Before I start I would like to dedicate this chapter to Tails Luv-er since he so kindly betaread it for me. Now on with the story!
Sunlight streamed through the cracks of the shutters in the ebony hedgehog's room. Birds chirped their greetings and happy chattering of other mobians seeped through the walls of Shadow the Hedgehog's apartment. This, however, did not wake the peacefully sleeping ebony hedgehog. What did awake the hedgehog was the sudden beeping coming from his alarm clock. A muffled growl escapes into his pillow and tired ruby eyes lock onto the offending object on the nightstand. A still gloved hand smashes down on the beeping clock, crushing it into many smaller pieces.
Shadow sits up on his bed and rubs the sleep out of his eyes. He kicks off the warm, black blanket that rested on his body and gets out of bed. Walking into the kitchen he starts his coffee maker and sits down at the table. The events of last night ran through his head unwillingly and he refuses to let last night's tears come again.
He roughly gets out of his seat and knocks the wooden chair to the ground. He quickly walked into his bathroom and slams the door behind him. A loud bang echoes through his apartment, but he completely ignores it. Black feet slip out of rocket shoes, which were placed on a specially made rack on the back of the bathroom door. Four golden rings clatter when they were placed on the sink counter top and gloves are placed in a nearby laundry basket.
Shadow then twists the knobs in his shower and waits for the water to heat up. Hot steam comes from the shower head and the ebony hedgehog deems that the water was finally hot enough. He makes a slight opening in the curtain and steps inside. The curtain closes behind him and hot water washes over the black and red hedgehog. Ruby eyes close at the soothing feeling of the hot liquid and the ebony hedgehog lets it calm his frantic mind. He feels his muscles relax at the soft massage of the running water and grabs his shampoo bottle. Squirting a good amount of the clear gel in his hands, he gets to work washing his body.
The clear shampoo turns to white suds as it travels over his sleek but muscular body. Black and red hands rub the shampoo in circles to get rid of any unwanted dirt and grime attached to his pelt. When the ebony hedgehog was finished he slid back under the shower head and watched as the white foam traveled down the drain. The knob on the shower turns once more but his time to the off position. Still warm water drips off of Shadow as he steps out of the shower and grabs a nearby towel. Steam encased the entire room and Shadow was forced to open his bathroom door to let it out.
Careful not to rip the white towel with his sharp quills, Shadow dries himself off. He carelessly throws the slightly damp towel in the laundry basket with his gloves. The steam had fogged up his mirror and Shadow wipes it away. The ebony hedgehog notices that his quills were sticking out in every direction and gets to work on fixing them.
Once his quills were in their desired shape he grabs his few articles of clothing and exits the bathroom. Walking back to his bedroom the ebony hedgehog's ear twitches at the dinging noise coming from his kitchen. The smell of freshly brewed coffee reaches his sensitive nose and he walks inside his bedroom. His bedroom was dull but clean. His walls were painted a soft red and black wood trimmings lined his room. A twin bed stood in the middle of the small room and a small nightstand was to the left.
After muttering a few choice swear words at his crush alarm clock, he reaches inside the drawer attached to the nightstand. A clean pair of white gloves are pulled out and quickly put on. The four power rings and shoes are slipped on without difficultly as well. Making the trip back to the kitchen a freshly brewed pot of coffee awaits on his granite countertop. Next to the coffee maker stood a coffee mug placed there the night before. On the side of the mug it read 'Drink Coffee, Do Stupid Things Faster'. He pours the steaming bitter liquid into the mug and takes a sip. Shadow is satisfied with the taste and strides over to his front entrance.
I wonder if the newspaper arrived yet. He pulls the door towards him and something, or should I say someone, fell to his feet. Triumphant emerald eyes meet confused ruby and none other than Sonic the Hedgehog jumps to his feet.
Pointing at the ebony hedgehog in the entrance he shouts in joy. "Hah! I knew it!"
