You& me, and our mate

ch 4; a surprise visit

It's the next day after the date on the lake.
Knuckles drives home to Shadow as a surprise visit.
The main reason he came, is 'Cause he wants to give Shadow a gift.
Like, painkillers, a soft fleece blanket and chocolates.
He wanted to give Shadow these, in case he still has cramps.
Not like chocolate would help to reduce the pain... It's just a gift to make him happy. Same goes with the blanket.
Except the painkillers for the cramps, there is also a heating pad.
The heating pad looks like a small, white pillow filled with wheat.
You are supposed to microwave the heating pad around two minutes, and then you can place the pillow on the stomach. And the heat will reduce the pain.

The echidna turns the motor off, and walks out from the car, where he takes out a box with those things.
Then he walks toward the door to the beige house.
He knocks the white door.
Soon he could see someone approaching the door, through the small window.
It looks like Mephiles.
The hedgehog grunts when he peeks out through the window.
The door unlocked, and Mephiles opens the door.
"Why are you here?-... I can't remember you and Shadow have set a date today..." he asks a slightly unfriendly.
Knuckles smiles a bit nervously.
"I know-... I only wanted to surprise him, and apologize to you..." he shrugs.

Mephiles raises an eyebrow.
"Why?-..."
Knuckles inhales deeply.
"I'm sorry I was doubting you... You know-... At the store... Where I didn't wanted to believe you and Shadow were sharing a phone..." he explains.
"Oh-..."
The exhidna clears the throat.
"... And I would like hanging out with you and Shadow at the same time, so-..."
Mephiles shakes the head.
"Sorry-... But that's not possible..." he interrupts him.
Knuckles flinches, and grunts confused.
"Sorry?-... Why not?"
Mephiles shrugs.
"We just can't-... Only one of us can be around..."
Knuckles blinks confused, and can't understand what Mephiles tries telling him.
"O-okay?-... Is-..." he clears the throat, and shifted a little how he holds the box.
"Is Shadow home?"
Mephiles shakes the head.
"He isn't around... What do you want?"
Knuckles shrugs.
"I have a few things for him-... He said he had cramps yesterday... So, I have bought a few things for that..." he explains, and looks down in the box.
Then he looks up at Mephiles.
"Maybe you can give him them?-... -When he gets back home?" He suggests and hands the box over to Mephiles who grabbed it.
"Okay?-..." Mephiles says, and glances down in the box where he brights up of seeing the chocolate.
"Oh, chocolate~" he purrs happily.
Knuckles rubs the hand on the backhead while clearing the throat.
"You can take some of the chocolate if you want... But don't forget to share with Shadow... And maybe say hi from me?..." he blushes, and must admit for himself, Mephiles was kinda cute.

Mephiles nods smiling.
"Thanks-... And if you want, we can maybe hang out sometime?" He suggests and looks up at Knuckles.
Knuckles' heart pounds faster.
He nods.
"Of course-... Maybe...-Tomorrow?"
Mephiles sighs.
"Sorry... But I can't..." he shakes the head.
Knuckles tilts the head.
"Why not?"
Mephiles exhales in disappointment.
"I can only on odd-numbered dates... Therefore I can never celebrate valentine's day, or fun events who are on even dates..."
The chilly wind passed by, and made Knuckles to shudder.
"... That's weird... But okay, how about the day after tomorrow?"
Mephiles nods, where he seems kinda excited.
"That work-s..." he starts saying until he flinches gasping.
Mephiles looks away, and made Knuckles confused.
The hedgehog grunts.
"... Or something..." he mumbles blushing.

There is a short moment of silence, then Knuckles breaks the silence by chuckling.
Mephiles glances curiously at him.
"What?-..." he mutters.
The echidna shrugs.
"Nothing-... But perfect, then the day after tomorrow is set... Have a good day, and don't forget to give Shadow the gift... Maybe you can let him use the phone a little today, so he can call me?" Knuckles says, and turns around where he waves goodbye while walking toward the car.
Mephiles stares confused at him.
"Uhm-..." he only managed to let's out.
Knuckles smiles, and turns around, and walks back to the Impala.
Mephiles keeps following him with the eyes, until Knuckles drove away.
"... Weird-... But kind... I kinda like him..." he mumbles, and walks back in when he starts shivering from the cold.

