Eternal Guardian

:O This is the last chapter of this story. The end. No more, that's all...! Well, not really. Actually, there will be a sequel, seeing as how there's a lot of unanswered questions, and this story ends rather abruptly. Everything in these chapters pays tribute to the future ones to come. The overall story is long so my friend and I have decided to break it up like this instead of piling all the chapters into one. They branch off into their own problems though I assure you the master plot is still there. Look forward to that sequel (it will be called "Secrets Among Us"). However, I will not be uploading it to Adultfanfiction.net. I may upload it at fanfiction.net but it will definitely be at www.sonadow.com.


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When Sonic woke up in the morning, he was quite surprised to see he was still where he passed out, feeling just as comfortable as when he dozed off. It was a welcoming thought to see Shadow mustered enough tolerance in him to allow the blue hedgehog to sleep on top of him. He took his time moving, looking carefully to see if Shadow was awake yet. It took him a moment to blink the sleep out of his eyes and then register the stickiness that had formulated between the two.

Carefully, and not giving Shadow the time to come to his senses to push him off himself, he rolled over to lay next to the black hedgehog. He laid on his back and stared at the ceiling, recalling all that happened that night and remembering pleasurable details.

Meanwhile... an even more unlikely couple bickered outside the apartment, their voices echoing in the empty hallway. One, a tall human, was quite a bit skeptical about what they were doing, and brushed her fingers through short, sandy-blonde bangs in frustration. She wasn't about to leave the other behind, however. Rouge, the second of the two, moved a finger to her lips, smirking devilishly. "C'mon. I owe him. Besides, I can always exact my revenge if he throws a little tantrum."

Topaz found it highly likely for this 'little tantrum' to come into being, given the description of Rouge's mischief that one night. She grumbled a word of consent, and watched as the bat opened the door. They peered inside cautiously, and immediately Topaz found herself hurdled into the room first. She stumbled quietly on the carpet, glaring daggers at the overconfident Rouge, then absorbed her surroundings in silence.

Rouge relaxed one hand on her swinging hips, dangling the bag of groceries with the other as she strolled in, taking note of the red shoes by the entranceway, golden buckles gleaming. "My, my, my. Shadow's dropping his guard quite a bit." Topaz followed her gaze, eyes widening.

"Oh. That's... you were serious?" She covered her mouth to muffle a shocked laugh as the two made their way into the kitchen, leaving the front door ajar. If the human had any doubt before, there was her proof.

"Oh. Look." Rouge had opened the fridge, and was now gesturing to the lone take-out box. "Grouchy McHothead must've eaten something." She turned, grinning up at the other. "Should we even bother? I mean, it's not like he's starving, right?"

Topaz gave Rouge a flat look. "I didn't think we should have come at all." She leaned against the counter after making sure her pastel green tee was tucked into her jeans neatly. "I mean, breaking and entering without orders to do so is just.. "

"Oh, stop your whining. You're such a baby." That decided it for the well-tanned bat. She was cooking whether her accompanying party liked it or not.

She deposited the bags into the refrigerator, not bothering to unload them first, then started to snoop around Shadow's minuscule pantry and cabinet space, finally finding a familiar box. She gestured for Topaz to retrieve it, as it was up just a little too high, and when the untouched cookware set was placed on the counter top, she smirked, disguising her disappointment. "Does he even have dish soap? I bought this for him almost a year ago, and he hasn't even opened the thing!"

"You mean he bought it. You took his money and got it."

"Mm. Same difference." She tore into the box quickly, discarding foam and plastic onto the tile as Topaz collected it miserably behind her.

Shadow, oblivious to the guests, twitched a bit as Sonic's weight lifted from him, and he stayed in the dormant state for another moment or so. Suddenly, he shot up, eyes surveying the room.

He was late.

He had missed work twice since starting for GUN, but never had Shadow been late. They were going to be really suspicious now, and he didn't have the patience to sort things out with them. "Damn.." he grumbled angrily, hand moving to his forehead in thought, then... He noticed Sonic. His eyes widened dramatically as he stared at the other. What had he been thinking? Sonic could have gone through everything by now! He wasn't sure exactly what that covered, but it was still something that made him reasonably insecure.

But enough of that! He was late. He was so late it was unbelievable. Shadow's mental clock judged the light of the room and worked overtime until... "It's Saturday." He heaved a sigh, then went back to glaring at Sonic.

