"Our measly friendship broke by just a glance." –Percy

As If.

It was New Years Eve today. Everyone was running around, busy preparing food for the day after.

Shadow watched the group of people from the corner of the room. He sighed as he glanced at the bright colored hedgehog as he helps the little cream colored rabbit and her chao decorate the cookies awkwardly with a wide grin on his face.

Shadow's POV

He suddenly looked up, his emerald eyes meeting mine. I saw his smile die a bit.

Immediately, I tore my gaze away. We had a tough past. He'll never forgive me. Damn my personality around him.

Knowing that I wasn't going to be welcome here anyway, I silently walked out of the room.

A thin fingered hand stopped me. Rouge. I sighed and turned around expectantly.

That didn't bother her. "Where are you going?"

"Away from here." I replied. I wanted to Chaos Control, but I couldn't. I don't have any Chaos Emeralds with me. I left my favorite one buried beside Tails' grave. Of course, Sonic doesn't know. I don't want him to. What's happened has happened, and I don't want to even try to build our friendship back together.

Out the house, away from the town, up the hill and on a tree. That's what I need. Some cold fresh air and the quiet murmurs of the dried of leaves rustling is what I need.

Sitting silently on a branch that looked sturdy enough to hold my weight, I brought a knee up to my chest and swung my left arm on it. The slight breeze tickled my fur and sent my quills billowing softly in the wind. It was a nice break. A nice break from the constant chattering and meaningless words the people blurt out every day.

The sky bled of purple, red, orange and some yellow. It was calming…

And that's when I closed my eyes and started thinking. Was it really what I should have done when Sonic lost Tails? I knew he tried to hold his tears in by the way he was biting his lip. I knew he was on the edge of an emotional breakdown, and I knew that he needed some comfort. But he just came to the wrong person. I wasn't one to give comfort, wasn't one who sympathizes. It was when he looked up to me. I didn't say anything and my eyes showed no emotions. He knew that I didn't get affected by the loss of the twin tailed kitsune at all. He probably gave me the title of 'heartless.'

But like I said before. I wasn't going to try to connect our thin line of friendship back together again. It would seem pathetic.

But it would be nice to have those furry peach arms wrapping around my shoulders in a half hug. It would be nice to feel like I mattered. It would be nice to feel warm again. It would be nice to feel not so alone…

Hah. As if. That's never going to happen unless we're friends again. Which is probably never going to happen. Nothing's going to bring him and I together as friends again, and not even close to 'best friends.'

But…

He's so forgiving. He's so loving. He's so caring. He's so kind. He's…he's so…perfect. Wouldn't he forgive…me…?

No. Don't think like this. This is selfish. Don't be selfish.

I think some part of me is stuck to him. I couldn't rip it off of him if I tried. Some part of my soul is just…addicted to him. His smile and his laughter is the Chaos energy I need to survive. His cocky jokes is my oxygen even if it gets annoying sometimes. The sound of his sonic boom has become part of my life as well. His tapping of foot is a song I hear almost every day. But most of all, his friendship is my life…without that, all the other things I needed to survive off of is useless.

But he doesn't need me. If he did…Bah, as if.

The temperature slightly dropped, and I felt myself shiver a little. If Sonic was here he would've asked me, "Aww, is the Ultimate Lifeform cold? Hahah, I would've never guessed!" but after laughing after it for a while, he would become serious and ask if I needed a scarf. If he didn't have one, he'd be kind of enough to lend me part of his body heat…

You've been living in the luxury of his kindness, Shadow. You're becoming spoiled. Stop this mindless thinking of what he would've done if he was here, because you've lost him completely, you stupid hedgehog. You've lost him.

…But I hadn't. He came. I hope I'm not hallucinating. He sped over with two cups in his hand.

"…Faker," I whispered, not intentionally. My voice was hoarse from the cold.

"Hey," he replied, sticking his hand out with a mug.

I hesitantly took it and quietly thanked him under my breath, half hoping he'd not hear, but half hoping he heard. The hero soon jumped up and sat beside me. I didn't know
how to react, so I quickly blurted out, "Sorry."

He gave me a questioning look before facing away, realizing what I'd meant. "Don't worry about it…" he muttered after an awkward silence.

I crept a little closer to him. I needed him to understand. I hope we're still friends.

Suddenly, he turned around and asked, "Well?"

I didn't know what to say until he continued, "Are you going to drink it or not?" I looked down at my cup full of a warm chocolaty liquid.

While taking a sip, his pinky touched mine slightly and I jumped a little. "Sonic…?"

He looked up with a small smile. "I forgive you Shadow. I forgive you."

Sonic lifted his hand a little and rested it over mine.

And suddenly, I knew something. Something ironic. Sonic's friendship with me is never going to end no matter what.

"Friends?" he asked.

I paused. "Friends." I agreed.

Normal POV

Even though I know that I might feel a bit more for him, having a friendship with him is all I can ask for right now. Who would've known, a little New Years Eve's magic works
just fine for the Ultimate Lifeform.