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Tom pulled out of the driveway, offering a final wave from the driver’s seat. “I’m counting on you to keep the house clean and intact, Sonic! We’ll be back in a few hours.”
Maddie, sitting beside him, added with a smile, “Make sure you eat something, Sonic! There’s leftover food in the fridge in case you get hungry!”
Sonic, standing at the front door, flashed a wide grin and gave an exaggerated salute. “Don’t you worry about a thing, guys! I’ve got this covered!” He waved goodbye as their car disappeared around the corner, the sound of the engine fading into the distance.
As soon as the coast was clear, Sonic’s grin widened into something more mischievous. He stretched dramatically, his arms shooting up as though preparing to tackle a huge challenge. “Alright,” he muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with excitement, “Time to get this party started!”
In a burst of speed, he dashed inside, a blur of blue zipping past the doorframe, leaving only a gust of wind in his wake.
Without wasting a second, Sonic powered up the house speakers, cranking the volume to the max. Instantly, the room was engulfed in the roaring sound of rock music, the bass reverberating through the walls. He threw his arms in the air, letting the music take over as he bounced around the living room, his energy completely uncontained.
“SO THIS AIN’T THE END, I SAW YOU AGAIN TODAY, I HAD TO TURN MY HEART AWAYY!!” Sonic belted the lyrics to Barracuda , his voice echoing through the empty house. He grabbed an imaginary guitar, strumming wildly as he danced around, lost in the beat. His movements were a blur of blue, and the living room was rapidly descending into chaos with every passing second.
It hadn’t even been a full minute, but already the living room looked like a tornado had ripped through it. Snack wrappers—chips, candy, you name it—littered the floor, some tossed carelessly, others torn open and forgotten. Empty cans of soda rolled across the room, clinking as they bumped into the furniture, which had been overturned. The couch lay on its side, and a few chairs were knocked out of place. The pristine living room was now a chaotic reflection of Sonic’s wild energy.
As the song ended, Sonic, still hyped, darted over to change the track. However, his excitement led him to overlook the sudden flash of light behind him, as well as the figure that accompanied it.
It wasn’t until two hands abruptly covered his eyes that Sonic froze, a surprised gasp slipping from him.
“Boo,” a low, teasing voice whispered directly into his ear.
Sonic’s body tensed for a second before he relaxed, a grin spreading across his face. He chuckled softly, shaking his head with mock exasperation. “Gee, how scary.”
With a quick spin, Sonic ripped the hands away and faced the intruder. His playful grin softened into something more knowing as his eyes met the black and red hedgehog standing before him.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Shadow,” Sonic teased, his tone light and playful. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Shadow, standing tall and as stoic as ever, allowed a faint smile to curve his lips. Without a word, he leaned down and placed a brief, soft kiss on Sonic’s lips. The unexpected kiss caught Sonic off guard, leaving him flustered for a moment before he regained his composure.
Shadow took note of the flustered reaction, his smirk widening. “I saw you were all alone in this big house,” he began, his voice carrying a slight edge of amusement. “I figured you might get a little lonely, or bored, all by yourself. Though...” he trailed off, casting a glance around at the living room, “I can see you’ve found other ways to keep yourself entertained.”
Sonic’s ears drooped in embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his neck, his grin faltering a little. “Uh, yeah… I may have gone a little overboard,” he admitted sheepishly, sounding far less confident than usual.
Shadow let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head lightly as he surveyed the messy room. His gaze returned to Sonic, and a small smile played on his lips.
Sonic returned the smile, then wrapped his arms around Shadow’s neck. He blinked, his expression shifting to one of curious confusion as he realized something. “Wait a sec,” he began, raising an eyebrow. “How did you know I was home alone anyway?”
Shadow paused, humming softly as he pretended to consider the question. His hands slid around Sonic’s waist, pulling him closer. Sonic felt the heat of Shadow’s body against his as the darker hedgehog closed the distance between them. The darker hedgehog rested his head against Sonic’s shoulder, his breath warm against his neck.
“I was already on my way here,” Shadow answered casually, “Saw your family heading out, so I decided to hang back and wait for them to leave. I figured you’d be alone soon enough.” He pressed a soft kiss to the nape of Sonic’s neck, his lips lingering a moment longer than necessary.
Sonic froze for a brief second, his heart skipping a beat before he laughed nervously, pulling away slightly. “Jeez, talk about creepy, Shadow! Waiting for me to be all alone and vulnerable, then swooping in to strike?” He threw his hand over his forehead dramatically, feigning shock.
Shadow gave him an unimpressed look, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly. “Vulnerable, huh?” he said, his voice laced with dry amusement. “You’ve never seemed the vulnerable type to me.”
Sonic chuckled, nudging Shadow’s shoulder playfully. “Heh, yeah, whatever, man.”
