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The sound of chatting and laughter echoed through the air. Golden hues of sunlight glimmered on the glass windows. The voices of Sonic and his friends were carried by the light yet crisp wind, stretching out to the azure blue sky— clear and endless. The early afternoon presented Sonic and his friends with the perfect mood for a chilled hangout at his place. Piles of pizza boxes, stacks of carbonated drink cans and bowls of snacks, sweet and salty, littered the place. Gaming controllers, some overworked, some charging were placed in everyone’s’ laps.
A lone figure sat slouched, the sun’s warmth gently heating his black fur and highlighting his red streaks. He had sunken into a plastic chair on Sonic’s porch, arms almost stubbornly crossed and eyes half-lidded. Far away enough from the noise to snooze, but close enough to sense any trouble, just in case. His ears perked up every now and then, hearing faint bursts of laughter and exclamations of those in the group.
Quite some time must have passed when his crimson eyes flickered open, meeting a vast array of white clouds that had settled against the once pristine blue sky. The hum of distant conversation had since faded. The low sun casted long, jagged shadows over the grass. The hedgehog slowly sat up to meet the footsteps approaching from his left.
Sonic.
“Heya Shadow,” He dragged a porch chair and sat next to him. “how’re ya?” His voice was brimming with enthusiasm, yet it remained soft and familiar.
Shadow stirred, shaking off his remnants of his drowse. “Sonic.” He acknowledged.
“Everyone just took off. Guess it’s just you and me now.” Sonic flashed a grin, the one that was always too righteous and too carefree.
Shadow turned to meet the blue hedgehog’s inviting emerald gaze.
“I see.”
Shadow inhaled deeply— his sharp nose was immediately met with a heavy scent of greasy pizzas and burgers, and— the staleness of beer?
The odour caused his face to twist from disgust. “It stinks of food.”
“Oh yeah, there was enough trash to fill a whole bin bag. Was quite some hangout,” chuckled Sonic.
Shadow’s voice dripped with disdain, “Really? How do you guys even stomach that shit?”
“Haha, you get used to it. Besides, nothing says ‘hangout’ like fast food, you know?”
Shadow shot him a dark, sidelong glance. “Not really. Surely there are other options to eat.”
Sonic raised an eyebrow. “Well… any suggestions?” His tone was teasing, laughing as he leaned into his chair with arms crossed behind his head.
Shadow paused for a moment. Actually… What would he know? Yeah, he’s seen the different shapes and sizes, colours and smells of the foods of this planet, but he hadn't actually tasted any… All he knew was the food of the Ark. Cold, sterile meals. The bland tastes of which flickered in his skewed memory, lingering on the tip of his tongue.
Sonic looked upon the black hedgehog with deepening curiosity. “Well?”
“I—” Shadow hesitated, his voice quieter now, laced with a kind of vulnerability he rarely let slip. “Truth is,” he took a sharp inhale, “I’ve never eaten anything worth tasting. I mean, all the food on the Ark was… bland. Empty. Tasteless. Mere fuel for survival, like everything else up there. I just figured all food was that way.”
Sonic’s smile subsided, the carefree mask slipping momentarily. “That’s not how it should be. Food is meant to be enjoyed. It’s a way to experience the world— it’s not just for survival. It brings people together, brings joy…”
Shadow’s gaze remained fixed ahead, unwavering. His expression was almost unreadable, but it was evident that he was somewhere dark. Somewhere lonely. The silence between the pair spoke that in volumes. That feeling again…
Whenever these conversations dipped into vulnerability, Shadow felt like he became seized with a conflicting churning in his stomach. Half of it was relief; a heavy, restricting weight unburdened him at every emerging word. Yet beneath was something uncomfortable; a writhing pain in his stomach.
Twisting— so innate, so unfamiliar, it made speaking— feeling —in Sonic's presence all the more disorienting.
“Is that how it’s always been for you?” Sonic asked, closer. “Just… emptiness?” His voice dipped, each word drifting in the breeze between them. The gentleness of his tone snapping Shadow out of his daze.
Shadow’s chest tightened at the question. His gaze lowered, fixating on the blades of grass swaying beneath his feet, each one more captivating than the next. But they weren’t really— Shadow was trying to ignore the question and suppress the truth. This was the hollow reality that had lodged itself in his heart for so long. But Sonic— for some dumb reason— had this crazy way of peeling back his defences, getting under his skin and exposing the things Shadow didn’t want to confront.
