Chapter Text
“Sonic? Hey, Sonic! You okay?”
Sonic blinked and looked to Tails who was seated beside him at the dinner table, adjusting a some sort of little metal device in his hands. “Huh? What? Oh, uh, yeah, fine…” His eyes darted around until he found a decent excuse for staring out the window in thought. “Just trying to dissociate a bit to get a break from the ‘newlyweds’ over there…” His look went dry as he gestured to Knuckles and Rouge. The bat was currently sitting in Knuckles lap, tiptoeing her fingers over his fighting gloves while the echidna chuckled and nuzzled his nose to hers.
“We are not married!” Knuckles announced, but with far too cutesy of a smile. “That would require several months of complex echidna courtship rituals. Plus an elaborate feast. Plus permission from my elders.”
“Yeah, and we’re not giving two teenage all powerful beings permission to get married after knowing each other for barely a month,” Tom remarked, setting down a pan of meatloaf on the table as he took his own seat.
Rouge chuckled. “Plus, I’m not that easy to hook,” she teased, narrowing her eyes playfully at Knuckles. “I’d expect a ring the size of a chaos emerald first, at least.”
“Then you shall have it, fair queen of the skies!” Knuckles announced. “If and when the time comes…” he added shyly.
The response only made Rouge blush and grin more. “Confident yet modest when the time is right. I do like that in a man.”
Sonic let out a deep sigh. “I can’t believe this all happened just because you two tied in a sparring match.”
“Love at first sight is a powerful force, hedgehog. And love at first FIGHT is even stronger,” Knuckles smirked and went to kiss Rouge’s hand.
Sonic rolled his eyes…then froze. Because doing so had put his gaze square on Amy who was sitting on his opposite side, next to Maddie.
The pink hedgehog smiled warmly, resting her head on her hand. “Yeah, Rouge…moves kind of fast when she knows what — or who — she wants. But I promise she’s sincere and cares about Knuckles a lot. She’s really happy we found you all. I am too.”
“Yeah…” Sonic smiled awkwardly. “I…same, heh…”
Maddie gave Sonic a warm look. “Sonic, if you’d like a little more quiet for dinner, maybe you could eat yours up on the roof — and you could bring Amy along to show her the view? She hasn’t been up there yet.” She smiled brightly, nodding to Amy to encourage Sonic.
Amy blinked and blushed and smiled more.
“Some fresh air and quiet does sound nice,” Tails couldn’t help but mumble as he closed a panel on the device in his hands, glancing at Rouge and Knuckles again. He looked from Amy to Sonic. “There’s been a lot of feelings to sort out lately anyway after everything that happened. If you both want to go…”
“Yes, what Tails said — quit hedging, hedgehog. Ha, I made a funny!” Knuckles beamed.
“You’re ridiculous, and I LOVE that in a man!” Rouge kissed him on the cheek then looked to Amy and winked as Knuckles chuckled then took some grapes to feed her.
Sonic swallowed and felt his quills go tingly. Suddenly it felt like everyone in the kitchen was looking at him — at him and Amy. His heart raced and his toes clenched and he felt words threatening to bubble up that weren’t coming for so many reasons. When Tom finally looked at him with a knowing grin and gestured to Amy, that was all the hedgehog could take.
Sonic stood up. “Sorry, Amy, everyone, I-I’m going for a run! Alone! Lots of feelings, like Tails said, heh! Bye!” And then he was out the door in a blue blur.
The table watched him leave in stunned surprise for a moment. Then they started sharing knowing smiles and little whispers. Maddie patted Amy’s shoulder and told her that sometimes young boys needed time to come around when they first got feelings for someone special.
Though Amy smiled and nodded, it was brief. As the others returned to their meals, she watched the path Sonic had taken outside into the sunset, deep in thought.
Tails was doing the same…especially as he turned a knob on the little device in his hands and it started to make a soft clicking sound, like it was picking up on something.
Sometimes you just knew when a person had a secret, both scientifically and instinctively.
_______________________________
Sonic ran all over Green Hill, just moving so that he wouldn’t have to stop and think or feel completely embarrassed all over again. Besides…he’d kind of had another reason for coming out here. Someone he needed to talk to before all this ‘Amy’ stuff went too far with the family. But that person was very insistent on only coming out at night for now.
