Chapter Text
It had almost been a week since Shadow died, yet nobody seemed to pay much mind to him despite the turn of morals in his last moments. The family never talked much of Shadow despite small remarks and casual mentions.
“Ha! I win! Knuckles is the superior warrior, Fox!”
“You stole my controller!”
“I did no such thing!”
Sonic laughed a snarky chuckle, about to respond, but he was distracted by a black shadow-like figure peering into the window. Sonic sprinted up to the window without hesitation, opening the curtains to nothing.
“Sonic? Are you okay?”
He was there I’m sure of it…
“Um… yea tails I’m…” Sonic stared off into space before shaking his head like an etch a sketch to refresh his brain. “I’m ay okay! Haha! Alright Alright!”
Sonics face creased into a line before looking at his brothers trying to see if he passed off as in character enough.
“Haha! Yes, Hedgehog!”
Scenarios like this kept on happening for a few more weeks and Sonic only seemed and felt more deranged by each sighting,until about a week after the first sighting Sonic went down to the kitchen for some water and was greeted by a black and red hedgehog about 3 seconds away from shoving his entire face and hands into a massive container of leftover lasagne.
Sonics heart dropped to his feet and before Shadow could protest he was already wrapped in a big hug being spun around about a million times before being placed back down and held in between Sonics gloved hands. Sonic squeezed Shadow’s cheeks like a grandma you haven't seen in 7 years but not without protest from Shadow.
“You're alive! Shadow! You're here! What happened!? Are you okay!?” Sonics cheerful chants slowly turned worrisome until he was grabbing his chest breathing heavily “Shadow I thought you died! What! I-”
Shadow promptly placed his hand over Sonics mouth, which was moving at far too fast of a pace than necessary.
“Sonic-” Sonic’s panicked eyes met the dark blood of shadows in response to hearing Shadow's awesome deep voice for the first time in what felt like years. Sonic’s eyes dilated swallowing up the green emerald of his irises. “I’m fine… I survived the explosion and have been living off scraps like some raccoon… which I have realized aren't as friendly as they look”
Sonic chuckled softly before looking back embarrassed “Yeah learned that the hard way… heh” then letting Shadow continue.
“I was desperate and decided to raid your cryo food storage unit.”
“The fridge?”
“Yes… the fridge…”
Sonic nodded softly looking up and down at Shadow before grabbing a bottle of water and a bowl for the leftover lasagne. Sonic grabbed the bowl and dumped some half-eaten lasagne into it.
“Won't be very tasty cold!”
“I have no need for flavorful food after what I have done I am relying on only the pure necessities… Although… I always liked the doctor's lasagne…”
Before Shadow could say “There air shoes!” A heated bowl of lasagne was in front of him with a fork and knife which hastily ignored instead of deciding to gobble into it with his bare hands.
“Woah! You uh… really are hungry there buddy…” Sonic said through tight teeth.
Shadow looks up with an empty bowl and full tummy nodding slightly before chugging a massive thing of water and sighing with a hidden smile.
Sonic smiled ruffling his head expecting to be pushed away but much to his satisfaction Shadow instead leaned into it out of instinct not realises what he had done. The blue hedgehog's face turned red before covering his face quickly.
“Cute…”
“What was that, Sonic?”
“Nothing! You’re the embarrassed one!”
Shadow glanced Sonic up and down with a confused expression although Sonic didn’t notice since he was more focused on how filthy Shadow was.
“Shads I’m sorry but you reek when was the last time you had a bath?”
Shadow thought for a moment before responding.
“50ish years. Why?”
Sonic’s face twisted to one of pure disgust thus leading him to take action and snatching Shadow's hand pulling him towards the bathroom.
“You're having a bath!”
Shadow’s face crinkled in annoyance.
“I don't want to!”
“You have to you smell like rotten chillis dogs!
“What’s a chili dog”
Sonic stopped at the doorway with a look of pure shock and horror beyond any expression Shadow had ever seen from any 16-year-old.
“You… Shadow The Hedgehog have never in your…”
“16”
“16! Years of life have had a chili dog!”
“I have not…”
Sonic covered his mouth in horror before throwing Shadow into the bathroom and calling out.
“We are eating Chilli dogs after your bath!”
Shadow knows he could just chaos control out of the Bathroom but he has to admit it's been a while since he’s had his 70-step skincare routine and his skin was feeling very dry. He wasn’t sure if that woman Sonic seemed to call Pretzel Lady had everything he needed but from watching the family from their windows he believed she might have some of his necessary beauty products.
