Thinking about

{ Shadow opened his mouth immediately to protest what Sonic was saying, but then he shut it again. Why were they doing this? This was such a pointless argument and he knew no matter what he said, Sonic would still try to convince him of something that Shadow could never bring himself to believe. They would run in circles.

He fell silent at the aggressive look that the blue hedgehog gave him, pinning his ears back himself, but not directed at Sonic. Instead, it resulted from frustration at himself. It would just be fitting if he lost whatever remained of Sonic, too… After all, he’d hurt him. He knew he did, even if he didn’t know the extent of it. }

… Are you going to leave?

{ His previous protests were louder, but this question was almost imperceptibly soft. }

No. I'm gonna sit 'round 'n' watch you sleep.

-Sonic was just about done here, he couldn't care less for Shadow's soft question or the way his ears pinned back meekly. That made no difference. He was still difficult and infuriating and nothing like the hedgehog he once knew. And now Sonic almost felt foolish for using him as his inspiration to help people because Shadow didn't really want to help anyone by the looks of things, he just wanted that darn job and to sit around and feel sorry for himself for one mistake.

Ugh... He couldn't handle this anymore. He couldn't look after him. What was the point in Sonic even trying? Shadow threw everything back at him, every attempt he made, every piece of advice he gave him, none of it matter, Shadow only wanted him around for love but what was the point when Sonic knew Shadow even beat himself up for the fact that Sonic had kissed other people in the years he was away.-

Yeah. I'm goin' out. I'll be back later though.

-He turned to walk out, slamming the door behind himself.

Screw this.-

But that’s different, Sonic… Firstly, that wasn’t even your fault, and secondly, you weren’t right there when it happened; there was nothing you could have done. I was. I was standing there and I just got swallowed up instead…

They taught me dedication, yes. But… I…

{ Suddenly, Shadow’s throat constricted. He was just about to admit to something he hadn’t talked about at all with Sonic yet, and it felt like swallowing cyanide. The agony of admittance made him fall silent, and his lips just opened and closed like a fish’s. }

… I’d rather not focus on this. I want to rest. Please.

It was my fault! If I hadn't gone up there then none of this woulda happened! And I was right there, man, the whole thing happened 'cause I made a stupid comment and let myself get caught instead of doin' what I shoulda done!

There's no buts, Shadow! You need to move past this instead of bein' stuck like this 'n' I'm offerin' you ways to but you keep pushing them back in my face!

-And as Shadow fell silent Sonic did too, his shoulders relaxing as he finally sighed, his ears pinning back. Shadow was just so difficult and Sonic didn't know how much more of it he could take.-

... Fine. Whatever. Go 'n' rest.

… I tried to help before. I ended up getting my whole team killed.

And before you insist we don’t know what happened to them, it should be plainly obvious.

I’m in no state to help anyone right now, Sonic. I can barely manage the energy to leave this house. Even when I had energy in my body, I still wasn’t adequate enough to protect them. How could you expect me to get anywhere like this?

Yeah, and I got a million people killed by falling for the trap that broke the whole world into pieces and that includes your team! All that is under my name, Shadow, but look what I still did! I still put the world back together and saved millions more people!

Didn't they teach you that you can't save everyone and you shouldn't let that fact stop you from trying to save as many as you can?

wayfinder

♥

#☾

… Originally, I might’ve replied it was a goal I’d been reaching for since I was a child.

But in reality, I think the only reason I hold onto it with a vice grip now is because it brought me to you. Twice. Even if the second time hadn’t been under wonderful circumstances…

I’m a fool and it’s a pointless pursuit, but what else do I have?

You have talent! And you have abilities! And if you really wanna help people then why don't you just go and do it?

There's a million and one other jobs that'll have you helping people 'n' heck, who says you even need a job to do it? But yet when I said I found you one 'n' offered it to you, you turned it down.

I'm not sayin' don't try for that one again if you really want it, 'n' I know it means a lot to you 'cause of what it did for us, but you gotta let it sink in that you don't need that job to help people. Heck, you didn't have it when we were kids 'n' you still pulled me outta the road.