"Shadow's Responsibility: Taking Care of Cream"

Chapter 2: Not Now

(Shadows Pov)

As my consciousness gradually returned, I felt a pounding ache in my head that made me wince. I instinctively reached up and rubbed my eyes, trying to clear the fog from my mind. Slowly, I rose from my improvised resting spot, feeling groggy and disoriented.  I stumbled towards the sink and turned on the tap, splashing some water onto my face to help me wake up. As I looked up into the mirror, I saw a disheveled figure staring back at me, with messy hair and bloodshot eyes. I sighed, realizing that I had to do something to clean myself up.

Reaching for my toothbrush, I squeezed some toothpaste onto its bristles and began scrubbing my teeth vigorously, trying to rid my mouth of the stale taste that had accumulated during my restless sleep. The minty freshness of the toothpaste helped to invigorate me, and I started to feel a little more alert.

Once I had finished brushing my teeth, I rinsed my mouth out with water and splashed some on my face again. 

Once I had finished cleaning myself up in the bathroom , I headed over to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Cracking a few eggs into a pan and whipping up some waffle batter, I set to work on creating a delicious meal. As the aroma of sizzling bacon filled the air, I heard a faint noise and turned around to see Cream entering the kitchen, her eyes betraying her exhaustion.

Without hesitation, I prepared a plate of food for her, filled with fluffy waffles and perfectly scrambled eggs. I watched as she eagerly devoured the meal, her energy slowly returning with each bite.

After finishing breakfast, I tidied up the kitchen and began to wash the dishes. As I sat down on the couch to relax, my eyes were drawn to the overflowing laundry basket in the corner. Letting out a small sigh, I muttered to myself about needing to do laundry later that day.

As I searched through my wallet for some spare change, I realized that I had only a few coins left. It was just enough to do a quick load of laundry, but I still needed someone to keep an eye on Cream while I went to the laundromat. Without hesitation, I picked up my phone and dialed Rouge's number.

Rouge answered on the first ring. "Hey, Shadz, what's up?"

"I need a favor," I said, trying to sound casual.

"Sure thing. What do you need?"

"I have some errands to run and I need someone to watch Cream for a couple of hours."

"Consider it done," Rouge said confidently. "I'll be over in 20 minutes."

I thanked her and hung up the phone. Cream was watching TV, but I knew she wouldn't mind spending some time with Rouge.

As promised, Rouge arrived at my doorstep in just 20 minutes, her signature black leather outfit making her stand out against the pale walls of my apartment. Cream ran up to her, greeting her with a warm hug and a wide smile, her excitement palpable.

I quickly explained the situation to Rouge, letting her know that I needed to run some errands and that I would be back as soon as possible. She nodded in understanding and reassured me that she would take good care of Cream. With a sense of relief, I grabbed my laundry basket and headed out the door.

As I hopped on my motorcycle and zoomed off, I made my way to the laundry mat to do some much-needed laundry. As I stepped inside, I was immediately hit with the sight of teenagers darting through the aisles, clearly engrossed in the arcade games scattered around the room. I let out a heavy sigh, reminding myself that this was, in fact, a dual-purpose establishment.
After tossing my clothes into the washing machine, I settled down to catch a quick nap before the next round of laundry duties began. But before I could even close my eyes, Amy rose from seemingly out of nowhere and stood before me.
"Hey there, Shadow! You here for the games?" she exclaimed excitedly.
I grumbled a barely-audible "no" in response, hoping it would be enough to dissuade her from engaging me in further conversation.
"I see," she replied, her disappointment palpable.