Not The Same (Sonadow)

31

*Shadow's POV *
"Shadow! Wait!" I turned back to see the fox running to me as I opened the door to my office. I took a sip of my coffee as I waited for him to reach me. "Have you seen Sonic? He didn't come home last night."

"I haven't. Have you asked the echidna?" I said as I walked into my office. Second day of work, and I was already annoyed with the paperwork I had to do.

"I asked him already, and the rest of the team and his family. No one has seen him and his communicator isn't showing his location nor is he answering it." The fox said sounding worried.

"You have our location?" I turned and raised a brow at him.

He shrugged in response. "How else do you think we find each other when there is an emergency?"

"I'm sure he's fine." I said as I sat down but I was worried too now. "He came to talk to me yesterday."

"What did he say?" He asked as he approached my desk. I miss when they were scared of me and they wouldn't be so close to me.

"Said he felt wrong and sad. I told him he needed to find himself and what makes him happy." I hated talking to the fox about this. For some reason it felt natural with Sonic but with Miles, I felt like I was oversharing. "He used to disappear every once in a while, he'll be back."

"I-" He sighed. "I guess you're right." He started walking out but stopped at my door. I looked at him as I drank from my coffee again. "Thank you for being a good friend for him. That was nice of you to say to him." He walked away, closing my door as he left.

I finished my coffee then slammed the cup back down on my desk and grabbed my phone. I remembered Faker always left his behind so I put it back down and called through the communicator, my call failing to reach him at first then I got a call back almost immediately. 

"Hey Shadz. What's up?" He said cheery. "No, wait, don't do that. Put it down." He said, was he with someone else?

"Where the hell are you?" I snapped. "Your fox friend just came into my office saying you weren't there last night."

"Keeping tabs on me now?" He asked with a soft laugh making me growl and clench my fist. "I joke. I joke." He laughed again. "I am at my house." I blinked confused.

"Your house was burned down, hedgehog." I looked down at my pen.

"Yup, it was." He said then I heard a loud thud and Sonic yelp. "THAT WAS MY FOOT! BE CAREFUL!" He shouted making me move the communicator away from me.

"My apologies." I heard Metal in the background and suddenly I felt myself relax at realizing that.

"I bought a house." Sonic said. "Not too far away from everyone but away enough for no one to bother me."

"And you didn't bother telling your best friend?" I grabbed the pen, but I didn't even want to start working, I was focused on our talk.

"I completely forgot." He sounded tired as I heard a yawn.

"Have you been sleeping?" I asked without realizing what I said at first. Once I did, I facepalmed myself for being so stupid.

"Yes, well, no. Not really. I haven't been able to sleep. My body is still trying to get used to not being attacked 24/7." He laughed nervously and I could mentally see him rubbing the back of his neck like he usually did when he was nervous. "Hey! Do you want to come over tonight?"

"I can't. I have a lot of work." I answered flatly. 

"Oh. Right! Sorry. Maybe another time. I got to go finish up arranging the place. See you soon?"

"Sure." He hung up right after. I rubbed my face and sighed then started doing my work.

*Sonic's POV *
"Time elapsed: 9 days." Metal said as he stood by the kitchen entrance.

"I know." I muttered. "They've been working, I don't want to bother them." I said, he'd been reminding me every morning how many days have passed since I last saw anyone or even got out of the house. Metal was the one to go get the groceries and bring anything I needed since he knew I still was very uncomfortable of going out.

I had tried the second day I got this house to go out only to get a hamburger thrown at my face by one of the civilians who still hated me. I didn't want to go again after that.

"Sunlight exposure required." He pointed at the front door.

"Chaos, you're starting to sound like my mother." I laughed and sat down to eat, Metal sitting down in front of me as he watched me. I was used to it by now, even though I found it creepy at first.

"Are you experiencing fear?" Metal tilted his head lightly at that question. I stopped mid chew then swallowed my food when he said that. I drank from my water and then sighed as I out my cup back down.

"Yes." I said, I could be honest with Metal, it's not like he would tell anyone else. "Yes I am. Of everything.  Aren't you scared? Every time you go out, they try to hurt you." I tapped the table with my finger.

"You have endured more severe situations." He replied.

"I guess you're right but-" I stopped as I took a bite of my food again. "I am most scared of turning back and betraying my friends again, you know?"

"The issue originated from your inability to communicate with them. Avoid repeating this error." Metal stood up and walked to the living room where I had left my phone, he grabbed it and walked back to me. "Communicate." He said as he placed it down in front of me.

I shook my head and pushed my phone away. "They're busy with work." I stood up and went to wash my dishes. "Maybe later." I smiled at Metal.

I was feeling more at peace now, unlike any other day back when I was a hero. Metal had been coming every day to check on me and make sure I was okay. He came one day and saw me tossing and turning so he fixed some blankets around me to hug and I was able to sleep peacefully. I guess I am just not able to sleep by myself and the blankets tricked my mind into thinking someone was there.

Metal looked down at my phone which kept turning on and off at the notifications I was getting. He grabbed it then flipped it upside down so I wouldn't read any of it but I already knew what was going on.

Ever since the speech, things had died down with the civilians but there were still many who hated me and they kept calling me out online and threatening me. I was doing just fine ignoring them, until things started to get aggressive and they found where I lived.