Shadow could hardly explain why seeing another version of them... a version of them that was together... had shaken him up so badly. But his initial avoiding of the situation had shifted and turned into guilt.
Was he truly so pathetic that even the mere sight of being with Sonic was enough to make him run off?
"I know it was the wrong move," Shadow growled. His face dropped into his hands. "I know I said I would tell him. But we agreed it was too much of a risk. It..."
The hedgehog took the lavenders, breathing in the scent. He closed his eyes - trying to convince himself to move. To go back to Sonic and tell him.
They had already played this game once. He already knew how Sonic felt.
But maybe that was why Shadow was so resistant to the idea? It was easy for him to tell that if he asked, Sonic would agree before he could get the full sentence out. Shadow chose to ignore the part where he would do the same just as fast. Anything - even damning the world - to be able to hold Sonic against him once more.
A heavy sigh escaped as Shadow looked at the lavenders in his hands. In this gray world, the normally purple pop of the flowers stood out all the more.
He would damn the world to be with Sonic. But... the world was already damned. Just looking around was enough to prove that.
Shadow's ear twitched as he heard the blue hedgehog shifting around. The sound made his heart ache.
But he finally moved. Shadow got up and walked over to Sonic. Had he really been moping so long that Sonic felt it necessary to sit down?
The thought made him feel foolish for reacting that way. But watching Sonic's head lift and lock onto his. Their eyes meeting each other just in time for Shadow to see worry and sadness melt away from previously green irises into pure love.
It was hard for Shadow to not just scoop Sonic up and kiss him right there. The way Sonic looked at him made his chest feel warm - or maybe that was the Chaos Emerald?
"...Sonic..." He blushed as he came to a stop in front of the hedgehog. He paused, before holding one hand out to help Sonic back to his feet.
Sonic's purrs came unwillingly. But the blue hedgehog did not cut them short this time as he took Shadow's hand and stood up. Nor did he immediately drop the other's grip and back up. "Shadow, I-"
"No. Let me..." Shadow cleared his throat. "Let... Let me go first."
Sonic's mouth snapped shut, only able to give a small nod as he squeezed Shadow's hand.
Shadow's ears flattened as he looked around. "I. I know we tried being... together... previously and it didn't really work out. Unfortunate circumstances played into the situation, and it led to the world almost being destroyed. But even more than that, our relationship had caused you so much unnecessary pain during that time."
Sonic gave a small smile, the softest of laughs managing to escape. "Shadow."
"And I know we agreed that this wouldn't work. We couldn't risk the safety of the planet - or each other - for our own selfishness. But there was more to it than that."
"Shadow--"
"I know any pain I felt during those six months pale in comparison to what Eggman and that jackal put you through, but not being able to see you, not being able to hold you or even know where you were? It felt like I was losing Maria all over again, what if I had finally found where you were and you hated me? What if you had joined her?"
"Shad--"
"I know at the time I claimed it was to protect the planet but the truth was that I could not accept being the reason you had ended up in such harm especially by Eggman I hoped by putting distance between us not just the planet would be safer--"
"Sha--"
"--but you would be as well and that maybe with distance you would realize you were better off without someone who couldn't watch you back barely two weeks after we ha--mmph!"
Shadow's tirade was cut short as he felt lips shove against his. Sonic's hand had freed itself from his, both tan arms now snaking around Shadow's waist and hugging the other closer to him.
Too many things happened at once. Shadow felt like his chest was ready to explode. Warmth? Butterflies? The Emerald overloading? It was hard to say. What he did know was that he returned the kiss passionately, one arm wrapping around Sonic's shoulders while the other hand - lavenders now forgotten - cupped his cheek.
Just as fast as their lips had met, they had parted just the briefest amount, allowing the two to gaze at each other. No backpedaling, no panicking, just them.
Shadow moved Sonic's head forward, closing the distance once more as his second kiss grew more desperate. How much he had missed this, how much he had hated himself for thinking he could go without.
Sonic would pull away from the kiss again - resting their foreheads against each other. Purrs mingled together as they held each other close. "Can I talk now?" Sonic teased, that stupid smirk Shadow adored coming to his face.
"I- I..."
Sonic pecked the other's lips quickly. "I'm taking that as a yes. And you should already know the answer is yes. I hated having to act like we weren't together. Act like you weren't the most precious thing in my life. I'll fight Eggman and Infinite a thousand times over if it means I never have to be apart from you again."
Shadow felt tears slipping down his cheeks - barely noticing that Sonic had accompanying tears. He choked on a laugh, before hugging Sonic close to him. They shared another brief kiss, only Shadow refused to break it as he muttered, "I couldn't handle the idea of you moving on. Finding someone else..."
"There was no one else. There never was." Sonic's voice was little more than a whisper at this point.
Both gave up on talking, their purrs outgrowing anything they could say to each other. They kissed once more, neither one of them noticing - or maybe not caring - their tails had started wagging so fast they could generate their own wind current.