You& me, and our mate

ch 13; Why aren't you-... Him?

It's the next day, and Knuckles starts slowly to wake up where he embraces the hedgehog and nuzzle the face against his furry chest.
He yawns.
"Good morning Shadow~..." he smiles happily while slowly opening the eyes.
"... Guess again-..." Mephiles chuckles, and opened the eyes.
Knuckles flinches the eyes opened with increased heartbeats.
"... It's still before midnight?" He asks unsure with an uneasy feeling in the gut.
Mephiles looks over the shoulder at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 7,45 AM.
"... No-... It's... Almost eight o'clock...-In the morning..." he exhales surprised.
While Knuckles stiffened, Mephiles' brain tries finding an explanation why he was still him, and not Shadow.

Knuckles swallows hardly, and starts eyeing the other. It's still beautiful green eyes, and blue streaks in the quills and on the sides of the arms. And probably on the legs, which he can't see right now due the blanket over them.
There aren't any hint of brown in the eyes, or purple on the streaks... No hint Mephiles is about to turning into Shadow.
... Maybe Mephiles has played a trick on him?... Pretending he is two persons, where he is dyeing the quills, and using eye lenses to look as someone else?!
Maybe-... Just maybe... Shadow and Mephiles are the same person in the end?!
Knuckles clears the throat.
"... Then-... W-why aren't you Shadow then?" He asks worried, and nervous he has been played with, by a psychopath.

Mephiles furrows the eyebrows thoughtfully and worried.
"... Perhaps it's an odd-numbered date today as well?-... Sometimes that happens that, there are two odd-numbered dates after each others..." he suggests hopefully. Even though the gut feeling tells him something else.
Knuckles let's go of him, and sits up where he shakes the head.
"... No-... That's impossible... It should be April the 4th today... So-... Why isn't Shadow here?..."
Mephiles inhales sharply and let's out a shaky breath where he sits up.
The hedgehog parts the lips to answer. But couldn't find any words.
The echidna looks bothered at him.
"... Be honest-..." he starts saying.
Mephiles grunts confused and flinches the face toward him.
Knuckles shrugs.
"... Are-... Are you and Shadow the same person anyway?... I promise-... I won't be angry if you-..." he sighs.
Mephiles shakes the head in protest.
"NO!-... We aren't the same!-... I do have a brother... And neither of us are tricking you... I promise!" He interrupts in hurry.
Knuckles raises an eyebrow at him. Not completely convinced, despite his gut tells him, Mephiles is telling the truth... And something odd is going on with Shadow.

Knuckles inhales deeply.
"... Can you hear him? Or feel him?-... I mean-... Is he alright? And has this happened before?"
Mephiles sighs.
"... It's not like I can hear him-... I never have... But-... I do feel him... When he is awake, and when he is asleep... And right now... He seems asleep... And no-... This has never happened before... And I-..." he answers where the ears lowered in the end, and he tilts the head down while clenching the hands on the blanket.
"...- I'm worried..." he mumbles honestly.
Despite he would love having a body 24/7... He would hate if Shadow would disappear completely.
Even if he can't directly interact with his brother, his twin still means a lot for him... A life without him, would feel rather empty.

An awkward silence fell over them...
A while later, Knuckles gets up from the bed and starts taking the sweater and trousers on.
The hedgehog grunts surprised, and looks worried up at him.
"... Where are you going?..." he asks, worried to be left alone with his anxious thoughts.
Knuckles shrugs.
"... Out-... I will be back later ... Do you need something from the grocery store?... Maybe I can buy us newly baked bread?"
Mephiles doesn't wanna be alone right now...
"... Maybe I can go with you?-... I-..." he starts saying when Knuckles grunts.
"... Sorry-... But... I need being alone for a moment ..." The echidna tells him.
The hedgehog starts tearing up a little, with a nervous beating heart. Afraid Knuckles would actually blame him for the problem with Shadow.
"...Okay-..." he says silently, and looks sadly down.
"...- And I don't need anything..." he tells him, and adds 'except you" in the mind.
Knuckles nods.
"... Alright then-... I'm leaving now... Don't expect me in less than an hour..." he says, and hurries out from the bedroom and toward the hallway.