Aftermath

by Deviant_Nurse

Summary:

Sonic gasped when Shadow bit down softly, the delicate graze of his fangs brushing against his lips. It didn’t hurt, not really, but the surprising sharpness of it made Sonic moan into the kiss. He felt Shadow grin against his mouth, and Sonic's heart skipped, heat unfurling low and quick in his belly at the knowledge that the other was doing this on purpose.

He had been drawn by Shadow’s raw power from the start. The silent intensity, his fierce determination and the Chaos Energy burning bright hot beneath sleek black fur. It was consuming. Addictive. Sonic knew he should be careful, but he couldn’t help it, he wanted to push it. He wanted to feel the edge.

Shadow wasn’t fragile. Sonic could be fast; he could be reckless. He could be himself.

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Notes:

English is not my first language,
no beta read
all that stuff

They had shared this power for only a handful of minutes, bonded by Chaos Energy, sheer will and determination. 

One moment Sonic finally found an echo in Shadow, barely touching it with the tip of his fingers, and the next his feelings were shattered in beautiful colors in the sky, along with the only person who ever matched him.  

But in the span of these precious minutes, he felt alive like never before.  

 

Sonic sat on the roof of his home, looking up at the starry sky. The night was still and silent, but his thoughts were louds enough for him not to notice. 

He wasn’t one to just stop and sit before all this, but lately the stars had become the only witnesses to his quiet grief.  

He had kept up being his habitual, cheery self, smiling, racing, joking, teasing… But when it was natural before, he had to put extra energy into it now. He had to make the conscient effort not to think about him, not to let his mind wander down this path.  

His family would notice, and then they would ask. But what answer could he give? That he mourned their enemy, the one who had hurt them? That there was some wide, gaping hollowness inside him where Shadow was ripped from him, even when he barely knew the guy?  

They wouldn’t get it. Ther couldn’t possibly get it. 

So, only when Tails was finally asleep - Knuckles having usually been gently snoring for a while by then - only then would he allow himself to ache for him.  

  

He had been fascinated by the black hedgehog from the start, couldn’t hide his awe (didn’t even tried, honestly) as he first saw him emerging from the chaos and the flames that night in Tokyo, the city lights glimmering on his rain-slicked black fur. Shadow was just like him, even if he insisted otherwise with a scowl on his face.  

He was fast. Lightning-fast.

Fast enough to challenge him.  

The Chaos Energy sparking through his quills called to his own, pulling him in his orbit, compelling him to give chase when he ran away. Racing with Shadow that night had been a revelation. It was exhilarating, yet oddly familiar. He got that weird feeling, like he had been chasing after him his whole life. Longer than that, even. 

Despite the gravity of the situation, Sonic tried to engage, the only way he knew how. Teasing, challenging. And if there had been a flirty edge to his words, then what of it? He was just being playful. Plausible deniability. 

At least that’s what he first thought.   

When they fought seamlessly side by side, he couldn’t contain the pure, unfiltered joy that spilled and splashed out of him. It felt so right, bringing out the very best of him. Smiling wider, laughing louder, pushing faster. He felt so free with Shadow right next to him. 

In that moment, Sonic knew with absolute certainty that this was what he was meant for.

The memory of this feeling was clawing at him, this grief for a potential that sparked and died within minutes. He barely had time to catch a glimpse of what could have been. 

"Guess we'll never know, huh?" Sonic said to the stillness of the night.

It was his own fault. In the end, he couldn’t keep up… And when he came to, Shadow was already gone.    

Sonic lifted his eyes one more time, searching for the same stars that had shone above them, but from here it seemed he could never be able to find them.  

 

A gust of wind stired the silence. Sonic’s blue quills bristled.

Well, time to go back inside. 

____

 

Jumping soundlessly in the darkened room by the skylight, he carefully made his way over to his bed and pulled the covers around him.

“Sonic?” Tails mumbled sleepily from his own bed.

Great. So much for being stealthy. That annoying creaky floorboard.

“It’s okay buddy, go back to sleep.”

Twitching his blue ears, Sonic waited until he heard the soft rustle of fabric as the young fox shifted in his bed. Then the room was quiet again.

He closed his eyes, letting the silence envelop him. In the darkness behind his eyelids, he saw black and red quills. He dreamed about people he had never seen, places he had never been to. The only constant was Shadow. Sometimes it wasn't quite his face, but Sonic would always recognize that scowl and those fiery red eyes.

When he woke up the memories faded, slipping away from him. Sonic's usually sharp mind fumbled, but he only could grasp the feeling that their encounter was more than chance. It was meant to happen.

 

---

 

Shadow was laying sprawled upon the dew-drenched grass, his breaths shallow and erratic. Chaos Energy was still crackling around him, a faint halo of platinum fading from his fur.

The black hedgehog blinked as his senses reeled back into focus. The sunlight was blinding him, since his eyes had yet to adjust to the contrast from the darkness of space. The coolness of the ground was seeping through his quills, grounding him, anchoring him to this world he nearly abandoned.

Disorientation still gripped at him; he had fallen from orbit, had he not? Yet here he was, alive, against all logic.

Shadow pushed himself upright, his muscles protesting, his mind still clawing its way out of the haze. The black hedgehog let out a groan. Pain was radiating from his temples, making it difficult to focus on anything else and he was struggling to piece it back together. How did he survive?

A memory flickered unbidden: Sonic's smile, wide and unrestrained, cutting through the chaos of battle. There was warmth there, an infectious, radiant warmth that should have no place in his heart. Yet it lingered, a spark in the dark.

 

Right.

 

Now he remembered.

 

He took off his inhibitors and poured all his strength into pushing the Eclipse Cannon away from Earth, willing to give his life to protect this planet that Maria cherished.

She had once called it his home, but there was nothing left for him there. He had lost her long ago, and in destroying the abandoned lab, he had also lost everything that reminded him of her. He had nothing left to hold onto her memory.

And if he was being honest, he had also wanted the pain to stop, failing to see another way.

 

“You always have a choice.”

 

That one thought shattered the resolve to let go. The memory of Sonic’s earnest grin, the way his eyes sparkled as he reached out a hand, offering not just help but understanding.

In the fraction of a second that could have been his last, instinct had screamed louder. Before he could form the conscious thought, Chaos Energy had surged and then Shadow disappeared to reappear back on Earth in a blink of an eye.

And here he was, in the aftermath, his heart pounding furiously against his ribcage. Shadow knew why he chose this, why he couldn't give up just yet. The image of Sonic's hopeful smile lingered, that small spark that pulled him back from the edge, back to a world that still holds questions, possibilities... and perhaps, another chance at finding where he belongs.

Shadow winced, his hand instinctively reaching up to press against his temple. His head hurt.

He will have time to sort his thoughts out later…

For now, with a deep exhale, the black hedgehog simply allowed himself to collapse back onto the soft blades of grass. His body was aching, he could feel the pulsing pain from the laser burns and the explosion. Shadow took a slow, deliberate breath and closed his eyes, focusing on clearing his mind and healing the damages he took.

He needed to find a place to lay low for a while, take some time to recover. Once he is in better shape, he will start searching for his inhibitor rings.

And from there, he will figure out his next move.

 

As he finally released his grip on consciousness, he dreamed of a maddening blue hedgehog, constantly annoying him, pushing all his buttons with a familiarity born through years of companionship. Their easy back-and-forth was soothing, grounding. He felt seen in a way he didn’t knew he craved.

But then he woke up alone, wrestling with the realization that the bond he felt may not be imagined. Perhaps, just perhaps, there was truth in the sense of kinship that held onto him.

He closed his eyes and breathed out, steeling himself against the rise of hope, that treacherous emotion. Hope leads to vulnerability, and vulnerability leads to pain. He's lived long enough to know that much.

 

 

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Notes:

English is not my first language
No beta read

I'm a slow writer but you know, work, life and stuff :(

Sonic pushed himself harder, faster, the wind whipping past his quills as they crackled with blue sparks of Chaos Energy. Around him, the world blurred into streaks of color with the relentless pounding of his feet on the ground, his eyes constantly darting across his surroundings.   

He could no longer deny that he wasn’t simply running for the thrill of it anymore.   

He was searching for something. Anything.  

Every day, under the pretense of burning off built up energy, Sonic went looking for him.   

He didn’t know if he truly believed he would find him or if he just couldn’t bring himself to give up, not ready to accept that Shadow was gone.  

Just when he was considering turning back, the blue hedgehog suddenly caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. A flash of black and red cutting through the green landscape. It was there, then gone in an instant, but it was enough to stop him cold. 

Sonic's sneakers skidded to a halt, his chest rising and falling with each quickened breath. His heart was racing with more than just exertion. But when he frantically scanned the forest around him, there was nothing there.   

Still, he could feel the faint pull of Chaos Energy. It called to him, whispered through the trees and wrapped him in that strange familiar warmth. 

Sonic's quills bristled, an involuntary reaction to that raw, invisible force. It's a sensation he knew all too well: the electric charge in the air, the thrumming power that danced beneath his skin whenever the dark hedgehog was close.  

Was he close now? How could he be?  

“...Shadow?” He called out into the silence. The name felt heavy and fragile on his lips. 

No response. Just the empty echo of his own voice.  

Was his mind playing tricks on him?  

The hope that had surged moments ago was now twisting into a knot of frustration. He shook his head and muttering to himself, “I’m really losing it.”  

Then, as if stubbornness alone would make a difference, he started to run again. 

_____  

It had only been a few weeks, but the nights were already growing longer and colder. Sonic kept sneaking out though, climbing through the skylight with practiced ease. How many nights has he spent here before? Seeking comfort under the endless expanse of stars?   

He let his head fall back against the roof, spreading his arms wide as if he might catch the sky. Laying on his back, Sonic let his mind wander as his bright green eyes traced the constellations above him.  

That day on the moon, when Shadow chose to bare his wounds to him, he said that the stars reminded him of the person he lost.   

…It’s one more thing they had in common now.  

That moment they shared under the starry sky had felt deeply intimate. From the raw rage Sonic threw at Shadow, to the unwavering resolve in his red eyes when he welcomed it with open arms, asking for the blue hedgehog to take his life.   

After this, they could never go back to being strangers again.  

It was Shadow who took the first step forward, opening up, reaching out. There’d been no hesitation when Sonic took the second step, offering his hand, offering all of himself.  

When Shadow’s hand tentatively slipped into his, it was like something fell into place, something Sonic wasn’t ready to give up on. 

  

The sudden creaking of the skylight startled Sonic out of his thoughts. He quickly sat up, but then relaxed when he was only met with Knuckles’ curious face peeking out of the window.  

“Are you gonna stay there and stare at me?” Sonic teased, trying to mask his initial shock with bravado. 

The echidna narrowed his eyes suspiciously, “What are you doing out here on your own, hedgehog?”   

Sonic was caught off guard, fumbling to piece together a convincing cover. He hadn't expected anyone to find him, least of all Knuckles. His mind raced for an explanation, but all he could manage was a half-hearted attempt at playing it cool. 

“Uh, you know,” he shrugged with forced nonchalance, “just, uh, getting some fresh air.” Definitely not his best performance.  

Knuckles, unimpressed by the transparent excuse, crossed his arms. There was a knowing look in his eyes. 

“I see,” the echidna responded, skepticism lacing his words. Recognizing the hedgehog’s unwillingness to be honest, Knuckles let out a resigned sigh and squeezed through the opening without waiting for an invitation. Climbing onto the roof, he settled himself down beside Sonic, the wooden beams creaking in protest beneath his weight.  

An awkward silence fell between them, dense and uncomfortable. 

They were both terrible at this.  

Knuckles shifted, as if the words he was about to say were more difficult to balance than the precarious roof. "Listen, I get it-" he started cautiously, trying to find a way to reach Sonic through the mess of emotions. 

But Sonic instantly tried to brush it off, interrupting before Knuckles could continue; "I have no idea what you're talking about!" he blurted out, desperate to avoid any sort of heart-to-heart conversation, his voice too loud in the stillness of the night.   

"But I do!" Knuckles insisted with a stubborn edge, meeting Sonic's eyes with unwavering resolve. “You need some time to yourself to lick your wounds, it is only fair.”  

There was understanding in his tone, the kind that only came from someone who had been through battles of his own. His expression softened as he continued, “But the fox is worried about you."  

Sonic's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he stuttered in response. "H-how did you know?" he asked, caught off guard by how much the other seemed to sense about all this. 

Knuckles studied Sonic's guarded stance. "You're not as slick about it as you think you are," he teased with a small smirk.   

"Hey! I am being very stealthy!" the blue hedgehog protested, determined to keep up his facade. "It's just that old squeaky floorboard! It’s giving me away all the time!" He tried to play along, even if it felt like a losing game. 

His friend wasn’t buying it. Knuckles held Sonic’s gaze, unblinking as he spoke. "You know very well what I am talking about, hedgehog.”  

Sonic swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the unspoken name bearing down on him.  

Knuckles wasn’t one to back down once he had set his mind on something. Sonic knew he couldn’t keep avoiding this conversation. But well, can’t blame him for trying! He sighed and ran a hand through his quills.  

"I... I don't want to burden anyone else," he finally admitted, his voice strained. His shoulders sagged as he struggled to put his thoughts into words. “It doesn’t feel right…Tom only got out of the hospital last week, and I know Tails is still having nightmares about all this," Sonic's brow creased with concern as he went on, "almost every morning I find him curled up in Tom and Maddie's bed."  

Knuckles' expression softened slightly, but there was still an edge in his tone. "You don’t have to spell it out for me… But the fox is still young, he needs to hear the words from you. Don’t shut him out." 

  

Sonic nodded slowly and glanced away. He was right. The three of them, they were more than just friends, they were family. And they had to take care of each other.   

"I'll talk to him," he promised.  

They sat together for a long while, the silence stretching between them. Knuckles wasn’t finished yet. It was clear he had something more to say, but he seemed hesitant, unsure if he should voice it or not.   

Sonic had a guess he was not going to like this.  

At last, the echidna's voice broke the awkward silence, words deliberate and careful. "I have been where he was before," he said slowly, his eyes searching for Sonic’s. The blue hedgehog was too stubborn to meet his gaze, staring instead at some far-off spot across the horizon. Knuckles pressed on with patience, knowing how much Sonic resisted talking about things that cut too close. "Doing the wrong thing for what I thought was right," he added with a quiet intensity. 