The blue hedgehog had sensed movement and spared a glance in Shadow's direction, opening one of his emerald eyes as he pondered the idea of sleeping in a little later. He was unaware of the guests in the other room and the floor was oddly comfortable.

He looked uninterested as the black hedgehog seemed worked up about something. He wondered briefly if it might have something to do with him but when he mumbled what today was, he ignored it and the hateful look he gave him. He simply brushed it off and turned his back to Shadow, too lazy to get up and lay down on the bed.

Shadow had half a mind to go into assault on the hedgehog beside him (ignoring Shadow like that? bold move), but pushed the thought away as he glanced back ahead. He realized that he hadn't even taken off his shoes last night, but that he was gloveless. He must have been more out-of-it than he recalled.

A hand moved absently to touch the matted fur on his belly, and he grimaced. 'This again?! Ugh.' Shadow was about tired of the mess involved here. He frowned pointedly, standing and giving Sonic a rather hard, 'accidental' nudge with his foot as he crawled onto the bed. It made him whine loudly, exaggerating his cry as if to be annoying in retaliation of the unnecessary push. Shadow ignored him and snatched his gloves off the table and dropped to the floor on the other side, stretching on his way to the door. Skimming his eyes over the white cloth, he made the decision that they were safe to wear a second time in a row. After all, he hadn't been up a full day, and he had removed them before.. well..

Pushing the thought from his mind, still a bit irked that Sonic had in all actuality spent the 'night' and spent it on top of Shadow (even though this was at his command for a good bit of the time), he opened the bedroom door, chancing a final look back at the blue hedgehog. His gun was still over there... somewhere... but he didn't feel like going to fetch it.

Sonic let his head peek around to see where he was going. He could guess, and supposed he should get up to take a shower soon as well, if that's where the hedgehog was heading. If that was the case, then he'd give him plenty of time to take one first while he slept in a little later.

He managed to pull himself up this time and climb onto the bed, uncaring about whatever mess he might make from his dirtied fur. He laid his head back down with a content sigh, making himself right at home. Who would have thought he'd be having sleepovers with Shadow?

Said hedgehog snorted, turning back to the hallway as he slid the door shut behind him. He didn't spare the living room a glance, instead keeping his gaze low as he entered the bathroom. He observed his reflection in the mirror, growling darkly at the white stain on his sleek black fur. His crimson eyes narrowed, and he turned to the shower, running the water at a cool temperature. It didn't take long to warm up enough, and after removing his shoes and depositing them by the door, he stepped into the stream of water.

Last night's events kept popping back into his memory, and no matter how hard Shadow wanted to forget about falling for Sonic's seductive nature, it kept grabbing his attention. He violently tugged at the semen pasted to his coat, just as desperate to get it off of him as he was to get those thoughts out of his head. Sonic made him weak, and that wasn't something he was so willing to forgive. It only fueled his need to prove himself more powerful to the hedgehog.

At the click of the bedroom door starting with Shadow's departure into the bathroom, both girls froze, holding their breath. Topaz looked over at Rouge, absolutely mortified. This was not what she wanted to be doing. Shadow got pretty angry at times. Rouge, however, simply bit her lip and listened closely, waiting for that bathroom door to shut.

When they could hear it clack against the door frame, Topaz stole a wide-eyed glance at the dining room table, which was as far as her vision carried into the living area, and the bat smirked, confidence returning to her features. She twirled the biggest skillet between her hands. "So.. I guess we heat it to sanitize?" Receiving a shrug in reply, Rouge continued. "And I suppose we use the whole package. There are four of us, after all. You're on a diet, though, so Sonic and Shadow can split your share of the bacon."

Topaz was still too afraid of being caught to say anything, but she did offer up an angry scowl.

Between constant, hushed arguments, Rouge and Topaz finally got the skillet heated to a high enough temperature to satisfy their sanitation requirement. Topaz started to cut large chunks out of a melon into a disposable bowl, using the cutlery the bat pointed out to her, surprisingly enough, most of it was out of its original package. Rouge cooled the pan enough to throw in the bacon, and was busy cracking eggs and smartassed remarks.

Shadow finished his shower quickly, not wanting to stay in long. He shouldn't have left the Master Emerald for so long, and a guilty pain tugged at his insides. Was he really any more trustworthy than Rouge? It made him feel very wretched - after all that had happened, he was abandoning the post he defended so easily the night before, and for what?

His eyes narrowed as the smell of an unfamiliar food hit his senses. Was Sonic really trying to cook in his kitchen? He imagined disastrous results, and darted out the bathroom, barely drying himself in the process. The smell made his stomach rumble, but his mind tried to stay focused on getting Sonic out of his kitchen. He had no right to be in there!

