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The sun's morning rays glistened across the water, giving a soft sparkle to the waves that lapped upon the beach sand.
Through the air, the soft breeze carried the salty ocean scent beyond the shore and through to the jungle trees that grew high across the island. The leaves shuffled, and one of the leaves freed itself from the confines of a branch.
The wind carried it a short distance before it fluttered to the ground, running low on momentum.
The occupant walking through the jungle stopped abruptly before their foot hit the leaf and he looked down to investigate with curiosity shining in his deep eyes what had just fallen in front of him.
With a silent reach, the figure plucked the leaf from the ground and turned it over between pinched fingers,
"You must be lonely," His voice echoed with a gentle mutter, "Forced to leave behind the others of your kind as well?"
How foolish, what was he doing projecting onto a leaf?
With a sigh, he dropped the leaf once again. Who was he to speak to something like that? Had the loneliness finally gone to his head? No, of course not, he wanted to be by himself.
The male continued on his walk, moving with no particular destination, as long as he kept pushing forward.
Without thinking much of it, he found himself extending an arm to brush gloved hands against the trunks of the trees he passed, if only for the idle entertainment of being a bit annoying, although it was doubtful the trees would complain about it.
Before long, the jungle opened up, exposing the edge of Green Hills island and the ocean waves that came along with it. What brought him to a place like this? Being beneath the morning sun, in the warm light of the perfect day, was that something he could indulge in?
What if he was spotted out in the open? With danger out in the world, could he actually find the time to relax?
No-
He shouldn't.
Turn back around and retreat under the cover of the jungle once again...
Well, he told himself that, but his body wouldn't actually move. For what reason?
"Shadow?" A curious, yet familiar voice questioned not far off, quickly driving the male to tense up and stand his ground in case it was an enemy.
Who thought to call him out right now, who saw him?
Actually, why even ask that? He knew who called him, but that didn't mean he had to like it. There wasn't a particular desire to be social.
"Hey, Shadow!" The call came again, "Come on, you're not going to just stand there and ignore me, are you?"
That was... Up for debate still.
A meddlesome sigh escaped his lips before he ever so lightly diverted his attention toward the familiar face that approached.
His eyes were wide and full of relaxed wonder, and his fur as blue as the very ocean water that they were close to.
Sonic...
A grin spread over the other hedgehog's face as he waved a greeting,
"I didn't expect to see you here,"
He continued, carrying the conversation on his own as any extrovert would. Shadow's silence was no concern to the blue speedster.
"Let me guess," Sonic thought to joke, "You're here to brood?"
He chuckled at his own joke, but Shadow couldn't find any amusement in it. Teasing about his personal life wasn't anything that the guy could find the humor in.
Finally, he allowed himself to speak,
"I would prefer to be alone,"
As nice as the beach would've been to stay, If Sonic wasn't going to leave, he would.
The moment the dark hedgehog turned his back, a flash of blue was standing next to him,
"Hey, me too! Let's be alone together. We never hang out, come on, what are you doing today? Patrolling the perimeter? I can do that too, we'll finish twice as fast! Maybe even three times!"
What... Was with this guy today? Usually Sonic was trying to avoid him, what made him so pushy this time around?
Shadow opened his mouth, ready to decline, but found himself unable to speak.
Mere minutes ago, he had just had a conversation with a leaf, and it was not a positive one.
Very well, he had no complaints with the company if he was not annoying. As obnoxious as Sonic's energy was, Shadow really had nothing to gripe about... This time. It was almost a miracle, usually, their crossroads were due to some form of scolding or battle, as rivals were prone to do. That was what Sonic called it at least, but Shadow never considered them as such.
He didn't correct Sonic anyway, but they only fought when Sonic was doing something particularly bothersome. Not friends, but not rivals as well. To Shadow, this guy just... Existed.
"I am going for a walk," The dark hedgehog muttered, pulling his eyes forward, "Simply a walk."
