Archive of Our Own

Shadow hummed to himself as he knocked on Vanilla's door. He stood out for a moment before she opened the door, "Shadow, darling," she said, welcoming him inside, "Thank you for offering to babysit,"

"It's no problem," he said, shaking his head. He pushed his hood down as Vanilla rattled off the usual rules for watching Cream. Not a lot of sugar, bed by 8, the usual.

Vanilla grabbed her bag, "She's upstairs in her room and there's a fresh batch of cookies on the counter, help yourself," she said, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Shadow's head before calling up the stairs, "Cream, honey, I'm heading out! Shadow's here,"

Cream came bouncing down the stairs and hugged Vanilla as she left, "Bye mama!" she said, giving her a sweet kiss on the cheek before she turned to Shadow, who waved goodbye to Vanilla, "Would you like to play tea party with me and Cheese?" she asked.

Shadow nodded before kicking his air shoes off and following Cream up the stairs. Cheese sat at a little table with one empty seat, and a few plushies. Cream easily made room for him to sit on the ground and start their game.

This was the usual. Vanilla went out for errands, or because Vector invited her out, every other Saturday and, since he wasn't doing anything and didn't take weekend missions, Shadow would watch Cream. He hardly called it 'babysitting' because Cream was old enough for it to be considered hanging out or just watching her, but if gave him something to do. He found the small rabbit's company enjoyable. She was always so positive and had a wonder that only children had. He envied the feeling of being so carefree.

Cream handed him a little teacup, which he took and him, Cream and Cheese all pretended to take a sip.

Other than the tea party, they spent the rest of the night watching movies, playing tag or hide and seek, and reading. He only noticed the time when Rouge messaged him,

'Hey handsome. hows Cream?'

He noticed the time was 7:47. He looked at Cream and Cheese, "You two should probably go get ready for bed now," he said.

Cream glanced at the clock and nodded, "Okay, Mister Shadow," she said before she and Cheese went upstairs. He replied to Rouge quickly,

'She's good. Why?'

He watched the typing indicator come up but he shoved his phone in his hoodie pocket and went upstairs when he heard Cream call out, "All ready!"

He knocked on her bedroom door and waited until he got a 'Come in' from her. He pushed the door open and Cream was already in her bed, Cheese in the smaller bassinet looking thing beside her. He ruffled her hair and she giggled, "Thank you for playing with me today Mister Shadow," she said,smiling brightly up at him.

"Anytime," Shadow said, "Now you should get some sleep,"

Cream yawned and nodded, "Okay. Goodnight Cheese,"

Cheese was already fast asleep but she didn't mind, "Goodnight Shadow"

"Goodnight," he said, nodding and about to turn but Cream hugged his arm tightly before turning over and going to bed. He paused for a second before quietly turning the light off and leaving the room.

He silently padded down the stairs, yawning as he leaned against the kitchen counter. He pulled out his phone to see what Rouge had messaged as he munched on one of the cookies.

'Oh nothing, dear. Just figured I'd mention a certain someone dropped by. Wanted to see you'

He raised an eyebrow as he took a bite out of his cookie and typed,

'Who?'

Those typing bubbles appeared almost instantly,

'Blue, of course. Along with Knuckles and Tails but he wanted to know if you wanted to spar but I told him you were out. siiiiigh'

Shadow rolled his eyes. Why would Sonic want to spar on a Saturday? He knew that Sundays would be better. Whatever. He typed back,

'Damn'

He could practically see the eye roll at that message.

'Well you could at least pretend to be excited. If not for yourself, then for me'

'Why would I be excited for you?'

'Because I got to see my lovely boyfriend. Of course'

'You see him everyday.'

'Not the point, handsome'

He scoffed as he pocketed his phone and went back to peacefully eating his cookie. After the first few messages she sent, Rouge seemed to get the idea that he wouldn't get a response out of him. He was still confused though. Why wouldn't Sonic just message him?

Then it hit him that Sonic and everyone carried around communicators that Tails had made. He'd offered Shadow one but he refused because of his inhibitor rings. The communicators didn't sync up with phones and the only one who carried both was Knuckles. Apparently it was because of Rouge, which makes sense. He hummed as he checked Knuckles' contact on his phone. Sure enough, there was an unread message from him saying,

'Sonic wants to spar. Yes or no?'

Then another a few hours later that said,

'Never mind'

He hummed in amusement before setting his phone down. He focused on eating his cookie. Edges first, then the middle. Simple.

Vanilla got back around 10, and by then, Shadow had almost passed out on the couch. He glanced up to make sure it was really her and once it was confirmed, he laid back down. Vanilla smiled and placed a hand on Shadow's shoulder and mumbled a quick, "Thank you dear, you can go home now," and kissed his head before heading upstairs. He put his shoes on and walked outside, making sure to lock the door behind him, and teleported home.

He landed in his bedroom and slipped his shoes off before changing into sweatpants and a more loose hoodie. He thought about going to bed right now since he was so tired but he figured he should let Rouge know he was back. He pushed his bedroom door open and found her sitting on the couch.

Their two bedroom apartment was small but nice. Two bedrooms, obviously, a bathroom, and a kitchen that led into a living room. Simple.

She perked up and turned, "Hey baby!" she said, patting the spot next to her, "Come sit,"

He hesitated before sitting down next to her.

She didn't say anything, just turned the popcorn bowl she had towards him and turned on some random show. They watched in silence until they both fell asleep, Shadow's head on Rouge's shoulder and her arm around his shoulders.

 

Sonic fell from his bed as Tails burst into his room yelling, "WAKE UP!"

He rubbed his head, "Owww, dude, what the heck?" he stood up and stretched while Tails started to ramble.

"You have to get up! We're meeting with Amy and Blaze soon!" he said, waving his arms around.