Hearing whispering voices coming from the other room, Shadow came to an abrupt halt near the couch, furrowing his brow suspiciously. He held his breath and listened intently, immediately recognizing them. He took in the whole situation - front door open, Sonic's shoes on the floor, and three very discomforting guests - and glanced back at the bedroom door. This was not going to be pretty, no matter how Shadow looked at it.

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, the striped hedgehog stepped into the doorway before him, dangling the damp towel in his hand while glaring at his unwanted visitors. "Rouge." He said her name bitterly, not forgetting so easily the last time they were together.

She turned to face him, the typical knowing smirk on her face. "Well, hello! I'm surprised you're up so early! It's not even noon, and it seems you've had... quite the evening, to say the least." By the strong, almost floral smell in the apartment when she arrived, and the look Shadow threw at her angrily, the shower had been well used as of late. Topaz leaned against the counter, pausing her actions momentarily as she stared guiltily down at the melon rind. Taking note that her coworker was getting a little uneasy, Rouge finished with, "Have a seat."

This helped nothing. "Take a seat?! This is MY home!" Of course he could take a seat if he wanted! That woman hardly needed to invite him to do so!

The bedroom door shut noisily, catching the three's attention. The loudness, Sonic mentally regretted as his hearing adjusted; still looking and feeling half asleep. "Oi, Shadow!" Came the other's obnoxious cry, quite evident from the kitchen as he headed toward the bathroom. He expected him to still be present in the shower but hoped he'd be out by now. "You out yet?" Seeing the door open, the blue hedgehog grinned to himself, glad to see that he was. Without having to wait for a response from wherever he went inside the apartment, Sonic went in, slamming the door back behind him without another word.

Shadow stiffened at these noisy vocalizations, turning back and sighing miserably as the girls snickered in front of him. This was not his day so far, and he feared things could only get worse.

Rouge flashed a look that made a growl escape his throat. "So sit down, already." Both females returned to their kitchen duty, keeping their back to Shadow, and the disgruntled hedgehog stormed back into his room, slamming the door even louder than Sonic had.

His fists curled tightly against his palm and he bared his teeth to no one in particular as he started to tremble with rage. That bat had a lot of nerve showing up here, then pretending nothing had happened at all. He could imagine exactly how the meal would go, should he choose to participate. She was too predictable. And Topaz? Well, the presence of a close friend would only double her efforts to entertain herself. Shadow was well oriented with this sort of arrangement.

Throwing the towel against the wall on the other side of the room, he violently jerked open the drawers to his dresser, finding what he needed and putting them on. He walked back into the living room tensely, as if concentrating very hard to make the world explode around him, and dropped onto the sofa, folding his arms over his chest. His lids drooped almost boredly, and he stared at the wall, avoiding eye contact from anyone that might come into the room.

Rouge stepped back and looked at her work, finally done cooking and arranging the eggs and bacon. Topaz didn't take much longer, considering she had been in charge of the simpler tasks, and she was the first to scoop up a couple of the dishes to take to the apparently poorly used dining room table. She placed them in the center of the small, rectangular table, relieved that he at least owned four chairs, and stole a glance at the sulking Shadow.

Rouge wasn't far behind, setting the toast and bacon next to the eggs and fruit salad, and she placed her hands on her hips as Topaz sneaked back into the kitchen to retrieve their drinks and utensils. The bat gave Shadow a good look over before speaking smoothly. "You know, you almost look unhappy sitting there like that. Why don't you just try to get along with everyone? It'll make you feel better."

Shadow scoffed, continuing to stare pointedly at the increasingly interesting wall. She had no idea. There was only so far you could go in 'trying to get along.'

"Shadow!" Another cry that made the hedgehog tense as Sonic opened the bathroom door and stepped out, heading toward the living room in hopes of finding the grumpy animal. "Oi, Shadow, do you know where anymore towe--Eh." Blue stopped in his tracks and blinked dumbly at the guests he apparently had no clue about. He immediately noted the awkward tension but wasn't sure what to do about it but stand there (soaking wet) and look dumbfounded.

Shadow looked up automatically to see Sonic step into the room. 'Perfect. Just perfect.' He sighed agitatedly and turned his focus back away from the group.

"Well, hello." Rouge smiled over at the soaked hedgehog with the most genuine expression she could muster. A smirk peeked through, nevertheless. Topaz stepped back into the room, setting the silverware, juice, and milk on the wooden table, then glanced to the three, taking in the tension from the air.

