonic touching him, and...

He moaned, tail lashing about and legs parting, thighs quivering from the need to be touched that should not have been there. This was Sonic, this was Sonic, don't do anything hasty...!

"N-No... no. It's fine," he breathed, eyes turned to look away from the other hedgehog, cheeks burning like a blaze on dry, browned brush. "But you are not getting a chili dog."

...

Unless...

No. He can't just ask him to do that again! Even if he did want to get to the bottom of this, and even though it did... feel really nice, he would surely catch on, wouldn't he?!

...

"... Actually, I may," he worded, ears flopping downward and breathing steadying. "Only on one condition."

He traced his fingers along the wisps of fur, ivory as snow in contrast to his pitch-black body.

"... Do that again."

Now that was strange. Sonic blinked, not quite understanding the reaction, especially since... he wanted the touch back? But he didn't seem to like it before. Was there something going on that the blue hedgehog simply didn't understand?

Well, he did really want a chili dog. Shrugging it off and thinking of it no further, he allowed his fingers to sift through the black hedgehog's chest fur again. He shifted so he had better access, winced, then continued to allow himself to play with that area. He hadn't originally been intending on doing anything like this, and to be quite honest it felt weird, but he didn't still. Seriously, he hadn't had a chili dog in months.

He noticed something off about his disposition, also -- even though the blue hedgehog could be a little... unobservant, this was one situation in which he was trying to assess and understand. Shadow's legs spreading apart was probably the oddest part of the picture, though the blush was suspicious, too. And what was that odd noise he made?

Sonic was sheltered. He'd never had any kind of close contact except for a hug, and he'd never even heard of such a thing. He knew it existed, of course, but unless a manual slapped him in the face clear as day, he wouldn't know the first thing about intimacy. He also didn't seem to realize that he was being used for Shadow's pleasure, even though it was witting otherwise. Some warning flags went off in his head that told him that this was not something he should get tangled in unless he understood the situation better...

But he really just wanted that gosh darn chili dog.

Oh... yes...

The moan that elicited from him was downright dirty and salacious, eyelids slipping downward as his mind slipped away, the true purpose of this experiment gone from his head. He'd only meant to be sure, to see if this was really arousal or not, as the disbelief was just too prominent for him to accept that he had definitely found that stroking of his fur to be hot as fuck.

Shadow puffed his chest out softly, tail vibrating with need, legs shaking like leaves under a heated summer breeze. The reddening of his cheeks spread to the tips of his ears, as well, wilting slightly from the sudden heavy feeling that engulfed them.

This felt... amazing.

So much so that he could even feel himself rumbling deep within his chest, something that he hadn't done in a long time. Purely pleasured purring permeated his person. Absolutely, undeniably, this was one of the best things he'd ever felt in his entire life, and...

... Why did he suddenly feel wet.

Maybe because he IS, AS HIS BONER BEGINS TO SHOW ITSELF WITH PRECUM LEAKING DOWN ONTO HIS FUR.

SHIT.

Edited Date: 2012-05-28 12:49 am (UTC)

"... I. am going to go get your chili dog. Goodbye."

With that, Shadow RAN FOR THE FUCKING HILLS.

Well, if Sonic had no idea what Shadow had been trying to do before, he realized it now. Those moans, the reason the black hedgehog had to leave so quickly... and as humorous as the situation would be, the blue hedgehog's blood was beginning to boil because he realized one thing:

Shadow had just completely and utterly used him.

It was something small, of course, something that he easily did, but it didn't matter. The point was, Shadow had used him for his own pleasure, and he honestly felt absolutely filthy for it. They were simply friends and there was supposed to be an understanding between them, wasn't there? The first rub was an accident, he couldn't blame that on the black hedgehog. But the second one...

He felt himself sink into the bed a little bit, cursing Shadow's name. Was that all he was here for anymore? Just to play experimentation, meanwhile his legs were friggin' broken--

And he just looked down at those damn things again, little stumps, little useless stumps, as useless as he was for anything but what had just transpired. That's all he was good for. He couldn't be a hero, a moral support, or anything. He was a friggin' sex toy. How fun. How low his life had become.

And then he did something that he promised himself he wouldn't do again.

