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Going to the grocery store wasn’t what it used to be. Like many things in life nowadays, it was a tedious, slow process but Shadow had more than enough patience.
For now, they are both retired. Sonic was out of commission for the rest of his days but Shadow had accented that the end of his career was nowhere near in sight. He was immortal, social security was beyond him. But, that didn’t include the responsibilities that naturally fell to him in Sonic’s absence.
Still, he had ample free time as compared to their prime so he didn’t mind moving through life through the slow lane. He took the liberty of picking the items off the shelves as Sonic pushed the cart. It was better for the ex-hero to push the cart anyways, he needed the support.
Because Sonic was at the helm of the cart they moved about the store rather slowly. They meandered down the halls, eventually reaching the beverage section of the store. The lines of colorful bottles didn’t deter or excited the hybrid as it somehow still managed to for Sonic. Instead, Shadow swiftly picked up a gallon bottle of purple liquid and dropped it into the cart.
“Grape Juice?” Sonic smiled, tentatively turning the bottle only to find that it was prune juice. At that, he instantly recoiled. “Shadow, prune juice? Why would we need something like that?”
Shadow swatted the blue hedgehog’s hand away, “It’s good for you.” Then turned back to perusing the shelves for what was next on the list.
“Hmm.” Sonic was in no mood to argue with his husband, but he could never see them finishing the thing. Between Shadow and his sweet tooth and Sonic’s lifelong intolerance for anything that was too unabashedly good for you, he didn’t know what his spouse was doing but he knew by now to roll with the punches. Sometimes Shadow simply just wanted to try things.
They continued forward, Shadow tossing things like salmon into the cart and Sonic looking for chocolate chips, Shadow looking for brown rice and Sonic looking for gushers. Sonic’s intent wasn’t to be facetious by any means, but he had to turn up his nose at Shadow’s choices. A vegetable was good every now and then but he couldn't fathom the idea of a house full of them.
They were nearing the end of their stay, Shadow took a moment to rifle through the contents of their shopping cart. “What do we need chocolate chips for?”
“For my pancakes!” Sonic said it as if it was obvious, like he expected Shadow to already know exactly what his chips were for. “Do you think you could grab some corn on the cob?” Sonic gestured to the wrapped corn, and though it was a simple task Shadow didn’t mind doing it for him. Bending over like that was a much more of a process now for Sonic now that he was older.
His spouse inspected the piles of corn as he scrunched up his nose, “Why don’t you use blueberries instead? They’re still sweet and better for you.” But when Shadow turned back around to address his husband he found that he wasn’t listening, he was preoccupied.
He still had his arm resting on the handle of the shopping cart, it obviously used as a point of leverage from where Shadow was standing but by his proud posture and confident timbre it almost looked like it was natural. The source of his sudden burst of confidence was the small group of children he managed to accumulate around him.
The kids stared up at him like they had seen God before their very eyes. Some sort of living walking myth right out of their textbooks. It was strange, considering the fact that he was very much alive. Although, Shadow had to admit that Sonic didn’t go out like he used to. Not only was it becoming harder because of his newfound physical limitations but also because he had grown to be insecure. He wasn’t what he used to be, no matter how hard he may try to pretend he was in his prime.
Shadow decided to sit back and observe as Sonic was busy reciting the fabled tales of yore to the children as if they happened yesterday. It was fascinating to see his eyes glitter with every question. “You mean water was really pouring out of skyscrapers?” The kids would ask with palpable disbelief and Sonic would grin and nod. He was back in his element after so long, it was good to see.
When the stories that involved Shadow rolled around he decided to walk over and join him in his recollection. When he approached, the collective attention of the children shifted from Sonic to his husband. Their hero had come to greet them, and they were elated.
They rushed over to accost Shadow for an autograph or his input on his latest endeavors. It was rare to find a news network without his face on the screen every evening, his escapades in heroism were world-renowned and frequent yet they seemed to never deter audiences. Shadow’s acts of charity were once ambiguous in nature, but as his friends tired out and settled down he became the media’s darling and his less than nefarious intentions became clear.
