Adopt Me [HIATUS]

Chapter 8: Ups and Downs

After eating lunch, Sonic went back to playing with his toys. Shadow could hear him making up a new scenario of himself being the hero and defeating Dr. Robotnik, or Eggman as the child named him. Shadow still found that name quite funny, and was surprised that this small child that he barely knew could make him genuinely smile so easily, than his friends who he's known for years and couldn't even get a smirk out of him. This child surely was something else.

Shadow's ear twitched as he heard Sonic making explosion sounds, which he assumed was him beating the villain again. Shadow did enjoy his enthusiasm, but he hoped that the kid wouldn't grow up, having to fight everyday for freedom like he does. He hoped that the kid would grow up just having a life without worry. The fight between the world and Dr. Robotnik shouldn't involve someone so young. And yet, there were people who were barely adults fighting it. He wouldn't want that life for anyone. Heck, he didn't even want it for himself. But he made a promise, and he intends to keep it.

Shadow headed to his room where he set up his computer to work. He logged into his work site and began to do some online work to make up for the vacation days he took. He began to review new contracts and recent sightings of the doctor, to make sure they had a pinpoint on where he would attack next. From the reports it looked like his most recent sighting was just outside the city where Shadow lived.
Shadow lightly growled and booked himself for a scouting mission that Monday to find the doctor and see what he was up to this time. He would have booked it sooner, but he had to be home to take care of Sonic, and he wasn't ready to let anyone know about him yet. It made him slightly worried that they would try to take him away, after all his hard work in getting him here.

A knock at the door pulled Shadow out of his clouding thoughts. He turned towards the door, thinking the visitor would have already opened it. When it wasn't, he responded.

"Come in." He said, knowing who it was.

The door slowly creaked open, and Sonic poked his head in, looking at Shadow curiously. When he saw Shadow at his computer, he hunched his shoulders, looking shy. Shadow raised a brow at his behavior. Perhaps in his old foster homes, they didn't like when he disturbed them.

"Do you need something, buddy?" Shadow asked, trying to sound friendly and welcoming, as to not scare the kid.

"Are you busy?" Sonic asked, folding his ears against his head and hunching his shoulders.

"Not really." Shadow replied. "Why? Do you want something?"

Sonic shyly crept into the room, slowly walking up to Shadow. Shadow saw something in Sonic's arms. It looked like a book, but before Shadow could get a better look at it, Sonic tossed it into his lap and dashed out of the room.

Shadow was stunned at the action, but looked at what Sonic had given him. It was his coloring notebook, but it had a picture on the open page. It had some flowers drawn in crayon, but they didn't look like any normal flowers. They were red and black., with gold stems. Shadow looked at them for a good while, then realized that they were his colors. The flowers were red and black like his fur color, and the stems were gold like his inhibitor rings. Sonic must've drawn that for him. Shadow was quite stunned at the action. Sonic had barely known Shadow for a day, and he suddenly decided to make something for him. Shadow must be much nicer than whatever families Sonic had before for Sonic to feel that gracious to give him something like this. He tore the page out as gently as he could, and went to find a frame to put it in. He wanted to remember this moment forever.

After taking the page, he set it on his dresser, and went out to find a frame. Upon exiting his room, he saw Sonic sitting on the couch, watching TV. He expected to see some kids channel, but instead he saw a sports channel on, and Sonic watching other mobians run track. Shadow would have never expected that from a kid his age, but he guessed it came from his unnatural speed that made him interested.