Eventually, as evening gave way to dusk Sonic reached their overlook — a wide expanse of open grass at the top of a cliffside, hemmed in by trees for privacy, and with a perfect view of the full night sky.
The first stars were coming out. And Sonic stood in the grass and took a breath. Then he spoke. “Shadow? If you’re around, will you come out? It’s…um, it’s important.” His quills tingled again.
There was silence, and then glowing eyes appeared in the trees before the darker hedgehog finally made himself known. He strode up to Sonic, arms crossed, gaze firm. “Sonic. Is there a problem?”
Sonic shook his head then nodded his head then sighed deeply and shrugged. “I…not an earth-shattering one. More of a personal one. And you’re the one I can talk to about it. I think…” He felt his face warm, and he shifted side to side on his feet as words started spilling out of his mouth. “I was gonna wait, but the family isn’t waiting, and Rouge and Knuckles are definitely not waiting, and I don’t know if this is gonna ruin everything or if it’s even fair to you since you just finished healing up and we only found each other a month ago and you aren’t even ready to see the others yet, and—”
Shadow had been grimacing and scowling and twitching an eye more and more as Sonic spoke, but now he finally took the blue hedgehog’s shoulders and brought Sonic’s gaze to meet his own. “Sonic. I know this sounds contradictory, but please stop talking so you can just tell me what you actually want to say.”
Sonic trembled a little and nodded. He spoke. clearly. “The…family thinks I have a crush on Amy Rose. And they think that I should do something about it…like Knuckles and Rouge did about each other.”
Shadow just stared at him for a moment, head tilted. His eyes darted from one side to the other. He released Sonic’s shoulders. “I’m…not good at advising on affectionate emotions. If you like the girl and she is worthy of you, then—”
Sonic sighed deeply. “But I don’t like the girl, that’s the problem! I…” He hesitated. “You…think I’m someone that someone has to be worthy of?”
Shadow shrugged, clearly uncomfortable. “Yes. You’re an honorable person and fighter and friend. So…of course.”
A little, special smile couldn’t help coming to Sonic’s lips. But then he swallowed and grimaced a little, getting back to the matter at hand. “I don’t like-like Amy. But the family thinks I do… probably because I’ve been all distracted and awkward lately, and because Amy acts really nice to me and like SHE might like-like ME. Everyone’s just decided we’d be perfect together — but I didn’t!” He pouted.
Shadow’s scowl softened. “So then…tell Amy that you have no interest in romance. And tell the others the truth about whatever has actually been distracting you lately. Simple.”
“But I can’t tell them the truth, because the real reason I’ve been distracted is…you.” Sonic tilted his head down, looking very carefully at Shadow.
Shadow blinked. Then his eyes narrowed in thought. “Oh. I see. Well…if keeping the secret of my return is causing you issues with your family, maybe it’s time we let them know I’m back. I…I think I can properly ask for forgiveness for my actions now.”
“Hey,” Sonic moved forward and put a hand on his shoulder, “you made mistakes, but you were dealing with a lot of trauma and manipulation and pain. And in the end you risked your life for all of us. You can apologize if you want, but it’s all forgiven already, I mean it.”
Shadow gave a nod, though his little frown looked so uncertain.
Sonic realized his hand was still on Shadow’s shoulder. He released the darker hedgehog, glancing to the side awkwardly. “Besides, it’s not…you being back isn’t specifically what’s been distracting me. I…” He cringed. “I’ve been distracted because I do have feelings, special affectionate feelings I think, for someone.”
Shadow’s eyes widened a little. “…Rouge? I mean, she seems like quite the helpful lady. But I think Knuckles will fight you to the death for her, from what you’ve described. And that Rouge would help him do it.”
“No, it’s not…UGH!” Sonic threw his arms in the air. “Why does everyone think that as soon as a boy and a girl get near each other there’s this huge risk of feelings! It IS possible for a guy to just be friends with a girl!”
“Hmm. Point taken. I know Maria would agree…” Shadow mused softly, looking up to the sky which had darkened enough to show more stars.
Sonic’s emotions softened a little at the sight. “Yeah. Maria. She was your friend. That’s all I want with Rouge, with Amy…”
“Then who else could you possibly—” Shadow started, letting his glance slide to Sonic. He blinked.
As the blue hedgehog looked up at the heavens, tears shined in his eyes. “I’m afraid to say…”
“You? Afraid?” Shadow almost balked.
