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The sentence rolled off of Tails tongue like a bad taste in his mouth. He wasn't so fond on the idea of his big brother's arch rival crushing on him. As far as he knew, Shadow wouldn't go out of his way to be particularly nice to the rest of the group. Though lately, the three had been seeing some more visible signs.
“Like….. like-like ??” Amy replied. Knuckles only standing and listening in from their little gossip huddle.
Tails huddled closer, cupping his hand next to his mouth and whispering into both of their ears. “ Yeah, he's been acting weird with Sonic whenever they run into each other .”
“Right?!? They really aren't fighting anymore, they're just plain out flirting.” Amy nodded.
“Sometimes I see them running behind hills together in the afternoon, and they don't come out until sundown.” Knuckles blurted, watching Tails and Amy's jaws hit the floor. “Why didn't you mention anything Knuckles! This is so important!” She scolded.
“I didn't think it was too important.” he shrugged it off. Casually dropping the biggest news he'd been keeping from them because he didn't think it was ‘important’. Everything about Sonic's love life is important! The three had never seen him so smitten, and it was getting way too obvious to just not say anything anymore.
“So what do we do?”
“Lets stake them out. We get any information we can, then go from there, sound good?” Amy said, watching the two boys nod in agreement.
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A beautiful moonlit night, Sonic told his friends he was going for a ‘nightly run’, and headed out the door. Unbeknownst to the poor blue hedgehog, three little nosy animals were about to invade his alone time with another certain doppelganger of his.
They took their spot in a big patch of tall grass behind the beautiful scenery. A field full of pretty pink, purple and blue flowers scattered across it. As Sonic and Shadow playfully ran side by side, Tails stopped exactly where he calculated they would. So, they set up and watched.
“Out late again, and I wonder for what reason.” Shadow said, his tone sarcastic and flirty. Never have the three seen Shadow speak like that, especially to Sonic . The two lovey-dovey hedgehogs sat down side by side in the soft grass. Admiring the night.
“Maybe it's because I heard a certain broody hedgehog likes to come out at night,” Sonic fiddled with the grass in front of him. “and maybe I wanted to… …tag along .” Blushing, he averted his gaze. Wherever Shadow was, he'd look where he wasn't. Feeling the ebony hedgehog staring holes into the back of his quills.
The more Shadow kept the quiet between them, the more Sonic's face continued to heat up. “Maybe I wouldn't have minded some company then.”
Shadows' smooth voice hit Sonic's ear like water over stone. How could he make Sonic's butterflies in his stomach flutter with so much as just a few words? Sonic looked back at him, pupils dilated.
Knuckles peeked over from the bush, listening to Tails whisper; “ See?? Sonic looks absolutely drop-dead in love! No way there isn't something going on… ”
Amy put her hand over her mouth and gasped, “Oh my….he really is lovestruck.” knuckles squinted at the two hedgehogs, really getting a good look at this gayery.
“I think I see what you guys are talking about now.”
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Wow, Sonic was really swooning, Shadow could see it too. He liked it. Reaching for his quills and instinctively stroking them.
“Sh-shadow-?”
No reply. Just the continuous petting and soft purrs coming from the other. As embarrassing as this was for the two of them, showing these weird sides of each other didn't feel strange at all. Shadow hadn't done anything like this, and Sonic didn't know Shadow was even capable of touching him. Not this way.
“I should just kill you.” The edgehog said.
Okay, that took a bit of a hard swerve.
“Maybe you should, but you won't.” Sonic said, puffing out his chest in confidence. “You know you love me.”
“I never said anything like that. ”
Sonic leaned against him, pressing all of his weight onto Shadows chest and resting between his legs. “Yeah yeah yeah, whatever.”
“Don't you think I'm a little cute?”
“I think you're a lot of annoying .”
“Yeah?” Sonic sat up again and pushed his face closer to Shadows. “Would you shut me up then?”
“Quit talking nonsense.” Shadow pushed him away by the muzzle, turning around to hide the tiny flush of his own.
“I'm trying to enjoy looking at the stars with you, so I'd like it if we could just be normal for once and not flirt-fight.” Sonic laughed, watching Shadows face turn confused after the bizarre word.
“You started it.”
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Tails nearly fainted, Amy watched in awe, and Knuckles merely observed. No one was gonna get handsy with his little brother. Shadow better watch it.
“Should we step in the middle of this? I don't know how I feel about our number one enemy getting all touchy-feely with Sonic.” Knuckles gagged watching the two exchange more weird flirty remarks under the starry sky. Too sappy for him. If it was to his taste, he would have a spar with his one true love, and if she came out on top, she’d win his heart. (He’s very obviously thinking of Rouge, but lets ignore this.)
Amy looked at them, then back at Tails and Knuckles. “Well, as much as I'm concerned about this too, we can't really stop him.” she said, “I mean- maybe Sonics into bad boys. Who knows.”
“So, if Sonic's type really is bad boys, then why was Shadow his first pick?” Tails crossed his arms, his words coming off with an attitude. His Tails flicked up and down impatiently. “Look at him! He’s nowhere near bad boy material.”
“Well if you're talkin’ looks; Black quills, highlights, misbehaved, stoic, but somehow very loveable on the inside. Then, yeah. Sonic got it right on the dot.” Knuckles shook his head in disapproval.
“Okay well, maybe I retract my statement. Shadow really isn't a ‘bad boy’. Everything he's been through just messed him up a little, so he takes it out on other people and shoves away anyone he wants to get close to. He was created to be a weapon, and was always done wrong by everyone in his life. He’s taught himself not to rely on others, so he's always a little cold. He isn't really evil, he does help and do things in justice to people, and keeps himself going with out an evil motive despite all the pain. I also think that a part of him is still warm, and maybe Sonic could help him grow even warmer. So there's that.” Amy just speculated this angry hedgehog's entire life story. “Also, maybe Sonic has that: ‘I can fix him’ mentality.”
“Okay Amy, no need to dive into Shadows character arc.” The yellow kit cringed. “But- what if Sonic gets hurt? What if Shadow just wants to toy with him.”
Amy snatched the little fox by the shoulders. “Tails, look at me, and then look at those two on the verge of touching lips, and tell me Shadow would purposefully hurt Sonic.”
He looked over, his face unsure. Sonic laying his head on Shadows lap, falling asleep. Shadow carefully picking grass and flower petals out of Sonic's scruffy quills. The ebony hedgehog's eyes filled with a look no ones ever seen on him before. Filled with the gleaming light of the moon, just staring at the sleepy Sonic and not even taking a second to look anywhere else. If Shadow doesn't say it, his eyes surely will, they dilated quicker.
He doesn't say anything, just stares. Shadow was too proud to really express how much he likes this stupid blue thing, even when by himself. He brushed his fingers over Sonic's muzzle one last time, still thinking of all of his life decisions that could've led him here. Shadow felt warm.
Maybe Amy was right.