Take A Chance On Me

by Krakintakin

Summary:

Before Shadow can date Sonic, he must defeat six of his exes! Shadow sets off on his journey but finds himself battling not only Sonic's past but also himself. Who will come out the winner: Sonic's exes or Shadow's determination to win?

Notes:

I humbly ask that u all accept my offering for a crack fic that I'm trying to take seriously lol. When I started writing it I was like "yay fighting scenes, surely this will be fun and challenging!" WRONG

Anyways I hope you all enjoy!! I'm Krakintakin on Tumblr!!

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Notes:

knuckles my beloved

Shadow barely felt the breeze brush through his quills as he paced around the beach. The waves flowed and barely covered his footprints before he pivoted and followed the same path, recreating the footprints over and over again. He glanced at the trees, both eager and dreading the sight of the blue blur that would show up any moment.

After their daily bout of challenges, followed by a race through Green Hills, Shadow had felt like he was going to burst with the amount of affection and respect he had for Sonic. Deciding that he couldn’t, wouldn’t, take it anymore he had steeled himself and told Sonic to meet him at the beach that night and didn’t wait for an answer before teleporting away.

And here he was, his shoes caked wet sand and his quills damp from ocean spray. He didn’t even know what he was going to say or how to approach his feelings. Should he start off with reminding Sonic that he was immature, had the ego the size of the ARK, and that he had somehow fallen in love with him? Or should he say that somewhere along the way Sonic’s cheeky grin and cocky attitude started bothering him in ways that left him breathless? Or maybe just go straight for the kill and grab him by his shoulders and kiss him?

Before he could think further, he heard the familiar rush of energy and saw the blue streak race around trees. He stilled as Sonic appeared a few feet away from him, his smile bright and relaxed.

“Hey, Shads!” Sonic greeted him as he bent down and tugged at his shoelaces. “Didn’t take you for the type of guy that enjoyed long walks along the beach. Kinda romantic, dontcha think?”

Shadow watched for a moment as Sonic toed out of his shoes and pulled his socks off. At the sight of fuzzy blue feet, he looked back up at Sonic. “Who said anything about a walk?”

“I did,” Sonic replied and placed his shoes on a nearby rock. “C’mon, it’s such a nice night. Maybe try going slow for a change?”

If he was with anyone else, he would have scoffed and walked away. He would have tensed at the suggestion of taking off his air shoes, of losing such an important ability. His stomach turned at the thought of being caught without them on, but when he remembered who he was standing next to, he relaxed. Without saying a word he pulled his shoes off and set them next to Sonic’s. Sonic smiled at him and started down the beach. Like the ocean to the moon, Shadow had no choice but to follow.

Neither said anything for a few minutes as they walked. The first time the water tickled at Sonic’s feet he gasped at the cold then laughed softly and kicked out his feet. Shadow watched the droplets shimmer like diamonds before falling into the sand.

When the two had walked until Shadow no longer recognized the area he cleared his throat. “I wanted to tell you something.”

Sonic glanced at him. He seemed to sense Shadow’s uncharacteristic nervousness and didn’t say anything cheeky.

“I…” Shadow sucked in a deep breath and looked up at the sky. “I have… feelings… for you. I’ve had them for a few months now, and I wanted to see if you felt the same.”

The familiar crunch Sonic’s footsteps stopped. Shadow looked at him and met Sonic’s wide eyes. “Oh,” Sonic murmured.

Shadow forced himself to stare into Sonic’s eyes. “If you feel the same way,” he said softly. “Will you go out with me?”

Sonic grinned, slowly and full of fondness. Shadow’s breath caught in his throat. “Honestly,” he said. “I’d love that more than anything. But you have to do something before we date.”

Shadow straightened. “Anything.”

“You have to beat six of my exes in a fight,” Sonic said.

Shadow blinked. “You’re asking me,” he said slowly. “To fight six of your exes… just to date you?”

“It’s dumb, I know-”

“Done. Who’s first?”

“Huh?!” Sonic squawked. “You’re not even gonna ask why?”

Shadow smirked. “A chance to beat up six of your exes? And you’re the prize? Easy.”

Even in the dim moonlight, Shadow could see Sonic’s face redden. “Hear me out first,” Sonic said. “Some of them are… over-protective. And others think that they’re the ‘best partner I’ve ever had.’” He said this with air quotes and a look of disdain. “So when I broke up with my sixth partner, the six of them banded together to form this squad of exes and made me promise that if I wanted to date someone else, they had to go through them.”

