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Oh hell.
Sonic is so fucked up.
Why? Right on your first date with Shadow! Well, theoretically a date, since nothing is set. In fact, they coincidentally met on the streets. The hero of Mobius is a bit surprised, as it is not typical of the other to get involved in crowded places, however nothing stops them from spending the rest of the afternoon together at the city festival.
Despite Ultimate Lifeform's scornful disapproval, the two wait from four in the afternoon until seven at night for the fireworks display. In the beginning, Shads just wants to leave, but he can't resist the Blue Blur's constant begging. At least it's been fun, going from stall to stall, playing around and trying some of the local cuisine.
The problem at this point is that Sonic has had too much soda and energy drinks. As a result, he finds himself in an urgent need to use the bathroom, so strong that it hurts. By Gaia, he needs it badly, or he'll die from holding it in.
Beside him, Shadow is explaining a curious fact about the customs of this event. However, the young hero is so desperate that he can barely hear anything. He sees, on the other hand, the movements of the other's mouth, uttering words that echo muffledly in his ears.
“Shads…”, his tone is more vacillating than he would like, “I… gotta go somewhere. I'm gonna come back soon! I promise! I don’t want to ruin our romantic night.” Despite everything, he jokes, eliciting an irritated snap from his rival.
“We’re not on a date.” In any case, his austerity is soon replaced by a small indignation after seeing the other hurriedly walk away, leaving him confused. “Hey! Where are you going?!” Obviously, Shads doesn’t get any answers, so he refrains from running after the Blue Blur.
All Sonic finds, to his horror, are a lot of people and sales counters. Lots of them. No restrooms in sight. He runs, bumping into people, his urgency increasing as the pressure in his bladder becomes unbearable. A few feet behind him, Shadow is chasing him, and the blue one hopes he can lose him. It would be so embarrassing. It would be a nightmare! And… damn it, Sonic is so scared. Why? It doesn't make sense. It could just be embarrassing, so why the hell does his chest feel unpleasantly fervent, like something really horrible is about to happen. Why? Everything was going so well… Why?
It doesn't matter now. Because Shadow grabs his arm in an indelicate way, however with some concern. Then he leads them to a secluded area, surrounded by trees. He talks, interrogates, yells. Nonetheless Sonic simply can't hear. Static. His vision is blurred, his face frozen in an expression similar to astonishment, too silent .
“Hey, Faker! ¿Qué pasó? ”
Then, Shadow notices the moisture on the blue hedgehog's underside, a wet trail left behind on its legs.
“Wait… did you piss yourself?”
For a moment, a mischievous grin comes to life on the hybrid's lips. However, it soon disappears, replaced by a noticeable hesitation.
At first, Shadow feels lost, his eyes roaming over the vulnerable hero as if he could find answers to his questions.
Sonic begins to hyperventilate, his chest rising and falling, unsteady. Tears run over in his green orbs, revealing a distance from his current reality. Stunned, he steps back, seemingly unaware of where he is.
“P-please… no…” he stammers, his voice low, hoarse and showing gaps that Sonic never displayed. “Please…”
This breaks Shadow's heart. His only goal now is to protect his rival. He doesn't know why the blue one is in this state. But he knows he has to do something, so he does it, moving forward without haste.
However, contrary to everything the Ultimate Lifeform imagines, Sonic raises his arms to protect himself. He takes three steps back before tripping over his own foot, falling on his butt, while probably struggling not to cry. Unintelligible whispers, apologies and laments escape his shivering lips.
“Sonic… do ya know where you are?” Shadow feels his own chest hurt. What could Sonic have suffered in the past to make him like this? “Um, can you hear me? Sonic?”
“P-please… d-don’t… h-hurt me…”
“I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
Apparently, his words reach the blue hedgehog's subconscious, as Shadow manages to hold his hands tenderly. The touch is gentle, without pressure, working as a reminder. Consequently, the moment Sonic shows a bit of control, Shadow approaches and lowers his arms, calmly.
“Hey, come here. No one’s going to hurt you, okay?” That tender grip on their hands lingers for a few seconds before the hybrid brings his right hand up to cup one of the damp cheeks. “You’re here. We just left a random city’s festival. Can you tell me my nickname? The one you gave me.”
