It Started on Lazy Day

Part 43

  That same weekend of Tails's culture festival, Shadow and Infinite had a date together to learn how to get along. They sat awkwardly across from one another in a mostly empty café, each sipping on a mostly empty drink of water.

"So..." Infinite cleared his throat in an attempt to speak louder than a mumble, "w-what do you... like doing?"

"Reading is fine. Baking is stress-relieving, " Shadow's dry and uninterested response said. He only responded because he promised Sonic he would try to get along with Infinite. "Uh, what about you?"

"I... like reading... and Sonic's teaching me to cook, and it's been amazing," Infinite's voice eased a bit as the topic of Sonic came up.

"He's teaching you?" Shadow responded.

"Y-Yeah. At first, it was because I wanted to help out during the festival. But it feels good to bond with him. S-so we kept up the routine," Infinite has a small smile under his scarf. He was wearing it in place of his mask today, but he still kept a spare in his pocket if he got too warm. The scarf was just easier to eat with.

"I see..." There were another few minutes of awkward silence before Shadow spoke up again after clearing his throat, "Did you know he could fight like that?"

"Honestly, no. I didn't think I'd ever see the day an omega broke the nose of an alpha. See him all fired up like that, he was..." Infinite's face flushed as the thought of Sonic being the one to sit on his lap and initiate a rough makeout occurred. He quickly covered his face again.

"Yeah..." Shadow's face was red as his own mind recalled Sonic yelling at him to pick up the slack and clean. "I've only seen him take the lead when he taught me how to clean and take care of a house."

"He had to teach you how to clean?"

"I wasn't born knowing how to do everything. We were all taught how to use a spoon at some point," Shadow glared back.

"C-can I ask why you made him do all that stuff for you? The cleaning and lunches... It hurt him, you know," Infinite used the tablet at the table to finally order a pastry and tea as the waiter was glaring at them for not ordering yet.

"I was partially desperate and irrational. I was angry. Sonic wasn't meant to take my frustrations," Shadow ordered himself coffee and a chocolate pastry of his own before setting the tablet down. "I was transferred after my father effectively kicked me out for being spoiled."

"Seriously?"

"Shut up," Shadow glared before his coffee and Infinite's tea were placed down at the table with their pastries. Shadow took a deep breath and a long sip from the steaming mug before continuing, "It was all I knew after being raised by maids and nannies. When my sister passed of her illness, I didn't take it too well and beat the hell out of everyone who approached me. As a result, I was moved here and left in a house purchased by my father to live in alone. I had an allowance, but no idea how to budget or take care of myself. Ordering delivery takes a lot of money, so I burned through funds quickly. Sonic was a meal ticket when I saw his homemade lunches. Then I found out he wasn't a beta. I used that as a way to get the food he made, and eventually to help me clean when it became too much. It was never right for me to do that, and yet I still did it. I found myself getting attached to him, and then I figured out we were mates. You know the rest."

"Shadow, your father is an asshole. You were grieving your sister, and he just abandoned you," Infinite fiddled with his cup. "You've told all this to Sonic, right?"

"Most of it he knows. I couldn't tell him about Maria. I didn't want him to pity me. I don't want your pity either!" Shadow turned a pointed look back to Infinite.