Sonic watched him. Yes, they had planned to meet up with Amy and Blaze for food, but he didn't think it counted as an emergency, "Relax, bro. I'll be there soon. Just gotta wake up," he said, fake yawning.

Tails crossed his arms and huffed, resisting the urge to stomp one boot on the floor a little, "I'm serious. We should go now," he said, hoping the slight annoyance in his tone helped Sonic see the fact that they needed to get going.

It worked, Sonic sighed, "Alright. Let me get dressed and we'll head over," he said.

"Awesome," Tails said.

Sonic watched as he closed the door before he stripped his PJs off and got into actually clothes. a pair of slightly baggy jeans and a fitted white shirt with red sleeves. Good choice. He slipped his socks, gloved, and shoes on before he shrugged and grabbed the bracelets Tails and Cream had made for him when they were younger. He took his left glove off, slipped them on then put his glove on again. He jogged outside to find Tails waiting. He took a moment to playfully inspect what the fox was wearing. Of course, he was 15 and could dress himself but he had to be thorough.

Tails waved him away and was about to start walking before Sonic got in front of him, "Ready?" he asked.

Tails instantly got the hint and jumped onto Sonic's back, wrapping his arms around him. Sonic supported Tails' legs before speeding off.

They arrived at Amy's bakery just after Blaze, who was about to go inside.

"You were almost late," she said,shooting a glare at Sonic.

He shrugged, "Well we're not," he said as he set Tails down gently

Blaze rolled her eyes before pushing the door open and the three of them walked inside.

Amy's bakery was small and nice mix of pink, brown, and green. A few tables were filled and a couple was ordering when Amy spotted them. She smiled and came from behind the counter to hug Blaze first. She kissed the cat's cheek then turned to Sonic and Tails, "Oh! I'm so glad you guys could make it!" she said, hugging the both of them. They hugged back and Amy smiled, "Hungry? I can grab you something, on me"

Sonic shook his head, "Nah, I couldn't," he said, but Amy rolled her eyes. She'd expected that. Blaze asked for a muffin and Tails asked for some Danish or something (Sonic had no clue) and she scurried back while they all took a seat.

Amy joined them shortly, putting plates down and pushing a muffin, like Blaze's, towards Sonic even though he didn't ask for it.

"Come on, you need to eat something," she said, "Plus I'm sure you'll like it,"

Well, she did have a point. Sonic was Amy's taste tester before she opened her bakery and he was always super honest but there wasn't a single thing he didn't like. He sighed and figure he'd eat it anyway.

"So how are you?" Blaze asked, turning to Sonic and Tails.

Tails had a mouth full of food so Sonic answered, "We're good. Not much going on since Egghead retired," he said, shrugging, "Tails is focusing on school now and I'm hanging out with Knuckles a bit more,"

Amy hummed, "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Sonic asked.

Tails had finally finished what was in his mouth before saying, "You spent a really long time fighting Eggman. It would make sense if you felt... a little lost, ya know?"

"Is this some kind of intervention?" Sonic asked, running a hand through his quills, "Because I'm fine,"

Blaze shook her head, "No. No intervention at all. We were just wondering," she said.

Amy took a bite of the small cake she had, "Yeah. We don't mean to bombard you like that,"

"It's fine," Sonic said, chuckling and shaking his head. He took a bite of his muffin while Amy and Tails talked about school and stuff. Blaze listened, slowly eating her own treat.

Sonic was left thinking. Did he really feel lost? He wasn't sure. Sure, things were different since Eggman retired. He was old and it's not like the man could keep being an evil villain if he was having health problems. Tails was right though, he did dedicate so many years of his life to stopping Eggman from his evil. He didn't know what his life had in store for him. It's not like he really needed a job so he didn't have to work. Tails was getting older and probably didn't need Sonic hovering all the time. He really just... didn't know what to do.

Blaze tapped his arm gently, causing him to look up at her. She had this look that said 'Quit overthinking' before she turned back to Amy and Tails. He took a deep breath. He could contemplate and overthink when he got to Angel Island. This wasn't the time.

After about 2 hours, him and Tails left the bakery. Blaze had stayed behind to help Amy and hang out so it was just them.

Tails spun to face Sonic, "Would you tell Knuckles I said hi? I won't be able to come up today,"

"Of course, little bud," Sonic said, flashing a grin and giving Tails a thumbs up.He waved goodbye and sped off, easily making it to Angel Island in a few minutes.

 

Knuckles stood at the bottom of the steps to the temple. He turned to face Sonic when he heard him.

"You're here earlier than I thought you'd be," he stated, uncrossing his arms.

Sonic shrugged and sat down beside him, "Just wanted to talk, you good with that?" he asked.

Knuckles nodded and sat down beside him, "What's on your mind? You have an overthinking face,"

Sonic chuckled before taking a deep breath, "Just, something Amy and Tails said got me thinking about... Eggman retiring," he sighed, "I just don't know what to do anymore. Usually everything was about the crazy things this guy would try to do today or something but..."

"You feel as though you have nothing to do?" Knuckles finished for him.

"Yeah," Sonic said, nodding.

Knuckles thought for a moment before saying, "You're wallowing in self-pity. There are plenty of things for you to do. Amy opened a bakery, Tails is focusing on school, I am focusing on my relationship with Rouge. You can focus on yourself,"

Sonic felt so stupid when he asked, "How?"

After a moment of thinking, "There isn't a place in this world you haven't been so traveling might not be the best thing. You could try and find a hobby you enjoy?" Knuckles suggested.

Sonic thought about that. A hobby? He already did a lot of running but-

"Or, ya know, you could always do GUN missions," Knuckles said, "Rouge told me they'd like to have an extra pair of hands and an extra brain. Though you wouldn't be much help there,"

Sonic punched Knuckles arm and laughed.

