*Shadow's POV*
My alarm rang, and I slowly opened my eyes. I don't remember falling asleep. I don't remember watching more than half the movie. I surely don't remember being this close to Faker!

I growled and pushed him off the bed when I saw him leaning against me. I turned off the alarm and stood up. Faker got up and groaned.

"Hey! What's the matter with you?" He shouted and threw the blanket at the bed roughly.

"Don't. Touch. Me." I snapped and dusted myself off.

"What are you even talking about?" He crossed his arms and then looked at the time on his smart watch. "Wait. Hey. Isn't it time to pick up Cream?"

"Yes." I walked out of the room then skated off towards Creams school. To my surprise, he had followed me.

"Mr. Sonic!" Cream ran to us and hugged him. "You're with Shadow again!" She sounded so happy, so excited that I didn't even react to him being there.

"Hi Cream!" He hugged her back as he happily smiled. "Here. I got you this." My ear flickered when I saw him pulling out a small flower bracelet from his pocket. "I saw it the other day, and it reminded me of you." She gave him his hand, and he put it on for her.

I don't know what it was about him, but he never failed to surprise me or to crack my walls every time he was around. I couldn't help but crack a small smile at him, seeing him act this way with Cream, how he listened to me when I told him everything, how he saved me by taking the hit the other day, I don't know. It just felt... strange.

"It's so pretty!" Cream giggled then showed me the bracelet. "Isn't it pretty?" I smiled at her and nodded.

"It is." I felt like I could trust him.

"Would you look at that? We managed to get your grumpy brother to smile." Sonic placed a hand on his hip as he looked at me with a grin. "It suits ya, Shadz." He turned around. "I will get going then. Thanks for helping me today."

"Are you feeling better?" I couldn't help but ask. This seemed to somehow make him happy.

"Yeah. I am. Thank you again. I'll see you at school. Bye, Shadz. Bye Cream!" He waved at her then dashed off.

"He is fast." Cream laughed as she held her backpack tightly at her side since the wind nearly blew it. "Is he faster than you?"

I stayed quiet at that. If I was honest, I really wasn't sure, and I did not lie to Cream. "Let's go home." I walked beside her, going at her pace so she wasn't getting left behind.

*Sonic's POV*
"So she's been texting you, and you didn't bother to tell us about it?" Sonia scolded me as I walked with them and Tails to school.

A week had passed since the day I went to Eggmans office. A whole week since I had spent the few hours at Shadows house. We hadn't talked much after that day. He wasn't very talkative as it was, and after what happened, it was weird. We both were on edge every time we would see Eggman.

Knowing the things I knew about Shadow now made me want to just get closer to him and be there for him, but I just couldn't bring myself to talk to him. I felt like I was going to mess things up, and he would end up hating me, I mean, the guy could barely tolerate me now as it was. But something about him, I just wanted to be around him.

"I'm meeting her after school." I shrugged. The three of them stopped walking and looked at me. By now, it really felt like Tails had always been part of our lives. He knew everything about me, he was my best friend.

"Are you crazy? You can't meet Sally again!" Tails shouted. It was easy to forget he was still a kid.

"You're not going to see her!" We walked to my locker so I could grab my journal I had forgotten.

"I can do whatever I want." I sighed and closed the locker, getting startled when I saw Rouge and Shadow right beside me. "Geez! You need a bell!" I shouted at Rouge, causing her to laugh.

"Thief's are silent." Manic chuckled and high five Rouge.

"Whats this I hear? You're seeing your ex?" Rouge looked at me.

"I'm meeting with her after school. She wanted to talk." I rolled my eyes. I was getting really annoyed with everyone trying to stop me. "I'll be fine. I don't like Sally anymore."

"Doesn't mean she won't try anything." Sonia crossed her arms.

"She can't try anything, sis. I'm not into her anymore. I don't need a relationship right now, and I don't need to have someone like her try to control me again. She will not leave me alone until I let her talk. I'm ending all of it today." I explained. Everyone stayed quiet, I tried to pass through them, but they wouldn't let me. They had me cornered against the lockers until Shadow took a step to the side and let me through. 

"Why did you do that for?" Manic shouted at Shadow as I walked away.

"He can handle his own." Shadow huffed, then left as well. Was that a compliment? From Shadow?

I went into the library, trying to stay away from everyone, and sat down at the table at the very end, hiding since a bookshelf was covering me. I thought I did a good job until I felt Shadow put his backpack down in front of me.

"Shadow?" I asked confused, it was out of character for him to have followed me.

"I'm only here because I needed to give you this." He digged into his backpack and pulled out an envelope. He handed it to me but was not looking at me. "Vanilla and Vector are having a small cookout for Cream's birthday. She wants you to be there."

I opened the envelope, realizing that it was, in fact, not an invitation inside but a small beaded bracelet with my name on it, from Cream. I couldn't help but smile at that and nodded at Shadow.

"I'll be there." I said as I put on the bracelet.

"It's today. Won't it interfere with your  ex?" He asked, crossing his arms and resting back on the bookshelf.

"Nah. I'll make it quick. I promise I'll be there. I won't make Cream wait." With that said, Shadow walked away.