The Naughty List

“I don’t see why I have to wear this. It’s obnoxious and--” Shadow tugged at the neck of the sweater threatening to cut off his air supply, “uncomfortable.”

Sonic grinned at the grumpy agent and reached out to straighten the edges of the bright green fabric, jostling the purple jingle bells he’d painstakingly sewn into the thick cloth. He stood back and admired his handiwork. Along with the bells, he had randomly affixed fluffy red Christmas bows, a felt snowman, an actual tiny teddy bear he’d found at a thrift store, and two pinecones to the sweater. Wide red ribbon wound up the sleeves, and bright blue garland rimmed the neckline. Yup. It was definitely the most horrifying franken-Christmas sweater he’d ever seen, even better than the one he was wearing. But obviously that was the point, and he fought down the urge to cackle maniacally. “It’s an ugly sweater contest. Of course it’s obnoxious. You want to win, don’t you?”

“What a ridiculous competition,” the agent grumbled. “Our time would be much better spent competing over marksmanship or stamina. Something relevant.”

“It’s the G.U.N. holiday party, Shads, not the G.U.N. Ironman Triathlon--”

“Now that I would win.”

“Unless I was competing.”

“You’re not an agent.”

The Hero of Mobius tilted his head playfully at his boyfriend and shrugged. “I’d still beat you.”

“Hmpf. Please, I would--”

A loud knock at the door startled them both. “Are you boys ready yet? You’re pretty damn slow for being the fastest things alive,” Rouge called through the barrier impatiently.

“But I’m fastest, though, right, Rouge?” Sonic called out as he opened the door and winked at the white bat.

“Without a doubt, Blue--”

“If memory serves me correctly, I won our last race, hedgehog.”

“Only because you cheated.”

Shadow smirked slightly. If you called stretching a little longer than necessary in ways that showed off toned, genetically enhanced muscles that he knew made his partner drool, and then giving him a quick wink before taking off cheating…. Then, yeah, he definitely cheated.

Rouge rolled her eyes as she popped her head in Shadow’s room and finally got a look at the ebony agent. She immediately began laughing, unsuccessfully trying to hold in her mirth by covering her mouth. “Sonic! Oh my--how did you even get him to put it on!?”

“That’s it, I’m taking this off!” Shadow reached for the edges of the offending sweater, but Sonic stopped him. “Oh come on, Shads, it’s just for fun. For me? Please?”

Shadow glared into pleading emerald eyes and felt his resolve weakening. Damnit. “Why doesn’t Rouge have to wear one?” he whined.

Rouge watched the exchange from the doorway and shook her head, hand on her hip. “I’m just there to collect my bonus and drink free alcohol, and they know it. Besides, I wore my red sweater. Doesn’t that count as holiday cheer?”

Sonic eyed the bat’s top, or lack thereof. The crimson fabric covered her arms to her long white gloves, but the front and back were scooped so low, Sonic wondered what was actually holding the sweater in place. Maybe it was the golden belt cinched around her waist…. He shrugged. “I guess it depends on the type of cheer you’re going for….”

The white bat shrugged coyly. “I thought, maybe, I might swing by Angel Island and see what Knuckie was up to afterwards.”

“You could have invited him, you know,” Sonic said as he slipped on his shoes. “Shadow is bringing me as his plus one.”

The bat swooped in close and kissed Sonic’s cheek with a wink. “I prefer to keep my options open, if you know what I mean.”

“Leave him alone,” Shadow growled, ushering the bat out of his room. “Let’s just get this over with.”

A few short minutes later, thanks to the help of a chaos emerald, Shadow brought the trio to the looming government building that housed G.U.N. in a flash of gold. The crimson-striped hedgehog hesitated, hoping, for the first time in his life, that the enigmatic Eggman would drop a horde of menacing bots on them, or even Metal for that matter… literally anything to keep him from having to go inside and… he cringed. Socialize and make… small talk.