After an hour Shadow emerged from the Bathroom hitting a sleeping Sonic with the door jolting him awake. Sonic mumbled something about going fast farts and chili dogs before standing up and staring Shadow right in the face.
“What took you so long!”
“... My skincare your pretzel lady human didn’t have all the necessary products which is why I was significantly shorter than normal.”
Sonic looked Shadow up and down then met his very serious eyes and bursted out laughing.
“Pfft! Hahahaha! Shads! You're killin me!! Skincare! Hahaha!”
Shadow growled in annoyance crossing his arms and walking away with Sonic in strong pursuit.
“I don't see anything funny about my skincare routine…”
Sonic slapped his hand onto Shadow's shoulder with more force than necessary.
“What is it like 20 different steps? Hahaha!”
Shadow glared at him in confusion as if what he just said was utterly ridiculous.
“Are you insane?! No, it's 70 steps…”
Sonic stopped in his tracks looking at Shadow with a perplexed expression on his face before Shadow tugged him back on his walking pattern and before Sonic could realize what was happening Shadow was already taking his first steps out the door.
Sonic clocked that Shadow was trying to leave and before he could think his body moved on its own snatching Shadow’s wrist and stopping him in his tracks all with an overwhelming sense of departer and dread forming in his guts.
“Wait! You can’t leave yet we we-” Sonic sprints away and comes back all in one second now holding a video game console and a print of some stupid hero journey game. “Play video games! Or!” Sonic sprints away this time holding an apron. “Or or bake! OR!” Sonic sprints away and comes back this time behind Shadow screaming in Shadow’s ear and pushing him forward slightly back into the house “Or watch a movie!”. Sonic holds up a large array of movies Shadow had never heard of besides from one that caught his eye. His favorite.
“Is that The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
Sonic glanced back down squinting and looking back caught in a train of thoughts.
“Uh yeah, I just grabbed some random ones we don't have to watch that old sing-songy movie or whatever.”
Shadow growled harshly then bit at his teeth in an aggressive grumble. Shadow talked into the house all while waving an accusing finger at Soni.c
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a musical masterpiece and shall not be belittled by a Pete Hamilton wannabe!”
“Woah struck a nerve there…”
Shadow snatched the CD rushing over to the TV then looking beyond perplexed seeing the flat disc and examining it in pure wonderment.
“Yeah yeah who still owns CDs so old am I right Shads but Tom likes to keep them for memories”
Shadow looked at Sonic then the disc unknown to his 70s soul then Sonic then disc.
“Where is the VHS… and why is the TV so massive…”
Sonic looked at Shadow smiling softly at how cute his bewilderment was and thinking about how cute his face would be smushed between his hands an- Sonic stop!
Shadow glanced up at Sonics red face looking at him softly with dilated pupils.
“Sonic?
“O-Oh! Right! Um well, now we have CDs there a lot smaller than VHS tapes but still very outdated more outdated than the dab am I right!”
With that, the 7th side eye of the night was bestowed to Sonic which was reciprocated with a lid-embarrassed gulp.
“Uh yeah, you just…”
Sonic nervously laughed then shoved the disc into the CD player and took a seat on the couch next to Shadow. Shadow hid his smile in a cushion he picked up from the floor, most likely knocked over by knuckles but Sonic could see Shadow's eyes crinkled from his smile and that was adorable enough for the rest of his life.
Shadow looked up at the TV with a red glow on his face Sonic was sure that the Show must have been amazing by the state of Shadow's expression but his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Shadow, Shadow's adorable face, Shadow'ss voice, Shad-
“The river was deep but I swam it (Janet)
The future is ours so let's plan it (Janet)
So please don't tell me to can it (Janet)
I've one thing to say and that's
Dammit, Janet, I love you”
Sonic’s eyes widened and his heart fluttered at the irresistible sound of Shadow singing along softly with the music. He wasn't very good he was mostly mumbling but his low and gruff voice singing such an endearing and delightful song was sure to make anyone double-take.
As the movie progressed along Sonics eyes began to drool until he was out like a light on Shadow’s shoulder. He was sure this would turn out bad tomorrow Tom saw his alien son snuggling with the hedgehog who almost killed him but that didn’t matter right now all that mattered was Sonic and Shadow asleep together with the faint sounds of some 70s musical in the background.