"When I asked why you saved me, you told me that you couldn’t let me die.” Knuckles continued in a steady voice, “You offered me your hand and told me that I didn’t have to be alone anymore.”  

Words after words, Sonic’s composure crumbled as he drew his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them tightly. He hid his face from Knuckles, unable to let him see how raw it all still was. How much it hurt to think of Shadow and what they could have had. How much he missed him. 

Knuckles let his eyes drift back to the stars, giving Sonic the space he needed but not letting the matter drop. "I may not completely understand how you feel," he said, the gentleness in his voice surprising even himself, "but I do know you."  

He paused, waiting for any hint that Sonic might be coming around, but none came. Only silence. He carried on anyway: "I know you thought about having the other hedgehog living here with us after everything was over …I know you mourn what you could not give him." 

Sonic's heart clenched at the mention of Shadow. He had tried so hard, but in the end, he couldn't keep up. He wasn’t enough.   

Knuckles meant well. Sonic knew that. But he couldn’t do this. Not now. He couldn’t let himself break, not in front of anyone. Not like this. "I don't want to talk about it," he muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper. He hated how it cracked, betraying him, showing just how close he was to the edge. 

"But you do need to hear this," Knuckles persisted, his tone firm yet gentle. "You did everything you could. You fought with honor and courage. You did not fail him."  

The words cut deeper than Sonic wanted to admit. He stared at his own hands, fighting against the tears that burned his eyes, threatening to spill. "Thanks, Knuckles," he managed to breathe out, though he didn’t trust his voice to hold for long. 

The red echidna gave a brief nod, his eyes meeting Sonic's in a silent understanding that required no words. He gently placed a firm yet reassuring hand on Sonic’s shoulder, the warmth of his touch offering some comfort. Then, he stepped back, allowing him the space and privacy to process all this on his own.  

_________  

Sonic shifted slightly in his sleep.  

A warm hand was gliding through his quills in gentle, soothing motions. He could feel the faint hum of Chaos Energy thrumming under his skin. This was nice. He didn’t remember the last time he had felt so relaxed.   

Before he knew it, he drifted out of consciousness again.   

Hours later, when he blinked his eyes open, instead of seeing the familiar ceiling of his room, he was greeted by the first lights starting to paint the sky in shades of purple and pink. The wind whispered softly through his fur, gently swaying his quills. As his mind cleared out from its foggy state, he realized that he had fallen asleep under the stars, right on the roof. 

There was no one else when he woke up, but he found himself wrapped in a cozy blanket that wasn’t there last night. Knuckles must have brought it for him when he saw that Sonic wasn’t coming back inside.   

The blue hedgehog groaned, burying his face in his hands as he remembered the state he was in last night when his friend confronted him. He couldn’t believe he fell apart like that, right in front of Knuckles. He was supposed to be strong, resilient, the one who bounced back no matter how tough things got. 

This was so embarrassing.  

His grief was a strange thing. It was like his very foundations had been shaken. He was still standing, but the ground beneath him had become unsteady. Each step he took felt unsure. It was as if he would fall and shatter at the slightest mention of his name.   

Just like he did last night.   

And yet, Sonic felt stronger today, as if someone had carefully pieced him back together and held him together.   

The blue hedgehog curled up in the blanket for a few more minutes, enjoying the quiet moment. It had a faint scent that lingered… was it lavender? Sonic nuzzled into it, trying to place the familiar smell.  

He couldn’t fully remember, but he knew that the other hedgehog appeared in his dreams again. They were always pleasant dreams, leaving him with a sense of warmth and happiness. A small smile spread on his lips as he let out a contented sigh.   

In that moment, he made the conscious choice to cling to that positive emotion, to the fleeting comfort and joy that colored his dreams. It wasn’t much, but it was his. He refused to spoil it by listening to the pain lurking at the back of his mind, whispering that all he had left were delusions and what ifs. 

…He should probably get up now.   

Sonic slowly stretched, feeling the stiffness in his limbs give way to his natural energy. He dashed back inside, leaving a gust of wind in his wake. He tossed the blanket onto his unmade bed and took a quick glance at Knuckles, who was sprawled on his own bed, still snoring away. Poor guy must have stayed up late waiting for him.   

As he passed by Tom and Maddie's room, he peeked inside and saw Tails snuggled up next to his mom, her arms wrapped protectively around him. That sly little fox, he knew he was adorable and wasn’t afraid to use it. A small smile tugged at Sonic's lips as he continued down the dimly lit hallway, careful not to make a sound.  

Sonic bustled about in the kitchen, making coffee for Maddie as the sun rose. The golden light streamed through the windows, casting its warm glow over his blue fur. He hummed softly to himself, swaying to the imaginary song playing in his head. He knew she would be the first to rise, working the early shift at the veterinary clinic.  

The comforting smell of coffee soon filled the air, tempting even Sonic. Oh, how he wanted to try it, just once! But Tom and Maddie had forbidden it, fearing they would never be able to handle him on a caffeine high. The mere thought brought a grin to his face. 

Soon, he heard Maddie's soft footsteps padding across the kitchen tiles as she entered the room. "Good morning, Sonic, you’re up early!" she greets him with a gentle kiss on his forehead.  

"Morning, Maddie! Coffee's ready," Sonic replied cheerfully, handing her a steaming cup.   

"Thank you," Maddie said, taking a sip of the warm drink. “So, you had trouble sleeping?” She asked nonchalantly, eyes deliberately averted. 

Something was suspiciously off. 

Despite her light tone, Sonic knew her too well. The perfectly neutral expression, the careful choice of words—it felt forced. She was trying too hard.   

…Knuckles definitely talked to her last night.   

The cat was out of the bag.  

Well, at least she didn't seem upset about it. That was a good start, right?  

But just because she wasn’t angry didn’t meant Sonic wanted to take this further, though. After all, Tom hadn’t fully recovered yet. She had enough on her plate without having to worry about Sonic crying himself to sleep over the very same person who put her husband in the hospital in the first place.  

With an easy smile, he shrugged off her concern. "It's not a big deal, Mom."  

Maddie searched his eyes for a moment, clearly debating whether or not to push him. Sonic held his breath, hoping she would drop it. Finally, she smiled softly, ruffling his head fur affectionately instead. 

Sonic opened his mouth to try and reassure her again, maybe make up some excuse about being too full of chili dogs to sleep soundly—something that would make him look less pathetic—but Maddie spoke before he could figure out what to say. 

“Alright,” she said, keeping the same easy-going demeanor. “Just remember we’re here if you need anything.”   

Sonic nodded. “I know,” he replied, with more sincerity this time.  

Tails appeared in the doorway a few minutes later, holding his favorite plushie in his arm. His soft two tails wagged lazily behind him as he shuffled across the kitchen, yawning wide. He gave Maddie a sleepy kiss goodbye at the doorstep, watching her retreat to her car with bleary eyes 

"Morning, Sonic," he mumbled in a drowsy voice when they were left alone.  

"Morning, little dude," Sonic replied with a warm smile, tousling Tails' fur affectionately. "Did you sleep well?"  

Tails yawned and gazed up at Sonic with concern. "Sonic, where did you go last night? Knuckles said you were feeling sad," he asked softly.  

Sonic smile faltered at the worry in Tails' voice. A familiar pang of guilt tugged at his heart. He hated to be the one who put the uncertainty in his bright blue eyes, especially when he knew how much the young fox looked up to him.  

He crouched down to be at eye level with Tails and put on a reassuring smile. "Hey buddy, I just needed some fresh air. I'm okay now, really," he reassured him, giving him another gentle ruffle.  

"Are you hungry?" he tried to steer the conversation, to turn Tails' attention away from the cracks in his facade. 

Tails nodded slowly and followed him, settling at the kitchen table as Sonic prepared their breakfast. His brow furrowed, and he fidgeted with the torn ear of his plushie as Sonic moved around, pretending to be absorbed in preparing their breakfast. 

He watched the hedgehog carefully, noticing how Sonic's usual vibrant smile seemed to lack its usual spark. It wasn't just last night; Tails had sensed a growing distance between them for some time now. Was it something he said? Or maybe something he didn’t say…? 

The fox bit his lip, unsure if he should even ask. "Sonic... are you sure you're, okay?" he ventured cautiously.  

Sonic paused and glanced back, his eyes meeting Tails'. He could feel the weight of his young friend's concern pressing gently against the carefully crafted mask of confidence he wore. Tails was sharp and intuitive beyond his years. Keeping him at arm's length was only hurting his feelings.  

After a moment of silence, Sonic let out a defeated sigh and gave in, sitting down next to him.  

"Tails, I..." He hesitated, the sentence hanging in the air unfinished. He didn't know how to begin, the words swelled in his throat only to dissolve before they could come out. He swallowed hard and pushed forward.  

This was much more difficult than he thought.  

"Shadow... he was..." the blue hedgehog tried again, but it tasted wrong on his tongue, too blunt and shapeless to convey what they were to each other. What they could have been.   

"It's just... complicated." Sonic finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper.     

The young fox sat patiently, his ears twitching as he caught every hesitation and aborted confession from his friend. His fluffy tails swished back and forth in a soothing rhythm behind him.   

Come on, Sonic, you can do this!  

Sonic shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He took a deep breath and started again. "Shadow and I... we weren't exactly friends," the admission hurt more than it should. "But there was something there, something real." He struggled to explain, "It's like a current between us, something I can't shut off."  

Sonic fell silent, his eyes searching Tails for a reaction. The little fox gave him a small nod of encouragement, so slight he almost missed it. But it was there, the acknowledgment of Tails' support and acceptance of his misplaced grief.  

Sonic let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, feeling some tension ease from his shoulders.  

“I saw him fighting by your side, but I never got the chance to ask what happened.” Tails said softly, opening the door that Sonic unlocked a little bit further. “You were so angry when you left, I thought you were going to kill him with the power of the Master Emerald.” Tails remembered it vividly, the way Sonic's face had been set with intensity, so determined and full of rage. He had feared the worst. 

"Yeah, that was the plan,” Sonic admitted with a pang of guilt, “I almost did, but in the end, we talked it out.” A small smile tugged at his lips, “let me tell you, that guy is not easy to take down.”   

Relief spread across Tail’s face, a small chuckle escaping him, "I should have seen it coming, only you could pull out something like this!” he exclaimed with a grin, “You can literally befriend anyone!”  

But Sonic’s smile faded, “Well that’s the thing… we didn’t really have time to get to know each other.”  

The young fox watched the mask slip. Under it, he saw the weight of the sorrow he carried well hidden beneath his smiles. 

Sonic was cracking more than he’d like to admit, and the worst part was that he was aware of it. And he just sat there, unable to mend himself. Tails held his gaze, unafraid of his pain, ready to extend a hand or simply exist alongside him in the storm.   

It was an unspoken oath, a promise between the three of them: to stand by each other, even when doubt clouded his own mind, even when fear gripped his heart. Just like that day, when Knuckles and Tails stood by him even though he took the choice from them by going after the black hedgehog on his own and pushed them away.   

They caught him when he fell …they always do. So why couldn’t he allow himself to stumble this time, and trust them to help him up?  

The blue hedgehog shook his head and sighed. Tails and Knuckles were not afraid to see his wounds, nor were they unwilling to carry the burden with him. It was Sonic who refused to bare them, who closed himself off. 

To even utter his name out loud felt too intimate somehow. That thing between them, he needed to figure it out on his own. Their memories together weren’t meant to be shared.  

And to put them into words, it felt like letting go.   

He didn’t want that.  

"I won’t tell you that it’s going to be okay," Tails said cautiously, "I know that’s not what you need right now, but …I’ve found something that might interest you."   

Sonic's ears perked up, "What do you mean?"  

Tails leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "When I hacked into the G.U.N. database back in London, I didn't just stop at their security system. I downloaded everything I could get my hands on! I figured we needed to know what they had in store, just to be safe." His fingers tapped nervously against the table as he continued, "It took me a while because most of it was heavily encrypted, but I managed to uncover a lot of data about Shadow."   

He looked at Sonic with a hopeful glint in his eyes, "I thought you might want to see it, to learn a bit more about him, I mean."  

Sonic's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and anxious anticipation.  

"Thanks, Tails."   

Chapter 3: chapter 3

Notes:

Once again it took me forever, I hope some of you guys are still here for this!

Shadow stood alone in this vast, desertic landscape stretching endlessly in every direction. The wind blew hot and dry, kicking up small particles that filled the air with sand and dust. 

Here, miles away from anything and anyone, he found what he had lost. His fingers brushed against the smooth metal of his inhibitor, half-buried in the sand. In his grasp, the glint of the golden ring caught the last rays of the setting sun. His fingers curled around it before he deftly secured it around his wrist.  

Its familiar weight settled into place, and Shadow immediately felt the raging Chaos Energy that had been swirling within him begin to subside. A sense of relief washed over him and he exhaled slowly, letting go of some of the tension that had been gripping him. 

One more to go. 

He ran his thumb over the polished surface, pressing just enough on the smooth metal to make it glide and spin slowly around his wrist. These limiter rings were designed to keep his power in check, preventing him from burning out, consumed by his own overflowing Chaos Energy.  

But they meant much more than that to him. 

They had been a gift from Maria.  

With the comforting weight back around his wrist, it felt like she was still watching over him. She was always kind and fiercely protective of him, like an older sister. Yet, at the same time, she was as carefree and wild as the wind, dancing through life with an infectious energy.  

Shadow closed his eyes and let himself remember her laughter, the twinkle in her eyes, the warmth of her touch.  

Thinking about her like this… he felt the pain choking him.  

The black hedgehog lifted his eyes, struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. Above him the stars began to twinkle softly, emerging one by one in the darkening sky. 

She had been gone for decades, and the world kept on spinning… It was the first time in fifty years that he allowed himself to truly think about Maria, letting the sorrow surface instead of burying it beneath the rage. 

Anger had been easier to feel. He had worn it every day since he lost her, fearing he would fall apart without it. It gave him a purpose, a reason to keep going. But now, standing alone in the desert under the endless night sky, he couldn't ignore the mirroring emptiness inside him.  

