Chapter Text
Three years. Sonic and Shadow had been dating for three years.
In that time, Shadow had shown Sonic all of his secret houses that he spent time in to remove himself from the rest of the world (but the cabin where they first fell in love was still Sonic's favorite). He had shared with Sonic some of his deepest fears and emotions. He had talked to him at length about the things he dared not admit to anyone else. He had allowed Sonic to see a side of him that he had kept locked away for the longest time. He had lowered his walls and allowed himself to love and be loved.
And Sonic, in turn, had learned to be more vulnerable. To admit when he was wrong and when he needed help. He had been open and communicative. He had talked about what he was feeling instead of simply trying to be the hero all the time. He no longer shied away from genuine emotions. He had become a romantic, and taken every opportunity to show Shadow how much he loved him. He had set aside his fear of disapproval and chosen to show the world who he was, instead of who they wanted him to be.
Sonic strived his best to be everything that Shadow needed him to be. It wasn't difficult, and it was more than rewarding enough. And Shadow returned the favor by being kind and encouraging to Sonic in a way that no one else was.
Of course they had arguments, but it never got to a point where they doubted their love for each other. The formula was always the same. They would fight – sometimes it devolved into yelling, sometimes not – they would realize that they were getting nowhere, they would agree to take time away from one another to cool down, and they would come back with clear minds to resolve the issue through calm discussion. And it was through this formula that they came to many solutions. Through calm discussion, Sonic had admitted that he had a tendency to throw himself into dangerous situations without thinking, and he had agreed to try his best to ask for help when he needed it. Shadow had admitted that he had a tendency to isolate himself when something was bothering him instead of speaking his mind, and he had agreed to try to be more open, and Sonic in turn had agreed to read the signs and ask Shadow what was wrong when he suspected something was off. Through their relationship they had grown as people, and everyone in their lives could see the positive effect they had on one another.
But after so many years of loving each other, and never once wavering in their affections, Sonic was starting to realize that he did want to spend the rest of his life with Shadow.
Of course this was something they had discussed before, many times. It weighed heavy on their minds at times. Shadow was perpetually afraid of the day that he inevitably lost Sonic one way or another, and would have to spend eternity without him. And Sonic was perpetually saddened by the fact that, one day, he would have to leave Shadow all alone in a world that struggled to understand him.
Every time they discussed it, they would end up abandoning the topic, because it saddened them. They agreed to enjoy the time they had together, instead of dwelling on their inevitable parting. And Sonic did his best to impact Shadow's life positively. He was determined to make the world a nicer place for Shadow to be in, because if he had to leave him behind, he at least wanted to make sure that Shadow was loved by the world as much as he was loved by Sonic. Shadow didn't know, but Sonic spent every day trying to make the world a kinder place for his boyfriend.
But he could only do this for so long before he had to admit to himself that he didn't want to leave Shadow behind. He wanted to be there for him for the rest of eternity. He wanted to be able to love him until the end of time. He wanted to grow old with him. And the inevitability that Sonic would grow old, but Shadow would stay the same weighed heavier and heavier on his heart with each passing day.
Until one day he couldn't take it anymore.
The two of them were sitting on the porch of one of Shadow's isolated homes. Shadow was drawing something, and Sonic was sitting on the porch swing, hugging his knees close to his chest. After a long stretch of silence, he finally spoke.
"Shadow… I need to talk to you about something. I just… I have to get it off my chest."
Immediately Shadow looked up from his drawing and turned towards Sonic with a look of concern for his boyfriend. "Of course." He stood up and sat down next to Sonic on the porch swing. "What is it?"
Sonic took a deep breath, trying to figure out where to start. Eventually, he chose to get right to the point. "Shadow, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Shadows' eyes widened, before they grew sad. They both knew how this conversation went.
Before he could say anything, Sonic continued. "And I mean it this time. I've been thinking about it a lot, and… Look, I don't have a ring or anything, but…" He looked Shadow in the eyes and let out a shaky breath. "I think I wanna marry you."
Shadow's heart swelled with a mixture of love and sadness. He wanted the same thing, of course he did, but he was afraid. "Sonic…" he sighed, "You know how much I love you… but would this really be a good choice?"
Sonic placed his feet back down on the floor of the porch and took Shadow's hands. "I know what you're thinking, and I get it. We've talked about it so many times. But Shadow, think about it. We've been together for three years now. It's time to start thinking about the future, and I can't imagine a future where I'm not with you."
Shadow felt like he was about to cry. The understanding of what Sonic was saying crashed over him like a tidal wave. He was right. When they had first gotten together, they had said that they didn't need to think about their future just yet. But now it seemed like they had no choice. And there were really only two options: either they stayed together and Shadow watched Sonic grow old and die, or they separated and spent the remaining years in misery, just to avoid the alternative tragic outcome. Neither one seemed all too hopeful.
But then an idea struck him. Shadow's eyes brightened as he squeezed Sonic's hands. "Sonic… what if we could spend the rest of our lives together?" Sonic raised a questioning eyebrow, signalling for Shadow to continue. "What if there was a way to take away my immortality? Sonic, I don't want to spend eternity without you. I… I want to grow old with you."
Sonic felt his heart soar. "I… Do you really think that's possible? How would we even do something like that?"
He placed a hand on Sonic's face and looked into his eyes. "By contacting the smartest person we know."