“It’s all I’ve ever known.” Shadow admitted, the words escaping his lips before he could think. His breath caught, his pulse quickening under the weight of his own confession. He cast a fleeting glance in Sonic’s direction, but Sonic was already earnestly looking into him, his emerald eyes steady, unflinching, almost too offering and too intense to meet. It was as if Sonic could see everything Shadow was trying to hide, and that closeness—both physical and emotional—was suffocating, yet it was the only thing keeping him grounded. Without it, he almost definitely would’ve lost himself by now.
Sonic’s expression melted like warm sunlight, his lips curling into that familiar, playful smirk. “Not for long it won’t be,” He relayed with utter confidence and conviction, “I’m about to change that. Riiighhttt now.”
Confused, Shadow wondered. “…What do you mean?” he asked quietly, his voice keeping a fragility he hadn’t intended to reveal. He could only look on as Sonic rose from his chair and stretched lazily.
“Be back in a sec.”
And just like that, Sonic was gone, the blue blur vanished in an instant. The fleeting connection they shared, diffusing into the air.
Shadow tilted his look skyward. It felt like Sonic snatched the blue with him, for the heavens now blushed a delicate rose. The fading light mirrored the retreat of that moment, the peace of the afternoon left him alone with aching. The ache of deep scars opening up, ones he did not know how to heal.
Shadow was met with the unsettling realisation that he had felt more in that exchange than he had in a lifetime spent in solitude.
But Shadow didn’t have time to wallow, for as fast as he had left, the blue hedgehog was back.
“Can’t get rid of me,” His trademark smirk and electric eyes were bright flashes that glowed against the dimming sky. Shadow rolled his eyes but it lacked it’s usual bite. Instead, a subtle smile tugged at his lips.
Suddenly his ache subsided.
Sonic held several brown paper bags. "Alright, Shadow," Sonic grinned, setting the bags down. "Ready to begin your culinary adventure?"
“Huh?”
“You said you’ve never had real food— trust me, you’ve been missing out.”
Shadow raised a skeptical brow.
“Have faith in me— I promise I brought good stuff. I’m literally a certified foodie.” He teased as he dug through one of the bags.
“Self-proclaimed huh” Shadow rolled his eyes.
Sonic folded his arms, outstretching a finger.
“Uhm actually I’ll have you know I’ve travelled all over the world on my adventures and tried all types of exquisite dishes, so trust me I know whats good. Now you’ve got to have an open-mind to this okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now, first!” Sonic, practically buzzing with excitement, pulled a steaming chilli dog from a brown paper bag because of course its a chilli dog— this is Sonic after all.
The smell of the thick, rich chilli with chunks of ground beef underneath a layer of melted cheddar cheese and finely diced onions, topped with a drizzle of yellow mustard, sharp and tangy.
He held it up, proudly displaying the hot dog like a trophy to Shadow.
“This…” Sonic whispered as though he had to be careful in the presence of a chilli dog. “this is going to change your life. I promise you, the best thing you’ll ever taste."
Shadow looked at the chili dog, his crimson eyes narrowing suspiciously. His arms were crossed, as usual, but something about his rigid stance betrayed a hint of nervousness— and Sonic’s wide-eyed excitement was hardly reassuring.
“Tell me why this,” Shadow muttered, glancing at Sonic, “should be worth my time.”
“Come on now you said you’d be open to this! This won’t work if you keep being stubborn.”
Shadow took the chilli dog, almost snatching it from Sonic’s firm grip. He peered at it skeptically. The onions slipped down onto the wrapper, suspiciously. He was silent for a long moment, inspecting the chilli dog.
Sonic stared, impatiently tapping his foot. “Why are you inspecting it like that! It’s really not that serious.” he urged, leaning in way too close for Shadow’s liking. “Ughhh you’re killing me here!
Shadow gave him an annoyed glare. “You want me to try it?”
“Well yeah, otherwise I wouldn’t be standing he—
“Then shut up and let me eat it,” he said, a little more venomously than he’d intended. He could feel Sonic’s expectant gaze burning, but Shadow didn’t care. He was going to take as long as he wanted to and Sonic’s increased annoyance only made it all the more amusing.
