Chapter Text
Nature has always been a constitution that amazed Shadow. It was a phenomenon which proved to him that everything around him was real and physical. He was not made in a force of nature, but rather in the force of human hands. Yet, humans themselves are a part of nature, after all. Some think nature is a sacred reality, some consider it as the history of human activity. It made Shadow wonder, is he truly a part of Earth? Part of the divine flaws which had formed throughout billions of years, just for him to experience all its glory in the current moment?
Sunlight filtered through trees, desperately trying to reach the damp soil in order to create photosynthesis in the low plants. Distant animal movements and sounds that were comforting yet foreboding sent chills down his spine, the underlying anxiety that they would bump into a bigger wild animal visible in his shoulders. All kinds of birds sang their songs and flew past the dominating evergreen which consisted of moss-covered trunks.
The air around them was earthy, with a hint of pine once they passed by a cool, shaded area. The path Sonic guided him by wasn’t wide, but Shadow could tell people often took that route, since the ground was quite stomped and naked from any plants. Perhaps a few lines of ants and lone beetles often crossed over the shredded pieces of bark.
For once, they weren’t racing. Or in a hurry. Instead, they walked peacefully, taking in the whole scenery with all their being. Shadow was so sure that Sonic was unable to keep such a slow pace for more than 10 minutes–the leisurely way they moved would’ve made the blue hedgehog itching to run and feel the forest wind shuffle through his quills.
It seems he was wrong. The one ahead of him was completely relaxed and once in a while, whenever the hedgehog felt like it, he would pause for a moment and take a deep inhale. To let the natural spices and mossy fragrance shifting through air freshen his senses. It was something he really hadn’t expected because what he thought they were initially going to do was skid through the forest, possibly causing a small brawl with equal competitiveness to rival each other.
But color him surprised. It’d been nearly an hour of just walking in silence. Shadow swore he’d never seen Sonic stay quiet for so long, whereas in usual conditions he would’ve already yapped his ear off. Yet he was somewhat appreciating the whole momentum despite the whole unusuality of it all.
The dark hedgehog turned his head towards where vivid blue quills flashed across his peripheral vision, light bouncing off and creating a soft glow on the color that one would think doesn’t fit in with the organic environment, but to Shadow, it was the complete opposite. Above them stood an azure blue sky, subtle white tufts of clouds floating towards the soon setting amaranthine sun that moved at the speed of a snail. Sonic’s quills blended perfectly with the ether, as if he’s the closest thing to nature itself–the pinnacle of the world and the only thing that can retain its beauty and uniqueness even after destruction. Unfading, eternal and indomitable.
Which, honestly, he kind of was, in a way. The guy was known for his limitless speed, the only guidance for his golden heart a light, but assuring breeze. It was enough to make Shadow envy him deep in his gut. He wasn’t as free as Sonic–with duties to attend and his complex characteristics shackling him from reaching the peaks of his own being. Notwithstanding all that, his past drives him to keep going–to bring justice and protect what is dear to him in hopes of keeping up with the witted blue speedster.
Of course, there will never be a time when he’ll admit any of that to Sonic. He simply wouldn’t be able to shoulder it. Alas, it’d been a while since they exchanged some words and neither of them were oblivious to the lack of banter.
“...Do you even know where you’re going?” Shadow asked with a raise of his brow. He watched as Sonic stopped in his tracks to look at him, a content smirk slapped across his face.
“Not really. But I do remember a nice place with a great view.” He continued walking, his arms behind his head.
Shadow frowned. “And how far is it?”
“We’re almost there. I think.” Sonic snickered to himself. “Honestly, I thought I was the impatient one.”
“Impatience doesn’t equal wasting my time.”
“Then why do you keep following me?” Sonic peeked at the dark hedgehog with a teasing grin.
Shadow’s frown deepened as he stepped over a peculiarly thick root. “You invited me to Chaos knows where, to watch the sunset.”
Sonic dropped his arms. “Oh, right. I completely forgot, thanks for reminding me, Shads. I was wondering why we're walking off to absolutely nowhere.” He mused with sarcasm as he slid his hand through a hanging pine branch. It was similar to his own quills, except dark green. “I guess I didn’t really tell you exactly why.”
Only getting a grunt in response, Sonic rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I thought it might be nice to just, y’know, hang out. We barely do that anyway. Not that I don’t appreciate challenging you to race me, but some difference won’t hurt, will it?” Shadow ducked as he walked past by a big branch, his gaze on blue quills as he kept following him. “Besides, the sky looks great today.”
