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The crisp wind tickled Shadow’s quills, and he breathed in, smiling at the slight sting in his lungs and the hint of a spiced aroma from a bakery nearby.
Fall was his absolute favorite season, and today was a perfect example of why.
For one, it was absolutely beautiful. The newfound cold caused the deciduous trees all around him to change their colors and drop their leaves. Then, the strong, frigid winds picked them up, painting the warm, rich colors across the sky and ground.
It kind of reminded him of more stylized pieces of art, specifically the kind with intentional imperfections and layers of texture, able to be physically felt rather than exclusively perceived, from the thicker paints.
Not all falls were like this, of course. Sometimes they were wet and rainy, or the cold came too infrequently, making the leaves dull and brown. He still enjoyed the muted colors, but it didn’t hold the same magic as the vivid yellows, oranges, and reds.
This season, however, was the pinnacle of what fall could look like. So he spent a lot of his free time walking in the park near his new apartment, because the beauty didn’t last forever. The leaves would eventually shrivel and decompose, and the frigid winds would carry snow to signal the start of winter.
Eggman’s global domination had done numbers on all environments, both artificial and natural. The sky was always dull and clouded with smoke from the constant fires in the cities and in the forests. But after he was gone for good, the entire world came together to help rebuild and replant.
Thanks to some particularly innovative technology, they were able to figure out how to develop a growth serum that made plants mature exponentially faster in their earlier stages. It wasn’t a permanent alteration, either. It was more like food, slowly used up by nature’s metabolism. In other words, they didn’t have to worry about any long lasting consequences of overgrowth.
In only a few years, there were fully fledged forests teeming with life. The very park he walked in was a prime example of their efforts. It was heavily forested, with a few open spaces and reservoirs littered throughout. Life had flocked to the place, evident from the distinct echoes and calls of many individual bird species.
Another reason why he found fall beautiful was the aesthetic it brought. He thoroughly enjoyed dressing himself in fall clothing despite his body being engineered to handle even the most extreme temperatures. But it did use up chaos energy unnecessarily, so it was all the more reason to commit some of his money.
Jackets, flannels, sweaters, scarves, you name it, he had it. In fact, Shadow had acquired an entire wardrobe for this specific season. He didn’t care so much about the other ones, settling for a simple coat, still stylish, if it was cold outside, or nothing if it was hot.
Today, he was sporting a long red scarf slightly darker than his quills, and a thick brown coat with buttons. The coat was left open at the top to show off the fluffy white chest fur he so meticulously cared for.
Right before he was about to start an internal rant about the divine food and drink that the season had to offer, a small ding sounded off from his pocket.
Shadow sighed, as much as he wanted to stay in the park, he did have a party to go to for Halloween.
Now, normally he avoided parties like a plague because they were overstimulating in all of the worst ways. Too loud, too crowded, too bright, too dramatic, too chaotic, just too everything at the same time.
However, today was a bit of an exception for two reasons.
For one, this was just a simple get-together at Tails’s house, nothing more than a costume party with a few games, some food, and a bonfire.
The other reason was because he had grown accustomed to Sonic’s friend group during the war; they were no longer distant acquaintances, but instead genuine friends. He had a lot of help from Sonic, because he had decided that his boyfriend needed more friends instead of being ‘alone and broody all the time.’
Which, sometimes he still couldn’t believe was real.
If anyone told the Shadow from a few years ago that after saving a thoroughly abused and traumatized Sonic from his torturer by brutally dismembering and killing him would result in them getting together, he probably would have roundhouse kicked them in the face.
Speaking of, Sonic had tried to get him to do matching couple costumes, but Shadow absolutely refused to dress up in any of those atrocious outfits. All of them were bad, horrible, even. Sonic literally challenged him to a race in an attempt to get him to comply.
Obviously he won against the blue blur. Not only was he faster, but his motivation to avoid wearing a giant mustard bottle also surpassed Sonic’s desire to see him wearing it. So, defeated, Sonic had settled on an old vampire cape with a dumb looking tophat and plastic fangs.
Opening his phone, he glanced over the picture the blue hedgehog sent him earlier today of said costume, to which Shadow had tauntingly said his fangs were still bigger. Sonic reacted to that with a tomato emoji, but if it was meant to represent throwing a tomato or blushing like one, the hybrid couldn’t guess.
But Shadow didn’t linger on that thought, instead reading the new string of messages from thirty seconds ago.
Blue idiot <3
yo
you know you gotta b here in like 20 right
i wanna see my boyfriend again
You
We hung out yesterday, you are so insanely clingy.
Blue idiot <3
yea but you loooooveeee meeee
You
I’ll be there soon.
Blue idiot <3 reacted to your message with a heart
Shadow rolled his eyes in good nature, tucking the phone back into his pocket and switching it out for the resident card he needed to get past the lobby. As he stepped into the five-story heated building, he was greeted with the slightly off-white lighting that highlighted the clean floors and pristine walls.
Shadow took his time picking out a place to stay once all was said and done. G.U.N. had given him a hefty paycheck for saving the world, and he supposed it was deserved, considering they weren’t any help. He was basically the only reason they saved any face, as he was still technically working under them during it.
Regardless of their lack of involvement, he accepted the money and settled on this minimalistic themed building. Not too many decorations, just simple grays and whites with the occasional flash of color from abstract art littering the building. The red quokka at the front desk waved at him politely, the poor Mobian seemed bored out of their mind working here, but a paycheck was a paycheck.
The hybrid sent him a nod in return, striding towards the door that led to the elevators. He swiped his card through the sensor, causing the tiny light placed upon the lock to flash green. He then turned the handle and stepped inside, following the familiar routine of walking up the stairs (the elevators took forever, it was faster to just go up a few flights) and unlocking his door.
The apartment was dark, illuminated only by the light filtering through the closed curtains. Shadow liked to keep his lights off, utilizing his night vision instead. The only time his house wasn’t completely dark was when he had company over, usually Sonic or Amy.
