The hedgehog and bat sit for hours together; at around 10PM, Rouge finally finishes her level and quits the game. Shadow snores peacefully on her lap, one hand cradling his cheek, the other lying palm-down on the couch cushion. His ears twitch slightly as he dreams, and his fuzzy white chest fluff grazes his chin, swaying as he breathes deeply in his sleep. The azure bat looks down at him as he snoozes; a small smile traces her lips as she gently strokes his spines. Wow... When he's relaxed like this, his fur is so smooth. Her gloved fingers trace delicately across the silky fur as she runs her hands through his hair. To her utmost surprise, he hums softly and shifts position, rubbing his muzzle against the outer edge of her thigh as he curls up slightly; crossing his legs at both the knees and the ankles, he curls into a ball, resting his head on her lap. The azure-eyed bat stifles a chuckle at the uncharacteristically innocent look on his face. He usually looks so grumpy all the time, but when he's asleep, he's so...cute! His mouth hangs open slightly, exposing vampiric fangs, and she finds herself stroking his ears in particular. Gosh, his fur is just so soft! Giggling, she leans back a bit, giving the ebony and crimson hedgehog a fond look. His eyelashes flutter as his eyelids twitch; his lip curls and he growls softly in his sleep. Surprised, the snowy bat grows nervous as his snarl increases in volume; she can feel the muscles in his jaw clench as his ears flatten, brows furrowed in an expression of...anger? Or is it fear?

"Uh, Shadow?" Anxious, Rouge gently shakes him, but he doesn't answer; his free hand grips the couch cushion, the hand on his face slowly unsheathing its claws. Suddenly, he flinches as if wounded, and lets out a yelp, spooking Rouge, who bristles, pulling her arms up and away from him, folding them close to her.

"W-Wait!" He cries, and his claws fully unsheathe, tearing into the couch. Rouge yips, pulling away from him. Wh-What--"Don't..." He starts shivering, and to her utmost disbelief she sees tears spilling out of the edges of his eyes. "Don't leave me alone!" He shrieks, eyes snapping open as he tumbles forward, one arm reaching towards something only he can see, and he falls off the couch in a violent jerk. His chin clips the table and he lets out a muffled 'ungh' as his forehead connects with the hardwood flooring. Sniffling slightly, he tries to pick himself up, but his rear is still on the couch beside Rouge.

--------------------

Rubbing my eyes fervently, I blink, disoriented and confused. Where am I? Why does my back feel all bent outta shape? "Shadow?" I hear someone whisper from behind me, and my ears perk; quickly, I rub my watery eyes, trying fervently to mask my tears though I don't know where they came from. I know that voice... That's--lifting myself up, I lock my arms and gaze over my shoulder at her. My head-spines cascade down my back, brushing against the much stiffer spines ridging my backbone; I blink at her, puzzled. Why am I half on the couch and half not? "Are you okay?" She murmurs, her eyes wide with worry, one hand tentatively reaching out to me. I realize what an awkward angle this must be, and struggle to heft myself back up onto the couch in one fervent movement, my mind coming back down to Earth. That's right, I was sleeping on her lap while she played that game. How could I forget? Sudden embarrassment burns within me and I recoil from her touch, scrambling to my feet.

"Don't touch me!" I snarl, red flashing across my vision, and she stifles a gasp, pulling back with a look of shock and revulsion on her face. I blanch, feeling awful about scaring her. No, I tell myself vehemently, that's not important. Her feelings aren't important. I lie to myself, blatantly, and I know it's a lie, but I grit my teeth and swallow my guilt.

"Shadow, what're you--" she starts, leaning towards me, but I take another step back, almost tripping over the table. Rouge stops, eyes glimmering with concern. "Are you okay?" She repeats in a slightly quieter, yet more insistent tone, enunciating carefully. Her voice is soft and gentle, but it stings me like a swarm of bees; tongue-tied by her glittering blue gaze, unable to speak, I turn away from her, crossing my arms uncomfortably. "You were talking in your sleep," she continues, and I hear her stand up, bare feet padding against the hardwood floor. Don't come closer, I think at her, bristling. Just go away--wait, what am I thinking? This is her home, if I want her to leave me alone... She places a cool hand on my shoulder and I stiffen, spines flared, sharp and dangerous. Then I have to be the one to leave.

