Whiskey and regret (sonadow

In the morning

Sonic's stomach had finally settled after the miserable ordeal in Shadow's bathroom, and he sat on the edge of the bathtub, sipping the glass of water Shadow had given him. The events of last night played on a loop in his mind—too many drinks, too much flirting, and one hell of kiss and aand the pounding in his head didn't help his thoughts clear up.

Moments later, Shadow reappeared at the bathroom door, arms crossed but expression calmer than Sonic expected.

"You gonna sit in here all morning, or are you capable of eating?" Shadow asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm making breakfast faker."

Sonic blinked, caught off guard. "Wait, you... you cook?"

Shadow shot him a half-smirk, clearly unimpressed. "I didn't say I was good at it. But yes, I can make breakfast. You should eat something, considering the state you're in."

Grateful but still embarrassed by the morning's rough start, Sonic chuckled weakly and stood up. "Yeah... uh, thanks, Shads. I could use something to soak up whatever's left of last night."

"Figured," Shadow muttered before heading back to the kitchen.

Sonic trailed behind him, half-expecting Shadow to whip up something bland, but to his surprise, the smell of eggs and toast greeted him as he entered the small, tidy kitchen. The table was already set—two plates, two glasses of orange juice—and the faint sound of bacon sizzling filled the room.

"You went all out," Sonic remarked, easing himself into one of the chairs, still feeling a little wobbly.

"I didn't exactly plan on it," Shadow replied as he flipped the bacon with practiced ease, "but since you're here, I figured I'd make sure you didn't pass out on my floor again."

Sonic snorted. "Again? Come on, I wasn't that bad."

Shadow shot him a sideways glance. "You barely made it to the bathroom, Sonic."

"Yeah, well..." Sonic scratched the back of his head, feeling a little sheepish. "Thanks for that, by the way. I kinda owe you."

"You owe me a lot more than that," Shadow muttered, but there was no bite to his words. He placed the last of the bacon on a plate and carried it to the table, setting it down in front of Sonic. "Eat."

Sonic, more than happy to comply, dove into his breakfast. The eggs were slightly overcooked, but the bacon was crispy and the toast golden. It was simple, but exactly what he needed.

For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was the clinking of forks and knives as they ate in silence. The atmosphere was calm, almost peaceful, and Sonic was starting to feel more like himself again. But there was still something hanging in the air between them, something unspoken that neither of them had addressed.

Eventually, Shadow broke the silence, his voice even but carrying a weight to it. "Sonic."

"Yeah?" Sonic looked up from his plate, blue eyes meeting crimson.

Shadow leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "What exactly are we now?"

Sonic blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the question. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." Shadow's gaze was steady, and there was no dodging the seriousness of the question this time. "Last night wasn't just some casual night out, and you know it."

Sonic felt a knot form in his stomach—not from the food, but from the weight of Shadow's words. He knew this conversation was coming, but that didn't make it any easier. He looked down at his plate, fidgeting slightly.

"Yeah, I know it wasn't," Sonic admitted quietly. "But honestly... I don't really know what we are."

Shadow's eyes narrowed, but there was no anger in them. Just curiosity. "Then what do you want us to be?"

That question hit Sonic harder than expected. He hadn't really thought about it, not seriously. Sure, last night had been fun, exciting even, but now that the rush had worn off, Sonic realized he didn't have an answer ready.

"I... I don't know, Shads," Sonic said, his voice softer now. "I've never been great with this kind of stuff. Feelings and all that, they're not really my thing, you know?"

Shadow let out a small, humorless chuckle. "That's obvious."

Sonic sighed, rubbing his temples as he tried to collect his thoughts. "But last night... it was real, right? I mean, it wasn't just the drinks talking."

"No," Shadow said firmly, "it wasn't."

That gave Sonic a bit of relief. At least he wasn't imagining it. But still, what did that mean for them? Sonic wasn't used to dealing with feelings that ran this deep—he usually kept things light, playful. This was different.

"So... what happens now?" Sonic asked cautiously, unsure of how Shadow wanted to approach this.

Shadow leaned forward, his intense gaze locked onto Sonic's. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. But I need to know what you want, Sonic."

Sonic hesitated for a moment, the weight of the conversation pressing down on him. He didn't want to screw this up, but he also didn't want to rush into something he wasn't sure about yet.

"Look, I don't have all the answers," Sonic began, his tone a little more serious than usual. "But I like you, Shadow. I always have... even when you drive me nuts."

Shadow's expression softened, if only slightly. "Is that so?"

Sonic laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess so. But I'm not the kind of guy who jumps into stuff without thinking, y'know? I just... I need time to figure things out."

Shadow studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Fair enough."

Sonic breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Shadow wasn't pushing him for more than he could give right now. But there was still one thing nagging at the back of his mind.

"And what about you?" Sonic asked, his eyes meeting Shadow's again. "What do you want?"

Shadow was silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "I want honesty," he said finally. "No games, no pretending. If this is going to mean something, then we both need to be real about it."

Sonic smiled, feeling a little more at ease. "I can do that."

They sat in silence for a few more moments, the weight of the conversation easing slightly now that they had both laid their cards on the table. It wasn't a perfect resolution, but it was a start.

As Sonic finished the last bite of his toast, he glanced over at Shadow with a small grin. "Y'know, for someone who's usually so grumpy, you're not half bad at this whole 'talking about feelings' thing or in bed."

Shadow rolled his eyes, though there was a hint of amusement in his expression. "Don't push your luck, faker."

(THANK YOU FOR READING I LOVE YALL!!)