Whiskey and regret (sonadow

The truth

The streets were eerily quiet as Shadow walked through them, the weight of the night pressing down on him. His mind was clouded by whiskey and frustration, and Sonic's silence gnawed at him more than he cared to admit. No matter how much he tried to distract himself, the unanswered messages loomed in his mind.

The buzz of his phone broke through the stillness. With a glimmer of hope, Shadow pulled it out of his pocket, expecting Sonic's name on the screen. But instead, it was Tails.

Shadow frowned and opened the message.

Hey, Shadow. Can we talk? I need to ask you something about Sonic.

Shadow blinked, surprised. Tails rarely texted him out of the blue, and asking about Sonic made his gut twist. He hesitated before typing back: What's going on?

A moment later, another message from Tails appeared. Did you talk to Sonic the other night? He said you told him something, but he wasn't sure if you meant it.

Shadow furrowed his brow. What was Tails talking about? He tried to think back to that night, but everything was a blur. The drinks, the bar, Sonic... Sonic walking away. His fingers hovered over the screen as he struggled to piece it together. What do you mean?

The reply came quickly. He said you told him you had feelings for him... Tails' message paused, and then another line followed. Did you? Like, were you serious?

Shadow froze. The weight of the words hit him like a ton of bricks. Feelings? For Sonic? His mind scrambled to recall, to make sense of the foggy memories. He remembered the haze of alcohol, Sonic's blue eyes, the way the words had just slipped out.

Had he actually said it?

His stomach twisted as he stared at Tails' message. He didn't want to believe it, but deep down, something in him knew it was true. His hands tightened around the phone, and he typed slowly.

I don't remember everything from that night, he admitted, trying to stay calm despite the sudden knot in his chest. What exactly did he say?

Tails' response came quickly. He said you told him you liked him. Like, really liked him. But you were kinda... you know... drunk, so he wasn't sure if it was real.

Shadow's heart pounded in his chest. The pieces of that night began to click into place — the way Sonic had looked at him, the strange warmth in the pit of his stomach, the words that had slipped from his lips, unfiltered by the alcohol.

He had said it.

The realization hit him hard. He had told Sonic how he felt, in the middle of a drunken haze, no less. And Sonic, being Sonic, probably didn't know how to handle it.

Shadow leaned back against the nearest wall, taking a deep breath. His fingers hovered over the screen for a long moment before he typed: If I said that... then, yeah. It's true.

For a moment, the silence felt suffocating, like the entire world had come to a stop. Shadow had never admitted it to anyone, not even himself — not fully. But here it was, out in the open, hanging between him and Tails like some heavy weight he could no longer carry alone.

The response was almost immediate. Wow... okay. Sonic didn't seem upset, just confused. But why didn't you say anything before?

Shadow clenched his jaw. Why hadn't he said anything? Why did it take him getting drunk to finally let it out? He had spent so long building walls, keeping everyone at arm's length. And then Sonic — with his stupid, carefree attitude and infuriating smile — had somehow wormed his way past those defenses.

I didn't plan on saying anything, Shadow finally typed. Guess the alcohol made me careless.

There was a long pause before Tails' next message arrived. You should talk to him. For real, I mean. He's been acting weird ever since, like he's trying to figure it out too.

Shadow scoffed quietly, shaking his head. I've tried. He's been ignoring me all day, he typed back, the bitterness creeping into his words.

Maybe he's just confused, Tails replied. You know Sonic, he doesn't handle feelings well. He's probably trying to make sense of it.

Shadow sighed, running a hand through his quills. Of course Sonic would go quiet now, when things were complicated. It was typical of him, running from anything emotional. But the silence was driving Shadow insane.

I don't know if I should push him, Shadow responded. What if it just makes things worse?

I think you're underestimating how much Sonic cares, Tails typed back. Just... give him a little time. He'll come around. You two are close, whether you admit it or not.

Shadow leaned his head back against the cold brick wall of the alley, the weight of the conversation pressing down on him. Tails had a point. Sonic wasn't one to hold grudges, and if Shadow's confession had truly thrown him off, maybe it wasn't because he didn't care. Maybe it was because he cared too much.

He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to fight off the weariness creeping in. His mind was still foggy from the alcohol, but the one thing that was clear — painfully clear — was that he couldn't run from this anymore. He had feelings for Sonic, and now Sonic knew.

I'll talk to him, Shadow finally typed, his heart heavy. When he's ready.

Good, Tails replied. I think you'll both figure it out. Just don't give up on him, okay?

Shadow pocketed his phone, a bitter laugh escaping him. "As if I could," he muttered under his breath. Giving up on Sonic? That had never been an option, not since the moment they crossed paths. And now, with the truth out there, things were only going to get more complicated.

But maybe... just maybe... they'd finally get somewhere real.