He didn't know what to do with his life anymore. 

He missed Maria, but he also missed the person he used to be when he was with her. He recalls how he would smile effortlessly, how he embraced playfulness, and the way he opened up to her, trusting her with his deepest fears. With her, he had danced on the precipice of joy.  

Those days, when he had smiled—truly smiled—seemed so distant now. But the happiness had been real, hadn't it?  

He couldn’t even remember what that word meant.  

He wasn’t that person anymore.  

Would she even like who he had become? Damaged and scarred as he was? With all the wrong choices he made?  

Shadow took a deep breath, trying to push the sadness away.  

When Maria was taken from him, and he found himself trapped like a rabid animal, he realized with a sickening clarity that he had been used, manipulated by everyone around him.  

Everyone but her.  

So, he did what he had to do to survive. He made sure to be feared, displaying the full extent of his powers and daring those around him to even try to get close, refusing to rely on anything or anyone but himself.  

It kept him alive so far, kept him going. It had to be enough.  

But it wasn’t. 

Shadow exhaled slowly. In the quiet of the night, he finally allowed the truth to sink in. He was tired. So tired.  

And lonely.  

He was longing for a place where running didn’t mean escaping anymore, but arriving home.  

With Sonic, he had felt the edges of that place, a fleeting glimpse of belonging that now lingered just out of reach.  

Shadow couldn't deny that he wanted that back. 

It was a dangerous thing, to want such light after dwelling in the dark for so long, to want something for himself.  

He didn’t though he still had it in him.  

A part of him yearned to chase the horizon Sonic represented, while another clung to the familiar embrace of pain and sorrow, fearing that taking a step forward to run after Sonic was to leave her behind.  

Shadow released a long-held breath. "Maria," he began, his voice barely rising above the whisper of the wind, “What would you say to me now?" he murmured into the empty air.  

The black hedgehog shook his head, a frustrated sigh escaping him. This was stupid. She was gone.  

The choice was his alone to make. 

His gaze lifted up again to meet the constellations above him. His thoughts easily drifted to Sonic's electric blue. He had been a striking splash of color against the void of space.  

His laughter had rung with the same freedom Maria's had, his eyes sparkled with an irrepressible spirit. In the blue hedgehog's company, Shadow had glimpsed fragments of joy he thought he'd buried with his memories of her.  

"You should see him—Sonic. He's so much like you." He whispered into the void again, finally allowing the smile he fought to suppress to bloom across his face. 

"You would have liked him," he said, the revelation so stark it bordered on pain, "You would have laughed with him."  

The tightness in his chest wasn’t the only thing he had left of her. It was true that grief had shaped him for many years. But she did too.  

And it was this part of him that had surged forward, reaching for Sonic's open and waiting hand. It was this part of him that had grinned fiercely back at Sonic when they fought side by side, and it was this playful part of him that had thrown teasing words right back at him when the blue hedgehog had ignited the spark. 

Sonic was right. This was what he needed to hold onto.  

Her love was never meant to be a shackle. 

His muzzle flushed a deep crimson as he replayed the quiet moment Sonic and him shared in the stillness of the moon, grappling with the mystery of how he could have bared himself like this to someone he had just met, revealing the scars of his deepest wounds.  

The way they fit together flawlessly, the way they fought side by side with such instinctive precision. It was as if they had danced this dance a thousand times before. Yet they had just crossed paths. 

A flicker of longing surged through him, a yearning to feel that rush of life again; the joy of that simple exchange, the give and take of playful banter.

Suddenly he couldn’t breathe, his heart pounding too fast.  

He was trembling, not from fear, but from the exertion of holding back the hope that dared to whisper to him, calling on memories he couldn’t remember, even when he could still sense them in the easy comfort he felt in the other hedgehog’s presence.  

Shadow closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as he took a moment to collect the scattered fragments of his composure. He focused on the wind threading through his quills and ruffling his fur, his fingers absentmindedly playing with the golden ring encircling his wrist. The cool metal that glided beneath his thumb providing the comfort of familiarity, grounding him.  

When their paths came to cross, Shadow had reached his breaking point. He was on the verge of giving up, but in an ironic twist, life threw the maddening blue hedgehog his way, challenging everything he thought he knew with his dashing smile and bright green eyes. 

Yet, it was still up to him to decide whether to walk the path fate had laid before him or to turn his back on it. 

His first instinct had been to push him away, bare his teeth and pretend he couldn’t feel that pull between them. Because to step into Sonic's orbit was to court disaster, to set himself up for a fall from which he might not recover.  

But then again, what did he have left to lose? Hadn’t he already lost everything? 

In the end, it was about choosing to be more than the sum of his grief and pain. It was about shattering the facade, allowing himself to be seen. It was about taking the leap and trusting the other to catch him, trusting he wouldn't let go when things didn't go as planned, and that if he fell, he wouldn't fall alone. 

So, finally, Shadow let go and reached out for him. It surprised him how easy it was. 

The smile on Sonic’s face when their hands met had been blinding.  

Shadow made his choice that day on the moon, basking in that light. And he would keep making the same choice every step of the way. Keep racing down this road that stretched ahead of him. 

The black hedgehog lowered his gaze to the golden ring wrapped around his wrist.  

One more to go, and then he would return to Sonic. 

_______________ 

It was ridiculous to try denying it at this point. Fate, or whatever you want to call it, was drawing him to the blue hedgehog with the relentless inevitability of gravity. 

Of course, of all places, Shadow’s second inhibitor ring had to fall in the lush forest skirting Green Hills… Why was he not surprised?  

And now, here he was, fumbling through this thick forest in the middle of nowhere, knowing all too well whose territory he was in. Knowing full well Sonic was close enough to reach out and touch.  

Yes, Shadow unfortunately knew all about this small town. The doctor’s henchman had been oversharing when they spent a few hours together out of necessity, left behind when they were of no use in his and Gerald sinister plot.  

The man, Stone, had been unexpectedly hospitable, offering him a steaming cup of coffee. Shadow had cradled the mug in his hands, the warmth seeping into his skin as he listened quietly to Stone’s rambling about the little coffeeshop he used to run in Sonic’s hometown. That’s how he first heard of Green Hills. 

Shadow’s mind wandered, pondering how Stone was holding up given the circumstances. He and the Doctor seemed to have something complicated going on… Perhaps he should take a moment to check on him after sorting out his own issues, just in case. He understood all too well that grief could sometimes lead people to seek revenge in the wrong places.  

And well, Shadow couldn't deny, he was almost... worried about the human. 

But for now, he needed to focus on a more pressing problem.  

Standing on a rocky ledge, Shadow was surveying the forest below, his sharp red eyes taking in every detail as he searched for his missing inhibitor ring. His black fur appeared to absorb the very light around him, an ink stain amidst the vibrant shades of green and earthy brown. This place was unlike him in every way, teeming with life and color. He felt out of place here in the wild. Everything seemed foreign to him.  

He eventually caught the trail of broken branches and upturned earth that marked the path of the ring’s fall. He spotted a faint glimmer, a flash of gold catching the sunlight. Descending quickly, he made his way to the spot.  

There it was, nestled in the center of a small impact crater, just like the first one had been. Shadow’s gloved fingers brushed away the fine dust that clung to the limiter ring. He carefully slipped it over his wrist, the cold metal clicking into place with that soft, familiar sound that seemed to echo in the silence around him.  

Relief washed over him as the Chaos Energy that stirred restlessly within him finally settled, aligned with his command once more. He was himself again. In control. 

Now he could face what was laying ahead… whatever that might be.  

He had felt the distant brush of Sonic’s energy earlier that day, vibrant and unmistakable. It had felt good—too good. And now all he needed to do was to head in that direction and he would eventually find him.  

Shadow felt like he was finally catching up. 

He could feel the flutter of anticipation in his stomach now that the moment had come to meet the other hedgehog.  

Shadow had chosen this path, each step taken with deliberation, each decision made with its consequences in mind. But Sonic, effervescent and carefree as he was, might not grasp the weight of the connection they shared.  

Or perhaps he did, and now that the dust of the battle had settled, he might not want Shadow around anymore. After all, why would he? When everything he did was to hurt Sonic’s family and fan the flames of his anger. Surely, Shadow had read too much into it, and the fleeting moment they shared, as right as it had felt, couldn’t possibly outweigh his wrongs. Could it? 

He let out a slow breath, his eyes fixed on a distant point.  

They needed to talk about this. Whatever the outcome, he knew he at least owed Sonic an apology.  

___________ 

The night cloaked him in darkness as he stood a cautious distance away from Sonic's home. The cool air brushed against his fur, a soothing contrast to the warmth that Sonic's Chaos Energy ignited in his veins. It wrapped around him so effortlessly, so invitingly.  

He wondered if Sonic could feel him too.  

He had intended to make his presence known, but it was already late, and most of the lights were out. Shadow was about to leave when his ears perked up at the faint murmur of voices, and he edged closer. 

As he neared, fragments of conversation drifted through an open window. It was the red echidna; Shadow easily recognized the deep tone of his voice from their previous encounters. He was talking to the two humans of the house.  

Shadow exhaled deeply, feeling a wave of relief as he heard the man's voice. Tom. Sonic had desperately shouted that name when he fell, a collateral damage in Shadow’s reckless pursuit of revenge. The black hedgehog had feared that he had taken his life so senselessly, terrified to have done to Sonic what G.U.N. did to him.  

Tom spoke with concern, "It's been tough on him, tougher than he lets on." The woman, he never got her name, sighed softly, “I just wish he didn’t feel like he had to keep this from us… I get where this is coming from, but I just wish things were different.” 

The words sank into Shadow like stones, dragging him down as he understood that they were talking about Sonic. Something was wrong.  

“He knows he can talk to me,” Knuckles said. “But what Sonic truly needs is space to mourn the other hedgehog. I’ll stay at Wade’s place for a few days, so he doesn’t feel he has to sneak up on that roof every night to be alone with his thoughts.” 

Shadow drew in a sharp breath, a cold shiver running down his spine. He felt his carefully maintained composure slip.  

Of course, Sonic thought he was dead, he saw the explosion in the sky.  

Shadow had not anticipated this. The depth of Sonic's grief, the void his own absence had left. 

His stomach twisted into knots as the weight of what he'd done, what he'd allowed Sonic to believe, settled heavily on his shoulders. He was all too familiar with that particular kind of pain.  

Shadow clenched his jaw, frustration simmering under his skin. In a blink he vanished, the air shimmering red and gold where he stood. He materialized again on the roof of the house, but when his gaze landed on the sight before him, all the tension drained from his body. 

Sonic was there.  

The blue hedgehog lay just a few steps away, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight. Shadow was overwhelmed by an unexpected rush of emotion. He didn't move closer, not yet. He just watched for a while, taking in every detail. 

Sonic was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling in a peaceful, steady rhythm. He looked so vulnerable, nothing like the wild blue blur that crashed into his life. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the gentle sway of Sonic's quills in the breeze, the way his ears occasionally flicked with the lightest rustle. 

The black hedgehog noticed that the fur on his face was damp with tears, and he realized with a pang of guilt that the other had been crying before exhaustion finally claimed him.  

Sonic’s quills shivered slightly, his body curling inward as if trying to protect itself from the cold. Shadow didn’t hesitate this time, he disappeared in a trail of gold and red, soundlessly rushing to the room below to grab a blanket. He gently draped it over Sonic, carefully tucking it around him.  

The domesticity of this simple gesture felt too intimate somehow. He had yet to earn the right to care for him like that. 

It was strange, being so close to someone he had considered an enemy not so long ago. He still wasn't quite sure where they stood now. 

Though only weeks had passed since the last time Shadow has been by his side, it felt like an eternity had stretched between them, a distance he wanted to close without knowing how. 

The pull was magnetic, drawing Shadow closer. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest as he hovered over the sleeping hedgehog, the urge to reach out almost overwhelming. With a trembling hand, he finally gave in, his fingers brushing against the soft texture of Sonic's quills. 

A world of unspoken words bled into that touch. 

He yearned to delve deeper, to explore the warmth that radiated from Sonic, to lose himself in it. Shadow wanted to envelop himself in the comfort it offered, to nestle into the space next to the sleeping hedgehog. Yet he restrained the impulse. He sat in the silence of the night, tracing patterns in the blue expanse of Sonic's quills. He knew there were words that needed to be spoken, truths that required the light of day to give them substance and weight. And so, he would wait. 

It would not do to act on raw emotions, or to seize upon this moment of vulnerability and call it fate.  

Sonic deserved more than a hastily taken choice, more than a promise forged in uncertainty. He deserved to make his decision with a clear mind, unclouded by sleep or the distortions of grief. 

The hours slipped away quietly, and Shadow let them. 

He wasn't used to waiting, not like this, but there was something strangely calming about watching over Sonic’s sleep. His earlier restlessness eased into something softer. The rise and fall of the blue hedgehog's chest, the reassuring rhythm of his breath, became a grounding presence that wove through the silence enveloping them. Even asleep, Sonic was expressive, often twitching and shifting, a constant reminder that stillness did not come naturally to him. 

Shadow’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the horizon. Dawn was already threatening to breach the night. Sonic eventually stirred, and Shadow’s gaze snapped back to him, a flicker of consciousness dancing behind closed eyelids.  

A murmur of Shadow’s name brushed against the silence, carrying the remnants of Sonic’s dreams. Shadow’s hand stilled, suspended above electric-blue quills. He didn't know if Sonic was waking or still asleep, but it didn't matter. The hedgehog’s lips had curved into a small smile as he muttered his name, and Shadow suddenly felt warmth blooming fiercely inside his chest. 

"Forgive me," He breathed, his voice barely disturbing the air. He wondered if Sonic was awake enough to hear him, or if the words he spoke were for himself alone. "I have to go for now, but I will return. And we will talk."  

Shadow’s heart beat heavily in the silence that followed, a contrast to the stillness around him. He exhaled deeply and slowly straightened up, drawing his hand reluctantly away from Sonic’s quills. 

A sleepy mumble answered him, a response born from the depths of half-awakened slumber. "See you, Shadow."  

The words reached him just as he vanished into a burst of Chaos Energy.  

