"Sonic! Thank goodness you're here early! I need someone to bring up the paper plates and plasticware from the basement," Amy said.
"And that was something you couldn't have done earlier without me?" Sonic groaned.
"No, I have been busy setting up the tables and grill along with cleaning the house in case anybody needs to step inside."
"Alright, I'm going, I'm going. Tails, can you take the food to the fridge?"
"You got it! Thanks for having us over Amy!"
"Of course! So important to have our little get-togethers to keep the fun going! Big should be in there too. He's trying to fit some wild caught fish in the freezer. Maybe you could help him too?"
"On it!" Tails said.
Sonic made his way down into the basement. He pulled a cord in the middle of the darkness to activate a light. Amy seemed to keep her house so tidy by putting all the junk in the basement haphazardly. 'Now where is that coveted cutlery…' Sonic thought, rummaging through various boxes and tubs. He must have been digging down there longer than he thought because when he emerged upstairs, everyone at the party had arrived!
Tails, Knuckles, and Cream were playing horseshoes with Team Chaotix, Big was watching over the food table, Amy and Rouge were talking at the table, and there was Shadow, leaning under a tree in the backyard, holding his coffee cup from Starbucks. Sonic walked over to Amy and sat the utensils on the table.
"This what you needed?"
"Oh thank you, Sonic! What took you so long down there?" Amy said.
"You tell me! Your basement is a mess!"
"Let us not start accusations of being messy, Sonic. I've seen that bedroom," Amy quipped.
"Yeah, yeah, just glad this means we are starting food soon," Sonic's stomach was growling.
"I just had Big pull out the food, so I'll start on it now. Rouge, you care to join me at the grill?"
"Of course, I still need to tell you all about my last mission in Europe," Rouge replied, standing up with a drink in her hand. The two walked off to Big and started getting food in motion, much to Sonic's delight. He decided to go check on Tails and say hi to the rest of the gang before making his way to Shadow.
"Are you winning, sport?" Sonic asked.
"In theory, I could make a robotic arm that could toss these horseshoes at the exact angle and speed needed to wrap around the pole each time," Tails rambled off.
"I'll take that as a no then," Sonic giggled.
"I warned him horseshoes aren't very different from ninja stars," Espio shouted from the other side. "He was asking for a loss!"
"Just let me know when you finish so I can play him next!" Sonic shouted back to Espio who gave a thumbs up.
"Knuckles, nice to see you off the island and enjoying some friendly games," Sonic said to the clearly agitated echidna.
"He only gets so many spot on shots because he has a bee's eye view of where to throw!" knuckles grumbled.
Charmy stuck out his tongue in response, pissing off the echidna further.
"Hiya, Cream! Good to see you today," Sonic gave her a fist bump.
"Hi, Mr. Sonic! Mom was busy today so it is just me and Mr. Vector today!"
Sonic looked up and saw Vector on the other side of the yard as Cream's opponent.
"Hey, Sonic! Come see me later, I got some fresh, new ideas for some social media sponsors I could get you! Of course commission is always a part, but you know everything is negotiable!"
Sonic rolled his eyes and waved back at Vector, always the businessman it seems. Still waiting on food and a game with Tails, Sonic made his way over to Shadow's spot.
"Hey, Shadow! Long time, no see!" Sonic said with a smile.
"What do you want with me, hedgehog?" Shadow replied, eyes not opening.
"Just coming over to say hey," Sonic replied. "What did you bring to the potluck?"
"Nothing. I don't eat so I didn't bring anything either."
"Ah, I guess that is fair by some logic…" Sonic scratched his head. "I saw Rouge got you Starbucks today, how was the coffee?"
Shadow stood up frim from the tree and darted his eyes on Sonic. "I don't know what inclined you to come over and question me, but it would be best for you to drop it."
"Whoa, no hard feelings if the coffee was bad! Maybe if you added some syrups or-"
"What part of 'drop it' didn't you understand? I'm only here because Rouge asked me to. Go annoy someone else."
Sonic gritted his teeth at Shadow's flippant behavior. He decided to drop it and not make a scene for the sake of his friends. He had no idea why Shadow was being such an asshole when the other night he was perfectly fine next to him and playing games even! Whatever, Shadow has always been the moody type anyway. Sonic walked back over to Espio and waited for his turn on horseshoes.
"Have a death wish or something there, Sonic?" Espio asked. "You know Shadow doesn't like people or talking."
"Yeah, well, it is important to be a good friend, even if they don't see you as one."
"Just don't let him get to you. He is a prick to everyone," Espio said, giving a side eye to the hedgehog behind them. "Can't believe I used to think he was hot. Must have been a virus infecting my brain in that cyber world we got stuck inside."
"Everybody thought that back then," Sonic smirked. "He used to workout more back then too I think," Sonic whispered and the two laughed quietly.
"I'm glad I was able to see you today. Being around straight people all the time can be so exhausting," Espio said, handing his horseshoes to Sonic for his game.
"You know you can always call me if you need girl talk, Espio."
"I know, I know," Espio said. "But, I try not to be on my phone much since Silver could call at any time. These calls between the time-space continuum aren't a perfect science yet."