His fingers drew themselves over his stumps, and he began to tremble. What was the use of these things, anyway? Just for show? Just for fingerplay? He didn't need them for anything. And with a sudden fury that took him by surprise in his chest, he began ripping, ripping at the bandages that Shadow had carefully placed last night, gritting his teeth against the excruciating agony that started to travel up. He wanted to claw what the bandages had been covering, too, but he knew he just didn't have the strength to tear it off. Instead, he just had to wait as it began to bleed afresh.

He felt tears spring to his eyes, and he swallowed them back, cursing himself for being such a wimp. And he cursed himself for tearing at them again, too. Seriously? He was going to let Shadow have this much control over how he felt? He clearly didn't value him enough, anyway. He needed to value himself.

The loneliness that followed, the neediness to be understood overwhelmed him, and he bit his lip, taking deep, shuddering breaths. Finally, he just allowed the blanket to cover those stumps again, pulling himself together before the black hedgehog would arrive.

He hadn't noticed he'd haphazardly tossed his bandages to the side where they'd be clearly visible.

As Shadow rode away, bike rumbling against any and all other noise that crossed his way, he felt the guilt bubble up inside. He'd...

He'd treated his sexual arousal so lightly and with such carelessness that he brought Sonic unknowingly into filthy and forbidden contact with him, something that should have been consented.

He already felt bad about even having those feelings, and now he felt even more disgusted with him.

It was only about to get worse.

He parked back in the front of the lot, a chili dog wrapped in a paper carton and aluminum in one hand, his keys in the other. How did he get that back here? Skillfully. That's all that really had to be acknowledged.

He twisted the door back open and looked in the direction of the blue hedgehog's residence.

...

He really didn't want to face him.

Not after that.

He kind of had to give him his chili dog, though.

He took slow, deliberate steps over, pushing the door gently open with his free hand... and he froze. The bandaging. There was no way that could have naturally come loose in that short amount of time. He had to have done it to himself.

He felt nauseated. Downright sick.

He approached quietly to sit the chili dog on the dresser, eyes peering over to Sonic for any sign of response.

He wanted so much to reverse what just happened.

The blue hedgehog didn't respond at first. He knew Shadow was there, oh, yes, he did, because his ears tilted over to him, but he didn't look at him. He didn't turn to him. It wasn't like earlier that morning, in which he'd easily just chirped an "I'm hungry!" or other times he'd brought him food in which he'd gripe or he'd happily devour it and he'd rattle on about it. It wasn't like that. Instead, Sonic just stared at the wall, completely silent; he didn't even take a reach over to the delivery.

Honestly, he wasn't even hungry anymore. He didn't want that chili dog. He wanted nothing more than to curl up and hide away from the world.

He felt a whimper pass its way through his lips, and then suddenly bit hard down on them because... well, he remembered. He remembered earlier when Shadow had told him that he should stop. In fact, the remembrance was clear on his face, and Sonic didn't even seem to realize how much the black hedgehog's words, some in casual conversation and even in jest, affected him, but it was clear that they did quite a bit. He ignored the pain stabbing through his legs, but it was impossible to get past the agony that engulfed his chest, making it tight and making it almost impossible to breathe.

He didn't want to breach the topic. He wanted his so called friend to just go away, leave him alone. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to be at ease with himself for once. He wanted to stop thinking about him, wanted to stop having any friggin' thing to do with him. Sonic the Hedgehog had never felt any form of hatred, but the rage and the desire to pull as far away from Shadow as possible came pretty damn close.

Finally, he let out a growl and muttered, "Why do you bother with me?" The same words. They've come back.

Uh... shit. Yeah, Shadow quickly realized that this shift in his mood was more than likely his own fault. He wasn't even surprised. He didn't even want to bother expressing an ounce of guilt. Why do so when there's nothing that could take back what happened? It cannot be reversed, as much as he yearned to do so.

He sat at his bedside again, fingers knotted tightly together as he tried to find the words. He couldn't quite answer that question. He already had the night before. Instead, as if going straight to final jeopardy, he was going to get right to the root of the problem.

His eyes shot to the chili dog -- he was probably going to have to eat that if Sonic wouldn't, gross -- in his instinctive reaction to not look at the other hedgehog in the eye. Keyword there is instinct, as the blue hedgehog was facing away from him, but aggression and challenging always resided in bearing into each other's eyes.

... Most of the time, that is, for most hedgehogs.

Unless it's romance.

"Hn. I know you are upset with me."

... What else can he say, really? He berated himself immediately, knowing that he was just stating the obvious, any and all filtering of his words deteriorating at a rapid pace.