“I’ll let you boys make your grand entrance together. Omega’s already inside, and this girl,” Rouge said gesturing at herself, “needs a drink.”

Sonic watched her walk inside the warmly decorated lobby with its tall douglas fir clad in red and gold garland, ornaments, and twinkling clear lights. What he assumed were empty boxes were neatly wrapped and stacked around the base of the tree, along with mounds of gauzy fake snow. He turned back to his reluctant boyfriend. “You ready, Shads?”

“No.”

“Oh come on, it won’t be that bad. Would you like a martini, maybe? Shaken, not stirred?” he teased in a fake British accent.

Shadow glared. “You know alcohol doesn’t affect me.”

“Look at it this way,” Sonic said, lacing his fingers with the grumpy agent’s. “The sooner we go inside, the sooner we can leave, and if we plan it right, we just might be able to get your apartment to ourselves for a bit….”

That perked the ebony hybrid up considerably, and he allowed himself to be dragged through the doors and into the bright lights of his employer’s building. The whole concept of Christmas had always seemed pointless to Shadow, but… Maria had loved it. He smiled sadly as Sonic pulled him toward the elevators, his mind drawn back to a dark evening on Space Colony ARK. Maria had been feeling especially ill, confined for the entire day to her bed, and Shadow had gone to visit her in an attempt to cheer her up. She’d been reading something, a children’s book, and she’d smiled at him fondly when he entered her room.

In his memory, she patted the empty spot on the covers next to her, and he jumped up to rest his back against the headboard like he had hundreds of times before. She showed him the front of the book, a navy blue background speckled with yellow foil stars as a large, elderly human male, dressed in a red suit, prepared to jump into a chimney with a large bag. Deer with especially large antlers, strapped in elaborate red and gold harnesses, stood at his side.

Shadow furrowed his brows in confusion. The figure on the book appeared to be… happy about jumping in the chimney. Perhaps he meant to rob the owners of the house? But then what were the deer for? He may not know much about the world below their orbiting prison, but he was fairly certain deer didn’t frequent rooftops….

Maria had laughed at his obvious confusion and pointed to the old man. “That’s Santa Claus, or sometimes people call him Saint Nicholas or Kris Kringle,” she explained. “He lives at the North Pole with tiny elves and Mrs. Claus. The elves spend the whole year making toys for all the boys and girls on Santa’s nice list, and then on Christmas Eve, Santa delivers the gifts with the help of his magic, flying reindeer.”

Shadow tilted his head at the book, white gloved fingers reaching out to trace over the illustration. That explained the deer on the roof, but wait--

“There’s a nice list?”

“Mmhmm,” Maria hummed sitting back and turning toward her friend. “He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice, he’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice,” she sang, before booping his nose playfully. “Santa Claus is coming to town.”

Shadow shot her a look and rubbed his nose. “But how does he know?”

“Oh, he’s not real, Shadow. I’s just a story children are told to try and get them to behave. But, supposedly, he just knows, and if you end up on the naughty list, you get nothing but a lump of coal for Christmas.”

The dark hedgehog thought back on his experiences, his training, and wondered….

“Do you think I’d be on the nice list?”

Maria turned to him surprised. She took in his downward eyes and immediately scooped his hand up in hers. “Without a doubt.” The hedgehog looked up at her in disbelief.

“You were made to do good, Shadow. There’s no reality where you wouldn’t be on the nice list.”

Relaxing slightly, Shadow leaned back and against his friend’s shoulder. Maria may think he was good, but if he couldn’t help her… if he couldn’t make her better, then what good was he?

Sensing his conflict and wanting to distract him, Maria opened the book again from the beginning. “Want me to read it to you?”

Shadow nodded, his eyes focusing on the elaborate and colorful illustrations as Maria’s singsong voice began the poem. “Twas the night before Christmas, and--”

“Shadow!” Sonic said, shaking ebony shoulders slightly. “You in there?”

The hybrid shook himself and realized with a start they were already in the elevator. “Yes, sorry. Were you saying something?”

