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“Hey, how about you stop being a lazy piece of garbage and help me out over here, hedgehog?” a deep voice that held no real annoyance chimed, pulling the person in question out of his relaxed dozing state.
Red eyes opened to gaze at the echidna of the same color giving him a look of false displeasure. An expression that made Shadow inwardly snort as he was fully aware it was far from being serious. This has become a routine of sorts between them. On sunny days, like the current one, Shadow would sit in the shades, sometimes with a book in hand or taking a nap. Other times he’d simply watch the island’s protector do his thing or help him out. Truthfully though, less pleasant days were spent not much different, only that the relaxing bit was restricted to the guardian’s cottage. They’d talk or banter or merely enjoy each other’s presence in silence. It was never uncomfortable. Initially to both of their surprise.
When Shadow didn´t answer right away, Knuckles prompted whilst taking one step closer. “Well?”
Seeing as the other waited for an actual answer, the dark hedgehog contemplated for a second while viewing the scenery before his eyes. Knuckles didn´t look tired or exhausted and the flock of chao, he had just been taking care of, seemed playful, happy and unbothered by their interactions. They were fed and occupied with toys Shadow did absolutely not gift them the other day. Also, judging by the nice weather (and a rather reliable weather forecast), there was also no need to secure their belongings against an upcoming storm.
With this analysis in mind, Shadow inwardly nodded to himself before finally replying to the patiently waiting echidna in front of him. “There is no need for my assistance. It appears you have everything perfectly under control. Besides, it’s my day off. I’m allowed to be ‘a lazy piece of garbage’ as you put it,” he responded, staying true to his declaration and not moving an inch. However, he smiled ever so slightly at the taller one.
Knuckles only hummed faintly in reply, one of his brows raising prior to turning around to get back to the group of chirping chao. When those purple eyes lingered on him for just a second too long, Shadow could swear he saw a mischievous glint in them. Or something of that kind. However, he wasn´t too sure. Perhaps he imagined it. Either way, with the echidna back to doing his thing, Shadow relaxed on his cozy little spot once more, letting his guard down. He couldn´t quite explain why it was so easy for him, but on the island the hedgehog just felt secure enough to do so. That and for as long as he had visited Knuckles’ home, he was never far from the echidna’s watchful sight. Truth be told, he didn´t even want to be. As the years went by and their friendship blossomed, Shadow found himself being maybe a little too fond of the guardian.
Shockingly enough, he didn´t mind and accepted them easily. Time was not always a cruel companion, because as it went on his wounds healed and scars faded. He found people that stood by his side and vice versa. Knuckles amongst them. All in all, the artificial hedgehog could say without the shadow of a doubt that he was content with his life. So much so, he didn´t even feel the need to court his crush, happy to simply spend his time in the red echidna’s proximity. Though, with how they acted around each other, they were only one small step away from being official anyway. The bets already going on between their friends were something neither of them were aware of.
From one second to the next, Shadow was abruptly pulled out of his tranquility when suddenly ice-cold water was poured out over his head. One unholy screech and quill bristling jump later, the now dripping wet hedgehog stared scandalized at his complacent host, an empty water bucket under one of his arms. The echidna couldn´t help but crack an amused smirk at the absolutely flabbergasted expression of his guest. Seeing that on the other hand, made Shadow’s face shift into one of annoyance.
“What the hell, Knuckles?!” he demanded.
“Sorry, you looked a little hot over here. So, I thought you’d appreciate some cooling,” the guardian sassily replied before his face turned a tad too joyful. “But hey, now that you’re done slouching, you can help me with the flock! Such attention seeking little things. You know how it is.”
Attention seeking his ass! The group of chao still didn´t pay any to them, being more than content with their fruits, playthings and company of their own! Quite obviously it was only Knuckles who was in need of some heed. Shadow saw right through him. “Oh, I’ll show you cooling, jackass!” the hedgehog announced and quickly got to his feet.