Sonic shifted slightly, the edges of his consciousness brushing against the remnants of Shadow's presence. 

Chapter 4: chapter 4

Notes:

Ok guys, here we are!
I'm marking it finished because next chapter is going to be the one where the rating goes up, and I know some of you are not here for this, so this chapter could nicely end this here, with some hugs and kisses.

For the rest of you! See you next chapter ;)

Tails’ eyes were glued to the screen, his small fingers moving on the keyboard with a dexterity only he could manage, decoding layers of encryption on the stolen files. Sonic had been all energy and no patience, zipping around the room, leaving Tails to do what he did best.  

“When are you gonna crack that thing open?” Sonic had asked for the thousandth time, bouncing his knee with barely-contained urgency.  

“Almost there,” the little fox had assured him, his voice calm and focused, though a hint of excitement danced beneath his words. With one final keystroke, Tails leaned back, a grin spreading across his face. “Got it!”  

Sonic was by his side in an instant, wide eyes scanning the newly revealed data. “Finally!” he said, his heart racing for reasons he couldn’t quite name. “Let’s see what G.U.N. was hiding.”  

It was a flood of information, more than he had anticipated. Sonic’s earlier eagerness giving way to something else, something that clenched his gut. Test logs, power readings, graphs, and tables filled the screen. He couldn't believe how sterile and detached the words were. Shadow’s life, reduced to charts, numbers and clinical observations.  

“This is messed up,” Sonic muttered. Tails nodded, "And they barely scratched the surface," he said, pointing at some of the readings. Shadow’s powers went beyond what he let on. Sonic knew he had been holding back with him, even if the black hedgehog himself might not have realized it. 

He watched as Tails brought up more files, old digitized pictures that showed how small Shadow’s world had been. Sonic felt a tightness in his chest. He thought of himself, running free beneath the open sky, when Shadow only had a few dark rooms and artificial lights. The difference was suffocating.  

But at least Shadow wasn’t alone in these pictures. Maria was there. She was with Shadow in almost every image, her expression filled with joy and warmth. They found one picture in particular where Shadow was actually smiling at her, an open and carefree grin, untouched by the anger and sorrow that had shaped the black hedgehog Sonic had come to know. 

“They were just kids,” Tails murmured. Sonic had never imagined Shadow’s life like this. He’d never imagined Shadow’s life at all, not in any concrete way. Now it unfolded before him, and he couldn’t look away. It was too intimate, too personal, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was intruding. But at the same time, he wanted to hold onto this.  

He was going to carry these memories for Shadow until he could give them back to him.  

Sonic took a deep breath, letting it fill the empty spaces inside him. He turned back to the screen, his eyes tracing the images one last time.  

______________ 

The entire day dragged on with torturous slowness, the heaviness of his thoughts grounding him in ways he didn’t want to be. The blue hedgehog zipped from one end of the house to the other, too jittery to sit still, too scattered to know what to do with himself.  

He wanted to run, to burn away the restlessness. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about the photos they found, couldn’t stop thinking about Shadow. Sonic wondered if the other hedgehog even knew how to smile like that anymore, or if it was something he’d lost along with Maria. 

He couldn’t think straight, couldn’t wrap his head around how deeply it affected him. His mind ran a mile a minute, each thought more tangled than the last. Uncertainty of whether he would find the other again, but also fear that he wouldn’t want to be found...  

Sometimes it felt like Shadow was just out of reach, like if he was just a little faster, he could catch up to him. Sonic ran his hands through his quills in frustration.  

After dinner, when Tom approached him and cautiously asked if he was okay, Sonic put on his best grin, pretending like the world wasn’t crumbling around him. “Nothing I can’t handle!” he said, his voice too high and too bright, echoing off the walls with forced cheer. 

The human looked at him with a worried expression, but didn’t push. “Alright,” he said slowly, knowing Sonic better than the hedgehog himself sometimes. “Just let me know if you need anything.” 

“Sure thing!” Sonic replied, already a blur as he moved away, escaping the concern in Tom’s eyes. 

He wanted to run, to feel the wind on his face, to let it whip through his quills and take it all away. He let his gaze wander to the horizon that stretched beyond the windows. The sun was getting low, but he still had a few hours of daylight to himself. 

“I’m heading out for a bit,” Sonic called to Tails. He forced a casualness he didn’t feel, putting on the same act he’d worn all day. 

“Where to?” The little fox asked, though they both knew the answer.  

“Just a run,” Sonic replied, itching to be out the door, to be anywhere but here. 

“Be careful,” Tails said, his voice filled with an understanding that the blue hedgehog didn’t want to address right now. 

“Always am!” Sonic shot back, though they also both knew it wasn’t true. Careful was the last thing Sonic ever was.  

He sped off before Tails could say anything else, a blue streak of energy crackling in his wake.  

________________ 

He knew he wasn’t okay, he was aware of that, but the blue hedgehog usually did a better job at hiding it.  

Today was different though. The hollowness inside him felt so raw… Wasn’t this supposed to get easier over time? Maybe it was his stubborn denial that made it worse, but Sonic couldn’t bring himself to accept that Shadow was truly gone. He wouldn’t . 

But if Shadow was still alive, then why hadn’t he returned to him already? Sonic couldn’t think of any reason that didn’t leave him reeling. The only two plausible answers were too painful to consider; either Shadow was really dead, or he had chosen not to come back. 

The sun dipped lower on the horizon, the last light of day stretching out in a golden blur as he wove through the trees and raced across the fields. Normally, the thrill of speed was everything to him. Normally, it was all he ever needed. But now, the rush wasn’t enough to drown out his thoughts, and the emptiness remained right there with him. 

The joy he used to find in speed was gone, Sonic realized. He didn’t know when it changed, only that it had. But what did it mean if even that didn’t help him anymore? Sonic shoved the question aside, not wanting to face what it implied. Not wanting to admit that it scared him. 

He pushed himself harder still, desperate to outrun the persistent ache inside him. The world flashed by, painted in streaks of color as the ground blurred beneath his feet.  

It was then that he felt it.   

That familiar pull of Chaos Energy.  

The one he felt the day before. The one he thought he imagined. The one that kept eluding him. 

This time it was stronger. 

This was real. Sonic could feel the burn of Shadow’s energy at his fingertips and let it all in, letting it fill him up, welcoming it. The tightness in his chest eased, and suddenly he could breathe again.  

His eyes caught a flicker of movement in the distance, a trail of gold and red catching up to him. His heart was in his throat, a strangled mix of hope and disbelief. The rush of it left Sonic breathless. The next moment, the colors came into focus, and Shadow was right there with him, just a breath away, running beside him with a tentative smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

The relief was like a shock, and Sonic looked again at the other hedgehog running next to him. His mind raced faster than his feet. Was this really happening? Was Shadow really back?  

“Shadow?” Sonic called out.  

He needed to hear him.  

“Is that the best you can do?” Shadow replied, his voice an open challenge and his eyes locked on Sonic.  

That’s all it took, those few words and that glance, and Sonic felt a thrill run through him. “You bet it’s not!” the blue hedgehog shot back, his voice alive with excitement and determination.  

“Then try to keep up,” Shadow taunted, urging him on before turning into a blur of red and black streaking ahead.  

Sonic did what he always did. He chased after Shadow in a bolt of vibrant electric blue, heart pounding, pulse racing, thrilled beyond measure to be running like this again. Running with Shadow.  

Running to him. 

Sonic grinned, his expression wide and wild and uncontrollable. A rush of joy was bubbling up inside him. He wanted to laugh. He wanted to shout. He wanted to say a thousand things and nothing at all. The feelings were too big, too bright, and words just weren’t enough.  

Shadow was right there. Right there, just a few steps ahead, not pulling away, not leaving him behind, but setting the pace and inviting Sonic to close the distance. 

He wanted to stay in the moment, the two of them racing the last of the daylight. This was what he needed. This was what he craved. His presence. The closeness.  

It was like the last few weeks never happened, like they were back in the thick of it, like the only thing that mattered was how close they could get to each other and how far they could push their limits.  

It was effortless and easy.  

Sonic didn’t want to think about anything except how good it felt. He didn’t want to think about anything except how natural it was, how seamless and right. Like it was meant to be this way. Like they had done this a thousand times before. Sonic felt it with every part of him, with the breath in his lungs and the pulse of his Chaos Energy, sparking wild and reckless and free. 

Maybe they had done this before. Maybe they would, a thousand times again. But right now, right here, it still felt new, and Sonic couldn’t get enough of it. He couldn’t get enough of the way they fit together, of the way their energy intertwined and built on each other. 

 

Soon the forest gave way to a vast field of wildflowers gently swaying in the wind, wide open under the sky. The sun was getting lower, bathing the scene in a warm golden light.  

Shadow stopped so suddenly that Sonic had no time to react and crashed right into him. The black hedgehog caught him as they hit the ground together, crushing the flowers beneath them in a burst of color.  

It left Sonic breathless as he laughed, "Wow, you really know how to stop a guy in his tracks!" It wasn’t enough to say it all, but the truth bled through, even wrapped in his teasing. He was cut short by the way Shadow was looking at him, a quiet intensity in his eyes. 

"Shads?" Sonic asked, and his smile turned softer.  

His feelings were catching up to him. Sonic didn’t want to ruin the moment, but he couldn’t help the way his voice caught, “I thought I lost you.”  

Shadow’s hold on him tightened, making Sonic’s pulse race all over again. His silence heavy with all the things he didn’t know how to say, and also with the ones he chose not to. But the way he held on was enough.  

“What took you so long?” Sonic asked again, his words unsteady and unguarded. He didn’t want to push. He wanted to let Shadow set the pace he was comfortable with. But the silence was weighing down on him, and Sonic couldn’t help filling it with his own breath, his own voice. 

"Are you gonna say something, or do I have to make you talk?" Sonic tried to sound light, tried to sound bold. But Shadow heard the shakiness of it, heard how fragile, how open it was. He felt Sonic’s honesty but didn’t know how to meet it. 

“I’m sorry,” is what Shadow finally managed. It came out rough, his voice deep and low, the tone sending a jolt of warmth through Sonic's chest, making his heart soar.  

The blue hedgehog pushed himself upright into a sitting position, his bright blue fur catching the dimming sunlight. Shadow's face offered little, but Sonic's eyes still roamed it carefully, searching for hints in the slight furrow of his brow and the tightening around his eyes. He needed to read between the lines and see past the restraint, beyond the silence. 

“What are you apologizing for?” Sonic asked, his voice colored with concern and curiosity. 

Shadow held his gaze. His expression was raw, his eyes never leaving Sonic’s. “Everything,” he breathed out. 

A heartbeat passed. Then another one. 

“I already got that,” Sonic eventually said, a small smile on his lips. “I felt it was obvious when you let me pass my nerves on you that day; the way you let me hit you-” It had meant something... It took Sonic until now to fully grasp it.  

Intense red eyes met his. Shadow’s expression was hard to read, it was always hard to read, but the way he left himself open, sprawled out on this bed of grass and flowers, was telling Sonic all he needed to know. His sleek black fur was a stark contrast against the bright colored petals scattered around him. It was soft. Inviting.  

In the weeks spent apart, his longing for Shadow had grown so desperate that this polite distance felt wrong.  

Holding his breath, the blue hedgehog slowly reached out, bringing his hand to rest on the patch of white fur on Shadow’s chest. This was where he had punched him with everything he had. Right there, just above his heart. That anger felt so foreign now, but Sonic really had wanted to hurt him that day. He couldn’t believe how close he had come to actually do it. But now, he could feel Shadow relax instead, yielding to his touch. 

Sonic waited, feeling the slow rise and fall of Shadow’s breath until his own breath aligned with it. When nothing stopped him, Sonic’s allowed his fingertips to trail upward, along the line of his collarbone, up the sensitive skin of his neck. Shadow’s breath caught slightly under his touch, and he let his eyes fall shut. The moment stretched, and so did the silence. 

Shadow was letting this happen. 

It was like gravity, pulling him in, demanding that he let himself fall. Sonic didn’t know what to make of it. He didn‘t know where they stood. They seemed closer than when they had parted, if the easy way Shadow gave himself up for him to touch was anything to go by. But a guess wasn’t enough. He needed to know. He needed to be sure. 

“I forgave you, in case it wasn’t obvious too.” Sonic whispered, his words heavier than he had intended as his hand cradled the other’s jaw, his thumb barely grazing the curve of his lips. Red eyes found his again, but he made no move to pull away. 

Sonic searched his face for any sign of where they should go from there, any clues as to where the boundaries lay between them. He didn’t want to mess this up, but he didn’t know how to go slow. He was never good at holding back, never good at patience, and as he struggled to find the words, he felt the moment slip through his fingers.  

Shadow’s hand moved deliberately, encircling Sonic’s wrist with a firm yet gentle grip. A silent command that made Sonic freeze. Was that it? Was it all that Shadow could give? Was he asking for too much? But then something shifted. The black hedgehog leaned into his hand, tilting his head just slightly so that his lips brushed against Sonic’s open palm. It was a light kiss, barely there, but Sonic felt the burn of it all the same. There was something daring in the was Shadow’s eyes sparkled.  

Did this mean he wanted this too?  

“Uhhh, so…?” Sonic tried. It was the best the blue hedgehog could manage right now. He was tripping over his own thoughts, his cheeks flushed a bright shade or red. 

“So?” Shadow echoed, just as tentative. He was a study in contradictions, the heat of his presence and the distance in his voice not quite matching up.  

“Dude, you’re making me do all the heavy lifting here,” Sonic said, not bothering to hide the nervousness in his voice. He pushed further, trying to get through. “Are we…” The words trailed off. His confidence trailed off. Shadow saw how uncertain he was, how unsure.  

The moment stretched, stretched further, stretched beyond Sonic’s ability to keep it together. “Look, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.” It sounded unconvincing, like he wasn’t quite sure of his own words, like he wasn’t quite sure he could keep holding back. “We could just hang out, I mean, like this.” Sonic watched him carefully. “Unless that’s not what you want.” It sounded so much more fragile than he wanted it to, so much more desperate.  

Shadow slowly sat up, his movement deliberate and careful. He didn’t break eye contact, didn’t look away, but he still managed to keep that safe yet empty space between them.  