"Forget it!" I snarl, forcing anger into my voice. Whirling around, I slap her hand off my shoulder, and she cries out in shock. I immediately regret it, God I wish I hadn't done that, but something in me tells me I have to. Red flares in my vision and my breath catches, but I force myself back in control. "Look," I grab her roughly by the shoulders, but my arms are shaking as I struggle pointlessly to keep my cool, "just forget this ever happened!" I scream at her, and her own fur fluffs up in fear. I'm losing it, I'm losing it, oh God, I'm about to lose-- "Forget it! Just forget it!" Abruptly letting her go, I shove past her, and she almost falls over as I dash out of the room. Upset and frightened, I whip open my bedroom door, slamming it behind me. My breathing is ragged, gasping, and a sudden horrible paranoid feeling seizes me. I have to get out, I have to get out of here, I--Stumbling across the room, I trip over my own two feet as I struggle to the window; fumbling with the latch, my claws scrape the plastic harshly as I throw it open. Springing up, I shove my head through the hole, dragging my arms through the opening after me. Panting, I writhe, trying my hardest to force my way out. Gotta get out, gotta keep going, gotta run! I gasp in the fresh air as I kick my legs, wriggling until I eventually fall, tumbling down the building's wall. Landing roughly on the ground, I let out a stifled cry as the air is forced out of my lungs. Crimson flickers across my sight with every rapid beat of my pounding heart. Wheezing, I scrabble around, trying to shove myself up to a standing position; every muscle in my body is trembling and tense. Shivering violently, I stagger to my feet, dazed and confused. A sharp pain stabs through my side, and I clutch my ribs, panting. Looking first left, then right, I stumble about, then head off in a random direction, one hand still gripping my ribcage. With every thumping step, sharp agony spears through me, and my vision clouds with red, blurring at the edges. Gasping, I pause at the alleyway's exit, one hand holding myself up, and I stare up at the deep purple sky. The full moon shines a brilliant yellowish white, with gleaming stars scattered around it. I stare at it, trying to force myself to be calm; without even knowing it, I let my feet take me wherever they want to go. It's bitingly cold out tonight, and with each breath the air billows out of my lungs in a cloud of hot steam; each gasp draws new ice shards into my throat. Eventually, my breathing slows to some resemblance of normalcy, and my sight clears enough that I can focus; stopping again, I survey my surroundings and realize I have no idea where I am. Twisting about, I turn to and fro, panic rising in my chest as I come to a rather horrifying conclusion.

I'm hopelessly lost.

-----------------

Rouge stands in her living room for a solid two minutes, stunned to silence. She'd always known Shadow to be erratic and moody, but this? This is a whole new level of insanity. Why is he always so angry? Despite herself, she feels tears gathering at the corners of her eyes; hastily she brushes them away, shaking her head and sniffling. No. No more crying tonight. Turning to the doorway, she scowls, steeling herself. I am going to get to the bottom of this, even if he won't tell me what's wrong. I have to, for his sake. Stepping forward confidently, the azure-eyed bat stalks down the hall, approaching Shadow's closed door. Her footsteps slow of their own accord, hesitation seizing her, but she forces her way through it. He has to overcome whatever's causing his nightmares, or he'll never be able to lead a normal life. They're clearly strong enough to cloud his judgment. Her hand slowly inches towards the doorknob, and she bites her lip, stopping. ...But maybe he's had enough for one night... Pricking her ears, she listens carefully, trying to catch an image of the room to check if he's all right, but to her surprise the image her echolocation returns is that of an empty room. Panicking, she seizes the knob, twisting it and throwing the door open. A gasp rips from her as she stares at the place where Shadow should be.

"He's gone," she whispers to no one in particular. Rushing forward, she tears open the closet, but it holds only the tattered jacket he once wore. Whipping around, she surveys the room rapidly; a breeze stirs her ears, and her blood runs cold. "Oh my God..." Sprinting to the open window, she leans out, eyes scanning the pavement below for any black-and-red furballs. "Shadow!" She screams into the icy winter air. "Shadow!"

A chilly gust whips the tears from her eyes before they can fall as she pulls back, one hand pressed over her mouth, sky-blue eyes wide. "He's gone," she repeats, voice muffled by her gloved hand. A sob escapes her as she turns around, pressing her back to the open window. Oh, God! What do I do? Where did he go? Worry clouds her thoughts and she starts to pace nervously, brows furrowed as she tries to make sense of it all. Maybe he'll come back. Maybe he didn't go far. Maybe he's just on the roof, maybe he just went for a walk around the block, maybe, maybe, maybe--Cursing herself, she shakes her head vigorously. No. He's in an unfamiliar city, feeling unwell, and maybe a bit disoriented--chances are, he's gotten himself lost out there. I can't just wait around. This cold is murder, literally, she tells herself as she exits his room, throwing the door to hers open, and I need to find him before he gets himself killed. Ripping open the closet door, she snags a thick coat, shrugging it on over her work uniform. Good thing I kept my work clothes on. Sliding on a pair of combat boots, she turns back around, trudging out of her room.

