How Do You Do It?
AN: It's in my head and I need to get it out. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: The Sonic characters are owned by Sega
-XXX-
A loud gasp of panic stricken fear came from his mouth as emerald green eyes snapped open and he fought off his bed sheets. Another night of nightmares that plagued him that made him feel relentlessly weak.
But the was Sonic the Hedgehog. And he wasn't allowed to be weak.
He sat on the edge of his bed trying to calm himself down from his latest turmoil. His heart felt he had ran three marathons in one single day. His breaths quick and shallow. His body dripping with sweat. It was the fourth night terror this week he had woken from like this. It was always the same too. His back against a board. Strapped and turned upside down.
And then the water would come.
Sonic closed his eyes tight, his ear flattened to his head. He looked over to the bathroom and shivered at the sight of it. The shower he thought he should have was defiantly off the plans tonight. He looked over at the clock on his bedside table that read 1:15 AM.
"He said you could text him if you needed someone to talk."
That thought kept circling around in his brain as Sonic grabbed his phone and pulled up his number.
But...what if he's asleep? Does he sleep? It is after midnight. And what if he doesn't respond? Would Sonic just run around until he fell asleep again? So he could relive the same torture over and over that he had dealt with on the Death Egg?
Sonic shook his head. He needed to stop thinking this way.
"It's worth a shot," The hero thought to himself and quickly type a text.
S-You said I could talk to you if I needed to. Well I need to.
The Blue Blur mentally slapped himself after he hit send and threw his phone down onto the bed. Why was he nervous? It wasn't like he hadn't talk to him before. He had, on multiple occasions. Why did it feel like there was butterflies flying around in the pit of his stomach? Is this what it felt like to have a crush? Did he have a crush?
"You're being dumb. It's Shadow!" he scolded himself, "He's not even gonna answer you dummy."
A chime of his phone proved himself wrong. Sonic grabbed his phone quick and read his response.
SH-Where are you and where do you want to meet up?
Sonic's heart did backflips when he read the message. He actually did answer! He wasn't pulling his leg. He quickly texted back
S- I'm at home, but can we meet at the cliff side that overlooks the city? I need the fresh air
SH-Yes we can but don't keep me waiting Faker
Quickly grabbing a pair of gloves and socks, Sonic be lined it out of his room and down the stairs to his shoes and was out the door.
-XXX-
When Sonic got to their meeting spot, there was no black hedgehog to be seen. He let out a deep sigh. Of course he would get stood up. He felt so defeated.
"Took you long enough."
Sonic jumped and when into offensive mode, ready to attack the oncoming threat.
"Easy Faker. I'm not going to hurt you," Shadow said as deadpanned as he could get. Sonic looked over to the one spot he failed to look at: the tree. Shadow had been there the whole and with how dark his fur is it was no wonder why he didn't spot him.
Shadow gave Sonic the once over. He was still on the thin side but not rail thin from once he came back from the Death Egg. His eyes told an entire other story. Their bright green spark of life had completely faded into a dull green. The dark circles under them made him almost look like a raccoon. His coat that used to shine was dingy and looked in need of a good shower.
Shadow wouldn't never admit to anyone but he had grown a need to want to protect the broken down hero. It was very similar to the feelings he had for Maria but where he only viewed Maria as a sister, Sonic wasn't. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but it was a different feeling.
He did know that seeing the other act the way he did made the hybrid's heart ache.
"How did you get here so fast?" Sonic asked. Naturally, Shadow pulled out the green Chaos Emerald and then nestled it back into his quills.
"Oh..."
They both sat on the cliff top enjoying the other's presence. Sonic dangled his feet, his gaze down towards the city. It would be so easy just to jump and never have to worry about anything ever again. No more nightmares, no more ridiculous crushes, no more being the hero...
"What's wrong?"
Sonic snapped back into reality and looked into those ruby red eyes of Shadow. It didn't even seem like a question, more like a demand.
"What?" he asked.
"Don't play dumb with me," Shadow huffed, "The bags under your eyes tell me that you're not sleeping well at all, your ribs are still showing so you're not eating enough to substance yourself at all and you jumped like you were going to get mugged tonight."
