Sonic's ear twitches slightly, as his eyes started to flutter open...the first thing that he saw was the slight shadow of the Sakura Tree that was outside of his window, a long with the golden light from the sun. Not wanting to miss out on that routine he forced himself out of bed. Whimpering from the pain in his joints and he just started to limp his way over to the window.

As he sat down, he only started to watch the setting of the sun. His mind started to wonder, as he imagined Crimson sitting across from him watching the sunset with him, he felt a smile forming on his muzzle...but that imagery soon faded when he heard a knock on his door.

"You have a visitor." Mr. Dusk called out from the other side of the door.

Sonic froze. A visitor? He never gets visitors, this his eyes shifted over to the letter from his penpal. As the door knob turned and opened.

The blue hedgehog's emerald eyes slowly met the gaze of the once dull emotionless ruby eyes of the black hedgehog.

Sonic felt it in his gut that this was the mobian that he had been writing to...and just completely ignoring in damage legs, he hurriedly stepped forward wrapping his arms around the taller male. "You came..." he mutters out.

Shadow only wrapped his arms around the shorter male...the feeling that he got from this moment.

Was Joy.

Sure he had been hugged before, lots of times from Rouge, but he just empty every time they hugged, or interacted...but this...this was different, it a warm hug that actually meant something, something that he hadn't felt in years.

Mr. Dusk had left the two alone, he felt his heart flutter at the sight of his patient...having a peaceful smile on his muzzle, it's been awhile since he had seen that kind of smile.

"Are you okay?...your trembling?"

Sonic did take a notice of his trembling, mostly at his legs that had started to sting from him just standing on them for to long. "Sorry...can you help me back over to the window."

Shadow was slightly confused, but he did remember from the letters that he had gotten from the other hedgehog, had said that he was sick...so he did so.

When Sonic was seated, the numbness in his legs started to take over. "So your Crimson?"

"Yeah, The names Shadow Terios Dark." Shadow responded scratching the back of his neck.

"It's nice to finally meet you Shadow, I'm Sonic Maurice Hedgehog." Sonic responded with a cheerful smile on his muzzle.

It didn't really take long for Shadow to notice the bruising that was on Sonic's arms, he didn't want to assume that they came from the hospital staff, since they seemed rather nice and carrying towards their patients. Pushing his thoughts to the side he pulled out a box from his pocket.

"I wanted to give you something as a thank you, for bringing back my suppressed emotions." Shadow said as he just opened the box to show off the two necklaces.

"You bought me these...y-you don't have to waste money on me..." Sonic said his ears tilting back, he was already expensive as it is...thanks to his medical condition, he even feels guilty for Vanilla having to spend her earnings on his treatment when she be using it on her biological daughter.

Shadow only unmagnetized the two necklaces, taking the yang side for himself...he gently turned Sonic around halfway, to that he could put the necklace on him, when he was done the yin side dangled in view of the blue hedgehog's vision, pulling the symbol close to his face he saw that it was a galaxy on his half, which only made his eyes sparkle slightly. "I...I don't know what to say?"

"Then don't." Shadow said as he sat himself onto the side of Sonic.

Sonic felt his heart pounding against his ribs.

"So I never really asked...but what kind of disease do you have?"

"I don't really know...all I know is that I was born with a rare disease, the makes it so that I don't have an immune system." Sonic explained. "Hints why I have a room to myself..."

Shadow didn't say anything, he never heard that kind of disease before...but it didn't really matter to him, since he was immune to all diseases, and viruses, thanks to his father's genes.

"I guess that explains the air purifier, and the sanitizer dispenser by the door."

Sonic nodded, though it used be a lot worse when he was younger...he was literally living inside of purification chambers, when the first wave of testing began. It was only now that he could live without such a chamber as he got older. But his health just didn't get better enough for him actually live amongst other patients, and mobians. Even pets were a threat to his life.

"But I'm allowed outside of my room and walk around the floor that I'm on."

"I guess I can understand how lonely you must've felt...Well I'm here and I don't plan on leaving."

Sonic's ear twitches slightly at the words, "What do you mean? Visiting Hours end at dark,"

"Not like that, I meant I'm not leaving Knothole, I meant what I said in my letter...and I want to be close you, don't get me wrong Westopolis, is nice...but I just don't feel a connection like I do here, and I can always make the journey back to visit my mother's grave, but."

"...The city really made you feel so empty?"

Shadow only looked down, he didn't want to admit it...but it was true, when he was younger he wasn't so emotionless, and dull...he was rather open and happy, but when his mother passed it was like a wave of negative energy hit him like a truck, and felt like nothing mattered anymore, his brother had moved on, the same with his father, but him...he just feel more into his depression. Then this Assignment...and that feeling wanting to be close to Sonic. That feeling that he hadn't felt in years when his mother was around.

"Yeah...it did, no matter how many people I let in to, even letting that Friend drag me around, just felt empty...but then the thought of you being with me."

"I guess, we both were missing something...that warmth." Sonic explained, Shadow only nodded at him. "I...I'm glad that you came, I forgot how felt to get a visitor, let alone have a friend that I can relate to."

"I promise to come over everyday."

"Thank you." Sonic pauses "Crimson"

Shadow felt that smile forming on his muzzle, it wasn't before he saw the drawing paper on the counter...Sonic's chibi vision was waiting for him at door of that apartment. After leaving that city...he finally felt at peace with himself...whatever that warm feeling he was getting when he was writing those letters, just continued to be there.