- - -

Chapter 9: No...It's Not

How could it be so? Sonic was his rival; rival! Rivals were supposed to fight each other, argue, and maybe try to kill each other. Not this...Not fall in love with them. It just wasn't right. But...maybe he didn't love him. Maybe he was just confused. Yeah. That was it. He had had a lot on his mind recently. Plus Sonic had been staying at his apartment for a while now. Perhaps his subconscious was trying to tell him that it was time for Sonic to leave. 'By giving me these creepy nightmares.' Shadow sighed and continued to massage his forehead. His cheeks still felt pretty hot so they were probably still flushed. Again the Sonic in his dream flashed through his mind, only making his heart rate faster than what it already was. No...He wouldn't accept it...It wasn't true...So there's no point in accepting it.

Damn it, all this thinking was giving him a migraine. He needed some air. Slipping out of the bed, the confused ebony hedgehog made his way over to the window, opening it up and sighing as the cold air hit his flushed face. Now that he was getting some fresh air he could think more clearly. That dream meant nothing. It was just one of those silly little things that your mind suddenly decides to play like when you dream you are being chased by hotdogs or that the moon is made of cheese.

Yes, he admitted that he was more talkative to the azure furry and yes, he did feel more comfortable around him but that was only because they had been living together for quite some time now. And the other appeared to be pretty comfortable around him. Although...he did still hide things from him. That got on his nerves slightly. He didn't know why but it did. But he guessed that Sonic did have his reasons, as he himself did.

It appeared that cold air had awoken a slumbering someone. Rolling onto his side, a peach hand grabbed the covers, wrapping them around him tighter. Why was it so cold? He needed to know. Opening his single tired emerald orb he gazed around the room. Everything seemed normal besides the open window and Shadow stood in front of it...Wait...Sitting up, Sonic rubbed his eye and looked over at the silhouette of the ebony hedgehog. No wonder it was so cold. Not only was Shadow not in the bed, which Sonic had found out that it was much warmer when Shadow was in the bed, and the window was wide open. But the room was so cold. Why would Shadow want it open? Tilting his head to one side, he called out the other's name.

Upon hearing the soft voice, Shadow froze momentarily, the dream coming back to mind. He quickly shook his head before relying, "What is it?" but didn't turn to face the other. Since he was right by the window the light was hitting him dead on, and if Sonic saw his blush then he would start asking questions and if he started asking questions and Shadow decided not to answer he would be persistent and still ask and if that happened then he may not have a choice and... Calm down...calm down...He hadn't turned around so Sonic didn't see it so he wouldn't ask questions and be persistent...right?

Looking down at a random spot on the covers Sonic rubbed his arms that had goose pimple underneath the fur. "It's cold," he murmured.

Ah...He hadn't thought of that. He guessed that his entire body was a little flushed, for it felt almost like a sauna in there for him. But Sonic was cold. And having the window open was not at all helping. He sighed, hoping that his blush was at least not as noticeable as it probably was earlier, or better still gone, as he closed the window and muttered sorry before getting back into the bed. As much as he tried to rid his mind of the dream he found that he couldn't. Maybe the thought he had earlier was correct .Maybe the dream was a warning. Shadow wasn't meant to get close to anyone. That's how its always been in his life, and he knew that it would never change. "Err...hey..." he addressed the blue hedgehog, hoping that he hadn't fallen asleep already.

After Shadow had returned to the bed, Sonic lied back down, noticing a sudden change in temperature. It was much warmer now and he knew where it was coming from. He could literally feel the heat radiating off of the black hedgehog besides him. He attempted to move a little closer to him without being noticed to try and get a little warmer. Surely Shadow wouldn't mind right? He was cold, no, freezing. The moment he shifted an inch the black and red hedgehog spoke, making Sonic stop before quickly shifting back to where he was, hoping that he hadn't been noticed. "Y-Yeah?" he asked, trying to stop his cheeks from going red at the thought of being caught trying to get close to Shadow.

"Your injuries...they're almost completely healed," stated Shadow, still facing away from Sonic. "You're free to go whenever you want...I won't stop you anymore."

Sonic gave a small frown but then smirked. "'You're free to go'? You make it sound like I'm your prisoner."

"But haven't you been? Think about it for a moment. Whenever you decided to do something that is...you...I always ran after you...brought you back here."

Sitting up, the blue hedgehog did think about it. True, Shadow had run about the whole city just to bring him back to his home. But he was his caregiver. He had to make sure that he healed, not get worse. If he did get worse then Shadow would be in big trouble. Maybe saying that he was a 'prisoner' may be the only way Shadow could think of to hide the fact that he actually cared about him. He cared about Shadow...In a friendly rival type way of course! He had no other feelings towards him right? But then why was it that his face often turned red when his double was close to him. The time he had taken his bandages off around his eye he had blushed. Why!? It had been secretly driving him around the twist for a long time now.

"I was right...wasn't I..."

Sonic's head snapped up and he looked over at Shadow's back. Oh, that was right. He was meant to be thinking about how he was a supposed prisoner, not feelings. "Not really. I didn't mind. It's only classed as being a prisoner if you're keeping me here against my will."

