Work Text:
"Shadow, can you stay late tonight? I've got some more papers for you to go through."
The dark hedgehog glared at the speaker, who'd just poked her head around the corner of his tiny cubicle. With a glance at the already-towering stack of paperwork on his desk, then the clock that read 4:55PM, he looked back to her.
"Sure," he grumbled. Not like there was only five minutes until he got to clock out, right?
"Thanks!"
She dropped the stack of papers on his desk and left before he could change his mind, leaving him to deal with everything. His eye twitched at the second stack, which rivaled the height of the papers he was already going through. It wasn't a quick process, and it got tedious very quickly. He'd be here for another four hours, at least.
With a quiet sigh, Shadow pulled his phone from his quills, unlocking it and pulling up Sonic's contact. He tapped the call icon, letting his eyes trace over the blue hedgehog's face for a moment before he held it to his ear, waiting for his husband to pick up. It rang... and rang... and rang...
"Hey, this is Sonic! Sorry I couldn't make it to the phone right now, but–"
Shadow hung up before the voicemail could tell him to leave a message, frowning at the screen before setting it facedown on his desk and grabbing the first paper. He began the long process of entering the information into his computer, tossing each paper into a haphazard stack to the side as he finished one.
A few minutes in, his phone started buzzing. He picked it up, saw Sonic's icon show up again, and answered it.
"Hey! Sorry, I was doing laundry. What's up?" Sonic sounded happy, which was good. Unfortunately, it also meant Shadow got to ruin his good mood.
"I'm... going to be home late tonight," Shadow said hesitantly. "I'm sorry."
Silence followed, lasting just barely long enough to make the dark hedgehog wince before Sonic responded. "No worries." He paused, sounding concerned when he asked his next question. "Like, how late? Should I make dinner now or wait?"
The agonizingly huge tower of papers on Shadow's desk seemed to laugh mockingly at him as he spoke. "It'll probably be nine or ten," he admitted. "I would go ahead and eat without me."
"Alright," Sonic said, sounding disappointed. "I'll be sure to save something for you. Did, uh, did they give you more work?" When Shadow didn't respond, the blue hedgehog let out a barely audible sigh. "Again?"
"I'm sorry," Shadow said again, shame creeping its way into his chest, wrapping around his lungs and squeezing. "I didn't want to."
"We can work on setting work boundaries later, okay?" Sonic replied, the smile in his voice almost tangible. "Love you."
"Love you too."
A quiet click, then Sonic's warm presence, if not physical, was gone.
. . . . .
Four hours and twenty-seven minutes. That's how long it took for Shadow to get through both stacks of paper.
It was a little past 9:30 now, and as he clocked out and powered off his computer, he realized he was once again the only one still in the building. All of the other lights were off, including the overhead ones. Had the custodial crew already come and gone, too?
Irritation squirmed around in his stomach as he turned on his phone flashlight, making his way down the winding, labyrinthine hallways of G.U.N.'s headquarters. Security cameras watched him as he passed, his own warped reflection staring back at him. He resisted the urge to flip each one off, because that was exactly the sort of thing that would get him fired. His footsteps echoed loudly through the pristine hallways, so barren that the only decoration was a single poster that Rouge had hung up three years prior. No one ever bothered to take it down, and it'd become somewhat of a legend in the office.
Shadow hated the office section. He would much rather be out in the field with Rouge and Omega, actually doing something, like fighting Eggman or infiltrating his bases. But no, once G.U.N. had found out about Shadow's intelligence and incredible attention to detail (traits Gerald had essentially programmed into his genes), they'd realized he was much more efficient in a data-entering job.
Maybe he was. But he despised every second of it.
Finally, he reached the main entrance to the building, leading out into the parking lot. Of course, the Dark Rider was the only vehicle in the lot, sitting in the front row. Even in the dim glow of the moonlight, it shone like a mirror. Shadow couldn't help but smile at the motorcycle he'd put so much time into preserving, cleaning, and maintaining.
He swung a leg over and sat, wrapping his fingers around the handles and resting his forehead on the cool glass of the speedometer. After a moment like this, he sat up again, inserted the key, and twisted it.
Nothing happened.
The dark hedgehog frowned. He removed the key before fiddling with the engine switch, slipping the ridged piece of metal back into place. Normally, a loud roar that faded into a purr would accompany turning the vehicle on. But this time, nothing happened. The engine didn't make a noise– it was like it was completely dead.