"Wow, seriously?" The blue hedgehog started to complain before quickly catching himself, "I mean, running is more my thing but yeah, we can just walk. Enjoy the uh... Sights."
With a physical cringe, Sonic tore away from being a witness to a mother bird in the trees feeding her babies with regurgitation.
Sonic had a weak stomach, did he? Shadow would remember that for later.
"Where are the rest of your friends?" The idle small talk would not allow him to dance around the obvious. Sonic was never alone like this.
Yet he hesitated a moment as he attempted to find an answer. Perhaps Sonic did not notice it himself, but Shadow did. He noticed how the other hedgehog fiddled his fingers when he became anxious, or wouldn't meet Shadow's eyes when there was something he was attempting to hide. While his words may have been silent, his body language kept rather loud.
He wouldn't push it if Sonic didn't speak, he didn't totally care, actually. It was merely a conversation topic due to observation, and yet it struck a nerve. How curious.
Seconds passed, then a minute more.
Finally, the blue hedgehog sighed,
"Alright, you got me, okay? They ditched me to go to this huge fancy party on the other side of the island. Apparently, I wasn't invited, and you know why?"
Shadow didn't ask, but Sonic didn't care to wait for an answer as he continued.
Without warning, the male's face was right in front of Shadow's with a swift speed boost, a frown across Sonic's lips,
"They said I'm prone to taking the spotlight! As if, you don't believe that, do you?"
After a moment of silence, Shadow had to blink to register the question. Oh, that wasn't rhetorical?
He couldn't resist a sigh as he averted his eyes, attempting his best, forced voice of trying to care about anything the conversation was about, and deeply regretting asking,
"Whose party was it?"
A shift in conversation. He wouldn't lie, Sonic was very prone to doing just that. Perhaps not intentionally, but he had a lot of pride in himself. It would be too easy to be blunt about that and not hold back to spare his feelings, but just this once, something within Shadow told him to be a bit more kind.
For why, he could not say. Perhaps it was the fact that they were speaking without hostility, or Shadow was just caught in a good mood.
Sonic's eyes wavered as his question remained unanswered before he relaxed with a hint of disappointment,
"Tails', he's winning some sort of award for his inventions and I wasn't even allowed to go. I'm pretty much feeling like total garbage about it right now."
"So I am to assume I'm the only one you can speak to?"
Raising an eyebrow, the dark hedgehog shifted to walk around Sonic, encouraging the blue male to rush to walk beside him again,
"Well, pretty much. But I'm not only talking to you because all my friends are there! I mean, sure that doesn't help, half the island is basically there right now in their big, fancy party, but I wasn't lying. We're always meeting under bad circumstances, when's the last time we just sat down and talked?"
They didn't need to talk, it would all be meaningless, idle chatter, and Shadow had no interest in wasting his time like that. Sonic didn't consider them friends, and neither did he. Rivals, remember? It was in Sonic's own words in the past that there would be no 'buddy buddy' bonding time, or hanging out with the rest of his friend group. All that talking... It grated Shadow's ears at the thought, and he wasn't even listening to it just then.
Quickly, the dark hedgehog reached up to brush aside a branch hanging low before they hit it. As the leaves thrust into the air, Sonic made an alarmed huff and jumped back a bit as the movement caught him off guard, then ducked underneath while Shadow's patience still remained intact. He was lucky, it would've been too easy to let go and get a bit of fun seeing the branch slap Sonic, but no, not this time.
As long as they spoke in peace, he would do the honorable thing and uphold it.
The two hedgehogs sludged along, and with their path now clear, Shadow opted to respond to the question,
"When is the last time you intentionally seeked me out to simply talk? You want to speak as friends, but am I?"
"That's-" The blue hedgehog started, then stopped to clear his throat, "Look, I don't avoid you if that's what you mean, alright? Sometimes you're just hard to approach. Usually because you're trying to hit me."
Way to be blunt. But whatever, he wasn't wrong. Shadow didn't try to be friend material, or even approachable material, he mostly wanted to be left alone with his thoughts, even if that isolated him.