Shadow wasn’t very familiar with Sonic’s dating life, but he knew a few of the people that Sonic had dated or had flings with in the past. Knuckles, Blaze, Jet (how Sonic and him had dated, he had no idea), and Amy, who he was most nervous about. He had seen her swing that giant hammer of hers many times and wasn’t looking forward to being its target.

“I can handle them,” Shadow said and crossed his arms. “Who’s first?”

Sonic beamed at him. Shadow would fight the entire world if Sonic asked him to if it meant that he would smile at him like that for the rest of his life.

“First up,” Sonic said. “Knuckles.”

Chapter 2: Knuckles

Notes:

Knuckles my beloved

“I know the two of you have fought plenty of times,” Sonic said. They were staring out across the ocean, Sonic looking up at the full moon while Shadow stared at its hazy image on the surface of the water. “But he’s the first person that I fell in love with. Something about those sharp teeth and powerful hands just really do something for me, ya know?”

Shadow ignored the small lick of jealousy he felt in his chest. “I guess. But wasn’t he working with Eggman when you first met?”

“C’mon, Shads,” Sonic said with a sad grin. “You know better than most what led to that.”

—

Shadow Chaos Controlled onto Angel Island the next morning, ready to find the echidna and challenge him. He sped toward the direction of the Master Emerald, knowing that there was a good chance that Knuckles would be there.

He was gliding for a few minutes when he felt the ground rumble underneath him. Right when the ground spiked upwards he Chaos Controlled a few feet away and watched as Knuckles shot through the dirt.

Knuckles landed with a grunt and stared at Shadow, his gaze sharp. “Sonic told me you’d be here,” he said. “Wasn’t expecting you of all people to wanna date him.”

“Wasn’t expecting to hide in the dirt like a worm. Hibernating season already?” Shadow replied, eyeing Knuckle's muddy fists.

Knuckles’ scoffed. “There’s a cave underneath us,” he said, tapping the ground with his foot. “I was just getting it ready for us.”

Shadow raised an eyebrow. “Getting it ready?”

Knuckles grinned, his sharp teeth making it look sinister. Without saying anything he hefted his fists into the air before slamming them into the ground. Shadow watched as the ground cracked and crumbled underneath them. He could Chaos Control to stable ground, or just hover in place with his air shoes. Instead, he met Knuckle's grin with his own and let himself fall. If they were going to do this, might as well make it fun.

He activated his shoes and launched himself at Knuckles. Just as he was within reach Knuckles’ dreads flared out and he glided out of the way. Shadow pivoted in the air and quickly caught up. He used the momentum to land a downward kick on Knuckle’s back. He heard an oomf as Knuckles hit the ground. Shadow used his shoes to turn in the air to punch Knuckles while he was on the ground but the echidna flipped away. Shadow’s punch crunched into the ground and he saw Knuckles lunge at him but Shadow jumped out of the way.

Knuckles suddenly threw himself into Shadow’s space and sent a flurry of punches that he mostly dodged. When he felt one skim his quills followed by one that barely missed his ribs he hooked his foot around Knuckle’s. When Knuckle’s punches paused briefly as he stumbled, Shadow delivered an uppercut that launched Knuckles into the air. Shadow watched as he flipped into the air and landed roughly, crouched with one hand on the ground to steady himself.

“Lucky hit,” Knuckles growled, but he was grinning. He threw himself at Shadow with a yell. Shadow Chaos Controlled so that he was in the air behind him and kicked. Knuckles turned just in time and caught Shadow’s leg. Shadow’s yell of surprise was lost in the air as he was thrown across the cave and into a waterfall.

The shock of the cold water hitting him made him gasp, and it filled his mouth and nose. He sped out of the water just as Knuckles punched down at the water where he was. Shadow watched the water explode and was grudgingly impressed by the power that Knuckles wielded.

“Why do you wanna date him?” Knuckles yelled over the roar of the water fall. Shadow frowned as he stepped aside from a punch.

“You’re asking me that now?” He yelled back, annoyed.

Knuckles delivered a sudden kick into Shadow’s side that sent him sprawling back into the water. He ignored the sharp pain and Chaos Controlled away when he saw Knuckles’ blurry form run at him with his fist raised. He appeared above him and was able to strike him with another kick. Knuckles flew into the waterfall and disappeared in the torrent of water.

