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Chapter 9: Midnight Visit

Everyone went back to their rooms after hanging around in the lobby, just chatting. They got back to the hotel at around 4:30 P.M. (since they got lost for some time again). Silver didn't tell Sonic anything about what Shadow felt towards him, though. 'I dunno, his mind is kind of hard to read,' was what he told the blue blur. Sonic just responded with an 'oh.'

When they returned to their rooms, it was about nine o' clock, since they had to wake up early tomorrow to go visit museums and on tours and all that. The girls had tried on their clothes, took a shower, and went to sleep. Silver and Tails stayed up a little later to further plan the trip. Knuckles just took a towel and rinsed himself after dampening it, before crashing onto his bed and passing out as well. Sonic took a shower instead and dosed off lightly after drying his quills. Shadow washed himself off then took a book he'd brought and read in his bed for a while.

00:34 A.M.

Sonic couldn't decide what to do.

He couldn't sleep after the one hour he managed to get in. Everyone else was asleep, and he didn't want to wake anyone up just because he couldn't. He had walked around the room several times, checking and double checking to see if there was anything interesting for him to do. Nothing. The TV costs money, and he didn't want to spend any on some cheap reality shows. The window view of the lit up street got boring after a few minutes, since he couldn't really see what was going on down there. There were a few pads of paper and pen. He wasn't in the mood to draw…

Yeah. There really was nothing to do. So, out of pure and utter boredom, he started to stare at Knuckles for minutes straight-creepily-until his eyes got sore and slightly bloodshot.

But that only wasted a few minutes. What else was there to do? He thought about Amy. They had good times together and there was that time when…

XXX

Shadow rubbed his eyes before continuing the paragraph he was on.

Occasionally, he averted his eyes from the book and glanced at the digital clock on the counter next to the bed. Just a bit before one o' clock in the morning…he should go to bed soon.

The reason he decided to stay up this late was that he didn't really feel like wasting all the hours sleeping. He didn't need rest as much as other people and mobians did. Why not read and do something at least a little productive?

After another fifteen minutes, he folded the page he was on lightly in the corner and closed the book with a little popping sound and leaned his head back. Even the Ultimate Lifeform can't read for too long.

The dark hedgehog looked out the window in silence. I suppose it is pretty lonely here with just me. But he quickly shrugged the thought off. Lonely. Pah, what an ironic word for a hedgehog who had been mostly independent all his life.

Wonder what that Faker's doing…

XXX

The blue hedgehog stopped reliving the past and snuck to the door of his room. The thoughts had only lasted about fifteen minutes and he got even more bored. Who knows, maybe it can kill you somehow.

Not wanting to find out, Sonic quietly slipped out of the room and into the hallway, but not before sticking a door stopper before the door completely closed. He also took a backup card for the room just in case.

He surveyed the doors all his friends were in for lights. Shadow's room, right next to Sonic and Knuckles's room, didn't have any lights on. Tails and Silver's room didn't have the slightest illumination, either. And last but not least, the girls' room, the farthest away from his room, didn't have any soft glow of light or anything.

Disappointed, Sonic stalked back towards his room and was about to head back in before he looked closely and saw a sliver of yellow. Shadow was…awake?

Sonic creeped closer to his rival's room and pressed his ear lightly against the door labeled 406. He heard faint noises.

Yep. He's awake.

The whirlwind hedgehog almost started cheering before stopping himself and quietly knocked on the door. His heart was beating way faster and harder than normal. Why would he feel nervous only to knock on a door? This had never happened before.

But before he could think more about it, the door slowly opened and the darker hedgehog of the two was in front of the door.

"Shadow! Am I glad you're awa—"
"Go to sleep, Faker." As the other said that, he started closing the door.

Just before it completely closed with a click, Sonic managed to stick a foot in between the door and the wall. "Hey! Wait a sec! Can't a bored hedgehog just visit another friend because he couldn't sleep?"

