"Perfect as always!"

In his eyes, isolation was safety. After all... No one could hurt you if they can't find you. That was how Shadow had intended to save you after all.

You are his best companion ever since Maria. When he saw Eggman kidnap you... The hedgehog couldn't just sit back and watch. Seeing you around Eggman flashed him back to... darker times.

Shadow couldn't let you suffer.

"Chaos Control!"

When you opened your eyes, you were greeted with Shadow. You weren't expecting the hedgehog to save you... let alone know where you were. However, despite all that... you were thankful to see him and his red irises.

Until you realized Shadow would never remove your chains... instead keeping you in a room not even you know the location of.

In the hedgehog's eyes, this was caring for you. Keeping you somewhere away from prying eyes was protecting you. He looked you over for wounds, gave you food and water... he looked after you.

But those old chains remain on your body... Escaping one captor in exchange for another.

"Why do you insist on doing this?" You found yourself asking one day. He cared for you enough to give you fresh clothes and food. So... why does he keep you here in heavy chains?

"I'm doing what's best for you." Shadow admits, a pang on guilt on his face as he sighs. "Here... you won't be in danger. I hate to admit it but... I just want you all to myself. Is that such a crime?”

Afterwards, you continued to stay in isolation. Shadow's answers never made any sense. Too far in his delusions of safety to consider any other alternative.

Even with the chains removed, the room you were left with was heavily trapped. Shadow always seemed to know what you were up to. Especially when you fall for one of his attempts to deter your escape.

The first few times you fell for a trap, you woke up with the hedgehog standing over you. He always had a look of disapproval on his face. As though you were a misbehaving child... not a captive.

Even now as you feel for a particularly hard hitting trap... you're left dazed with the hedgehog crossing his arms over you.

“You don’t even know how lucky you are. I protect you, and provide for you. And yet you act so ungrateful?” His voice hisses in disapproval, looking down at you with annoyance. He calls you ungrateful as though you're an entitled brat.

Entitled for wanting freedom...?

You're too busy pondering why you're head hurts and what happened to notice the small smile on his lips. You assumed you fell for a trap... but what? You then hear Shadow chuckle darkly, snapping your attention to him.

“I know it might seem strange, but I enjoy watching you sleep. It’s... peaceful.” Shadow sighs, watching you teeter in and out of consciousness.

You struggle with yourself helplessly as Shadow clasps on those dreaded chains again. It seems you aren't ready to live without them. The metal and Shadow's fur is your only comfort as you give up.

The last thing you see before falling unconscious is Shadow's red eyes...

You’re the type to wrap your arms around people in your life without a second thought, ruffle their hair, or reassure them with kind words whenever they’re feeling down.

At first, he thought this affection was only for him. The way you’d stand beside him in fights, ready to shield him from harm despite your lack of superhuman abilities, left him both confused and, strangely, touched.

But then, Shadow began to notice a pattern.

You weren’t just protective of him. You were protective of everyone you cared about. Whether it was Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, or even strangers in trouble, you’d throw yourself into the way to ensure no one got hurt.

Your willingness to put others first was respectable, but it also infuriated Shadow.

Didn’t you realize how reckless it was? Did you think anyone else deserved your warmth and care the way he did?

Shadow tried to reason with himself. He knew your affection was genuine and that your overprotective tendencies came from a place of love.

Still, that jealousy in his chest clawed at him every time he watched you worry and fuss over someone else.

His thoughts turned darker as he began to wonder if maybe he needed to teach you to focus that energy solely on him...

It wasn’t unusual for Eggman to target the people Shadow cared about, but this time, Eggman targeted you first.

Shadow’s blood boiled when he realized why. Your protective nature made you an obstacle to Eggman’s plans, your sheer determination to shield others from harm meant that his robots couldn’t get anywhere near his intended targets. And worse, your focus on others left you vulnerable.

Shadow was livid. Not at you, but at the world. How dare anyone put you in danger?

You were so busy worrying about others that you forgot to worry about yourself. He decided right then and there that he’d do whatever it took to keep you safe, even if that meant keeping you away from everyone else.

In the days that followed, Shadow became even more possessive. He started hovering closer during battles, stepping in before you had the chance to protect someone else. If you tried to shield Sonic or Tails, Shadow would pull you back with a firm grip, glaring at whoever dared to draw your attention.

"You can’t keep doing this," he’d say in a stern voice. "You’re going to get yourself hurt. Let me handle it."

At home, Shadow became even clingier. He didn’t like how much energy you gave to others, so he made it his mission to monopolize your time.

Every moment spent with him was another moment you couldn’t be out there, being with someone else.

Still, he couldn’t completely suppress his jealousy. The way you’d light up when hugging someone else made his fists clench.

Your constant reassurances that you had enough love to go around only made him more determined to make you see that he deserved all of it.

"Why do you waste your time on people who can’t protect themselves?" he’d growl. "They don’t deserve what you give them. I’m the one who’ll keep you safe, not them"

Sonic:

Sonic's usually not the biggest fan on being the ewcieving wnd of affection, but when it comes ti you, he loves it. In fact, he thrives on it.

You’re always ready with a hug, a playful nudge, or words of encouragement that make his heart race faster than his feet.

At first, he thought you were just that way with him, and he basked in the attention.

But Sonic quickly realized that you didn’t just have love for him. You had love for everyone.

You’d throw yourself in front of Tails to block an incoming attack, fuss over Amy if she got a scratch, or rush to Knuckles aid whenever he bit off more than he could chew.

Your boundless compassion for others left Sonic respecting you even more, but it also left him feeling insecure.

As confident as Sonic was in his abilities, he couldn’t shake the fear that someone else might steal your affection.

He wanted to be the one you turned to, the one you prioritized above all else. But your overprotective tendencies meant that you focused on everyone equally, leaving Sonic craving more of your attention.

Then came the day Eggman decided to target you.

It wasn’t hard to see why. You were a force of nature in your own way, your determination to protect others made you a threat to Eggman’s plans. Sonic’s heart dropped when he realized that Eggman saw you as a liability.

The first time one of Eggman’s robots aimed directly for you, Sonic barely managed to stop the attack in time.

"Hey, what were you thinking?!" he scolded, his voice tinged with panic. "You can’t keep throwing yourself in the line of fire like that!"

You brushed off his concerns, he did that stuff all the time, why was it any different?

Sonic wanted to argue, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Still, he made a silent vow to protect you, even if it meant protecting you from yourself.

Sonic’s jealousy is more subtle than Shadow’s, have to keep up the 'perfect hero' act. He’d crack jokes whenever you doted on someone else, masking his unease with humor. But if someone started to take over your time, Sonic wouldn’t hesitate to intervene, dragging you away with some flimsy excuse.