With a moment to breathe he thought about Knuckles question. Why did he want to date Sonic? Because he liked him, of course. There was nobody like him, nobody that could match Shadow’s determination and stubbornness, nobody that could match him in speed and power. Quite frankly, there was nobody like Sonic the Hedgehog, and there never would be again. While Shadow was the Ultimate Lifeform, he was created to be that way, a manmade experiment. Sonic’s speed came from within, an anomaly, something special and unique. Of course Shadow would fall for him; it was like looking at the sky at night and seeing the stars blink back at him, that feeling of awe and fear, of feeling too small and too big at the same time. It was the same feeling he got when he stared into Sonic’s emerald eyes.

A red blur caught him by surprise and he was tackled into shallow water. Knuckles pinned Shadow to the ground and snarled into his face, “Answer the question, idiot.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Shadow growled, frustrated at being caught off guard. “I like him, dumbass.”

Knuckles lifted a fist, water streaming from his spikes. “Not good enough.”

Shadow Chaos Controlled with a frustrated shout and landed on a nearby boulder. “He’s annoying and cocky,” he shouted at Knuckles who was glaring at him from the pool of water. “He gets on my nerves constantly and doesn’t know what personal space is. But,” Shadow watched as Knuckles walked to a nearby boulder and hefted it. “He’s the kindest person I know.” The boulder froze in Knuckle’s grasp.

“He’s saved the world so many times, even if it cost him everything,” Shadow continued, his voice gruff. “And he does it simply because he knows it’s right. He fights, and he wins, and he loses, and gets hurt, and he’s lost so much, but he does it anyway. Instead of obliterating his enemies he spares them, over and over again, he always gives them a second chance,” Shadow felt his throat grow tight but pushed on. “He gave me a second chance, even after I fucked everything up. He doesn’t look at me like I’m a weapon, or someone that’s hard to get along with, or even as a rival anymore. He looks at me like-” like I’m worth something, like I’m his equal, like he trusts me with everything he has. “Like he’s glad he took a chance on me.”

There was a thud as Knuckles dropped the boulder on the ground. Shadow’s shoulders relaxed minutely, and he unclenched his fists.

“Yeah,” Knuckles said, his expression unreadable as he stared at Shadow. “I get it. Neither of us would be here if it wasn't for him.” He folded his arms and turned away. “You win. I’m sure Sonic told you where to find your next opponent.”

Shadow stared at Knuckles' dripping hair in surprise. “That’s it?”

Knuckles glared at him over his shoulder. “Get off my island, you emo-ass hedgehog.”

“Fuck off,” Shadow barked back but he Chaos Controlled away. When he landed in the quiet and warmth of his apartment, he collapsed onto his sofa with a grunt. For a fight that barely lasted ten minutes he felt as exhausted as though he fought an army of android Shadows. Thinking back on what he had admitted to Knuckles he found himself wondering if he bit off more than he could chew.

Chapter 3: Blaze

Notes:

I'm back on my Sonic kick after taking a break (Ghost came back to bite me in the ass after three years of not paying attention to the lore) and I miss writing about these two guys.

I still haven't seen scott pilgrim LOL but I had fun writing this chapter :)

“I would say the next person would be Blaze,” Sonic considered. He had flopped back into the sand, his quills spread around him.

Shadow squashed the urge to run his fingers over them. “You two dated?”

“Only for a few months,” Sonic replied. “The story behind us is pretty simple: after we defeated the two Eggmen, whenever Blaze came to our dimension we would hang out. I would try to get her to relax, to take a break and have fun, so we’d end up going on some adventures together. And you know me,” he grinned at Shadow. “A good adventure goes straight to my heart.”

—

It was a couple of weeks before Shadow could continue his quest to defeat Sonic’s exes. He got caught up in a GUN mission with Rouge (who found his entire situation hilarious) and had to wait for Dr. Eggman to make his threat on the world for Blaze to show up.

Of course, he waited until after they had saved the world to confront the princess.

“Blaze,” he said.

She turned from where she had almost begun her journey home. The two of them were covered in smog and dust from the wreckage that Dr. Eggman caused.

“Shadow,” she replied with a raised eyebrow. Her head tilted slightly. “What do you need?”

“Sonic told me that you’re part of his coalition of exes that I need to fight in order to date him.”

She blinked, then made a wry expression. “Yes, I am, unfortunately. Amy convinced me to join, but I honestly thought it was a joke.”

“Well, I’m not joking when it comes to my intentions with him.”

That seemed to stoke a fire in her eyes. A grin appeared on her face, a fang peeking out. “Knowing you, I’d be surprised otherwise.” Flames appeared in her hands. “Shall we?”