“I can be afraid of things!” Sonic pouted again, shaking a little.
“Like what?”
“Like that I’m moving too fast!”
“You’re not seriously choosing to engage in wordplay right now, are you?”
“That’s not what I’m trying to…” Sonic wiped his eyes and looked right at Shadow. “FINE! What I’m afraid of is moving too fast WITH YOU!”
All hostility slipped from Shadow’s features. “I don’t…understand,” he said softly.
Sonic almost smiled, almost laughed at his cluelessness. “Shadow, you fought against me at first but then fought at my side when it mattered. I thought you died for this world, and it hurt so much, but then you came back and found me and we’ve been learning to be friends together in secret ever since. You care and you’re strong and kind and brave and cool and funny and deep and dark, and you make me happy. YOU’RE the reason I’ve been acting so confused that the family thinks I’m falling for someone! Because they’re right! And it’s you!” Sonic quickly pulled a glowing quill from his body, shoved it against Shadow’s chest, tried to smile but only sniffled, and immediately ran off at the fastest speed any creature had ever seen him go.
Shadow just stood there under the moonlight, holding a glowing blue quill against his heart, eyes wide and chest warm and his own quills tingling.
He tried to move but couldn’t, didn’t even know where to start or go or be. Instead he looked up at the night sky and thought about Maria and everything he might want to say to her about this and what she might say back.
It took all night. But it helped.
_______________________________
The next day, Sonic woke up early. He tried to sneak out of his room, but Tails peeked open an eye and caught him.
“Uh, hi…” Sonic whispered, quickly glancing over to make sure Knuckles was indeed still passed out (and he was, and with Rouge’s lipstick all over his face from their all their flirting during dinner last night — figured).
“Hey,” the fox sat up and whispered too, smiling, “everything okay?”
“Yeah. I was just, uh…going to see…” Sonic started.
“Amy?” Tails asked hesitantly. “Or Shadow?”
Sonic froze, blushing. “How—”
“While your odd behavior lately has suggested some emotional struggles, it didn’t seem consistent with a crush. You haven’t been pursuing Amy and then doing something awkward and avoiding her from embarrassment. You’ve just…been avoiding her entirely,” Tails explained. “And as for Shadow, you’ve started to pick up some of his electromagnetic energy, and my sensors can detect it — like the one I was programming at the dinner table last night. I’m glad he’s okay, Sonic.”
“Yeah. Yeah, he’s more than okay. He’s…” Sonic looked down. “It’s complicated. I’ll tell you more when I know more, promise. But for now I need to tell some things to Amy. Because I feel like I’m leading her on without even trying, and it’s wrong.”
Tails smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re left alone. And I hope Shadow will come by soon. I know everyone would love to see him.”
“Yeah…love.” Sonic swallowed. “Gotta…gotta go — fast, heh. Thanks, Tails.” Sonic zipped away as quietly as possible.
Tails smiled more then laid back down to rest and make sure Knuckles stayed asleep.
_______________________________
Sonic grabbed a couple apples (he was not great at cooking — or at least not great at cooking in a way that wouldn’t make a mess and wake up the whole house) and then snuck over to the girls room.
He peeked in to find Rouge folded up in her wings and hanging from the ceiling (honestly the coolest thing ever, Knuckles really did have great taste in partners). Then he found Amy resting. He gave her a light tap on the shoulder. She woke up instantly and had her hammer out from under her bed and at his throat. When she saw it was him, she blushed a little and tucked it away. Sonic held up the apples and motioned for her to follow him. She nodded and did so.
They found themselves on the roof soon, each with an apple in hand.
Amy grinned. “If this is a date, it’s an interesting first one.”
Sonic pouted a little. “It’s not a date.” He sighed. “Look, Amy, I’m sorry if me or the family have been giving you the wrong idea, but—”
“But,” Amy continued for him without missing a beat as she swallowed a bite of apple, “You don’t have any romantic interest in me at all, am I right?”
“Uh…” Sonic fumbled his apple but managed to catch it before it fell off the roof. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, that, I…” He frowned at her. “Amy, you’re a great person. If there were more inter-dimensional beings around here, I bet tons of ‘em would have a crush on you right away. You’re cute and kind and swing a mean hammer! But I just…I don’t. It’s really not you.” He hugged his knees into his chest, looking down.