The shut curtains blocked any light, and he had even invested in soundproofing for the sake of his privacy. Being a government agent did warrant his extensive need for privacy, as he had a lot of confidential information at his disposal.
Shadow only needed a few minutes in the place to make himself a bit more presentable. He had managed to avoid wearing a hideous costume, so the least he could do was look nice.
He neatly folded his dark red scarf and put his jacket on the hanger, switching it out for his black leather one. It was much less bulky, and a favorite of his to wear whenever he went out, especially if he was taking his motorcycle.
Shadow even got it tailored to fit his body type, and had his insignia, the same one as the two tiny spiked spirals between his quills, embroidered on the backside. Sonic liked to wear it when Shadow visited, he seemed to find great joy in ‘borrowing’ any and all of his articles of clothing. (Though, he had never actually taken the leather jacket.) Shadow was convinced the reason half of his scarves were missing was because Sonic had sneaked them into his messy quills when the hybrid wasn't looking.
Actually, no, that’s exactly what Sonic did.
He showed up to their dates- whether it be for a drink at a cafe, a race, or anything else- wearing his clothes, and it was one hundred percent just to irritate him. Shadow made a point of growling at him and snatching them back, but he never stopped Sonic when he saw the blue hedgehog in the act.
Chaos, he loved that idiot so much that he was literally allowing him to take his clothes. It was like his relationship with Rouge but ten times worse.
Grumbling at his stupidity, the hybrid took his shoes off, placing them neatly by the door, and walked to his bathroom, eyes catching on the mirror through the darkness. He did a once over, noting what needed to be adjusted, before opening one of the drawers beneath the sink to pick out his desired comb.
Aware he only had a short amount of time, he quickly ran the comb through his fur, fixing the few stray spines that got jostled by the wind outside. Then, he efficiently removed his gloves to maneuver just a little bit of his favorite lavender scented product into his quills, adding an additional layer of gloss that shone even with the miniscule amount of light that reached his home.
Satisfied with his quick work, he gently parted his freshly combed quills to grab his favorite chaos emerald.
Its green facets twinkled at him as he summoned its power, surging as he uttered the trigger words with the destination clear in his mind.
Time shuddered once, twice, and then screeched to a halt, the barrier of reality shattering before unlimited power.
Shadow soared in the currents of pure chaos within the universe for just a fraction of a moment, time bowing before his command. And then, he lost the feeling. Forgotten as soon as it started, abruptly disconnected from the strange, harmonic chaos of reality defying energy like it had never happened.
Used to the feeling after years of consistent use, he tucked the emerald back into his quills, looking past the familiar house he now stood in front of. It was already getting dark, and the endless amounts of trick-or-treaters were already lurking outside of their houses, pillow cases and buckets in hand.
Most of them wore generic costumes; an angel here, a zombie there, but a few were easily distinguished as homemade. One was a particularly impressive eldritch beast on stilts. Initially, it caught Shadow’s attention because of the massive crowd of people surrounding it on one of the lawns, several houses down and on the other side of the street. But as he looked closer, he could appreciate the finer details, like the multiple layers of teeth and the variation in fur length and color.
However, he did not care enough to get a closer look. A crowd that big had more than enough voices to hurt his ears.
Shadow dropped his wandering gaze and walked on to the porch, bringing his hand up to knock firmly four times in a row.
The door opened only a second later, and a hedgehog of brilliant cobalt blue was revealed before him. He was wearing the vampire costume mentioned previously, wearing a tophat with red accents, plastic fangs, and a cape that was tied in an ‘X’ over his chest, black on the outside and red on the inside.
“Shads!” Sonic exclaimed, grabbing his hand and practically yanking him inside, dragging him to the living room. The hybrid blinked, dazed, as half of the expected guests welcomed him in.
“Where’s your brother?” Shadow asked, looking around for the twin tailed fox, who was the only one missing aside from Knuckles and Rouge.
“He’s baking Amy’s pumpkin bread recipe, he’ll be here for the games though.” Sonic answered, pointing to the kitchen, and the black hedgehog could smell the cinnamon permeating the room. It was probably almost done.
“Hey Shadow, glad you could make it!” Amy said, her voice as warm as ever. Though he didn’t miss the look she sent him after observing his attire. It lost none of its usual heat despite only having one pupil scrutinizing him. Her face had healed since then, but she had a tough few years adjusting to a half-blind life and having to deal with a massive scar.
Regardless of her past, the reason for her judgement was because she, unlike Shadow, had actually followed the dress code.
Her costume was definitely the best made out of the group, rivaled only by Blaze’s.
Amy was dressed as a luna moth, while Blaze was a very extravagant lamp that almost didn’t look like a lamp, more like a dress with lamp elements.
He took in the details of Amy’s costume first; her head was adorned with a set of very wide and fluffy off-white colored antennae. They shone subtly from glimmers of the sparse pink and green fibers intermixed in the tufts
Traveling down, Shadow next observed the handiwork on the dress. The chest area had the same kind of white fluff as her antennae sewn onto the fabric. The flashy pink and green fibers still were present throughout, although the fluff as a whole is somewhat more neatly trimmed than the antennae.
The last component, and certainly the most impressive part, was the shawl that made up the wings. Shadow had to give the creator credit, they nailed each individual marking down to perfection, because the pair of faux wings almost looked real.
They weren't just simple printed cloth, either. The designer had used a specific fabric with just the right amount of fuzzy texture, and hand painted each slightly different shade of green and yellow, segmented by vibrant pinks and soft browns. Near the edges, sturdy velcro straps covered in white fluff linked Amy’s wrists to the wings, and the small wires that ran from that connection point to the end allowed her to extend them out as wide as they could go if she so desired.
It took Shadow a moment to notice, but there was also a small chain that wrapped around her neck, keeping the middle from sinking down and ruining the look, but it was barely noticeable among the several pink and green crystal necklaces she was adorned with.
