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Since getting together, neither Shadow nor Sonic had to go Super. Which was a blessing in Shadow’s opinion.
He had barely been able to hide how much he adored respected Sonic’s Super form before they were dating, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to now.
And Sonic would never let him hear the end of it if he slipped up.
Unfortunately, it looked like he would have to put his very limited acting skills to the test; Tails’ Chaos energy blaster was finally ready for testing.
The kit had Sonic gather seven Chaos emeralds before the hero and Shadow met up with Tails in front of his workshop.
“Alrighty, I’ve got all the emeralds we need. Now what?” Sonic asked.
“Now, you’re going to go Super and we’ll test your strength and energy levels,” Tails explained before glancing at Shadow. “And you, Shadow, will use my blaster and we’ll do the same thing.”
“It won’t electrocute him like it did to me last time, right?” Sonic asked. Shadow rolled his eyes. Even if it did, he could handle a little shock.
“Right. I think I’ve fixed all the kinks. Probably,” Tails replied, though he sounded uncertain.
“Uh-huh. You should probably be careful, just in case,” Sonic said, gently placing a hand on Shadow’s shoulder. He had concern in his eyes, which Shadow thought was sweet…until Sonic started talking again. “Don’t need another Stormcloud situation, do we?”
“Stormcloud?” Tails asked curiously as Shadow shot daggers at his partner, who simply snickered in response.
“Don’t mind him, your brother’s being an idiot.”
“Said the guy dumb enough to date him,” Tails smirked, earning an indignant “hey!” from the hero.
“Get to work and use the emeralds already, Quillhead,” Shadow elbowed Sonic, albeit gently, who huffed as he dumped the emeralds onto the ground.
“You two sure don’t act like a couple sometimes,” Tails remarked with a cheeky grin. “Definitely not the lovey-dovey type.”
“Not for lack of trying!” Sonic exclaimed, and right as Shadow was about to make a retort, the emeralds began to circle Sonic until his fur turned a bright, golden yellow, his eyes the same red hue as Shadow’s.
If Shadow had to describe Sonic in his Super form, he’d say the hedgehog was nothing short of magnificent.
Sonic shone brightly, like the sun. His quills were perked up, looking like a crown made of sunlight.
Gorgeous.
Shadow could only hope he didn’t have some dumb dopey smile like the one Sonic was always giving him.
“Okay, Sonic, your job is to do a lap around the house, building up your Chaos energy, then blast my target, which will measure said Chaos energy and the power behind the blast. Afterward, I’ll run tests on your body’s energy levels,” Tails stated before he turned to Shadow. “You’ll do the same thing but you’ll use the blaster against the target so I can compare the two’s power and Chaos energy.”
There were two metal targets at the far end of the yard, both of which looked fairly sturdy.
Tails went into his workshop for a moment before coming out. Then he handed Shadow the energy blaster. The metal it was made of felt cool to the touch, and it had some heft to it.
Shadow examined it in his paws, absently wondering about different ways to carry it, a holster of sorts, that wouldn’t impede his or Sonic’s speed.
“Ready to go, Danger Chaser?” Sonic whispered, and Shadow had to fight the urge to flinch when he realized how close the hero had gotten.
Shadow nodded in response, not trusting himself to speak as he stared into bright, ruby-red eyes.
Sonic stared at him curiously but got into his usual running stance. Shadow got ready beside him.
“Alright, ready, set…go!” Tails declared, and with that, the two hedgehogs were off.
The Hero of Mobius weaved through the grass, like a streak of lightning. His feet eventually lifted off the ground as he zipped by his and Tails’ shared house.
Shadow lagged, right behind him but unable to bring himself to pass by and miss a second of seeing Sonic all charged up.
Sonic glanced back at him, smirking before he sped up and shot the target a good fifteen seconds before Shadow reached his own target.
He lined up the blaster and fired it. There was some recoil, but Shadow managed to keep his feet firmly planted as he saw scorch marks.
Bullseye.
Tails flew on over and examined the targets, pulling out his scanner.
“Alright, I’ll go input the data and once the blaster has cooled down, we’ll measure its Chaos energy level compared to Sonic’s,” Tails stated before he headed inside his workshop. “Be right back!”
Sonic stretched his arms, then floated over to Shadow with a grin on his face.
“Off your game today, Shads?”
“Shut up,” Shadow growled, crossing his arms and looking away from the golden hedgehog. Sonic was getting a little too close for his liking.
“You’re cute when you pout,” Sonic chuckled, though he stopped when Shadow flushed at the compliment.
Stupid body, giving his feelings away.
Sonic narrowed his eyes and leaned in, catching Shadow’s wrist when he tried to push him away. Shadow cursed under his breath when his face heated up even more.
The golden hero’s eyes lit up in understanding, much to Shadow’s dismay.