Amy patted his shoulder. “Sonic, I’ll admit I think you’re very cute and kind too. And if you were interested, I wouldn’t mind trying a date. But you’re not, and that’s okay. The best thing to do now is to let the family know that we talked and decided we’re just friends. That way there won’t be any more teasing or jokes or them trying to help us get together. I’m sure they think they’re doing the right thing. We just have to let them know what the REAL right thing is for us.”
Sonic’s eyes widened. “Amy, that would be…perfect. Thank you. We can tell them over breakfast.” He smiled so much. “Honestly…what I’d like most is to think of you as a sister because you are so cool and so wise and if you’d been here from the start I definitely wouldn’t have gotten into half the trouble I’ve gotten into, heh.”
Amy grinned. “I wouldn’t mind having some cool new brothers. Rouge is a great friend, but it’s nice to have a new kind of fun chaos in our lives with you three. Of course, I don’t know Knuckles TOO well yet, but I’m sure I will once we can pry him and Rouge apart for more than five minutes.”
“Good luck. That honeymoon phase is going strong.”
They both shared a laugh. They ate their apples. They enjoyed looking at the morning sky.
“You…have seemed a little preoccupied though, Sonic. Is there anything you want to talk about? As friends - slash - siblings?” Amy asked.
Sonic felt his heart race. “It’s, uh…it’s actually about…I…”
He froze. A black and red blur was moving through fields and streets.
“Sonic!”
And then that black and red blur turned into a black and red hedgehog standing on the roof with them and clutching a blue quill in his hand.
“Shadow…”
They stared at each other.
Amy’s eyes widened as she looked from one to the other. Then a knowing smile came to her face. “Well, this is interesting…” She stood up, taking a final bite of her apple. “I’ll just let you two boys talk. Shadow, glad you’re well and back. I’ve heard good things — mostly from Sonic.”
Sonic blushed immensely.
“I, er…nice to meet you, Miss Amy. I have heard good things as well.” Shadow bowed his head.
She grinned and gave them a little wave then headed back inside.
The two hedgehogs were quiet together for a moment.
Shadow cleared his throat. “May I join you?” He asked, stiffly, like the words had been carefully rehearsed.
Sonic just nodded, looking straight ahead.
Shadow sat next to him on the roof. “So…” he cleared his throat… “Amy…”
“I…” Sonic’s voice cracked, “I brought her up here to tell her I don’t like-like her. She understood, she doesn’t feel that way about me either. The family thinking we felt like that about each other has just been confusing both of us a lot. We’ll…set things straight today.”
“That’s good to hear,” Shadow managed. “Perhaps today we should also set things straight with them about me. Now or later…whenever you’re ready.”
“You…could come by for dinner. And stay,” Sonic offered while he still had the courage. “I-I mean, you shouldn’t be living in my old bunker still. It’s dark and cold, and we’ve got space here and it’d be good for all of us to be together, and…”
“Before that, I think you and I should discuss…you and I.”
Sonic buried his face in his hands in embarrassment. “Shadow, it’s absolutely okay if you don’t have those feelings for me, I’m sorry I sprung that on you and ran away. I was just so worked up, and I realized I wasn’t ready for an answer and…I don’t know.”
“Are you ready now?” Shadow raised an eyebrow.
Sonic lifted his head a little. He hugged his legs in close and managed a nod. “Yeah.”
Shadow sighed deeply. “Maria and I really were the closest friends, you know. She confided in me in many ways. One of the ways was that she used to show me magazines with other young humans in them, tell me she had crushes on some and found others ‘cute’. I…didn’t really understand. It took us both a while to figure it out, but…we came to the conclusion that I just don’t often experience attraction — emotional or physical.” His eyes hesitantly drifted over to Sonic.
Sonic’s eyes were hesitantly watching him in return.
Shadow swallowed and went on. “But that situation doesn’t mean I can’t feel connected to others. I still love. So, I…what I mean is…” He scowled. “Whatever Rouge and Knuckles are doing is like a foreign language to me. I recognize that it has meaning, but I don’t understand the meaning for myself. But there are…ways of expression and attachment that I CAN understand. And I…do feel rather attached to you. I crashed to earth, only thinking of you. I only returned to Green Hill to find you. I enjoy looking at the stars again and remembering Maria only with you.” He clutched the blue quill. “I don’t reject your feelings, Sonic. But…any special feelings I have that exist might be different. I don’t know if that’s enough.”