The hero tilted his head in concern. “You okay? You were really checked out for a minute.”

Shadow pushed the emotions the memory had stirred down and nodded. “I’m fine. Shall we?” he asked, gesturing to the doors as the elevator announced their arrival with a loud ding.

Sonic opened his mouth to argue, not at all convinced the agent was okay, but then Shadow’s hand gripped his tightly and led him out into the huge multipurpose room that took up the entire floor. Gleaming hardwoods reflected cheery multicolored lights strung from the ceiling, along with glittering snowflakes and comically large ornaments. Against the far wall, a long series of tables held various hors d'oeuvres, but unsurprisingly, the majority of the attendees were gathered around a team of young bartenders pouring out drink after drink as chipper Christmas tunes flowed from tall speakers propped up in twin corners.

“Agent Shadow!” a bright voice chirped. “Your sweater is AMAZING! I can’t believe you dressed up!”

Shadow immediately growled irritably, lips pulling back slightly from fangs gifted to him from his Black Arms ancestry, but Sonic gripped his hand tighter and gave the friendly squirrel approaching them a well practiced smile. “Isn’t it great?” he agreed.

“Oh my goodness, you’re Sonic!”

“Heh, yuuup. That’s me, and this ray of sunshine right here must have forgotten his manners because I’m afraid I don’t know your name.”

“Oh,” the squirrel batted her hand at him bashfully. “He wouldn’t know who I am. My name’s Allison, I work in the IT department downstairs.”

Sonic reached out his hand, and after a surprised moment, the squirrel accepted. “I can’t believe you’re here!” she squeaked excitedly.

“Oh, believe it, honey. Not one, but two heroes. The dynamic duo! The power couple! The Hero of Mobius and the Ultimate Lifeform,” Rouge said in her most sultry voice as she approached the group carrying two drinks. She placed a drink first in Sonic's hand and then whisked another from the massive metal hand of the robot at her side for Shadow. “Thank you for helping me carry those, Omega. What would I do without you?”

“ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, YOUR DEATH WOULD HAVE RESULTED FROM MY ABSENCE.”

“See? Death! That’s why I need my boys!” the bat said, hugging Shadow tightly to her side, her other hand occupied with her drink. Shadow immediately pushed the bat away, glaring at her and then down at his own shirt as it jingled with his every move. His ears pinned back, and he crossed his arms over his chest as best as he could without the pinecones poking him and pouted.

Allison pulled at the long sleeves of her own wacky Christmas sweater uncomfortably and gestured to the side. “I should probably get going. It was really great to meet you!”

Sonic grinned and started to say goodbye but was cut off by the feisty, already slightly unsteady bat. “Allison, you’re a sweet girl. You helped me that one time when my computer just up and died--”

“Well... there was an awful lot of porn--”

“That goes without saying, but you know what? I owe you. Want to see something yummy?”

The young squirrel fixed her glasses on her nose and smiled. “You don’t owe me anything, Agent Rouge. I was just doing my job.”

“That would be true if you ratted on me about the adult content, which--” she said, gesturing back and forth to a horrified Shadow and Sonic with a pointed finger, “was tasteful--but you didn’t. And a G.U.N. agent always pays her debts.”

“Was that a--” Sonic started to ask Shadow.

“Yes, it was. A Game of Thrones reference.”

“Oh boy.”

“Indeed.”

“Omega?” Rouge asked, turning toward the large robot. “Would you do the honors?”

Without explanation, the third member of Team Dark lifted a metal clawed hand up to the ceiling and stuck something there just above perplexed black and blue hedgehogs.

“PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION INDUCING PLANT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY PLACED.”

“Well done, Omega! Boys?”

Sonic looked up at the sprig of green with it’s tiny white berries several feet above them and then back to Shadow with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. Shadow lifted his hands up in question at the bat. “What?”

“It’s mistletoe.”

“You know, I’m just--I think I’m going to go grab another drink now,” Allison said, beginning to inch away.

