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Sonic’s digital clock strikes six, but before its preset alarm could do its magic, its owner slammed its snooze button almost immediately. Sonic leaned towards his clock, now suffering from a concussion, as he placed his index finger over his lips. He was grinning from ear to ear; Shadow would’ve never seen this coming.
He looked over his shoulder to view at the darkened half of the master bedroom, where a bulge appeared under an avalanche of blankets behind him. Shadow was never really fond of dawnlight and birdsong, and Sonic felt it was wiser to let sleeping dogs lie today. He stealthily avoided the creaky floorboards without issue thanks to his previous preparations, and closed the door behind him as silent as he could.
So far so good.
Sonic found it hard to stifle his chuckles — he couldn’t wait to see the look of Shadow’s face when he realised he had been played.
“Delightfully devilish , Sonic.”
As he tip-toed down the stairs, he was hit by a fragrant aroma from the kitchen. Mmm, that smelt really delicious. Sonic drooled as he approached the kitchen with anticipation. Weird that Shadow would be cooking this early.
Wait. SHADOW?!
“Ah. Morning, sleepyhead.” Shadow nonchalantly greeted his partner as he continued working on his task at hand without turning to look at him. He donned a perfect floral apron as he smiled at the sight of his perfectly done bacon strips. “Took you long enough. Now, would you like your eggs sunny side up?”
“B-b-b-but–” Sonic felt his world collapsing. Colours draining from his face. Hopes and dreams shattered.
“But what?”
“But how ????” Sonic couldn’t take it anymore. This was impossible. How could he?? “How on Mobius did you wake up before me?? And without me noticing? Wha??”
“You give yourself too much credit.” Shadow responded as he slid the scrumptious breakfast onto a porcelain plate. “You wouldn’t know if a missile hit you with how deep you sleep.”
“But I slept earlier than my bedtime and everything!!”
“I wouldn’t say half an hour early is a significant improvement.”
“But you slept way later than me, didn’t you??”
“Sleep is optional for me.”
Sonic pouted. The game had been rigged from the start. He reluctantly sat down in front of a beautifully laid out table as Shadow followed behind to serve him. “This isn’t fair, y’know. I did everything I could, yet–”
“All’s fair in love and war.” Shadow planted a kiss on his partner’s forehead as he rested Sonic’s breakfast before him.
“Oh, so you admit now that this is war?” Sonic stared straight into Shadow’s eyes.
“Whatever are you talking about?” Shadow tried to feign confusion.
“Don’t act all smart with me, buster.” Sonic pointed firmly to the calendar hanging by the kitchen wall. “You knew it was Valentine’s today.”
“Only date worth remembering. Besides your birthday, of course.”
“Your flirts won’t work on me now, I’m afraid.” Sonic crossed his arms, dignified. “For I will not accept this defeat and humiliation. This is a declaration of war.”
“Oh, is it?” Shadow’s smile grew wider as he put away his apron on its hook and turned back at Sonic. “Then I shall graciously receive your call.”
“May the best man win. I’ll show you.” Sonic returned with a determined smile of his own, before promptly grabbing the cutlery laid before him. “But first, my stomach calls. I’m starving .”
Shadow rolled his eyes as he went to join Sonic with a cup of freshly brewed coffee in hand. He tried not to grimace as he watched his partner stuff his face with three eggs all at once. Sonic’s rapid hand-to-eye coordination was admittedly impressive.
“Don’t you dare think you can bribe me with food.” Sonic said sternly as bits of egg white shot out of his filled cheeks, accompanied with a shower of saliva. “No matter how good the food tastes.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, for Chaos’ sake.” Shadow sighed as he grabbed a nearby napkin. “What did you do; starve yourself? What would compel you to be this hungry?”
“Blame whatever black magic you used to conjure up such a delicacy.” Sonic swallowed a mouthful of practically half of the plate. “I think I need to ban you from the kitchen for future Valentine’s Days.”
“It’s no use.” Shadow sipped his coffee. Its rich aroma mixed well with the juicy egg yolks Sonic tasted as he devoured the rest of the breakfast. Those bacon strips didn’t stand a chance. “I would’ve found another way to out-impress you. Like what I’m going to do later.”