Sonic winced. Of course he would notice all his faults. He was the Ultimate Lifeform after all. He didn't want to look him in the face after this...or at all. This was stupid. He felt stupid and ashamed for bringing him out here like this. He kept his gaze down so the other couldn't see him blush with embarrassment.
But Shadow had different plans. He got closer and with his right hand, he lifted Sonic's head up to see his eyes. They were wide and glossy, as if he was about to cry at any moment. He sighed.
"I wouldn't have told you that you could talk to me if I didn't mean it Sonic. So vent out everything you need to."
And that was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Sonic threw his head into Shadow's chest sobbing. He had finally broke and it felt horrible, but he needed to let it out. He was surprised that Shadow had let him just cry on him and was even more surprised with the Ultimate Lifeform picked his body up and laid it on top of him. His touch was so soothing as he rubbed his back, trying to calm him down.
"I'm sorry," Sonic mumbled in between sobs through Shadow's chest. He didn't want to lift his face up. It felt so nice and Shadow smelled exactly like a camp fire that it was intoxicating.
"It fine," Shadow replied, his voice calm, "Just let it out."
-XXX-
They sat like that for a good part of an hour. Sonic finally feeling calmer that he could pull his face away from Shadow's body and looked up at him.
"How do you do it?" he asked, "With the trauma you went through? How do you even function?"
That caught Shadow off guard, but the blue hedgehog need his honest answer.
"Just like you did right now," he told him, "the only difference is I handle on my own. Have you not wonder why I disappear for a week every year?"
Sonic did but never wanted to ask because it was not his place to ask.
"Once I saw you back from the Death Egg I knew what to expect and didn't want you to deal with your trauma alone," he sighed, "Do you want to talk about what's going on?"
Sonic nodded and took a deep breath in.
"It's always the same," he started, his voice shaky, "I'm on the board...upside...and then...then..."
Sonic didn't finish. Tears welled back up and spilled over his face. His breaths quicken almost to the point that he was hyperventilating. His body was shaking and felt Shadow pull him in closer and tighter to let him know that he was there.
"Does it involve water?" Shadow asked. He felt Sonic nod and gripped him tight.
"I wish it would stop," Sonic whispered through sobs.
"Have you thought of seeing someone?" Shadow asked.
"That was the whole point asking you to come out."
"True, but you may want to seek medical."
"I don't want to," Sonic said. His pride was getting in the way. It would make him look weak that he couldn't handle his problems on his own.
"I can take you to the lady I go to," Shadow offered. Sonic looked up at him in shock.
"You. You see a therapist?" he gawked.
"Had to if I wanted my job a G.U.N," Shadow told him, "I'll come with you if you want. No one has to know."
Sonic laid on Shadow chest for bit, mulling over the idea of this proposition. He really didn't want to admit that there was something wrong with him but the idea that Shadow would support him and trusted this lady then...
"...it's worth a shot," he said. He looked up to see Shadow smile. An actual smile on his face and it made Sonic's heart melt.
The two stood up to get going back. They had to be at the cliff top for a good two or three hours at least.
"Oh, one more thing before you go," Shadow said before grabbing Sonic the wrist. His hand moved from his wrist up to his chin and lifted his head up and proceeded to put his lips onto Sonic's.
Sonic felt like an absolute puddle as he pushed his own lips back into the kiss. If what his feelings for the hybrid was a crush before, it had quickly turned into an obsession now.
As they part, Shadow looked at the now very flushed hero and chuckled.
"I...I...I...I...," The blue hedgehog stammered which Shadow gave a genuine laugh to.
"If you shower, you can stay with me tonight. I'll call the therapist tomorrow and we'll go together." Shadow looked at Sonic and saw smile on his face, almost a resemblance of the old Sonic from before.
"Okay," Sonic said eagerly .
He felt a huge relief that he didn't have to do this alone anymore.
-XXX-
AN: Sonadow...the idea that has been my head all day was a Sonadow One-Shot haha. Defiantly something different from what I have been writing.
I hope you enjoyed this!
Darko Out~!