Blaze, on the other hand, wore a gray metal headpiece that curled in a way somewhat reminiscent of antlers. It was adorned with dangling orange-yellow jewels and lights. The lilac cat had also done a bit of eyeshadow and a few markings, namely the small orange dots parallel with the red fem on her forehead, to pull it all together. Overall, the apparel reminded him of the fancy chandeliers seen in fairy tale ball rooms.
Looking further down, her dress was absolutely covered in the same kinds of lights and jewels, arranged in ornate, spiraling patterns that followed the cool gray accents underneath. The dress itself was white, but that was barely noticeable when it looked like she was quite literally glowing like fire without any assistance from her powers.
Shadow was certainly impressed with both costumes, and the best part about it was the fact that Blaze actually commissioned a professional artist to make them.
The two kept tabs on each other, and she had informed the hybrid of her plans to purchase custom made costumes for her and Amy three months ago. Which was honestly way more time than was needed, especially because her pockets had no end.
Suffice to say, Blaze had gone way overkill compared to everyone else here in terms of budget. Which was incredibly amusing to him for one specific reason.
The idea that she and Amy would get matching couple friend costumes was just a joke at first, mentioned a few times at hangouts or in texts from both of them over the summer, but now they had fully committed to the idea.
Shadow may still be kind of emotionally dense, but at least he knew the signs first hand now. He wondered when they would finally realize what was happening and stop being dumb whenever they were in each other's general vicinity.
“When are Rouge and Knuckles getting here?” Silver asked, sporting a costume that looked like some kind of futuristic knight. His armor was an icy, metallic blue, and he had a matching sword prop that leaned against his chair. “We’re waiting on them so we can start.”
“The party starts in around 6 minutes, they still have time.” Amy reminded him, leaning back against the couch. “But, they probably will be late. I think she’ll be fashionable about it though… probably had to drag Knuckles into a costume by force.”
Shadow smirked at the idea of the bat forcibly shoving the echidna into whatever costume she desired. He knew her well enough to know she would definitely do that. Though he didn’t know what she picked out for herself and the echidna. She decided to keep that information a ‘fun little surprise.’
The group didn’t have to wait long to figure out what said surprise was. Only a few minutes over the designated time, a knock on the door down the hall sounded off.
Sonic got up to let them in, and as they came into the living room, and everyone just stared at Knuckles’s costume.
He was quite literally wearing a giant caesar dressing packet, with his normal shoes and gloves poking out of the openings.
That was his entire costume. A condiment packet.
Rouge, on the other hand, was wearing an outfit based off of Cleopatra, and- wait.
Cleopatra.
He had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing. The rest of the group was not as strong as him, because they all immediately broke into hysteria. Though he did have reason to suspect that they were laughing more so from the absurdity of the guardian’s costume, not the secondary meaning that he personally found to be the funniest part of it.
Julius Caesar and Cleopatra.
“ROUGE, THAT-” Sonic managed to say between his laughter, “THAT COSTUME ON KNUCKLES IS AMAZING. OH MY GAIA.”
“Laugh all you want.” Knuckles grumbled, turning around and hiding his embarrassed blush in his spiked gloves. Shadow didn’t miss the ‘I hate you so much’ that the echidna mumbled to Rouge, and she just simply smiled at him.
Blaze got control of her laughter first, taking a deep breath and regaining her composure. “Oh my, how did you manage to get him into that?”
“What, this silly dressing packet?” She asked innocently, looking at her painted nails, having opted for fingerless gloves. “I just made a little deal with him is all.”
“What deal could have possibly gotten Knuckles into that?” Sonic asked, wiping a tear from his eye.
“Ugh. She said that she wouldn't try to steal the master emerald from me for one month if I went along with this. I have several regrets now.” Knuckles answered, his costume drooping alongside his sulking posture. “Is it too late to change my mind and go home?”
“You are so dramatic, it's only one night.” Rouge scoffed, whacking him on the back of the head in a teasing manner.
“Okay! Now that we’re all here.” Amy clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention, “How about we start the party with some light hearted charades?”
—————————————————
The charades were not light hearted.
In fact, they were some of the most heated charades Shadow had ever played in his entire life. And mind you, he didn’t have a lot of experience in charades, so trying to mimic a zombie was not going well for him.
At least he wasn’t the only one, because the group was almost exclusively composed of people who had had no idea how to mimic things. Amy and Sonic were the only ones who seemed to be good at it.
As a result, there was yelling, there was laughter, and a whole lot of name calling.
Even worse, the teams were randomized duos, and he had been placed on a team with Knuckles of all people. While he wasn’t dumb, he was about as well versed in charades as a rock, and that was the kind way of putting it.
“Is it a bird?” The echidna asked, squinting at the hybrid’s raised arms.
“IT’S NOT A BIRD YOU DAFT IMBECILE.” Shadow snarled, half tempted to drop his (admittedly terrible) attempt at mimicking a zombie in favor of slugging him in the face.
“I know what it is and you doooon’t.” Sonic said smugly, wagging his finger tauntingly. Both Shadow and Knuckles glared daggers at him, equally unamused.
“Sonic. I am trying to guess what my teammate is doing. Be quiet.”
Unfortunately, Sonic did have room to brag. He and Rouge were absolutely dominating the game with a five point lead. Amy and Silver were the duo behind them, doing surprisingly well for such an odd pairing.
Predictably, he and Knuckles were in last place, with only one point. They needed another three to pass Blaze and Tails.
The lack of synergy in the randomized choices across the board was appalling, these were some of the worst pairings a spin the wheel website had ever come up with.
The timer buzzed, signaling the end of their guessing timeframe.
“It was a zombie.” Shadow said flatly, glowering at the red echidna and his stupid dressing packet costume.
The rest of the game followed a similar pattern; Sonic and Rouge stayed on top, while they were only able to get another two, both of which came from Shadow’s guesses. He found great pride in being able to guess Knuckles was imitating an elephant when he just looked like he was a cosplaying as a drunk alcoholic.