Shadow was about to add a gruff comment about how cringy it all sounded when they walked out of the forest and towards a cliff. Ahead of them was a breathtaking landscape: an endless horde of pine and spruce trees, light near the horizon embracing all of it in a gentle, golden hug. Fiery shades of red and orange blazed while melting into purple and blue, the same color of Sonic’s quills. The luminous sight felt oddly…intimate?
The hybrid stopped next to Sonic, taken off guard by the sunset. The said blue hedgehog smirked and nudged him in his elbow. “Stunning, ain’t it?”
Shadow slowly nodded, still taken aback by the sight. They eventually ended up sitting on the edge of the cliff, with Sonic not minding how dangerous was their ideal chilling spot and leaned down onto his elbows, his feet slightly dangling off the edge. His eyes closed as he basked in the setting rays, feeling cold crispiness blend with the fresh air.
It all seemed so peaceful and serene, a stark contrast of their usual hustles. For once, Shadow really did respect Sonic’s choice of place. It smoothened his musings into simply staring off to the distance, unbothered by the crickets chirping in the background.
“So,” Sonic lifted his eyes onto the one next to him, “what do you think?” He offered a snarky, yet warm grin.
Shadow lowered his eyelids. He fell back deep into thought, trying to grasp onto words to describe it all. “It’s… nice.” He admitted.
Letting out a hum, Sonic laid on his back, his arms resting under his head. “Told you.”
By the time the sun had begun to touch the horizon, Sonic pushed himself up into sitting. The whole scene proved that they’re able to just be in each other’s presence, without bickering or giving one another half-heated words. To the point Shadow felt comfortable enough to let his guard down and close his eyes, a refreshing puff of wind blowing past him.
“Hey, I have a question.” Sonic leaned towards Shadow, but kept a reasonable amount of space between them. The dark hedgehog turned to look at him with a low ‘hm?’, his earlier disbelief in gusto slipping away. Sonic took it as a sign to continue. “If one of your wishes were to come true, no matter what it is, what would you wish for?”
Shadow raised his brow, befuddled by the corny question. Be that as it may, it took him a little while before he finally spoke. “...I’m not sure.” He lowered his head, back slightly hunched. “I would probably wish for mortality, or the chance to see Maria again.”
Sonic’s ears perked up at the mention of Maria, the blonde girl that Sonic knew Shadow was very fond of in his past; the hybrid had taken him by surprise. Then his eyes fell onto Shadow’s hands, they vaguely fidgeted. That was new.
“But I know those are quite impossible. So, I don’t know.” Shadow hadn’t noticed the way his voice lacked the usual bite, instead it was a low emotional rumble. It wasn’t until he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“That’s alright. It was just a silly question, after all. For example, I would wish for a ton of Chili Dogs if I were given the chance!” He offered an inviting smile, one that, whether the hybrid liked it or not, infected Shadow’s own line of mouth. The dark hedgehog looked away, placing a hand over his mouth to muffle a chuckle. And to his fortunativeness, Sonic didn’t tease him about it and chuckled as well.
Rain poured on Shadow with no mercy, his quills disheveled and wet. He was soaked to the bone the moment he closed the door behind him, the inopportune weather getting the better of him. Seriously, out of all the days it could’ve rained, it just happened to be that day?!
He let out a tired groan as he shrugged off his jacket, feeling the day weighing on him more than he’d like to admit. To put it shortly, he had a long, cruciating, tiresome day. Which in fact was filled to the brim with paperwork: two whole stacks that needed to be either signed, organized or passed over to the higher-ups.
Frankly, the last few missions he had were, how to say, messy. Downright laughable. And aside from the amount of shame piled up on his shoulders, he could clearly tell that the cause of his mishappenings was his lack of motivation. You see, he may be built to complete tasks and missions beyond human capabilities but that didn’t make him less of a person either. He was burned out.
After taking off his air shoes, he made his way to his bedroom. The first thing he did once he had taken a shower and changed into a comfortable white T-shirt, was checking his communicator. To his relief, he already saw a message invade his inbox from none other than Sonic himself.
Over the course of a year the two got somewhat closer. They’re still doing races and competing from time to time, often whenever either of them is irritated or just in a mood for a lighthearted rumble. Albeit, they kept in touch–a thing they were rather hesitant to proceed at first, yet it was better than just hoping they’d bump into each other on a lucky day to have a simple conversation.
