Chapter Text
Sonic, a blue hedgehog of the mobian species, was dressed in a grayish green button up T-shirt, with pants a similar colour to match and dark brown hiking boots. His gloves were also dark brown, and he had a backpack on his shoulders. He was wearing a belt to keep his pants up, and there was a rope attached to it. In his bag was some food and water, files, his phone, car keys, and more.
Sonic was currently in a jungle with a camera in his hands, taking pictures of various things to send back to the laboratory he was at. He even collected a few things from time to time and put them in plastic baggies, in which he stored in the front pocket of his backpack to keep safe.
As he explored, Sonic noticed some claw marks on a tree trunk. He followed the trail, and suddenly heard some soft grunts. Sonic's ears perked up and he went to the source. He saw a large black and red hedgehog, with a patch of fluffy white fur on his chest. The other hedgehog was stuck in a thorn bush, struggling to get out of it. He didn't even seem to notice Sonic, especially because he was far too focused on trying to get himself away from the bush. There was some specks of blood on both him and the grassy ground. It was clear he needed help.
Sonic decided to take matters into his own hands. He approached the dark hedgehog quietly, before he pulled some sort of sharp tool from his backpack and cut the branches loose to help this wild hedgehog out.
The black and red hedgehog quickly sprang out and bared his teeth at Sonic, growling lowly. He didn't seem to know how to speak, or, maybe he just didn't want to. Sonic wasn't sure. He took in the wild hedgehog's appearance:
His tail was long and unkempt, and so were his quills. He had long claws on his toes and the tips of his fingers, and he was only wearing a loincloth on his waist. This black furred hedgehog had red markings on his torso, shoulders, and tail, and he had a long stripe on each of his arms and legs. The underside of his hands were red, and his feet were completely red. He even had pink paw pads. For some odd reason, he had three golden piercings on his left ear. His muzzle and inner ear was a yellowish tan colour, and he had golden rings on his wrist. Though, his looks weren't even the center of intimidation. It was his eyes. This black and red hedgehog's eyes were a deep red, burning with revenge and hatred for the world; a firey hell. They pierced right through your body, leaving a hole in your soul.
Sonic, not deterred by this other mobian's aloof demeanor and daunting appearance, stepped closer. "Hey," he greeted softly, like he was talking to a feral animal—which, in this instance, he sort of was. "Are you okay?" Sonic asked. "You look pretty roughed up," he pointed out, reaching a hand out to the other hedgehog. He noticed that whoever this was quickly pulled away and stepped back, ready to flee. This hedgehog's eyes were wide, like he was both intrigued and fearful of Sonic. The blue hedgehog stepped back. "I, uhhh..." He blushed. He hadn't noticed how.. Oddly handsome this wild hedgehog looked. "I, uhm, want to help out. Can you answer my question? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine!" the dark hedgehog hissed, his hands clenching into fists at his side. His voice smooth with a slight edge to it and on high alert. There was a slight snarl in his voice, a quiet warning to Sonic.
Sonic slightly jumped, but he didn't run away. Instead, he slowly took off his backpack and reached into his bag before pulling out a ripe red apple. He held it out to Shadow. "I couldn't help but notice how hungry you looked," Sonic muttered, nodding his head and gesturing for the othe hedgehog to take it.
The wild hedgehog was reluctant, but he carefully reached out and snatched the apple from Sonic's hand anyway. He bit into it, the juicy fruit crunching as he began to eat it. "Mmm..." he hummed in contentment.
"It's good, right?" Sonic questioned rhetorically. "What's your name?"
"Shadow.."
"Hmm.. Can I help you, Shadow?" the speedster asked. "I'll take you to my home."
Shadow growled skeptically, "and why should I trust you?"
The blue hedgehog chuckled. "You can, or you can't. It's up to you, mm... Shadow," he replied.
The wild hedgehog glanced down at the apple in his hands. It's not like I can't supply myself and survive in the wild, he thought, but... He has warm water, right? Warm water could be nice to bathe in. Shadow was conflicted. He gave Sonic and unsure look and brought the apple to his mouth. "Fine," he hissed, taking a bite out of the red fruit.