“A lot of talk for someone who’s falling behind.” Sonic suddenly got up and carried away his polished clean plate before taking away Shadow’s cup of coffee. “And I’ll be taking that. You’re done with it, right?”
“...I wasn’t.”
“Too bad. I say you are.” Sonic zipped towards the kitchen sink miraculously without smashing any fragile tableware. He quickly sourced a sponge with some dish soap. “You don’t need to get up now, stay right where you are. Let the man handle all this.”
Shadow scoffed. “My my, how chivalric. I feel so honoured and loved.” He dusted himself as he got up. “This’ll give me all the ample time to prepare for my next plan. Thank you very much, my love. I really appreciate it.”
Sonic stood there dumbfounded, his hands covered with bubbles as he watched Shadow disappear upstairs. He facepalmed as hard as he could. How much stupider could he get? That was when he realised he had just coated his face with dish soap.
Love was in the air today. One might even say love made the air.
Passionate couples strolled down park paths at a lazy pace, heads on heads. Lovers’ Lane downtown soon packed with lovebirds of all forms. Some old and content, some young and spirited. Some held lovely bouquets and lavish boxes of chocolate in their hands. Some held each other’s hands, deciding their partner’s presence was rewarding enough.
Some cherished their few valuable moments being together, some appreciated their privileged close proximity. Some had their first few experiences of their budding relationship, some had chuckled sweetly to each other as they walked down the familiar lane once more.
For most, it was a day dedicated to celebrating romance and affection. To momentarily escape from the hustle and bustles of life, to remember and embrace eternal soulmates.
For the Hedgehogs’ household, it was the Second Great War.
Shadow had gained the upper hand in the morning with his seductive breakfast feast, but Sonic quickly made a counterattack by baking his partner tasty treats, adorned with cute ruby hearts. It first seemed that Sonic had blundered when he allowed Shadow to walk away from cleaning the dishes, but he quickly used that to his advantage.
If Shadow were to be honest however, he was more impressed with the kitchen still in one piece than his opponent’s unexpected stratagem.
Shadow effortlessly responded with the unravelling of his garden of fragrant wine red roses, shocking Sonic with his project worth months. To be fair, he never bothered to view the backyard, let alone step foot beyond the backdoor. Sonic still relented, and tried to compensate with two front row tickets to Shadow’s favourite orchestra at the town’s most prestigious opera house. Irresistible. This would have been checkmate for Shadow, if he didn't proceed to reveal his own pair of tickets as well.
Sonic then painstakingly decorated the glossiest card for Valentine’s Shadow’s eyes had ever graced upon, and Shadow recited the most beautiful romantic poems Sonic had ever heard. Sonic took Shadow out for an extravagant ride on Lovers’ Canal, available exclusively for the occasion. Shadow simply bought him ten chilli dogs after.
The sun was setting. Couples clinked champagne glasses at the local restaurant in Lovers’ Lane, engaging in hushed conversation and generally enjoying each other’s company. Resting hands on one another, gently yet firmly — lest their loved one ever broke away.
Sonic collapsed unceremoniously onto the beach bench as Shadow stared on quietly at the dimming horizon. Sonic grimaced at Shadow’s hardened expression. How can such a solemn and unfeeling person invent the most effective methods of courting he had ever seen? At this point it was akin to fighting a losing battle.
“I concede.”
“Hm?”
“I give up.” Sonic threw his hands up and slapped them onto his face. “You win, Shadow; you win.”
“Ah, well.” Shadow nodded as he gripped his hands together, leaning onto his thighs. “It wouldn’t matter anyway, since I’ve already won.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have my prize sitting right in front of me, no?”
“Oh for Chaos’ sake, Shadow.” Sonic rubbed his face, exasperated. “You don’t need to rub it in more. I know I suck at flirting. Point proven.”
Shadow chuckled as he went back to admiring the setting sun. “You have no idea how much more you have beaten me in.”
“...wait, what?” Sonic raised his eyebrows. Did he hear Shadow correctly? He hastily picked himself up. “Now why would you say that?”
“Because above all, you won my heart first.”
The repetitive splashes of waves along the shore complemented well to a calming ending of an eventful day. Now, it was Sonic’s turn to ponder at the majestic view before him. He didn’t think it meant so much to Shadow.