“You stay right where you are,” Rouge commanded, placing both hands on her hips. “You two owe me,” she said, gesturing between the two hedgehogs. “Remember?”

Shadow grumbled under his breath and shook his head. “Rouge, this is ridiculous--”

“Hey, you’re the one that agreed to the terms.”

“Terms weren’t given!”

“Well then, you’re the one who was stupid enough to agree to an open termed “I.O.U.”!”

“This is not equal with the favor provided!”

“Oh, you’re right, you know, I should probably just come clean and tell--”

Grumbling irritably and just wanting this to be over, Shadow turned and kissed Sonic swiftly on the cheek. “There. Happy?”

“Ha! Absolutely not--”

Sonic shot the bat an exasperated look and then turned toward his boyfriend, who was still ranting at her. Without a word, he grabbed onto the horrendous sweater and pulled him back and into him, capturing tan lips in an eager hungry kiss. Shadow might as well have been tased. The fight with Rouge was completely forgotten as his hands immediately moved to blue hips, fingertips playing with the edge of Sonic’s sweater as he kissed him back.

All too soon, a loud cough had them breaking away and blinking glazed eyes around to find the source of the interruption. Rouge snickered as she watched the two hedgehogs realize they’d been effectively making out very publicly.

Shadow’s muzzle was on fire as he looked up into heterochromatic eyes, realizing the source of coughing was none other than Commander Abraham Tower. “Agent Shadow. Glad you could make it, and… I see you’re participating in the contest--”

“Not willingly,” the crimson-striped hedgehog growled, somehow even more embarrassed than before.

The commander raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, all too familiar with the agent's brusque personality, and instead turned to the cobalt hero at his side. “Sonic. Pleasure to see you as well.”

Sonic gave the tall, gray haired man a weak wave, his own face still flushed pink from an interesting combination of Shadow’s kiss and embarrassment.

“Allison,” the commander tipped his head at the squirrel. “I’ll let you all get back to… whatever it was you were doing. Enjoy the party.”

Rouge barely waited until the human was clear before doubling over in laughter. Even Omega let out some strange, robotic beeps, that Sonic could only assume was his mirthful equivalent.

“Consider the debt paid in full!” Rouge cried between bouts of laughter. “Now, drink up. Shadow, if you drink it fast enough, you might get a little bit of a buzz before that crazy system of yours filters out the alcohol.”

The ebony hedgehog sighed, deciding it certainly couldn’t hurt. He tipped back his drink, downing it in one gulp. He shuddered. “What was that? It tasted like gasoline.”

“It’s an open bar, sunshine, what’d you expect? Top shelf?”

Sonic looked toward his partner in surprise, hesitating just a moment before taking a cautious sip of his own drink. He immediately coughed and sputtered. “Ok, maybe I don’t go around drinking gas like Shadow, but yeah, that is not good.” He made a face and tried to hand the drink back to Rouge, but Shadow snatched it first. He downed it, just as he had the first and shrugged when Sonic gave him a questioning look. “My mouth was still a little numb from the last one.”

“Well, this has been… um… interesting, but I should probably go--” the squirrel gestured over her shoulder, cheeks flaming red, “do--I mean, see! I should go, um, see other people.” She started walking backwards, awkwardly and waved. “Nice to--sorry!!” she yelped as she backed into a caterer who stumbled, but then moved on. “Nice to meet you!” With that, she nearly ran into the crowd of red and green to escape.

“They’re going to make you take that class again.”

Rouge huffed at Shadow. “At least they’ll make you take it with me now.”

“WHAT? I should file a complaint against you!”

“What class?” Sonic asked, placing a hand on Shadow’s ribbon wrapped arm.

“ROUGE HAS BEEN REQUIRED TO ATTEND SEXUAL HARASSMENT TRAINING THREE TIMES THIS YEAR SO FAR,” Omega offered in explanation.

“And the year is almost over, so I’ve done pretty darn well, if you ask me.”