The only placement that changed was when Blaze and Tails managed to pass Amy and Silver, but it wasn’t just out of skill.
Shadow was sure that he wasn't imagining it when Amy suddenly failed on the guessing. After sharing a look with Rouge, who raised her eyebrows and smirked, it only confirmed his suspicions. It got even worse, because within the last few rounds, when the two duos were neck and neck, she went as far as to give Blaze subtle hints about what Tails was trying to depict.
Shadow made a mental note to tease Amy at the concert they had bought tickets for next week.
The next game they played was apple bobbing, and it was thankfully much less chaotic than charades, but much messier. Tails had the insight to put a tarp down so that the water spillage didn't ruin the floor, but with how competitive things got, a lot of the group got pretty wet by the end.
It was a simple process, everybody went once, and the slowest time was eliminated. Tails was surprisingly good at it, but he ended up getting third place after miscalculating his bite. The final two were himself and Silver, having developed an effective technique by now.
However, Shadow did have a bit of an unfair advantage. His canines were quite a deal longer and sharper than the futuristic hedgehogs. He could puncture the apple a lot easier, it gave him room to make more mistakes, which explained why he ended up being the winner.
It was only by a fourth of a second, so he had to give it to Silver for being a formidable opponent.
Rouge suggested they play a round or two of Uno, but everyone else shot the idea down immediately. While the game was simple in concept, it was deceptively good at creating lifelong grudges against your friends.
Not that Shadow had personal experience or anything.
Omega will pay one day for giving him a plus four and costing him the game.
They all went around and suggested a few games, but none of them ended up sticking, so they decided to head into the kitchen for food.
It wasn’t anything crazy, just a few homemade dishes from Amy and then a pizza from a family restaurant nearby.
He didn’t eat any of the food, but he did grab a slice of the pumpkin bread before Knuckles and Sonic ate all of it
The hybrid definitely made the right choice, because not even five minutes later, it was demolished. This time, despite their gluttony, he couldn’t blame them. The pink hedgehog’s baking prowess was only contested by a few businesses in Italy and France that he had tried while on trips for G.U.N.
The last thing planned for the night was the bonfire outside, so they had Blaze ignite the pile of wood and sticks layered inside of the fire pit, surrounded by mismatched stones and cinder blocks.
Her fire caught easily, illuminating the dark backyard in a rich orange light that flickered in the cold wind. There were some camping chairs placed around it, and everybody took a seat, huddling close to the fire to ward off the cold.
Sonic sat down next to him, scooting his chair closer so that he could steal Shadow’s armrest and invade more of his personal space. Though he quickly stood up and rushed over to the other side of the fire after Rouge conjured some supplies for s'mores.
He and Silver snatched her goodies with enthusiasm, wasting no time in skewering their marshmallows and shoving them over the fire.
To everybody’s shock, Silver let his catch fire purposely, completely charring the outside before stuffing it between two graham crackers and a piece of chocolate. He took a bite, completely unbothered by the abnormal texture of burned marshmallow.
The white hedgehog made a happy chirping noise, only noticing the stunned silence after he finished his carcinogenic treat.
“...What?” He asked innocently, tilting his head in genuine confusion.
“Just a fair warning, what you ate is essentially cancer fuel.” Tails supplied, flicking his frankenstein-decorated ears as he took his own marshmallow and toasted it at a much more careful distance. “But as long as you don’t eat it too often, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
Silver stared at the fox for a moment, but he ultimately shrugged and proceeded to set another marshmallow on fire.
Everybody fell into easy conversation after having their fill of s’mores, talking about what was going on in their lives currently, and their future plans. He overheard Amy offer a sleepover to Blaze sometime, to which she enthusiastically accepted, lilac tail flicking excitedly.
Shadow tried to join in on a bit of the talking, but he quickly felt the exhaustion of the party seeping in. He slumped further into the chair, going quiet and choosing to focus on the subtle roaring and crackling of the fire.
While he enjoyed the company (from most of the group, Knuckles pissed him off too much), it always wore him out if it was for prolonged periods of time. He checked his phone, and the time read ‘21:53’ in bold lettering at the top.
He had arrived almost four hours ago, and the majority of the time had been spent playing games and just having a generally good time.
He was just about ready to take his leave and head home until Sonic walked over and nudged him subtly, leaning into his space once more. He adopted a low voice as he spoke, hidden from the others by the crackling of the fire.
“Wanna go somewhere a bit more quiet?”
The fire in front of them surged upwards slightly, illuminating their faces in an orange glow as sparks danced in the sky above.
It was a simple, innocent proposition, one that, to Sonic’s great amusement, Shadow overinterpreted immediately.
Of course, Sonic did this on purpose, because he knew it would grab the hybrid’s attention.
Said hybrid’s ears pricked with intrigue, gaze shifting to study Sonic. The blue hedgehog’s face was unreadable, and his posture was relaxed, making it even harder to decipher what exactly he was implying.
It wasn’t the first time Sonic had offered this, either. He had become very good at noticing when Shadow’s social battery was low. Usually he pulled this move whenever the hybrid was ready to go back home, a way to get him to stay for as long as possible.
Typically, the time was spent relaxing in each other's presence, or, a guilty pleasure of Shadow’s that he tried his damned best to hide, cuddling.
Yes, that’s right, the hybrid super weapon built for mass destruction was a sucker for cuddling. How the hell was he, someone so normally allergic to touch from anyone and anything, even clingier than Sonic if he was in the mood?
It was humiliating.
As Sonic had put it one time, making everything worse: ‘Ultimate lifeform? More like ultimate cuddleform.’
Shadow punched him in the gut for that one. His cringeworthy jokes knew no mercy or end.
“Hellooo? Mobius to ultimate dorkform.” Sonic snapped his fingers in front of the black hedgehog’s face, drawing him away from hating on his stupid affinity for cuddles.
Suddenly, Shadow had the urge to punch him again.
