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Sonic had always been a touchy person. Hugs, shoulder bumps, leaning into people for long periods of time, cuddling with Tails on stormy nights. It’d never occurred to him that one day it might be a problem to someone.
He constantly wrestled with Knuckles, so physical contact with the red warrior was no stranger. Amy enveloped him in huge hugs every time she saw him, so awkwardness was nonexistent with her. Tails was his kid brother, that really explains itself.
And Shadow…well he and Sonic were constantly fighting. It’d gotten better recently—more rivals than enemies, and then after that more friends than rivals—but they still got the thrilling rush of adrenaline when racing each other, and most of said races eventually turned physical.
And so when Sonic and his crew were all out one evening, grazing on a few charcuterie boards, and the familiar feeling of restlessness started to make Sonic’s bones buzz, he really didn’t question anything he was about to do.
Everyone was deep in conversation—Amy and Rouge were laughing together, Tails, Knuckles, and Silver were playing some card game, and Blaze and Vanilla were talking about time travel while a sleeping Cream slumped against her mother’s side.
Everyone was active.
Except for Shadow. He sat silently next to Sonic, eyes half lidded, his arms folded in front of him on the table as he stared ahead, content to space out while everyone else chattered away. His ear twitched every now and then, the only hint that he was actually paying attention to the world around him.
Sonic really paid him no mind, conscious of the fact Shadow was happy with the current situation. His fingers drummed rapidly on the wood table, his leg bounced, his mind hopped all over the place. He checked five different times for his fidgets, and every time was disappointed to discover he had forgotten them.
His hands needed something to do, and so naturally they drifted to the closest person.
His fingers slipped underneath the hem of Shadow’s jacket, resting on his back as they traced small circles into his fur. Shadow stiffened, but Sonic didn’t even notice as he laughed at a joke someone had thrown into the group.
His hand traveled a little further up, threading into the quills on Shadow’s upper back, and the hybrid felt his eyes start to slip shut in bliss. His shoulders went a little slack as Sonic carefully massaged around the base of his spines, and he pushed back a little into Sonic’s hand.
Shadow wasn’t used to receiving physical affection from people that weren’t Rouge. She would snuggle against him during movies, drape herself across him on the couch, lean against him while he made coffee, but never massage his quills. They were strictly platonic, and Shadow never felt uncomfortable around her because he knew she was obsessed with Knuckles.
But this was completely different. This was Sonic, who’d never touched him like this, and Shadow didn’t know how to react.
He made a small noise as Sonic’s fingers carded through his quills again(that he would forever deny), and that was when Sonic finally noticed.
He froze, guilt creeping into his chest.
“Sorry,” he whispered as a slight blush started to color his muzzle. Shadow was no better off, his face and ears tinted scarlet
“I don’t care,” Shadow murmured back. “Keep going.”
Sonic paused. “Are…are you sure?”
He wasn’t used to Shadow being like this at all—it felt like a trap.
“Positive,” Shadow growled, his skin already feeling itching with the absence of Sonic’s motions. “Just get on with it.”
Sonic hesitated, then slowly resumed what he was doing, his other hand slipping underneath Shadow’s jacket to join.
He gently massaged his shoulders and lower spines, fingers occasionally rubbing at small knots buried in his muscle from months of tension and stress.
Shadow sighed, letting his head dip forward as Sonic’s hands worked at aches he hadn’t known existed until now.
Across the table, Rouge spotted the shift between them, and a smile crept onto her face as Shadow relaxed completely underneath Sonic’s touch. They were in their own little bubble, and Rouge quickly averted her gaze, not wanting to draw attention.
Sonic was hyper focused on what he was doing. His fingers traced the line of fur over Shadow’s shoulder blades, sliding down to rub around his spine and lower back.
“So,” he muttered after a while, and one of Shadow’s ears swiveled back towards him. “Do you normally let people who annoy you get this handsy with you, or am I just special?”
Shadow hummed softly as Sonic scratched between his quills. “I think you’re just lucky,”
Sonic laughed softly, palming over Shadow’s shoulders.
The agent’s head came to rest on his folded arms, rocking slightly with the movements of Sonic’s hands.
“You also don’t annoy me,” he added quietly, and Sonic felt warmth bloom in his core.
“That’s nice to know,” he whispered back.
He continued his work for a little while longer, carefully avoiding getting sliced by one of Shadow’s quills. The sun continued to slowly descend, and the chatter around them never ceased.
Eventually, Rouge caught his eye.
“He’s out, hun,” she whispered across the table, and Sonic blinked.
“Really?”
She nodded, gesturing towards Shadow. “Has been.”
Sonic leaned forward, gently pushing Shadow’s head to the side to find him dozing like a cat.
“Wow,” he breathed, fingers lingering on Shadow’s cheek. “He really is.”
“Good work, Blue,” Rouge congratulated him quietly, a hint of amusement tinging her voice. “I have a feeling he needed that.”
Sonic sat back, pride making him smile crooked.
“Guess he did.” He let his hand drift back down to Shadow’s back, resting warmly as he slept. The late sunshine illuminated his features perfectly, and Sonic realized he’d probably never seen Shadow this relaxed.
Happy with his work, he slowly made his way back into conversation at the table, his hand never leaving Shadow’s back.