"Wow, you must be some kinda genius, figuring that one out," Sonic spat, his hands curled over his lap turning into fists, then unfurling again, rinse and repeat. In truth, his hostility toward the other hedgehog was partially derived from his own anger at himself, for letting himself be such a fool, for letting himself be used -- and for that purpose being all that he's good for. His expression took a series of turns, at first irate, as if he wanted to cover the wall he was glaring at in fire; then, it morphed into a strangled grimace, as if he was trying to remain strong but he was finding himself sinking; and finally, it ended with an open despair, for once not hidden from the hedgehog next to him.

He swallowed thickly, speaking again, but his voice wasn't on the same level of viciousness it had been anymore; it was shaky, decreased in volume. "Y-yeah, I'm... friggin'... upset with you." A pause, a gasp. "And... I... and..."

Suddenly, his head dropped, and he let out a small shriek, which cut off to dry sobs. He was done. He tried to remain composed, he tried, but it wasn't working out. He was done holding back, he simply couldn't. And honestly, he couldn't find himself caring anymore. Shadow didn't give a damn about him anyway, right? Why should he let his judgments, his disappointment, affect him now? He couldn't. He couldn't. Shadow had had too much control over him, but no more... no more...

"I'm worthless," he cried out, only barely preventing from sobbing the last word out. He almost wanted to genuinely cry, and he was almost there, but the tears just didn't want to start. The tightness in his chest was nearly overwhelming. He wanted to rip his heart out and crush it, maybe that'd make the pain go away. "Gonna use me for your pleasure, go right fuckin' ahead." Sonic promised himself he wouldn't swear, but he also promised himself he wouldn't break down right in front of the other hedgehog. Guess he was breaking a lot of promises lately. "That's all I'm good for, anyway. A-all I'm g-good for..."

It was absolutely suffocating. He was choking, choking. He tried sitting up, to see if that would alleviate it, but no, he was just about to need CPR it was so bad. He gasped, and finally, finally he felt himself beginning to tear up. "I trusted you," he whispered. He took a long pause.

"I was a goddamned fool. Just as I've always been."

And that was all he'd ever amount to.

Well.

... Shit.

Shadow flinched with the first sob he heard, but once he'd heard of how worthless Sonic felt, how used he was, how sexual pleasure was all he was good for...

That's when he swore that his heart dropped like a boulder down a one-hundred story building.

Apologize, apologize. Do it. Do it already.

He felt his insides twist. He hadn't expected for him to feel that bad. He didn't know he was feeling so low about himself. He didn't even see any of the signs. Now he was just deteriorating in front of him over his own failure, lust clouding his mind and confusion wracking his heart, something that he should have controlled.

Dammit, dammit, dammit. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

He reached out, slowly at first, just in case he'd get any bit of retaliation, and attempted to place a hand on a trembling shoulder, vision beginning to fuzz under liquid pressure.

"... I didn't... mean to."

He curled his lip downward at himself. No, god, no. He sounded so fucking pathetic, something that the Ultimate Life should NOT be. No, no, no, just stop while you're ahead, Shadow. Stop. Stop.

...

No.

He wasn't.

"I wasn't sure what I was feeling. I wanted to know, and... I found out," he bitterly spoke, eyes trailing downward. He was just twirling and dancing around the real purpose of this now. The yearning to apologize, to make things right... something that proved difficult when he had such walls put up. Such very, very strong, impenetrable defenses.

Selfish defenses.

Selfish. Selfish, selfish, selfish hedgehog.

"I..."

Selfish. Selfish. Selfish. Bad.

Worthless, even.

"... apologize."

Damn his voice for shaking and damn him for being what he is.

Somehow, the apology was like a dam breaking. At first, Sonic held it... somewhat together, with his vision swimming still but at least his voice was even, at least he could speak. "You could've... just told me..." Exploring something that Shadow didn't understand? The blue hedgehog was fine with that. He just wasn't fine with being used. He could've just been told that. And now, here they were.

Any last strands of composure fell apart and he buried his face in his hands at first, audible sobs wracking his body as the tears that had simply stayed in his eyes overflowed and fell through his fingers. He choked, he gasped, he tried breathing but it was impossible. It was impossible because pain didn't allow him to. Just so much unfiltered pain stiffening his body, tightening his chest, killing him slowly but surely, and he had to let it out. He let it out with each terrible shudder, a break off, as he simply fell apart. It all burst out, the walls no longer strong enough to hold it back. They simply crumbled.