"Is it weird at all that your boyfriend is so much younger than you he isn't even born yet?" Sonic chuckled.
"Oh, how original, Sonic. You don't tell me that one every time we talk. It was either that or the 'how is it being in a long distance relationship, where the term of measurement is decades not miles?' joke you tell."
"What? You guys wanna hear a joke?" Tails said from the other side.
"No, Tails, we were just chatting about Espio's long distance boyfriend!" Sonic shouted back.
"Oh, the one where it is decades apart instead of miles?" Tails replied.
"Bingo!" Sonic said with some finger guns. Espio groaned and face palmed himself.
"Alright, boys and Cream! Time to eat!" Amy called out from behind the grill. Everyone sat their game down and headed over to the big tables set up in the yard, everyone but Shadow who stayed under his tree.
Amy made her own plate and was already seated in the middle next to Rouge. The girls decided to let the boys go feral with self-service, but trusted them to know Cream goes first.
"Should you call over Shadow?" Amy leaned over to Rouge.
"Honey, I barely got him to get out of the house. I don't think we should chance it," Rouge whispered back.
"Yeah, and he wasn't exactly excited to see me either. Just let him sulk if he wants too," Sonic said, pulling a seat up next to Amy.
"Oh, fine. You know I just feel bad if someone isn't having a good time at my party," Amy said.
"Yes, but look at all of us actually having a good time at your party," Espio said, sitting next to Rouge.
"I guess you're all right about that. Let's enjoy the feast! He can always join later," Amy said, raising her glass.
"Cheers!" Everyone joined in with her and started eating.
The party dwindled down into the evening, and everyone slowly said their goodbyes as they returned home with leftovers from the party. Rouge helped Amy clean up since Shadow had left early and she didn't have to take him home after all. Sonic and Tails offered to stay and help, but the girls insisted they go spend their weekend at home instead of cleaning up the party mess.
Tails decided to work on the Tornado before he started his DNA powered robot project next. Sonic took to reading books for the evening and heating up more chili dogs from the party as a snack. The evening turned into the cooler summer night and Tails emerged from the garage covered in oil.
"I'm gonna clean off and go to bed, all those games of horseshoe tired my arms out to work any longer tonight," Tails said as he walked upstairs.
"Might be good for you to catch up on sleep!" Sonic replied. Yawning, Sonic started to notice how tired he had been getting as he was dozing off into his book. He folded the corner of the page down and got up to shut down the house for the night. He locked the front door and turned off the lights, and then made his way to lock the back sliding door. He looked out into the backyard, seeing the wind shake tree leaves, but then he saw a familiar silhouette hiding behind the tree. Sonic slid the back door open and stepped out.
"You know, you could have just knocked at the front door if you needed something," he said, walking to the unmoving figure. Sonic approached closer and saw Shadow standing motionless and staring into Sonic.
"Let me guess, Rouge kicked you out tonight and told you to apologize to me for being an asshole?"
Shadow had no reply.
"Uh, huh," Sonic said. "Well, you can sleep under the stars out here, or I guess my couch is open if you would like."
Shadow took a step out from behind the tree and one toward Sonic.
"Can I come inside?" He asked.
"I think that is what I just said you could do, yes," Sonic replied, rolling his eyes. "But only if you apologize first."
"I apologize," Shadow said.
Sonic was shocked, he thought it would take more coercion to get that out of the ultimate lifeform.
"I suppose that will do," Sonic said and motioned for Shadow to follow him back inside. The two entered through the backdoor, and Sonic shut and locked it. "C'mon, faker. I got some spare blankets you can use down here too."
Shadow followed close behind Sonic as they entered the living room. Sonic pointed to the couch and Shadow walked and sat down as directed. Sonic tossed a few blankets on the couch and said he could use the pillows there too if he wanted.
"Thank you for the gifts," Shadow said.
"Not really sure I would call them that, but sure, you're welcome. I'll be up early to go for a run, so we can chat more after that since you seem more talkative tonight."
"Why do you run in the mornings?" Shadow asked.
"It helps wake my body and mind up faster that way," Sonic said.
"Where do you run in the mornings?" Shadow asked.
"All over town, in the wilderness trails, I change up the location often." Sonic said.
"I was never able to find you during that time period," Shadow said.
"Oh, have you been searching for me then?" Sonic asked.
"Yes," Shadow said.
"And why would that be?"
"Yes, because I like seeing you."
"I thought I do nothing but annoy you?"
"I do not think that," Shadow said, almost spite in his tone. "I enjoy you."
"Okaaaay," Sonic said. He wasn't sure what game Shadow had going on, but he was too tired to play it all night. "Well, you can enjoy me some more in the morning after I sleep. It has been a long day."
"Okay, I will see you in the morning?"
"Yes, Shadow, in the morning. Please let me sleep."
"Yes, Sonic. Thank you."
Sonic gave him a 'you're welcome' and made his way upstairs. Too tired to even analyze what just happened, he flopped into bed and got under the covers, somewhat looking forward to solving the mystery of Shadow in the morning.