“...Sh… Shads?” The words barely come out, groggy, only a semi-inaudible thread. At least, his breathing returns to normal, slowly. The emeralds, bright with tears and something else, fix on the hybrid ahead. They stare at him as if he were a safe haven, yet uncertain, disoriented.
“Good.” Without putting pressure on him, and with a rarely seen calmness in his being, Shadow interrogates. “Can you tell me what you are seeing now?”
“The… the trees… the sky. The moon. Stars… you.” Sonic sniffs, trying to focus on the gentle contact, the cozy warmth that was transmitted through it. Somehow, Shadow’s hands were holding him steady, like an anchor.
“Okay, that’s good.” Thus, the hybrid begins to caress the blue hedgehog’s ear, massaging it cautiously. “Let's go, can you breathe with me? Follow my breathing.” He takes the air into his lungs, then releases it, and Sonic imitates him. They repeat the brief exercise three times.
“And now? How do ya feel?” Shadow is still analyzing, contemplating each characteristic that makes up the hero’s features, attentive and worried. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here with you, alright? Take as much time as you need to recover. I’ll be here.” After observing, stroking the other’s fluff ear and wiping the other’s tears, the black hedgehog sits on the left side. Breathing deeply, the two remain like that, building a strangely peaceful silence.
Finally, Sonic rests his head on Shadow's shoulder, in spite of his reluctance. Contrary to his expectations, the hybrid relaxes, leaning against the tree behind them without saying a single word. Besides, the need to question is enormous, but the worry for the speedster's well-being is greater. Sonic truly appreciates this, snuggling into the resilient presence at his side. Embarrassment also knocks on the door, and Sonic just wants to hide, barely able to face the painful truth: he had just collapsed in front of his rival because of something stupid.
How will Shads react?
What the hell is Shads thinking now?
Blue gets no response, of course, other than that absence of sounds. Only the rustling of trees fills the place. It's weird, but not bad, just unexpected.
Little by little… everything calms down… the mortification, the fear, the conflicting thoughts. Everything is fine.
“I-I’m sorry, dude.” Sonic sniffs. It’s kind of humiliating, nevertheless, he really doesn’t want to get out of it. “Sorry… I… I don’t know what came over me.” Half-tearfully, he murmurs.
“Stop apologizing, you idiot,” the hybrid orders, returning to scratch the back of the speedster’s soft ear, his fingers moving in a gentle rhythm he never imagined he could replicate. “You don’t have to. Just relax a little.”
“Um… y-you’re not going to ask ‘why’?” The hero hesitates, but soon calms down. The other’s hand on his head makes him feel light and protected. At the same time that he likes it, Sonic hates it, because he hates having the sensation that he needs to be protected.
“You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, hedgehog.”
“Okay… that’s good.”
Someday he will give the necessary justifications. Right now, the blue one just wants to rest, forget what happened and... who knows, allow himself to find some consolation. A hug. A truce. He longs for all of this. His heart beats with hope, but his brain fights against it.
“Look, you don’t have to act strong with me all the time, ya know?”
The black hedgehog's somewhat impatient pronouncement is what breaks the silence. The hero of Mobius tries to stare at him, without success, as Shadow brings him close to his chest. Sonic feels his cheeks heat up, while he almost lies above Shadow, his snout feeling a slight tickle thanks to those snow-colored fur, smooth as pillows.
It's so good.
“Sha-Shads?...”
“Shut the fuck up and listen to me.” Shadow pauses for a moment before starting. “It’s kind of unfair. You’ve seen me like this before, remember? Several times. You were the idiot who helped me. So let me be the idiot who helps you, please.”
Sonic becomes unable to navigate any thoughts, focused on the warmth, listening to the other's words. It's... so good. By Gaia, there is no way to summarize this sensation of relief. That affliction disappears. Awful, excruciating and annoying emotions that grabbed his throat with no intention of letting go, dissipate. The knot in his stomach vanishes, as do the worries, because nothing surrounds the blue hedgehog's mind other than the phrases dictated by the hybrid.
“What’s that?” Sonic lets out a short, faint laugh. “A marriage proposal??”
“Tsk, idiot. Cállete, I’m not done.” Shadow flicks the other’s forehead.
