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Wind howled at the dark hedgehog’s back, shoving him into the downtown apartment with bitter force. It took extra effort to ram a shoulder backwards against the front door and shut out the blizzard raging outside.
The apartment was dark, and Shadow didn’t bother flipping on the entry light switch as he unwound his scarf and pulled off his winter coat.
Normally the hybrid would never trouble with winter clothing but the city had been blasted with a snowstorm over the last 36 hours and G.U.N. didn’t acknowledge record breaking whiteouts as a reason to take a day off.
So Shadow had gotten up that morning, leaving the luxury of his downy comforter and memory foam mattress, for frigid field work.
After hours of running surveillance across multiple rooftops with 35 mph winds and freezing rain as the only surveilled things of note, the agent had to still endure a mind-numbing debrief and then trek home through the piling snow drifts.
He would have just ‘chaos controlled’ home but G.U.N. had temporarily confiscated his emerald after last week’s “incident” and Dark Rider wasn’t an option when snow amassed up to a hedgehog’s waist.
It had taken the hybrid nearly an hour to get across the city. He’d nearly missed his Doom Wings when he felt icicles form on the tips of his quill spikes.
Shadow’s phone dinged, dragging his attention back to the present, and he struggled for a moment to pull it from icy quills.
From Rouge @ 7:18 pm - Still cool handsome?
From Rouge @ 7:18 pm - Oops! I meant cold 😘
The dark hedgehog rolled his eyes as he set his phone down on the kitchen counter so he could hang his frost covered coat up to dry.
Before he could respond the bat had sent through another message, this one with a picture.
From Rouge @ 7:20 pm - Wish you were here💋
[Image attached]
Shadow scoffed at the picture. Rouge was sun bathing on a white sand beach with her echidna in the background, splashing in the shimmering ocean tide. Damn her for taking a vacation in January, Shadow thought, and then proceeded to text her as much.
To Rouge @ 7:23 pm - Damn you.
A bone-deep cold had settled into Shadow, causing his teeth to chatter and his whole body to shiver. He needed to get warm.
The dark hedgehog left his phone and slipped off his air shoes, muzzle wrinkling in disgust as his wet socks squelched against the hardwood floor. Shadow’s annoyance redoubled when it took him two tries to pull the offending garments off his feet, his hands were shaking so badly in their snow-dampened gloves.
Down to just his inhibitor rings the hybrid made his way through the apartment, not stopping to even grab something out of the fridge to eat.
The brownstone was dark, the sun had set while Shadow was trudging home and moonlight couldn’t break through the heavy gray clouds. It was still fairly early in the afternoon even with how dark it was outside and Shadow noted that it was strange there wasn’t any movement in the home at all. All the interior lights were off and so was the TV and record player. Not a creature was stirring.
Shadow padded through silently, not wanting to disrupt the calm peace that shrouded the home. With his superior eye-sight and muscle-memory, the striped hedgehog was able to easily move around the couch and coffee table, down the hallway, and made sure to hop over the red sneakers always left in the middle of the floor.
Finally Shadow made it to his room. He leaned back against the door to close it with a soft click. Inside was just as dim, the only sounds were the rushing of the snowstorm against the window and the raspy snores drifting from under a small mountain of blankets.
With care the hybrid lifted the downy comforter, sliding into the soft embrace of his bed, and unceremoniously stretched out his hands and feet, seeking the warm body he knew was asleep beside him.
Frigid fingers and toes caressed thick back-spines and toasty legs, the sudden heat loosening the tension in the dark hedgehog’s shoulders. Shadow scooted forward, nudging an icy knee between warm blue thighs.
Immediately the snoring cut off as the cobalt hedgehog yelped in shock.
“What the hell?” Sonic hissed, spinning around in the bed he shared with his boyfriend and pulled his legs up to tuck against his body. The hero had almost curled completely into a ball, his sharp quills flaring out and snagging on the pillows and sheets.
The hybrid grumbled and tried yanking the comforter back over his shoulders, his teeth chattered harder as the slight moment of warmth was taken from him.
“Shads?” Sonic asked, the shroud of sleep falling away from him as awareness flooded in. “You’re freezing,” he stated the obvious, “I thought you’d be home hours ago, I’d wanted to go looking for you but G.U.N.’s really annoying about how covert they make your missions.”