Sonic cringed. “Yeah, poor Allison seemed a little scarred….”

“Oh honey, that wasn’t shock. That was horny.”

The hero’s eyes went wide. “That’s--no, she was definitely--whoa!” He lurched forward suddenly as Shadow swayed. He pushed him back upright with strong hands, face full of concern. “Shadow! Are you okay?”

“Feeeelll… weirrrrdddd….” the agent slurred, shaking his head to try and clear his mind, which only made matters worse. Sonic looked toward Rouge and Omega. “What was in those drinks?”

Rouge shrugged, assessing the agent carefully through narrowed eyes. “Crappy vodka, mostly. His body should have already burned most of it off by now. It never phases him.”

The dark agent leaned heavily on Sonic and closed his eyes tightly. “Just. Need. A. Minute…” he managed to get out.

“Is there a bathroom, or somewhere I can take him?” Sonic asked Rouge hurriedly.

“Bathrooms are to the right of the elevators,” she offered as Sonic started leading Shadow that way. “Want me to come with you?”

“No, I got him. Just try and figure out what else was in that drink, okay?”

The bat nodded and turned to give the bartender a piece of her mind, when a cool, clawed hand stopped her. “WHILE INTERROGATION CAN BE AN ENJOYABLE ACTIVITY, THERE IS NO NEED IN THIS INSTANCE.”

The bat crossed her arms and looked up into her team member and friend’s glowing red eyes. “Omega… what did you do?”

“Just hang in there, Shads, I’ve got you,” Sonic said softly to his boyfriend as he half-led, half-carried the ebony male out of the party and down the dark hallway. The rest of the building was effectively shut down for the holidays, only emergency exit signs glowing in the darkness, but even though Sonic’s eyes weren’t as keen as Shadow’s, he could still make out the sign for a family bathroom. Perfect. That way they wouldn’t have to deal with anyone asking what was wrong. Shadow hated being vulnerable in front of anyone, and Sonic knew he’d be mortified if anyone else saw his condition.

“Here we go, buddy, right in here.” Sonic pushed the door open and flipped on a light before scooping the agent up to carry him in the rest of the way. Not seeing a better option, he sat the ebony hedgehog on the sink, making sure he wouldn’t fall, before turning to lock the door. He snagged some paper towels and wet them before pressing them against Shadow’s face.

A single crimson eye dared to open, struggling to focus on the blue visage in front of him. “Hey,” Sonic whispered, soothing back the short fur atop his forehead. “How ya doing?”

Shadow didn’t say anything in response, and Sonic tilted his head in concern before yelping in surprise as he was suddenly brought firmly against Shadow’s chest, by strong back legs. His hands reflexively flew out against the mirror to steady himself as Shadow swayed backwards. “Shadow! Hey! Easy--”

“Mmmm…” Shadow murmured, bending forward slightly and wrapping his arms around Sonic. He nuzzled the cobalt hero’s ear, breath tickling, making it twitch and fold back in response. “Why do you always smell so good?”

“What?” Sonic put his hands between himself and the ebony agent, pushing back slightly so he could try and get a good look at him, but as much as he hated to admit it, when it came to brute strength, Shadow would always come out on top. The black hedgehog held him tightly, nuzzling the side of his head, eyes closing, inhaling deeply. “Like mint,” he said, pressing his lips against Sonic’s temple. “But a little sweet…. It’s… intoxicating to me….”

“Yeah, well, you’re definitely intoxicated, Shads, but I’m pretty sure it’s not because of my supposed minty freshness….”

The crimson-striped hedgehog chuckled softly, kissing Sonic’s muzzle, then down along a blue neck. His tongue flicked out, hot and wet, as his lips parted, drawing and sucking skin into his mouth. Sonic’s mind immediately said they should stop--who knew what was actually wrong with Shadow--but his body had other ideas, and his hands stopped pushing, and his head tilted slightly to the side as Shadow worked his way down the corded muscle. When fangs scraped against his flesh, he couldn’t stop the moan that bubbled up from his throat. “Sh-Shadow, are you--”

“I want you.”