"Hang on, Shadow." Opening the window a bit more, she hefts herself out of it, clambering a bit clumsily in haste, "I'm coming."

-------------------

I shiver, arms wrapped around myself. This was a horrible idea, I snarl at myself, frustrated. I've been walking around for hours now, and I think I'm going in circles, but nothing seems right. I keep looking up at the moon but the streetlights in my way always cloud my vision with their harsh fluorescent lights, burning my retinas, and I have to look back down at my feet. Eventually, something tells me to stop, and I glance about, trying to figure out what subliminally caught my attention. To my surprise, when I look left, I find myself staring into a familiar face--my own. The windows of this shop are neatly polished, perfectly reflective, and I turn to get a better look at myself.

My downward gaze slowly trails up my reflection, and I sadly look at my disheveled and messy fur, fluffed up against the cold and buffeted by the wind into various knots and tangles. My arms are clutched close to me, and I shudder uncontrollably, muscles spasming in an attempt to create warmth. My chest fluff is prickly and blows about in the wind; my teeth are clenched in a grimace of pain due to the dull ache in my chest caused by my fall. My tired eyes lock with those of my reflection, and I watch as they widen. What the... Leaning forward, I tip my head a bit, trying to get a clear view of my eyes. The color holds a dull, cloudy sheen, like a dirt-covered ruby, and my pupils are snakelike slits, trembling and quivering within my iris. The skin beneath my eyes has a dark, shadowy quality, and my eyebrows seem to be glued together. The pained and fearful look on my face is completely opposite to the relaxed expression I held mere hours ago, before this whole mess... A shudder runs up my spine and I turn away, trying not to focus on my horrible nightmare. This dream was far worse than any terror I'd experienced before now. I'm really and truly starting to remember, I think dully, plodding forward again. But God, I wish I weren't. Rubbing my temples with one hand, I groan; a headache has begun to brew right behind my eyes, no doubt brought on by all the messing around Robotnik's done with my head. At least his most recent failed attempt to manipulate my mind has led to this, I muse silently, staring aimlessly at the ground as my feet take me wherever they please. All the walls he built are crumbling down, but it feels like the floor's falling out from underneath me too... I almost wish I could forget again. Lifting my head, I gaze forlornly up at the stars. A crushing weight feels like it's pressing down on me, and with every breath I take it feels like my lungs are getting squashed, but I brush it off as a side effect of cracking my ribs; oddly enough, they're not healing as quickly as they did when I was fighting Sonic. Or maybe I just haven't actually been out here that long. Either way, it feels horrible.

With a sigh, I lower the hand I had been using to rub my temples, and tuck my arms ever closer to me. What am I going to do? I ask myself, biting my lip, worried. How will I find my way back? What if I can't get there before Rouge wakes up?  Terror and guilt flash through me. God, she'd be worried sick... I feel awful for leaving. I wish I could un-do all of this! I wish I could somehow travel back in time, stop myself from jumping out the window... Tears threaten to fall as I bury my face in my arms, ignoring the cold blast now whipping my exposed chest. I'm so goddamn stupid and worthless. I wish that fall had killed me! If only...

------------------

The bat dashes down the street, coat zipped closed, scarf whirling behind her. Desperation had set in by now; she was running up to every person she saw, shouting about a black and red hedgehog. No one had seen anything of the sort, and she was starting to really lose hope when she got the break she needed.

"Excuse me, sir?" The ash-furred bat tugs on a tall male human's sleeve. "Have you seen a black and red hedgehog, around my height, walking around without a coat?"

"Uh," the man pauses to think, "was he not wearing any shoes? Red stripes on his arms and legs?"

"Yes!" Rouge cries, excited. "Where is he?!"

"Er, uh," the man smiles nervously, a bit off-put by her enthusiasm, "Yeah, he was down that way," he points to the back alleys of the city, "walking over in that direction and mumbling about something to himself," gesturing northwest. His expression becomes even more awkward as he averts his gaze, clearing his throat. "I thought he was homeless so I, y'know, left him alone..."