There was a brief silence before Sonic’s voice broke it, a playful gleam in his eyes. “So... want to watch a movie or something?” He raised an eyebrow, giving Shadow a teasing look.
Shadow let out a small, bemused sigh, looking around at the chaos that had taken over the room. “As much as I’d love to, I think it might be a little hard to with the couch upside down and the TV covered in… I’m not even sure what,” he remarked, his tone dry.
Sonic’s eyes widened in realization. “OH! Right! Yeah, sorry about that. I’ll fix it up, don’t worry!” In an instant, he zipped around the room, a blur of blue as he cleaned up the mess. Snack wrappers were tossed in the trash, empty cans were collected, and the furniture was set back into place. Within moments, the living room looked presentable again.
When Sonic finished, he dusted his hands off and flashed a wide grin at Shadow. “How about now?”
Shadow surveyed the room, nodding with approval. “Much better,” he said, his lips curling into a small, satisfied smile. “Now, let’s watch a movie.”
Sonic laughed, rolling his eyes playfully. “Alright, big guy, let’s see what’s on!” He grabbed the remote and began scrolling through the options.
Shadow settled on the couch beside him, crossing his arms, his expression unreadable. “What do you want to watch?” Sonic asked, glancing at him. “Horror? Comedy? Or something with a little more action?”
Shadow leaned back, pondering for a moment. “You choose,” he replied, his tone casual. “I don’t really care.”
After a brief scroll, Sonic picked a random movie. They settled into a comfortable silence, the only sound being the low hum of the TV.
At some point, Sonic inched closer to Shadow, leaning into him. Shadow glanced down but didn’t say anything. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Sonic’s shoulders and pulled him in closer.
The air between them shifted, and suddenly, everything felt... different. There was an unspoken tension that neither of them acknowledged, but it hung in the air, thick and palpable.
it was Shadow who broke that silence.
He shifted slightly, cupping Sonic’s chin with one hand and gently lifting his face. For a brief moment, Sonic’s breath caught, his pulse quickening. It was as though time itself slowed down.
Shadow studied him silently, before his gaze flicked down to Sonic’s lips. Slowly, he leaned in, and when their lips finally met, it was softer, slower, more deliberate than the last kiss. As Sonic responded, the kiss deepened, both hedgehogs surrendering to the moment.
When they finally pulled away, both were breathless, the room charged with an intensity that neither of them had expected. Sonic let out a quiet, nervous laugh. “Well... that was something.” he murmured, still trying to catch his breath.
Shadow’s smirked, his crimson eyes glinting with satisfaction. “That’s one way to put it.” he replied, his voice low, carrying a note of contentment.
Sonic, suddenly emboldened, grinned and climbed onto Shadow’s lap. Shadow raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest. Instead, he placed his hands on Sonic’s waist, his grip firm yet gentle.
“What are you doing?” Shadow asked, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Well, I thought that was pretty nice,” Sonic said slyly, tail wagging in excitement. “And I’m still kinda bored... so how about we keep this thing going?”
Shadow rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress a small chuckle.
He responded with a kiss, and this time, it was slower, deeper, more intense.
The movie played on in the background, but it was safe to say neither of them seemed to be paying attention anymore.
---
Shadow had left about an hour ago, leaving Sonic to lounge on the couch, half-watching TV and half-replaying the events of the afternoon in his head. He couldn’t quite shake the intensity of what happened only moments ago, but before he could get too lost in his thoughts, he heard the front door swing open.
“We’re back!” Tom’s voice rang out from the entryway.
Sonic quickly stood up to greet them. “Hey, guys! How’d everything go?”
Tails, bouncing in with excitement, grinned widely. “It was kinda boring shopping all day, but Tom and Maddie bought me a bunch of things I can use to tinker and build stuff with!” His two tails swished happily behind him.
Knuckles, trailing behind with his arms crossed, also seemed pretty pleased with the day’s haul. “The Donut Lord and Pretzel Woman rewarded my incredible behavior with grapes and Cool Ranch Doritos,” he said proudly, clutching his snacks. He looked at Sonic with a pointed glare. “I don’t intend to share, so don’t even ask, hedgehog.”
Sonic raised his hands in mock surrender, a grin playing at the corner of his lips. “Don’t worry, Knuckles, they’re all yours. I promise I won’t take any,” he teased, rolling his eyes.
His siblings went upstairs to their shared attic room, already chattering excitedly about their day. Sonic watched them go, a fond smile on his face, then turned his attention to his parents, who were unloading groceries in the kitchen.
He approached them, leaning against the counter. “Hey, Mom, Dad! How’d shopping go? Did those two give you any trouble?” he asked playfully, snickering a little.
Tom, putting away a carton of milk, responded with a weary but amused sigh. “Surprisingly, not really. Though we did have to steer Knuckles away from fighting one of the store employees.”