"Um. Sonic." She nodded to him in a light greeting, acknowledgment that he was present and accounted for.

"Alright, come on. Breakfast is served." Rouge turned to face the human, nodding her head in the direction of the kitchen. "Can you grab those extra plates?" When the other nodded and exited the room once again, Rouge leaned back up, adjusting her posture. "Which gentleman wants to pull out a chair for the lady?" Her smile curled into an obvious smirk at this point.

Sonic wasn't sure what to make of this. He didn't know that they were uninvited but couldn't imagine Shadow letting them in. At the thought, he gave Rouge a flustered look, certain she had something to do with this. Not saying anything to them or acknowledging Topaz's greeting, Sonic moved over to Shadow who he found resting irritably on the couch. He zipped over in a flash, stopping near the arm rest to look down at his head. "Hey!" He grunted in a hushed tone, "What are they doing here?" He eyed the others in question, wondering briefly if he should leave. Considering the smell of breakfast, he supposed he could delay that morning run a little longer...

Upon his intrusion of Shadow's space, the black hedgehog had shot an icy glare at him, then resumed his look of boredom, peeling his gaze away. Shadow's shoulders shrugged just a little as he heaved a sigh, knowing just how far he was from having an empty apartment.

It was at this time Rouge uttered her last remark, drawing Sonic's attention away from Shadow. He was tempted to pretend such a stunt only to pull a chair out from under her. That was a good idea but in the end he decided against it. "Teh, since when were you one of those?" Sonic grinned.

A twitch of anger crossed her features, and she narrowed her eyes, lips still curved in arrogance. Well, maybe she had run into a little rocky behavior after all. "Oh, come, now." Rouge waved a hand out to her side, closing her eyes as if in thought. "If all your ladies are like Mister Grinch over there," Shadow's ears twitched and his expression darkened considerably, tension setting into his muscles, "I don't think you're a well qualified judge of that, mm Topaz?" She turned back to her coworker the second she reentered the room.

Topaz blinked stupidly at the bat, then to the blue hedgehog. She really didn't want to get caught up in this. "Well.. eh.."

"Enough of this." Shadow stood, placing a hand firmly on Sonic's chest to move him out of the way as he took a couple of steps, staring straight ahead. "Let's get this over with and get everyone out of my apartment." He turned his head slowly and determinedly to make eye contact with the faker, crimson orbs sparking dangerously. "There's a yellow towel in my bedroom. It's a little damp, but you'll just have to make do. And you..." He wheeled on Rouge, glowering even more viciously. "Sit down and shut the hell up." He dropped his hand to his side and started towards the dining area.

Sonic allowed the other room to step past, knowing Shadow's newfound popularity amidst unwanted company couldn't have set him in a very good mood. He looked sheepishly at him but saluted mockingly when Shadow turned his attention to Rouge. Without waiting around, the speedy demon streaked back into the bedroom to find the towel. He used it to ruffle it through his fur and finish drying his coat before using it to race through the hall and clean up the wetness he left in a trail from the bathroom. In a matter of a nanosecond he had it accomplished and the towel dumped in a hamper in the bathroom before he arrived back in the living room with the others. Ah, he felt much better now.

Shadow ignored Sonic's return as he seated himself. He couldn't say that he was particularly happy to be in such company, but he was secretly relieved that he was in for a second meal in a row. Usually, though, they didn't come free. He'd give it five seconds once he was settled in and had a plate before him.

Rouge obeyed the first portion of Shadow's order, sitting perhaps a bit more delicately than she had to, making a show of adjusting herself and getting close to the table, and giving a little bounce to her supple chest. She half-pursed her lips, shooting a glance to the ebony hedgehog to catch his response. When he wasn't even giving her the time of day, she sighed loudly. "Mou.. I guess I should start rationing this stuff out, hm?"

She grabbed one of the plates Topaz had brought in, dumping a bit of everything onto it and sliding it over in front of Shadow, suspect grin slinking onto her tan muzzle. "It's not what you're used to, so you might be in for a surprise." She had made quite an effort to keep Shadow in the dark about anything that was any sort of a luxury, with the exception of a few things she'd got him to use around the home.

Shadow was well aware of how much he'd been denied real food, considering the Chinese fare he had recently. He started his countdown.

He hadn't even gotten to four when she piped back up. "It was about fifty dollars for everything."