They stayed like that for a few seconds before Shadow answered. "What do you want?" he slowly opened the door again, this time, looking at the annoying hero with an irritated glare.

Sonic grinned. "Oh, nothing much. Some company will do, though."

Shadow sighed heavily. "Right now?"

"Yep," he said happily with a nod.

"…Are you sure you can't fall asleep? I can help you knock you out if you want."

Sonic chuckled and refused the 'awfully nice offer.' Instead, he pried open the door and clicked it shut after he got in. Taking a quick sweep of the room, he started talking again. "So. Why are you up so late?"

Shadow resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I could ask you the same question."

"Hey, I asked it first, pal. Answer mine and then I'll answer yours."

"Fine, fine."

And so they wasted two minutes explaining.

"So, do you have anything to do?" Sonic asked after he finished telling the other why he was up so late.

"No," Shadow grunted, a bit annoyed to be reminded when the hero decided to barge in. "I was just about to go to sleep."

For some reason though, Sonic just grinned. "Then, am I glad to have stopped by right then."

Shadow just rolled his eyes and changed the subject. "How long do you plan on staying here?"

"Until I get tired," Sonic replied plainly.

"I don't know how you're going to get tired. This room is just as boring as yours."

"But you're not boring, are you?"

Shadow stayed quiet after that, and it took some time before they actually started talking again. But once they started, everything ran smoothly as if someone had poured grease over their words. The occasional tease, the occasional threat, and the occasional laughter. And you know what's nice? Not having to worry about what you say. Sonic was always semi-aware of his words when he talked to the black one. Suppose it's just a habit since it's real easy to get him to utter a death threat, but that's not the point. It just seemed so much easier and so much weight lifted off his shoulders, not having to worry about what he said.

He started to more and more tired, until he was practically swaying back and forth with eyelids threatening to close any second. He could barely concentrate on Shadow's words. What was he saying…? How should he respond…?

"Oh…yeah…I remember," Sonic murmured randomly, not wanting to be rude to not reply at all.

"You do? Then what happened? I wasn't there at all." Shadow waited for a response. However, he got nothing but a 'thump.'

He almost jumped. But, when he switched his gaze to his companion, he wanted to laugh. There the blue hedgehog was, passed out on his bed. Since he was originally sitting on his knees, his body was twisted in an awkward position to sleep. But, somehow, he was still out cold. You could just tell from the light snores coming from his parted lips, taking in air and releasing the unnecessary carbon dioxide slower than usual.

Shadow just sat there and stared at his rival for a few seconds before standing up and walking over to him. Carefully slipping his arms under the unconscious hedgehog, he shuddered from the warmth and picked him up. He quietly padded towards his door and went out into the hallway, heading for the room next to his. He went inside Room 405 without a sound. However, before placing Sonic into his own bed, he paused. He knew he wouldn't get a chance like this anytime soon or, possibly, at all.

So, while still covered in the darkness and away from Knuckles's line of sight, he lightly stroked the cobalt quills and scratched softly at the fluffy place behind Sonic's ears. The midnight hedgehog smiled as he heard the other purr. Holding Sonic for just a few more seconds, he tore himself away from him and went over to set Sonic into his bed.

After pulling the sheets over him, Shadow looked at his sleeping counterpart one last time before leaving for his own room.

By the time he got back, the clock read 3:57 A.M. Black ears drooped, and Shadow scowled as he yawned. It was almost four. In the morning. True, it was stated that he didn't need as much sleep, but it was a luxury, too, when it comes to times that he wanted to relax. He could've had an extra two hours if the over-hyper hedgehog hadn't paid him a visit.

But…you know what? He couldn't complain.

He fell into a dreamless slumber, feeling happy in some kind of strange way.

Heyhey~~ I'm back! :D Anyway, I just wanted a chapter to finish off the night. As you can tell, it made Shadow really happy. ;3 I probably won't update again until a bit of time, since I still need to do a little research about the tours and museums and such. I forgot what I did when I went to Hokkaido, goddammit! D: