The Ruby Eyes of Affection

Empathetic confusion

  "I guess you could say that I've -" The azure hedgehog was cut off by a loud knock followed by a request to enter. He felt a sense of relief as he knew the ebony hedgehog wasn't going to hear his last sentence.


"Just a minute, he's a bit on the shy side today!" Sonic shouted at the visitor before patting Shadow's head softly and removing the flower from his quills.


"C'mon, get a hold of yourself now. There's someone waiting to visit you and I doubt you want them seeing you in this kind of state." Sonic whispered teasingly as he felt something slap his hand away.


"Don't touch me, faker..." The ebony hedgehog responded as he crossed his arms and turn the other way.


"There's the Shadow I'm used to. Welcome back, did you enjoy your 'vacation'? I must say I've never seen you so dazed and speechless. It was downright precious." Sonic pestered cutely as he put his hand on his hip.


"Go screw yourself. I don't have the energy to deal with your bull right now." Shadow felt his cheeks still warm as he tried to push the event out of his mind. Whatever was going on between him and Sonic would have to be dealt with later.


The voice repeated their prior request and the azure hedgehog responded giving his okay as Shadow was still trying to recover from the shock.


Footsteps echoed into the room as Sonic stepped out of the way so the doctor could get closer to the ebony hedgehog.


"How are you feeling, Mr. Shadow the Hedgehog?" The badger asked in a very strict, sophisticated tone.


"Like I got hit by a bus and forced to run a 50 mile marathon while bleeding out." Shadow responded muffled by the blanket shielding his still blushing face.


"I see, so not very well. Thankfully, there was no major damage. If you feel up to it, you may leave whenever you choose. However, I want to discuss some medical findings with you." He waved to Sonic who happened to be leaning against the wall and pointed to the door with his thumb.


"Unfortunately, I cannot discuss these with you in the room, unless the patient gives me permission."


Shadow smirked underneath the sheet as he knew the cobalt hedgehog wouldn't be pleased with the doctor's statement. Something about his annoyed face made him want to giggle with pure delight.


Sonic gave the badger a cold stare of frustration as if to say (do you even know who I am?!).


"Whatever." He turned around and faced the door before giving Shadow a sweet smile and taking his leave. Even though the ebony hedgehog couldn't see anything, he could almost sense the sudden show of fondness. He continued to keep himself in control even though he desperately wanted to be held again.


The azure hedgehog walked down the hall glancing in all of the open rooms. Most were empty, but a few had patients and the cobalt hedgehog felt rather frustrated as he sensed absolutely no empathy. This had been plaguing him his entire life. It was so difficult to accept himself as a decent Mobian when his feelings were so limited. However, Shadow kind of flipped that theory on its head. Sonic looked deeply into himself as he stopped and stared through a window showing a huge room filled with sweet newborn Mobians. Normally he hated children but for some reason his thoughts of the ebony hedgehog kind of made him think otherwise. After all these years of frustration, desperately trying to prove to himself that he wasn't some demonic entity, was he finally starting to heal? The cobalt hedgehog knew that the desire to protect Shadow was a very real emotion. He wasn't making it up and didn't have to pretend this time. He placed his hand on the glass as one of the babies opened his eyes to glare at the creature waking him from his slumber.


"Hay, little guy. I hope you're ready for a long and fulfilling life because you're stuck here, just like me. Stuck in a world where no one will ever understand me and where I will never understand them back." He whispered attempting to make sure no one could really hear.


(If Shadow is helping me heal, then I have no choice but to keep trying.) His thoughts were filled with hope as his heart felt somewhat relieved.

Maybe he wasn't really that bad. Perhaps he just needed the right person to come along and help him find a way to live happily again. Unfortunately, as soon as he decided to leave the poor litters to theirs snoozing, a voice creeped behind him.


"Sonic! How are you my sweetiebun?! Why are you looking at babies like that? Is your biological clock starting to bother you?" Amy asked as she started to hug the azure hedgehog lovingly but was quickly rejected.


"Amy, men don't have biological clocks. Well at least not in the normal sense and no I just happened to stop in this place as I was deep in thought. What are you doing here, anyway?" Sonic responded coldly as he started to lean against the glass frustratingly.


It's not like he hated Amy or anything but something about her always frustrated him. She constantly emphasized how amazing, loving and heroic he was and he new that wasn't him at all. He really thought of himself as an unsympathetic, heartless, unlikable spoiled brat who throws temper tantrums every time he doesn't get what he wants. The fact that he had to protect the town had nothing to do with who he really was and was probably the main source of most of his frustration.


"What's wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood... Did Shadow say something to you? That has to be why you're here, right. You have visited every single day starting a week ago." She said comfortingly trying to relax the azure hedgehog.


"Everything is wrong Amy. Just everything. You wouldn't understand not that I expect a teenage girl to understand anything but how to impress boys and put on makeup." Sonic responded sarcastically as he turned his head to the side to once again glance into the newborn room.


"That's incredibly prejudice! What is wrong with you?! I give you support and you not only shove me away but insult me right to my face. I know you're frustrated, I get it. But that doesn't mean you have the right to hurt me like that." Amy placed the palm of her hand on her cheek as her ears went down in pure disappointment.


Like always, Sonic noticed he didn't feel anything and it greatly upset him. He wanted to care so badly but decided he would have to fake it. It was the right thing to do right? To apologies that is. His mind ran with different scenarios of what normal OTHER people would do as he found exactly what he needed to say.


"Sorry Ames. I dunno what overcame me there. I think I'm just a bit anxious since Egghead hasn't shown up to play in a while. I think I'll probably go for a quick run and get my energy out." He answered reassuringly as he patted Amy on the shoulder sweetly. Strangely enough, she didn't fall for it this time.


"One of these days you will snap and I will be the first to support you. Remember that." She responded as she threw the azure hedgehogs arm off her shoulder angrily.


"Amy... Really! I am Sonic the Hedgehog, I think I'll survive." His face flushed fearfully as he thought she might have caught onto his little act.


"The only thing that can destroy you is yourself." She stated before quickly passing the slightly flabbergasted hedgehog on her way out the hall.


"I'm not that stupid. Just because I'm a teenage girl doesn't mean I don't know a hypocrite when I see one." She waved to Sonic as she frustratingly marched out the doors of the hospital.


Sonic felt slightly stunned as he looked back into the glass. He didn't like this at all and hoped that tomorrow Amy would forget all about it. His heart raced and his body started to fill with dread.


(If she tells someone...)