Yep. Shadow sighed and stood up, turning towards his room. He knew it was coming. She did it every time, and he usually had his wallet handy. This time, however, she'd caught him ill-prepared. "Whatever."

An eyebrow arched as Sonic watched the two's interaction. He thought she was joking and didn't think the hedgehog was taking her serious but something told him otherwise. A hand rose to rest on his hip as he thought back to the awkward response Shadow had at the restaurant paying with a hundred. He watched Shadow head towards his bedroom to grab his wallet before the hand on his waist reached out and stopped him. "Hey, you're not really going to pay her fifty bucks, are ya?" He eyed him and then looked at the manipulative bat. Although he understood the humor in letting Shadow throw away his money, he wasn't exactly fond of Rouge after her last stunt; so he wasn't so keen on letting the other humiliate himself like this for her benefit.

Shadow paused, glancing down at the other's hand. His gaze followed up the arm, slight hesitance on his face. He caught the skeptical green and quickly tore his eyes away. "I usually do. I can't expect her to pay for my meals." He knew by now that he was paying more than his fair share, especially after last night, but he was wanting to get all this over with without a big fuss, as usual. Already he was stressed out solely by the fact that they were in his living room.

Topaz had begun to seat herself in the tiny chair when she froze, swallowing nervously as she glanced to the bat, then the blue hedgehog.

Rouge bit her lip, glaring Sonic over warningly. She let him make his smart little remarks.. but this was taking it way too far. Standing in the way of her cash? He had better know when to shut up and back off. It wasn't his decision to make. If Shadow chose to reimburse her, well, who was she to deny it after all?

Sonic thought he felt Rouge's eyes on him but he ignored her in favor of the other. He looked uncertainly at him, finding it hard to believe the hedgehog was this clueless about the price range of products so simple as food. He didn't really know what background he had and experience though.

"Then give her fifteen at most." Definitely not fifty. He wasn't sure if Shadow had an idea of just how much money that is - obviously not considering the observation at that restaurant last night. The guy was loaded, more than he imagined if the bat had been taking advantage of him all this time. He wished he had that much money to blow.

Shadow scoffed, peeking at Rouge out of the corner of his eye. "Fifteen? Somehow I find that a strangely small number." He doubted Sonic was quoting the price out of spite for the bat, although he was highly likely to mouth off at times. No, he wasn't sure how to respond, but one option was letting her go empty-handed. Ah.. he was being horribly enticed by the savory smell of fried meat on the air, though.

She narrowed her eyes at them, clenching a fist under the table. "You're just going to trust him because he's your butt buddy?" He was really getting to be a threat. She was so close to getting the Emerald yesterday when he interfered, and now this?

"Actually, your fraction of the cost would be closer to six dollars."

Shadow and Rouge gaped at Topaz, who immediately looked embarrassed. She felt very stupid for saying anything like that at all, as comprehension set in. The results of her actions were sure to be ugly, and she was filled with uneasy regret as she damned her automatic need to process numbers.

A cocky grin formed over Sonic's mouth, one aimed towards Rouge, and then Shadow, indicating he was clearly correct on the matter. Well, not at the precise cost, but he was a heck of a lot closer than the bat.

He had moved his arm out of the way at this point as both his limbs rose to cross comfortably over his chest instead. "Well, either Rouge is a dimwit when it comes to numbers, or I think that maybe she just might have lied to you. Hm." Sonic acted as though he was pondering the choices before eying the other hedgehog for a conclusion.

Shadow glared at a now sheepish-looking Rouge. He couldn't believe the kind of idiot she had taken him for. His lip twitched, flashing for a second his sharp canines as he turned completely to face her. "Get out." He didn't want her there to begin with, and to use him as a source of profit was more than he could cope with right now.

"Look, there are certain travel expenses associated with bringing you meals, and you of all people should--"

"Get. Out." He took a threatening step towards the girls. He'd give them one minute to scramble out of there before he started tossing people over his balcony.

Sonic looked smug and amused by Rouge's rare sheepish nature while strangely attracted towards Shadow's hostility. It was nice to see it directed at someone else for a change.

Tired of standing in one spot, and listening to his stomach rumbling, he zipped over in the blink of an eye, taking the plate that had been offered to Shadow. He leaned against the counter, hovering his fingers over what to snag first to feed the craving hunger his belly was moaning about. His eyes roamed over the goods, unsure what to try first.

"You tell 'em Shadow!" He uttered absentmindedly, certain that the other wouldn't want him to leave too.