The conversation between the heroes and the children opened up for both Shadow and Sonic, which only made the discrepancies in their interpretation of the two of them more apparent. It was between what was of them and what was of the divine. It was the difference between the dead and the alive.
All those years ago, in a time that felt like a different world entirely, Shadow was the impersonal extraterrestrial that felt more like a concept than an actual person and Sonic was the reflection of the public on the tv screen. He always had that reliable, open quality about him, it was what attracted his diverse cast of friends and allies in the first place. And as time moved on and the nature of Sonic and Shadow’s relationship became public, Shadow was forced out of his shell and was understood for who he was.
So now, the kids addressed Shadow for questions, finding him more approachable, but found themselves in awe over Sonic’s sage responses. It was quite ironic seeing how Shadow was more “of the word” compared to Sonic nowadays considering his background and the fact that he was chronologically over 100 years old.
Both parties were well aware of their newfound differences. Shadow feared that Sonic may be upset with his metaphorical spotlight stolen, though unintentionally, but he truly didn’t mind. After all, Sonic never was in it for the glory or the fame, he was a hero because he wanted to see good in the world so he took action. They had conversations about this particular subject interspersed throughout their time together but Sonic always stressed the same thing: he was proud of Shadow.
Before long, the kids dispersed and returned to their parents. Sonic and Shadow, too had overstayed their welcome and crept back to the car. Running wasn’t a feasible option anymore.
They had something nice and sporty, it currently lacked a ceiling in favor of inviting the summer heat to warm their skin. But Shadow saw how he had to help Sonic in the car that he might have to look into something less flashy but accessible.
It was a shame, they both took great pleasure in the car. It was flashy and fun but most importantly it made them feel young which was a hard feeling to find with Shadow being over a century old. Plus, getting their first sports car was a fun pick me up after they realized adoption was not a feasible option for them. No agency was comfortable entrusting them with a child with the knowledge of their crazy occupations.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Behind all these years of tending to each other Shadow’s pensive face was rather apparent to Sonic. He could sniff out his partner's distress in record time.
Shadow sighed, “We might have to get something less sporty one of these days.” As Sonic got better at identifying Shadow’s moods Shadow got better at being honest with his emotions, there wasn’t much hiding after Sonic had so much practice identifying his partner’s countenance.
Sonic cocked an eye ridge, to his knowledge it wasn’t all that old and he hadn't noticed any scuffs earlier. He turned, adding a light-hearted smile in an attempt to cheer up his husband, “And why is that? I like the sun.”
“Yeah, I know you do.” Shadow rolled his eyes, though he still offered a brief smile through his fondness. Unfortunately, the grin soon faded to give way to his normal look of aloofness. “But… I don’t want it to be difficult for you to get in the car. And if you ever needed a walker we would need more trunk space”
A groan was the only verbal response Shadow was going to receive, mostly because his husband was right and Sonic didn’t want to refute it. Still, it stung to be reminded of his condition.. and the act that he might have to part ways with the fun, flashy sports car. He let the radio replace the silence that had fallen between them as Shadow pulled out of the parking lot.
Considering the fact that Shadow was the “designated driver” nowadays, Sonic relinquished the music choice to him in payment for being his voluntary chauffeur. It was all well and good until his husband picked all the songs that failed to appeal to him, this left plenty of room for Sonic to sit back and overanalyze their relationship.
He considered how Shadow would always fuss about him as he had in the grocery store. Rushing around to pick up things for him, checking to make sure he’s not exerting himself. Now he was even willing to give up his car in favor of his comfort. He knew it mustn’t be true, he knew Shadow’s love is pure, but he couldn't shake the thought that maybe he was a burden.
