Yo! Just a quick A/N cause it's midnight and I'm exhausted and have class tomorrow morning and hopefully a new laptop at some point.
Shadow is especially awkward in this chapter. This is for a reason- I feel like he wouldn't quite know how to deal with people once his defenses were broken down. But that's just me, and why you have reviews with which to disagree with me. XD
Standard disclaimer applied.
Contrary to the day before, Sonic woke up on Friday morning very much on his mattress. Not bothering to make the mistake he did the day before, Sonic merely rolled carefully back onto his shoulders and propelled his foot into the bottom of the mattress above him, hearing a pained groan as a response. He smirked, rubbed his eyes one-at-a-time with his good hand, and rolled out of bed.
"Wuz'zat for?" Knuckles drawled, sticking his head out from under the covers. "I'hurt."
"Boohoo, whine ass," Sonic replied. "My arm's broken. That hurts. Now, get up so you can help me get dressed. I don't want to try to put on a shirt one-handed. Brushing my hair will be bad enough."
True enough, Sonic had great difficulty smoothing the spikes back and up into their usual position. Giving up in favor of brushing his teeth, he left a majority of his hair falling into his eyes and just barely brushing his shoulders, slightly wavy from being slept on all night.
When Knuckles finally finished his roll-and-flail to the floor, he did a double-take at the sight of his roommate. "Wow, you weren't kidding. You look like shit."
Sonic shot him a sarcastic glare. "Thanks, Knuckles, you're a real pal."
"Just keepin' it real, man," the echidna replied, muscling in towards the sink to brush his teeth as well. Sonic cut out before the other finished to begin the long and difficult task that would be getting ready.
Knowing that there was no way to get his glove on his injured hand, he gave up on that idea before it began and decided to forego the other as well. He wiggled into a pair of cutoff sweatpants that ended somewhere around his calves, hacked into submission years ago by a pair of scissors. Knuckles emerged from the bathroom and helped him out of his shirt from yesterday and into a fresh white flannel, a blue t-short layered on over it with some sort of graphic print in these seven multicolored gems.
Knuckles clipped the chain around Sonic's neck, the ring laying comfortably between his collarbones, and Sonic did what he could to fasten his shoes one-handed as Knuckles got dressed.
"I just hope the kids aren't too freaked out by this," Sonic sighed. "It probably looks a lot worse than it sounded."
"It might have helped if you looked like you, but you only look beaten down. It doesn't help, but between us two, I think we can convince them that you're just a little out of it, nothing huge. We need to get you to the infirmary, too."
"I know, I'm leaving now and I'll meet you in front of the Elementary Dorms to pick them up."
Knuckles nodded absent-mindedly, pulling his own chain and pendant over his head. "What are we going to do about the jackass?"
Sonic frowned, his conversation from yesterday echoing in his head. He lost a close friend about a year ago and he blames himself for her death. It really changed him- he used to be a normal guy.
"Nothing," he replied.
"Nothing?" Knuckles exclaimed. "But, Sonic, he practically skinned you!"
Sonic gave him a one-armed shrug. "It's fine. I'll recover."
"What the hell, man? Yesterday you practically gave me the signal to get us moving again, and now you're punking out?" Knuckles scowled, rounding incredulously on his friend. "Okay, what's going on? You have to know something I don't."
He shrugged again, hesitating, before replying, "Let's just say that he went through something like we did. We were arguing, and I was talking about loss.. he misunderstood me, thought I was talking about him, and he shoved me. Obviously it's a sore subject."
Knuckles frowned, looking stricken. "Sonic, you know I don't blame you, right?"
"I don't understand how you can't," Sonic mumbled. "It was my fault. If I hadn't told you to let her come, she would have stayed home and stayed safe. It never would have happened. No matter which way you twist it, it always comes back to me, Knuckles." Sonic swallowed. "I'll see you there, man. I gotta get my bandages changed, my arm really hurts. Bye."
He ducked out before Knuckles could stop him.
Damn that kid and his speed! Even injured, I can't keep up with the fucker.
Tails toddled along beside Sonic, clutching onto his good hand, Cream holding onto Tails. The little girl was being unsurprisingly persistent that she walk on her own and not trouble Sonic or Knuckles.