“I know what I want.” Shadow’s voice was calm and measured, but there was something open and raw in his eyes. He paused, the silence giving weight to the words, giving Sonic the opportunity to grasp what was left unsaid. “But do you?” Shadow asked, “Or are you just reacting, rushing into it.”  

Sonic’s ears perked up. There. He finally found it, right there, hidden in the words falling from his mouth. The reason why he was holding back. From the start, Shadow only held his ground, didn’t move closer, didn’t fill the space between them. He invited Sonic to find his own way forward, never taking more than what he was offered. 

Sonic finally understood the doubt, the hesitancy. Those were the scars Shadow carried, marks of battles he hadn’t fought but that still left him wounded.  

He had lost so much, had so much taken from him that it only made sense that he would question this, question them, afraid to let himself hope. Shadow doubted he could have this, doubted he could keep this, but he was still letting Sonic in, still letting this happen.  

Sonic could see it now, could see it clearly. He knew it wasn’t easy for Shadow, that the black hedgehog wasn’t used to putting himself out there. He wasn’t used to trusting that anything good could last. And yet, even with that fear, that uncertainty pulling at him, he was still trying. 

And truthfully, that was enough for Sonic. He could work with that. He could meet him there. 

“Trust me, I did a lot of thinking while you were gone. A whole lot.” Sonic said, his voice bold and certain. “I was waiting for you to come back.”  

He couldn’t do this halfway.  

“I was waiting, and I swear I would’ve waited forever if I had to,” he added, with all the honesty he had, “So don’t think I’m rushing. Don’t think I haven’t thought it through.” He hoped Shadow believed him, hoped he saw how true it was. He meant it. All of it.  

“This,” he said, gesturing to the space between them. That space that was still too wide. “This is what I want.” He wondered if he was overplaying his hand, if he was being too forward. But it didn’t matter, he couldn’t stop the words now that they were out there. Couldn’t take them back, and didn’t want to anyway.  

“And you know I’m gonna catch you-” even if you fall. Even if you think you’re not ready. Even if you doubt this, “I’ll catch you every time.”    

Shadow's eyes widened, and the corners of his lips slowly curled upward in a small smile. “I know,” he answered, his voice more confident this time. There was a softness to it, like he was finally comfortable enough to let it show. 

The black hedgehog lowered his gaze, his brow furrowed in contemplation as he considered his next words. “I’ve had this feeling that…” Shadow’s voice trailed off. His eyes catch Sonic’s again, let him see the vulnerability those few words held. “It was always you and me.” 

It wasn’t easy for him to lay himself bare like this. But this time, it felt right. It felt right because of the way Sonic looked at him. Because nothing was stronger than the relief he saw on his face, nothing brighter than the spark that was lighting up his vibrant green eyes.  

“I don’t know how we’ll make this work, but…” He admitted, a fond smile slowly blooming on his face, “we make a pretty good team, so I’m sure we’ll find a way.” 

The confession lingered between them, in the quiet, under the darkening sky. Sonic wanted to catch those words before they took flight, hold them and keep them close. But there was something more pressing. 

Before Shadow could brace himself, the space between them disappeared. Sonic launched himself forward, the force of the embrace knocking the breath out of him and sending them both tumbling back down onto the grass.  

Then, Sonic kissed him. 

It wasn’t a shy or careful thing. It was open mouthed and needy, and exactly as wild as Shadow had expected Sonic to be. The kiss was reckless in its intensity, stirring something inside of him. It was like Sonic was holding nothing back, like he couldn’t hold anything back. There was no hesitation, no restraint, just raw and unfiltered strength. 

Sonic didn’t care if it was desperate. He didn’t care if it showed too much. He had never been afraid to go after the things he wanted, never second-guessed what he needed. And he needed this. Needed Shadow.  

And judging by the way the black hedgehog held on, he needed this too. Exactly how tightly he was holding on surprised Sonic, the way Shadow grabbed his quills and pulled him closer, the way his fingers roamed around in his fur, firm and bold. The black hedgehog was more than meeting him halfway, more than daring.  

Shadow was his match; he was sure of it. The one who could finally keep up with him. 

When Shadow’s thoughts eventually caught up to him, he pulled away, and took it all in. Sonic’s mouth chasing after his own. His weight on top of him, pressing him into the ground. The heat radiating from the other’s body. The blue sparks of Chaos Energy burning his fingertips. Sonic’s arms securely wrapped around him, holding him tight. Shadow had never felt anything so grounding.  

The black hedgehog slowly sunk back against the cool grass, feeling Sonic sinking back down against him.  

Sonic could still taste Shadow on his lips, could feel his hot breath against his cheek. The blue hedgehog finally let his relief flood out of him, laughing softly into the crook of Shadow’s neck. It came out breathless, like he had just crossed the finish line. He couldn’t believe this was real, couldn’t believe this was happening. They were still sorting this out, still figuring out what it all meant, but Sonic had Shadow now, right here, and that was enough. 

“Now that this matter is settled," Sonic said, his tone teasing and triumphant, a playful edge curling in his voice, "you’re coming home with me. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”  

Shadow didn’t know how to respond, didn’t know how to wrap his mind around the certainty of it, the simplicity of it. But he didn’t need to, Sonic was already on his feet, pulling him back up and leading the way, never letting go of his hand. 

“With that whole ‘being dead’ thing you pulled, I’m going to have separation anxiety for, like, forever—so you should just get used to it already!” Sonic declared, “Come on, it’s getting dark.”  

They left behind the patch of crushed wildflowers. The spot where Shadow had let himself fall, and where Sonic caught him in his arms. 

For a moment, it felt like everything was happening to fast. But Shadow was used to that. He was used to moving fast. And Sonic was right next to him, hand still in his, leading him out of the field. Leading him home.  

“You make it sound so easy,” Shadow said, his eyes transfixed on their joined hands as he walked along.  

“It is easy!” Sonic replied, his enthusiasm impossible to miss, impossible to ignore. “It’s going to be super easy, ‘cause I’m gonna be there every step of the way.” 

Could it possibly be that easy? He found himself liking the idea, but that wasn’t the only thing he found himself liking. He already missed the fervent intimacy—the way Sonic’s body claimed him entirely, the crushing weight on top of him.  

Shadow felt his ears heat up at the thought, smiling to himself. This was going to be a problem. 

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Notes:

I did my best! I really really hope you guys like it !

Lights were off in the house when they arrived.  

Sonic led Shadow into his home with the thrill of a thief who'd just pulled off the heist of the century.   

The blue hedgehog glanced around, making sure no one saw them, then carefully pushed the skylight open and leapt down into the room below. Sonic’s eyes immediately darted upwards, eagerly meeting Shadow's gaze as he patiently waited for him to give him the go.   

The black hedgehog stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his quills bristling slightly. His eyes narrowed as he lifted one eyebrow in curiosity. With a subtle, almost imperceptible nod of his head, he gestured for him to move forward.  

The room was perfectly still. Knuckles had left for a few days, leaving the place empty, and Tails was likely already curled up downstairs, fast asleep with Tom and Maddie.   

A small knowing smile played on Sonic’s lips. He felt almost guilty, they were both looking out for him, trying to give him the space he needed. And here he was, making the most of it.   

"It’s ok, you can come down," Sonic said, his voice hushed but urgent. The other clearly didn’t need help, but he reached up to pull Shadow in anyway, instinctively seeking his touch. His heart was beating wild with relief and nervous excitement, and the joy of having Shadow here, safe and right where Sonic wanted him to be.   

Shadow just stood there for a while, taking it all in, his eyes adjusting to the dim glow of a lava lamp bubbling lazily in the corner. Everything felt smaller here, more intimate, and for once, Shadow didn’t mind. The room was filled with Sonic’s things—comic books stacked haphazardly, video game cases scattered on the floor, colorful trinkets lining the shelves, a well-worn skateboard leaning casually against the wall.  

There was a sense of comfort in this space, a feeling of belonging.   

“Well, this is home,” Sonic said, his voice filled with warmth and a hint of nervousness. He gestured around the room, trying to fill the silence with words. "It’s kind of a mess," Sonic admitted, his voice a touch too loud.   

He knew they needed to keep it down to avoid waking anyone and having to deal with explaining anything they hadn’t figured out yet. But Sonic's enthusiasm was impossible to contain at the thought of having Shadow here, in this space that was his, in this way that was new and electric.   

"So," Sonic said, the word hanging in the charged air like a spark waiting to catch fire, "... Looks like we're alone." His voice hitched halfway through the words, unsteady with how close he was to something he'd barely allowed himself to entertain.   

Shadow's expression was unreadable, his gaze remaining entirely fixed on Sonic. He watched him quietly, the dim light catching the sharp angles of his face. There was a knowing glint in his eye when he took a step forward. "Looks like it," Shadow finally replied, his words, smooth and deliberate, sending shivers down Sonic’s spine.  

Sonic wasn’t prepared for his own hesitance. He was sure he could hear his own heart beating. He was sure Shadow could hear it, too. He was sure he was being weird, nervous in a way he hadn't expected to be. He was sure of a lot of things, but not about what to do next.   

And Shadow was just watching him with a patient look that made Sonic feel even more exposed. "We don’t have to—" Sonic started to say, not sure how to finish the sentence.   

The black hedgehog took another step closer. "We don’t have to what?" His said, amused. Sonic swore he could hear the curve of a smirk in his voice, even if he couldn’t see it in the dark. The teasing tone sent his heart racing up his throat. Sonic couldn't tell if Shadow was being serious or making fun of him, couldn’t tell if they were moving forward or running in circles.   

Shadow seemed so confident. It was in the way he looked at him, red eyes unwavering and intent. He didn’t look away, didn’t move. He simply waited for Sonic with the patience of someone who understood the meaning of silence.   

Just like he did in that field full of flowers.   

The words Shadow had spoken then lingered in Sonic’s mind, mingling with the sound of their breathing and the muffled stillness enveloping the room.  

“I know what I want, but do you?”   

Again, Shadow was waiting, silently challenging him, daring him to take this further.   

The move was his to make.  

Sonic was trembling with anticipation and breathless excitement. Almost without thinking, his hand found Shadow’s. The touch sparked something. He could feel heat pulsing at his fingertips, Chaos Energy simmering just beneath the surface.   

"Shadow," Sonic breathed.  

"Shh..." Shadow hushed him, pressing a finger to Sonic's lips. His other hand slid down to the small of his back, pulling him closer until they were pressed together, chest to chest. Like this, Shadow could feel Sonic's heart hammering against his ribs, the sound deafening in the silence of the room.   

Sonic closed the space between them, and the spark burst into flames. They moved seamlessly together, Sonic’s lips already parting to welcome Shadow. There was no clumsy fumbling, no hesitation, the black hedgehog kissed him with so much ease, so much familiarity. Too much, for someone who had only just learned the taste of him.   

His tongue slipped past Sonic’s lips, lapping into his mouth with a possessive urgency. Shadow kissed him with his whole being, arms wrapped tightly around him. One hand was firmly pressed between Sonic’s shoulder blades, drawing him even closer, while the other tangled itself in blue quills, cradling the back of his head in a soft touch.  

It was a lot, this sudden rush, this overwhelming heat, this way that Shadow seemed to know him, know instinctively how to set his pulse racing. Sonic leaned in further, trembling and unafraid to let Shadow feel it. The initial nervousness that had gripped him slowly melted away, leaving him to sigh into the kiss.   

Sonic gasped when Shadow bit down softly, the delicate graze of his fangs brushing against his lips. It didn’t hurt, not really, but the surprising sharpness of it made Sonic moan into the kiss. He felt Shadow grin against his mouth, and Sonic's heart skipped, heat unfurling low and quick in his belly at the knowledge that the other was doing this on purpose.   

He had been drawn by Shadow’s raw power from the start. The silent intensity, his fierce determination and the Chaos Energy burning bright hot beneath sleek black fur. It was consuming. Addictive. Sonic knew he should be careful, but he couldn’t help it, he wanted to push it. He wanted to feel the edge.   

Shadow wasn’t fragile. Sonic could be fast; he could be reckless. He could be himself. And the hint of razor-sharp claws hidden just beneath Shadow’s pristine white leather gloves let him know just how far he could take this.   

Shadow eased back a little, before the kiss could become something else, resting his forehead gently against Sonic's and holding him back when he blindly chased the heat of his mouth again. He relished the way the blue hedgehog looked in the dim light, breathless and wanting, yet he maintained a tight grip on his own precarious restraint. Shadow’s tongue flicked briefly across his lips as he drew a slow, measured breath, trying to take the edge off.   

"Too fast for you?" Shadow asked in a low voice Sonic could feel resonating in his own chest. It was teasing and genuine and so achingly familiar that it made Sonic’s pulse jump again. “Maybe you want to take things slow?” Shadow pressed again, his warm breath ghosting over Sonic's cheek. This time, the blue hedgehog heard the concern coloring his voice, barely concealed under the flirty facade.   

Shadow was still afraid. Afraid of holding on too tightly and shattering it all, afraid to want more that he could have. Sonic could feel it in the way he held him, his fingers curled gently but cautiously against him. Things needed to be said to make this easier. But now was not the time. For now, Sonic’s actions would have to speak loud enough for Shadow to understand. 

Sonic straightened up and flashed a confident smile. “You’re kidding, right?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with a challenge, daring Shadow to see the truth within them.  

"You tell me," Shadow shot back. But he already knew, Sonic could tell. And it was enough to get the blue hedgehog moving.   

He tugged at Shadow's wrist, practically tripping over his own feet as he dragged him along across the room, leading them to his bed. Shadow’s more cautious pace was equal parts frustrating and grounding, drawing Sonic's frantic energy to something less fevered and more steady.   

Sonic was trying to navigate the mess on the floor in the dark when his foot caught on something and he stumbled. He could hardly remember to breathe as he tried not to land flat on his face. Shadow's hand instinctively shot out, effortlessly steadying him. Their eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, there was a flicker of something raw and unguarded in Shadow's gaze. The laughter died in Sonic's throat, replaced by warmth blooming fast in his chest. "Thanks," Sonic whispered.  

"Careful," Shadow admonished softly, the hint of a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Try to be quiet.”  

