Dancing in the Downpour

Shadow stirred restlessly in his sleep, some outside force determined and eager to pull him from the peaceful slumber he’d found in his partner’s cobalt arms. He growled softly at the unseen foe, fighting consciousness as fiercely as he fought anything, opting to ignore his instincts and instead burrow his face into the soft warmth of his lover’s chest. It was late, he was tired, and–

A loud, reverberating rumble echoed through the hut, felt rather than heard. Shadow bolted upright, heart pounding in response to copious amounts of adrenaline suddenly coursing through his system, pushing him to be battle ready in under a second.

Sonic’s hammock swayed dangerously as Shadow shifted, trying to get a visual on whatever imminent threat dared threaten.

The blue hedgehog at Shadow’s side let out an irritated grumble at the loss of his boyfriend’s warmth and rubbed at his eyes groggily. “Shads?” he mumbled, more confused than irritated, “Wasamatter?”

An explosive white light lit the room for less than a second, blinding Shadow’s sensitive vision and nearly burning his retinas. Eyes useless, he fumbled to escape the hammock, trying, ungracefully, to ready himself for a fight. “It’s Eggman!” he barked. “It has to be!”

Sonic sat, hands gripping the sides of his swinging hammock, while he tried to get a look at Shadow through the darkness. He scratched at his side and yawned sleepily. “What are you talking about? It’s like…” he glanced down at his communicator, the bright cyan briefly illuminating the room, “after 3am. You know Eggman doesn’t come out after 10 and doesn’t get up ‘til after 9.” Sonic flopped back in the soft netting of his bed. “Says he needs his beauty sleep and honestly, same. Come back to bed.”

Another blast of thunder shook the rickety flooring of Sonic’s shack, and the wind outside began to whistle as it ran across shuttered windows. Shadow backed up until his backside pressed against Sonic’s hammock, ears twisting in every which direction at the 360 degree threat.

The technically structurally sound walls creaked against the pressure of typhoon-strength gusts and the cobalt door Sonic had installed after the two had started dating rattled in its frame. Shadow summoned a chaos spear to his hand and bolted to the blue rectangle, determined to meet whatever new threat Eggman had concocted head on.

“Shadow!” Sonic yelped in surprise, before scrambling up and using every ounce of speed he had to beat the hasty hybrid to his door. “What are you doing, Crazy Pants?? You can’t go out there in that!”

“I’m Shadow the Hedgehog! I don’t hide!”

“Hide? I mean, we’re not hiding, more like sheltering, but–”

Shadow abruptly pushed Sonic aside. “We don’t have time for your quips–” Shadow wrenched open the door only to be cut off by a choking blast of elements. The cold rain pelted his fur, thunder echoed in his ears, and wind stole his breath. He froze in the onslaught, but blue arms pulled him back to safety in an instant before slamming the door shut.

Sonic flipped his lights on and reached for a blanket on the back of his couch, wrapping it around his partner’s trembling shoulders. “Shadow, what the hell? Are you okay?”

Shadow nodded, flinching nervously as another resounding crack echoed down and through the beach, and the lights flickered. Sonic glanced up at his overheads and sighed. “Stay here. Don’t go leaping out into anymore storms, okay?”

Shadow said nothing, just held the blanket tightly around his shoulders and watched Sonic move into his kitchen, bare blue hands digging determinedly through multiple drawers before pulling out a small box. With calm Shadow only wished he felt, Sonic pulled small white tealights from the box and lined them up on the counter. He turned, assumedly to find matches or a lighter, but the power chose that moment to flicker and then die.

Shadow felt a tense shiver roll down his back despite being able to see perfectly in the dark.

Sonic, though, had no such abilities.

“Damn storms,” he grumbled as he fumbled around in cluttered and disorganized drawers. “Gotta talk to Tails about getting the generator back up and running before the storm season sets in full blast.”

Shadow winced as something heavy fell and landed hard, but Sonic was unbothered. “Ha! Found them!” A moment later, the soft whoosh of fuel being engulfed in fire sounded, and the tea lights were lit one by one, each dancing, glowing flame softening the rough edges of Shadow’s fear.

“There,” Sonic said, blowing out the match and tossing it in his sink. “Now we can see!”

“I could always see,” Shadow grunted, despite his continued shivers.

“Yeah, but there’s just something about a little light in the dark that makes everything feel a bit less scary.”

“Who said I was scared?”

Sonic raised an eyebrow, and Shadow looked away.

“You never told me you were afraid of storms,” Sonic said, pulling his phone from his quills and swiping his thumb across the screen.

“I’m not–”

“C’mere,” Sonic gently commanded, just as soft guitar and a warm, breathy voice sang out from his phone. He tossed it on his couch and held out his hands, an amused smirk growing on his face.

Shadow eyed him suspiciously, tempted to ignore him just because he hated being told what to do, but then another flash lit the world outside, and Shadow found himself moving without giving his body the command.

Sonic chuckled deeply and pulled him close, one hand wrapping around his lower back, the other hand grasping Shadow’s and lacing their fingers.

The hybrid scowled as Sonic pulled him flush against his body and began to sway. “What are you doing,” Shadow grumbled, his own form stiff and uncooperative, all the while hoping Sonic didn’t feel the slight trembles that still intermittently ran between his shoulder blades.

“I,” Sonic smiled, placing a quick kiss to Shadow’s cheek, “am distracting you.”

“Distracting me?”

“Mmhmm, with my amazing dance moves.”

“Hmph, mediocre. At best.”

“Okay then,” Sonic grinned. “What about… now!” Shadow found himself pushed away, twirled around, and brought back to Sonic’s chest so quickly he could do nothing but gasp and then grin at the exhilarated butterflies that chased away the tendrils of fear squeezing at his heart. “There it is,” Sonic boasted. “My favorite thing.”

“What’s that?” Shadow asked as his body reluctantly began to mirror Sonic’s side to side motion.

“Your smile.”

Shadow couldn’t help himself. He smiled again, broader this time.

The music continued, the first song rolling into another and then another while the two hedgehogs danced in a room of shadows cast by candlelight. Outside, the storm raged. Waves crashed against the shore, trees cracked and fell, lightning struck again and again, and yet…

It almost ceased to exist. There was no place for the storm in Sonic’s living room. There was no space for the fear it caused. Instead, the room was filled with exhilarated gasps and surprised squeals, soft music and murmured ‘I love yous’. It was filled with promises kept and promises made. It was filled with comfort, compassion, and companionship.

It was filled with love.