Chip babbled aimlessly to Knuckles, who wasn't paying attention. Instead, he watched his best friend struggle to keep a smile on his face for the kids and hide the winces of pain that happened every time his arm swung in the sling a little too hard against his ribs.
Amy, being the sharp girl that she was (and a little obsessed with Sonic, too) noticed every twitch that crossed his face, and had run ahead to secure a table early before the crowd closed in too much. Knuckles honestly found her annoying sometimes, but he couldn't help the random bursts of appreciation he felt for the pink-haired preteen sometimes. She really did mean well, as much of a mother-hen that she could be sometimes.
Knuckles took care to herd the kids through the dining hall by himself, leaving Sonic to fend for himself and 'not be distracted by a bunch of rugrats'. Sonic hesitated, but when Amy appeared and volunteered to help the redhead, he conceded and wandered off to make his own plate.
It would, after all, be hard enough to carry his own tray without having four other plates piled on top.
He was attempting to balance his tray in between the thin counter and his hip, attempting not to get bumped into when Rouge and Shadow noticed him.
"Fuck, the poor kid looks like shit," she sighed.
Shadow had to admit that she was right- dark circles clung beneath green eyes and normally spiky blue hair hung limp. He hadn't even bothered with normal clothes, resorting to sweatpants and a baggy shirt. His left arm was heavily bandaged, and, as Rouge had said, the padding extended noticeably below his shirt and part of his leg. The bandaged arm was hung in a thin sling, and the boy winced every time it got jostled.
"Go help him," Rouge hissed, nudging Shadow hard in the ribs.
"Ow," the boy exclaimed. "But-"
"No excuses," The girl grumbled, snatching her companion's tray out of his hands, throwing a quick 'I'll find a table' over her shoulder as she faded into the crowd.
Shadow stood there, helpless and speechless, for a moment before he sighed and wandered after the blue-haired boy obediently.
"Fuck," the injured boy was grumbling to himself. "Was never any good at balancing things. Of course, it would be Knuckles' idea to send the injured kid off on his own. Bonehead- when it doesn't hurt so much, I'll chuck his own shot put at him."
"Um," Shadow said, searching for what to say. Sonic blinked, turning toward him and frowning… and then looking away, and then looking back.
"You want something?" He asked, and Shadow remembered standing over him the first time, when he had said the same thing. He blinked, not exactly sure what he should say.
"Well, uh… Rouge thought I should…" He sighed heavily. "Do you want help?"
Sonic noticed the choice of words immediately- Do you want help? Not, do you need help? Obviously he needed it, but he was leaving the choice up to him.
Sonic chuckled under his breath. What a strange guy.
Shadow frowned. "Maybe I should just-"
"Sure," Sonic cut in before he could finish. The other blinked. "If you can just grab the tray, it would really help. My table's over there somewhere- shouldn't be too hard to find."
Shadow grabbed the tray wordlessly, following as Sonic started walking, eyes lowered, but every so often sneaking glances at his bandaged arm. "Does it…?"
"Hurt?" Sonic finished, glancing over at the surprisingly quiet dark-haired boy. "It comes and goes. It's more of a sting when I bump it. It's not too bad, though- I've had much worse." He laughed again under his breath, drawing the surprised glance of the other as he spun in place, looking for Amy's trademark pink hair over the crowd.
"Damn, where the hell did that girl go?" He mumbled. "Always running off. Tch. Typical Amy."
"How many of them are there?" Shadow asked quietly. "That you look after."
"At the moment?" Sonic replied distractedly, raising onto his tiptoes and struggling to stay upright. "Four, I think. A few that come and go every once in a while. But it's evenly balanced. Silver and Blaze aren't exactly regulars, but there's them and me and Knuckles to the four little ones."
"It sounds difficult," Shadow replied, frowning.
"Eh, we make it work. Oh, I think that's them over there. Okay, follow me."
Sonic weaved through the mass of people with a surprising grace for an injured person (or really, any person), Shadow having considerably more difficulty and falling a bit behind.
"Dude, I'm sorry I left you hanging. I forgot you couldn't exactly carry shit, you know, and I had to help the kids, but I can go back up with you and- wait, what the hell?"
Knuckles stared incredulously, Sonic grinning amusedly, Shadow standing awkwardly and an entire group of little eyes looking on questioningly.
"Shadow offered to help me. That was nice of him, ne, guys?"