Bracing himself, Shadow took a slow, deliberate bite. For a moment, all he tasted was an overwhelming mix of flavours. Heat, tang, spice, and all at once. His brow furrowed, and he took a second, smaller bite, trying to dissect the experience.
Sonic was practically leaning on his shoulder now, eyes studying Shadow's expression.
“Well? well?” he demanded, eyes shining with excitement. His stomach growled as he looked down at the empty bag. “I should’ve gotten one for myself..”
Shadow swallowed, suppressing any expression. Honestly, he really liked the taste once the flavours started to come together. But Sonic’s unbearable behaviour was genuinely amusing.
“It’s… adequate,” Shadow replied, a hand on his chin.
Sonic’s ears drooped. “Adequate. Really? Who talks like that? You’ve got no soul Shads.” He looked at the chilli dog in Shadow’s hand with genuine envy.
Shadow smirked at Sonic’s pouting. “You look even more pathetic than usual. Didn’t know that was possible,” he taunted Sonic by holding the food up just out of reach and shot a sideways glance.
“You wouldn't.” Sonic's eyes widened. "You wouldn’t just hand it back like I didn’t earn atleast a reaction!”
But Shadow didn’t hand it back. Instead, he took another slow bite, savouring every second of Sonic’s torment as his face morphed from shock to pure frustration. His lips curled into a smirk, but as he watched Sonic’s expression soften—crestfallen, he felt a slight twinge of guilt.
This dramatic ass hedgehog, he thought. Maybe enough was enough.
“...Hey,” he began with a sigh. “It’s… not bad. Quite tasty, actually” He smirked at the blue hedgehog whose eyes instantly lit up upon Shadows words.
“I KNEW it, I knew I could count on you to like chilli dogs Shadow!” Sonic playfully nudged him with a grin of triumph.
The hedgehog’s energy seemingly bounced back as he took out a box of doughnuts, practically thrusting it toward Shadow.
Shadow curiously peered at the assortment of small, round pastries. They looked as though he could spin one on his finger, each topped with bright, whimsical swirls of bright icing. He picked one up tentatively, and without needing Sonic’s encouragement this time— took a bite.
As soon as the sweetness hit his tongue, Shadow’s face scrunched up, reluctantly swallowing.
“Bleghh. Much sweeter than anything I’ve had on the Ark.” He commented as he set the doughnut back down.
"Yeah, something tells me cold space rations don’t hold up against doughnuts. Well thats okay they arent for everyone— you dont like food thats too sweet— noted.” Sonic shrugged, giving him an easy smile. “Besides, can’t have you liking everything. Gives us more to try.”
Sonic, pulled out a cup from his seemingly endless stash. “Alright, now this is something a little different—coffee. It’s an acquired taste, but I think you’ll like it. Dark, strong, and packs a punch. Reminds me of someone…”
Shadow eyed the cup, intrigued. He took it, sniffing the deep, earthy aroma before taking a careful sip of the warm drink. Instantly, his expression softened, his eyes widening at the taste. “Wow this is…” he murmured, taking a longer sip, his lips curving into the faintest smile as he took in the richness of the coffee. “Amazing. “Yes, theres something about the bitterness that’s… refreshing.”
Sonic could only look on with a smile, utterly captivated by the rare look of contentment on Shadow’s face. “I knew it,” he said softly, a grin spreading across his face as he watched Shadow practically melt with each sip. “I totally knew it.”
Shadow paused. “What’s with that stupid look on your face?”
“Oh Shadow, its nothing,” Sonic replied, “It’s just rare to see you actually liking something. And nice to know that I’m right— again.”
Shadow rolled his eyes, but a faint blush rose to his cheeks at Sonic’s words. “Tch, you are insufferable.” he muttered, looking away for a second.
“And you love it,” Sonic shot back with a smirk.
For a moment, Shadow’s crimson eyes softened as their usual banter paused. Their gazes lingered just a bit longer than usual, a quiet understanding passing between them.
Wait—if you love coffee, then these’ll be perfect!” Sonics eyes lit up
He pulled out a small parchment bag, shaking it. “Coffee beans, straight from the source.”
Shadow cupped his palms for Sonic to place the small bag.
He unwrapped it and inspected the small, dark beans.