Sonic gave Shadow a gentle smile, carefully approaching him and resting a hand on his shoulder. "Okay. Follow me, then. I'll get your cuts cleaned up," Sonic murmured as he began to tug on Shadow's shoulder, encouraging him to move. Reluctantly, Shadow followed, allowing Sonic to take him where he pleased. He was still on edge, though, but why wouldn't he be? Being taken to a stranger's home wasn't exactly comforting, especially to Shadow. He wasn't used to civilization.
---
They stepped out of the jungle's canopy, the sunlight warming their fur. Shadow subtly leaned into the feeling. However, his body went on high alert when he saw a large, roaring machine standing still on a large piece of concrete connecting to a road. Shadow's quills bristled. "Blue hedgehog," he snarled, "what is that?"
"Huh?" Sonic's ears perked as he looked at where Shadow pointed. A chuckle escaped him. "That's called a car. You use it to get to places faster. It won't hurt you, I promise."
Shadow crossed his arms stubbornly, eliciting a soft sigh from the blue hedgehog. "Shadow," he said. "Come on. Just trust me. I mean, I've taken you this far, and I haven't hurt you at all. If I was going to hurt you, don't you think I would've done it already?"
"Guess… I guess," Shadow mumbled. He uncrossed his arms and stood still, frozen in place. It was clear that Shadow was intimidated by the car, still.
Sonic gently grabbed Shadow's waist, his cheeks slightly reddening, and pulled him towards the car. "It's okay," he pacifier as he coaxed Shadow towards the car.
Shadow bit his tongue and held one of Sonic's arms tightly with both of his hands, his claws slightly poking Sonic's fur.
"Relax," Sonic said as he opened the door to the passenger side and carefully made Shadow sit down. He reached over and buckled the seatbelt before shutting the door and getting in the car on the drivers side. The car roared to life as Sonic turned it on. Shadow visibly tensed, startled, but he didn't make a sound. Sonic chuckled lowly and pat Shadow's forearm as he began to put the car in reverse. "This is normal," he assured. "Don't sweat it."
Shadow hummed skeptically in response, but he didn't say anything.
---
Later, at Sonic's house, Shadow nearly jumped out of the car. It was obvious that he didn't enjoy the ride. It made his nauseated, but he didn't mention it.
"Come on," he heard Sonic call. "This way," he said as he led Shadow through the front door after unlocking it.
The house was simple, looking like it could store, maximum, four people, and it had two bathrooms. There was a large living room, a medium sized kitchen, and then a long, long hallway in the middle of the house. Shadow grunted disapprovingly.
"Here... I'll take you to the bathroom, and we can get you cleaned up, and stuff."
"Bathroom?" the black and red wild hedgehog echoed. It was obvious that he was unfamiliar with the word.
"Oh, right. A bathroom is a place where you can shower, take care of business, and deal with all of your personal necessities, like, uh.. Brushing your teeth, or quills, for example," Sonic explained.
Shadow furrowed a brow. "What are teeth?"
"The things in your mouth that you chew with."
"Oh."
Sonic laughed. "Let's go," he said, taking Shadow's wrist and bringing him to the bathroom. "Okay... Let's see.. Sit down right here." Sonic pointed to the edge of the tub.
Shadow complied, sitting where Sonic had told him to. He took in the scents that were in the air. Lavender, cleaning supplies, and.. Something that was distinctly Sonic. He scrunched his nose. It didn't smell bad, just strong. Admittedly, it made him a little excited, but Shadow would never confess that.
He shifted awkwardly as Sonic grabbed things from a cabinet. It looked to be bandages, ointments, and wipes, but, of course, Shadow didn't know what they were.
The blue hedgehog glanced over at Shadow and frowned slightly. "Maybe you should get a bath first. When's the last time you took one?"
"I haven't been counting." Shadow shrugged.
Sonic chuckled. "It was a rhetorical question. That means I don't expect a real answer from it, buddy. But it's alright if you haven't been counting. I don't expect you to," he stated. "Uhmmm... Hmm... Well, you should probably take a shower so that we could really rinse all that grime off of you."
"A shower?"
"Yeah. It's like rain, but the water is, like.. It's kind of just better. Plus, it's private. In this world, you don't shower in public, or around anyone, unless it's someone you trust, like a partner or a friend."
"Oh…" Shadow muttered. His ears perked as Sonic approached him and sat down beside him.