Their conversation seemed to be dwindling, and Sonic was twitching every few moments, itching to start running. The slow pace was getting to him, that was clearly evident.
This interaction was starting to fail, despite Sonic's best attempts to keep a spark lit.
He would almost feel bad for causing it to be such, had there not been a planted seed of mild resentment of the interaction only happening because he was Sonic's last option.
Why must he be the last? They fought, argued, and perhaps even brawled sometimes, but they weren't enemies, Shadow didn't hate him.
Did he?
No, he was sure he didn't hate Sonic, the blue hedgehog's pride sometimes just got on his nerves.
Yet looking at him now, he didn't appear prideful, just a bit sad and regretful.
How annoying, was he actually starting to feel a bit of sympathy for this?
"Follow me," The dark hedgehog finally muttered, picking up the pace a bit. "There is a place you may enjoy."
What was he about to do?
"A place?" Eyebrow raised, Sonic kept glued to Shadow's side, "I've pretty much seen the entire island, what else is there to show me?"
That was some confidence, was he sure about that? Shadow opted not to respond and let the other male find out for himself in time. It was a secret place that only Shadow knew about, where he would retreat when the world became too much.
To bring Sonic there, it was an important deal, but as annoying as he could be sometimes, there was still some trust there.
There went his head again, swirling with confusing emotions toward Sonic.
What he felt was complex, with no black-and-white answer.
Some were positive, some were negative, but never did they stay constant. Like the ocean waves, his feelings would shift and change fluidly.
It was a miracle he could understand that though, emotions never were Shadow's strong suit.
The two lumbered on through the jungle, guiding him through the trees. It wouldn't be long now, the hills were just up ahead.
The silence that Sonic allowed was comforting, even if the dark hedgehog wouldn't admit that. It was nice to be in the company of someone else without needing to speak, it brought a sense of perspective to the world for Shadow.
In the silence, he could hear everything. The birds whistled in the trees, and the breeze was starting to soothe.
With a flick of a pointed ear, Shadow tuned in on another sound that he hadn't considered before.
Between footsteps, a light sound that could barely be heard unless he focused rather hard.
He allowed his steps to move in parallel with Sonic's to give way for more time for the sound to become clear and... Yes, there it was.
The light thumping from the male beside him. The sound of a heartbeat he never even tried to hear before, why did it pound so fast? Even his pulse rushed throughout his body, powered with a momentum he was containing just for Shadow's sake. It was, for lack of a better word, enthralling.
Shadow couldn't help a short, airy chuckle at the thoughts running through his own head. He knew Sonic's interest had been caught, but no, he wouldn't divulge what was on his mind right now.
Soon enough, the trees split, exposing the tracks that ran all throughout Green Hills. The blue hedgehog beside him placed his hands on his hips proudly, as though he were the one to make them. Then, Sonic forced a light smile,
"Man, I remember the first time I ran on these things. It was right after I had just arrived in Green Hills as a little hedgehog. I really sucked at aiming my speed, always hitting into things. But it's thanks to these bad boys I was able to become who I am now."
What was he going on about?
His voice dripped with nostalgia, but Shadow couldn't seem to understand it at all. Perhaps he was merely... Too new to understand being a young child? Shadow never quite had that opportunity.
When he didn't respond, Sonic's eyes flickered over to the dark male before they widened with realization,
"Oh, yeah. You were built to be the ultimate life form and all that, so I guess you would be confused. I wasn't always Sonic the Hedgehog, savior of the day, hero against evil. I had to train for that for a long time. I was a nobody when I was a kid, even had to sleep in a burrow hole before I met my friends."
He was right, Shadow didn't understand it at all; he was created with his abilities, and there was nothing left to train for. But the event appeared important to Sonic, and as such, he could ask as though it were important to himself as well.
"To train..." The male muttered, raising his gaze back to the track of Green Hills, "I find myself curious about who I would have become, had I had the opportunity to walk the path for myself. You are... Lucky... That you started as a blank slate, deciding where your life would lead."