"What?" The damn butterflies had started up in his stomach again and Shadow couldn't utter out another word. To Shadow this situation was worse than being captured by Eggman.
Sonic crossed his peach arms across his chest; a large grin was plastered on his face. "I knew it; if banging on your door didn't work I would just have to wait… quietly." The grin got even larger, "and lo and behold you came out of your cave when you thought I was long gone huh?"
Unreasonable anger forms in the ebony hedgehog, "Don't act so high and mighty faker! I heard that squirrel come here!"
The cobalt hedgehog just shrugs, "Yeah, she did come. One thing you forgot mention though was hearing me leaving with her."
Shadow huffs and composes himself in a way that looked like he wasn't fazed at all at the blue blur's sudden appearance. However, in reality, his mind was in complete turmoil; if you could look inside his mind at that moment it would look close to a television with static on the screen. "She's your girlfriend of course you left with her."
"I don't think we are anymore considering I didn't do what she said last night." Emerald eyes look away and he got a distant look in their green hue. Peach arms come uncrossed and come to rest on his hips. When the cobalt hedgehog spoke next it seemed like he was talking more to himself than the artificial hedgehog in the doorway. "I'm going to try out an old saying; 'if you truly love something, let it go and if it comes back it is truly yours'. If Sal comes back to me then I really know she loves me back." The emerald eyes turn back to the ebony hedgehog and strange twinkle forms there.
Shadow notices the look he was being given and ignored like it was nothing to concern him. He takes a sip of his now cold black coffee and looks to the ground for his newspaper. "Is there something you want hedgehog?"
The distant look disappears and a sheepish one forms instead. "Ahhh, yeah… I really didn't have a plan after this…" One of his arms unconsciously reaches up and scratches the back of his head in embarrassment.
The ebony hedgehog represses the urge to face palm and instead glares at the short sighted hedgehog. "What were you doing all night? Thinking of multiple ways that make my life even more like hell?"
The scratching hand stops and a harden look enters Sonic's eyes and… could that be… hurt? No… no way, I'm just imagining it. "You know, just for that you have to spend the rest of the day with me."
Shadow blinks… and blinks again. What? The ebony hedgehog's heart starts beating rapidly and it feels like he was having a heart attack. However, he focuses on stopping the sudden heat rising in his cheeks. Composing himself once more he says, "Who would want to spend the day with you?"
The cobalt hedgehog grins, but it seems fake compared to the sudden hurt that flashes in his eyes again. "Who wouldn't want to spend the day with the fastest thing alive?"
"Only in my dreams faker," Shadow mutters out.
"What was that?" Sonic leans in and suddenly their faces are inches apart.
Shadow's quills stand on end by the sudden close proximity of the cobalt hedgehog and he tries to slam the door shut on the other. Sonic had expected this reaction and had already wedged his red and white sneaker in between the doorway. The ebony hedgehog was surprised at the sudden resistance and had lost his grip on the door momentarily. This was all Sonic needed to push open the door for himself and to walk in.
"Now," the cobalt hedgehog crosses his arms once more, "what was that?"
Shadow's eyes narrow and he clenches his hand around his coffee mug. "I said, only in your dreams faker. Now get out of my damn apartment." The ebony hedgehog's voice was an inside one but it was laced purely with anger.
"Take a chill pill Shads," the cobalt hedgehog was looking everywhere but at the ebony hedgehog. "I always wanted to know what the so called ultimate life form's apartment looked like." After his little investigation of Shadow's apartment he turns back to the other hedgehog. "It's so clean… and dull. You know, since I like you so much Shads I'll come back tomorrow and help you spruce up the place."
Shadow couldn't stop his heart from beating like mad again and takes a sip of his black coffee to try to hide the small blush that had formed there. "I like it the way it is…"
Sonic's ears twitch as he tried to catch the quiet speaking of the other. "Alright, fine. So what do you want to do today?" The cobalt hedgehog asks as he walks into the other hedgehog's kitchen.