"I dunno, isn't that more of Shadow's thing?" Sonic asked.

Knuckles nodded, "It is. But I bet he'd like the break. GUN's been needing him more and more often. He seems to be getting sick of it," he said, grabbing a stick and starting to draw in the dirt.

Sonic hummed in thought before smiling. Even though he was against the idea of getting a job, mostly because he didn't need it, he didn't have anything else to do. Plus, the idea of seeing Shadow appealed to him a little, "Thanks," he said, nudging Knuckles with his shoulder.

Knuckles looked past the fact that Sonic had just messed up his drawing and nodded, "Of course. Now hush, I can't hear the grass,"

Sonic thought about saying something snarky but figured he'd like to live another day and laid back, allowing himself to relax for a few hours.

 

Shadow watched the clock like it owed him money. All he needed was five more minutes before he could go home. GUN had called him in for a meeting and now he was stuck there all day. Would he take the money? Hell yeah. Did he like sitting in his office with nothing to do? Fuck no. He hated it so much. The clock couldn't hit 7 pm fast enough. He wanted to go home and sleep and possibly watch TV. He groaned into his palm as he looked down at his desk.

He perked up when he heard the door open. Rouge and Omega stepped inside, "Hey handsome," she said, plopping down in the chair across from him.

Omega stared at her, "WHY MUST YOU CALL SHADOW NAMES WHEN YOU ARE DATING THE ECHIDNA?" he asked, his voice booming in the office.

Shadow held back a snicker as Rouge waved a hand, "Oh please, I call him whatever I want,"

Omega thought about this before deciding to just not say anything. He went over to the charging port by the door and powered off.

Rouge sighed, "How are you doing?" she asked, turning to Shadow.

"Well," he said before raising an eyebrow, "Why?"

Rouge waved a hand, "Oh nothing. Just curious if you wanted to see Blue," she said, smirking.

Shadow tensed and crossed his arms. Rouge was the only one who knew about his... fondness towards Sonic. He took pride in the fact he kept it hidden. Until she found out of course. She was pushing him to confess. She really was.

"Leave it," he mumbled, crossing his legs and huffing.

She smirked, "Come on, you know Big Blue's got the hots for you, so why don't you say something?" she asked.

"He doesn't have the 'hot's' for me, Rouge. He's just friendly," he said.

She shrugged, "Whatever. He does and you know it, anyway," she started before holding up a silver chain necklace with a ruby heart in the middle, "look what I snagged for ya,"

"Rouge!" Shadow snapped, but he knew better than to try and get her to return it.

Rouge smiled, "Come on, babes. It's just your style. Plus, you have to admit, it's cute," she said, standing up and coming around. He didn't stop her as she put it on him, fasting it so it hung low enough for the heart to be hidden by his sweater, "See?"

Shadow sighed but shook his head, "Fine," he muttered and Rouge happily sat back down. He looked up at the clock and stood up instantly, "I'm leaving," he said. Rouge glanced at the clock and smiled to herself. She knew Shadow had been waiting to go home.

"See ya, babes. Love ya," she said, pulling out her phone and starting to scroll.

He nodded and said a quick 'Goodbye' before speed walking out. He went out to the parking lot and over to his bike, sitting on it and making sure he had everything before speeding off.

He kicked off his shoes when he stepped into the apartment. He shut and locked the door before going into the kitchen. Inside was a few things. Leftovers mostly. He didn't really know what he wanted so he just shut the fridge and went into his bedroom. He shimmied out of his work uniform and dropped it in the hamper before just putting on sweatpants and sitting on his bed. He grabbed his laptop and earbuds and spent more of the night watching shows he'd seen a million times before he passed out.

 

The next morning, Shadow woke up to his phone vibrating violently. He groaned and lazily reached over and answered the call without looking at it, "Hello...?" he muttered into the device.

"Hey hon, sleep well?" Rouge asked but didn't give him a chance to reply, "Anyways, Blue's joining us on some missions tomorrow. Simple ones. Knuckles told me that he and Sonic were talking yesterday and, since Sonic's feeling a little down, it would be good for him to come along,"

Shadow processed that slowly, "So... he'll be there?" he asked.

"Yep. Shouldn't be too bad," she said, doing very little to hide the amusement and joy in her tone.

He groaned and shook his head, even thought she couldn't see, "Why can't he annoy someone else..? Why us?" he asked.

"Babes, calm down, it's probably because we know him and he trusts us. Plus, he can keep up with us," she said.

Shadow thought for a moment before hanging up. His alarm wasn't even set to go off for another hour. Rouge always called when he was sleeping anyway. He pulled the covers back over himself and buried his face into the pillow. He hoped to fall back into a dreamless sleep. He wasn't that lucky.

 

The sterile ARK hallways seemed to close in on him. He started running. He wasn't wearing his air shoes, just socks. His feet were slipping out from under him and suddenly, the hallway tilted up, causing him to fall back in almost slow motion. As he fell, his eyes locked onto a figure. Her. He could hear the thundering footsteps and shouting and for a split second, things went quiet. Then he watched her fall, crumbling to the ground. "No... no, no, no, NO!"

 

Shadow shot up as his alarm went off, sweating and panting. He pressed a hand to his chest, his entire body trembling. He needed to get these stupid nightmares under control. They weren't as often as they used to be but having them still sucks. He forced himself to get up and get dressed. After splashing his face with cold water and some coffee beans, he figured he'd just teleport to his office. So he did. Easily.

He stood in his office and sat down right before Sonic and Rouge entered.

Sonic smiled, "Hey Shadz," he said, placing his hands on his hips.

Rouge gave him a look but Shadow just nodded in greeting.