"I-I can't take it anymore...!" he very nearly screamed, his breakdown not in the least bit silent, loud, LOUD, his core pouring out in the form of sound, loud ugly sound that filled the room. "I can't..."

He abruptly tore his hands away from his face, gripping hard at the bed sheets and tossing them, revealing his stubs for what they were -- completely unbandaged. They were bleeding a little, too, but the nerves firing from there weren't nearly as powerful as those constricting around his heart, cutting off his circulation, squeezing and allowing no room for him to bump blood and energy, enough to think clearly. "I did this," he continued, his voice so unsteady it was difficult to understand him. "I-I did this. Y-you saw the thing before... A-asked me why..." In fact, it was just yesterday. "Well, I'll tell you why. Th-they hurt. I didn't lie."

He remembered him getting in his face. He remembered the fury he'd been met with. And quite frankly, he didn't care any more. If Shadow strangled him right in that spot, it wouldn't make a difference.

"I-I ripped them off. Why? Why? 'cause I w-wanted to g-get rid of the stumps. Th-they're useless, anyway. Th-they hurt. Th-they do nothing... they do nothing but hurt me... they do nothing but hurt everyone else... they do fucking nothing..." He broke off into sobs, then wailed, "THEY DO NOTHING! THEY'RE USELESS! JUST LIKE ME!" And there went coherency again, disappearing into endless torture, into noises that tried to convey how much he'd suffered, but even they didn't do justice. Gasping, breathing, trying to get past the lump in his throat, but that was proving to grow increasingly futile. Raspy, high-octane, and he didn't show any sign of stopping any time soon.

In fact, it took him a minute before he was able to speak again, a small whimper this time, cut off by inhalations and coughing. "I-it hurts... A-all of it does. M-my friends, no longer visiting me... b-because they can't stand to see me like this... Th-the doctors, promising I'll be okay when I won't... Kn-knowing what my life could've been like if... if this never happened... A-and..." He had a hard time continuing, but he swallowed and whispered, "a-and the only one... who visits me daily... th-the only one who seems to care enough... won't talk to me... th-this is just mechanical. Mechanical. A-and I should just... suck it up. Suck it up. S-so that's what I do, then..." He gave Shadow a shaky smile, which disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared as he broke again, shattered again. It kept repeating itself, each time more painful than the last.

"B-but I'm sorry... I tried. I t-tried to be strong... for you. And for the others. ... But I-I can't do it anymore...

"I-I don't want to die... I-I don't have a death wish..." Echoing their conversation yesterday. He shivered badly, staring at the wall, scattered, scattered. "... I-I just want the pain to stop."

God

dammit.

Shadow caused this. It was his fault. His fault that Sonic was losing that happy demeanor and breaking down in front of him. He set him off. He made him feel worse. He- He--

He deemed himself the Ultimate Life over and over when this was all he managed to do.

To hurt.

To cause pain.

To do nothing but cause trouble for whoever came his way and touched his heart.

First Maria, causing her very death... and now Sonic, causing him pain and suffering beyond the idea of death, something worse than death, all because he was so

so

selfish.

He hadn't realized that his eyes let loose, as his mind wasn't attached to his physical being. It was all Sonic. Sonic, Sonic, Sonic. It always tended to be him, his feelings, his losses, but now, he wanted to give him a piece of him. Some happiness. Some comfort.

...

Was that what Sonic always wanted to do when he had his legs?

He'd act so upbeat, no matter how down he was, as if it would bring Shadow back up.

In his case, however, he just... couldn't bring himself to be strong for Sonic. He was made to be strong physically. Mentally, it only really applied for his intellectual being. Otherwise, he wasn't built to have perfectly steady emotions and feelings, to know the answer to these complicated situations with others, and...

And through all this, he didn't realize until he stopped screaming. He didn't know that the tears were pouring through, tears of sympathy, anguish, guilt, and bad, bad, bad, stop thinking about yourself, stop thinking about yourself so much, look at what the hell you are doing.

With that, his walls collapsed and buried him in agony.

Shadow reached out, everything he'd held within himself letting itself free, arms tugging the blue hedgehog in and squeezing the hell out of him. He ignored himself in pure disgust -- his very being, the way he was shaking, the way he was being so vulnerable and weak -- and finally, he selflessly focused on... him.

