Work Text:
Another year, another fall and winter season.
There was much to love running on the forest floor, blanketed by fallen leaves or fallen snow. The crunch of both coverings and the beauty of their presence in the air. From a variety of colors to a variety of inside activities. Like cuddling.
Sonic and Shadow have been partnered for about three years. Their unusual relationship was never named but perhaps it didn’t need to be. All that mattered was the preference for one another’s presence and the love for each other that didn’t need to be defined.
Boyfriends in public, lifetime partners to the end in private.
Sonic and Shadow had rearranged their room for the approaching onslaught of winter’s bites. Changing from their separate blue and red sheeted twin beds to a purple sheeted queen with thick quilts.
It became a routine the first winter Shadow stayed with Sonic along with his adoptive brother Tails. Starting when Sonic first snuck under Shadow’s sheets to conserve as much warmth his short fur could. Rather than kick the hedgehog off to his own bed, Shadow brought his quilt up to their shoulders where it was below his chest before, and brought his new shivering, teeth-chattering bedmate close to his body.
Fortunately for Sonic’s housemates (but not for him), Tails has his winter coat coming in to keep him warm throughout the nights, his fur shedding and piling along the floorboards and corners of their humble home.
And worsening Sonic’s hay fever.
(Sonic and Shadow never look forward to deep cleaning the house and having to pin Tails down to brush him themselves, Tails doesn’t like it either.
Especially the part when they chase him down.)
Shadow, on the other hand, despite being the same species as his partner, has an advanced biological structure that keeps his temperature regulated in the extremities of weather.
But he was also just an extra fluffier ‘breed’.
Nightfall has come around with flurries of snow.
Shadow’s unblinking scarlet gaze kept following some of the flakes outside the window with a near empty mug of what was hot cocoa in his hand, clutched near to his chest till he decided to take the last sip. His other hand was occupied with a blue-furred side, which he brushed absentmindedly with his bare thumb.
Sonic had decided to invade his partner’s personal space by placing himself on patterned thighs, substituting it for a reading chair.
(Because it’s not like there is a whole ass couch beside the both of them that he could’ve draped himself over.)
Shadow’s ear twitched at a page turn of Sonic’s novel and it was then that he decided to take his last sip. No doubt it was cold, not even lukewarm. He placed the mug on the table, next to Sonic’s own empty mug and beside the chair they both occupied.
It was a personal one he brought (actually, stole) with him when he moved out of Rouge’s apartment. A humorous, crude quote printed along the body of the mug.
The side of his lip lifted faintly.
There was a yawn that was heard and a sudden pressure on his shoulder followed.
Shadow moved to see Sonic’s head nearly tucked into the crook of the neck. He dogeared his page and reached over to slide it tiredly on the table.
Another yawn escaped him, eyes fluttering close as he curled into his partner’s body.
“Shads,” he mumbled into black fur.
“Hm?”
“Carry me. To bed.” he said, more clearly.
“Carry yourself,” Shadow retorted with no heat.
“If you can hurl a semi, then you can carry my dainty ass to bed,” he snarked back.
“You can carry your own dainty ass to bed then,” Shadow free hand moved to slip under blue knees, already planning on carrying him.
“Yeah, but I’m too tired to do that now.” Shadow raised the both of them off the chair and sauntered their way around to turn off the lights and lock doors before going to their room up the stairs. Creaks followed his footsteps.
Shadow stopped by Tails’ door to lean his ear to the wood, hoping the young kit wasn’t staying up late.
Satisfied with light snoring from behind the door, Shadow continued to their own room. After closing the door, Shadow careened to the bed to set Sonic down on the sheets, for him to sluggishly move to get his body curled and underneath the thick quilts. He stuck his muzzle out, awaiting for his partner.
Shadow slipped in next to him, laying on his back and his gaze fixed to the ceiling. An arm over his head, his claws digging into the palm. He didn’t await for sleep.
Sonic stuck his head out to bury his muzzle into white fluffy fur and draped an arm over the black waist.
Shadow sighed through his nose at Sonic’s insistent clinginess, he arduously moved his trapped arm to pull the duvet up to his chest and a bit more over Sonic’s shoulder. His arm then moved to cup Sonic’s hip underneath the sheet.
A faint putter was soon heard. Shadow could feel the vibrations underneath his palm and along the side of his body, soothing him and nearly making himself purr.
“I love you Shads,” was whispered into his chest.
“Go to sleep,”
Sonic moved his head to look up at Shadow with hooded eyes. “Wow, no ‘I love you back?’ or a dramatic declaration of your strong platonic love for me like at the start of our unnamed relationship?” his words started to slur again.
Shadow responded with a scoff and– “I’m not going to say a declaration while you’re high on herbs right now,”
“It’s only melatonin, it’s a natural chemical dummy,”
A moment of silence passed.
“I’m not high,”
“You’re inebriated,”
“It’s fucking melatonin,”
“Go. To. Sleep.” he enunciated through gritted canines.
Another moment of silence passed until light snoring was heard.
The wonders of ten milligrams of melatonin. Shadow shook his head in amusement.
He carefully slid himself down the bed a bit, till Sonic’s head could be pressed against his muzzle. He slid his arm up to wrap around his waist and pressed him closer for warmth.
He fixed up the sheets with his free hand before tucking it underneath his pillow.
Pressing his lips against a blue forehead, his almost-glowing red eyes stared off at nothing. His own darker rumbling purring filled the silence.