“Not. A. Word!” He hissed.
“Aw, don’t be embarrassed, babe,” Sonic cooed, smiling widely with a mischievous look in his eyes. “I do look pretty cool like this, don’t I?”
Before Shadow could think of a rebuttal, anything to make Sonic forget about his momentary weakness, their ears pricked up at the sounds of Tails’ footsteps.
Sonic released the hybrid and took a step back, plastering on a nonchalant look on his face.
“Power levels seem pretty similar, which is a good sign,” Tails noted, smiling at the two. “Let’s compare your energy levels, and then we’ll repeat the test tomorrow if that works for you guys.”
“Sounds good, buddy,” Sonic turned to look at him, a knowing grin on his face.
As much as Shadow didn’t want to give Sonic the satisfaction, he’d made a commitment to help Tails. So with much reluctance, he nodded in agreement.
The next day, when they made a lap around the yard leading up to the targets once more, Shadow allowed himself to fall behind Sonic.
If the hedgehog already knew about his weakness for his Super form, he might as well enjoy seeing it while he could.
Of course, he could do without the teasing.
“Almost beat me that time,” Sonic waited until Tails was out of earshot before whispering. “Guess that’s why they call you the Ultimate Lifeform. Or as I like to call you-”
“Don’t,” Shadow cut him off, already knowing what was coming next.
“The Ultimate Heartstopper.”
“Chaos, you are being ridiculous,” Shadow groaned, and Sonic gasped dramatically.
“Ridiculous?! Here I am, being all romantic, and you insult me like this? How rude!” Sonic exclaimed, and Shadow elbowed him with a snort.
The golden-furred hero wrapped an arm around him with a sly grin, and Shadow felt his face betray him again.
“You know you love it.”
“Hmph.”
What Shadow could only hope would be the last test happened a week later, after Tails made a few more adjustments to the blaster.
This time around, he kept up just fine, shooting the target a good thirty seconds before Sonic had the chance.
Was he a little irritated with how much fun Sonic was having? Yes.
Was he tempted to go Super himself just so he could get on even ground with his partner? Also yes.
Tails was the only reason he was keeping his cool, but Sonic didn’t seem to realize that when his brother walked off once more.
“Just admit you like seeing me like this.”
“Enough, Sonic,” Shadow sat down, Sonic plopping down beside him to stare at the clouds. “Why are you so obsessed with this?”
“Well, for one, it’s super flattering,” Sonic waggled his eyebrows, and Shadow rolled his eyes. “Besides, we’re dating. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal that you like how I look. I like how you look too~”
Shadow wasn’t quite sure why his words had such an impact on him. Sonic had called him handsome and used other typical boyfriend compliments before.
But there was just something about Sonic being in his most powerful form, the one that’s saved the world time and time again, looking at Shadow like Sonic’s the lucky one in the relationship.
It made him feel like he had when they first started dating, still somewhat stunned that Sonic was interested in him when the hero could have anyone he wanted.
Maybe that was why he took him out to eat after Tails had said they were done for the day, to Sonic’s favorite fast-food place with what he claimed were the best chili dogs in all of Mobius. The same place they’d had their first date.
And just like their first date, Sonic swallowed the food in less than ten seconds and then ran his mouth like always.
“You know, in all the time I’ve known you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get this worked up about something before.”
“Let it go, hedgehog,” Shadow stared into his half-finished milkshake with a frown.
“No way. Though I am curious. You never acted like this when I went Super in the past,” Sonic glanced at him curiously, and Shadow muttered under his breath. The hero narrowed his eyes and leaned in. “What was that?”
“Yes, I did,” Shadow reluctantly admitted, keeping his eyes on the table. “You just never noticed before.”
Sonic grabbed one of Shadow’s hands gently and waited until Shadow looked up at him before he spoke, a concerned expression on his face.
“Hey…if I’m being too much, you know you can ask me to stop, right?” Sonic asked quietly.
Shadow huffed a silent laugh, flipping his hand so he could squeeze his boyfriend’s.
“I know,” Shadow said with a soft smile, earning a timid one from the blue blur. “Least these tests are nearly over.”
Sonic snorted at the obvious change of topic.
“Yeah. You know, if his blaster works out, you won’t get to see me all Super-fied anymore.”
“Good,” Shadow smirked, leaning in and whispering so only Sonic could hear. “You look better in blue anyway.”
“Why are you only sweet when no one we know is around?” Sonic pouted, even as his face flushed.
“Can’t have you ruining my reputation.”
“Please, you’re with the Hero of Mobius. My reputation’s good enough for both of us.”
“What reputation?” Shadow rolled his eyes, earning a low growl from Sonic. He cocked an eyebrow as Sonic blinked, seemingly startled by his own actions. “Did you just growl at me?”
“You deserved it.”
