Chapter Eight

A few hours went by and Shadow was laying belly down on his sofa with the TV on. There wasn't much to watch but he wasn't feeling up to doing anything else so his stubbornness took over and he forced himself to watch something. Half an hour later his front door was knocked on.

"It's open!" Shadow called out from the sofa, not really caring who it was or that he had yet to bless his body with any type of clothing.

"Well isn't this a sight to see at eleven thirty in the morning." Rouge said with a playful grin down at Shadow.

"Yeah well can't be asked with today so I'm lounging in my birthday suit. It's not like there is anything that interesting to witness anyway." Shadow grumbled as he reached down to the floor to grab the remote then began to flick through the channels to find something else.

"That would be because you are laying the wrong way up." Rouge teased as she took a seat on one of the chairs.

"Funny, I didn't know it was comedy day or I would have made an occasion out of it." Shadow sarcastically said back then settled for a cooking show, dropping the remote back on the floor beside him.

"Seems like you already have hun anyway how was yesterday and last night?" Rouge casually asked with a curious look at Shadow.

"Fine. Had breakfast with Faker, tidied around the house and went to bed early. Slept throughout the night, woke up at eight and have done nothing but drink coffee and watch TV." Shadow said with very little emotion and eyes glued on the TV.

"You alright, you seem a little down?" Rouge asked with concern.

"I'm more annoyed than anything Rouge, I don't want to wake up at eight every morning." Shadow sighed a little sadly.

"So you want to get up earlier than that?" Rouge asked with her concerned frown deepening.

"The opposite actually, I want to sleep a little longer only when I do wake up I can't get back to sleep." Shadow said as he frowned at himself and kept his eyes on the TV even though he wasn't actually paying attention to what it showed him.

"You want to sleep longer? Shadow it's not good to sleep for long periods at a time. Eight to ten hours is plenty of time to sleep, more than most professionals say to. Why on Mobius would you want to sleep longer for?" Rouge said with more concern that Shadow might do something stupid just to sleep later.

"Shit if I tell her it's because I want to spend time with Maria and Gerald she will take those pills away thinking I'll overdose or something. Come on Shadow think of a reasonable excuse." Shadow thought as he finally looked over at Rouge.

"Ever since I found out it was allowed to do I've always wanted to stay asleep until like ten in the morning. I was hoping those pills would allow me to experience that after finding out they worked but for some reason I keep getting up at eight. I know it's so trivial but for someone like me who has never experienced such luxuries it's kind of on my bucket list so to speak." Shadow said with some truth to his words as he did want to sleep in late and only until ten in the morning and about the part he was never allowed to sleep in.

"Right so you are after normal experiences now, well I suppose you could try taking two around five in the afternoon but only the once ok and no more than two either." Rouge firmly said with a warning look at Shadow.

"You think that would be safe?" Shadow asked with fake concern as he was going to do this regardless.

"So long as you only take two the once and I'll stay tonight too. If you are not up after ten I'll try and wake you." Rouge seriously said and kept her firm expression in place.

"Of course I totally agree and please do, I don't want to sleep too long." Shadow said as he lied.

"If two does work then I'm taking two until they are gone then I'll go to GUNs lab and request more on the sly." Shadow thought as he was starting to feel happy inside.

"Good so how does the continuation of our binge watching sound to you?" Rouge said with a more softer tone, believe Shadow's words.

"Yeah sound good but before we do, any luck with finding out a way we can quit GUN and still have our freedom?" Shadow asked as he moved to sit up properly on the sofa and facing Rouge.

"Not yet, I've gone through both our contract and have been trying to find a way out of them that doesn't lead to imprisonment. It's starting to look as if we won't be leaving and stuck working for them until either we both die or get so injured we can no longer work for them." Rouge sighed with disappointment as she really wanted out but it seemed impossible right now.

"Great and I just know Towers will punish us when we get back. He will give us the most intense mission just to spit us." Shadow muttered in displeasure.

"Or we could just disappear and not go back, live a life on the run. Maybe even live on Angel Island without Knuckles knowing." Rouge grinned with amusement at that idea and sounding it too.

"Yeah then I have the pleasure having to put up with you two love birds when he does realise we are living up there." Shadow faked a happy tone while rolling his eyes, totally not in agreement with that.

"You're just jealous you don't have anyone to admire or that admires you." Rouge teased Shadow a little as she gave him a slight flirtatious wink.

"Yeah that must be the reason, wow you really have opened up my eyes for sure." Shadow spoke back with heavy sarcasm.

"I'm so glad I can help you further Shadow. Now get up our show so we can snuggle up together with popcorn, you do have some right?" Rouge grinned as she spoke, standing up after asking her question.

"Yeah in the cupboard nearest to the fridge-freezer. You do know how to use a microwave right?" Shadow smirked as he teased his friend while glancing her way.

"Oh hush and do as you are told." Rouge replied then walked away silently.