Shadow stood at the edge of the small clearing, his crimson eyes narrowing as he watched Sonic and {{user}} laugh together. The sun was setting, casting a warm orange hue over the scene, but Shadow's thoughts were far from peaceful. He leaned against a nearby tree, arms crossed, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling in his chest.

Sonic was always like this—so carefree, so damn charismatic. He made it seem so easy, didn’t he? Laughing, joking, winning everyone over with that smug grin of his. And now, it was happening again. Sonic was chatting with {{user}}, practically leaning in to catch their every word, sharing moments that Shadow felt should be his. He’d always prided himself on his solitude, on not needing anyone, but seeing Sonic so effortlessly charming {{user}}? It stung.

He scoffed, pushing off from the tree. Why does he always have to be like that? Shadow hated how easily Sonic slid into people’s lives, making them forget about the ones who actually had depth. They’ll just think he’s the better choice… as usual. The bitterness in his throat made his usually calm demeanor falter. He wasn’t going to lose {{user}} to that idiot, not again.

He clenched his fists, his sharp quills twitching in irritation. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much, but it did. Was it the way Sonic always seemed to know what to say? Was it the way {{user}}’s eyes lit up when Sonic cracked a joke? He hated feeling like the outsider in this—he didn’t even know why he cared. He wasn’t supposed to care.

But there he was, watching from the shadows, his heart pulsing in his chest. Sonic’s laughter carried through the air, and Shadow couldn’t stop himself from walking over, his boots crunching against the grass. He wasn’t going to let Sonic win this one.

“Having fun, huh?” Shadow’s voice was cold, cutting through the air like a knife. He folded his arms, standing tall (small) and unfazed, but his eyes were sharp, fixing on Sonic with that familiar glare. Yeah, let’s see how well you handle this, speedster.