Shadow sat on the edge of his bed, his quills still damp from the shower. The message made him arch his brow, for it was an unusual thing Sonic would ask.
Not even a second later, Shadow heard a loud knocking on his door. In utter disbelief, he went and opened the main entrance door to see Sonic standing in the rain, fur and quills soggy. “What the…?” Brows pinched up, Shadow dragged him inside in an instant.
Sonic shivered as he stood in front of Shadow, all until he shot him a not-so-convincing smirk. “What’s up?”
Shadow wanted to punch him. Not out of anger or irritation, but from genuinely questioning what the hell is he doing here. But he relented. “Why are you here.” He asked firmly as he closed the door, taking a good look at the blue hedgehog that more or so reminded him of a wet dog.
“Oh, you know, just a quick stroll to get some fresh air. Thought I’d stop by.” He grinned at the other.
“You followed me.” Shadow facepalmed, his ears flattened in vexation. “What do you want.” Sonic was overall lucky he wasn’t left out in the rain to explain himself, considering the fact that literally no one other than Rouge has seen Shadow’s house from the inside or even knows where it’s located for his privacy’s sake. The blue idiot must’ve seen him depart from G.U.N. headquarters and stalked him to the other side of Green Hills.
“No warm welcome? Is this how you treat your guests?” Sonic crossed his arms with amusement. “Okay, I actually came to ask you something.”
Shadow felt his eye twitch at seeing a puddle on the carpet (it was dirty anyway but now it meant he had to wash it soon). Not giving the hedgehog a chance to explain himself, he went to bring a towel. After coming back, he threw it into Sonic’s face with more force than intended, making him wobble back a little as his vision was stolen away.
Realizing what it was, Sonic gave him thumbs up and spoke, the towel muffling his voice: “Thanks.”
Some drying later, the two moved to the kitchen. Shadow felt generous enough to make some tea in hopes for Sonic to warm up faster. From his earlier experience of rollerblading in the rain, he could tell the hero was still cold. The hybrid sat across Sonic, sliding the mug of mint tea towards him.
Sonic gave him a nod of appreciation, then took a sip. Immediately, he placed the mug back down as the liquid was still far too hot and burnt his tongue a little. He winced a tad, clutching his mouth as the tip of his tongue hurt.
“You had a reason you’re here. Lay it out.” Shadow leaned back against his chair, brows in a light furrow.
“Oh, yeah.” Sonic cleared his throat, a sudden nervousness creeping into his demeanor. He shifted his elbow onto the table, his cheek resting in his palm. “I was thinking if, um, you’d like to…go out?” Sonic almost whispered the last part.
Shadow stared at him with mouth agape, eyes widened a fraction. “As in…”
“...Yes. A date.” Sonic scratched his cheek, averting his gaze. “But it’s okay if you don’t want to, I–”
“Where?”
Caught off guard, Sonic’s eyes lit up. “Wait, you’re agreeing?”
Shadow rolled his eyes. “I’m hearing the whole deal. I don’t want to get myself into something I might regret later on.”
“Ouch. You hurt my feelings, Shadow.” The hero tilted his head in a lighthearted manner. “Laser tag.”
“Laser tag?” He cocked his brow. “Isn’t that a children’s game?”
“It has guns,” Sonic grinned fondly, his hand coming up to play with the spoon which sat in the warm mug, “and competition.”
Completely ignoring the fact that Sonic was trying to win him over with fake plastic guns, Shadow couldn’t lie, it was tempting. He did want to let loose after all the nagging and overloaded work he’d had to endure the past half a year. But he also needed to stick to what he prioritized the most.
“...When?” He shifted in his seat, a hint of interest in his tone. “It better be a weekend.”
“This Saturday.”
“Mmh…” Shadow stared at the mug, a million different voices in his head telling him to drop the offer. But there were also a variety of feelings telling him to give it a shot–maybe it’s not that bad? Yes, Sonic was rather annoying and at times Shadow wished he could punch that smug off his face whenever they raced and ended with a tie. Or whenever they would participate in other challenges and almost always end up in the same place equally. It ticked him off sometimes, honestly.
But it didn’t mean Sonic was a walking red flag. Aside from his flaws, he’s the sincerest person Shadow knew. Compared to himself, whose existence had been forcefully brought to reality against his own freewill, Sonic is the embodiment of the nature of freedom. He wasn’t made with a purpose to be served, yet with one he was able to choose on his own–helping others. And perhaps saving the world with everyone repeatedly.