“W-What?”

Shadow kissed Sonic gently. “I want you.” He pulled off his gloves, tossing them to the bathroom’s tile floor and fully opening crimson eyes for the first time in several minutes. “It’s never enough. My want for you… it never goes away, not completely.”

Sonic raised an incredulous eyebrow. “You’re drunk.”

The ebony agent shook his head and cupped a peach muzzle. “No. I’m not.”

Sonic licked his lips, mouth hovering just a breath away from Shadow’s. “You’re not?”

“No, whatever it was… it’s gone.”

“So, you’re sober?”

“Completely.”

“Ok,” Sonic nodded, “good.” And then he kissed Shadow, without any further hesitation, without thought for where they were, the people outside, or anything else other than the hot, almost searing feeling of Shadow’s bare hand slipping under his sweater and moving up blue sides.

The hero broke away and Shadow tugged the sweater over his head, laughing along with Sonic when the hedgehog’s arms and quills were temporarily stuck. With one last tug, the sweater was gone, falling to the floor without a second thought. “There we go,” Shadow grinned as he pulled his lover back to him, lips meeting despite their wide smiles.

That is, until one of the blasted pine cones stuck Sonic’s chest. “Ouch! Ah, dammit, why’d I put pinecones on this again?”

“I have no idea.”

“But you wore it anyway,” Sonic said softly, taking in the sight of the black hedgehog in the hideous sweater one last time. “For me.”

“For you.”

The blue hedgehog reached down to the green edge of the sweater, and Shadow raised his arms as Sonic pulled up. As before, the sweater got stuck, but this time….

“Sonic, wait--there’s a bell caught--ow!”

Sonic broke out into laughter again as he tried to help the agent out of the confining fabric. “Here, just let me--”

“Owpfff--”Shadow grunted as he struggled to escape without tearing Sonic’s work of “art”.

“Ok!” Sonic exclaimed happily as he finally managed to release Shadow’s arms. He looked down at the sweater, realizing there were more than a few black and red quills poking out at odd angles. He cringed and looked up into Shadow’s glare. “Oops…. Sorry?”

The hybrid slid off the sink, skates landing heavy on white, speckled tile. He reached for the offending sweater bundled in the hero’s hands and tossed it aside, eyes never leaving Sonic’s, pushing him back with his presence alone until he was flush against the wall. He lifted a bare, black hand and placed it gently on Sonic’s chest, right over his heart, feeling the rapid beating increase as he lowered his head and just barely pressed his lips against the hero’s.

Emerald eyes remained open and heated, following Shadow’s as the ebony male lifted his head and started to move away. Instantly, Sonic was pulling him back, lips crashing down on tan, devouring them, hands reaching down to pull narrow black hips against his own. Shadow mirrored his movements, answering the cobalt hedgehog’s hunger with his own, wanting more, regardless of where they were.

Sonic quickly tore off his gloves, the discarded white material landing somewhere between the sweaters and door, and revelled in the sensation of Shadow’s silky fur and coarse spines under his bare hands. His hands traveled up, gripping striped quills roughly and pulling back so he could nibble and kiss Shadow’s neck, stopping for a moment to suck lightly on the ridge of his Adam’s apple. The dark agent growled, the rumble vibrating against Sonic’s lips, just before he reached down to grab blue thighs and wrap them around his hips--

“Shadow?” Rouge’s voice broke out from the communicator strapped to his wrist.

He ignored her, pressing himself into the panting blue hedgehog roughly, eliciting a loud moan from his partner.

“Shadow! You better answer me before I tell Commander Tower there are two horny hedgehog’s going to town in his family bathroom!”

The hybrid all but snarled as he pressed a button on the damned tech, his body still holding Sonic’s securely where he wanted. “What??”

“There’s my ray of sunshine! How are you feeling?”