But Sonic didn’t know how to be quiet, and it was especially hard now. Especially hard with the rush of excitement coursing through him and the giddiness impossible to contain. Especially when they collided again, especially when Sonic pulled him forward, especially when Shadow’s mouth was on his again, trying to swallow the laughter and the sounds that were getting away from him.  

He reached blindly, knocking over a stack of comics books. Shadow lunged with lightning quick reflexes to catch them, but Sonic froze as the books settled, and Shadow didn't. They crashed into each other instead, falling loudly to the floor.   

Sonic winced. So much for being stealthy…  

He had ended up sprawled on top of Shadow, breath knocked out of him, heart a frantic mess. Sonic pushed himself up, bracing himself with a hand on Shadow’s chest. His fingers splayed there, feeling the warmth beneath the fur, feeling the steady rise and fall.   

It made something deep within him catch.  

They were together like this, here and now, yet Sonic could not help thinking of all the ways things could have been different. Not for the first time, his memories dragged him back to their fight on the moon, and to everything that could have broken them.  

His eyes grew distant and unfocused.  

They had nearly gone down the wrong path.  

Nearly missed connecting like this.  

Nearly missed all of this.  

Missed them .   

The sheer enormity of it all left him lightheaded, and without realizing it, his fingers tightened their grip on soft white fur.  

Shadow searched his face, noting the subtle shifts in expression, the furrow of his brow, and the tension in his jaw. Just as he had back then, the black hedgehog grasped Sonic's wrist, his fingers curling around it gently. He guided Sonic’s hand to rest over his own steadily beating heart, pressing it firmly there, anchoring him in the moment.  

The way Shadow held his gaze, the way his expression softened, it was as if he could see through the storm in Sonic’s eyes and read him with perfect clarity. Like he knew exactly what was going through his mind.  

“I’m right here” Shadow said quietly.   

And Sonic kissed him hard enough to make sure.   

Their kiss was a desperate search for reassurance in the taste and feel of each other, it was all fangs and tongues and messy. Shadow's presence filled every corner of Sonic's thoughts. His scent, his heat, the rapid flutter of his pulse, it filled him until he didn’t have room to doubt or question or remember the fear. He was right there, and so was he. It was the only thing that mattered.   

The floor was hard beneath Shadow’s back, but neither of them seemed to care as they lost themselves in each other. Shadow’s eyes fell shut, a low sound escaping him as Sonic’s hands roam soft black fur, as he felt the blue hedgehog's fingers sear a trail down his side, pausing at his hip before slipping lower.  

Shadow gasped into Sonic's mouth, his own hands lost in blue fur, holding on as though he was the one afraid of losing his grip on the moment. Encouraged by Shadow’s reaction, Sonic’s hand dipped further down, brushing over the sensitive fur of his inner thigh, softer there, warmer.  

Shadow’s eyes snapped open at the touch, and he inhaled sharply, head tilting back in near-surrender. He was so unguarded in that moment, so exposed, that Sonic couldn't help the small noise that escaped him. His fingers splayed wide behind Shadow’s knee, pulling tentatively, testing the water, testing how much Shadow would give.   

And he gave more than Sonic expected, bending his knees obediently and opening in a way that made room for him to press even closer, pinning him down. He settled there, bracing himself on one hand close to Shadow’s face while the other kept his thighs spread open for him, kept him there. Sonic lowered himself on top of Shadow and gave a tentative roll of his hips, felt the immediate response, felt Shadow slowly grow hard against him, beneath the fur. They both sighed in each other’s mouth, and soon they were struggling to find a rhythm while trying to keep the noise at bay.   

The quiet intensity was a challenge. Every gasp and groan they suppressed with another kiss, every touch a silent plea for more. Sonic bit down on his own lip to stifle the sounds, to keep them from getting carried away as his pace got faster, more desperate. He was caught in the loudness of Shadow’s low breaths and the frantic beat of his own heart, their bodies rocking together in a way that felt reckless and freeing and new.   

The noise was going to get them caught if they weren't careful, if they didn't—  

A sudden knock on the trapdoor shattered the fragile bubble of intimacy that enveloped them. They froze, eyes wide and breath coming in ragged gasps, like kids who'd just been caught red-handed breaking every rule in the book.   

"Hey, Sonic, you okay in there?" Maddie called out, her voice laced with concern and still heavy with sleep. Their fall must have been even louder than he thought for her to leave her bed and climb up the stairs to check on him.  

Sonic’s mind raced as he scrambled to keep it together, each thought tumbling over the next. He had to get a grip before she could discover who was with him. He wasn’t ready for that, wasn’t ready to explain. He had to think fast, come up with something, anything.  

The knock came again, softer this time yet just as persistent.   

He shot an alarmed look at the other hedgehog, who was just watching him, unfazed by the panic Sonic couldn’t even contain. Shadow's calm was almost unsettling, his red eyes fixed intently on him, a hint of amusement barely masked beneath his frown.  

Breathing slowly, Shadow reminded himself that this was okay. Everything was fine, after all, Sonic was right there, soft and pliant in his arms. Sure, this was going to be ridiculously embarrassing and extremely awkward, but there was no reason to worry much. He could Chaos Control them away in a heartbeat, he could have them somewhere safe if needed… But they weren’t in any sort of danger, they weren’t supposed to be running away.   

Maddie's voice came again, hesitant and impossibly close, right on the other side of the trapdoor. "Sonic?"   

The sound of his name made Sonic’s heart leap up his throat. She sounded like she might come in, like she might walk in on the secret they hadn’t been ready to share. He had no idea what to say, no idea how to deal with this. He only knew they couldn't get caught. Not like this. Not yet.  

Shadow's voice broke through the mess of his thoughts, smooth and teasing, “Stop freaking out on me and say something, hedgehog.”   

"Shh," Sonic hissed urgently, trying to regain control over the spiraling situation.  

"Shh yourself," Shadow retorted, a playful edge to his voice, "I thought I was the one who had to worry about getting caught," he added, tightening his hold on Sonic, watching him squirm. The blue hedgehog was so flustered, so endearingly anxious. It was no wonder Shadow couldn’t resist teasing him a little. No wonder he couldn’t suppress the laughter that was bubbling up his chest.  

It was the first time Sonic heard that unguarded happiness spill from Shadow’s lips, a soft, genuine laugh that shot straight through him, leaving him even more flustered. His heart swelled, he could hardly believe he was here, with Shadow, laughing and grinning in the darkness.  

Shadow's eyes widened as the other hedgehog’s hand shot up to cover his mouth, stifling the precious sound that threatened to give them away. But Shadow’s amusement was infectious, and Sonic found himself unable to hold back. He buried his face in Shadow’s shoulder in an effort to muffle his own breathless laughter. He was trembling with it, unable to contain the electrifying rush of adrenaline and excitement coursing through him. Their bodies shook, huddled together on the floor, helplessly tangled in each other and in the ridiculousness of it all.  

The knock came again, more insistent this time. "Is everything okay in there?" Maddie asked, louder than before.   

"Hold on," Sonic finally managed to reply, but his voice cracked with his giggles, with the strain of trying to control them.  

Shadow listened, warm amusement rapidly giving way to growing fondness as he felt Sonic scramble frantically in his arms. It was amazing, Shadow thought, how a knock on the door was enough to startle the hedgehog into losing his voice. "I’m—uh—I’m getting ready for bed!" Sonic fumbled, the words tumbling out in a rush.  

Well, that was one way to put it, Shadow mused, but he couldn’t say anything with Sonic’s hand still covering his mouth with steadfast determination. His low chuckle vibrated against the palm that held him shut, and the blue hedgehog clamped his hand down tighter, just in case.  

There was a pause, and they both heard the relief in Maddie's voice. "I thought you were in bed already," she said.   

"Yeah!" Sonic squeaked, his face growing impossibly red, his fingers curling anxiously into black fur. "I mean—yeah. I am. I’m—It’s cool. It’s all cool." He tried to sound convincing. He tried to sound casual. He probably sounded like neither.  

The knock didn’t come again, but Maddie’s voice did, softer this time, "Alright, just making sure you're okay. Don't stay up too late." Her footsteps soon receded down the stairs.  

They were lucky Maddie didn’t open the door to see them tangled on the floor, breathless and startled and exactly as close as they wanted to be.   

"Oh man," Sonic laughed, collapsing back against Shadow’s chest as the tension left him, "We’re the worst." He could hardly believe they’d gotten away with it. They were reckless, and he loved it.  

Shadow nudged Sonic's hand aside with a deliberate slowness that made Sonic's heart pound, not caring at all how guilty they were. "Are we clear?" he asked.   

“Looks like it,” Sonic said, nodding as Shadow’s hands tangled in and out of blue quills. Lighter now, gentler, like stringing invisible lines between them, like pulling Sonic close with more than just his arms.  

"Good," Shadow said, and the intensity was back just like that. Sonic saw it in his eyes, heard it in his voice, felt it everywhere they touched.   

Sonic leaned in, his lips brushing softly against the other's before pressing more firmly. He moved with a tender insistence, coaxing the black hedgehog's mouth open, needing to taste him again. His tongue swept past Shadow's lips, glancing over the edges of his fangs, retracing paths that were strangely familiar with deliberate care. The tip of Sonic's tongue glided smoothly alongside Shadow's in a warm, wet caress.  

Shadow's hands were in his quills again, messing his fur, sliding down to his waist. Sonic let out a sharp, muffled noise against Shadow’s lips as he felt himself being pulled, felt how firmly Shadow was holding onto him, how firmly he wanted him. The black hedgehog arched into him, pushing his back off the floor, pushing their bodies tightly together.  

Sonic could feel everything—the way Shadow’s chest rose against his own, the way his hands were on his back, the way they curved down his spine to his short, wagging tail. Shadow let out a breathy laugh, but Sonic couldn’t find it in himself to feel embarrassed when those fingers gave it a light tug, and Sonic heard himself whine, felt himself shiver. His hands were so close to where he wanted them, but Shadow wouldn’t give it to him just yet.   

It wasn’t about seeking pleasure; it wasn’t about finding release. It was more than that, deeper than that. It was about reacquainting themselves with each other, relearning the warmth, the places where they fit together. It was about the spaces the other filled, the lines they blurred. It was about reclaiming each other, fastening the bond between them.  

Sonic let his own hands wander, and get lost, and find their way back. He couldn’t get close enough, not even when Shadow easily moved them so that his full weight was on top of him. As they shifted, Sonic's knee slid between Shadow's legs, pressing intimately against him. The contact sent a jolt through both of them. He could feel the promise of what lay beneath warm fur, a promise he would soon become deeply familiar with. Shadow groaned softly, breaking the kiss to trail his lips down Sonic's jaw, lapping gently there.   

Sonic gasped, his eyes fluttering closed as he let himself forget to hold back and tilted his head back, exposing the line of his throat. The black hedgehog’s breath was hot against his fur as Shadow’s fangs grazed his skin there. Sonic’s quills prickled with sparks of Chaos Energy. He could feel the vibrations of Shadow's low growl against his skin right before feeling the pressure and the pain. His teeth were on him, pressing hard enough to bruise, but not enough to draw blood.   

Shadow licked the mark he'd made on Sonic’s neck, once, twice, soothing the burn of the bite with soft strokes of his tongue. Sonic gasped and then gasped again when he felt the sudden loss of warmth as Shadow released him from his grip and stood up, leaving him panting and breathless on the floor.   

Shadow reached out, offering his hand to help him up. His red eyes had that intensity to them, even now that they were alone and everything was calm and silent. There was a pause after Sonic’s outstretched fingers closed around his hand. A pause where things shifted in their rhythm and everything stood still.   

Sonic felt himself remember it all, remembering more than just this night, remembering a time when he saw the same question on the same face, thinking how his answer was still the same, unchanged. Yet, just as quickly as the memories came, they swept away like sand through his fingers, leaving only the certainty to hold onto. The certainty that they belonged together. That this was right.  

And Shadow held on firmly, pulling Sonic effortlessly to his feet, watching a million small thoughts flicker across Sonic’s flustered face. The blue hedgehog squeezed his hand with gentle insistence, pulling Shadow closer. He led them toward his bed, shedding their shoes and thoughts and everything else that might slow them down on the way.   

Sonic sprawled back with a giddy, breathless flop, watching Shadow and not caring even a little how desperate he looked. His breath caught as Shadow's weight settled next to him on the bed, settled everything, made the moment real. There was a steadiness in Shadow’s movements, a determination to their closeness.   

It was quiet enough for Shadow to hear the rhythm of Sonic's heartbeat pounding, to hear Sonic's breath shuddering with anticipation, to know without a doubt that this was exactly what Sonic wanted. Him, right there. And Shadow wanted to give Sonic what he seemed to want from him, to answer the pull he felt.  

The blue hedgehog shifted on the bed and pressed Shadow down into the pile of blankets and pillows. He went willingly, allowing Sonic to pin him beneath his weight, watching Sonic move to straddle him, knees on either side of his hips, holding him down. Like this, Sonic could feel him between his thighs, how eager he was. He could read the unspoken want in the way his hips raised to meet him.   

Blood rushed to his cheeks as his hand flew to touch Shadow there, to get a better sense of him with shaky fingers. The way Shadow’s breath hitched made his touch bolder, more assured as he coaxed him out of his sheath. The black hedgehog struggled to keep quiet, to hold back the sounds Sonic wrenched from him. His hands fisted onto Sonic's thighs, onto blue fur that slipped beneath his grasp, the leather of his gloves squeaking faintly with the pressure.  

Control was something Shadow wielded like a knife and seeing how easily it was slipping away under his touch made Sonic’s heart race. It made his hips move on their own, involuntarily bucking into him. The rush of it all made bright hot need coil even deeper in his gut. This time it was too much to hold back, and he felt himself progressively being exposed to the cool air, letting it happen naturally. It made Sonic arch his back, instinctively giving into it, made him spread his legs wider, made him sigh and shiver when Shadow guided him right where he wanted him with a steely grip on his upper thighs.   

They were touching, intimately so, velvety skin meeting each other’s, damp anticipation staining their fur. Shadow's hand traced a confident path down to Sonic's lower back, pulling them together. There was a brief, lingering heartbeat before Shadow began to roll his hips unhurriedly, rocking them in a slow rhythm, like the tide gently caressing the shore.  