Should I call Sonic for a ride? He wondered briefly before dismissing the thought. The blue hedgehog was very possibly in bed already, and Shadow didn't want to drag him from the warm comfort of the blanket because his motorcycle wouldn't start. He rolled his eyes before slipping the keys into his quills and leaving the park lot, hoping that no one would steal the motorcycle.
Shadow could have run or skated home, but he couldn't find the energy to do so. So he walked, following trails of cracked sidewalks and stores, old and new. The only open places were bars and clubs, pulsing with light and sound that hurt his ears.
Not even five minutes into the walk, the moon's light suddenly disappeared. He barely had time to glance up at the sudden darkness before water began falling from the sky, almost immediately going from a light sprinkle to a full-on downpour. Because of course. He wouldn't be surprised if he got struck by lightning within the next twenty minutes.
Just keep walking, he told himself, forcing his weary legs forward. Just keep going.
The wind picked up, transforming the rain from a torrential downpour to a horizontal torrential downpour, which was only slightly worse. Shadow could feel his scowl deepening with every step he took, frustration building because he couldn't do anything about this. It wasn't like he could snap his fingers and make it stop raining, so he was forced to continue. The thought of Sonic, waiting at home for him, pushed him forward.
Their house was a good thirty minute walk from G.U.N. headquarters, and when Shadow finally reached their home, he stopped in the driveway. Sonic didn't own a car, because he was the fastest thing alive– why would he need one? If he ever wanted to ride a vehicle (which was rare), he would simply ask the dark hedgehog to go on a joyride with him. Shadow would pretend to be annoyed, grumpy, irritated, or some mixture of the three, but he would always do it.
What if I just keep walking, Shadow thought, a cold, wet heaviness unrelated to the rain settling over him. It's past ten by this point. He'll be asleep; I'll just be waking him up. He's probably starting to get suspicious, or upset, or something since I'm home late so often.
The thought of cheating on Sonic made something in the dark hedgehog's stomach curl, clawing against the interior linings of his skin. He knew that Sonic knew he would never, ever do anything like that– and yet, he worried.
He probably doesn't want me home anymore.
This thought, no, this voice echoed around, bouncing off of his skull. That wasn't true. That voice was something called anxiety, according to Rouge. It sounded suspiciously like the scientists' voices, from back on the ARK; whispering half-truths to him that were just barely right enough to slip past his alarm bells. Maria had been one of the only ones whose words felt genuine. Until Sonic, of course.
The blue hedgehog, who so often dominated Shadow's thoughts, came into focus in his mind's eye. Long, spiky cobalt quills, sometimes with flowers and leaves inexplicably woven between strands. Emerald green eyes, seeing straight through Shadow's walls, saying I see you for who you are and I love you anyway. White, gloved hands, holding Shadow's tightly, outstretched, reaching for him as the stars receded and the Earth grew closer and fire enveloped him–
Shadow shivered, the hiss of rain against leaves bringing him back into the present time and reminding him of why he was still here. Here, on this planet, hurtling through space while orbiting a star over three-hundred thousand times the mass of the Earth, which was in turn a speck of dust compared to the size of the galaxy. He could have left at any point in the last fifteen years since escaping stasis. No one could have stopped him, and at first, no one would have stopped him.
The dark hedgehog's legs started moving again, pushing him towards the front door. He fished his key from his quills, which were sopping wet and practically flat against the back of his head. Before opening the door, he did his best to wring them out, though he wasn't sure how effective it was.
Sonic wasn't anywhere in sight, which wasn't surprising. The blue hedgehog burned so much energy throughout the day from running and being generally energetic that he was usually in bed, or at least asleep, by ten. There were nights, of course, where he stayed up extremely late for a variety of reasons. Whether it was anxiety or panic, a fun game, or simply losing track of time, it didn't seem to matter. If he drank any form of caffeine, he knocked out immediately.
Shadow smiled, remembering the time he'd made the mistake of making Sonic coffee for the first time. They'd just started dating, and the dark hedgehog had been incredibly nervous. He remembered his hands shaking as he handed the steaming mug over, sitting next to the blue hedgehog on his couch. The same couch to his left.
His eyes traced over the worn, blue fabric with fondness. Sonic had tried the coffee and claimed to like it, though he couldn't help but make a face. Shadow had laughed, then the blue hedgehog had finished the drink shortly after. Shadow had his own, and took his time savoring the warm drink. He didn't even have time to finish his own before Sonic was yawning, then all of a sudden, snoring lightly. He'd fallen asleep on Shadow's shoulder, who didn't have the heart to wake him or move him.