Sonic opened his mouth to answer the bat, but a black hand was over it before he could utter a word, and then black hips were moving against him, and he could do nothing but hold on to Shadow and soundlessly whine and moan.

“I’m fine. I’m busy--”

“Oh, I know what you’re doing. These walls are not exactly thick, but being the gracious lady I am, I decided to call you instead of beat on the door--”

Sonic pulled Shadow’s hand away from his mouth and began to kiss along his shoulder and Shadow swallowed his own groan. “What do you want, Rouge?” he snapped.

“Well, first, a little gratitude for telling the commander’s wife those restrooms were out of order and directing her downstairs. Second, you won the ugly sweater contest, so congrats on the highest of achievements. Third, Omega roofied you.”

“HE WHAT?!”

Sonic stopped kissing only to snicker against black fur. “That explains a lot.”

“That you, Blue? Grumpy Pants going to live to see another day?”

“A few, at least.”

The bat’s laugh echoed from the speaker against the tile. “Good. I guess I’ll--oh shit….”

Hearing the change in her tone, Shadow tensed, releasing Sonic’s body as the blue hedgehog’s eyes narrowed in concern. “Rouge?”

“Shit, shit, shit! It’s Tower, he’s on the move. His wife must have told him what I said. You better put it back in your figurative pants, he’s headed straight for you!”

Shadow disconnected the call and immediately began snatching up their discarded gloves while Sonic grabbed the sweaters just as the door handle jiggled, and a loud knock sounded. “I know someone is in there! Did you think people wouldn’t hear you!? This is unacceptable behavior!”

Shadow grabbed a hold of Sonic and kissed him deeply as keys jangled against the door’s lock, and they disappeared in a flash of gold.

Laughing, exhilarated, as much if not more so than after one of their races, the two lovers clung to each other in the dark. Tiny clouds formed in the cold air from their laughter, the city lights around them ablaze, drowning out the stars. Sonic looked around, realizing they were on top G.U.N. headquarters, and grinned, reaching down to take Shadow’s hand.

Pea gravel crunched under their feet as they approached the ledge. Sonic laid their sweaters down on the cold concrete and sat, draping his legs over the side and immediately swinging them back and forth. He turned and looked upward, patting the covered ledge next to him.

Shadow sighed and sat next to him, legs hanging still. The cobalt hedgehog scooted closer so he was pressed firmly against Shadow’s warmth as the biting wind ruffled their fur. “I can’t believe Omega roofied you.”

“Omega’s idea of a joke is a little different from the typical Mobian’s.”

“You can say that again.”

Shadow didn’t respond. Truthfully, he wasn’t all that bothered by the robot’s prank. There would be payback of course. He had a reputation to uphold... but it had got him some quite pleasant time with Sonic, so really, he probably owed the hulking piece of metal. His eyes stared out, unfocused, on the city below, with its street lamps and neat lines of bare trees decorated with blinking lights, running up either side of the main bustling thoroughfare.

While he was looking out, Sonic watched him from the corner of his eye. That same pensive aura he’d had earlier when they were in the elevator had returned and hung heavy between them.

“Are you thinking about her?”

Shadow looked over, startled. “Who?”

“You know who.”

“I--” Shadow hung his head and swallowed harshly as memories he’d lost, then fought to regain, and then even still, pushed down deep inside, surfaced. He licked his lips, head lifting as he took a deep breath. “This was her favorite time of year. Like most of the humans on the ARK, I suppose... Maria didn’t believe in Santa Claus. She was young, but too old for that.” He looked down as he remembered that Christmas Eve night when she’d read her favorite childhood book to him. “But she told me about him, told me about the list he keeps.”

“What list?” Sonic asked softly, eyes never leaving the hedgehog at his side. Though he knew Maria was often on the agent’s mind, he rarely spoke of her.

“A list that documents whether a child has been naughty or nice.”

“Oh yeah, ok, I remember now.”

