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Nightmares.
Shadow has had many nightmares before, it’s barely nothing new. But each one still spooks him at least a bit.
And by a bit, that means a lot.
Shadow was in a white square room on a bed with a similar color, he’s been here so many times and yet it all still blinds him. There are people all around him, ones he recognizes as ‘scientists’ having the same stupidly bright color as everything else in this place. Just looking at it was torture.
It’s never different. It will never be different.
He tried to pull the restraints on his arms and legs like he’s done a thousand times, even though he knows that he can’t feel anything, he can’t do anything, it’s useless. He’s seen this so many times..
So why does it still terrify him?
The ‘scientists’ looked at him with their distorted, messed up faces. Shadow felt like throwing up, he’s never seen such mutilation, it was disgusting. They looked like they were melting under the heat of the lights like ice cream.
They came closer.
Closer. And closer. He could feel himself shaking. He wanted to get away. He wanted to scream. He wanted to do something. But he couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried. With his his voice and movement stripped away from him, he continued to stare, wide-eyed, at the hands that came near.
A scorching burn.
That’s all he felt.
Fingers. Hands. Small touches. Big touches. Everywhere. Touching in places that should never be touched, especially by them. There’s no spot left out. He hates it, he wants it to end. The feeling of absolute disgust pools in his stomach. All he feels is dying heat. He wants to cry. He thinks he’s crying.
It will never end.
He’s stuck here.
This will never END-
With a gasp, erratically breathing, Shadow jolted awake. He was sure tears were stream down his eyes. His body felt hot, he didn’t like it. He hated it.
He got up out of bed, heading towards the bathroom. He put his hands on the cold sink, looking back at himself in the mirror, hoping that would ease this terrible feeling. But no, it only made it worse. He could still see, feel, the ‘scientist’s’ hands on him, going anywhere they felt like it. This didn’t feel right. It never did.
Shocked, he stumbled over and landed harshly against the bath, probably bruising his right arm. When had his tail grown? When had claws rip through flesh, dripping down with horrendous blood? He was a mess. An embarrassing horrible mess.
If he wasn’t so in his own world right now now, he would’ve heard the creak to the bathroom and the voice that came with it.
“Shadow…?” He walked in. Blue was slightly in his vision. A gasp, he heard. And the slight speed walking on tiles was what broke him out of his trance.
“Don’t come any closer!” A tremble is heard in his voice. Pathetic. He turned to the cobalt hedgehog, who was about 2 feet away from him, with scared, dark eyes. Sonic has never seen Shadow look at him like that. This whole sight made him want to cry.
Shadow was on the floor with tears running down his eyes, holding, clawing, tearing into his sides, ears perched back, with his tail trying to cover his lower body. What was this nightmare?
“Hey Shads.. it’s alright. It’s me, Sonic.” He tried to calm him down first. He knows how high-alert he is in this state. It seems like it kinda worked as he registered the name but still was weary. He couldn’t think of anything else, so he tried the thing that calms him down when he panics.
He took a cautious step forward, definitely noting how the ebony fur bristled and teeth barred in alarm. “Okay Shads, try to listen to me. What are five things you can see?”
It took him a while to come up with an answer as his eyes were blurry from crying. “Blue.., the tiles, the mirror, the sink, ..blood..?” He was actually confused why he could see blood. He’s been clawing at himself for so long, he barely even feels it.
He was still shaking. Cobalt took another step. “Okay… four things you can touch?” He saw him hesitate, but finally take one of his hands away from his side. “Tiles, bath, socks, and myself..” he shivered at the last answer.
They were getting somewhere. He was now right next to him, sitting down, trying not to touch him. “Three things you can hear?” It didn’t take him as long this time, voice still a whisper. “You, the outside, the water from the sink.”
He was calming down. “Two things you can smell?” The answer was almost immediate. “You and soap.”
“One things you can taste?” He opened his arms as an invitation.
“My… tongue.” And that’s how he could tell he was real, he was here with the blue blur and not in the horrifying white room, being poked and prodded at. He immediately leaped into peach arms, uncurling tail, letting out more tears than before. Azure took him in welcomingly, rubbing his back and spilling sweet nothings into his long ears.
The arms wrapped around him were warm, he felt warm. Not that scorching hot feeling like you’ve been at the beach for too long, but that settled feeling of coffee in the early morning when you have nothing else to do.
He felt like a big baby. But he thinks that’s okay right now. He felt okay, he felt fine.
He felt safe.
Once he felt his shaking die down and breathing even more, “Would you like to tell?” And his answer was expected, “No. I’m sorry..” He shushed him again, “It’s okay. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll always be here. I’ll wait forever.” It wasn’t his fault. It’s never his fault. Whatever happened, he didn’t and never will deserve. But only one of them know that.
He picked him up, taking him back to bed and gently sitting him there, turning on the lights as well. “I’ll be right back, I’m gonna get bandages for your injuries.” He sped off. And he that’s when he noticed the open wounds on his sides, almost like thorns. Chaos, he was such a chore.
He came back with bunches of bandages and cleaning supplies in his arms. It would’ve made Shadow chuckle at least a bit at how much he had, if he wasn’t so drained. Sonic cleaned and wrapped about three bunches around his waist carefully, giving him a tender kiss afterwards for ‘being so great’.
They both soon got in bed, savoring the warmth of the sheets above them. Before the onyx hedgehog could think of anything else, a voice from his left called out, “May I cuddle with you?” The azure hedgehog asked, aware that he may still be anxious.
Shadow scooted over a bit to him, “Yeah.” With a smile on his face, he clung onto him. Cobalt leg over ebony, he curled into peach fur while the other plopped his head on dark scarlet quills, petting them gently.
Both purring under each other’s ears, they fall to unconsciousness.
Hoping for tomorrow to be a better day.