The guy was worth admiring, for all Shadow could decide. After some further thinking, he spoke after a deep sigh. “...Fine.”
“You’re coming?” Sonic pushed further, his grin only growing wider. “Sheesh, I didn’t know you had a soft side, Shads.” He picked up the mug after stirring it a while, giving it a gentle blow before he took a sip. It was less hot now, drinkable. “Not that I’m complaining.”
Shadow scowled. “If you tell anyone about it, I swear I’ll–”
“Too late,” Sonic took a bigger sip, the end of the spoon flicking against his cheek as he drank. Once he placed the mug back down, he continued. “This concept was all Amy’s idea. She’s going on a date with Blaze and apparently they thought the perfect place for it would be laser tag, where surprise, surprise, you need more than one team.
Plus, Amy wanted some support. And who am I to refuse such an offer, a laser tag with two of my amazing friends? Like c’mon! However,” he held up his hand as a sign of pause, ”I don’t want to third wheel, so I was thinking it could be a double date. And trust me, I was thinking of inviting Rouge or other alternatives, but I’m pretty sure Knuckles would’ve beheaded me.”
Flabbergasted, Shadow gripped the edge of the table. Of course there was a catch. For some reason his heart had begun to pound wildly in his chest, making it hard to believe that he was really, really considering going on a date with Sonic. Let alone when those two girls were accompanying them. Hell, one of them is a princess. But for all he knew, he had already accepted the offer.
“Sooo… I’ll see you on Saturday?” Sonic asked, his ears perked up in failed hidden excitement. He’d finished drinking the tea, now ready to leave the dark hedgehog to his own business. He stood up from his seat and went over to the kitchen window, taking a look outside. It was no longer raining, only a captivating moon sitting high up in the night sky.
Shadow followed his gaze. “...Right.”
Sonic turned back to him with a smile, already making his way next to the hybrid. “I could also set up something for after the laser tag if the double date bothers you. Just the two of us.” He shifted his body closer, his hip lightly brushing against Shadow’s elbow. “What do you think? Or am I too much to handle?” He said teasingly.
“Your mouth runs faster than yourself, you know that?” Shadow grumbled under his breath, his face becoming visibly flustered at the thought that Sonic wants to spend time alone with him. Well, they already do that on a normal day basis but this time with romantical intention behind it. And boy oh, boy did it send his thoughts into a cluster.
“Perhaps you’re right.” He leaned down to eye level with Shadow, since he was still sitting. “But hey, don’t overthink it. Take it as a chance to finally have fun!” Sonic encouraged, but as he did, his nose accidentally tapped against Shadow’s.
The two were taken aback for a moment, but proceeded with the conversation. “Get out of here already.” Shadow stood up, startling the blue hedgehog a bit. What he said was, in some terms, threatening. But it didn’t sound like it. Instead, Sonic took it as a chance to tease him a little further before finally initiating his request.
“I thought you’ve become fond of me.” Sonic walked to the exit, his fur now dry. Only the insides of his sneakers were still drenched and made a frog-like sound with every step he took. “Seeya then!” He opened the door and dashed out into the night, leaving a trail of blue behind.
Shadow watched as the door swung closed, his heart going wild in his chest. I’m going on a date with Sonic… The sentence repeated in his head countless times, like a chorus, either with dread or undeniable yet accepting excitement. Able to compete with Sonic for the most part, of course. He assumed the main reason Sonic wanted him specifically was so they could be in the same team and work along since they’ve been on softer notes recently.
Thank Gaia it was Thursday. Meaning he still had a day to prepare for whatever will happen on the date. But even as he thought about it more, the word ‘date’ itself felt somewhat bitter on his tongue. They were rivals, after all. They more or so fought or gave each other insults that led to full blown arguments. But taking a look back, Shadow himself can’t deny that Sonic has gotten closer to him; the motive for it was still unknown.
Sonic had made it to Tails’ house, both happy and a bit disappointed to find the fox in his lab working on a project in the backyard. They didn’t exchange many words, other than “Don’t stay up too late, buddy” and “Yeah, yeah”. The blue hedgehog jogged to his room (or rather the guest room that had his stuff in it) and pulled off his wet sneakers. He threw them into the dryer, although giving them a full wash wasn’t a bad idea either. Be that as it may, he needed them for the next day.