The azure-eyed bat ignores his last comment, tearing down the alleyway. "Thank you so much!" She cries over her shoulder, waving to him. Her boots thud against the pavement, crunching the frost gathering on the concrete. The cold air whips against her sensitive ears, and she yanks her coat hood up to protect them; as she runs, she worries about Shadow, lacking any sort of jacket. How is he gonna survive this? I have to find him, and soon! Picking up the pace, she glances frantically to and fro, distressed. "Shadow!" She calls out, twisting to dash off to her right, avoiding a dead end. "Where are you?" Panting now, she pushes herself further. "Shadow!"

Her call echoes through the alleyways, and a few blocks over, two black ears twitch, barely catching the tail end of the sound. The ebony and crimson hedgehog turns, arms clutched to his side, confusion flickering in his eyes. Hope glitters behind his irises as he turns, ears trained forward, his breath fogging out of his mouth. "Rouge?" He calls out, puzzled, taking a step towards what he presumes to be the source of her voice.

"Shadow!" Rouge shouts again, and this time he knows he isn't hallucinating. His steps hasten as he rushes forth to find her; involuntary tears begin to gather in his eyes. His legs are so numb by now that each step is a wobbly and painful struggle, but he ignores that, forcing himself to keep going in spite of the pain.

"Over here!" He shouts, and he turns down a narrow street just as she skids to a stop at its opposite end, glancing about in an almost feverish haste; she catches sight of him and lets out a joyful shout. Tears spill down his muzzle as he lunges forward, and she leaps off the ground, unfurling her wings to fly towards him. Dark and light fur collides in the middle, Rouge's hood falling off her head as she wraps her arms around him protectively.

"Oh, my God, I was so worried!" She breathes, tightly gripping him. "What were you thinking?!" Pulling back, she scowls at him as her heels graze the ground again. "Why would you run off like that?!"

"I'm so sorry!" He buries his face in her jacket, sobbing. "I just--I thought--I felt like I..." He keeps starting his sentence over and over again, stumbling over himself in a search for the right words. Eventually, only apologies start tumbling out, and he whimpers, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry--"

"Shh," she flaps her wings once to steady herself, running the fingers of her right hand through his spines. "It's all right, but please don't do this again." She nuzzles the top of his head, trying to calm him down. "You don't have to apologi--"

"Yes, I do!" He wails, constricting her further, and she yips in surprise. "I shouldn't have yelled at you and I shouldn't have left and I'm just so sorry! I don't know what got into me, I..." He stops as a fit of coughing interrupts him. The cold air burns his lungs, and every muscle in his body is trembling.

"It's okay, Shadow," she answers, snaking her arm between his face and her jacket to lift his chin; his eyes are lachrymose and bloodshot, half-frozen, and she chuckles softly to herself. Half of all this is just him being delirious from the cold... Come tomorrow morning, he'll be his usual prickly self. "I forgive you," the azure-eyed bat smiles as she wipes his tears off with one hand. "Come on. Let's go home now--you're shaking like a leaf." In one swift motion, the bat sweeps him off his feet, holding him close to her; he lets out a muffled yelp, involuntarily looping his arms around her neck to keep himself upright. "Hold on tight, honey," she purrs, turning swiftly to get a running start before she leaps into the deep purple sky, her long coat trailing behind her and flapping in the wind. He gasps as a blast of chilly air hits him, squinting with one eye completely shut and the other cracking open slightly, its red glow streaking behind them. "Sorry about all the wind," she shouts over the gale, but he shakes his head.

"Whatever gets us home faster." He answers, seeming a bit more his usual tight-lipped self. She smiles, fluttering her wings gently as she begins her descent, aiming to land on the roof of the building. Her boots hit the roof's pavement with a soft thump, and she immediately drops into a crouch to lessen the impact, still keeping a tight grip on the cold hedgehog. Standing up, she sets him down; he turns away immediately, looking down. Confused, the snowy bat stands up straight, and brushes her hair behind her shoulders a bit. "Rouge," he mumbles, shivering a little, "you... You didn't have to come after me..." He turns to look at her over his shoulder, smiling softly, but it doesn't reach his eyes; they hold a deeper, more tumultuous emotion. "Thank you for that."

"Oh, hush," she swats him gently, walking towards the rooftop elevator, trying to lighten his mood. "We literally just got Team Dark completely assembled--we can't lose one of our three members right off the bat!" She teases, pressing a button by the door.

"I suppose you're right," he answers with a chuckle, stepping up beside her. His smile fades and wanes in a few seconds as he glances down and away from her, his expression darker than ever before, but he doesn't say anything. The fog of their breath tangles together, drifting up into the sky as they patiently stand and wait for the elevator.