AN: Hello, everyone! It's been a good long while since I've written and posted anything, and I've returned to make everyone sad. This will be cross-posted to AO3, with the MA chapters being exclusive there. The POV will change between entries, though most of the time it will be from Sonic's POV./AN

Long ago, I'd considered the possibility that one day I wouldn't be able to push myself like I used to, to perform as I always had. I've always tried to avoid dwelling on things like that- my anxiety has always been looming like a dark cloud over the bright, checkered green hills. It doesn't help anyone- myself included. People like to joke that no matter how fast I run, I can never outrun my fears- not knowing that I've been doing just that for years. Taking in Tails is what really solidified my infamous "devil may care pain in the ass" personality. He needed a big brother figure to look after him, and I was more than happy to play the part. I've always had a soft spot for little kids, and even though I was still mute from trauma at this point, he looked at me like I was this great, infallible force of nature.

So I did the "invincible hero" thing for a little over twenty years. Then came the day when I realized that not only were my wounds starting to heal themselves much faster than they should've, but I also didn't look a day over twenty-five when I was actually pushing forty. Stunts that should've earned me fractures and sprains and new scars to show off simply resulted in a bruise, if that. Cuts and scrapes and gashes just didn't happen anymore. The icing on the cake? I hadn't slowed down- I'd gotten even faster. That dreaded day when the Blue Blur couldn't run anymore would never come, thank Chaos. I guess it shouldn't have been so surprising; I've slipped into my super form too many times to count, so naturally some freaky side effects were going to pop up at some point. I remember after Tails figured it out I laughed like a maniac once it hit me, and I turned, grinning wickedly at my rival-

"Hey Shads- guess who you're gonna be stuck with foreveeeer!"

Funny thing is, I don't really remember how he reacted to the news of my immortality, now that I think about it. I know for certain now that he's glad he has company, though he's never outright said it. It's just how he is. It didn't need to be said.

But it wasn't long after that that it sunk in how long "eternity" really was- Tails had just turned 28 and hadn't really needed me to play "big brother" in years. Knuckles and Rouge had gotten married. And then divorced. And then married again. Amy had left our dimension to be with Blaze, so at least she got to marry a Sonic, and one that could genuinely give her the love and domesticity that she needed, and Cream left with her too. Espio even left our time to be with Silver, and to top it all off, Eggman had completely disappeared without a trace, long thought dead. Everyone was already getting older, pairing off, finding their own happiness.

Except me. I was frozen in time, and now I had another... more intense... reason to be hesitant to "settle down" with someone.

Worse yet, I wasn't particularly "needed" anymore. What was I supposed to do now?

I began to panic, but I didn't want the others to worry. Hell, I didn't even tell most of them. I just pretended that I had lucked out in the genetic lottery and that everything was as it had been. No one needed to know. I still went around helping those who needed it- saving lives and the occasional chao stuck in a tree, but I didn't want to run off to be by myself anymore. I didn't want even the slightest chance to mope, so I surrounded myself with my friends and used every chance I had to be near them, just enjoying their presence while I still had it.

As time went on, even Shadow and I had started to become closer. I suppose it was only natural, as we were in this whole "immortality" thing together, but I didn't expect the change to happen as quickly as it did. Our arguments were becoming rarer. We didn't really see the point in seriously fighting each other anymore. We sparred for fun, if at all, and while I still preferred to come and go as I pleased, "with only the wind as my master," as I'd always said, I was finding myself more and more being drawn to the former GUN safe house that he'd settled down in. I'll admit that I was a bit shocked at first when he seemed pleased to see me the first time I dropped by to visit unannounced. Of course he didn't smile- I wouldn't get to see a genuine smile on his face until a little later- but his gaze was soft, and I swear I saw his tail wag slightly. I didn't think I'd see the day when he- super serious, Ultimate Lifeform, and literal assassin and weapon of mass destruction, would openly admit that he enjoyed my company.

I was flattered. I legit thought that he couldn't stand me.

I didn't think that he was hurting too bad for company- Omega was in this with us too, after all. But Omega didn't require food, and when Shadow and I had finished racing for old time's sake he, albeit hesitantly, insisted that I stay for dinner. I helped him prepare things and though we did tease and taunt each other as usual, the air was lighthearted and pleasant. Over that dinner was the first time we had ever really, like, sat and actually talked, and we just kept talking long after the dishes had been cleared and our shared bottle of wine had been finished.

Of course, we actually had like a ton in common. Figures I'm just now finding this out.

He seemed pleasantly surprised by my interest in reading, and something strange stirred in my chest when his eyes lit up after I asked about the massive book collection in his living room. He'd never been all that talkative, and I'd always assumed it was because he didn't have much to say, but in reality he was just really careful and restrained with his words. He never said more than what needed to be said, which I now found a little disappointing, if only because I found myself oddly entranced by his voice. It was quiet, almost shy if I had to put a word to it, but I loved hearing him slowly start to open up, even if it was just a little.

I felt almost cheated that we hadn't just hung out before. He was actually a really cool guy...

We made our way outside to the balcony, both of us gazing up at the stars, and I was sad to see the light in his eyes vanish when I asked about his current work with GUN. I knew he hated working with them, but what I hadn't known is that he rarely got to see Rouge anymore. She was "kicked upstairs," as he called it, when her age started to catch up with her and she was forced into desk work. Granted it was a promotion, and a position of safety at that, but all of his missions now were either with Omega or alone for months at a time.

Now I knew why he seemed pleased that I came to see him.

"Hey Shadow?" I asked, turning to him.

"Hmm?" he grunted, flicking his ear at me but still looking up at the sky. As late as it was, and as dark as it was, his inky black fur still stood out, and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful he looked in the light of the moon.

"We should do this more often," I said, gently elbowing him. His eyes lit up again as he turned to look at me.

"Why?"

"Well, I wanna get to know you better," I said gently. "It's gonna be a long eternity if we spend it apart."

He huffed, and then smiled softly- it was tiny, but it was there. And I vowed to myself to make it happen again as often as I possibly could.

"If you insist."