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Today was a rare day, one that only came a few times a year.
Today, Shadow the Hedgehog got to sleep in.
The late morning sunshine painfully stabbed through his eyelids. He rolled over to escape the light, groaning. He quickly realized with a small frown that the other side of the bed, normally occupied by Sonic, was empty. He slowly sat up, glancing around their bedroom in vague confusion. The small TV on the dresser across the room was dark, its flat surface blurrily reflecting Shadow’s movement. One of Sonic’s dirty shirts lay on the floor, even after Shadow had reminded him several times to pick it up.
He glanced at the small, wooden picture frame on his bedside table, holding a photo of the two hedgehogs in tuxedos. Their arms were wrapped around each other, both grinning brightly at the camera. Shadow smiled, then turned back towards the room, preparing to get out of bed and look for Sonic.
Before he could rise, Shadow’s ears perked up at the thump of socked feet padding down the hall. The door opened and Sonic entered, balancing a large, steaming tray on one hand and holding a mug of coffee in the other. Shadow blinked in bewilderment at the other hedgehog, wondering for a moment if he was dreaming.
“Morning, sleepyhead!” Sonic said cheerfully, grinning at Shadow’s dumbfounded look. He carefully set the tray down on the bed and bowed with a flourish of his hand. “Breakfast in bed, my dear Shadow.”
“I- what is this?” Shadow demanded, unable to fight the growing smile on his face.
Sonic slid into bed next to him, his tail swishing happily. “Uh, pretty sure I just said! Breakfast-”
“No, I got that,” Shadow said, flicking Sonic’s arm. He studied the tray, which held two heaping plates of pancakes, bacon strips, and a few eggs. A small package of coffee beans sat on the tray– his favorite kind, no less. Warmth blossomed in his chest, spreading all throughout his body.
They pulled the tray closer so that it was resting on their laps. Sonic grabbed his fork and dug in as Shadow carefully poked at a pancake, noticing the bit of syrup that was dribbling onto the tray. “We’re going to ruin the sheets,” he said with a chuckle.
Sonic gave him a lopsided smile. “We have washing machines for this very reason. Besides, we’ll be careful.”
Shadow shook his head and took a bite. The pancakes were deliciously fluffy and light, almost melting on his tongue. Moving on to the eggs, he cut off a small piece and tried it. He normally wasn’t a huge fan of eggs, but whatever Sonic had put on these was amazing. The bacon proved to be of similar quality, with just the right amount of crunch.
“This is all so good, Sonic,” Shadow said after tasting everything. “Who helped you make it?”
Sonic placed a hand to his chest, pretending to take extreme offense to Shadow’s playful accusation. “Excuse me,” he replied. “I cooked it all by myself, thank you very much.”
Shadow raised a dubious eyebrow at the blue hedgehog, who pointed his fork at Shadow. “Okay, so I burnt lunch one time. Big deal.”
Shadow snorted, laughing lightly. “Yes, but it was a PB&J sandwich. There’s not even heat involved in the process,” he said with a smirk.
Sonic just gave him a comically large frown in response, then returned to stuffing his face. After a moment of eating in silence, Shadow slowly shifted, nestling into Sonic’s side and resting his head on his blue shoulder. Sonic gently wrapped an arm around him, pulling him a bit closer and finishing his food in comfortable silence. The warmth radiating from Sonic and the gentle sunlight made Shadow feel… happy. Truly happy, something he hadn’t felt in years until he’d met the cobalt hedgehog sitting next to him. He hadn’t thought himself capable of feeling this at peace with someone since… since Maria.
Once Shadow noticed that they were both done eating, he sat forward to clean up the tray. Sonic grabbed his arm before he could get there, stopping him. “Hey, no rush. You don’t get these break days often; I think it’s okay if we just, you know, relax for a bit.” He carefully slid the tray to the foot of the bed, leaving it for later.
“But… you made breakfast. It’s the least I could do to help clean it up,” Shadow protested, his thoughts quickly spiraling into something much deeper than not helping with the food. Why had Sonic made breakfast for him? What had he done to earn it? He reached for the tray again, feeling tense, although he wasn’t sure why.
Sonic tenderly pulled the dark hedgehog back into his side. “You can,” he reassured him. “But for now, let’s just stay here, alright?”
Shadow curled further into Sonic, his head now resting on his blue chest. He could both feel and hear the blue hedgehog’s steady heartbeat. Sensing the shift in Shadow’s mood, Sonic rested a hand lightly on the side of Shadow’s head. “Hey. You alright?” He asked softly. “Did I burn something after all?”
Shadow laughed quietly, though his expression quickly returned to one of self-doubt. “No, the food was fine. It’s just…” he paused, hesitating for a beat. The question felt stuck in his throat. He’d never fully understood why the other hedgehog cared so much for him. The dark hedgehog had even pushed Sonic away at first, but he hadn’t seemed to care and broke through Shadow’s walls anyway. “Do I really… deserve all of this?” He finally mumbled, sinking deeper into Sonic.
“Of course you do,” Sonic responded, his chest vibrating soothingly as he spoke. “Why wouldn’t you deserve it, Shads? You’re kinder and more caring than anyone else I know.” Sonic gently lifted Shadow’s head so he could look him in the eyes, but Shadow avoided his gaze. “You’re here with me, even after everything we’ve been through together. And I’m not going anywhere.”
“Why me, though?” Shadow pressed, squeezing his eyes shut. “I’ve caused so many problems, failed to save the ones I love, I’ve even hurt you, Sonic,” he said, his voice a barely audible whisper. “I couldn’t save my own sister.”
Sonic leaned in close, his vibrant quills drifting into his bright green eyes. “I stay with you because I love you, Shadow.” A soft smile appeared on Sonic’s face. “I love you for you, even if you’ve made mistakes; we all do.” Shadow finally looked up, making eye contact with the blue hedgehog, whose expression held nothing but love. “We aren’t supposed to always get it right, but that’s kinda the whole point– we get to figure it out together. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Shadow slowly smiled back, sitting up. “I hope Maria would be happy with who I am now,” he said softly.
Sonic gently cupped Shadow’s face in his hands, lightly pressing his forehead to Shadow’s. “I know she would be, Shads. She’d be so proud of who you are, and everything you’ve done.”
Shadow smiled sadly, feeling the familiar pang of mixed love and grief he got every time he thought of his late sister. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Sonic,” he admitted after a long moment. He tossed a few coffee beans in his mouth, the loud crunching breaking the silence.
Sonic beamed, snuggling closer. “You’d probably be super lost,” he said affectionately, running his fingers lightly through Shadow’s quills, drawing a contented noise from the dark hedgehog.
Shadow snorted. “Says you,” he retorted, grabbing Sonic’s hand and lacing their fingers together.
Sonic wiggled his other hand in front of Shadow’s face, the thin gold band wrapped around his ring finger glinting in the sunlight. “Well, whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me.”
“Noooo,” Shadow groaned dramatically, burying his face in Sonic’s shoulder to hide his smile.
Sonic laughed affectionately, the warm sound filling Shadow with a deep joy he couldn’t fully explain. Taking a sip of his coffee, Sonic spoke. “I love you, Shadow, always and forever. Please don’t forget that.”
Shadow grinned giddily against Sonic’s blue fur. He was so lucky to have Sonic, he knew that with all of his heart. They completed each other– and he didn’t want it any other way. He let out a relieved sigh, hoping Sonic knew just how deeply he cared for him.
“Love you too, faker.”