The ebony hedgehog sighs in defeat. "You won't let this go will you?"
Sonic's famous grin returns and he goes to sit at the kitchen table. He was a little confused by the fallen chair but he picks it up anyway and sits on it. "Not a chance."
Shadow sighs again and leans on his granite countertop. He notices that his coffee was almost gone and pours himself another cup. "I don't know; it was your idea, you think of something."
"Then let's start off by going to my place. I need to get cleaned up after camping at your door all night." He rubs his back like it pained him, "My back is so sore I swear I need a chiropractor after this."
"Fine, whatever."
For whatever reason the cobalt hedgehog suddenly looked interested in Shadow's coffeemaker," Is that coffee?"
The ebony hedgehog raises an eye ridge, "Yes, why?"
"I always wanted to try coffee but Tails never let me near the stuff."
"Smart kid," Shadow almost shuddered at the thought of a caffeine high Sonic.
"Come on Shads, just one little cup," the cobalt hedgehog begged while giving Shadow his puppy dog eyes.
Seeing the cute face that he was being given Shadow's heart fluttered and the butterflies had returned to his stomach. He quickly looked away and picked up his coffee pot. It looked like the blue blur was finally going to get his first cup of coffee. He was quickly disappointed when the ebony hedgehog poured the rest down his drain. "You're not getting any hedgehog."
"Awww, come on Shadow there was more than enough!" Sonic complained, "Wow… that was such a waste…" Disappointment was heard clearly in his voice.
"I would rather waste it than have a caffeine high hedgehog on my hands," the ebony hedgehog huffs. Shadow finishes up his cup of coffee and the two of them are left in silence.
"You finished?" Shadow nods and Sonic gets out of his seat, "Then let's get going then." The ebony hedgehog places his mug in the sink and is then dragged out of his apartment by an excited Sonic.
*Ombra d'amore*
Sonic's house was located at the edge of the city and was quite large for one hedgehog to live in. The backyard housed a small forest and many houses lined the street he lived on. The cobalt hedgehog opened his front door and Shadow noticed that it wasn't locked. Walking inside you entered a large living room. It housed a large television hung from the right wall and many different gaming systems were below it. A green couch was in front of the television and it looked like it was used regularly.
Shadow wasn't at all impressed with the state of the cobalt hedgehog's house; while his was perfectly clean Sonic's defiantly screamed as a man's house. Random socks and gloves littered the floor and day old soda cans and water bottles were stacked on the side tables.
"When was the last time you cleaned this place?" Shadow asked while he repressed the urge to clean the mess the other hedgehog had created. Maria had always been big on cleaning on the ARK and Shadow had unconsciously picked up the trait as well.
"Define clean," and the ebony hedgehog rolls his eyes at the answer the cobalt had given him. Sonic chuckles and points upstairs, "I'm going to take a shower now so be a good little hedgehog while I'm gone okay?"
"I'm fifty years older than you hedgehog so don't treat me like a child."
The cobalt hedgehog chuckles again, "I guess I forgot about that grandpa." Then he takes off in a blue blur up his stairs.
Shadow growls but it was only halfheartedly as his mind was focused on another thought. I'm in love with someone who is fifty years younger than me… Man I am such a pedophile… Wait? Did I say love? I'm not… You know what? I give up, I'm in love with that faker whether I like it or not… and I don't… I could have fallen in love with anyone but it had to be him!
The shower starts upstairs and it pulls the artificial hedgehog out of his thoughts. An unwelcomed image than forms in his mind and Shadow shakes his head to get rid the image of Sonic washing himself in the shower. The ebony hedgehog had to find something to do to keep his mind off of the image or else the other hedgehog would come down later to find Shadow in a very… awkward situation.
I'll take a look around the rest of his house. Relieved that he thought of something to do, Shadow started to wander around the large house. Most of the rooms didn't interest the ebony hedgehog in any way; there was a large kitchen next to the living room. Down a hallway past the kitchen was a guest room, another bathroom and a laundry room.
