Chapter 7

                                    

                                          
As the evening grew long, Shadow found he could no longer create any excuses to put off Sonic's mealtime. He entered the greenhouse with a great amount of hesitance that night, but was relieved to find the blue male acting perfectly normal, as though the events of yesterday had never happened. Pleasant smiles and nuzzles greeted him. Feeling more confident, Shadow proceeded to reprimand Sonic about his behavior yesterday and about the bruises on his arm.
                          
The Wild just stared at him until he mentioned the bruises. He was alarmed that he'd hurt Shadow, even in such a small way, and apologized earnestly. In truth, he was hardly sorry for his tantrum- he considered a rage display perfectly justified for when someone else should come around speaking so intimately of their relationship with his chosen- but bodily harm in such a situation was inexcusable. Not to mention Shadow sounded quite flustered and frightened by his actions. Why should he be afraid? His friend was so hard to understand at times. But he had already made so much progress with Shadow- they couldn't backtrack now!
                          
Desperate to repair any interpersonal damage, Sonic lay down on the ground and curled his body around Shadow's feet, pressing his forehead to the top of one foot in a supplicating gesture similar to a kowtow, the highest form of repentance among his kind. Shadow became embarrassed that he'd even brought it up. He was only trying to give him a hard time for being so outrageous the day before, after all.
                          
"Get up, get up!" he nervously ran a hand through his quills. "I wasn't even really that mad, and it's only a little bruise..."
                          
Sonic hopped to his feet and grabbed Shadow's hand, nuzzling it fervently, then massaged and soothed the forearm that sported the bruises under the sleeve.
                          
:: Forgive me, Shadow! I meant no harm. What can I do to earn your forgiveness? ::
                          
"You're forgiven, okay? Just- just calm down. I was only blowing off steam; I never thought you'd take it so seriously. Jeez!"
                          
:: Oh, thank you, Shadow! Shadow, my good friend. You are such a good person, so generous. :: he gushed, continuing to caress and embrace the injured arm.
                          
The flustered male slowly tugged his arm out of the creature's grip, but Sonic only moved behind him and hugged him from the back, rocking gently. Shadow blushed. The creature was so naive. He was neither good nor generous, but rather cold and heartless. No one who knew him would dispute this fact.
                          
But to hear such an honest compliment from the creature- or from anyone, for the first time in his life- filled him with an embarrassed regret. Sometimes he wished he could be the good person Sonic described, but thought it impossible for someone like himself. Good and generous people didn't know how to succeed in this harsh world anyway; and there was no place for nice guys in business. Still, he felt guilty that he could not be the person Sonic thought him to be.
                          
:: Thank you Shadow- I'm so sorry. :: Sonic interrupted his train of thought. :: I had no idea you were so delicate. ::
                          
"Yeah, well... Wait, what? I'm not delicate!"
                          
Insomnia afflicted Shadow again that night, and took its toll on his work performance the next day. All his thought patterns seemed to veer back toward Sonic. He was utterly unable to concentrate on graphs and data and market analysis, and let his VPs do all the work in their latest executive financial meeting. He drove home with his brain on automatic and trudged up to the main doors, exhausted. All he wanted to do was have a Cointreau, feed Sonic and then hopefully fall asleep reading, but the stars were not in his favor that evening. His head maid met him at the door.
                          
"Sir! Oh, good, you're finally home. I-"
                          
"Whatever it is, not now. I'm too damn tired."
                          
"But sir, it's important! Your father is here; he wants to talk to you as soon as possible."