FOR YOUR HEART-BOOM

☆Ch38

"So, first of all, Sticks told me you attacked her. Why?" Sonic started the serious talk with such question, his gaze fully focused on the hedgehog in front of him while he rested his hands on the table and held them together with all his fingers interlocked. Shadow crossed his arms and sighed while averting his gaze from Sonic upon this uncomfortable question.
"I had a reason," he retorted, refusing to tell Sonic more. He just couldn't tell him, that Maria is actually kept in a stabilized condition, even though she has to be frozen, so her body wouldn't decay. Sonic raised an eyebrow and lifting one hand to Shadow's chin he forced him to make an eye contact with him again.
"What reason?" he asked seriously, definitely not fooling around and his tone expressed that well enough.
"Why does it matter?" Shadow hissed and moved his head away from Sonic's hand, again averting his gaze.
"Because Sticks is my friend, Shadow! And I don't wish my friends to be hurt for whatever reason!" Sonic growled at him this time, causing the hybrid look at him with unreadable expression on his face.
"Ugh, alright, fine! I discovered, that Robotnik is hiding.... Maria's body.. in a cave chamber, keeping her frozen and.. is trying to develop the cure for her desease. But I got disturbed by your precious friend and I couldn't allow her to see Maria in such state!" Shadow finally confessed before looking away again, unable to keep the eye contact for too long.

Sonic listened carefully and his eyes now softened, when he heard the hedgehog's response.
"O-Oh... I'm sorry, Shads, I didn't-"
"It's fine, I suppose," Shadow sighed, cutting the other off.
"Hm, but still, you can't be instantly so violent towards people. You know, you could have kindly asked her to leave," Sonic objected, trying to teach Shadow better manners.
"Tch, as if she would listen to me!" Shadow growled in response and glared at his companion.
"Trust me, I told her to leave, at least twice!" he added, justifying his actions from earlier.
"Violently?" Sonic raised a brow.
"Drop it, hedgehog! You know, how I am and I ain't change so easily," Shadow scoffed in response. Sonic released a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly. Dealing with this hedgehog was sometimes very difficult. He now wondered, how could he even be in love with him? There was still something alluring about the ebony hybrid, that attracted Sonic towards him. The hero couldn't help it.
"Shads, please- could you at least try? For me," he pleaded the hybrid.
"Try what?" Shadow now raised a brow at such request.
"Try to be more assertive and not to immediately attack people, when they do or say something you dislike," Sonic elaborated and outstretching his hand he grabbed Shadow's wrist and attempted to pull the one arm out of the crossed position, so he could hold Shadow's hand. Shadow hissed at him in response and at first struggled, but the hero was surprisingly stronger at the moment, so Shadow's arm ended up outstretched across the table and his hand got held by the other. Such kind of contact caused a little blush appear on his tan cheeks and he again averted his gaze, this time due to shyness taking over him.

"It's... hard, Sonic," Shadow admitted with a sigh as he lowered his ears.
"I was living alone for so long and when I first met you, I.. I felt jealous. Over you having friends and sort of family, which I myself lost because of the damn fate hating me so much," he let out the inner pain, that lives in his core for so long by now and it won't so easily go away. Especially, when he discovered Maria frozen in the capsule. The pain only grew bigger. Perhaps it would be really better if Maria is fully gone, he now believed.
"Oh, so... that's why you were attacking us?" Sonic asked in an understanding tone.
"Yes. I was angry, frustrated and mad. I.. kinda lost myself along with Maria and my creator," Shadow admitted with tears in his eyes. Sonic suddenly stood up and approaching Shadow he, without thinking, sat on Shadow's lap and wrapped his arms around him, embracing him for support and comfort.
"Shads, you don't have to be alone anymore. It's what I tried to explain to you so many times. You can have me, the others would eventually get used to you being around as well and who knows, maybe they can be your new family," Sonic whispered to the black ear of his companion, while feeling a pair of arms surround his torso due to Shadow hugging him back. A quiet sobs emitted from the hybrid in his embrace, which made his caring instincts kick in, thus the blue hero gently stroked Shadow's quills and let him cry into his chest.