The dark hedgehog nodded, his frost bitten ears folding back against his head, and his clawed hands snaking across the sheets, hunting for Sonic’s thick winter fur.
When his freezing finger tips grazed a peach chest Sonic pulled away again, an apologetic wince flashing over his face. “You need to warm up, Shads,” he said, sitting up and throwing off the many layers of blankets.
Shadow shook his head, burrowing deeper into the mattress, “Too cold,” he mumbled, face turned into the pillows.
Sonic rolled out of bed, “You’re soaked through and shivering so loud you won’t be able to sleep. And you’ll keep me up!”
Ignoring the further grumbling of the striped hedgehog, Sonic rounded the bed and scooped Shadow up into his arms.
The hybrid curled into the princess carry, trembling to the bone, icy cold water dripped from his quill tips.
While Shadow was far stronger than Sonic, the blue hedgehog could still throw his boyfriend around with relative ease so it was no hassle carrying the freezing hedgie from the bedroom to the small laundry room down the hallway.
Sonic didn’t prod the hybrid for details about that day’s mission. He knew G.U.N. relied too heavily on Shadow just like he knew the agent always gave everything of himself to those secret operations.
It was partially penance for past actions the world, and Shadow, couldn’t yet move on from. But Sonic also recognized that fundamental need to help others that was a core part of Shadow.
Even when missions broke his body and battered his mind, the hybrid gave his all. It would be admirable if Sonic’s heart did wrench in two every time Shadow came back to him worn-out and bone-weary.
The dark hedgehog was always trying to attend to everyone else’s needs. Sonic had to be persistent to take care of Shadow in these domestically saccharine ways and even more determined to convince Shadow to look after himself. If anything, the blue hedgehog was stubborn, and there wasn’t a single challenge he’d back down from. This included showering his boyfriend with affection.
Carefully Sonic set Shadow atop the washing machine, apologizing as the cold metal caused the hybrid to flinch harshly.
In a rush Sonic dashed back to the bedroom, pulled a sherpa blanket from their bed, and returned to the little laundry room. The blue hedgehog yanked open the front loading dryer and stuffed the blanket inside, cranking the knob to the quick dry setting and smacking the ON button.
Shadow had tucked himself nearly into a ball, his annoyance at being removed from his nest-like bed was doing nothing to warm him up and he could feel his fingers and toes going numb.
Standing up on tip-toes, Sonic reached to open the high cabinets above the laundry machines. It wasn’t much of a linen closet but the hedgehogs didn’t have much use for clothing in general so storing lots of detergents and fabric softers in the laundry room just wasn’t necessary. Instead the space was left for their extra sheets and towels and the actual linen closet was used for back-up snacks that couldn’t fit into their pantry. It was a system their friends found non-sensical.
The blue blur pulled a fluffy towel from the cabinet, opening it with a flourish.
“We need to dry you off first, Shads.”
Sonic side-stepped so he was right in front of the dark hedgehog. “Come on, you won’t be able to sleep and I don’t want you grouchy all tomorrow.”
“I’ll just have to go back to work,” Shadow huffed, even as he straightened his trembling spine and stretched out his legs.
Sonic stood patiently in-between ebony knees, ears perked to listen intently. When Shadow had settled the blue hedgehog began to dry him off with care. Sonic methodically swiped the towel over Shadow’s left foot, under the inhibitor ring, and then up a red stripe, rubbing his black and red fur the wrong way in an effort to dry the sodden hedgehog faster. As Sonic moved onto the other leg he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips seeing Shadow’s normally perfect pelt disheveled from toe-claws to hip.
“It’s Thursday and it definitely won’t stop snowing between now and 6 tomorrow morning. G.U.N. doesn’t take days off,” the hybrid said with frustration even as he relaxed into the comforting touches.
Sonic resisted rolling his eyes, even if he was doing so mentally, “I don’t care Shads. If the snow doesn’t barricade us in here then I will. And the commander can answer to me if he has a problem with it. I know you can’t get sick or die but that doesn’t mean G.U.N. can treat you like this.”
“I would have used the chaos emerald,” Shadow grumbled, “but it hasn’t been returned since the incident.”