This caught Shadow's attention, and he growled darkly, narrowing his eyes at the whole group. He would tend to the faker in a moment.

Rouge hesitated before finally placing both hands on the table as she stood, sliding the chair back with the back of her thighs. "This is stupid, Shadow. You're making a big mistake! What will you do without me? You don't know how to live like a normal--"

"I DON'T CARE! Leave!" He now stood opposite the table from her, fuming. He bared his teeth easily, daring her to push him again. They stared one another down, getting close to ripping one another apart, before Topaz stepped in, scooping her hands just below Rouge's wings and nudging her in the direction of the door.

Rouge gave in, settling for some nasty looks, especially at Sonic. It was his fault this was happening. The human turned to the others, standing upright as she let go of Rouge and smiled apologetically, looking quite nervous. "Don't worry about it, the food's on me. Just make sure you're at work Monday, Shadow. I won't cover you a second time."

Sonic didn't care to make his meal into finger food as he popped a treat into his mouth, only looking up when Shadow snapped at the bat. From there, he watched them head out, giving a little wave with his free hand when she cursed him with a couple of nasty looks. He didn't seem to mind and casually went back to eating as Topaz saw the two out and said her goodbye.

Rouge glared back one last time as the door shut behind them, thanks to Topaz, and immediately the two could be heard breaking out into a vicious dispute in the hallway as they left.

Shadow continued to watch the back of the door for a moment. Finally, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, preparing himself. He spun on his heel, lowering his head as his gaze re-darkened. "As for you..."

His beige muzzle twitched as his lips curled into a scowl. He spoke quieter than before, but the rage was very apparent by the shuddering tone and quality of his voice. "Why are you even pretending to be my friend?" The ebony hedgehog sounded sincerely insulted by Sonic's behavior around him. What was he? A kid? "I don't need you to look out for me. I can handle myself fine, thank you." He needed no one, and Sonic had gotten too close for comfort over the past little while. He was wasting his time with these people, when he had better things to do. More important things.

He growled before his anger got the better of his tone, "I don't have time to deal with this! Get out!" Best to have Sonic go the same as Rouge.

Blue's ears perked forward as he stared and blinked dumbly in mid-chew. He appeared oblivious to any anger that could be relating to him; he just helped him out here after all. What did Shadow have to be mad at him for? It seems the grumpy guy always had a reason to bark at him.

Swallowing, he casually put down his plate on the counter, and eyed Shadow in consideration. "You're right. I'm definitely not your friend." An arm went behind his head as his eyelids lowered, a sultry look happening with little effort. "I'm so much more." He ignored his orders while amusing himself, arm slipping back down casually.

Color etched across Shadow's muzzle in reaction, but it wasn't a tint of pleasure or embarrassment. He was pretty frustrated with the mess he had to put up with. Didn't Sonic understand that Shadow was pissed off? And more than that? "You're nothing at all! Now leave!" 'Take a hint,' was the next thing that popped into his head, but he kept it to himself as a vague, unidentifiable twinge struck him. He wanted his final word to be a command for the other to take his leave. Shadow absently clenched and unclenched his fists as he wondered whether he should try and get the message across with a good blow to the head or if Sonic was smart enough to follow Rouge's example.

That wouldn't be necessary. The blue hedgehog looked briefly undecided as to how he should react to that. He knew Shadow was pissed off but the statement bothered him more than he expected it to. An eyebrow arched as he absorbed it and took it in; fallen arm rose for his hand to rest on his hip. Suddenly he lost his appetite.

"Nothing at all?" He huffed, wondering if he should point out the flaws with Shadow's remark, and cursed the fact he said it at all. Not that he was being particularly touchy about it; he wasn't sure what he was to the black hedgehog at this point but he wished by this time Shadow would give him a little more insight. Somehow he doubted what he just said was it despite the fact it had riled Sonic up to a reasonable degree.

Another tense second later and Sonic simply shrugged his shoulder, probably surprising him by giving him what he wanted.

He had retrieved his shoes and sped past him towards the balcony to open the door and jump off; a fluid motion done in record time that made it seem more as though a ghost had passed through, leaving a dying blue blur in the air.

Shadow dropped the bitter expression after the other turned his back to him, recognizing disappointment in Sonic and feeling that internal stinging a second time. He watched him leave, outstretching only his fingers to stop the hedgehog. He didn't realize just how harshly effective his choice of words would have been, but after a beat, the determined expression was back on his face. Sonic deserved what he got; Shadow was a busy person.

It was time things started to go back to the way they were.