A 'hmph' came from Shadow before he muttered, "That's stupid. How could you stand to put up with me holding you back here for so long?"

Sonic rolled his eyes at Shadow even though he knew that the other couldn't see it. "I've put up with you and your mood for so long now I've gotten used to it."

"So I am someone who people must to put up with then."

"N-No! Of course not! I mean...maybe a little..." Sonic paused there. "But its that trait about you that makes people like you—I'm not helping at all am I?"

"No."

Sonic sighed and looked at the covers. He felt too awake now to go back to sleep. He shifted around so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He took a quick glance at Shadow before standing. "But just so you know...Its that trait that makes me like you," he said, leaving the room straight after.

Ruby eyes widened slightly when he heard Sonic. He quickly sat up, wanting to say something, although he wasn't sure what, only to find an empty room. He sighed. Why was it that everyone left him? But how was Sonic supposed to know that he wanted to say something? And what did the speed demon mean when he said that? Oh he was getting a migraine again (and probably beet red as well).

Thought blue anthro was on his way to the bathroom, relieving himself, washing his hands and then headed to the kitchen. Opening the fridge Sonic peeked inside about to grab something to eat but paused, remembering what had happened the last time he had tried to prepare something to eat and just closed the fridge door with a sigh. He headed into the lounge, walking over to the window and looking down at the city below. Everything below the building was just moving along. Going. And soon he would be too. Away from Shadow...

Oh, what did he care! Shdaow was just a rival...friend? He had looked out for him over the past couple of weeks...put that was his duty. Shadow was told to look after him. But then he did take care of him before he had been told to. He could have just left him, allowed him to die in that horrible rain. But he didn't. Oh! He was so confused!

Pushing the window open the blue hedgehog sat himself upon the cill and stared down at the vesicles passing, slightly wishing that he could run with them, against them, past them at super sonic speed. Running free. Urgh, he needed to get out soon. Staying inside was making him soft, weak. He needed out and soon. But for now he would just have to sit and was until he was given the proper go-ahead to leave.

- - -

Groggy ruby eyes slowly opened as the morning light bathed the room. Bringing a hand up to rub his tired eyes Shadow groaned, pushing himself up into a sitting position. Oh, damn what time was it? The black and red hedgehog looked over to the bedside table to try and answer his question but stopped. On the bedside table, instead of a clock, was the remaining pieces from his last clock of which he had smashed the other day and still hadn't leaned up. "Oh f-" Shadow quickly got up and rushed out into the lounge, looking over at the clock and his fur a complete mess. A sigh of relief passed through his lips when he saw that he was up an hour before he was meant to. A chill suddenly ran down his spine. Why was it so cold? The heating was on.

Looking over at the window he found the source of the cold air. Sonic still sat on the window sill, leaning against the side of the window now, appearing to be looking out at the city. As Shadow moved closer he noted that the blue furry's eyes were closed. Was he asleep? Again? But...why on the window? Wasn't Sonic freezing? Reaching a hand out, about to shake the speedster's shoulder, but let his hand stay on the shoulder as he realized how cold he was. Shaking his own head before waking the other.

Sonic jumped awake enough to make his body lean forward and slip off of the cill. Shadow acted quickly and grabbed his wrist to stop the blue hedgehog from falling. "You moron!" the ebony hedgehog yelled. "What the hell do you thinking! Falling asleep on a windowsill!?"

"Hey I didn't plan on falling asleep," Sonic snapped back.

The striped hedgehog quickly pulled Sonic back up, both of them landing on the floor, Shadow on his back, Sonic on top of him. A blush spread across Sonic's muzzle at this and he quicklu looked away from the hedgehog's face, completely embaressed by the position. Underneath him, Shadow was getting pretty much the same feeling he had the night before when he had just been hovering above Sonic (and had his realization). No. No. No. NO. NO! He could not start blushing again! He didn't have any feeling towards the blue anthro! Doing the only thing that came to mind he pushed Sonic off of him and stood.

After being forcefully shoved to the floor Sonic grunted and rubbed his head slightly as he sat up. "What the heck was that for?" he asked, not at all happy.

Shadow just glared at him. "For being an idiot. What were you doing on the windowsill in the first place?"

Sonic looked away. "Just wated some air."

The black and red hedgehog sighed. He really wasn't in the best of mood to put up with annoying blue thing. Maye he could go into work early. "I'm going to work," he muttered before heading over to grab his coat, put his skates on and left without another word.

Sonic looked up. Work? But Shadow was early. Why would he want to go into work early? Ah well. At least he wouldn't have to put up with his moody attitude any to himself, Sonic got up and sat himself down on the couch, flicking the TV on and flicking through the channels to try and put his mind off of things.

- - -

Complain all you want. I know the chapter is short but I was pretty tired and didn't have much time to write it. Plus its my birthday. Kind of hard to believe that one year ago I was uploading Phase IX of Sakura Bloom. My writing's really changed over the year. Anyway...please review. I'm trying to get this story to have the most hits and reviews.