He relented with a sigh, unclenching his prepared fist and pushed up from the chair, stretching his legs as he did so.
“Yes, I do.”
Sonic reached his hand out, and Shadow distractedly grabbed it, pulling his boyfriend to a standing position as he eyed the others.
Thankfully, they weren’t paying the two hedgehogs any attention, instead captivated by Knuckles attempting to stuff ten s’mores into his mouth at the same time, sticky and half melted marshmallows clinging to his fur and spiked gloves.
Rouge and Silver cheered him on with enthusiasm, Blaze and Tails wore similar expressions of mild horror, and Amy’s peridot eye shone with a fondness only a best friend could have, especially for such a nasty display.
Shadow’s lip curled in disgust, quickly turning away and pulling Sonic with him by the arm. His shoes displaced and crushed the leaf litter on the ground, small but crisp cracking noises echoing back in response.
“Where did you have in mind?” He asked once he reached the small porch, releasing his grip on the peach furred arm in favor of grabbing the backdoor’s handle. A blast of heated air greeted him immediately after it was swung open, and he stepped inside, holding it for his partner.
“Just my room,” Sonic answered with a shrug, entering the living room and moving out of the way so Shadow could close the door. “Thought you might want some quiet after today.”
Shadow hummed in confirmation, eyes half closed as he walked in step with the blue hedgehog, fingers brushing a few times before they intertwined. The warmth was kind to his tired brain.
He blinked once, vision blurring, and then suddenly he found himself laying on top of Sonic and his bed.
Shadow jolted at the sudden perceived displacement, as anyone usually so sure of their surroundings would. His eyes darted around in alarm, but he quickly melted back into relaxed comfort once Sonic rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. He must have zoned out.
Closing his eyes again, he heard Sonic snort at his sleepy disposition. Clearly he wasn’t as tired, because his hand started to wander to occupy his absent mind.
First, it drifted down the hybrid’s arm, running along the red stripe, stopping for a moment once he reached his glove’s cuff. Then, he followed the same path upwards, but this time ended at the top of his spine, just below his head, at the junction of his neck and spine.
An involuntary shiver twitched through the black hedgehog's body once Sonic started tracing lazy circles around the both of the small markings between his back quills, the freakish catalysts that synthesized his eldritch wings. The nerves around them were hypersensitive, and they actively communicated the oddity of almost being touched.
Sonic never really went further than what he was doing now, as he knew that it was an unpleasant feeling for Shadow if he did. The feeling of near contact wasn’t the same, however. It was hard to describe, but the closest comparison was like a strangely pleasant prickling sensation.
But today, it seemed as though he decided to be an ass, because not even a minute later, his finger rubbed against the hybrid’s right marking.
Shadow’s reaction was immediate. He let out a series of warning growls and low, infrequent clicks from his chest. Irritated crimson eyes refocused on the hedgehog below, leveling him with a glare.
“Sorry, my hand slipped.” He said, hiding the smirk behind his eyes.
Shadow did not believe him in the slightest, squinting at him in disbelief. Sonic, putting on an innocent smile, reverted to his previous non-triggering ministrations so that his boyfriend would go back to being a giant weighted teddy bear.
The black hedgehog rolled his eyes, repositioning his head so that his cheek was pressed flat against the other hedgehog’s chest, content to listen to the strong heartbeat within.
The combination of a steady pulse and repetitive touches had the promises of sleep worming their way into the corners of his thoughts. He actually would have fallen asleep if Sonic didn’t decide to push his buttons again, because he didn’t even need to see that he was wearing a shit-eating grin when he brushed over both of his markings, going as far as tracing the spiral patterns.
He avoided biting his tongue, stifling a humiliating yelp that almost made its way out of his throat instead of a growl.
That’s it.
He hissed, pushing himself off of Sonic and sitting back on the bed, ignoring how he was maybe just a little but upset over the loss of warmth. “Cuddle time is over. What do you want.”
Aggravatingly, his words only made Sonic grin further, flashing his stupid plastic fangs. It was the kind of grin that showed the pride in having just caused the exact reaction he intended to. His vibrant green irises flickered for a moment before he sat up, the dumb tophat on his head somehow still holding on.
“Maybe a kiss…” He answered enticingly, leaning closer. “Or two… or more.”
Oh.
Suddenly Shadow wasn’t so tired anymore.
Red eyes became laser focused, ears straight up, and fur standing on end.
“Was this your plan the whole time?” Shadow replied, matching Sonic tone of voice as his head tilted to the side seductively.
“Maybe…… Who knows?”
“Unbelievable. You deceived me with the promise of cuddles just so you could drag me away and kiss me.” The hybrid said gruffly, eyes already dropping down; past the freckles littering his partner’s muzzle, and landing on his lips.
Sonic’s breath tickled his face as he spoke with a hint of smugness, his own eyes half lidded and looking downward. “You don’t seem too mad about it.”
They both leaned in at the same time, faces melding together as the familiar feelings of excitement and adrenaline coursed through their bodies.
Predictably, it wasn’t sweet for longer than two seconds, Sonic was never one to take things slow, and Shadow was always the one to rise up to his challenge.
A hand roughly grabbed ebony quills and yanked, catching Shadow off guard enough for the blue hedgehog to invade his mouth. Their kiss quickly devolved into a competition, as all things did, to see who would be the winner. It was sloppy, green and pink flashing between them as they tilted their heads and pulled at each other's fur.
Shadow’s tongue briefly grazed against Sonic’s teeth, which he almost recoiled from when he was reminded that they were covered in plastic.
He growled into their kiss, irritated by the different texture. It was too smooth, too artificial. Too un-Sonic like.
They were objectively stupid and had to go.
Fully committed to removing them, the hybrid brushed his forked tongue along the seams of the fakes, tickling Sonic’s gum line. The sensation resulted in a shudder throughout the body pressed against his own. His tail wagged slightly at the response, and his efforts had loosened them enough that his sharp (and very much real) teeth could pull them off with relative ease.