A blush crept over Sonic’s muzzle.
“Oh yeah,” he said, adverting his gaze. He’d nearly forgotten about that mess.
An icy droplet of water dripped from Shadow’s nose, landing somewhere in his still frost-stiffened white chest fluff.
Sonic shook his head, “It’s the storm of the century out there and I don’t want you coming home a hedge-cicle,” he finished his lecture and moved the towel up from where he had been massaging reassuring circles into the hybrid’s hips.
Shadow didn’t have the energy to argue, and honestly, he didn’t want to. It felt so good to have someone stand up for him, to be in his corner, even if it was a small thing like taking a day-off from work.
Sonic worked the towel around the dark hedgehog waist and ribs, drying his pelt and soothing some warmth back into the chilled hybrid. He stepped closer, Shadow’s legs wrapped around his cobalt hips out of habit, keeping him near, and pulled the towel around Shadow’s shoulders like a cape. Sonic maneuvered each side of the cloth to knead muscular striped arms and work away the numbness in Shadow’s bare hands.
When the blue blur finally reached Shadow’s head the dark hedgehog had finally stopped violently shivering. Sonic quirked a sweet smile, “Better?” He asked quietly as he raised the towel and pressed away melting ice from dark quill roots out to the tips.
“Mm-hmm,” Shadow hummed, leaning harder into Sonic’s ministrations in his head-quills, his eye-lids having long closed.
Quickly, Sonic darted forward, kissing away another collecting droplet of water on the tip of Shadow’s nose.
Crimson eyes cracked open, sending an affectionate scowl at the blue blur, “Focus, Faker.”
Sonic let out a fond noise, brushing off his boyfriend’s admonishment and pressing light and fast kisses to the hybrid’s muzzle, nose, and forehead, “Can’t help it,” he said when he eventually felt that Shadow’s face had warmed enough.
Next to them the dryer dinged, its cycle finished.
Drawing the snow-dampened towel away, Sonic twisted out from the circle of Shadow’s legs, only to return a half-moment later, dryer-warmed sherpa bundled in his arms.
The blanket was toasty and Sonic wrapped it around Shadow with a sweep of his arms, the sherpa resting over upturned quills which created a hood and made the dark hedgehog look like a mysterious and incredibly cozy bounty-hunter.
“Come-on, back to bed, ‘kay?”
Before Shadow could hop off the washing machine, Sonic was picking him up. Striped arms and legs naturally wrapped around the blue hedgehog, a tan muzzle nestling into a blue neck, the blanket folded around and tucked between them to keep it in place as they returned to their room.
Sonic set his precious cargo onto the bed and then dashed to the kitchen for a cup of tea. The blue blur was always quick on his feet but he wasn’t on alert in his own home. He nearly slipped in a puddle of melted snow, a shocked gasp catching in his throat.
Steadying himself against the back of the couch, he made a mental note to take care of that hazard, and cautiously jogged the rest of the way.
Sonic turned on the fancy quick kettle Tails had made and took out Shadow’s favorite mug. He decided on a cinnamon apple herbal tea that Blaze had left in their apartment the last time she’d visited and spun to wipe up the puddle, noticing quickly that there were little pools of water from the front door all the way down the hallway.
A few wash clothes later and the kettle whistled. Sonic quickly poured the steaming water into the lapis blue mug and added a dab of honey before he made it back to the bedroom.
“Here, you should drink this,” Sonic murmured, nudging the door closed with his foot.
Shadow was buried beneath the blankets, the sherpa was wrapped around him tightly and the comforter had been pulled up and over his head, hiding him fully. Sonic could only tell his boyfriend was there because of the obviously Shadow shaped lump in the middle of the bed.
Sonic sat on the edge of the bed and set the hot mug down on the table. “Asleep already?”
From deep within the layers of fabric a rumbled reply sounded.
“Do we need to talk about sharing again Shads?”
“No,” the hybrid sighed, lifting up the blankets for Sonic to snuggle into.
The blue blur didn’t hesitate, he swung his legs onto the bed and wiggled in close to the striped hedgehog.
Shadow let his arm drop to rest around Sonic, the blanket fluttering down to cover them both.