“I asked her then, when she told me about it, which she thought I’d be on, and, of course, she reassured me it wasn’t real, but that if it was, I’d be on the nice list. But, Sonic. The truth of it is, I am not a nice person. I don’t do nice things. I--” he looked up at the hidden stars. “I couldn’t even save her. The one thing I was made to do.”

The Hero of Mobius sat quietly for a moment before his hand reached out for Shadow’s, their bare hands joining together. “Shadow… there’s a difference, you know. Between being nice and being… good. Don’t you see? People can say nice things, maybe even do nice things, but underneath it all, that doesn’t make them good. Maybe you were created for a purpose you didn’t get to fulfill, not because you couldn’t, but because the opportunity was stolen from you. But look at you. Look at everything you’ve overcome. Somehow after all that pain, and turmoil, and darkness, here you are. Being you. Being good. Maybe you don’t go around complimenting people’s outfits or new haircuts, and maybe sometimes you can be painfully blunt, but for Chaos’ sake, you made yourself insanely uncomfortable today, agreeing to wear that sweater, and you did it just to make me happy. Because you love me....”

Sonic stared down at their linked hands. “You’re every bit the hero I am, Shadow, probably more. If there actually was a list, I agree with Maria. You’d top the damn thing. You’re the top of my list anyway.”

Shadow smiled softly at that, turning his head to look into emerald eyes. His brow furrowed slightly as he noticed a tiny white snowflake land on the tip of Sonic’s nose. Both hedgehogs looked up into the crisp Christmas Eve night, as crystalized, frozen rain began to fall all around.

“I miss her,” Shadow whispered into the dark.

“I know you do. But,” Sonic said holding his free hand out to catch the falling flakes, “I think it’s pretty obvious she’s still looking out for you.”

Shadow felt his heart somehow swell with love and break at the same time. He stared out into the wonder and smiled, as unshed tears welled in his eyes, thanking Maria in his mind for the sign. Sonic squeezed his hand and snuggled closer into his side, and hoping Shadow knew, even for just a moment, the loving admiration that he felt for him, and that he knew Maria had as well.

“You know,” Sonic started, resting his head on Shadow’s shoulder, “I don’t really have much experience with Christmas, but… it’s always seemed to me more about making time to be with the people you love. Coming together, setting aside differences, grudges, fights and conflicts, and just going back to that very basic thing. The fact that, when it all comes down, there’s people you love, and who love you in return, and… you’re not alone.”

The blue hedgehog turned and stared deeply into crimson eyes. “Maria may be gone, but you’re not alone, Shadow. You and me? We’re in it to win it. And for what it’s worth, despite the roofying, I know Omega and Rouge love you, too.”

Shadow said nothing and instead cupped Sonic’s muzzle and smiled softly, watching as tiny little snowflakes caught on short dark lashes. “I love you.”

Sonic placed his hand gently on top of Shadow’s and pressed his face into the warmth. “I love you.”

And like it had before, Shadow could feel Sonic’s love spread out through his soul, soothing the hurt, the pain, and the loss like balm on a burn. For the first time in a long time, the hybrid felt the deep ache he carried within him subside ever so slightly, the first tiny step of healing.

Words were hard. They weren’t enough. How could words possibly describe the miraculous emotions swirling in his chest? So, he didn’t try. Instead, he pressed his lips against Sonic’s, softly and sweetly, as a single tear broke free and slid down his cheek.

He broke away after a moment, his eyes still closed, and pressed his head against Sonic’s.

Loud laughter rang out, echoing off the surrounding tall buildings, the cold air carrying the sound up to their perch. Shadow would recognize that laugh anywhere. Turning slightly and leaning his head over a bit, he could see the other two members of Team Dark walking down the sidewalk directly below them, leaving faint footprints in the dusting of snow that now covered the ground. Maybe they weren’t perfect. But they were still family.

Sonic followed his gaze and grinned widely when Shadow turned to give him a mischievous smirk. “How do you feel about helping me with some payback?”