Shadow was one of the hardest people…well hedgehogs…to read. He kept his emotions mainly to himself and hated to be vulnerable. That is except when he was with you. He still wasn’t often open of his feelings, but he trusted you more than anyone. So when the two of you sat underneath the night sky looking up at the stars in an open field and he opened up about Maria, you gladly listened. He spoke slowly and his voice was softer than usual. He looked up at the stars with a pained expression, and when he was finished talking he sighed through his nose softly. After a moment he turned his head to look at you. You were already looking at him, and when he saw your loving expression he felt his heart skip a beat. He’d never felt so cared for since he had Maria…

He slowly sat up on the grass and stared up at the sky, hugging his knees to his chest. He felt his eyes gloss over as he tried to blink the tears away. He was surprised when he felt your arms wrap around him, hugging him close. After a moment he slowly turned and hugged you back, resting his head on your shoulder as his gloved hand wrapped around your waist.