Shining emeralds searched the ebony hedgehog’s face. His eyes were closed again while his mouth was slightly ajar, deeply breathing in Sonic’s scent in the warm air they shared beneath the blanket. Shadow was dry and warm but his eyebrow-ridges were still scrunched in a frown and every few breathes a bone-deep shiver raked across the hybrid.
“You need the tea,” Sonic whisper, “It’ll help, promise.”
Shadow sniffed once, seeming to debate just rolling over and trying to fight his way to a comfortable rest, but soon gave in. Sonic was trying to take care of him, and he’d just double down if Shadow shrugged him off. The hybrid felt a flutter in his chest the efforts the beloved hero made just for him.
“Fine,” he gave in willingly.
Slowly Shadow sat up, Sonic moved with him and they were so close that the hybrid couldn’t reach the nightstand without climbing onto the blue blur. Instead Shadow just held out his hand, waiting for Sonic to reach back and grab the mug.
The cobalt hedgehog did this without further prompting, pleased to feel that the tea was still hot through the ceramic, and that Shadow was readily accepting aide.
After pausing to let another cold tremble shake through him, Shadow took a sip of the tea, letting out a pleased hum at the sweet taste.
Sonic preened, pride fluffing up his peach chest fur.
Shadow reclined against the headboard, holding the mug in both his hands, and resting his gaze on the far window. Heavy flakes were still falling and the snow had piled high enough on the sill to cover the lower half of the glass.
They settled into a comfortable silence, breathing in time with Sonic languidly running his hand through Shadow’s newly dried chest fluff. The long white fur tousled under Sonic’s subconscious attention.
“You’d really stand-up to G.U.N. for me?” Shadow asked, taking a longer sip of the tea to hide his worry.
Sonic’s head snapped from the window to Shadow, had he given the dark hedgehog reason to doubt him?
The blue blur took the near empty mug from the hybrid’s grasp and placed it back on the nightstand. Then he wound his arms around an ebony torso and threaded their legs together. Now that Shadow wasn’t half-frozen Sonic was more than happy to have the dark hedgehog’s legs wrapped around his.
Sonic pressed a single kiss to Shadow’s cheek before shifting up to lick a long strip up his forehead.
Shadow ducked back, surprised by that sudden choice.
“What are you-?” He asked, one ear flicking in confusion.
“Taking care of you Shadow,” Sonic replied, waiting for Shadow to lean back in before continuing to lick along his furrowed eyebrow-ridge. The half-anointment was incredibly comforting to both hedgehogs. The rhythmic motion, sharing of scents, and close intimacy all came instinctually.
After a few minutes Shadow’s forehead, sides of his head, and the soft fur just behind his ears, were slightly damp but also warmed. The dark hedgehog’s frozen frown had finally melted, his face relaxing into a peaceful expression.
“I love you Shadow, I will always care about you and want you to be happy and safe,” the azure hedgehog said, his voice quiet against the shell of Shadow’s ear. “No one will stand in my way from that goal. I will take on all of G.U.N., and win of course, if I need to. You are worth that and so much more.”
Shadow deftly shook his head, “It’s hard work. Taking care of me.”
“It’s not Shads, not for me.”
The devotion in Sonic’s voice warmed Shadow more than the blanket, tea, or even the anointment could.
Crimson eyes found emerald in this dimly lit room, “Thank you Sonic,” he whispered, feeling one step closer to being able to say those three important words back to him, a purr rumbling deeply in his chest.
Sonic’s own purr rose to match Shadow’s, and the smile he gave could have blinded a lesser hedgehog.
“If you get out of this bed before me I will be very upset,” Sonic languidly babbled as he snuggled down into the blankets, pulling the hybrid with him. “And I will be blocking the commander’s number on your phone first thing tomorrow. No way there’ll be any anti-G.U.N. villains doing evil stuff tomorrow anyway, it’s too cold. He can maybe talk to you when the snows melted. After he apologizes for today.”
A low chuckle overtook Shadow’s purring for a moment as he nuzzled into Sonic.
“I’m sure that’s how it’ll work,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to Sonic’s head.
The blue hedgehog was already drifting back to sleep, his dark hedgehog joining him, finally safe and warm.
“I love you too,” Shadow whispered, but Sonic was already snoring. Maybe tomorrow he’d be brave enough to say it again.