The very last room at the end of the hallway was what finally caught the interest of the exploring hedgehog. Shadow opened the door and was impressed to find a comfy sunroom. Sun chairs and bean bags lined the walls and one large book case stood at the back. He walked over to the bookcase and rolled his eyes as he saw they were all comic books. He was just about to leave when something caught his eye. Carefully hidden behind some of the comic books was what looked like a diary. Shadow pried the diary out and was surprised to find it was actually a sketchbook.
He flipped open to the first page and saw it was an amateur picture of Tails. On the bottom of the page was a date, probably the day that it was drawn. The black and red hedgehog shrugs and flips to the next page; this time it was a picture of Sonic and Tails. I never knew that Sonic liked to draw. The next page was a picture of Knuckles, then another one of Tails and then Amy made an appearance with Tails. With each picture came a newer date and it seemed that Sonic's drawing skills had gotten better as time went on.
The first time that Shadow appeared in the sketchbook he was quite taken back. He looked deadly and it seemed like the Shadow drawing would leap out and kill you on the spot. The date at the bottom of the page was the one he and Sonic had first met and below the date was the roughly written word faker. Is… is this how I really looked back then? The ebony hedgehog shakes his head back and forth and quickly turns the page.
The next drawing was of himself as well, but this time the deadly look had disappeared. Instead of being deadly he just looked completely serious and the drawing was smudged in several places. What are these smudges? Sudden realization appeared on Shadow's face as he saw what date it was drawn; it was the day after Sonic and himself had beaten the Biolizard. These are tear marks… Did he really cry for me when he thought I was dead?
The ebony hedgehog's heart clenched when he imaged a crying Sonic drawing him in his sketchbook. He pushed the image away and went back to looking at the drawings. Shadow didn't appear again for quite a while but when he did you could tell that Sonic was ecstatic. In all the other drawings only one or two people were in it. However, the next drawing with Shadow he filled the entire page; picture after picture of him crowded the single piece of paper. Even the date didn't have a space to be written and was place on the back instead. After reading the date Shadow smiled slightly as he saw it was the one when Sonic and his friends found out he really wasn't dead.
Still smiling slightly he flipped through more of the sketchbook. Soon the ebony hedgehog had started to notice something about the book; the farther he got the more pictures of himself showed up. There were still the occasional picture of someone else but he filled up the majority of them. Why is he suddenly drawing so much of me? Then something hit the artificial hedgehog, not one of the drawings in here was of Sally Acorn. Shadow was confused, why hadn't Sonic drawn a single picture of the girl he loved? Everyone was in here, Manic, Sonia, Rouge and even Eggman made an appearance once, but no Sally Acorn. What is going on here? There are more pictures of myself in here than anyone else and his girlfriend wasn't drawn even once… He must have another sketchbook somewhere with drawings of just his girlfriend in it…
Saddened by the thought Shadow neglected to notice the changes of the drawings of himself. The pictures had changed; Sonic had suddenly appeared in them and was getting closer and closer to the ebony hedgehog with each new one drawn.
The last one that Shadow saw was of the both of them sitting together on a park bench and he was about to turn the page when a frightened yelp sounded behind him. "Where did you get that?"Shadow turns and finds a very frightened, very pale Sonic. A damp towel was around his waist and water still dripped off his cobalt quills. "Where did you get that?" With the frightened look he was being given from Sonic at finding his personal sketchbook Shadow just wanted to curl up and die right then and there.
This is, by far, the most reviewed story I have ever had so far. I'm so happy! I only wrote one chapter and I got 12 reviews! XD Thank you all!
Shadow: I'll even give each of you a cookie.
Really?
Shadow: No, I'll give Sonic the cookies and he can give them away. I don't want to ruin my reputation.
Sonic: Then I guess they'll like me instead of you Shads.
Shadow: They wouldn't even be given cookies if it wasn't for me.
He does have a point Sonic.
Sonic: -_-
Please Read and Review everyone!