Sonic’s breaths were shallow. He watched Shadow so carefully. “Shadow…” his tone was tender, “you are always enough. And if the way you feel about me has something in common with the way I feel about you, then… I’ve gotta be the luckiest guy in any dimension.”
Shadow’s eyes went wide and his quills tingled with electricity and he instantly plucked one and shoved it shyly at Sonic.
The blue hedgehog beamed and gazed at it tenderly then hugged it close. He flung himself back on the roof, kicking his legs. “You like me too… Wow.”
Shadow laid beside him on the roof stiffly, but maybe moved a little closer. “We will tell your family about my survival tonight, but I would prefer not to tell anyone about this new development until we understand exactly what is going on, because frankly I am very…emotional. And I’m not good at being that way.” He grimaced.
Sonic sighed and giggled and just gazed at the dark hedgehog.
Shadow raised an eyebrow, blushing. “Is reciprocating a non-platonic interest in you really all I needed to do to finally make you be quiet?”
Sonic nodded.
Shadow had to grin.
Sonic shifted a little closer, speaking softly. “Thanks for…meeting me where you are, and where I am.”
“I…” Shadow’s voice was a whisper, “I assume you mean emotionally but also obviously physically since we’re both here together.”
Sonic smiled gently. “I won’t tell anyone about us til we get used to this. Promise.”
“You’re back to talking, you know.” Yet Shadow was smiling more.
“Yeah, heh…”
Their eyes met.
Shadow swallowed, hesitated. He looked at Sonic’s mouth then up then down then up then pursued his lips then frowned. “I don’t know how to do…anything—”
Sonic came forward and brushed his lips to Shadow’s cheek in a gentle kiss. “Neither do I. We can figure it out together.”
Shadow blushed completely and just gave a nod. “Yes, we…we can.” He furrowed his brow unsurely. Then he looked to Sonic’s trusting eyes and gently let his lips brush the hedgehog’s mouth.
Sonic’s eyes brightened so much as Shadow pulled away. “Holy emeralds… My first kiss…”
Shadow blushed and touched his mouth then gripping his hands shyly as he hugged Sonic’s quill to his chest. “Yes. Mine too.”
“I’m glad you’re gonna be here with us, Shadow,” Sonic assured.
“Hmm…” was all Shadow managed.
Sonic chuckled. “Now who’s the one being quiet.”
Shadow rolled his eyes, coming out of some of his shyness.
They gazed up at the sky. Morning was coming on completely, but the pale moon and a few stars still shone.
Shadow considered. “Should we prepare to immediately put the humans off the idea of adopting me as one of your brothers, since…since you and I…”
Sonic snorted. “Yeah, we’ll make sure to steer them away from it. I was actually gonna root for them to adopt Amy as our sister. She seemed to like the idea. Besides, Rouge is already off the table since she and Knuckles — well, you know.” He rolled his eyes and made some kissy sounds.
Shadow snorted a little. “Honestly, the echidna has no self control. I’ll make sure to knock before I open any doors in that house.”
“Safe plan.” Sonic assured. “And any time you need an escape, we can just go to our overlook or even come up here to look at the sky and sit close. Our own lovely little bit of control amid all the family chaos.”
“I would like that escape with you very much…” Shadow assured. He considered. “We could also take my motorcycle places…for dates?”
Sonic beamed. “Motorcycle dates? Yes, please! Literally anytime. Can I drive—”
“No.”
“Can I ride behind you and hold on tight…?” Sonic asked cheekily.
Shadow tried not to grin too much. “…Okay. But we wear helmets — safety first from now on.”
“Aw, you do care,” Sonic teased.
“Yes, I suppose I do,” Shadow assured, not a hint of stubbornness in his tone.
They shared a little smile.
Then from downstairs they heard Maddie and Tom calling.
“Ladies, time to get up!”
“Boys? Breakfast! Where’s Sonic?”
“Oh, uh,” Tails voice chimed in, “just taking care of something important!”
“Yeah, you are pretty important,” Sonic teased to Shadow.
Shadow scowled but his look softened. “You are too.”
They gazed at their shared quills and at each other with smiles as a new day began around them.