The kids nodded eagerly at the presence of a new 'friend', one small pair of bright blue eyes lighting up with recognition as the black-haired hedgehog hybrid nudged the tray onto the booth table.
"You're in Sonic's class, right?" Tails asked, eagerly leaning forward.
Shadow glanced at the two older boys, Sonic nodding slightly and Shadow echoed the gesture.
The blonde's smile threatened to break his face if it got any wider, two little hands reaching for Sonic's uninjured one and tugging excitedly. "See, Sonic? I told you he would feel better. See?"
Shadow frowned, attempting to comprehend the obscure statement as Sonic laughed quietly, patting Tails on the head and avoiding the subject.
"So, uh, Shadow. Meet the gang." Sonic gestured around the table with the names. "This is Tails, Amy, Cream, Ch- where's Chip?"
Knuckles rolled his eyes. "He went up for seconds."
Sonic shook his head lightly with a sigh. "That kid. Anyway, Chip went up for more food, and you know that that's obviously Knuckles. And- oh hey guys, you actually showed up today!" Sonic grinned as a surprised and slightly horrified Blaze and Silver approached. "These guys are Blaze and Silver, they're in our class, too. Oi, Chip- That's Chip, he eats like a maniac."
The tiny purple-haired boy grinned, pushing his way into the booth with a plate piled high with food held carefully in his hands. "Yo."
"Sonic, what the hell happened to you?" Blaze exclaimed.
"Yeah, and what the hell is he doing here, man?" Silver growled.
Shadow's eyes narrowed a bit at the accusatory tone in the white-haired boy's tone- though he supposed that he deserved it.
"Aw, nothing. I tripped- you know me. Knocked my arm on something and cut it up pretty bad. No big." Sonic smiled at his friends, ordering the kids over to make room for the other seniors to edge in. "Shadow's helping me out. It's cool, we worked it out."
"Really," Knuckles growled, stare unwavering on the out-of-place hybrid.
"Yes," Sonic replied. "Anyway-"
"Shadow! Sha- fuck, there you are," the bat-girl sighed, appearing next to her friend. "What the hell is taking you so long? I told you-"
"Hey, Rouge," Sonic said cheerfully.
The white-haired girl blinked, finally noticing the group. "Oh, hey Sonic! Holding up well enough, yeah?"
He shrugged. "Yeah, good enough. Rouge, this is the group- wave guys- Silver, Blaze, Amy, Chip, Cream, Tails, and that's Knuckles there. Everyone, this is Rouge. She's cool, so be nice to her, huh?" Sonic threw a not-so-discrete grin and eyebrow-raise at his roommate, whose face colored slightly and shot his friend the not-so-discrete finger.
Rouge smiled, laughing nervously. "Hey, guys. Uh, Sonic, sorry to steal Shadow away, but I need to make sure he eats before class so I don't have to fuel him up on candy again."
Shadow's face turned red and he hissed, "You weren't supposed to tell anyone!"
"And who was it bragging about BMI's last night?" she countered.
Sonic grinned.
"See you later, Sonic. Um... Knuckles." Rouge smiled, cheeks flushing slightly as she tugged Shadow away.
"See you around," Shadow mumbled.
"Thanks for the help, man," Sonic replied with a grin.
As the two disappeared into the crowd, a lot of things happened at once.
Sonic slid into the booth next to Knuckles, who punched him in the good arm, grumbling under his breath about discretion and Sonic's lack of finesse. Sonic groaned in pain, grumbling in return about bruises and favors. Silver and Blaze exchanged confused glances, and the kids dug into their food.
Rouge bragged about her debatable rightness of many subjects, Shadow grumbling about his breakfast being cold but really thinking about a smile that he couldn't quite decipher and worrying about being beaten up in turn by an angry redhead.
Sonic's mind lingered on the way that red eyes were cast to the ground, guilty and almost shy, certainly awkward, but not in a way that was entirely unappealing. He thought about reasoning and he thought about his arm, but, mostly, his mind was occupied by the rumblings of his stomach.
Knuckles thought about talking to Rouge on his own, and Rouge thought about weaseling a certain boy's phone number out of Sonic.
Shadow thought about a lot of things, but mostly he thought about Rouge and debatable rightness and boys and girls and love and food and tried to figure out what, exactly, it all translated to when crammed together and drenched in maple syrup.