Overwhelmed by the closeness, Sonic’s arms faltered, and he collapsed onto the black hedgehog. He buried his face in Shadow’s neck, his erratic breath gently fanning the fur there. This close, he could smell the hint of lavender on his skin and nuzzled into it, trying to cover himself in his scent. Shadow's breath was warm and ragged and right on his ear.  

It felt so good, so achingly right.   

But something was still missing.  

Sonic stilled, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his heart pounding in anticipation as he considered what he was about to do. Shadow held him patiently through his hesitation, watching him fight to catch his breath, watching him try to find his balance on the edge.     

With a deep breath, Sonic began to take off his gloves, each movement slow and deliberate as he set them aside on his nightstand. His hands returned to Shadow, splaying his bare fingers on the inviting, silky black fur for the first time. He was trembling with the intensity of it, with how much it meant to touch him like this, to feel the shape of him in this new way. He could sense the lines of him even more vividly now, his searing warmth, his softness and hardness. Sonic let his hands wander over the hot, smooth skin. Feeling him firmly, fully. Feeling the weight of him in his grasp.   

Shadow’s breath caught in his chest as he watched bare hands exploring him tentatively. The depth of the gesture wasn’t lost on him. It was a gift he’d never thought would be offered to him. Not too long ago, he had believed such a connection was beyond his reach, but now Sonic was pressing that promise into his fur with open hands.   

Shadow had never allowed anyone to see his hands. Not until now. Not even her. Yet he didn’t even hesitate to answer Sonic’s honesty with his own, carefully removing his own gloves and laying them neatly next to Sonic’s. The blue hedgehog’s eyes followed the red stripes that ran down Shadow’s forearms, traveling across his exposed hands and extending to the tip of his last two fingers. He was fascinated by the way his claws caught the light.   

With deliberate care, Shadow placed his hands back on Sonic’s thighs, his claws drawing faint red trails in their wake, allowing Sonic to taste the sharpness. The sensation sent a shiver through Sonic, tearing a deep groan from his lips. Shadow could easily draw blood, but his restraint was flawless, and Sonic’s tail wagged insistently with that knowledge, with the certainty of that trust.   

Shadow had never felt like this. Without the gloves, touches weren’t muted anymore. Every brush of their skin was raw, the sensations clear and bright and loud. He loved this, he loved him, he wanted to fall into it all with him.  

The black hedgehog pulled him into an open-mouthed kiss as his fingers ran up his thighs. They dipped into the curve of the supple skin just beneath his tail, pulling to lift his hips just enough for him to align with the warm, welcoming dip there. Sonic’s mouth fell open around a silent moan, breathless, when he felt him catch against his rim, pressing a question in the heated skin there. Sonic’s body answered that for him, falling open, inviting.   

“Wait,” he breathed against his mouth.   

Shadow frowned, the hint of a question in his eyes and the flat of his hands slipping upwards to Sonic’s waist.   

Sonic wasn’t used to this—being the one to slow things down, to step back when he wanted to move forward—but he knew things didn’t have to be fast, knew they would feel even better if he took his time.  

Without moving from Shadow’s lap, he leaned sideways to reach for the small drawer of his nightstand. In one swift movement, he grabbed a familiar bottle of lube and fumbled to flick it open. He spilled it onto his fingers, making a mess, not caring. His hands were unsteady with the urgency of being closer as he smeared it onto Shadow’s firm smooth skin and guided him right back against him.   

Shadow watched him with an unwavering gaze, saw the way his eyes fluttered closed at the touch, felt the way his body arched into his hands and pushed back against him. This was a different kind of strength. He’d never known how powerful vulnerability could be until Sonic pressed it into his skin with trembling, reckless hands.  

“Come here, hold onto me,” Shadow said.  

He’d barely finished when he felt Sonic’s body press close, insistent and melting into him at the same time. The blue hedgehog’s face found its place in his neck again, his hands gripping tightly onto black and red quills. Shadow could feel his breath scatter across his skin, could feel the rapid beat of his heart against his chest.   

Sonic’s legs were trembling as he felt Shadow aligned firmly against his rim, felt him waiting there. It made his head spin, made his heart ache in the best way. Shadow wanted him to do it, to invite him in and make this real.   

Sonic positioned himself carefully, and with a determined push he pressed back. The blue hedgehog’s eyes fluttered closed as Shadow finally breached him, stretched him. He wasn’t expecting such a pressure, such a heat, it forced his eyes back open. A sharp breath hitched in his throat as he adjusted to it.   

Shadow was holding back, letting him take the lead, letting him decide how much, how fast. Sonic eventually set a slow pace, a small back and forth of his hips, taking him deeper and deeper each time. His mouth fell open in broken, wordless moans as the stretch finally gave way to pleasure, his breath warm on Shadow’s neck.   

It wasn’t fast, not at first. Sonic found a rhythm, slow and unhurried. Shadow pulled him close, pulled him as close and tight and full as he could. He felt the way Sonic’s body tensed at first with each slow thrust, then felt him opened up for him. He felt the way Sonic trembled with how much there was of him, the way his body shivered and took on his shape. He felt the spikes of pain, then the waves of pleasure coursing beneath blue fur.   

Sonic’s grip on restraint loosened, moving fast, and then faster. Giving everything he had, taking everything he could. Shadow failed to keep his breathing steady and controlled, his claws found purchase onto Sonic’s skin, the pain sharp enough to tingle and then fade into warmth.   

Sonic could feel the hot slickness of their bodies together. His blue fur was damp with sweat. His legs trembled with the effort of holding on, of holding both of them on the edge. He could feel Shadow’s beating pulse inside him, feel Shadow’s jaw tightening where Sonic buried his face in his neck. He didn’t want it to end, didn’t want it to break, and just when he thought his legs might give way, he felt Shadow catch him.   

He tugged at Sonic’s waist, forcing the last of the blue hedgehog’s strength, forcing him to move, to give in, to give Shadow everything. Sonic whimpered and collapsed against Shadow. The black hedgehog held him there, letting his hands trail to Sonic’s waist, letting him catch his breath just enough before rolling them both around.   

Sonic’s back hit the mattress. He gasped at the new angle, at the new sensation of being spread open beneath the other. He watched Shadow fill every part of him, watched him shiver with pleasure and groan as he pulled him hard against him. The rawness of it, the closeness of it was too much, but still not enough.   

Sonic clutched onto him, feeling Shadow’s embrace tighten, letting him have his way with him. He shifted his legs wider, letting himself fall open beneath Shadow. Sonic let out a strangled, breathless noise into the black hedgehog’s neck, and then another, and another as he felt him fill him, felt him throbbing and swelling and hot inside him.  

The way it held him full and tight and desperate was all it took for the sharp ache to bloom wide into something else, something bright and hot. Sonic could feel the heat spread under his skin and spill onto his own fur. He didn’t know it could be this much; didn’t know it could be this good. He felt his heart hammer in his chest, felt it pound in his ears, felt it pulse in his belly. He trembled and panted and gasped, letting Shadow hold him, letting Shadow guide his hips through every aftershock.   

His name fell from Sonic’s lips, his voice cracking and breaking at the edges, and Shadow's breath caught in his throat. He leaned down, his forehead pressing against Sonic's, his eyes squeezed shut. His body tensed and shuddered, then he let himself unravel, let himself go, sinking deeper and tighter into him. Sonic’s hands instinctively fell to Shadow’s hips and held the black hedgehog there, pulled him tighter against him, feeling the way Shadow’s warmth poured into him and filled him. Shadow bit his lower lip, struggled to stifle his voice, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t. A ragged moan broke free and he buried it into Sonic's blue quills.   

He felt Shadow’s hold finally loosen around him, allowing Sonic to bear more of his weight, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His hands found their place on Shadow’s back, fingers splayed wide against silky black fur, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his chest. They lay there, entwined and breathless, the room filled with the heat of their unsaid words.  

But they didn’t need to talk just yet, they didn’t even need to move. Shadow didn’t pull away, didn’t let the closeness slip away. He stayed. They stayed. Sonic had never imagined it could feel like this, like nothing was missing.   

Silence and stillness wrapped around them and held them together. Sonic let himself settle into the moment and breathe. Eventually, he felt the black hedgehog shift above him, slowly lifting his head. His eyes were unbearably soft when they met his own.   

"You okay?" Sonic whispered. He needed to know that Shadow was still with him, that this moment hadn't been too much. He needed to hear it, needed him to say it. And Shadow, he understood the need for reassurance, for confirmation. He gave a small nod, then leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Sonic's lips.  

Sonic felt Shadow slowly pull out, felt the sudden loss of pressure, and whined quietly against his mouth. “Shhh,” Shadow soothed, running his hand gently up Sonic’s heaving chest. He could feel the heartbeat that pounded beneath blue fur, feel how Sonic’s hold tightened around him, wanting them to stay close. “It’s ok. I’m not going anywhere.” The words were a promise. He made sure Sonic could hear it in his voice and feel it in his touch. “But we need to clean up, your fur is all messed up.”  

Oh.  

Right.   

Shadow was right, of course. Sonic didn’t want for the intimacy to fade, but he felt how damp his fur was. It was a small thing compared to everything else, but he hadn’t thought this far ahead, hadn’t thought things through. He had just wanted to hold onto this, onto him, with nothing in the way.   

He was reckless, but Shadow was steady.  

"I thought you liked it messy," Sonic teased, his voice laced with a playful edge as he attempted to hide the lingering anxiety behind a wide, cheeky grin.   

"You’re right, I do," Shadow replied with a self-satisfied smirk, his voice silky smooth.  

The playful curve of his lips made Sonic’s stomach flutter, made the heat rise all the way to the tip of his ears. It unnerved Sonic, this effortless way Shadow had of turning it back on him, the way he could take Sonic’s teasing head on and come out on top.   

Sonic finally gave him a small, encouraging nod, “bathroom’s right downstairs.” He barely finished speaking when he felt the Chaos Energy swell and crackle to life around him before Shadow vanished in a flash of light, leaving behind a faint shimmer that lingered in the air, and Sonic lay on the bed, staring at the place where the black hedgehog had been, feeling the empty heat on his skin.   

The seconds stretched between one heartbeat and the next, but then Shadow reappeared at his side with a damp cloth in hand. His touch was unexpectedly gentle as he cleaned the other’s blue fur. Sonic gave up trying to think straight. He let his eyes fall closed, felt the matted patches of fur smooth out beneath Shadow’s careful hands and felt the stickiness of sweat and heat wiped away. He felt himself slowly start to relax, felt himself begin to unwind into the moment.   

He felt Shadow.  

When the black hedgehog was satisfied with his work, he crawled back into bed next to Sonic. It was a small fit, barely accommodating one person, let alone two, but Sonic didn’t mind. He liked that it forced them to press close, forced them to breathe together.   

Sonic curled up next to Shadow, wrapping himself around him as much as possible, seeking his comforting warmth and the familiar lavender scent. Shadow allowed himself to be drawn in, allowed Sonic to tuck himself in the curve of his body. The blue hedgehog buried his face in the warmth of Shadow’s chest, breathing him in.   

The silence between them was warm and easy, and Sonic nestled into it, into him, with a contented sigh. But it didn’t last. It never did with him.  

“This is insane," he said, his voice muffled against Shadow’s fluffy white fur, but bright with a touch of disbelief and a lot of joy, like it was making it more real just to say it out loud.   

“What part?” Shadow hummed questioningly, nuzzling the blue of Sonic's quills with a smile too wide to hide. Sonic suppressed a laugh, but his shoulders were still shaking with it. It caught Shadow off-guard, just how much it stirred in him, just how much he needed to be the reason for Sonic's happiness.  

Sonic’s lips curved into a smile that lingered in his voice as he spoke, “Well, for starters, the part where I found you, Faker. ”   

He didn’t know how the nickname tumbled off his tongue, didn’t remember where it had come from. It was familiar, but at the same time wholly new.  

These words should have meant nothing to Shadow, but suddenly they meant everything. The way Sonic said them, bright and teasing but with a hint of yearning, it pulled him to someplace beyond his reach. Shadow felt himself drown in the familiarity that came with that name, felt the pieces click into place. He felt on the edge of almost, but not quite. He didn’t understand all of it, not yet, but he knew he wanted to. He wanted to piece all the almosts into a whole.  

He reached for Sonic’s bare hand, their fingers weaving together. Sonic’s grip was sure and steady. Chaos Energy sparked like static in the dark, electrifying the air, buzzing under their skin.  

He let himself believe that what they held in their hands wasn’t fragile, that it was strong, that it wouldn’t shatter. He allowed himself to fully hold onto it, pulling Sonic closer, holding him tighter.   

He could do this.   

They could do this.  

They were going to make this work.   

Sonic’s breathing gradually slowed, his eyes feeling heavy with more than just exhaustion. He snuggled deeper into Shadow's embrace, “I missed you." he mumbled, his voice a sleepy murmur.   

The black hedgehog moved to place a gentle kiss onto the top of Sonic’s head. “I’m right here,” he breathed again in the air they shared.   

Sonic’s eyes slipped closed, but before he fell, he whispered, quiet as their joined hands, “Night, Shads.” The words came out easily, casually, like he had already decided they had many more nights like this to look forward to. He shifted his weight, letting his legs tangle with Shadow’s.  

He watched Sonic drift off, felt his breaths even and deepen. Shadow couldn’t help but feel a rush of relief and wonder at the sight of him, felt the last bit of uncertainty ease away as he watched his chest rise and fall.  

Notes:

I did it! my first furry porn! I feel like I should celebrate somehow
Jokes aside, I did my best to keep it classy and filled with lots of feels, I hope the descriptions weren't too vague

one more short chapter left, kind of an epilogue with some more smut

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Sunlight filtered lazily through the window, casting soft warmth across the bed where the two hedgehogs lay entwined. The gold glow seeped into Shadow’s dark fur, waking him from the edge of sleep.  

Sonic was pressed snugly against him, his arm draped loose around the black hedgehog's waist, his quills a messy splash of blue on the pillows.  

It was soft, the light, the moment, everything. It felt surprisingly easy to be here. Effortless. Shadow didn’t move, neither did Sonic. Neither did the world.  

