The bar did turn out to be pretty good, at least from what Shadow could see.
Situated in a re-purposed mill with exposed brick and furnished with warm, cherry oak counters, the space was intimate and inviting and at complete odds with what Shadow had been expecting. In all honesty, Sonic seemed like the type to frequent loud sports bars where cheap beer was number one on the menu. With that thought in mind, Shadow had accompanied the blue hedgehog with the plan to spend no more than a few minutes there choking down whatever vile swill Sonic felt indebted to offer him before making a swift and efficient exit.
But walking into this, surrounded with the susurration of private conversations, the light clinking of glass against glass, and a melody playing so softly in the background that he didn't register it at first, he couldn't help thinking that perhaps a few drinks wouldn't hurt. His bed could wait.
He followed Sonic farther in as the hedgehog lead him to a booth tucked into a nook in the back corner, far away from everyone else. They slid in together on either side of the table and almost immediately a waitress was at their side, silent but patient.
"Two gin and tonics," Sonic said, eyes trained on Shadow for affirmation, and Shadow couldn't help smiling, a quick uptick at the corner of his mouth.
"Right away," the waitress nodded and was off, leaving the two hedgehogs alone once more.
"Shadow, huh?" Sonic said, rolling the other's name around on his tongue as if testing its texture. "Have we met before?"
"Is that supposed to be a line?" Shadow murmured and Sonic chuckled, a warm and throaty laugh that resonated in Shadow's chest.
"Not at the moment, no," he said. "It's just- I've been in this neighborhood for a while and I thought I knew everyone. Or at least what everyone looked like."
"I'm a new addition," Shadow said and Sonic hummed.
"I figured you must be. I can't believe Manic never mentioned you before."
At Shadow's questioning look, Sonic flashed a quick smile. "Manic's my little brother," he explained and Shadow blinked. Well that explained their familiarity and similar mannerisms. "I knew he had been taking dance classes but he never said you were the instructor. The first time I heard about you was through Fiona." At this Sonic winced and glanced down at his hands, thumbs twirling idly, before glancing up at Shadow again. "I really am sorry about that by the way."
"It's fine, don't worry yourself over it," Shadow said, surprising himself with his own sincerity. The hedgehog in front of him was just so genuine in his regret, it was throwing him off his guard. After only a few minutes with the other, Shadow found himself mentally rewriting all of the conclusions he had drawn about him upon their first meeting. Vanilla was right: Sonic was a nice guy. And the situation with Fiona had really shaken him.
"I can't believe she would lie like that," he said after the waitress had left them with their drinks. He took a sip and then cradled the glass between his hands, running his fingers along its sides to collect the budding condensation. Shadow just watched. There was nothing he could say - he knew nothing about the fox and, therefore, couldn't testify to her character - and after a moment Sonic looked up at him. "Manic said he wasn't there to see the actual incident, but he had been watching you and Fiona in class and knew it couldn't have gone down the way she described it. He even bet money that the other class members would be happy to vouch...Would you mind telling me what really happened?" he asked.
Shadow told him.
Sonic didn't interrupt him once and remained silent for a while after. Shadow left him to his thoughts, sipping on his own drink while he waited, then Sonic finally broke the silence.
"She didn't know you were gay, huh?" he said, a sardonic smile playing on his lips, and Shadow shook his head. "How did Manic know?" he asked after a moment, and Shadow blinked. He hadn't expected the conversation to turn this way.
"I don't hide it," he said and Sonic nodded his head impatiently.
"Yes but how did he know? It definitely wasn't obvious to me. So what happened? Did you talk to him about it? Or did he see you with your boyfriend after class?" At this Shadow bristled.
"I don't have a boyfriend," he started, "and there's no way I would talk to-"
"Really?" Sonic interrupted and Shadow's eyebrows furrowed. There was something different about Sonic's gaze now. When they had been talking before it had seemed sincere and attentive, but now there was an intent to it, an alertness. "You don't have a boyfriend?"
"Why would I lie about that, hedgehog?" Shadow growled.
"Not even a potential one? There must be someone drooling after you, I bet they come to you in droves-"
Shadow calmly placed both hands flat against the table and stood up.
"Wait, where are you going?" Sonic said, half up out of his seat as well and Shadow glared at him.
"If you're just going to make jokes at my expense-" he snarled but Sonic's hand shot out, wrapping around Shadow's and stopping him from walking out.
"I'm not joking!" Sonic said and, when Shadow tried to pull out of his grip, he quickly continued. "I'm sorry, I was honestly just curious. Please, sit down. Let's keep talking."
Shadow scrutinized him for a moment and Sonic spoke up again. "I'll buy you another drink," he said as an extra incentive and Shadow looked back at the exit then turned to Sonic and sighed through his nose, slowly sliding back into the booth. Sonic grinned at him, a dazzling thing, and Shadow looked away from him, choosing to focus on the table instead until Sonic sat down across from him, their knees bumping against each other.
"What drink do you want?" Sonic asked.
Shadow took one look at the hedgehog across from him, fingers still brushing against his, and swallowed.
"Whiskey, neat," he said.