An Elemental Secret

Chapter 15

Morning finally came; Shadow was the first to get up, soon followed by Knuckles, them both usually being early risers anyway. They sat in the kitchen, an awkward silence filling the room.

Shadow took a sip of coffee, it burning his throat on the way down, but he didn’t seem to mind. Knuckles stared at the table, not really being a coffee drinker.

“So….” Shadow’s eyes glanced disdainfully at Knuckles while he spoke. Knuckles regretted that word, but he couldn’t just stop talking now that he got the other’s attention. “Um….” He finally sighed. “Look, I’m sorry for getting into your personal business a couple days ago. I told Rouge that I’d try to help you, but I guess I went too far….”

“Is that why you’re so nervous?” Shadow raised an eyebrow. “I thought that it had already passed.”

“You can… never really tell when it comes to you.” Knuckles replied.

Shadow glared at him for a second before rolling his eyes. “Whatever, I already know how your socializing skills are, so it’s understandable.”

“My socializing skills aren’t that bad!” Knuckles quickly defended. “Besides, look who’s talking.”

Again, Shadow rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m aware of my own skills when it comes to socializing, you don’t have to point it out.”

Knuckles huffed, deciding that it was better to sit outside than be in a room with Shadow. Shadow didn’t mind it one bit, taking another sip of his coffee.

“Hey, Shads.” Sonic yawned as he walked in.

“I figured you’d be the last to get up.” Shadow said, not even glancing in the other’s direction.

“Usually I am.” Sonic laughed. “Guess the others were too tired for their own good, eh?”

Sonic sat down, stretching. Shadow glanced at him before quickly looking back at his mug, taking another slow sip.

“Guess that gives us time to talk, hm?” Sonic smiled.

“Talk about what, hedgehog?”

“Come on, Shads; I’m serious here.”

“I am too.”

Sonic pouted. “I just want to talk about what happened yesterday.”

“Nothing happened yesterday.” Shadow then promptly finished his coffee and stood up.

“Shadow, you can’t just pretend it never happened!”

“I can if I want to. I don’t know when you’ll get this through your head, but you can’t control my mind, hedgehog.”

“I’m not trying to-”

“This conversation is over.” Shadow’s voice remained calm throughout the entire conversation, but on the inside, he was frantically trying to piece together his mind. Sure, Sonic doesn’t control his mind; his heart, on the other hand….

He left before he could make a mistake.

‘This is something that you’ll just have to try….’

‘Yeah, well I’ve already tried it out in my head, and it’ll never work out.’

Shadow stomped into the forest, leaving a confused Knuckles to walk inside and find Sonic staring off into space.

“What was that about?”

“Um, nothing.” Sonic smiled nervously to his friend.

“Sonic, I’m tired of you lying to me.” Knuckles crossed his arms, a glare fixated on the blue blur. “I’m not letting you leave here until you tell me why Shadow stormed off into the woods.”