As if he had anticipated the reaction, Knuckles got into a momentary playful posture before fleeing the inevitable assault, his bucket swiftly disregarded in the process. Black ears perked up at that and Shadow’s first instinct was to dash after him like a cat chasing a piece of string. Did the echidna really think he could run from him? No, of course not. They both knew the hedgehog comes out on top in this regard, even without his Chaos Control. The guardian was simply feeling frisky. Very well… Shadow would humor him then and with a growing smirk, he was right on the echidna’s track.
That was the beginning of their little game of tag and it lasted several minutes. Even with his initial annoyance at emerald protector’s move, Shadow was not serious in his pursuit. Sure, he could have ended it in less than a minute if he really wanted, but where was the fun in that? Besides, it was interesting to see how creative Knuckles got in his evading. Shadow was, dare he say, almost impressed.
The mood also turned more and more jolly the longer their game went on. They definitely got some laughs out of chasing each other. Seeing this side of the two usually rather stoic guys was certainly a rare sight. Surely, the others could call themselves lucky to even spot a glance of it. Maybe it was their prominent similarities that made them so comfortable to lower their guards enough to share these aspects of themselves with one another. But who really knew?
As all good things tended to be, it had to end eventually and theirs came in the form of a slight misstep from the echidna. A misjudgment that played right into the ultimate lifeform’s hands.
One startled yelp later and Knuckles found himself pinned down to the ground, struggling to get free. Though, much like Shadow before him, he was not actually serious in his display. The initial shock was very much real, nonetheless. Magenta eyes searched for red ones when he opened his mouth to speak. “Unhand me this instant, hedgehog, or you’ll find yourself regretting this move!” he challenged with a grin that obviously lacked the threat behind those words.
Shadow reciprocated the expression with a cocky one of his own. “Oh, I will unhand you…” he replied and added after a moment of silence. “After I got my revenge!”
Knuckles could not react fast enough when the hedgehog’s hands were already on his sides to assail him with tickles. Once again, the air was filled with a shriek of surprise before it rapidly changed into howling laughter. Twisting and turning, the echidna tried his hardest to get out of the powerful grasp, all strength leaving him as he succumbed to the effects. “Mercy! Mercy! Please!” he pleaded, tears already forming in his eyes from the intensity while he tried to kick the older one off.
To little effect because all it did, was making the offender chuckle himself. “You did not bestow mercy on me when you poured that bucked of cold water over my head!” Shadow informed, easily avoiding the kicking directed at him. “Now suffer the consequences!”
True to his word, the striped hedgehog kept the punishment up for just a bit longer, until he was sure the red one learned his lesson. After withdrawing his hands, the profuse laughter soon turned into chuckling paired with heavy intakes of air. As he brought as much oxygen back into his blood as possible, Knuckles found he had no strength to keep his head up and left it on the soft ground to rest. Despite the exhaustion, some occasional leftover chuckles still managed to pass his lips.
At the same time, Shadow couldn´t stop himself from letting out a few noises of amusement too, whilst fondly gazing at the calming guardian. Not thinking too much about what he was doing, the dark mobian leaned down to press his forehead right against the echidna’s own, sniggering with him till it all faded back into serenity. It simply felt comfortable.
Once the laughter died down completely, their breathing returned to normal and nature reclaimed the surrounding with its noises, scarlet and purple eyes found themselves looking into each other. Silence lied over them for a short amount of time and despite the situation, none of them felt awkward about it. Instead, their expressions turned soft as a certain warmth painted their cheeks a rosy color. The same warmth spread throughout their bodies, which neither of them minded. For a second it was just the two of them living in the moment, in a perfect place where none but them existed. Where they exchanged gentle smiles one minute and leaned in to share a mellow kiss the next.
Both pairs of eyes closed at the gesture of affection, faint noises of contentment filling the immediate space around them. The smiles stayed on their faces during the entirety of their kiss and even after they slowly withdrew from it, they still didn´t falter. When their reds and purples reopened to look at each other once more, their expressions showed nothing but delight and joy.
That was until the realization of their recent action hit them full force, like they were thrown into an ocean filled with ice. The untroubled expressions dropped to be replaced with those of shock. Eyes widened and cheeks flared up to the point it almost appeared like their owners’ were glowing. And as the emerald guardian and ultimate lifeform stared at each other in disbelief and surprise, two simple words combined their otherwise separate minds.
Oh. Shit.