It wasn't like Shadow was exactly lying, it was a thought he sometimes did think about. What if he hadn't been built in a lab, if he had been a child? Would he have been a hero or a villain? Perhaps such a choice would never have occurred to him, and he would just be able to live a normal life with no particular set of skills, but with a set of parents that cherished him.
The only person ever close to that was gone though, never to return.
"Just because your creator had a path in mind for you," Sonic grinned, back to focusing on the track, "Doesn't mean you don't have choices. I mean, you're here right now, aren't you? It's never too late to take your own reigns,"
For a second, Shadow cast a glance at Sonic, who seemed to not notice the stare.
She was gone, but perhaps he would not need to be alone after all.
The dark hedgehog cleared his throat, pulling back the conversation before things started to get... Even more emotional.
"It is not far now. By the loop,"
Shadow pointed ahead toward the loop in the track, earning a confused, yet curious eyebrow raise from Sonic who traveled behind now.
When the two hedgehogs stepped up to the track, Shadow was the first to kneel down and start digging through the dirt beside the track.
The blue male made a sound, ready to complain before stopping himself as he trusted Shadow.
It took a moment, but eventually, the dirt uncovered a small button, protected with a plastic shield,
"Eggman showed me this a while ago. It was going to be a trap initially, but he never decided to use it..."
Might as well say it now before Sonic started to have any questions and doubt the situation. It was a trap, but it no longer is.
Shadow didn't say it aloud, but more likely than not, Eggman simply forgot it existed, or where he hid the activation button.
When he opened the lid and pressed the button, the ground began to rumble from below.
It felt mechanical and soon exposed itself as an elevator as it lowered the two hedgehogs underground.
It didn't take long for Sonic to fall to a kneel as well, just to keep his footing as the floor gave way,
"What is this thing?! I had no idea it was here!"
Did that really need an answer? No, Shadow didn't need to answer that, Sonic was a smart boy.
The elevator carried the two under the earth and rock, and soon, opened up to an underground cavern, lit only by gemstones lodged in the hardened clay walls.
Shadow carefully offered a glance to the other Hedgehog to see what expression might've been on his face, and to his relief, it looked to be wonder and awe,
"I disabled all the traps when I made this place my own," The dark male admitted slowly, "There is no danger for you here."
"Jeez," Sonic was unable to resist a happy chuckle, "This is incredible, look at all the gems! You're telling me this is your secret hideout? Why'd you trust me to show me this place?"
As he turned to look at Shadow, their eyes met, causing a silence to fall over the hedgehogs, even after the elevator came to a full stop.
Sonic was finally the one to break the stare when he quickly pushed himself up and cleared his throat awkwardly,
"Uh, anyway! What do you do down here anyway? Is this just your getaway place?"
"For the most part,"
Shadow pulled himself up to his feet, looking around his own cave.
The dim glow of the gems was enough to establish a small water pond, shallow enough to step in from the corner of the cylinder cavern. The water was kept as still as ice, yet perfect and clear, with no outside sources risking the water's general health.
To the right were Shadow's cot and a rounded table with some books lazily stacked around. He read from time to time, although he didn't quite need the knowledge. It was a good way to pass the time though when you were hiding out in a secret cave.
It appeared Sonic's eyes were drawn to the darker corner of the room, piled high with various metal pieces, no longer recognizable.
The blue Hedgehog hesitated but kept his peace.
It was all too obvious what was on his mind, Shadow could read him ever so clearly.
"They're inactive," He piped up, "Parts of the traps I took down. I don't have the intention to harm you."
For a moment, Sonic's eyes glistened with an emotion Shadow wasn't aware of before he quickly pushed it away to force a smile,
"Oh right, of course! You uh, mentioned that. So what should we do? Cards? Race? Is this cave big enough for a race actually?"
In his attempt to lighten the mood, the blue hedgehog's voice sped up, much too fast for Shadow to keep up with, so he simply didn't, and let Sonic ramble as he pleased.