The hedgehog places the box on the edge of the kitchen island.
Then he curiously starts looking on the things Knuckles brought with him.
"Nice-..." Mephiles smiles and wraps the gray-blue fleece blanket around him.
"...- Comfy..." he purrs, and peeks down in the box.
"Oh!-... A new heating pad... Sweet~" he purrs and embraces the wheat pillow.
"He is best~... I can understand why Shadow likes him..." he says.
A while later he heats the pillow up in the microwave.
Then he takes the heating pad, and a little of the chocolate, and sits down in the living room.
Enjoying himself with the new things...

***

Knuckles sighs in disappointment.
It's many hours since he was at Shadow's and Mephiles' house. And Shadow hasn't even called him.
The echidna sits disappointed down on the bed. Dressed in only a white tank top, and blue boxers.
"Maybe he has forgotten to tell Shadow, I wanted to talk with him..." he sighs.
No way Mephiles refused Shadow to use the phone... That would only be ridiculous!
Who care about five-ten minutes?! Can't Mephiles let him use the phone just a little? Despite it's not the right day?!

The echidna turns the light off from the lamp on the nightstand.
Then he gets into the bed, and lays down with the duvet over his body.
Maybe he can try reach Shadow the first thing tomorrow?!

It feels as Knuckles only got a few minutes of sleep, when the phone starts beeping.
At first his heart starts pounding swiftly, 'Cause he thinks there are intruders by the master emerald.
Knuckles sits quickly up where he grabbed the phone.
00;04 AM.
The text is from Shadow.
("Hi, sorry for texting late-... If you are up, call me... Otherwise I will call you tomorrow/ Shadow")
Knuckles smiles, while the heartbeats decreased a little.
He turns the light on, and clears the throat.
Then he starts dialing Shadow, and puts the phone against the ear.
Within few signals, Shadow answered.
"Hi!- ... I hope I didn't woke you up... Mephiles told me, you wanted to talk"
Knuckles parts the lips to answer, when Shadow gasps.
"... -And thanks for the gift! It was very kind of you... Mephiles didn't said something odd? Didn't he?"
Knuckles exhales surprised.
"Odd?-... Not really... Nothing more than you have said... Why?... What would he say?"
Shadow clears the throat a bit bothered.
"Nothing-... I mean... He usually says or does something, to weird people out... I'm just making sure, he isn't-... Yeah..." he swallows hardly.
Knuckles chuckles.
"Don't worry!-... He seems kinda-... Not what I was expecting... Or something... He and I are planning to hang out the day after tomorrow..." he tells him, and squints the eyes thoughtfully.
"... I mean-... That's alright?"
"With?"
Knuckles shrugs.
"Hanging out with your brother?!... Or that would only be weird?"
Shadow exhales.
"Oh!-... No... No... That would be perfect!... If I want to get together with you, you and Mephiles must also get along... Sadly a relationship with someone who can't be with Mephiles, won't work for me... At least not in a serious relationship..."
Knuckles tilts the head.
"So?-... I can meet him, without you getting upset?"
"Of course!" Shadow answers excited.
Knuckles hums thoughtfully.
"... And I haven't misunderstood something between you and me?-..." he starts saying, and made Shadow to grunt confused.
"... -We are dating?"
Shadow exhales in relief, and starts laughing.
"Yes, you silly!... We are dating... And the date we had at the lake and at the café, was fun... I'm looking forward to the next one"
Knuckles gets a goofy grin.
"Same-... Ehm..." he blushes and starts fidgeting nervously.
"... How are the pain?... I hope it's gone..."
"Yup-... The cramps are gone... Mostly thanks to you... So, thanks again for the gifts you gave u-...-Me" he says, and stuttered at the end.
Knuckles raises an eyebrow.
"... I'm glad to hear that ..." he says.
Shadow yawns.
"... Sorry knux-... But I'm really tired... Maybe we can talk more tomorrow?"
Knuckles nods.
"Of course-... Sweet dreams..."
"Same... Good night Knuckles..."

Knuckles hangs the phone up, and places it on the nightstand.
The phone-call made him very happy. And warmth starts spreading around the chest, where the heart pounds happily.
Even though it's way too early, he wishes; Shadow was here and could sleep next him in the bed...
Right now, he is desiring to wrap the arms around the other. Inhaling his scent, and feel another warm body against his.

Knuckles turns the light off, and gets back in bed.
He clenches the hands on the blanket.
"Shadow-... I-... Might like you... A lot..." he smiles widely.
Lucky him, Shadow had seen they were part of the same group on Facebook... If he hadn't, they might not been dating now...
So, it seems he made the right choice to join that group... Despite he was a little shy, at first...
It seems things start paying off now... His chance to find love seems being around the corner now~