Like he should have.

Like he should.

Like he will.

"... If I could," he choked out, hating himself and scolding himself for the fluctuating tone and soppy sobbing, "I would... give you my legs. To make it up to you. I do not mind being bedridden. I do not mind the pain. I..."

He curled his lips downward and bit down.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

When Sonic felt Shadow's arms around him, he blinked, wheezing a little when the grip knocked the wind out of him. Breathing was still hard, and his body was still shuddering, but it seemed as if he'd gotten the worst of his crying out already. The blue hedgehog leaned his head against the black hedgehog, unable to support it on his own, and his ears flinched when they caught the sound of the other's own sobbing.

He'd... never seen him cry. And now here he was, joining along with him. It was a first for everything.

He didn't exactly like the words that Shadow was giving him, though. He didn't want someone to want to be in his place for him. That wasn't fair; he wouldn't wish this suffering upon anyone. In fact, it was the very reason he'd hid it in the first place. And he almost wanted to wrench away from Shadow for the statement... but he can tell, from the underlying pleading of forgiveness, that he didn't mean any harm by the statement. Sonic could tell a bad seed from a good seed (most of the time, anyway), and he could tell that Shadow truly was sorry.

He allowed himself to become absorbed in the embrace, as tight as it was. It was grounding, and he felt himself calming down because of it. There was just a message that it rang, one that he'd been trying to strain his ears for but didn't manage to hear before -- I care about you. Shadow cared about him, even if he wasn't the greatest at showing it, and here he was expressing it.

Or he could be trying to manipulate you again. He promised you he wouldn't leave, and then he used you.

He bit his lip, tears starting to form again. Apparently he wasn't quite finished yet.

Finally, the legless hedgehog began to pull himself away a little, the unsettling thought making its way to his stomach and making the touch feel more like a burn than a comforter. Shadow had broken his trust, after all, and it wasn't something that could rebuilt with a simple apology. The walls wanted to build themselves again, shield him from someone who could hurt him so badly. He'd felt betrayed, abused, and worthless, and while not all of his negative emotions can be derived from the black hedgehog, there were definitely quite a few of them that were his fault. It was occurring to him how much Shadow had given him half put-downs, discouraging him from letting loose, and it was the very reason he'd continued to distance himself, lock it away in a closet.

And he still thought that way, didn't he? It was weak to show so much pain, wasn't it?

He breathed deeply, and voiced the very question that still scorched his mind, "Why do you bother with me?" He still hadn't received an answer.

He still wanted that answer, something that proved difficult when those words were not something he could speak so easily. Shadow had kept himself so closed off for so long, heart barren of any love from anyone else, all while ice coated it and kept him ice-cold.

Just as it should be, he used to think.

He just didn't want to get hurt again.

Again, because he was selfish, selfish, selfish, so selfish, sooo selfish.

Shadow kept mentally berating himself, pulling away slightly, but only enough so he could face him. He tried to resist that urge to turn away, to hide his tears and reddened eyes, but... no.

Too selfish.

He brought a gloved hand up to tears streaking down peach fur, looking to brush some of the water away, so those dim, depressed emerald eyes could become bright and happy again, just like they used to be.

He missed that.

He missed that a lot.

"... Sonic," he responded softly, ears wilting as he became far more vulnerable than he liked himself being. Sonic was going to wind up being the only hedgehog alive to see this side of him, and he was, for the first time since Maria's death... afraid.

"You know I do not like to waste time on hopeless cases... so why would I be here if-..."

He trailed off, swallowing hard, his choking finally easing a small amount, yet the tremor in his voice yet remained.

"... Do you think I would be here if I didn't care? That I didn't find you worth my time?"

He leaned forward and, as if to prove his point, he nuzzled his cheek against Sonic's. Along with that, as if to demonstrate his trust...

He brought a hand, Sonic's hand, to his own stomach area, something that he would recoil and curl over if he were touched there normally, namely by someone he felt wary over. This was an instinct all hedgehogs had, so surely Sonic knew the implication of his steadiness and ease upon the touch.

He trusted him.

Absolutely.

Those walls of ice came crumbling down from the heat of his heart springing back to life, his caramel center, sweet with a pinch of salt, showing through beyond that white chest fluff.

You are my... my friend.

You are worth my time.