26
A few weeks had passed with Shadow doing work around the house and occasionally they would go to the bakery. Shadow's neck was healed and only left behind a spikey scar around his neck, it wasn't too thick so he was able to easily cover it with a plain black choker with red thread. It didn't stand out too much and blended with his fur decent enough that at a glance you can't even see it.
Maddie got a sharp pain of guilt stab through her every time she saw Shadow doing chores around the house and she and the boys were all trying to make wvery chore as easy as possible by predoing it. Like washing their dishes but still leaving them in the sink that way he didn't spend forever cleaning, sweeping or vacuuming a mess when they make it even if it is small, and wiping down any suface that they used.
Shadow didn't catch on to what they were doing but he did start doing more when he realized that everything seemed clean already. He didn't mind cleaning really, he cleaned Maria's room a lot when he couldn't be with her cause she was doing her treatment. He also cleaned the professor's office if it got too cluttered, the oapers in one pile, the books in another and all surfaces wiped down aswell as sweeping the floor but he wasn't too good at that since the broom was always bigger then him.
He had finished his cleaning for the day and was sitting in the couch when So ic plopped down on the cushion next to him and sighed dramatically.
"You know you wouldn't have to do these chires if you just stayed here. Maddie just said that cause it's the only way to keep you from leaving."
"I am perfectly fine with a few small chorws around the house to compensate for my presence."
"You don't have to compensate for your presence, she just said that so you wouldn't leave and she could keep an eye on you, I'm sick of seeing you cleaning around the house, just stay with us and you would only have to do one chore a day, they're like... assigned to us."
"You guys do not have the room to keep me in your house."
"We were actually gonna move Tails out of my room and into another that way there will be more room and you can stay in my room with me, you would just have to like... help us move everything and then consider yourself off scotch free, you get to live here and have a room and I get to keep an eye on you." Shadow considered beforw answering.
"I suppose that would not be too awful." He mumbled after a few seconds.
"Awesome! I'll go tell Maddie we can clear out that room!" Sinic cheered as he hopped off of the couch and bounded down the hall towards Maddie and Tom's room, far too excited.
Shadow sighed as he realized just what he agreed to, sharing a room with this hyperactive hedgehog couldn't end well, right?
-
Turns out Tom already cleaned out the room for this exact reason and all they had to do was vacuum and move Tails' stuff down from the attic and into the room. Shadow helped with most of the heavy lifting while sonic quickly vacuumed the carpet and cleaned the window on the wall.
When they were finished two hours had passed and Shadow was slightly surprised by how much the small fox owned, mostly gadgets.
Shadow carefully climbed up to the attic and looked around once he was on his feet. There were a lot of street signs and random pictures hung on the wall, there was a red beanbag off to the side of a car shaped bed, it looks like they all have vehicles as beds, weird.
Sonic watched from the side as Shadow took in his room before moving to grab the beanbag and pull it into where the light shore from the window.
"This shall suffice for a bed." His tone stayed monotone as he crawled onto the beanbag and curled up in it.
Before Sonic could tell him that the beanbag isn't actually the best bed, Shadow was already asleep. Dang he must have been tired from all that moving, his chaos energy still is low. Higher then before but still too low.
Sonic chuckled softly, watching Shadow’s peaceful form sink into the plush beanbag. It was surprising how quickly he had adapted to their chaotic lifestyle. Just a few weeks ago, Shadow had been a distant figure, but now he was becoming part of their little family—albeit reluctantly.
“Hey, Shadow,” Sonic whispered, leaning closer, “you know you can take the bed, right? I'm not currently using it ”
But Shadow didn’t stir. He seemed completely at ease, his breathing steady and deep. Sonic smiled, feeling a swell of affection for the brooding hedgehog. He had been through so much, and despite his tough exterior, Sonic could see glimpses of the softer side that lay beneath.
With a light grin, he turned to finish tidying up and re ieganizing his stuff. There was a peculiar sense of satisfaction in creating a space for Shadow, and Sonic felt that this was more than just a room—it was a chance for Shadow to heal, to be part of something bigger than himself.
Once everything was in place, Sonic glanced back at Shadow, who was still blissfully asleep. He decided to grab a snack from the kitchen and return to the room. As he rummaged through the fridge, he could hear Maddie and Tom chatting in the living room, their voices a comforting background noise.
“Maddie, do you think Shadow is really okay?” Tom asked, concern lacing his tone.
“He’s trying,” Maddie replied softly. “But I think he needs time to adjust. He’s been alone for so long. This is a huge change for him.”
Sonic returned with a sandwich in hand, the dialogue between Maddie and Tom echoing in his mind. He knew they were right; Shadow had been through a lot. The scars on his neck were just a reminder of the battles he had fought, both physically and emotionally.
Settling beside Shadow, Sonic took a bite of his sandwich and watched him sleep. “You’re safe now, buddy,” he murmured. “You’ve got a family here. We’ll figure this out together.”
Suddenly, Shadow stirred, his eyes fluttering open for a moment, he seemed disoriented, blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings before seemingly going limp and falling back asleep.