The intense flavour of coffee hit— rich and bitter, yet a satisfying and bold taste. This was like coffee but better! Shadow’s face lit up, wolfing down each one.
Sonic watched, grinning from ear to ear. “I think I just found your new favourite snack, huh?”
Well, so far you’re three for four,” Shadow replied, giving Sonic a slight nod of approval. “You’ve earned my trust. Anything else for me to try?”
Sonic’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he was already prepared to pull out a box of chicken wings. “I got these from Knuckles on my search. He lives for these, says they’re the real deal.”
Shadow arched a brow. “Knuckles?”
“They’re very spicy tho. He said they’d kick your ass.”
“Well he must’ve forgotten that I’m the ultimate lifeform. I can handle anything.” Shadow frowned.
“Well okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” Sonic opened the box of the various wings lined up. Both hedgehogs caught the fiery aroma in the air. Each one was coated in a glossy orange sauce that practically radiated heat. Flecks of crushed peppers and spices and a sheen of oil. They hesitated.
“…What happened to being ready for anything Shads?” Sonic questioned.
“Shut up.” Shadow grabbed a wing, eyes locked on Sonic’s as he tried it. Immediately, his mouth was met with intense heat. Sonic half-expected him to wince but Shadow didn’t even flinch. It was like literal fire on his tongue but he couldn’t stop, it only made the chicken taste all the more amazing.
There was a gleam in his eye as he continuously nodded, visibly impressed.
Shadow exhaled, smoke evaporated from his mouth. “Not bad,” he murmured, taking another wing.
“Woah!” Sonic was shocked but Shadow’s confidence was strange. He grabbed a wing and eagerly took a bite. Instantly, he coughed “that’s—that’s intense!” he stammered, trying to mask his struggle as his eyes watered. “Knucks wasn’t kidding!”
Shadow couldn’t help but smirk, watching Sonic’s reaction with amusement. “Need some water, Sonic?” he teased.
Sonic, cheeks flushed from the heat, managed a grin. “Nah, I’m fine. Just— need a moment to you know appreciate the flavour,” he said, fanning his mouth as he tried to keep up. Shadow simply chuckled. “I’ll, uh… let Knuckles know you approve.”
Shadow tilted his head, voice dropping low. “Do that.”
The cool evening breeze relaxed around them, carrying a calm that seemed to settle over Shadow. His guard was completely down, slipping away unnoticed, as he was enjoying himself. Only Sonic could offer him something like this— an unspoken ease he wasn’t used to.
Sonic reached for another wing, taking a bite and swallowing, his usual bravado faltering as the spice settled. “You know… we should spend more time like this. Try new things together. You never know what you might like,” Sonic shrugged.
The words hung in the air for a moment as Shadow wasn’t sure how to respond. He wasn’t used to these kinds of moments, wasn’t sure what to make of them. But for a brief second, he felt... calm.
“So, the next time me and the gang hang out, will you actually join in?”
He didn’t linger on it, though. He gazed down with a blank expression. After all this wouldn’t really change anything.
“You talk too much.”
Sonic was able to quickly pick up on Shadow; how he was reverting back to his usual guarded self. But there was something different in his tone, something softer.
Sonic leaned in, not about to let the moment slip away. “Hey, are you full yet? We should head to the center and grab more food!” He wasn’t about to let Shadow get lost in his own thoughts— they were making progress here.
Before Shadow could protest, Sonic sprang up to his feet in a burst of energy, an electric aura around him. He grabbed Shadow’s hands in his with a wide smile. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!!”
Shadow was dragged to his feet by the hyperactive hedgehog, pushing him off with a glare at the sudden extreme touch. But as he caught the excitement in Sonic’s eyes, something shifted—there was something about it, the way Sonic’s energy shifted the air. It was contagious, in a way.
“Alright, alright,” Shadow muttered, taking a couple of steps away from Sonic, not entirely sure why he didn’t just walk off in the opposite direction.
“Where are you going?” Sonic questioned intently.
Shadow stopped in his tracks, turned back with a huge, enticing smirk.
“Race ya.”
Shadow’s smirk only seemed to fuel Sonic’s excitement. Sonic’s eyes narrowed, returning the smirk with a challenge of his own. “Oh you’re on.”
In an instant, both hedgehogs took off, a sonic boom ripped through the air in their wake. Their surging speed blurred against the white stars in the horizon.