Rouge huffed but turned to Sonic, "Alright, so, usually we just hang out here until we're given a mission, right?"

Sonic nodded as he paid attention to what Rogue was saying.

'Good,' Shadow thought, 'at least he's taking it seriously,'

Rouge kept going, "But, since you've joined us before, we can skip the basics. We've got a little mission. Drug stuff. You can handle that, can't you, Big Blue?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Course I can," Sonic said, "Wanna explain what we gotta do?"

Rouge looked at Shadow who groaned and spoke in a deadpan tone of voice, "We need to find the dealer, report to the cops, then shut it down,"

Sonic hummed in thought before nodding, "Cool,"

Rouge fused over Sonic, giving him an ear piece and putting it on him before he could protest. She also was adamant about Sonic leaving his communicator in Shadow's office, which he did.

The three of them exited the building and got in the car that was waiting for them. Sonic and Rouge spent most of it going over the plan. Rouge would go in, mingle, Shadow and Sonic would play the role of security, she'd find the dealer, get info, then they'd get going to wherever people were getting their main supplies. Shadow listened but after the second time, he zoned out.

They pulled up to a safe house and went inside. Rouge took her time in making herself look pretty. Shadow and Sonic had already changed into their outfits. Just regular suits. Black. He tried to avoid Sonic's gaze as much as he could.

"You good? Rouge told me you weren't super on board with me tagging along, and I totally understand," Sonic said, holding up his hands.

Shadow shook his head, "No. I'm not but I also understand why," he huffed softly.

Sonic smiled softly and sighed but didn't say anything, which Shadow was grateful for.

He had to stop himself from eyeing Sonic up anymore than he was. Black wasn't really Sonic's color. He would look better in a white, grey, or even deep red, but he looked good. Rouge came out of her dressing room and caught onto Shadow immediately because she turned to Sonic and said with a smirk, "Damn Blue, you look good. Remind me to get you out in formal wear more,"

Shadow glared at her but started walking out, "We should go," he said. He heard Rouge whisper something to Sonic but he didn't catch it. He just kept walking.

The three of them walked down the street to the bar where this was happening, they showed their fake IDs, and went inside. Rouge somehow latched onto the dealer like a tick and was effectively just getting the guy drunk. That was her plan every time.

Sonic and Shadow stood close by but far enough away to not draw attention to themselves. Sonic nudged Shadow with his hip and smirked at him, "Looking good," he muttered.

"Shut up," Shadow snapped back, his voice down to a whisper. Standing next to him now, Shadow noticed how he had to look up at Sonic. Just a little but it was enough to be annoying and piss him off.

They both watched the dealer guy get more and more drunk until he was wasted off his ass and wouldn't keep his mouth shut.

Rouge hummed as she jotted down the address she was given on a napkin and slipped away. The guy barely noticed, ordering another round for himself and downing it as soon as it went into his grubby hands.

She slid in between Shadow and Sonic, lacing their arms together. She was a little tipsy herself but she was lucid enough to think critically, "Some farmhouse outside of town," Shadow said when Rouge handed him the napkin.

Sonic and Rouge smirked at each other, "Hell yeah," Sonic said, doing a little fist pump of victory.

Shadow rolled his eyes, "We're not done yet. Now we have to report it and keep an eye out for if anyone tries to leave the building,"

"Alright," Sonic said, as they got into the car. After getting back to the safe house and changing, they were talking when Sonic asked, "So, was this just an easy mission?"

Rouge nodded, "Yep. It helps you get used to the ropes. We already knew who the dealer was and some missions are just... slow,"

Sonic thought for a moment then asked, "But still, why you guys? I bet there had to have been someone else who could have shown me,"

"Rouge helps new trainees," Shadow said, crossing his arms, "It's her job and that mission just happened to fall on my desk. It's just coincidence," he muttered.

Sonic seemed to take that as an answer and moved on.

The rest of it was plain and simple. They watched the building and the cops showed up. Kind of boring, but Sonic expected it for a basic start.

It was almost midnight now as the drive there was long and Rouge was already fast asleep. Sonic and Shadow sat together in dead silence. They had at least had the brains to stop for food so none of them were complaining about being hungry. Shadow fiddled with his hands in his lap when Sonic said, "Thanks,"

"For what?" Shadow asked, being broken out of his trance of sitting and staring.

Sonic shrugged, "For not totally shooting the idea of me doing this stuff down. I know you're not the biggest fan of change," he said.

He had a point and Shadow knew it. There was some change Shadow was okay with, but there was just some he wasn't. He nodded and didn't say anything.

Once they'd dropped Sonic off, he'd woken up Rouge and they went into their apartment.

Shadow laid down, tired. He curled into a ball where he lay and fell asleep.

 

Rouge hummed as she picked up her phone to see a message from Knuckles,

'Sonic told me to tell you he said thank you. You should get a communicator. This is annoying. Good night. Love you'

She chuckled and replied with,

'Thanks sweetheart. And i'll think about it, love you too!!' and she plugged her phone in and got ready for bed. She turned off the lights and made sure the doors were locked before heading to bed.

 

Sonic slept like a dead person. He woke up around 10, which was new. He'd always been an early riser so sleeping in this late was new. He usually woke up around 5 or 6. He stumbled downstairs like a drunk person to find the garage door open. He could hear Tails muttering from there so he went back upstairs, got dressed, and came back down. He look in the fridge before poking his head in the garage, "You eat yet?" he asked.

"No," Tails replied, "You're gonna make something?"

Sonic shrugged, "Yeah. Eggs?"

Tails gave a thumbs up before going back to work on the Tornado.

Sonic chuckled, "Wash up before you come in here," he said then went back into the kitchen. He wasn't a 5-star chef or anything, but he could cook basic things. He kind of had to learn when he started taking care of Tails. Amy might be a fantastic baker but her skills with cooking actual food weren't the best either. Knuckles, out of all of them, was the best at cooking.

