It's Over

Haha does this make you think it's the end? :P

Shadow was neither shocked nor surprised that Sonic had shut the door on him. As it was, he was trying to regain his breaths, to stop crying, and to get over himself. "I am the Ultimate Lifeform," he scolded himself as he busied himself fixing his covers, "I must not cry. I'm too good for that. I must not cry. I must not cry." But the thought of his love in so much pain—under his own roof, no less—made him sad. And this sadness was overwhelming enough to make him…cry.

Shadow was about to give himself to tears again when he felt eyes watching him. And these eyes were green, but they were not Jack's.

He turned to the door and saw Sonic standing there, looking thin as ever. Now, his fur did cover up most of the bones and other such unpleasantries, but Shadow could certainly see where there was a dip in his belly where there was nothing at all but organs. No fat. Just bone.

Sonic hadn't eaten a full and proper meal since his binge. Shadow wondered if he was starving. Sonic looked shy in the doorway, one arm hugging the other, his eyes unable to keep focused.

"Shadow?" The voice came small and hoarse.

The dark hedgehog, trying to deny in his own head the fact he'd cried, sounded indifferent. "What?" It wasn't nasty—he just didn't care anymore.

"My…my room's too cold." Sonic flushed, embarrassed.

"That's it?" Shadow asked. Sonic nodded. "All right, then. I guess you can sleep with me. But you'd be warmer if you ate something, you know?" He pulled back the covers and got underneath them himself. "Coming?"

Sonic, his body shivering and trembling, walked slowly towards the bed and got in, pulling the covers up to his lips and not allowing any body part but his head to be outside of the covers. "Right. That's…kinda what I wanted to tell you about, Shads."

"Oh?" Shadow lay on his side in the bed, his head supported by one elbow. Sonic probably would've giggled, had he been looking, because this was a pose Shadow had taken out of his book.

"Yes. I, uh," Sonic closed his eyes in the dark. He was so tired, he could barely keep his eyes half open. He yawned, his jaw cracking. He wanted to get this out before he fell asleep. "I…I'm going to eat, Shadow. I—"

But he was cut off because Shadow had thrown his whole bodyweight at Sonic in a glomp. Shadow nuzzled his face into the thick, fluffy tan chest fur and giggled madly with glee. "Oh, Sonic!" He cried. "That's wonderful! I'm so glad! Oh!" He kissed Sonic's cheeks repeatedly like a happy puppy, his rodent tail wagging to such an extreme that for a moment, Sonic thought the friction would cause a flame on the sheets.

Sonic coughed, trying to breathe in Shadow's tight grasp. "Yeah, uh…but to eat, I need to breathe, first. And you're hurting me."

Shadow flushed and backed off. "Right. Sorry." He looked at his fingers while Sonic caught his breath, rubbing his hands over his ribs to still the pain. "I'm just so incredibly happy. You have no idea…"

"I can guess," Sonic responded lightly, shifting positions with an 'ow,' "Your…overzealous greeting…gave you away, there."

"Sorry," Shadow apologized again, covering his eyes with his fingers. StupidstupidStupid!

"Don't mind. I'm all right," Sonic coughed again, and settled permanently under the covers. "But don't get over-excited," he warned sternly, hard to take seriously because he looked so small and innocent. His cheekbones were prominent on his face, his muzzle thinner and narrower not by design. "I'm not ready to feast yet. I'm going to start small, because I honestly don't feel like turning my stomach inside-out again. It's not fun, and my throat can't take it any longer." His throat, which he touched with his hand at this, was only vertebrae. Shadow shivered, watching him in the dark. "Do you get it?" Sonic asked finally, yawning again with tire. "I'm not going to eat a lot until I'm certain I can. I've still got refeeding syndrome, and I'm certain I'll feel nauseous having food in me after so long. But—ohhhh…" he moaned like a sorrowful ghost, giving Shadow the shivers, "it'll feel so good! Ahh," another yawn passed his lips, and this time Shadow joined him.

Suddenly, Shadow had a thought. "Sonic?"

"Hmmm?" Sonic had already settled down for bed, his nose barely visible above the covers, his eyes closed in sweet bliss.

"Umm…I know this'll sound weird, but…" Shadow cleared his throat, "do you, I mean—aren't you afraid of…dying?"

Sonic chuckled. "In my sleep? No, no. Do you think I will?" He sighed wearily because in another moment, his stomach growled ferociously, and his body began to shiver. Shadow drew close to provide warmth, but Sonic stopped him with a hand. "It's not cold that makes me shiver," he explained. "My tummy's…I'm eating…uhhh…I'm eating—myself—up, inside out."

"Poor, poor thing," Shadow cooed, drawing near anyway. "So hungry, you have to eat yourself! Would you like something to eat now?"

Sonic licked his lips in faint desire. "Yes, but…but I don't have the strength. I'm much too weak."

"I understand," Shadow kissed Sonic's neck, sending delighted shivers down Sonic's spine. "Sleep well, my love."

"I'll try, my love. Good night." Sonic yawned again and settled down to try and sleep. Shadow lay there in the dark, cuddling the boney hedgie, until he himself succumbed to worthy slumber.

So needless to say

I'm odds and ends

But that's me stumbling away

Slowly learning that life is OK.

Say after me

It's no better to be safe than sorry

LYRIX are obviously

Take On Me by Ah-Ha.

Feel like I've used those before…

Anyway…tootle-loo!