"Okay, well, uh.." His cheeks reddened. "You don't know what.. Soap happens to be, do you?" Sonic asked, getting only a head shake from Shadow. "I— uhm— Do you want me to help?"
Shadow hesitated, biting his lip and bouncing his leg. "Okay," he decided finally.
Sonic groaned quietly, feeling flustered at the thought of helping someone as handsome as Shadow in the shower—even if Shadow was currently covered in dirt and unkempt. "Alright.. So... I mean, take off your loincloth. I'll get you some clothes when we finish giving you a shower," he said.
Shadow didn't know what clothes were, but he didn't feel like asking any more questions due to the uncharacteristic way Sonic was currently acting. He obeyed, untying his loincloth before letting it fall to the floor. Since he wasn't taught a lot of the basics about life and civilization, Shadow didn't really know that it was weird to be naked in front of someone who wasn't close. To him, it was mostly normal. In the jungle, Shadow would usually just be nude, anyway.
Sonic's face flushed at the sight of Shadow bare. He tried not to let his hungry eyes travel, but he couldn't help but look at Shadow's form briefly. He was tall, muscular, and his chest fur wasn't the only white fur on him. He had a white happy line, too. It was a good thing that his intimate parts were hidden by a white pouch between his legs—like all male mobians (except, obviously, their pouches varied based on the colours of their fur)—or else Sonic would've fainted on the spot with second-hand embarrassment and lust. He shook the thought away, and decided to treat Shadow and his body with more respect.
He removed his jacket and gloves before turning on the shower and looking at Shadow. "Now, we wait for the water to warm up, alright? Let's brush your quills while we wait," Sonic suggested. "They look pretty matted," he commented as he pulled out a brush from his drawer. He would have to bring a spare out for later and throw this one away. Who knows how bad Shadow's quills were?
Sonic carefully brushed through Shadow's quills as the water warmed, making sure to give Shadow infinite care and to not hurt him too much. After his quills were finished being brushed, they moved on to the shower, where Sonic cleaned Shadow deeply and helped him understand, exactly, the way showers worked. He did his best to hold back from letting his eyes wander. That just wasn't who Sonic was. He was flirty and cocky and a tease sometimes, but he still wanted to treat people with ultimate respect. He had morals. It wasn't his place to do anything to anyone unless they agreed to it with confidence. It wasn't anyone's place to do that.
While Sonic cleaned him, the feeling felt oddly familiar to Shadow. It wasn't just how gentle and warm Sonic's touch was, but the shower itself. He remembered having scientist usually wash him up or, on occasion, Maria if she was able to. He had no idea it was called a shower. He just remembered that it was his routine to do about every two or three days. Bathing, Shadow remembered, was something that you should do often since it keeps you clean. Maria said that to him. He was pulled out of his thoughts, though, when he heard Sonic saying something about conditioner.
---
Once Shadow was fully cleaned, clothed, and fixed up, Sonic taught him a thing or two about living in a life like this. He also told Shadow that he could stay for a few days, just to heal, and that he was free to decide whether he wanted to stay or go back home. It was up to him. It wasn't Sonic's choice, and he wanted to make sure that Shadow knew that.
Right now, he was currently making food for the hungry black and red hedgehog, when a two-tailed yellow fox had shown up.
"Hey, Sonic!" he greeted joyously. "What's are you—..." the fox trailed off, shock entering his body with a gasp as he stared at the hedgehog in front of him. Dressed in Sonic's clothes, intimidating red eyes, and a scary form? The fox immediately cowared behind Sonic. "Sonic?!" he cried.
"Tails, relax," Sonic comforted. "It's okay. This is Shadow. He's... A friend I'm taking care of. Don't be scared. Shadow just looks grumpy," he said with a laugh.
"I believe you, Sonic," Tails responded, "but this is my house, you know."
"I know, I'm sorry. I'll explain it to you later. Just.. For now, just sit down and I'll give you some of this, alright?"
"Okay," the fox said, moving to sit a safe distance away from the wild black and red hedgehog.
Shadow just stared. Not in a rude way. Curiously. He had never seen anyone else before, other than the humans he lived with before he lived in the jungle—Maria, Gerald, and several scientists—and the occasional mobian that stumbled across him in the jungle every so often. Shadow then realized this was the closest he's ever been to people in a long, long time.