Suddenly, the Hedgehog zipped away, finding himself sitting at the pond,
"And this thing! It looks clean enough to drink, what's the story about this?"
Whatever happened to slow down and enjoy the sights? Shadow exhaled a sigh as he made his way over, with Sonic having no clear intention of when to stop his anxious talking,
"Do you think I could try it actually? Or would that be rude? I mean it's your pond and you have the final say, plus you wouldn't have brought me down here if it wasn't okay, so I should just assume it's okay?"
The moment Shadow's hand fell upon the hedgehog's shoulder, Sonic tensed up, then relaxed once again as he gave a chuckle,
"I'm trying not to make this about me, dude. Remember? Stealing the spotlight? I'm hanging out with you, so this should be your moment or something.
Yeah... Shadow already had his moment back at the tracks, there was nothing else he was in the mood to say.
Slowly, the hedgehog lowered down and plopped into a sit beside Sonic.
He didn't say a word. Merely his presence was enough to cause an uncomfortable shift in which Sonic wouldn't meet his eyes,
"Yeah that was a terrible excuse, but you have to admit, I tried," He exhaled, "Look, whatever I say to you, that stays between us, alright?"
"I don't speak to anyone else."
Usually, that wouldn't need to be reminded, but Sonic looked almost shaken up. Where was his hero persona? His brave against all attitude? What was this meek, small male beside Shadow?
Was it his own influence? Did Shadow somehow cause this just by being nearby?
That was ridiculous, there was no way.
Sonic inhaled heavily, held it for a long minute, then released, calming his anxious self before glimpsing down into the water,
"I'm a bit nervous. I never really told this to anyone else, but fighting Eggman scares me. Don't get me wrong! I love the adrenaline and it's fun, but Knuckles said something to me a while back and it hasn't left my mind. I can beat him a hundred times and nothing changes, but if he beats me even once, what would happen to us?"
Ah, that's what this was.
Shadow wasn't exactly a therapist for these sorts of emotions. To be frank, he didn't exactly care, as cold as that may sound. Sonic had a duty now that nobody else could replace him, he had no choice but to keep fighting.
Yet, he understood. Sonic did his work, but fear was not an easy enemy to combat behind the scenes.
What was the dark hedgehog meant to say? What did Sonic expect him to say?
He clenched his fists as he inhaled heavily and offered a short glance to the blue hero,
"Nothing changes because you are strong," Shadow began carefully, "You protect us in ways nobody else can. That is a good thing. You carry fear with you because you are also wise. It is not a hindrance, it is a reminder to do your best."
Sonic's eyes furrowed as he considered Shadow's words, and after a moment, he exhaled with a light chuckle,
"I didn't expect your advice to be to keep being afraid. I was waiting for 'get over it' or, 'don't be a baby'," He tried to mimic Shadow's deeper, more raspy voice awkwardly, "But it makes sense in a weird way. Reminds me of what I'm fighting for and all that... I think. If that's what you were trying to say."
Sure, they could go with that, it was close enough.
He would remember that mocking though, there would be retribution for it later.
With another heavy sigh, Sonic suddenly relaxed his body and allowed himself to fall against Shadow's shoulder. The blue spikes the speedster adorned prodded against the dark hedgehog's side, but that wasn't what caused him to tense up. What was Sonic doing?
Shadow opened his mouth, prepared to complain and demand his personal space, but after a moment of contemplation, it wasn't worth the effort.
"Why do we fight?" Sonic questioned aloud, "Like, me and you, I don't even remember what we argue about half the time."
"We are rivals." Shadow rolled the question off casually, as if it were the most obvious answer, "Is that not what we do? Also, you get annoying."
After a moment of silence, Sonic picked himself back up again to sit on his own,
"Are you sure? Knuckles and I are rivals too but we still get along. I feel like that would be the same for you if we just sat down like this more often."