The dark hedgehog continued past the couch, glancing out one of the windows. The clouds were dissipating, though judging by the steady sound of rain on the roof, it would be a bit before they were gone entirely. Through the gaps, he could see stars just beginning to peek through, and Shadow found himself wondering how far away they were. He knew there were impossibly large distances between each one, and the exact circumstances that led to him being able to see them at this exact moment, were astronomically tiny.
Then again, that was where the term came from.
Shadow finally made it through the kitchen, where Sonic had once tried to make lasagna and failed miserably. To this day, the dark hedgehog wasn't sure how he'd managed to screw it up so badly, but in the end, they'd gotten lasagna and a movie night. He'd never found it annoying, or problematic, or anything else Sonic tried to claim it had been. He only looked back on it with affection.
The door to their bedroom was shut, so he quietly pushed it open, as gently as he could. There was a certain way you had to hold the door to keep it from creaking, something they'd both learned rather early on. He shut it behind him, standing still for a long moment to let his eyes adjust.
Sonic was lying in bed, sprawled on his back with most of his limbs entangled with the sheets. Shadow's pillow was hugged to his chest, and one foot was hanging off the bed. Sonic might have been fast, beautiful, strong, and a billion other positive words that Shadow could have used to describe him, but elegant was not usually one. He smiled, tugging the blanket back up to cover his husband before moving to his dresser, pulling out a fresh set of clothes.
Do I really need to shower? He wondered, considering the fact that he'd just been in a rainstorm for the better part of an hour. A part of him just wanted to peel his wet clothes off, hang them up, towel himself off, and sleep. But... yeah, I do, he decided. Rainwater was gross, and it wasn't soap.
Shadow cast one last longing look at the bed (which rarely looked as inviting as it did right then) before slipping into the bathroom, turning on the showerhead. He worried the noise would wake Sonic, though if the rain hadn't woken the blue hedgehog up, maybe this wouldn't, either?
He quickly showered, for once skipping his detailed quill-care routine. Instead, he used Sonic's 3-in-1 shampoo, which barely counted, in Shadow's opinion, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. He needed to be in bed, next to Sonic as soon as possible. He was tired, but more than anything, he just wanted to be by the blue hedgehog's side. Preferably under a blanket.
Yikes, he thought, though he smiled at his reflection as he dried himself off. I'm getting soft.
The dark hedgehog brushed his teeth and hung his wet clothes up to dry overnight, then shut the bathroom light off. He felt like he was possessed by something as he walked to his side of the bed, as if watching himself from a top-down angle. It was still him in control, but not really. It was Sonic, or at least Sonic's presence, drawing him closer and closer. And who was he to fight it?
Finally, Shadow crawled onto the mattress, heaving a sigh as he collapsed, letting all of his muscles go limp for a moment. Then, Sonic shifted, his breathing pattern changing. The dark hedgehog held his breath, hoping Sonic would go back to sleep, preparing an apology for waking him, when his husband rolled over, cracking one eyelid.
"Hey," he whispered, his voice quiet with sleep, though the smile on his face was warm. "I missed you."
"I know," Shadow whispered back, feeling guilty even as he smiled back, one of his hands finding Sonic's under the covers. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not upset, Shadow," Sonic murmured, his eyes opening further as he scooted closer. "So don't apologize. I'm glad you're here now."
The dark hedgehog yawned, shifting closer as well until his nose was nestled in the crook of Sonic's neck, where the warm scent of his husband was the strongest. It was a smell so comforting, so unbelievably alien yet familiar at the same time, and he couldn't get enough of it. "Me too," he whispered back, smiling against the blue hedgehog's neck.
Sonic wrapped his arms around Shadow, pulling his body closer as he pulled his head back. His eyelids were drifting closed again, but even now the dark hedgehog could see the confident, unwavering love that resided in those irises. Sonic's ears flicked back as he kissed Shadow, the feeling never failing to ignite fireworks in his stomach. It wasn't a particularly long or deep kiss, but it still spoke volumes. And that meant the world to Shadow.
"I love you, Shadow," he mumbled, his body folding perfectly into the dark hedgehog's.
Like it was meant to be, Shadow thought gleefully, even as sleep gnawed at the edges of his consciousness.
"I love you, and I always will," Sonic continued, yawning as his voice trailed off. "No matter..."
The blue hedgehog's breathing slowed, his body relaxing around Shadow's. He'd fallen asleep again, which was unfortunate for the dark hedgehog, because now Sonic wouldn't hear him say it back. Maybe he would hear it in his sleep? It didn't matter.
"I love you too, Sonic," he said, closing his eyes as he too, relaxed and let sleep take him.