He hummed to himself as he started to cook. Eggs were pretty simple and he'd basically memorized how Tails likes things so he didn't need to ask. He had just finished Tails' plate when he came inside and went to the bathroom. He set the plate on the table and made his own food. He finished just as Tails got done. They sat at the table and Sonic listened as Tails rambled on and on about the upgrades he made to the Tornado. Sonic still didn't understand much of it, and Tails knew that, but he'd always listen to what he was saying.

Once they finished, Tails asked, "How did the mission go?"

"Good," Sonic said, shrugging, "How was hanging out with Vanilla and Cream?"

Tails nodded, "Good. We played games and Vanilla baked cookies,"

Sonic smiled and started on the dishes. He'd dropped Tail's off at Vanilla's place because, even though he was 15, Sonic wouldn't let Tails be home alone so late at night. It might be him being overprotective but he'd rather be safe than sorry. He checked his communicator to see he got a message from Knuckles saying,

'Rouge said to meet her at the GUN HQ for stuff. Get a phone. This is pissing me off'

He rolled his eyes but hummed as he grabbed his jacket, put his shoes on, and, after telling Tails he'd be out, sped off.

The GUN Building wasn't super far so he made it there in time.

Sonic got there and found Rouge waiting in the lobby on her phone. She perked up when the doors open and smiled, "Hey handsome!"

Sonic jogged over and looked around, "Where's Shadow?" he asked, a little disappointed that the ebony hedgehog wasn't there.

"Oh he doesn't have any missions or files to look over so he didn't come in. You ready? We got a lot of basic training to get you through," she said.

Sonic nodded and followed her.

Basic training his ass. That shit was rough. By the end of it, he had like- a million new bruises and a cut on his cheek but when Rouge came up to him and asked if he was okay, she could see the most joy in his eyes. He was fine, just high off adrenaline.

Sonic did a spin dash around Rouge before jumping up, pumping both fists in the air, "That was awesome!" he shouted.

"Blue, you're a masochist, I swear," Rouge joked.

Sonic waved a hand, "Nah, I just missed this. The thrill of the fight! Ya know,?" he asked.

"No, I don't," Rouge said, chuckling, "But I'm glad you're... enthusiastic about this," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Sonic smiled and thought for a moment before opening his mouth and asking, "Hey, can I ask you about something?"

"Course Blue, what's on your mind?" she said, grabbing her stuff and watching Sonic follow.

He hesitated before taking a deep breath, "Hypothetically, if I were to ask a... certain someone... out on a date but don't know what they like... how would I do that?"

"Oh?" Rouge prompted, "Who's the lucky guy?" she asked.

Sonic groaned, "Is it really that obvious?"

"Yeah. Don't think I missed the way you were eyeing him up," Rouge said, smirking.

He sighed. here he thought he was getting away with it. Honestly, he should have known better than to try and think he was slipping by Rouge. Not many things went unnoticed by her. He thought for a moment before asking, "How do I ask him out?"

"Oh honey," she said, waving a hand, "He may look like a complicated guy, but he has simple pleasures. If you really wanna win him over, all you gotta do is make it romantic. He loves stuff like that," her words tumbled out quickly and easily, like she'd rehearsed this exact speech in her head a million times.

Sonic thought about that. He didn't take Shadow for a romance guy. He was actually certain the hedgehog was super aromantic and wasn't into relationships at all. He nodded and listened as she continued talking.

"Look, even if he shoots you down, you can at least say you tried. Plus, I doubt he'd say no. He'd say yes, entertain you, then it wouldn't happen again if he wasn't into it," she shrugged, "You just gotta go for it,"

He figured she was trying to help him but it just made him worry more, "What if I just ask him Sunday? That would be fine, right?" he asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

Rouge rolled his eyes. It was Tuesday right now. He was seriously going to wait that long? She sighed before shrugging, "Do whatever makes you happy, Blue," she said, patting his shoulder.

After saying goodbye, he raced home. He pushed the door open, chuckling when he saw Tails and Knuckles in the living room, "Hey," he greeted, offering a small wave.

Knuckles nodded, "How was basics?" he asked.

Sonic just figured Rouge was telling him all his business and he didn't question it, "Good,"

"Basics?" Tails asked and Sonic tensed, at himself and the glare he was getting from Knuckles.

"You haven't told him?" the echidna asked, his hands clenching into fists. Knuckles was super against keeping stuff from Tails.

Sonic chuckled nervously and chose to ignore Knuckles and turn to Tails, "I may be doing some side missions for GUN. Nothing too dangerous. Just stuff to keep me occupied," he said, "It's why I haven't checked my..." he paused.

"Communicator?" Tails finished for him.

Sonic slapped himself in the forehead, "It's in Shadow's office... shit..." he muttered. He'd totally forgotten about it. He dragged his hands down his face.

"Can't you go get it?" Knuckles asked.

He shrugged, "I'll go try. Would you mind staying here until I get back?" he asked Knuckles who nodded. Tails gave Sonic the most offended the look before bursting out into laughter as Sonic sped off again. Since it was late, he noted the fact that there were less cars. A few cars and a motorcycle.

The doors were unlocked so he jogged through the hallways, trying to remember the way to Shadow's office. He managed to find he and he pushed the door open, coming face to face with Shadow himself.

The two stood there for a moment before Shadow asked, "What are you doing here, faker?"

"I- well... I may have left my communicator in here..? I didn't think you were here though.." he said, his tone more softer than he would have liked. Maybe it was the way the moonlight looked on Shadow. Maybe it was the slight breeze from the nearby fan that made Shadow's quill sway. Maybe it was the fact that this would be the perfect time to ask him out. He didn't know.