If Shadow actually thought about it, it was most likely a personality clash. They were only getting along now because Sonic was willing to compose himself to hang out, but in any normal situation, that wasn't going to be the case.
Sonic was prideful and had a tall ego, yet he could be immature and dismissive of others.
Shadow, on the other hand, tried to keep himself more grounded in reality and when Sonic got into one of his hero moods, it got on his nerves. Not to say Shadow was perfect either, he knew he was prone to being cold and angry, and he wasn't afraid to jump and throw a punch if the situation called for it.
They just simply didn't mesh well, yet even as Shadow tried to confirm that in his mind... Look where they were now.
Could he actually believe that when Sonic was sitting in his special hideout space? No, he would have to fix that line of thought.
They meshed fine, their personalities complimented each other, it was because neither of the hedgehogs had tried to put in the effort before.
"Tell me about your friends," Shadow decided to question suddenly, changing the topic like a switch. There was something he wanted to know, or perhaps it was something he wanted to test?
At any rate, it appeared to take Sonic off guard before he cocked his head curiously,
"Uh, alright? There's Tails, my best bud. We've been friends since we were younger, probably one of the first people I met when I arrived at Green Hills. I'm sure you've met him."
"I have."
Shadow didn't care about Tails.
Well, that sounded a bit rude, obviously, he didn't hate the guy. It just wasn't what he was looking for.
Sonic continued nevertheless,
"Then there's Knuckles. We butt heads a bit but he's a good guy."
Of course. Shadow and Knuckles rarely spoke one on one, but when they did, he was perhaps the one he got along with the best. Strong, and had a good head on his shoulders. Dare he say, perhaps someone similar to himself?
Anyway, the topic of Knuckles bored him, and the dark hedgehog kept silent to hear more.
"There's also Amy," Sonic thought it over for a minute as he tried to describe the pink female, "She's... Passionate. Also kind, and brave."
Interesting... Shadow gauged the words he was hearing carefully before adjusting his sitting position to be more comfortable,
"Am I to assume you and Amy are committed?"
As he questioned aloud, Sonic's face twisted with confusion before the realization of what was being asked hit him,
"Oh no! We're not like that. I mean, I know she has a thing for me, it's pretty flattering, but I don't feel the same way. But jeez Shadow, I didn't know she was your type, asking about her so suddenly like that. I won't get in your way if you're thinking about asking her out."
Was this seriously happening right now? No wonder Sonic couldn't swim with how dense he was at the moment.
An annoyed exhale escaped Shadow's lips, but he allowed Sonic to finish talking, solidifying the entirely wrong idea in his own mind.
Shadow had no interest in Amy, but it seemed he would need to spell it out.
"I care not for her," He boredly averted his gaze as he rested his chin upon his own knee.
What were they? Not enemies, barely friends, a one-sided rivalry, was there even a word that existed for the type of relationship he had with Sonic?
There had to be, right? Yet he couldn't think of anything.
Nevertheless, his test was complete, he had what he was looking for, yet Shadow lost the interest to continue down such a path, the mood was ruined by Sonic's mistaken assumptions.
Sonic soon cocked his head again, eyes full of confused wonder. His fluffy spikes swayed with the movement as he made the effort to look across Shadow's bored expression that no longer focused on the blue male.
"Did I say something wrong? You kinda shut down on me there. This is about Amy, isn't it?"
"No."
How much longer was this party that was distracting the rest of Sonic's friends? He was getting rather exhausted with their interaction.
The dark hedgehog started to pull himself up, only for Sonic to follow suit and crawl back to his feet with a grunt,
"Hey, come on, talk to me, dude! If I said something wrong just tell me,"
As a hand grabbed Shadow's shoulder in an attempt to stop him from walking away, the dark hedgehog froze up.
As if by pure instinct, he ripped his shoulder away from the hold, his body not quite under his control anymore. The touch was so sudden, nobody had been bold enough to be that grabby without permission. Nobody except the late Maria, and what right did Sonic have to try to be equal to her?