“You’re cute when you pout,” Shadow mimicked Sonic’s words from the first test session, and Sonic whined, laying his head on the table dramatically. “Alright, alright, enough teasing. I’ll buy you another chili dog if you quit whining.”
Shadow had to hide a smirk as Sonic ate. Tails had told him earlier when Sonic was getting his vitals done that it was time for phase two of the blaster’s testing.
He had a feeling Sonic wouldn’t be too happy about it. But for now, he’d allow his partner to enjoy his food and silently await payback.
BONUS! Shadow’s Payback, in Sonic’s POV
Tails had called the two in, though Sonic wasn’t quite sure what for since his brother had told him the tests that required Sonic’s Super form were over.
“It’s a shame the testing is over. Been a lotta fun,” Sonic winked at Shadow, who looked surprisingly smug. Shoot. That couldn’t be good news for Sonic.
“Well, just because your tests are done doesn’t mean all the testing is. It’s Shadow’s turn to go Super while you handle the blaster,” Tails stated as he handed Sonic the blaster.
The blue hedgehog internally began to panic as Shadow winked at him.
No wonder he had seemed so calm at the end of their last date.
Maybe he had taken the teasing a little too far, but he’d just felt so giddy knowing that he had that much effect on Shadow.
Sometimes it was a little hard to tell, with how reserved Shadow could be or how he tended to be standoffish whenever they were around others.
He had a feeling he’d be paying for all his comments.
Shadow called on the power of the emeralds and transformed into his Super form.
Sonic felt breathless as Shadow hovered above the ground, shining softly in the sunlight.
His fur had a platinum-gold hue, making his red stripes and eyes more prominent. His glow was ethereal (yes, a big word for Sonic. He paid attention to Tails…sometimes). His quills reminded Sonic of an angel’s halo.
Sonic was so distracted by Shadow’s beauty, the way his muscles moved as he moved gracefully through the yard, that he missed the target entirely when it was his turn to use the blaster.
Whoops.
“We’re gonna have to do the test again, since someone didn’t want to hit the target properly,” Tails scowled at his brother pointedly, who shrugged with a sheepish grin.
“Sorry, bro. Guess I got a little distracted.”
Tails waved him off with a huff before he walked over to the target to reset it or something.
“Wonder what you got you all distracted,” Shadow leaned in once Tails was far enough away, hovering just in front of Sonic.
“Gee, I wonder,” Sonic said sarcastically. “You knew it was your turn, didn’t you?”
“You had your fun, thought it was only fair I got a turn. You’re not upset, are you, sunshine?”
“You’re the one shining like the sun,” Sonic grumbled, turning away from Shadow. It didn’t do him much good since Shadow just skated in front of him.
“Not as brightly as you did, Bluebell,” Shadow grinned, and Sonic cursed inwardly when he felt his face heat up. “I can see why you enjoyed this so much.”
“Yeah? Well, maybe I should go Super too. See how tongue-tied you get,” Sonic huffed, then glanced up at Shadow, taking him in. He’d always admired Shadow, his looks, but right now, he looked…”Chaos, you look just like an angel.”
Shadow’s smirk faltered, softening ever so slightly.
“Sweet, but don’t forget you have to see me like this over and over again,” Shadow said. “It’s called payback, my beloved.”
“This isn’t over, angel,” Sonic enunciated the nickname with a confident grin.
“Gross, are you two flirting?!” Tails gagged as he walked towards the two hedgehogs. Shadow pulled away, his expression going neutral. “I thought you guys were better than this.”
“Sorry, guess he couldn’t resist my charm anymore.”
“Oh, please. You’re as charming as a rock,” Shadow turned his attention to Tails, ignoring Sonic’s indignant squawk. “Just asked how he was and he got all sappy.”
“Did not!” Sonic exclaimed, glancing at his brother. Tails had to believe him, right?
“Come on, Sonic, this is important!” Tails crossed his arms with a huff. Sonic threw his arms up in the air incredulously.
“Seriously!?” Sonic pointed at Shadow with a glare. “How dare you turn my own brother against me?”
“At least he isn’t all mushy,” Tails replied before handing the blaster back to Sonic and walking back towards the house.
“If you only knew the truth,” Sonic muttered, getting into a running position beside Shadow, who just laughed in response. “You’re lucky I like you.”
“Yeah, I am,” Shadow muttered softly as Tails yelled for them to start running.
As Sonic chased after his partner, he internally raged at the fact that Tails had missed yet another ‘mushy’ statement.
Though later, when he was alone with his thoughts, Sonic thought about how that last comment had made his heart do flips and set butterflies off in his stomach.
But was ‘like’ really the right word for how he felt?
This whole flirting game, if that’s what you would even call it, had shown Sonic a side of Shadow he hadn’t seen yet.
It was exciting. Terrifying. Confusing.
A real dilemma.