"Here," Sonic called, drawing him out of his thoughts by handing him a plate of food. Shadow didn't bother waiting to dig in. He clawed at the food with his paws, ravenously shoving it into his mouth. Sonic decided not to call Shadow out on it, since he was still learning, but he did clean Shadow's hands after it.
---
By nighttime, Sonic explained to Tails how he found Shadow in the jungle, and why he was here.
"I couldn't just leave him there. He had to be helped," Sonic reasoned. "He has some pretty bad infections anyway. They look recent, too. I w was going to take him to a doctor's office tomorrow to get him checked out," he said. "I.. I worry for him."
Tails sighed. "Okay.. Fine... He can stay until he's healed, and, if you want, he can stay longer. But I fully expect you to teach him how to do things right, please."
"I will," the blue hedgehog promised. "I will."
Sonic tucked Shadow into bed and gave his black and red quills a small stroke. "This is called a bed. It's warm and comfy, as you can tell. You use it to sleep in. And if you get too hot," he explained, "you just click this button on this thing called a fan and it will turn on for you and cool you down. You can turn it off by clicking this one, here." Sonic pointed. "Any questions?"
"Can you stay with me?" the dark hedgehog suddenly asked, a rare, vulnerable look entering his face. "Please," Shadow implored.
Sonic sighed softly and got into the bed with Shadow. "Alright. I'll stay. Just rest, now."
Shadow's face suddenly felt hot, he has butterflies in his stomach, and his heart rate increased. He buried his head into peach Sonic's chest, eliciting a surprised squeak from the blue hedgehog, and closed his eyes before dozing off.
............................................................................
Sunlight softly peeked into the room from the curtains, the rays casting a beautiful golden orange hue across the floor. Shadow opened his eyes, adjusting to the bright light in the room, and his ears twitched as quiet noise rumbled beside him. He turned his head, only to see Sonic looking for something in the drawer of the nightstand. Shadow scowled. "Sonic," he called, his voice still deep from just walking up, "what are you doing?" He rubbed his eyes.
"Oh, Shadow," Sonic greeted with a smile. "Don't worry, it's not important. How did you sleep?"
"Fine," Shadow answered as he shuffled out of the blankets and stood up. He felt Sonic's hand touch his own.
"Let's go," Sonic commanded. "You should use the bathroom and wash your face. I'll go make you breakfast," he said as he led Shadow to the bathroom and invited him in.
Shadow walked in the bathroom and shut the door behind himself, and Sonic walked away to get to the kitchen. He opened his fridge and grabbed an egg, along with a small pack of strawberries, and began to prepare breakfast.
A few minutes later, the dark hedgehog walked into the kitchen, following Sonic's scent and the delicious smell of food.
"Food's almost ready. Washed your hands?"
"Washed them?" Shadow questioned as he stepped closer to Sonic and loomed over his shoulder.
The blue hedgehog chuckled. "With soap and water. Remember? It's like giving a mini bath to your hands." Sonic pointed to the sink. "Wash them there. Scrub good, alright?"
Shadow nodded. Tails walked into the room, a satisfied hum escaping him. "Mmm! What's that smell?"
"Pancakes, and eggs! I also have, uhm.. Fruits and stuff on this tray here. Take as you please," Sonic answered, gesturing to the plates of food.
Shadow dried his hands on the sweater he was wearing and walked back towards Sonic, looking over his shoulder as Sonic flipped an egg. He watched quietly with interest. Sonic glanced up at him.
"What are you doing, haha?" He laughed. "Go sit down somewhere. I'll give you something to eat," Sonic stated as he gently nudged Shadow towards the chairs, to which Shadow obeyed, and sat down. He watched as Sonic brought a plate to him and unsheathed his claws to begin eating. Sonic noticed and handed Shadow a fork. "Here," he offered. "Use this. You pick up the egg like so," the blue hedgehog instructed, putting the fork in Shadow's hand and guiding it to stab the egg, "and you bring it to your mouth and eating it. You would usually use a fork or spoon when you're eating, unless it's a chili dog or a burrito, or something... I'll teach you all about it later."
"Hmmm... A fork," Shadow echoed, testing the word as he took a bite from the egg with contentment. He nodded in approval at the taste. It was unlike anything he had ever eaten before.
"Eat up, Shads," Sonic instructed warmly, gently caressing Shadow's arm. "I'm taking you somewhere later today to get you looked at."