Whiskey and regret (sonadow

Stop it

Shadow stood at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, watching the festivities unfold before him. It was one of those rare peaceful times — no battles, no threats, just a gathering of friends. Amy had thrown together a "Celebration of Peace" event, and nearly everyone was there: Knuckles, Tails, Rouge, even Cream and Vanilla. Everyone but Sonic.

Well, Sonic was there — he just wasn't anywhere near him.

Shadow's eyes narrowed as he spotted the familiar blue blur across the field, laughing with Tails and tossing a ball back and forth like everything was perfectly normal. To everyone else, it probably seemed that way. But to Shadow, it was impossible not to notice the distance Sonic had been keeping since that night.

Ever since his conversation with Tails, Shadow had tried reaching out — texting, calling, even casually approaching Sonic at group hangouts. But every time, Sonic managed to slip away, like he was avoiding him on purpose. During missions, Sonic would speed off before Shadow could catch up, and at group events like this, Sonic seemed to always be on the opposite side of the room.

It wasn't obvious enough for anyone else to notice — Sonic was still his usual energetic self, laughing and goofing off like always. But Shadow could feel it. The subtle avoidance, the way Sonic's gaze never quite met his anymore. It was infuriating.

Shadow clenched his fists, his patience wearing thin. He hadn't planned on forcing a conversation, but this was starting to get ridiculous. If Sonic wanted to avoid him, fine, but at least say something about it. Don't just run away like a coward.

"Everything okay?" Rouge's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She appeared beside him, leaning casually against a nearby tree.

Shadow grunted in response, his eyes still locked on Sonic, who was now helping Knuckles set up some kind of obstacle course. The sight of Sonic's carefree smile made something twist in Shadow's chest.

"I see," Rouge said knowingly, following his gaze. "Still giving you the cold shoulder?"

"He's being ridiculous," Shadow muttered, more to himself than to Rouge. "Avoiding me like this isn't solving anything."

Rouge raised an eyebrow. "Did you two even talk after... you know?"

Shadow let out a frustrated sigh. "No. He's been dodging me ever since Tails brought it up."

Rouge crossed her arms, giving him a sidelong glance. "And what exactly are you doing about it?"

"What can I do?" Shadow's voice was laced with bitterness. "I've already tried talking to him. He won't give me the time of day."

Rouge studied him for a moment before speaking. "Look, I get it. Sonic's not exactly the most emotionally mature person around, but this avoidance thing isn't going to last forever. Eventually, he'll have to face it."

Shadow let out a huff. "Eventually isn't good enough."

Rouge smirked. "Well, you could always confront him. But knowing you, that'll probably end in a fight."

Shadow shot her a glare. "I don't want to fight him. I just want him to stop running away."

"Well, that's a tall order when you're dealing with Sonic the Hedgehog," Rouge said with a shrug. "He's not exactly the type to sit down and have a heart-to-heart."

Shadow stayed silent, his eyes still fixed on Sonic. He wasn't sure what he expected. A part of him thought maybe Sonic just needed space to figure things out, but how much space was too much? How long was Sonic going to keep avoiding him?

"I'll handle it," Shadow muttered, more to himself than to Rouge.

Rouge raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Just don't blow up the entire party while you're at it."

As Rouge walked away, Shadow stayed where he was, silently fuming. He couldn't keep waiting for Sonic to come around. If Sonic wasn't going to make the first move, then Shadow would have to do it himself.

He took a deep breath and started across the field, his gaze locked on Sonic. The laughter of his friends faded into the background as he approached, his mind focused solely on one thing: getting Sonic to stop running.

Sonic, who had been busy balancing on a log in the middle of the obstacle course, noticed Shadow approaching and immediately hopped down, dusting himself off. Shadow's eyes narrowed as Sonic quickly turned to talk to Knuckles, as if trying to avoid making eye contact.

"Sonic," Shadow called out, his voice low but firm.

Sonic stiffened slightly but didn't turn around.

"Sonic," Shadow repeated, stepping closer. "We need to talk."

Knuckles, oblivious to the tension, grinned and patted Sonic on the back. "Hey, I'll catch up with you later, bro. You've got company."

Sonic shot Knuckles a half-hearted smile, but as soon as Knuckles walked off, the smile faded, and he turned to face Shadow. His usual confident posture was absent, replaced with something more hesitant — almost awkward.

"Uh, hey, Shadow," Sonic said, scratching the back of his head. "What's up?"

Shadow crossed his arms, his expression stern. "You know exactly what's up."

Sonic shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting to the side. "Look, I've just been... busy, you know? A lot of things going on, gotta keep moving, can't stay in one place too long."

"Cut the crap, Sonic," Shadow snapped. "You've been avoiding me for weeks. You think I haven't noticed?"

Sonic winced slightly but kept his smile plastered on. "Avoiding you? Pfft, nah, that's not what's happening. I've just been—"

"Don't lie to me," Shadow interrupted, his voice growing harsher. "If you have something to say, just say it. Stop running away."

Sonic opened his mouth to respond but quickly closed it again, his blue eyes finally meeting Shadow's for the first time in what felt like forever. There was something there — uncertainty, maybe even fear — but he didn't speak.

The silence between them stretched on, heavy and uncomfortable. Shadow's fists tightened at his sides, his patience wearing thin.

"I'm not going to chase you forever, Sonic," Shadow said quietly, his voice dropping to a low growl. "If you don't want to talk to me, fine. But at least have the guts to say it to my face."

For a moment, Sonic looked like he wanted to say something — anything. But then he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I... I just need some time, alright?"

Shadow stared at him, his red eyes burning with frustration. "Time for what?"

Sonic hesitated again, his usual bravado nowhere to be found. "To figure things out."

Shadow clenched his jaw, feeling the familiar sting of disappointment. He had hoped for something more, something concrete. But all he got was more avoidance, more uncertainty.

"Fine," Shadow muttered, turning on his heel. "Take your time. But don't expect me to wait around forever."

Without waiting for a response, Shadow walked away, his chest tight with frustration. He had been patient for long enough, but Sonic's inability to face things head-on was starting to wear thin.