“Ouch! You evil!” Sonic ran his hand over his forehead, pouting, before sitting down so he could observe the Ultimate Lifeform. “I don’t like this… feeling weak, you know? I don’t like feeling like I need to be protected. Well, I’m supposed to protect people, right? Ugh, I feel like an idiot right now.”
“You are.”
“Shads!”
“Hum, my bad.” He apologizes, though he doesn’t regret it in the slightest. “But… to be frank, it’s okay. No matter what, if something is making you feel bad, it’s important to take care of yourself. Isn’t that what you said to me once? It’s important to take care of yourself, and that means ‘don’t keep everything to yourself’.”
“Yohoho!” Sonic gives a little smirk, smug, but sincere this time. “You learn a lot from me, huh?”
“Don’t fucking mess with me, pendejo.” Shadow tugs on the Mobian hero’s cheek, leaving an angry pinch, drawing out a melodramatic complaint. “I just want something fair, ya get it? You know you can be honest with me. You don’t have to pretend all the time. You’re the one who taught me… ‘don’t overwork yourself’. It doesn’t matter if you find it shameful or not, what matters is that you allow a little help . ”
“Hahaha, hey! That’s my line!” He laughs, which makes Shadow naively satisfied, enjoying the image of the blue hedgehog by his side. “Still… I feel so pathetic. It’s such a stupid stuff, but it makes me despair whenever it happens, like I’m back in those days.”
“It’s not stupid.” The hybrid says, promptly. “No problem is stupid. By Chaos!... how can someone always help me and not… forget it. Sometimes I forget that you’re missing a few brain cells.”
“That was a pretty roundabout way of saying I'm dumb, Shads.”
“Fuck it. Just… it’s… it's not your fault, okay? I may hate you to the bone, but I still care. I can’t beat up someone who’s already beaten up, right?”
“I hate to admit it, but it makes sense. By the way, you need to improve your comforting skills, ya know?”
Shadow flicks it again. Harder.
“Ugh! Why did you do that?!”
“Because you get on my nerves, ¡cabrón! ”
“Hey! How dare you?! I was just offering some—”
FWOOSH.
BANG.
Suddenly, the darkness above is illuminated by various colors and small, sparkling explosions, interrupting the words of the hero of Mobius.
Soon, this occurrence catches the attention of both, who turn their faces to the wonders that paint the night. Fireworks after fireworks, each one more fabulous than the last, forming a true spectacle. They are not random, nor chaotic. Some even build dragons!
“Wow! Amazing!” Sonic picks himself up from the ground, then runs to climb one of the tree’s sturdy branches, watching the show. “Look, Shads! Isn’t it beautiful?!” He laughs, his pair of emeralds gleaming radiant and lovely, reflecting the lights that brighten the nocturnal sky.
“Yes.” Shadow whispers from below, his voice somber and muffled by the fuss, as he admires the blue hedgehog. “But you are much more beautiful.” Hence, he admires from afar, traveling along the curves of Sonic’s smile and calming himself with the sound of his loud laughter. The peach-colored cheeks are still partially damp. A trail of tears almost dry. Although, now, there is no more sorrow or astonishment.
Shadow loves seeing him like this. Then, without meaning to, a minimalist grin tugs at the corner of his lips.
Sonic loves to see him smile. It is as gorgeous as fireworks. Finally, when the show starts to die down, he throws himself out of the tree.
“ ¡¿Qué carajo, hombre?! Are you crazy?!” evidently, Shadow grabs him in a fast and dexterous manner, while at the same time launching a series of insults and criticisms.
“I knew you would catch me, hehe! Shall we go back to the hotel?” That's all Sonic says, hiding his flushed snout in the crook of the other’s neck, his arms wrapped around his neck. “I’m tired.”
So many feelings stuck in his heart. Some said, others not, but it doesn't matter now. Shadow is here.
The dark hedgehog lets out an impatient sigh, “Fine. Just let me get the Emerald.”
Shadow carries him in his arms, feeling the light, almost insignificant weight of that body that seemed to carry the entire world inside. He doesn't understand what's hidden behind that pain — not yet. But he understands enough: that that side of Sonic, fragile, trembling, silent... doesn't show easily. And that's exactly why he needs to protect him. Not because he's a hero. But because someone needs to be there when he can't be. And, even without understanding why, Shadow knows he wants to be that someone.