AN: Having a very difficult time with writing anything, as the words aren't coming out. However, I managed to come up with this drabble during that time.

This is for Karis. I love you. Very much.

"Hey, Shadow?"

A grunt.

"You can't sleep either?"

A sigh. He got up from bed, flung the blankets away from himself. Walking. Maybe getting a cup of milk. Whatever was going to get him through this night.

Sonic laid in bed for a while, staring at the darkness, the moon a sliver in the sky. Then he got up too.

He looked in the fridge. There wasn't a whole lot. The milk was becoming a sliver too. He drank a lot of it earlier today. He poured himself a glass, checked the time (seeing it was now 4 in the morning), and wondered why he was up this early in the morning. He could still see the moon, but it was now like almost a fully melted ice cube in his milk. It was disappearing, and fast.

Sonic stared at him for a bit, and he wondered why he even followed him all the way to the kitchen just to gaze at him.

"What?"

No reply.

"What do you want?"

Sonic got closer.

"What are you doing?"

He was face to face with him now.

And suddenly, he threw his arms around him, and cuddled him.

He was nuzzling his head against him, hearing something that sounded like purring, and he gave him a kiss on the nose.

"What was that for?"

"I'm really glad to have someone like you. I always am, and I always will be."

"I guess I could tell from what you just did."

"I don't want to let you go."

"Well, you're going to have to."

"I can't sleep either Shadow."

"But it's 4 in the morning."

"Doesn't mean we have to sleep."

"Then what do you suppose we do?"

"Let's just return to bed, hear each other's heartbeats, and just talk about so many things. Things that trouble us, things that make us happy, anything, until our mouths are actually tired and we do fall asleep. Sometimes I think about you too much to sleep, cause damn it, I love you."

"Is that why you couldn't sleep?"

"Maybe. My heart seemed to be too loud."

"How can your heart be too loud, Sonic?"

"It always is when I think about you. It makes all kinds of noises. Sometimes I hear it go off like a gun when I'm angry, sometimes it clashes in my body like thunder when I'm stressed, but with you it seems to be making music."

"What kind of music?"

"The kind of music that comes out of those music boxes, like little lullabies. And even if it's just simple little keys and simple little tinkering and kindling, you just feel something, you know? So you wind it up. Again and again. And you feel something lost within you rise up again, from the ashes."

He gulped the last of his milk. "We should head to bed."

"God, I'm still not tired."

"Still thinking of me?"

"Yes."

"Then don't."

He hugged him, feeling that he was as warm as the early morning's sunlight rising through the window. "But I can't. You're too precious to me."

He looked at him intensively, with great interest, then broke from his hold. He still wanted the warmth, so he curled his fingers into Sonic's hand.

"Come on then. It's still too early. Let's at least get an hour in."

And they walked back to the bed, hand in hand.

They laid down, still holding onto each other as they stretched out on the bed. Sonic got closer, closer, and soon, both of them were facing each other, and they could both hear their hearts as they played out their songs.

Shadow could hear Sonic's music box playing. He wasn't sure what song it was, but it tinkled and rang in his ears, as his warmth continued to wind him up.

He remembered of the time when he and Maria played with the music boxes back in the ARK. But even when she was there, he still couldn't remember them playing a song as beautiful as this one, or as innocuous, especially since a few days later, Maria was killed.

And he cried.

"What's wrong?"

"You were right about your heart. It is playing…a very nice melody. But it's bringing up those memories again. And it's a memory that I'm remembering very clearly now, and it hurts."

He got closer, his hands getting warmer, tighter. "I'm here now. I'm here and I want you to know I love you. Those were dark days, but they're becoming brighter now, like how bright this room is now. I am your sun now, I will keep lighting up everything in your world, and I will give you life, like you're giving me now."

The spectral of light was hitting his face, and before Shadow could open his eyes again, Sonic gave him another kiss.

"Good morning, Shadow."

"Good morning to you too."

He listened to that lullaby until he fell asleep, the sun shining on both of them.