Notes

Sonic laid in his bed, sobbing his heart out into his pillow.

He couldn't believe that just happened.

All of his friends, watching him and his coughing fit, displaying his bizarre illness.

Worst of all, Shadow had seen it! He knew something was wrong with Sonic now, and after seeing that the petals were from his favorite rose, he must be suspicious by now that it had something to do with him.

But… did it really?

A gentle knock came from his locked door. He sniffed, wiping at his eyes as he glared at the door. He didn't want to be bothered right now.

"Go away."

"Sonic, it's Tails. Please open the door."

"I said go away. I don't want to be bothered right now."

There was silence on the other side and Sonic sighed, laying back down in his bed. Maybe if he just went to sleep he'll wake up in the morning and this would all just be a bad dream. Wishful thinking, but it was worth a shot.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, another knock came from his door. Sonic growled and glared at the door.

"I said go away, Tails!"

"Not Tails."

Sonic felt his whole body stiffen.

What was Shadow doing here?!

"What are you doing here?"

"I just want to talk. Can you open the door, Sonic?"

Sonic was flabbergasted. Shadow actually came to talk to him? His voice sounded genuine, but he wasn't sure if he should trust it. Shadow made it very clear that they weren't friends, so what would he want to talk about?

"Please open the door Sonic. I won't ask again."

"What will you do if I don't?" Sonic frowned.

"I'll Chaos Control in myself. I would've done it earlier, but I thought I should give you a benefit of doubt."

Sonic sighed. Knowing Shadow wasn't one to go back on his word, he stood up and went over to the door and unlocked it. Once he did, he went back to his bed and laid down, his back facing the door. He heard the door open and close softly, but he didn't turn around. He felt a weight softly sit onto his bed and he still didn't turn to look. There was silence, until Shadow spoke.

"How are you feeling?"

"..."

"Sonic, talk to me."

"What do you care?"

"Because I remember two days ago, you comforted me when I was in my most depressive state. I thought I should do the same for you, but if you don't want it I'll just get up and leave now."

"... I feel like a total idiot." Sonic sniffed. "I made a complete fool of myself. I was stupid to come to the party and not think my illness was going to show itself."

"The petals? Yes, that was pretty dumb." When Sonic didn't say anything, Shadow sighed. "Sorry, that's not helping." Shadow then looked down to the floor and his ears perked up.

On the floor by the bed, more petals were piled around. He reached down and picked up one of the American Beauties and held it between his fingers, inspecting it carefully. It was still slightly wet from Sonic's saliva and bile acid, but he didn't care. Something so bizarre like this intrigued him, and he wanted to understand it. "You know, for the record, before your coughing fit interrupted you… you weren't half bad."

"... You really mean it?" Sonic slightly turned to look at him, his eyes still red and raw from the tears.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it, Sonic."

Sonic blushed and looked away with a smile. "Thanks Shadow. That means a lot to me."

"My question is, why these petals?" Shadow asked, looking at the blue hedgehog with suspicious eyes. "These are from the American Beauty rose, which we both know is my favorite. So why these?"

Sonic rolled his eyes. "No. Of course not. Besides. If I had, they would go to my stomach. Not my lungs."

"Yes, fair point."

Sonic sighed. "I wish I knew, Shadow. I really wish I knew."

"Well, you're not coughing now. I'd take that as a good sign."

Sonic wasn't sure if he should mention that he only started coughing when he was thinking about Shadow.

"Now I have another question for you."

"What Shadow?"

"Why did you keep staring at me when you were singing?"

Sonic fell quiet, unsure how to answer. He knew why, but he didn't think Shadow would appreciate it very much. Especially how he reacted at the party when he seemed to get the general idea.

"Faker." Shadow said with a warning tone. "I won't ask again."

Tears started coming to the blue hedgehog's eyes. "I… I don't know." He sobbed into his pillow. "I really really don't know."

"You do know, hedgehog, you just won't tell me." Shadow snapped. "I may have an idea, but I want to hear it from your mouth to confirm it."

"Why?!" Sonic snapped, quickly sitting up and glaring at him with his tearfilled eyes. "So that you can have another excuse to hate me?! Just because I have a crush on you?! Well there! You happy?! I admit it! I like you Shadow! More than a friend! But it doesn't matter because clearly according to you, we're not even friends! So what's the point on telling you that?! Here to comfort me?! Yeah right! More like here to interrogate me! You get an F on your so-called comfort!"

Shadow was shocked. He's never seen Sonic so upset like this. Perhaps he has crossed that invisible line. Sonic shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I want you out. Now."

"Sonic… I…"

"OUT!"

With nothing else to say, Shadow stood up from Sonic's bed and calmly left the room, closing the door softly behind him. Sonic glared at the door for a few good minutes, daring the ebony hedgehog to come back in. After about 15 minutes, Sonic's chest started to hurt, but it wasn't a cough. It was more like his heart was breaking. He was suddenly starting to regret kicking Shadow out, and he silently pleaded for him to come back.

After half an hour, when it was clear Shadow wasn't coming back, Sonic fell against his pillow and started crying and coughing all over again.

It hurt. His heart. It hurt so much. He couldn't take it. There had to be a way to get rid of this pain.

The heartbroken hedgehog slightly turned his head to his bedside dresser and gasped. Something was on his dresser.

Driven by a dark force, the azure hedgehog slowly sat up and reached for the letter opener meant for fan mail. His fingers closed around the cold metal as he gingerly picked it up. He ran his finger over the blade, sharpened enough to cut his glove to threads.

With a dark, saddened mind, he brought the blade up to his wrist, placed it against the skin and…

With a dark, saddened mind, he brought the blade up to his wrist, placed it against the skin and…

SLASH

The dark red liquid oozed from the wound, not deep enough to kill him, but enough for him to feel the sting. The blood dripped from his hand and onto the bed, dripping like raindrops. A nice thin coat of red covered the blade of the letter opener, and Sonic himself, could only stare at the blood coming from his own body.

This pain… this high… it almost made him forget.

He brought the blade back up, right above the first cut.

SLASH

The hedgehog gasped as he felt more pain, his tickling high getting stronger. He was almost there. He could feel it.

SLASH

A third cut went above the second, and that was all he needed.

Sonic's eyelids lowered into a blissful state as all he could focus on was the pain in his forearm and the high feeling he was getting from the blood leaving his veins. His forearm and hand was soaked in blood, dripping onto the bedsheets and ruining them, but he didn't care. He was too high to care.

He wanted more.

Just as he was about to put another cut into his arm, a knock came from his unlocked door and it opened.

It was Tails. He had a phone in his hand.

"Sonic, I just called an appointment for you to see a doctor about your… OH SWEET LORD CHAOS WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"