Maddie, who was putting snacks in the pantry, added with a soft chuckle, “He thought the employee handing out free samples was implying he couldn’t handle so much food when they finally cut him off... and then he challenged the poor kid to a duel.”
Sonic laughed. “Never a dull moment with that guy, huh?”
Maddie smiled, shaking her head. “Nope. That’s Knuckles for you.”
Sonic glanced at the remaining bags of groceries. “Do you guys need help putting the rest away? I can get it done in a flash!”
Tom nodded. “Sure, bud. Thanks.”
Sonic zipped around the kitchen, putting things in their proper places, when he spotted a small box of batteries. He frowned slightly, unsure of where they belonged. “Hey, Dad, where do these go? And what are they for?” he asked, holding up the box.
Tom and Maddie both paused in what they were doing and exchanged a brief, unreadable glance. For some reason, the air suddenly felt... off.
Tom, still holding a carton of eggs, replied carefully, “Oh, you can give those to me, Sonic. I’ll be needing them in a bit.”
Sonic raised an eyebrow. “What are you gonna use them for?”
Before Tom could respond, Maddie jumped in, her voice a little hesitant. “They’re for the extra security cameras around the house.” she said, her tone slightly awkward.
Sonic froze. Extra… security cameras?
Tom’s expression was unreadable. “Yeah, we had a few installed around the house. Two in the kitchen and living room,” he said, the words coming out slower than usual. He glanced over at Maddie, who nodded, looking a little uncomfortable.
Sonic’s heart dropped. Hearing the words living room felt like a punch to the gut. He swallowed hard, trying to process what they were saying, but his mind was racing. Security cameras? Living room?!
Maddie bit her lip, clearly sensing Sonic’s discomfort. “Sonic…” she began cautiously, “Before we say anything else, we just want you to know we didn’t mean to intrude on a private moment. We just wanted to check the cameras on our phones to see how you were doing…”
Sonic’s eyes widened as the pieces started falling into place. They saw…
Tom sighed, his hand running through his hair as he tried to find the right words. “Sonic,” he started, his voice a little softer now, but still carrying a serious tone. “We saw you and Shadow in the living room.”
It was like the world had gone silent. Sonic’s mind went blank, his face turning beet red. His stomach churned. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. He could barely breathe. He could barely think.
“What…?” was all he could manage to squeak out, his voice embarrassingly high-pitched and breathless.
Tom put his hands on his hips, exhaling slowly. “Look, we aren’t mad or anything, okay? It’s okay to be affectionate with your significant other,” he said, trying to ease the tension in the room. “But we are going to have to set some ground rules.”
Sonic could feel the heat in his face, and his heart racing a mile a minute.
They’d seen everything. They’d seen him and Shadow— making out . Seen him sitting on Shadow’s lap, kissing, touching ... Sonic’s stomach twisted in knots, and he could feel his face getting even redder.
Maddie crouched down a little, resting a hand on his shoulder as if to comfort him, but Sonic couldn’t bring himself to look at her. He just stared down at the floor, feeling like the world was closing in on him.
Tom cleared his throat, awkwardly shifting on his feet. “Sonic, we aren’t going to punish you, but we do need to talk. We need you to be…” he hesitated, the next words clearly difficult for him. “…Safe. And to make safe decisions.”
Sonic didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t know what to say. He felt like he was suffocating under the weight of this conversation, wanting to melt into the floor and never come back.
“I’m sorry,” Sonic mumbled under his breath, barely managing to choke out the words. He didn’t know if he was apologizing for the kiss, for making things awkward, or for the fact that his parents had seen it all. Maybe it was all of it.
Tom let out a sigh. “You don’t have to apologize, Sonic. But we do want to make sure you’re thinking about your safety. We just want you to be responsible, okay?”
Sonic could feel his head spinning, everything feeling like it was happening too fast. He never thought he would ever say that, but, here we are.
“I… I will. I swear,” he said quickly, his voice cracking.
Maddie gave him a small smile, gentle and understanding.
“We love you, Sonic. We just want what’s best for you.”
Sonic nodded, his face still burning with embarrassment. “I know, Mom… I just… I didn’t think…” He trailed off, feeling helpless.
There was a moment of silence before Tom spoke again, this time his tone a little lighter. “Just be careful, alright? We trust you, this is just new for us too.”
Sonic nodded again, his throat tight. “Yeah, I will… I promise.”
His parents exchanged another look, then nodded in unison.
“Alright, we’ll leave it there for now,” Tom said, rubbing his neck as if trying to shake off the tension. “We’re always going to be here for you, Sonic. We just want you to be safe, that’s all.”
Sonic finally managed a small, strained smile. “I know. Thanks, guys.”
With that, Maddie and Tom returned to putting things away in the kitchen, the mood still somewhat tense, but lighter than before.
Sonic slowly made his way to the attic, his mind a whirlwind of emotions.
He was still trying to process everything that had just happened, and also trying to forget it happened.
He just wanted to die.
————