Personally, it was a bit embarrassing to Sonic that he was still considerably homeless, hence he did not own the house he currently stayed in for an unforeseen time. But it also gave him the freedom to leave and arrive back whenever he wanted or choose not to go anywhere at all. There were many instances where he had stood up and left, just to come back a few weeks later with his only explanation being “I took a few naps”. It wasn’t that he was lying, but there was more to it than he reveals. Whether it has been a yet to be discovered cave or ancient ruins in a place no one dared to go. Anyone except Sonic.
Alas, he still considered that place a home since he spends most of his time there. And he loves living there with the people he loves. He loves the late game nights he’d have with Tails and his friends every other weekend, or the times when he and the fox would try to bake something with Amy and more or so making her boss over them. They didn’t mind it one bit.
Once he’d laid down on his bed with arms resting behind his head, there was a single thought in his mind:
I can’t believe I’m going on a date with Shadow the Hedgehog.
At first, Sonic expected Shadow to just call him a weirdo and kick him out. But after what really happened… So many things are going to change between them. It made him feel a bit giddy in the gut, realizing how big of a deal it exactly was. The most antisocial hedgehog known to man not only accepted to go on a date with him, but with such casualty.
Shadow was an abrasive individual, if Sonic had to be honest. But aside from his frequent death threats, the guy himself was a person with a bigger heart than seems at a first glance. Even Sonic himself couldn’t see it at first and even once he did, he knew there was more to it. Shadow wasn’t just all doom and gloom–he’s proved to be otherwise. There’s just a wall hiding it all. And Sonic needed to tear it down.
That was one of the many aspects about him that made Sonic want to know him more. Moreover taking a look at his appearances, Sonic relatively envied him. Sharp and pristine quills, blazing hot red irises, serrated fangs, chest fluff and a great psyche–a complete opposite of what Sonic looks like. It didn’t mean he undervalued the way he looked himself, but he also couldn’t deny that the hybrid had quite the looks.
Sonic rubbed his forehead, the possible, yet delusional scenarios of how the date will turn out taking place in his head. It will either:
A) Go incredibly bad and he’ll earn a black eye for a reason unknown.
Or
B) Be the best day of his life, perhaps earning a hug from Shadow and a promise of a next date.
But knowing Sonic’s luck, there will certainly be something that goes wrong. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Just a small little slip up and the hybrid will stop talking to him altogether. He certainly hopes anything relatively like that does not happen.
His hand fell onto his chest, absentmindedly brushing over two scars adorning each side of his torso, mostly covered by his peachy fur. He gave them a soft rub, then abandoned that act. It was a stim he couldn’t hold back whenever he was anxious. With a final sigh, he pulled over the blanket, wrapping himself in it like fillings inside a burrito. In spite of the fluffy comforter, it didn’t really give him the comfort he so suddenly seeked. Whereas he tried to shift his mind back to the dark, considerably handsome hedgehog.
It was no use. Letting out an irritated groan, he threw a light punch into his pillow and sat up. And after a few moments, he chose to start planning the post date to get his mind off from things that would bring him his own demise.
He hopped onto his bean bag, a small notebook and pen in hand. Brainstorming and writing down some ideas, Sonic tried to recall every thing the hybrid liked. From food to favourite places to possessions. And once he took a look at the whole list, it was rather short. Huh.
Coffee beans, uncrowded/quiet areas, green chaos emerald, motorbike…
Yeah, he’d have to improvise with this one. Sonic tapped the pen against his chin, slowly getting lost in thought. What could be a place that isn’t crowded, peaceful and private? Most likely a place they’ve been to before with vivid proof of a memory that Shadow truly enjoyed being in his company.
Shadow is often quiet and reserved, and Sonic had a feeling he knew exactly why. He could hypothesize it was the cause of the way he was treated in his past, back when he was still on ARK. And his never wavering low voice and commanding demeanor is conceivably the result of being a bioweapon, as he was destined to be one. Sonic didn’t know everything that occurred fifty years ago in that space station, but anyone could take a wild guess–it was unbearable for a normal living being.
“Hm…” Sonic hummed with concentration in his brow, all before his eyes lit up with revelation.
Feeling a burst of confidence surge from his chest at what an absolutely brilliant idea had just been born, he wrote down his plan eagerly. And as his ideas were poured onto paper, he didn’t notice the amount of time that had passed. Feeling proud with the results, he placed the notebook away, along with the pen.
His eyelids felt heavy, sleep pressing on him like an anvil. Taking a glance at his bed, the bean bag felt more promising to slumber on. Sure, it wasn’t as soft, but it was comfortable enough for him to completely fall asleep before even being able to consider moving back to his bed.
Before he knew it, he had slipped into unconsciousness.