He lay there for a moment, just breathing, just listening to the rhythmic beat of Sonic’s heart, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest, his gaze fixed on the way the light caught on his bright blue fur.  

He closed his eyes and let it settle over him, remembering vividly how his fingers had dipped in the softness of his hips, helping Sonic move on him, helping him reach for more when his legs couldn’t hold him up anymore. Remembering how damp his fur was with the effort. Remembering how hot his breath was on his neck as he muffled the sounds he couldn’t restrain.  

Shadow felt need pulse hot and deep at the thought of him, felt the way it tightened with each breath he took. He shifted slightly, and Sonic’s grip instinctively adjusted around him with a low, sleepy groan that made his heart skip. His lips brushed lightly against Shadow’s throat as the blue hedgehog yawned and offered Shadow a lazy smile. "Hey," he said, his voice still rough with sleep.  

Shadow reached for him, couldn’t help it, his movements fluid and confident. "Hey," he replied, his warm breath tickling Sonic’s ear, sending shivers down his spine. Shadow pulled Sonic flush against him, a hint of mischief in his eyes.  

His hands spread wide and possessively in blue fur, tracing the curve of Sonic's back before settling at the base of his tail and tugging gently, a nice trick he learned the previous night. He watched how Sonic’s eyes widened, his body jerking sharply against him. "Shads!" Sonic hissed when he felt Shadow’s teeth on the tip of his ear, felt them graze before pulling away, just enough to make Sonic tense against him and want more of it, just enough to make Shadow's smile curve wider 

“Wah—Good morning to you too, I guess.” Sonic said, words melting into breath just before his mouth met Shadow’s. He wove his fingers into red and black quills and pulled with more force than he meant to, hard enough to draw a sharp inhale from Shadow, his lips parting in a silent invitation that Sonic eagerly accepted. 

Sonic could see how much had shifted. Everything felt certain and right. He touched to claim and mark, he took charge with the kind of roughness that set Sonic’s heart pounding. Shadow touched him like he belonged, like he knew this was where he was meant to be, each caress declaring that this was home.  

Sonic felt Shadow’s hand press flat against him, felt it spread wide beneath his navel, felt it splay out and press lower. He didn’t stop it. He let his head fall back as he felt fingers pressing between his thighs, spreading the fur there, feeling the soft skin underneath, feeling him stir beneath each insistent touch. Sonic’s breath caught before he could stop it, and a needy whine escaped his mouth. 

He should have seen it coming, should have known that Shadow would be so bold. After all, the black hedgehog had never backed down from anything. He could feel that relentless streak now, with every touch and every unguarded look, and he loved it. He loved that they both always wanted to run.  

Shadow kept touching him insistently, kept wrenching sounds from him that had never come out of his mouth before. He let Sonic’s gasps and ragged breaths and soft, pleading moans teach him how to do this, hands learning him, until he had him fully in his grasp.  

His fingers closed around him, squeezing gently at first, feeling the soft skin move over the hard shape of him. Sonic unconsciously thrust into his hand, and Shadow worked with more intent, more purpose, drawing slowly at first, firming his grip until he began to pull in earnest, until he found a rhythm that had Sonic arching his back and choking on a moan. 

Sonic felt Shadow grinding against his thigh with short, quick, aborted rolls of his hips, as if he wasn’t even aware of doing it, as if he couldn’t stop, couldn’t hold back. The blue hedgehog reached for him too, feeling brave, his hand traveling down the white fur of his chest, over his stomach taut with anticipation, until he found him already exposed, skin drawn tight with want. He felt Shadow’s pace falter when his hand firmly wrapped around him, heard him let out a ragged breath as he pushed back into Sonic’s fist.  

Sonic’s heart was racing the way it did when he hit full speed. They were hardly kissing at that point, too busy getting lost in the heat and noise of it all. They still couldn’t stop their mouths from seeking each other out, breathing into each other's lips almost as loud as their heartbeats.  

Yesterday, Sonic was nervous, but now he was daring. In the bright, white light of day, he dared to hold him like this. His curious green eyes dared to watch where he disappeared into his own hand, thick and flushed. And he watched as the red and black hedgehog trembled under his hands, shivering each time he moved. He watched as Shadow's short breaths escaped his lips in little more than groans as warmth began to dust his muzzle. 

Sonic couldn’t get enough of the small, desperate noises he dragged out of the black hedgehog’s throat, it only made him want to go faster. He wanted to push him farther. Shadow couldn't keep his focus, couldn't stop his control from slipping. He closed his eyes and let himself forget how to hold on. 

Sonic felt the heat coil inside him, felt the sparks begin to creep across his skin, begin to prickle under his fur. Just as he was about to tip over, just at the moment he thought he couldn’t hold it any longer, Shadow stopped. Sonic let out a frustrated groan. He didn’t want to stop, didn’t want anything to take the heat away. 

Shadow’s fingers caught Sonic’s wrist to still his hand. “Wait,” Shadow said, voice raw with the strain of holding back, voice so rough and breathless it trembled. His red eyes were half-lidded, his gaze dark and hazy and wild. “Together,” he said, then he took them both in his hand.  

Sonic felt the heat rush to the tip of his ears at the intimacy of the touch, at the way he could feel Shadow against him, close and tight. He let his own hand join Shadow’s, kept time with his movements, kept up with him, and the black hedgehog let out a sound that was so much like a ragged groan and so much like a moan, he wasn’t even sure which.  

Sonic was a mess of noise and energy and happiness, and he didn’t know what to do with it all, didn’t know what to do with how good it felt. He didn’t know how to hold it in, how to keep from letting it spill out all over the place. He didn’t even try. It didn’t take long for them to fall over the edge, to let go and feel the warmth spread under their skin, to feel it drip through their fingers and onto the sheets.  

They stayed there for a minute, side by side, catching their breath, holding onto each other. Their hands were still tangled together, Sonic’s fingers laced with Shadow’s, still sticky and warm with the mess they’d made.  

Sonic’s breath came in shallow bursts on Shadow’s face, his voice not quite his own. “Wow,” he said, completely and absolutely and totally unafraid of how exposed he was. Shadow smiled, and Sonic could feel it against his lips.  

They wiped their hand clean on the sheets without even caring how it dirtied the white cotton, how shameless it was. They didn’t care about much at all, until— 

"Sonic! Breakfast!" Tails shouted from downstairs, his voice a sharp contrast to the quiet warmth of the room.  

Sonic jolted up, ears twitching at the sound, the surprise of it nearly sending him tumbling out of bed. He felt like he'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Oh crap," he yelped, eyes wide as he scrambled to his feet, kicking off the tangled bedsheets that clung stubbornly to his legs. 

Shadow slowly sat up and watched the panic unfold with a touch of exasperation and a lot of warmth. It was the same as last night, intense and overwhelming and undeniably Sonic.  

"You should answer him." He said patiently.  

This was his life now, Shadow thought fondly. Of course it would be like this, like everything else Sonic touched, a mess of sound and color and raw feelings.  

Sonic paused, realization dawning on him. He couldn’t hide the sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Oh, right." He raised his voice, "Uhhh, yeah! Be right down!" 

The blue hedgehog turned to Shadow, his expression caught between excitement and apprehension. “Maybe we should wait till I explain,” he said in a rush, his confidence slipping away as a hundred thoughts flooded his mind, “Maybe you should go, and come back later? When I have a chance to tell them first?” 

He barely had time to breathe before Shadow caught his hand. His grip was warm and sure as he pulled him along with a soft insistence.  

Shadow refused to be a secret, refused to be something Sonic had to hide. He didn’t want their night to have been something they had to take back. He didn’t want to feel like a mistake. 

"Hold on," Sonic said, tugging Shadow back with a nervous burst of energy, his heart pounding in his chest. "Where are you going?" 

Shadow didn’t miss Sonic’s subtle flinch, didn’t miss the way he tensed, the way his ears flattened or the hint of fear in his eyes.  

"Breakfast," he insisted, trying to sound more confident than he felt but hearing the uncertainty creep into his words. It almost came out as a challenge. "Obviously." 

“What?! No, wait—” Sonic stumbled over his words, voice was high and anxious.  

His eyes met Shadow’s, and he was quiet then, a moment too long. Quiet in a way that felt loud. Shadow could sense the shift, even if Sonic wasn't saying anything yet. He let go of Sonic’s hand, gave him a little space.  

Sonic thought for a split second that it was over. He thought he’d gone too far, that he’d already lost what he barely had. Shadow’s gaze flickered, and Sonic’s world almost shattered. He felt fear turn his blood cold, a sharp pain in his veins. He had to say something, anything, to keep Shadow there with him, but he couldn’t find the words. 

Sonic didn’t know how to make it stop feeling like he had to choose which mattered more between Shadow and his family. The blue hedgehog closed his eyes, hands clenching into fists at his sides, trying desperately to hold onto something, anything that wasn’t slipping away.  

He wanted to hear something that made sense of it all, wanted reassurance that they could stay right where they were without complications, without hurting the people he cared about. But Shadow couldn't give him that. He wouldn't let him back down, wouldn’t let him pretend this was anything less than what it was. He wouldn’t let some white lie dim the bright joy they held.  

What Shadow could do was to stand beside him, to remain steadfast by his side and to hold him through it. He reached out and pulled Sonic close again, resting their foreheads together. anchoring him, warm and unshakeable. He placed a hand at the nape of Sonic's neck, cradling it softly, and the quiet weight of it calmed the frantic racing pulse beneath his skin. He didn’t say a word, but it was enough. Sonic’s breath stuttered, then slowed, as he realized that Shadow was still holding him in every way he’d hoped he would. A sense of relief washed over him, so strong his knees threatened to buckle under the weight of it all.  

"I'm trying not to make any more mistakes here," Shadow whispered softly. "We’re doing this," he said, breathless and with all the belief and determination he could manage, "the right way."  

Sonic held onto Shadow, fingers tight in his fur, his voice more raw than anything else when he said, "I don’t know how." He let out a heavy breath, “How do we… tell them? What are we going to say?”  

It was so unlike him to hesitate like this. Sonic usually rushed headlong into everything, so sure of himself and his choices, but this mattered, mattered so much he didn’t know how to give it words. It wasn’t just about his family finding out, Shadow realized. Sonic didn’t know how to call it, what they were together, didn’t know how to ask without sounding unsure. He didn’t want to get it wrong. 

Shadow didn’t let the silence grow. “I will do the talking,” he said instead, his voice full of the confidence Sonic gave him, “I’ll tell them that I’m sorry, I’ll explain everything.” 

Sonic’s grip tightened on Shadow's black fur, “But what if they don't get it?” He said it in a rush, his voice high and sharp with nerves he couldn’t hide, with insecurities he didn’t know how to admit.  

Shadow understood anyway. He tilted his head to brush his lips against Sonic’s, to whisper there the answer to the question that was never asked, “I’m not giving up on this, I’m not leaving you. We will make it work.” 

The promise in his voice held more warmth than Sonic thought he could bear. He clung to his words, pulling Shadow with urgency, almost losing his balance as he drew the black hedgehog’s mouth hard onto his own. He threw his arms tight around him, let his relief flood over, trying to convey what he didn’t know how to say.  

It scared Shadow, how much of his old self he had to give up to let this new one happen. It was hard to be this open, to let someone in this close, but he wanted to be with Sonic more than he wanted to be safe. Then Sonic gave him the smallest of shivers, gave him the smallest of signs, and he realized he wasn’t the only one who was terrified by how big it all was. 

Still, he wasn’t running away anymore. He was learning to stay, learning to let Sonic hold him, and not just when it was easy. It felt unreal, but Shadow was ready to chase it, ready to stop running from the happiness he thought he’d lost. 

Sonic let out a shaky breath when he pulled away, the tension finally easing a little from his posture. He nodded, feeling his own breath settle, letting the uncertainty go. "Okay," he said, as much to himself as to Shadow. “Okay, let’s do this!”  

He could hear his own heart, loud in his ears. It didn’t matter. He was ready. With Shadow by his side, he felt like he could take on anything. 

This was crazy, this was awesome. This was happening right now. “We totally got this!” Sonic added, his enthusiasm sparking in his chest and Chaos Energy humming under his fur. Shadow gave a firm nod, his expression resolute and focused. 

Sonic put his gloves back on, tugging them over his fingers with quick motions. Then his shoes, one and then the other in a blur. He ran a hand through his quills, trying to smooth them back into place, but he didn’t really care if they stayed wild. He didn’t mind if it gave him away. Maybe he didn’t want to hide it. Maybe he wanted them to know how they belonged together. Maybe that would be one less thing to explain if they saw the happiness all over his face.  

Shadow got ready too, put on his gloves and sat down to put his shoes on. There was a domesticity to it, despite the weight of the moment. Sonic stole glances, unable to help himself. Shadow, sitting on his bed, in his room. He could get used to it.  

Sonic watched him, his heart full. It felt different now, the way that wanting didn’t come with the fear of losing. Shadow had told him he would stay, told him he wouldn’t give up, and it didn’t feel like just words anymore. It felt like something they would build together; felt like something he could hold. 

Shadow stood and crossed the room to him, his expression open, and Sonic knew exactly how to read it. He wasn’t sure how to be here, but he was trying. He didn’t know how to be part of this, but he was willing.  

"Ready?" Sonic asked, more for his own sake than for Shadow’s.  

The black hedgehog nodded, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Are you?" Sonic looked at him, letting the moment stretch between them. "Yeah," he said, voice a little stronger than he expected, a little brighter. "I think I am." The lingering fear hadn’t entirely gone, but Shadow’s presence made it smaller in the face of what they had. 

Sonic flashed a wide grin. He held out a hand, fingers splayed in invitation, and Shadow took it.  

Sonic swung their arms with an enthusiasm that seemed to fill the entire room. Shadow almost laughed at the absurdity of it, at how serious and important and ridiculous it all felt at once. He couldn’t remember the last time he let himself feel this way, free and reckless.  

Sonic’s grip tightened around Shadow’s hand in a silent promise. He was ready to run into this, and he was dragging him along for the ride. 

Notes:

Thanks for reading :) I hope you guys liked it!
They've been living in my head for a few months now and I'm going to miss them, but I guess they're yours too now!

Anyway I still want to write them, so if anyone want a little something let me know