“I’ve probably said this a thousand times now, but it bears repeating.” Shadow sighed. “With Maria gone, I was left desolate. Lost. Purposeless. I oftentimes wondered if I could ever feel love anymore. Whether there was a point in any of that. A reason for love.
“As a result I’ve been segregated as an outcast. And I was fine with that. I would have been better alone. WIth only my thoughts for company. I didn’t need friends. I didn’t need anyone to love. I didn’t have to be happy. I didn’t need to feel loved. At least, that was what I kept telling myself.
Shadow turned to give Sonic a wry smile. “Then you came along; to prove me horribly wrong. Without even trying. You could say all of my doings so far are the many catching up I had to do over the years.”
Sonic had a blank look on his face. Poor boy probably didn’t know how to react. Maybe Shadow shouldn’t have brought this up again. He had to go along and ruin a wonderful day till now. That was when Sonic suddenly slapped roughly onto his shoulder.
“You really are going all out, aren’t ya?” Sonic grinned playfully. “Well, can’t blame ya. A day made for love only comes once a year. Just to put this forward: my heart’s won already. Bought and sold. You’ve already placed it on a pedestal covered with spotlights. No need to try so hard, dude.”
“Ah, my apologies .” Shadow rolled his eyes. “I suppose old habits die hard.”
Sonic turned Shadow’s head by the chin and planted a kiss on the lips. It was quick and neat. No slobbering, no unnecessary fanfare and fireworks. Sonic had sent his message perfectly clear.
Sonic rested his gloved hand by Shadow’s warming cheek, caressing it. “No worries, Shads. I still love you for who you are. Every bit of you. Be whoever you want to be.”
Shadow felt his brain short-circuit. Sonic’s sweet smile after that loving kiss really did it for him. He began to wonder who truly won the Valentine’s War after all. How deceptive.
How… Sonic.
As moonlight shone over the two Hedgehogs as they arrived at the front door of their home, Shadow tapped lightly onto Sonic’s back as he fumbled with his house keys for the umpteenth time.
“You need help with that, Sonic?”
“Ah it’s fine, I can handle this…! Whoops .” As soon as he was done speaking, he struggled to maintain the keys in his hands as they bounced graciously. Shadow couldn’t tell if Sonic had given up and resorted to juggling.
“Well, you can stay outside if you want. It’s cold.” Shadow lifted the keys off Sonic’s hands and almost immediately unlocked the front door.
“Wow. That’s actually ridiculous.” Sonic folded his arms. “What, keys are prejudiced against me now? What benefits did you promise them?”
“Try recognizing each key as you try them.” Shadow dropped the keys back onto Sonic’s palm and patted his head. “Maybe let me handle the keys next time. They’re more cooperative with me.”
“But I’ve already given you the key to my heart.”
“Because you can’t be trusted with it.”
“Oh shut up.”
A kiss was planted onto Sonic’s forehead. “I just want to say… thank you. For today.” Shadow looked down in an uncharacteristically sheepish way. “I know I’m terrible at expressing things, and may seem unappreciative when it’s due. But, I really enjoyed all the things you’ve taken the trouble for me. So, thank you, Sonic.”
“Ah, it was nothing much, really.” Sonic rubbed his head as he blushed. “I’d do anything in the world, if it’s for a person I cherish. All worth it.”
“Yep. I know that all too well, Hero of Mobius.” Shadow smiled, as he locked the door on Sonic. “Now, try unlocking the door on your own. You really need to learn how.”
“SHADOW!!” Sonic snapped back into reality and almost shrieked. “ YOU LOCKED ME OUT?! ”
“Experience is the best teacher.”
“Not when I don’t fancy the hypothermia that comes along with it! And don’t you dare tell me it builds character!”
“Relax, you big baby.” Shadow’s dismissive voice grew increasingly distant. “There’ll be mugs of cocoa and mountains of blankets awaiting you here, once you complete your noble quest.”
“Either that, or a hospital bed.” Sonic began jamming random keys into the abused keyhole as he shivered. He considered spin dashing into the front door. It was his own house, after all.
“ Enter, for Chaos’ sake! ”
Sonic spent the day after Valentine’s in bed with the flu. Staring daggers at a caring Shadow as he tended for him.