The ride was as short as it was pleasant between the breeze and the summer sun. They found themselves at home, Shadow rushing back and forth getting the groceries from the trunk as Sonic waited on the porch. Once he had everything on the counter they both made their way inside to put the fruits of their trip into the counters.
Shadow took a break in the banal chore of putting away groceries to pour a glass of prune juice. Sonic had to watch, he couldn’t imagine it would taste good. He was hoping to see Shadow’s face scrunch up as if he bit into a lemon but he was surprised to find it passed back to him.
Sonic recoiled, “Why are you giving me this?”
His husband returned to his previous task of sorting and putting away groceries as Sonic was left with the cup. “It’s good for you, drink it.”
All this time Sonic had assumed this was bought for Shadow to try and turns out it was for him. It only worsened his unfavorable mood. He felt a bit like a child being catered too. Archaic, that was the word, or maybe it was obsolete, whatever the case may be he didn’t feel good.
And this couldn’t be fun for Shadow either, doting on him treating him with this supposed fragility. When Shadow looked at him, did he see some convalescent invalid that had lived past their expiration date? Did he see some 200-year-old antique begging to be broken? Sonic couldn't figure it out but he wasn’t thrilled with this situation. After much contemplation he decided to ask, ”Do you ever feel like maybe you're my caretaker?”
Shadow promptly stopped what he was doing to turn and question Sonic. To him, the question came entirely out of left field. He wondered if this was some sort of joke that failed to land, but Sonic’s expression was entirely sincere.
A response to a question such as this would take some consideration. He picked over his articulation very carefully, every word had meaning and he didn’t want this to become a later source of contention. “Did you ever feel like my caretaker?”
“What?”
Shadow took a moment to mull over his words a bit. “When we were younger you always looked after me. During the black arms invasion you fought with me even though I wasn’t kind to you, after you always checked in on me and made sure I was acclimating well, you were patient with me while I was still opening up. It couldn’t have been easy.”
This response was unexpected. Sonic brought a hand behind his head, “Yeah it was disheartening sometimes but it didn’t matter because I always loved you.”
Shadow smiled sweetly, “Then how do you think I feel?”
“Huh.” Sonic looked down at the juice that was still sitting on the counter. “I never thought of it like that.”
Much to his surprise, his attention was stolen from the glass as a hand had found its way under his muzzle. Shadow gingerly pulled his lips into his, bringing them to their soft union. Kisses like these were Sonic’s favorite, the tender, slow kind that felt careful as if to savor the moment. It was the type of kiss that reminded him just how his love had endured after all these years with his husband.
“It’s really nothing, Sonic. I’d do anything to make you happy.” He glanced at the neglected glass of prune juice. “Although, I suppose I should lay off a bit if that is what you prefer.”
Many things were lost to time, as is natural for everyone, but Sonic’s smirk never left him. “I’ll drink the juice if you drink some too.” Sonic moved to the refrigerator before his husband could react, “Here let me get you some.”
“Fine, fine.” Shadow leaned back against the counter, accepting the glass that was offered to him. Sonic gave a cheeky smile as he counted down to their doom. Simultaneously, they downed the glass both sharing the same face of disgust.
They couldn't help but to laugh. It was uncanny how similar their reactions were. Prune juice was certainly not the sugary syrup they were used to. “If you expect me to drink this I want to see you drinking this too, darling.”
Shadow smirked, all too willing to indulge in the playful mood. “Isn’t time for your nap, old man?”
“You can’t seriously be talking. Remind me, what year were you born?” As if it never left, their banter resumed. Low mood between them often went like this, brief interludes of discussion followed by their typical ribbing.
They disappeared into their living room to enjoy the rest of the lazy afternoon together. Shadow wasn’t entirely kidding about the nap, the sun made him sleepy. But, he was hoping, if was going to take a nap, maybe Sonic would be willing to join him. He didn’t have the chest fluff he did but he was still plenty soft and nothing beat falling asleep to his heartbeat.