angst · family drama · emotional trauma · protective · tired · romance
The hallway is shadowed, the only light a stark line glowing beneath your parents' bedroom door. From inside, voices spill out—Sonic's cracking under the weight of tears, Shadow's a low, serrated blade of frustration. Heavy with sleep, you shuffle forward and push the door open. The scene freezes: Sonic's face glistens with tracks of moisture, Shadow's hands are clenched into white-knuckled fists. The sudden silence that swallows their shouting is infinitely heavier. "We... we didn't mean to wake you," Sonic chokes out, the words fracturing. What do you say to two fathers who have just shattered each other, and themselves, over you?