Shadow thought for a moment before rummaging through his desk and placing Sonic's communicator on the wood, "Here," he muttered.

"Oh... thanks," Sonic said, talking the device and putting it on his wrist.

Shadow nodded and sat down at his chair, "Need anything else?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sonic was focusing on those sparkling crimson eyes way too much that he almost missed Shadow's question entirely, "Well... actually, would you..." he paused and watched Shadow look up at him before continuing, "Are you free next weekend? Not this weekend, but the weekend after?"

"Sunday," Shadow said, suspicion creeping into his voice.

Sonic smiled, "Well, I was wondering, if you were down with it, wanting to get dinner? With me?" he asked, very hopeful.

"Are you asking me out?" Shadow wondered, chuckling softly to himself.

For a split second, Sonic's heart dropped, "Yeah! I guess? I mean- we don't have to and it's just a date but if you're not cool with it-"

"Sonic," Shadow said, cutting off Sonic's rambling, "Yes. We can go get dinner,"

Sonic smiled, "Really? You'd really be down?" he asked. He couldn't believe his ears.

Shadow nodded, "Yes. Just... calm down," he muttered.

"Awesome. Sunday in... two weeks?" he confirmed.

Once he got a nod from Shadow, he smiled brightly.

After agreeing on a time, Sonic practically skipped out of the building, feeling like he was on cloud 9.

He was home in mere seconds. Knuckles, who gave him a look of confusion before leaving, nodded before telling Sonic that Tails had fallen asleep and went to bed. He thanked Knuckles and made sure the door shut fully and he locked it as the echidna left. He went to his room and got in bed, a huge smile on his face.

He couldn't wait for Sunday.

 

Shadow got home around midnight, still reeling over the fact Sonic asked him out and he had been cool about it. He honestly figured he'd make a fool of himself. He had to hold back a smile as he told Rouge what had happened.

Rouge was a little surprised, especially since Sonic said he'd wait until the weekend to ask but she was happy for him. Both of them.

"So, are you excited?" Rouge asked, clocking Shadow's hidden smile with ease.

Shadow shrugged but he knew he couldn't hide anything from Rouge, "I have no reason to not be," he said.

She snickered and squeezed his arms, "This is good for you! Really. Yon can finally stop pinning and actually date the guy," she said.

"Don't push it," he said, "We haven't even been on the date,"

But even he had to admit, Sunday couldn't come fast enough.

 

Rouge alternated between him and Sonic when it came to missions. The two were rarely ever on the same mission team, which Shadow was thankful for. He might like Sonic, but until the date, he'd like to keep a little distance.

Saturday rolled around and that marked 8 days until their date. Shadow was getting ready to head over to Vanilla's when Rouge burst in the door and turned the TV on. He was confused before he saw the news. The news anchor speaking in a solemn voice,

"Retired evil madman, Doctor Ivo Robotnick was found dead in his lair just this morning. Found by Metal Sonic, we've learned that he died peacefully in his sleep," she said, but didn't stop speaking.

The rest of the words were a blur. He couldn't remember a damn thing that woman was saying. All he could think about was Sonic and the others. Rouge had her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide as she watched.

Shadow grabbed his phone when he realized it went off. Vanilla messaged saying,

'Don't worry about coming over tonight, sweetheart Amy and Tails are here. Would you do me a favor and check on Sonic?'

He thought for a moment before replying,

'Yes.' and grabbing his keys.

He noticed the tears welling up in Rouge's eyes and he carefully pulled her into a hug. She sobbed softly into his chest, her makeup ruined but neither of them cared. He stood there for a few moments, letting her cry before he messaged Knuckles, asking if it was okay that he dropped Rouge off at Angel Island. He got a message saying yes and, still holding her, he teleported both of them to the Master Emerald shrine.

Knuckles was there and took Rouge into his arms, and was about to say something but Shadow teleported away without saying anything.

 

Tails' workshop was dark but he teleported inside anyway. He didn't need to go far before he found Sonic sitting on the floor, his back to the couch, with his knees up to his chest and staring blankly at the TV.

Shadow didn't know what to say but he sat beside Sonic. What hurt the most was how Sonic's usually bring emerald eyes were now dull and looked lifeless.

Sonic glanced at Shadow and muttered, "You don't have to stay,"

"It's fine," Shadow said, "It's probably better for you to be with someone,"

Sonic looked like he was about to protest but he didn't.

Shadow hesitated before wrapping an arm around Sonic's torso, tugging him a little closer.

Shadow watched Sonic closely. For a split second, he looked like he was going to pull back, but he wrapped his arms around Shadow's waist and buried his face in the top of Shadow's head. His shoulders shook with suppressed sobs a the news continued to play the news. It was some new story now but it might as well have been nothing. Shadow felt his heart get torn apart. He hated the fact that he couldn't do anything to ease the pain Sonic felt. He felt so helpless. Sonic's tears went through his quills and on his head but he didn't say anything about it.

Sonic's grip on Shadow hadn't loosened. If anything, he held on tighter. He didn't mean to cry so much. He really didn't, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop. Shadow held him tighter, wrapping another arm around his torso.

Sonic managed to calm down after a few minutes. He was still sniffling but the flow of tears had stopped or at least paused long enough. Sonic looked down at Shadow before muttering, "Can I kiss you?"

Shadow's eyes widened. The way he asked sounded so small and desperate. Not just desperate for Shadow but for the distraction. He wasn't in the right head space but he looked dead serious.

"Nothing else... just... one kiss?" Sonic asked, pulling back a little before shaking his head, "No. No that's stupid. I'm sorry.."

Shadow sighed before cupping Sonic's cheek and planting a small kiss against tan lips. It made Sonic pause and for a second, Shadow really thought he pushed him too far.