Shadow readjusted his hands to rest on the sides of Sonic’s head as he angled his mouth, preparing to bite into the thin plastic. He waited just one second for an opening, and then clamped down, accidentally nicking Sonic’s tongue as he got a hold on the object.
Said hedgehog made a muffled ‘mmmph?!’ noise, hands digging to pull the hybrid off of him in shock and inadvertently assisting in removing the material covering his teeth.
Threads of saliva followed the abrupt separation, and Sonic’s eyes snapped open, expression completely dumbfounded. His quills were all sorts of prickly and his mouth was agape. A small droplet of blood stood out against the dull pink of his tongue, hanging slightly outside of his mouth.
To Shadow’s amusement, he watched as the results of his actions, his partner in complete shambles. The hero was attempting to say something, but all that came out were incoherent stammers and strained breaths.
“D-did you-“ Sonic managed to get out, taking a breath to calm his mind from the absurd move his boyfriend just pulled. He manually smoothed back some of his quills as he regained a semblance of his normally confident composure.
“Did you just pull out my vampire fangs with your teeth??”
Shadow raised an eyebrow at the rhetorical question, tilting his head sassily to emphasize the aforementioned vampire fangs hanging from his jaw. He flashed a smile, too, showing off his own natural ones in the process.
“Give me those.” Sonic grumbled, rolling his eyes and ripping them from the black hedgehog’s mouth.
“Are you, like, jealous or something? About me having fangs too?” Sonic accused lightheartedly, a smirk on his face. However, Shadow scoffed at the notion. He had no such insecurities for something so trivial.
“I just don’t like them. I’d much rather taste you instead than cheap plastic.”
Sonic almost hesitated, the bluntness of the hybrid’s words catching him off guard. But, he snickered in amusement only a moment later, the side of his face pressed against his palm. “Man, you really have a way with words. It never gets old.”
Then he held out the fake vampire teeth in his hands, bringing it to eye level and inspecting the puncture holes. He threw one look at Shadow, then back to the fangs, before tossing them over his head and onto the ground. The carpet absorbed the noise as it hit the floor, and it reminded Shadow that he knew damn well his boyfriend would forget those were there. Probably to be discovered by some poor guest or stepped on by the hero one day after waking up.
“Since you’re so obsessed with tasting me.” Sonic said, air quoting the last two words for emphasis, his alluring tone overtaking his normal voice once again. “You up for a second round?”
“I am not obsessed.” Shadow growled, lying through his teeth.
His boyfriend, unimpressed, rolled his eyes and decided that he was going to disprove Shadow’s words in a record time of one second.
He pulled Shadow in, and the moment their lips clashed, the hybrid immediately bit down on the hero’s lip, shoving his tongue forward.
Sonic breathed out a mix of a gasp from the sudden pain and a laugh from how quickly this turned into a mess. He obviously reciprocated the advances, pushing back against the green tongue trying to tickle the roof of his mouth, something Shadow liked to do because it drove the hero crazy whenever he did it. It was especially effective because of his unique genetic makeup. Having an alien-hybrid boyfriend did come with many benefits, one of those just happened to be a snake-like tongue.
The two hedgehogs went at it for several minutes, both fighting the screaming in their lungs in favor of savoring each other's tastes. Sonic resumed his quill pulling halfway in, prompting responsive growls, hisses, and sometimes even nips against his lip. Shadow was currently digging his hands into a peach freckled muzzle like his life depended on it, twisting it in a manner similar to Sonic’s own manipulation of his body.
They were like starved animals, unable to get enough of the other. But unfortunately, they did have to breathe. Shadow was starting to feel lightheaded with the lack of air in his system.
Sonic seemed to have the same problem, evident once they broke from their kiss, both panting heavily.
Sonic was absolutely disheveled, his tophat was gone, his head was a mess of ruffled quills, he had a slightly bloody lip, and his eyes were dilated. Shadow was sure he looked about the same, especially with the way Sonic had aggressively yanked his head around multiple times.
He made a note to bring a brush with him next time.
Shadow fixed his gaze on Sonic, who was already looking like he wanted round two despite his heaving chest and frantically beating heart.
He paused for a moment, the way his partner looked made his mind cloud over with a distinctly weird feeling. His jaw tingled as his hazy eyes found their mark on Sonic’s neck. Something primal was calling to him as he leaned closer, drawn in by the alluring sight.
Sonic’s piercing green eyes snapped to his subtle advance immediately, ear twitching with concentrated intrigue.
He leaned in as well, but Shadow’s final destination was different from the blue hedgehog’s. Vaguely, he heard the other make a questioning noise as he veered away from his face, smirking at the almost inaudible growl of irritation he received for his deceiving advances.
Though, they were silenced almost immediately once he opened his jaws.
Emerald eyes widened as they watched Shadow’s lips curl back slightly, saliva dripping as his fangs came into full view. He hesitated for a moment before tracing his canines over the blue hedgehog’s neck. His crimson eyes, half lidded, flicked upwards to watch his reaction.
The new sensation sent full tremors through Sonic’s body, and with the way Shadow’s hands were placed on the small of the other’s back, the hybrid could feel the twitching waves move up his spine, all the way to the (sadly) gloved hands clenching his crown of red and black quills.
Shadow gave an experimental nip, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough for Sonic to bite his lip and shudder, digging his hands harder into Shadow’s head.
“Ha- um, Shads, what are you doing?” Sonic asked, his voice an octave higher than normal, the sharp teeth on his throat shooting adrenaline through his veins.
“Testing the waters.” The hybrid mumbled before closing his mouth and pressing his muzzle into the junction of the blue hedgehog’s neck, humming with thought.
He wanted to go just a little bit further, but he pulled his instincts back under the reign. He itched to sink his teeth in, to hear Sonic let out breathless gasps as he lapped up the blood that came as a result, but he had to make sure to consider his partner’s comfort. Thinking about it a little bit deeper brought back bad memories, specifically ones from that bastard canine.