Even though the two of them had spent hours fighting bots prior, they met each other with equal eagerness. Shadow was surprised by the gusto that she responded with in terms of a battle with him, but he also knew that her disciplinary behaviors had mellowed out greatly in the past years she had spent with Team Sonic.

His exhaustion puffed away at the sight of whirling flames coming straight for him. He quickly jumped out of the way and focused his Chaos energy into his hands before shooting them at her. She easily sped out of the way.

Honestly, he wasn’t entirely sure how to approach a fight with her. He’s seen her in action many times, but doing hand-to-hand with her? It almost felt like trying to keep hold of an eel; she elegantly slid and spun out of his attacks while shooting flaming projectiles at him that caused him to jump out of range.

So, he decided to throw caution to the wind and simply let chaos control him.

He burst with Chaos energy and threw himself at her, punches and kicks flying. Her eyes widened, but she was able to dodge most of his attacks. He felt a few of his quills begin to shrivel from flames he narrowly dodged, the fur on his arms blackened. But he continued forward, not letting her get the chance to properly summon flames. And he knew that she wouldn’t actually hurt him, just like he wouldn’t cause serious damage to her.

A kick landed against his side, reinforcing a cracked rib that had just healed from Eggman’s attack. His footing slipped at the pain, and she whirled away from him in a burst of flames.

The two stared one another down, chests heaving.

“Why do you wish to go out with him?” She asked him. Sweat made the fur on her face a shade darker.

Chaos, this again. “He’s Sonic the fucking hedgehog; what more do I need to say?”

“So you’re just going with what everyone thinks, is that it?” She asked him, then shook her head. “I care for him a lot, and not just because we courted for a time. He’s an amazing friend, and the love for his friends and his home is unmatched. Can you match that?”

Shadow growled. “Listen. I know the mistakes I’ve made, and I know that Sonic is the one who didn’t turn me away when I asked for another chance. And I’m not going to get in his way-”

She curled into a ball of flames and launched herself towards him. Purple, white, and orange filled his vision, and he Chaos Controlled away.

“I’m not asking if you’ll get in his way. I’m asking if you’ll be by his side, no matter the cost. Even,” her eyes narrowed. “If it means putting aside your apathetic nature to protect those he deems worthy, meaning anything and anyone?”

“That’s-” he stopped. He knew that one of the biggest issues that the two of them faced was Sonic’s undying generosity versus Shadow’s instinctual mistrust. Both aspects have saved their lives and others, but both have also led them down darker, deadlier paths.

“I won’t deny that we won’t argue about who is worthy of saving, and who isn’t. Or how we get the job done. But at the end of the day,” he drew himself up and straightened his back. “It’ll be done together. With respect and care from both of us.”

He took a step towards her. “I know I act brash and stubborn, but he has as well. I won’t say that I’ll change who I am, as I refuse to do so for anyone, even him. But I will… reevaluate when needed, if he asks me to.”

Blaze stared at him for a moment longer, then nodded.

“I apologize for bringing up your false nature. I know how much you have sacrificed for the world, and as someone whose country’s safety falls in her hands, I respect and admire you greatly. You two will make an exceptional couple.” With a small smile, she turned away from him, and Shadow could see her shoulders begin to droop from exhaustion. “I look forward to fighting alongside you again, Shadow.” And then she was gone.

Shadow immediately groaned and fell onto his back. Fuck, his fur felt awful. He winced when his gloves came away ashy after he rubbed them over his arm. At least Blaze was easy to convince compared to Knuckles. But if every encounter was going to end up with him having to explain his reasoning or doubling down on why he wanted to date Sonic, this was going to get old very fast.

A blur appeared above him before it materialized into Sonic’s wide smile. “‘Sup, Shadow. Did Blaze leave?”

“Yes.”

Sonic pouted. “Aw, I wanted to catch up with her before she left. Hey, are your arms alright? They look… darker than normal.”

“We fought. She told me I can date you. She left.”

“Oh, sweet.” He extended a hand out to Shadow, and he took it. Sonic hauled him up to his feet and gave Shadow a peck on the cheek.

Startled, Shadow placed a hand where he felt Sonic’s lips touch and looked at him. Sonic was giving him a dazzling smile, his eyes bright with affection.

“You did amazing today, Shadow. Thank you for your help.” And then he was gone.

For the second time today, Shadow was no longer exhausted. Instead of teleporting home, he took the long way, making sure to take in the setting sun as he thought about the way Sonic looked at him and the feeling of his lips against his cheek.