Sonic paused before leaning into Shadow's touch. He felt tears burn the corners of his eyes before he was pulled down into Shadow's chest. He let himself be buried into Shadow's white chest fur. He could feel his fingers threading through his quills and it brought comfort. Really, it did. Shadow wasn't talking. Not telling him he would be okay or the pin would go away or any of that shit. He was just there. Holding him. Sonic appreciated it more than he would have realized if Shadow wasn't there.

 

"I'm retiring," Eggman said, his hands behind his back.

Sonic's eyes widened, "Oh... really?"

"I'm old, Sonic," he said, shaking his head, "I only have so much time left and I'd like to spend it my way,"

Sonic nodded. He understood, really, he did. They were all older and it wasn't a secret Eggman was older too. Much older.

Eggman held a hand out to Sonic for a handshake and, without thinking, Sonic took it.

 

That's all he could think about anymore. He laid against Shadow like he was the only one left in the world. He didn't know how to feel. He really didn't.

Shadow stayed where he was, stroking Sonic's head lazily. His phone had gone off a few times but before he could think twice, he put it on Do Not Disturb and ignored anything that wasn't Sonic.

Sonic glanced up before pushing himself up and into a sitting position, "Thanks..." he muttered.

Shadow just nodded, placing a hand on Sonic's arm and watching him closely.

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, "You can go home,"

"No,"

Sonic thought about pushing but honestly, he didn't have the energy. If anything, he wanted Shadow to stay more than anything.

Shadow stood up and went into the kitchen. He started rummaging through the fridge and cabinets before cooking something. Sonic weakly pushed himself up and followed. He stood in the entryway, feeling a little useless but he liked watching Shadow move around so effortlessly. He was making a pasta of some sorts. The feeling of being useless didn't last for long because when Shadow snapped his fingers, Sonic was instantly by his side.

"Stir this," he said, pointing to the pan with boiling water with the cooking pasta in it.

He took the spoon and stirred it as he was told. He did watch as Shadow made some type of Alfredo sauce or something. He wasn't fully paying attention but he eventually turned the heat down on the pan when Shadow handed him a strainer. He strained the pasta and poured it back into the pot. He let Shadow do whatever he was doing as he finished the sauce.

When Shadow motioned for him to sit at the table, he did. He did wanna help more but he also knew that Shadow knew what he was doing.

A few minutes later, Shadow pushed a plate of food in front of Sonic, "Eat," he said.

Shadow sat across from him, eating silently. Sonic ate slow. He felt like he was just sluggish and his body was being weighed down but he ate. Shadow finished his food well before Sonic did but that was expected. He didn't move though, just stayed there and watched to make sure Sonic ate enough.

Sonic managed to eat about half before he set his fork down, "It's good," he said.

Shadow took the plate and put the leftovers in containers and into the fridge and came back. He tugged Sonic from his chair and he watched as the blue mobian stood on unsteady legs, "Where's your room?" Shadow asked.

"Upstairs...?" Sonic mumbled, confused as to why Shadow needed to know that.

Shadow gave him a deadpan glare but led him up the stairs and, after poking around a bit, into his room. He shoved Sonic down onto the bed and sat down beside him. Sonic hesitated before laying his head down on Shadow's lap. He found comfort in the way Shadow let him do this, even if it was new to him.

Shadow stayed, carefully petting Sonic's head to lull him to sleep, which worked. He wasn't sure if he should leave or stay but staying seemed like the best option.

 

The days passed in a blur of slow mornings and way too fast afternoons. Shadow stuck around Sonic and Tails' place a little more than often, mostly because the brothers hadn't been feeling well and Shadow wanted to at least make sure they ate.

Tails threw himself into his work a lot more and Sonic went on a hell of a lot of missions. Sure, things were getting done but it pissed Shadow off. GUN had no right to keep contacting Sonic when he was upset. They were using his vulnerability to do their work.

Saturday came around and right before Sonic was about to leave, Shadow teleported in front of the door, arms crossed.

"What are you doing, Shadow?" Sonic asked, groaning softly.

Shadow's eyes narrowed, "Stop going on these missions. It's not good for your health right now and GUN doesn't need to profit off you,"

"They're not profiting off me. Plus, aren't you going on missions too?" he said, placing a hand on his hip.

"No," Shadow said, "I haven't and you shouldn't be. They're only contacting you because they know you'll show up,"

"Shads, don't. Please. I just need a distraction"

"At what cost?" Shadow countered, "The cost of your health? Sonic, they're using you," he felt like he was pleading at this point.

Sonic glared at him, "And what do you care? You don't have to stay. No one asked you too,"

"You haven't asked me to leave either," Shadow snapped back.

Sonic paused. That was a good point. He sighed, "Yeah... you're right," he muttered.

"Look, I just don't want you working yourself too hard. Tails is already doing that and it's a nightmare," he said, uncrossing his arms.

Shadow watched Sonic glance at the door that led to the garage. He could see the gears turning in his brain and he sighed before going that way.

Sonic hesitantly pushed the door open and watched Tails work silently. He went over and grabbed the fox's legs and yoinked him out from under the Tornado.

"Sonic! What the heck!" Tails yelled but paused as he saw the way Sonic was looking at him. Tired. He stood up. He was covered in oil stains and his clothes from yesterday didn't smell the best, "Right..." he muttered.

Sonic pulled Tails into his arms, holding the young fox tightly and Tails hugged back. Neither of them said anything, but it helped. Tails' shoulders shook with silent sobs but Sonic didn't move. He just held him tight, making sure he knew that things would be okay, even if he didn't say it.

Shadow hummed and pushed himself off of the garage doorway. He slipped his air shoes on and grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone. He looked around the living room. It wasn't the cleanest but he figured Sonic and Tails would get to it later and once he was sure he had everything he teleported off.