While he was pretty sure Sonic enjoyed it just as much as he did, his anxious mind was nagging at him to confirm that it was the case. The episodes were getting less and less common, but the last thing he wanted to do was trigger one.
Shadow sighed and pulled back, adjusting his grip to be on Sonic’s shoulders instead. In response, Sonic loosened his death grip on Shadow’s quills, a questioning look on his face. With how close they were, the hybrid could also see the mild concern hidden behind his eyes, and Shadow couldn’t help but wonder if their proximity allowed Sonic to see his slight disappointment.
Realistically, Sonic probably couldn’t have guessed that the disappointment was actually from pausing the exploration of the aforementioned hedgehog’s upper body with his mouth. But, the fact he probably noticed made his heart swell, it was nice knowing he was just as hyper focused on Sonic as Sonic was on him.
“Do you… want me to continue?” Shadow asked, his voice wavering with uncertainty. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, especially since… what happened back then. ” He traced Sonic’s back methodically, the smooth fur brushing his gloves helped to calm him just a little.
Sonic, seeing Shadow’s anxiety, maneuvered his hands so that they were cupping the hybrid’s face, the latter’s ears perking up at the gentle touch. The blue hedgehog fixed him with a serious look, and with utmost sincerity, gave Shadow the answer he was looking for in the most Sonic way possible.
“Dude, I remember the one other time you did something like this, and it was one of the hottest things I have ever seen. You have my full permission to follow whatever your freak bitey instincts tell you to do.”
Shadow couldn’t help but scoff.
“You say that I’m the freak, but then you turn around and say something arguably five times as freaky. Which, may I remind you, happened several years ago.” The hybrid retorted with a burning green face, shoving his hand into Sonic’s cheek to push him away playfully.
Sonic, having none of that, yanked Shadow’s quills again so that his white-fluffed ear was level with peach lips. Shadow’s growl died in his throat before it even left, the hero’s voice was deep as he spoke into the hybrid’s ear, sending consequent shivers up his spine.
“You can bite me as hard and as many times as you want, and I’ll enjoy every second of it.”
If that wasn’t the greenest green light, Shadow didn’t know what was.
His pupils constrict to tiny slits as he finally allows his instincts to drive him forward. Surging up from his previous position, his sharp claws poke through his gloves as he grabs Sonic’s shoulder and head, shoving them apart for better access to his neck.
The hybrid licked his lips once before opening his mouth as wide as it could go, and then biting down into soft flesh, hard.
Sonic yelped, feeling the hybrid’s fangs penetrate his flesh made his nerves scream, but they were quickly silenced in favor of the immense pleasure he gained. The feeling was so good and he didn’t know what to do with it, all he could manage was wagging his tail as fast as his heart was beating.
And Shadow? He thought that the first taste he got earlier was good, but this?
He was in heaven.
Flavor exploded on his tongue as warm red liquid flooded out of the new wound, strong tastes of iron and metal enveloping his taste buds. It was truly intoxicating, so much so that he could actively feel his thoughts becoming mush as he was drugged on the taste.
He keened as he sucked up every drop of crimson, green forked tongue grazing over blue fur and exposed flesh. Sonic had given him something truly incredible, and he would milk it for all of its worth.
Eventually, the liquid started to run dry. Shadow kept his fangs lodged in, but ceased the lapping of blood, allowing himself and his lover a short recess.
“Holy Gaia.” Sonic said breathlessly, an ecstatic expression on his face. “Please do that again.”
Shadow couldn't help the deep, echoing clicking that erupted from deep within his throat at his boyfriend’s words. He gently retracted the harsh grip on Sonic’s head and unlatched himself from Sonic’s neck.
Spit and blood trailed from the site, and Shadow felt just a little bit smug that he did that. But before he slipped back into ecstasy, he nuzzled Sonic’s chest, anointing his lavender-coffee scent all over the other hedgehog’s peach fur.
It was just one of the many ways he wished to make Sonic understand that he was Shadow’s, and that Shadow was his.
The list went on for a long time, there were a million ways he could love Sonic. He wanted to be the one who listened to all of his ramblings, the one who helped him through his lows and celebrated his highs, the one who pushed him to his limits, the one who made him a better, stronger version of himself, the one who made him breakfast when he felt ill, and everything else in between.
He had been trying his best to fill the role, and he hoped that Sonic knew how much he was loved.
The affectionate rubbing drew Sonic’s purr out, but unlike Shadow’s, it was a normal hedgehog purr. High pitched and curt clicking, quieter than the hybrid’s. But, that was natural; his biology allowed for a much different vocal range, it wasn’t because Sonic didn’t find the same level of enjoyment.
That much was apparent when he bit Sonic for the second time, now more gently. It was barely enough pressure for his teeth to puncture the muscle and fat on his chest. He was still blessed with that same addictive, metallic taste, but the dosage was smaller.
Nonetheless, the taste caused his own rumbling purr to join in with his clicking, now twice as loud. Even as he continued to drink the liquid iron, sweet as honey, he could hear and feel that the introduction of his vibrations were enough to make Sonic start squirming. The other hedgehog’s hands scrambled to find more purchase, and they settled on the hybrid’s well structured biceps.
Thankfully, for the hero’s own sanity, Shadow unlatched his fangs sooner this time, instead choosing to lick the area clear of any remaining red.
He looked up into Sonic’s eyes as he did, relishing in the look of starstruck awe and love. Even through his half-aware brain, he could always get lost in the depths of the eyes that hosted the most pretty shade of green he had ever seen.
Now that his blood drunken high had come down again, Shadow was a lot more aware of how much messier Sonic had become just from two bites. His pupils were even more blown out than before, face a blushing mess, quills more messy, and the hybrid could hear the erratic breathing and sky-high heart rate.
The purring hadn’t stopped either, and it melted the hybrid’s heart knowing Sonic felt safe enough with him to let himself become this vulnerable.
