Faker

Unmasked

It feels like I can breathe fully again, I'm still so skeptic that this is what it took to make this heavy feeling disappear...even if it's temporary. Sleeping was hard for me so I got very little of it lately. I've just been thinking about a lot of the things that's happened recently and I know just enough to be able to write it down. Though I guess I'm still worried...that this is a joke. Yet it feels so real, and I have this trust in him. It's just really unexpected that it turned out like this. It took me years to be able to give some trust in Tails, and with Shads it took me hardly an hour to trust him so much.

Thinking back, I can't really forgive Tails for reacting the way he did when I tried to tell him my problem. It was the same phrase, the same words and everything. Yet he overreacted and jumped to so many conclusions that I can't even trust my own little brother with my problems. To be completely honest, Journal, I never could really tell Tails anything personal that was bothering me because if it wasn't dangerous then he didn't care. Then telling Shadow had come with different results, he cares and I'm actually really touched that he didn't give up on me at all and simply waited for me to admit what was wrong.

In the beginning when we first met, we weren't friends and we were barely anything friendly. We are- or were- rivals. It's just how it's been, and I can't deny the change in the rivalry. Before, I only trusted Shadow with hesitance. Now however I have to admit...I trust him with my life. To others I guess this would sound extreme or weird, or even both.

That day in the forest I slowly poured my heart out to him, I've only told him small things but we both know there's much more. It's only been a few days and Shadow has become my lifeline, I was falling so hard...to the point where I wished to hit the ground already. But now Shadow is pulling me up with everything he has and letting go is the last thing on my mind.

"I care."

"I want to help you."

"Will you let me help you?"

I hear his voice say each of these separately like it's a song on loop. Over and over I hear him speaking to me softly with kindness. My answer to him... of course I said yes. How could I not?

Though there is this nagging voice in the back of my mind. What if I bother him too much? What if I get too emotional for him? What if he stops caring just like everyone else did? Would he forget me and how I feel too? What if he started hating me and things go back to the way they were? I don't think- I know I wouldn't be able to not handle being alone again. I just can't...

. . .

Two days ago, the same day as the forest incident. Sonic cried in Shadow's arms until he fell into an exhausted sleep. Shadow found it distressing at how much pain Sonic felt and did his best to sooth the younger hedgehog, whispering words of understanding and tender sympathy. As silently as he could Shadow had transported both of them to his house with chaos control and were immediately greeted by Rouge.

"So how is he?" Rouge asked the second Shadow entered through the front door, the ivory bat wasn't surprised at all when Shadow came in with a cobalt hedgehog curled up in his arms sleeping peacefully. She flew next to him with her heels hardly reaching the ground and set up the couch in the living room for Sonic to lay on. Shadow instantly got a whiff of a delicious aroma and he raised a brow curiously after gently putting Sonic down. "Food after you tell me what happened." Rouge said with a cheeky smile, she spoke quietly so the sleeping hedgehog wouldn't wake up.

"I don't want to reveal the personal things..." Shadow muttered and Rouge nodded. Rouge placed a blanket on top of Sonic and her fingers lightly brushing through Sonic's ocean blue quills. She frowned at his lack of bright vibrant colors that looked dull. Up close she could see the circles under his eyes too and clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

"Poor thing..." She continued brushing her fingers through his quills and a soft content smile crept onto his face.

"I won't lie Rouge...I care for him as much as you do. And I told him this." The ebony hedgehog admitted, Rouge paused and stopped moving her hands, a soft smile lifted her lips up, she felt like beaming. It took lots of trust for Shadow to be so willing to admit he cares. "I've already decided that I'm going to help him." A thoughtful look crossed his face, "There is much more to him that we both don't know, and it will take a while to help him find himself."