"Do not. Touch."
It was fine when they were bonding a few minutes ago, but now Shadow didn't even want to look at him.
He could hear Sonic make a sound akin to a short gasp of surprise, but fell quiet once again.
Yet before Shadow even took a step, the blue male was in front of him, eyebrows furrowed with anger,
"What, too chicken to face me now? I thought we were getting along but suddenly you're just shutting me out! You always get like this, just fight me if you're mad!"
Chicken?! How dare he?!
Anger overtook him, and he lunged forward before he could stop himself.
Before Shadow knew it, he had a rough grip on Sonic's arm, holding him in place as their eyes met.
"You are a fool," He began, catching a look of Sonic seemingly taken aback, but he did not allow the other hedgehog to speak as he continued, "Not to notice what I was attempting to hint at. But it is clear it would only be a wasted effort."
Sonic blinked once, and then again, as though the gears hadn't quite turned in his mind.
With everything Shadow was experiencing in Sonic's presence, there was a clear explanation, but would it be one he was willing to pursue? That would depend entirely on Sonic's reaction if he even caught on at all.
Shadow could feel the other male relax, but with no intention of pulling himself away.
Finally, Sonic's gaze lowered to the dirt floor, his eyes glistening softly,
"I don't really get everything you're trying to say. If you were trying to drop hints, I don't really think I'm good at this guessing game. If it's that important, just tell me. What's the worst reaction I would have? Walking away in a fit of anger?"
Hm... The poke was unnecessary, but perhaps Shadow was... Rather hasty as well. Yet, how could he say it aloud?
He admit, there was a chance that throughout their many years of rivalry, Shadow had grown some... Undeveloped feelings reserved for a specific bond, but Sonic was out of his mind if he thought that could be said so easily.
Unable to find his words, Shadow could only scoff and turn away as he released Sonic's arm.
No... He was too shamed for it.
The dark hedgehog made a move to walk around Sonic, but with a flash, his path was blocked once again,
"I don't think so," Sonic insisted, "Look, I don't want to be your enemy, can't we just talk? If I upset you, come at me right now, I'll let you get one hit in. Solely once, just don't aim for the face. You always aim for the face."
What in the world was he-
Actually, never mind. Whatever he was rambling about, Shadow wasn't going to hit him.
Another attempt to move away left another shooting run from Sonic.
Shadow was beginning to grow more annoyed, but he allowed himself a slow, steady inhale to calm down.
"Fine," He finally muttered, "We seem to be at an impasse because you won't step aside, and I won't hit you. You really wish to be told?"
Instead of answering, the blue hedgehog nodded viciously, practically begging to be told.
But telling, Shadow would not do.
Even if he did, there was just the risk of Sonic not understanding once again.
He moved forward, swiftly wrapping an arm behind the other male's back as he tried to step backward in surprise, and wasted no time in clearing his intentions.
The stolen kiss was impulsive, yet there could be no misunderstanding with it now.
Shadow had only asked about his friends to understand their relationships, and if Amy wasn't involved, nor anyone else for that matter, did he not have an inkling of a chance?
Sonic froze up, but he didn't move away. Rather, after the initial shock, the blue speedster even began returning it. A bit hesitantly, but returning it nevertheless.
Shadow could feel the thumping pulse as his arm remained wrapped around the other hedgehog, and it was slowing down.
The rapid heart of someone that lived on speed was becoming slow and steady, it was almost soothing to follow along with.
It wasn't until Shadow broke away did he feel Sonic's heart rate pick up once again, the blue male's eyes now wide in shock, and flushed embarrassment across his face.
Why did Sonic feel shy?! Shadow was the one that initiated it!
"Oh, uh... So wow," The blue male finally exhaled with a chuckle, awkwardly moving to brush back some stray quills over his head, "I guess that happened, I had no idea, I always thought we were rivals?"
"You assumed we were rivals," He released Sonic as he corrected him, "Fighting with you only comes with necessitation."