However, Shadow wasn’t done yet. He still had plans for the other side of Sonic’s neck, which stood out like a metaphorical sore thumb.
The hybrid inconspicuously linked their fingers, flashing an innocent smile with his blood-stained canines. Sonic mirrored the expression, tail wagging as his eyes closed in content, leaning into the black hedgehog’s body
Then, betrayal.
With a surge of chaos energy, more than enough to get what he wanted when Sonic was even more dazed than him, lunged forward to knock the hero flat on his back.
Sonic gasped as the wind was pushed out of his lungs, quills spreading out beneath him like a crown made purely from the world’s most valuable and pristine sapphire. His hands were pressed flat against the bed now, just above his head, still tightly linked with Shadow’s.
“Oof! Hey, what gives? I thought we were being all lovey…..dovey…?” Sonic’s words shriveled and died as the borderline angelic figure above looked at him like that.
Shadow loomed over him, red eyes ablaze and glowing faintly, flashing his teeth in a much more predatory manner than he had previously. Mimicking what Sonic did earlier- because Chaos, that drove him crazy- he brought his lips level with one blue furred ear, low clicks intermixed with his raspy voice.
“Oh, no. I’m afraid that I’m nowhere near done with you yet.”
Then, without further warning, he learned down and began to ravish Sonic's previously unblemished right side. This time, he showed no remorse, alternating between biting, licking, scraping, and sloppy kissing.
Granted, most of his bites were more like nips, but they were still enough to leave noticeable marks that dripped with trace amounts of red.
Sonic sure as hell didn’t seem to mind the change either, judging by all of his breathless noises.
“Hhah… ohmygaia Shadow-” Sonic started, but was silenced with a sharper bite. “You-” The blue hedgehog tried again, but was interrupted when Shadow got even bolder, impossibly sharp teeth encircling his throat and tickling his windpipe, resulting in a very reactive squeak.
Shadow’s clicking and rumbly purring stopped, ear twitching at the new noise. He retreated from Sonic’s throat, worried he may have pushed it too far.
He stared intently at the blue hedgehog, trying to pinpoint even the slightest sign of discomfort. While he was looking, his boyfriend was able to get enough air to his brain to form a cohesive sentence.
“Y-you gotta let me do this to you sometime, it feels amazing.” Sonic managed to get out, squeezing their interlocked fingers in emphasis.
Shadow let out a sigh of relief that he hadn’t made him uncomfortable or scared him. He closed his eyes and smiled as he considered Sonic’s words; he couldn't deny that he was fascinated by the idea.
“If you want to try it, I’m willing. Just not this time.” He replied shortly after, itching to return to his ravishing.
“I hope you know I’m holding you to that.” Sonic grinned, already gearing himself up in anticipation as Shadow veered closer.
Satisfied with his work on both sides of Sonic’s neck, Shadow went back to his chest, licking his lips as he dragged his fangs across the area first.
The other‘s chest seized, breath hitched, while hybrid’s tail wagged slightly, the clicking returning in full as he sank his teeth in again. The taste of Sonic’s blood sent him straight back to cloud nine, pulling more of that delicious velvety red liquid into his mouth.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and god damnit if Shadow wasn’t so drunk on the taste of blood he would have been able to hear the footsteps coming.
Now he had to suffer the consequences as Sonic’s younger brother walked through into the room.
“Hey, Sonic are you in here? Amy needed to talk to yo-“ Tails’s voice died in his throat as both he and the two hedgehogs froze.
Tails’s eyes landed on Shadow first, teeth still sunk into Sonic’s chest, then to Sonic himself, and finally, the several bloody bite marks and trails of saliva across the upper portions of blue and peach fur.
“Oh.”
“Tails! Um. I can explain!” Sonic tried, and failed, to reason with his brother, who was already spinning around and slamming the door shut.
Shadow gently removed his fangs, leaving a few licks for good measure, before hearing Tails’s incredibly embarrassed groan permeate the hallway outside. He expected the fox to walk away, but surprisingly, he stayed, knocking on the door.
“Please, Sonic, for my own sanity, lock the door next time. This is going to haunt me forever.” The fox gritted out, his face probably hidden in his hands judging by the slightly muffled voice. “Also, Shadow, you are the reason I now have a phobia of vampires. The therapy bill will be sent to your apartment.”
The two hedgehogs sat in stunned silence, equally abashed blushes on their faces as they listened to footsteps that got quieter with each second.
“Oh great, Tails is going to tell everybody.” Sonic mumbled in defeat, hiding his face in Shadow’s neck.
“I’m going to be honest with you, Sonic. They’re going to know the second we walk out of here anyways.” Shadow said with just a hint of shame, licking blood off of his lips.
“How? It’s not like they s-“ Sonic paused, and Shadow watched, with great amusement, as the blue hedgehog drew back robotically. His emerald eyes traced over his own body, widening in horrific realization at how obvious it was.
They are going to be nailed the second they walk out of the room.
Sonic’s ears flattened in embarrassment as his blush worsened, exhaling in grim acceptance.
“My reputation is ruined. It’s so over.” He complained. “It’s so shadover.”
“First of all, never use my name in that context again.” Shadow hissed in offense, hands slightly tightening on Sonic’s waist as he- with the most shit eating grin he had ever seen, which was impressive because he wore them on a daily basis- proceeded to repeat ‘it’s so shadover’ another twenty times.
“....second of all, we’ve been dating for months, your reputation has been ruined for a long time.” Shadow finished, disdain evident on his face as his boyfriend stuck his bruised tongue out in a teasing manner.
“Whatever. At least I didn’t get called out as a vampire.” Sonic retorted, kneeing him in the ribs. “I have never seen anyone that excited to taste it, let alone drink it.”
Shadow had the decency to feel just a bit ashamed of his weird, alien-motivated behavior, because, yes, usually people did not straight up drink their partner’s blood.
“Shut up.”
Eventually, the two did leave the room after much deliberation, and were, as expected, grilled into oblivion the second their friends caught sight of them.