Chapter Text
It wasn't an unusual night for the brooding black hedgehog.
He stood on a rooftop, his eyes were glued to the starry sky, a cool breeze blew at his quills and jacket.
Another night where sleep became an estranged friend to him, he would go outside and stand on a rooftop to admire the stars he once did with a friend he lost a long time ago.
Maria.
Shadow closed his eyes as he took a long breath. When he released it, his eyes found a figure laying under a billboard, atop of building in the distance. The figure had the shape of a hedgehog that had become familiar over the years.
Too familiar.
A scowl appeared on his face, crimson eyes lit with fire and his lips twisted in irritation, allowing a fang to show.
Why is he outside ? It's freezing.
He leapt into the air, jumped from rooftop to rooftop, before he landed on the roof the hero had chosen. Much closer than he intended.
The annoying blue hedgehog was laid against one beam of the billboard. Shadow took small steps toward Sonic, his eyes trailed along the hero's body. He opened his mouth to yell some string of insults, when his ear twitched to an unfamiliar sound. It was a soft but broken sound.
It was Sonic– snoring.
Shadow's eyes widened momentarily before a gust of wind blew past. The way Sonic flinched and curled up into himself slightly made Shadow deadpan.
He couldn't leave him like that though.
Sonic's snoring had stopped and his former peaceful expression became disturbed.
Reckless Hedgehog.
But Shadow's crimson eyes held a kind of awe and longing that only cradled Sonic.
Thump
Shadow shook his head a few times, dismissing the thoughts. He jammed his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a GUN report sheet. He turned it over as he fished a pen from his quills The back of the sheet was mostly empty except some pointless scribbles Shadow didn't remember making. He held the pen like it was heavier than it was. He looked up at the blue hedgehog again before he began to focus on his little note.
"GET INSIDE, IDIOT !"
He wrote all caps intending to be commanding and yet he added a bonus beneath it in small lettering, more gentle, caring even-
"Or you'll catch a cold."
Shadow looked at the words and scrutinized them.
'This is stupid'
Shadow crumpled up the paper, prepared to put it back into his pocket, something, however, stopped him. He looked up at the starry night again, like it held answers. An expression of confusion and anguish clouded his face, his brows knitted closely as he shut his eyes tight.
Just do it
The thought rang in his ears for a second. Then he let out a sigh that was much like air released from a balloon. He pressed out the paper and placed it beside Sonic.
The city lights danced softly on his blue fur. He looked... dazzling.
Oh well
Sonic's ear flicked before Shadow even touched him. Shadow grabbed one of Sonic's quills and with a firm hand yanked it, hard. Immediately he heard a cry of pain from Sonic, he let go and skated away, not sparing a glance when he heard the dumbfounded 'What the heck dude !' Sonic yelled from behind him.
Shadow saw Sonic again two days prior to his atrocious leaving-a-note stunt. The team was fighting an army of Eggman robots.
Sonic...was wearing a jacket. Shadow couldn't look away.
When they had successfully defeated the robots, Sonic stood on a giant robot's body and crossed his arms over his chest looking at the sky. Shadow stared at him, watching as the cool breeze made his quills flutter.
Before long, Sonic's eyes connected with Shadow's, a wide smile stretched across the blue hedgehog's face he tilted his head and a thumbs up appeared beside it. Shadow didn't reply with anything, he faced forward and closed his eyes as he tried to calm the way his heart thumped vigorously in his chest.