"You've never said anything, dude," Crossing his arms, the blue hedgehog frowned, "How was I supposed to figure that out?"
As Shadow expected, it was a bad idea to bring it up.
He wasn't good with emotions and bonds, why would he bother otherwise?
With a sigh, the dark male practically rolled his eyes as he once again moved to get around Sonic, but this time, a call stopped him,
"Wait, I'm sorry, that was rude of me," Sonic attempted, "I'm just shocked, but I didn't say I disliked the idea."
Were they playing 'state the obvious?'
Sonic wasn't a romance and flowers sort of guy, and he didn't even need to be in a relationship to know that. Running from Amy was a common occurrence of their paths crossing. That didn't change the stinging feeling within Shadow's chest at the reaction.
"You told me that when you were younger, you trained on the tracks."
Shadow didn't look back, but he could hear the confirming hum of Sonic, pressing him to go on,
"When I was younger, I stayed at Maria's side. I awoke with infinite knowledge, but she was how I learned what it meant to be alive. I did not get to choose my path, but she supported me no matter what I was forced to do. When I lost her, I lost any sense of humanity that I felt."
It hurt... To speak about her.
The hedgehog would give anything to see her again.
But he had to say it...
He turned back to Sonic, meeting his frown with cold, calculated eyes,
"But it wasn't forever. I always seem to have a purpose or a mission any time you appear, and you consistently challenge my role as the ultimate life form and push me to keep meeting your ever-growing strength. Is it quite so odd that I find satisfaction in your company?"
He could see Sonic twitching, his large eyes wavering with an expression Shadow couldn't read.
There was barely any moment to react to the speed before Shadow was being hugged tightly, nearly knocked down at the rate at which he was essentially bodyslammed with affection.
Sonic was careful in the way he hugged the other hedgehog, not allowing his arms to damage even a single quill or mess up Shadow's neatly groomed fur, and yet his ears twitched, causing the dark hedgehog to huff before he sneezed due to the tickling.
"I wish you had said something earlier, now I feel bad for never inviting you to hang out. Boy, I'm such a jerk, you can say it."
He would... Rather not.
Actually, he was more waiting on Sonic's thoughts on his... Rather forward confession.
"You don't dislike the idea, you said. Elaborate?"
With that, the blue male freed him from the hug to face his eyes straight on, grinning brightly,
"Exactly what I said. I know I'm always teasing you about it, but dark and brooding is kinda my type, just look at how I spend time with Knuckles."
That... Would explain why he never returned Amy's affections, actually. She was the embodiment of being cute and optimistic.
"So you accept?"
"I think so?" Sonic didn't sound too sure until he shook his head quickly, giving an awkward chuckle, "Actually, I definitely accept. As long as you don't shut me out."
Was he trying to say they needed more communication? That would be simple enough to fulfill,
"Very well," Shadow shortly nodded, "I also wish to be invited places sometimes."
Probably not every time, Shadow still preferred his alone time, and Sonic's energy could often feel overwhelming to an introvert like himself, but in the end, that's all he truly wanted; simply to feel involved.
Sonic chuckled at the ask, but didn't argue,
"Yeah, I think that's reasonable," Suddenly, the blue hedgehog perked up, a worried look across his face, "Oh man, what do I tell Amy? She's going to be distraught."
That was... A fine question.
If they were official now, that would cause a bit of trouble. Yet, Shadow didn't entirely care how she felt about it. She was within her right to be upset, but it was Shadow who managed to capture the heart of the hero.
The dark hedgehog extended an arm toward Sonic, carefully cupping his furry cheek as he leaned in, taking yet another, swift kiss.
By the time he pulled back, Sonic appeared a bit disoriented by the romantic gestures but quickly caught himself to look at Shadow as the hedgehog spoke up,
"Take some time to think about it. Until you do, stay here with me."
A gloved thumb caressed Sonic's cheek as the other male made no immediate move to pull away.
A moment passed before Sonic's eyes softened as he smiled,
"Sure, I can do that."