He landed in the living room, pausing when he saw Knuckles, "How long have you been here?" he asked.

"Same amount of time you've been gone," the echidna answered.

Shadow nodded. That was fair enough. Rouge came out of the bathroom and smiled when she saw Shadow.

"Hey handsome," she said, her voice less flirty and more relaxed, "How are they?"

Shadow thought for a moment, "They'll be fine,"

Knuckles seemed to take that into account before Rouge said, "Good,"

Rouge gave Shadow a quick peck on the cheek before he went into his room. He could faintly hear Rouge and Knuckles talking but couldn't make out the words. It wasn't any of his business so he ignored it. He missed his bed, but he needed a shower so he did. After his shower, he flopped on his bed and was out in seconds.

 

Sonic squeezed Tails one last time before pulling back, keeping his hands on his shoulders, "Alright," he started, "Let's get you cleaned up and see what Shadow's up too,"

Tails nodded and they both went into the living room. The first thing Sonic noticed was that Shadow's shoes were gone.

"He must have left," Tails said once he noticed Sonic staring at the empty space, "You'll see him tomorrow, right?"

Sonic's eyes widened, "Oh shit, yeah. We have a date,"

Tails laughed softly, "You're hopeless," he said, elbowing Sonic's arm.

Sonic rolled his eyes, "Am not. Just... gotta figure something out,"

"You sure? I'm not saying you shouldn't go but..." Tails trailed off.

"I'm positive," Sonic said, nodding, "I can do this. Plus, I feel better. Do you?"

Tails nodded.

"Than it'll be fine, plus, I feel bad because Shadow spent a few days taking care of us. The least I can do is treat him to something nice,"

"If you say so," Tails said before going upstairs.

Sonic looked at the living room and easily cleaned up the little mess he'd left from getting ready and sped upstairs. He spent way too much time on his communicator trying to find something.

 

Shadow fell off his bed with a yell as he woke up to pounding on his door, "SHADOW! WAKE UP!" Rouge yelled, still pounding on his door.

"WHAT!?" Shadow snapped back.

Rouge shoved the door open and scoffed, "What are you doing just sitting there! Blue's going to be here in 20 minutes for your date!"

"Date?" Shadow asked before it clicked, "We're still doing that?"

Rouge groaned, "YES! He's taking you out to lunch and you're SLEEPING!"

Shadow immediately shoved Rouge out of his room and mumbled to himself while he got ready. God he was grateful he showered last night. He had just managed to slip his air shoes on by the time there was a knock on their door. Rouge and Knuckles had retreated to her room, which was good. Shadow took a deep breath and opened the door.

Sonic chuckled and held out some lavender nervously, "Hey. I figured you'd like these," he said.

"Oh," Shadow muttered, taking the gift gently, "thank you," he said. He quickly found a makeshift vase, put some water in it then added the flowers. He left them on the counter before going back over to Sonic.

Sonic held out his arm dramatically, "Ready?"

Shadow raised an eyebrow but looped his arm through Sonic's and shut the door behind him.

He was glad he went with what he did when it came to his outfit. Nice pants and a sweater because Sonic had gone with a good pair of jeans and a dress shirt. Causally formal. He liked it.

"So, where are we going?" Shadow asked as they walked down the street.

Sonic chuckled, "Well that would ruin the surprise wouldn't it?"

Shadow rolled his eyes but he could tell Sonic wasn't going to budge on this.

It wasn't until they got to the park that Sonic stopped and covered Shadow's eyes.

"Keep them closed," Sonic said, laughing softly to himself. Shadow kept his eyes closed, even as Sonic pulled his hands away then he was slowly dragged off. Sonic was taking extra care in making sure Shadow didn't trip and fall.

Sonic was giggling to himself as he led Shadow up a hill. It wasn't steep but it was a pretty long way, then they stopped. Shadow let out a confused huff before he heard Sonic say, "You can open your eyes now,"

Shadow's eyes fluttered open and he paused. They stood in front of a blanket spread out with a basket on top of it and a few drinks around it and he just... smiled. He loved picnics, even if he would never admit it.

Sonic smiled when he saw the expression on Shadow's face. He grabbed his hand and tugged him over and they sat down on the blanket.

Shadow hummed, "What did you get?" he asked but when Sonic opened the box, Shadow almost burst out laughing.

Dairy Queen.

Honestly, it made Shadow happy because he really liked Dairy Queen and Sonic looked so proud of himself so that just make it so much better. Shadow figured Rouge must have helped him because there is no way he just guessed what Shadow got all the time.

Shadow mostly spent the date listening to Sonic ramble about past adventured he never went on and some of the GUN missions he did. There was a time Sonic paused because he felt bad he was talking so much but Shadow insisted he wanted to hear him talk. Besides, he was better at listening then actually talking. He couldn't tell a story for the life of him.

By the time they finished their food, the sun was just about to start setting. Shadow laid back on the blanket and closed his eyes, soaking up the sun rays.

Sonic watched Shadow with a lovesick smile on his face. Shadow opened one eye and saw Sonic watching him and he chuckled, "What?" he asked and before Sonic could second guess himself,

"Just thinking of kissing you," he said.

Shadow's eyes widened slightly but he sat up and smiled, "You're a dork," he said, shaking his head.

"Well, can I kiss you?" Sonic asked, gently taking Shadow's hand and squeezing it.

Shadow rolled his eyes but nodded with a fond smile on his face.

Sonic smiled and leaned forward, kissing Shadow like he had all the time in the world, like the world paused and let them have just this one moment.

Shadow kissed back, one hand cupping Sonic's cheek while the other slid from Sonic's hold wrapped around his neck. Both of Sonic's arms snaked around Shadow's waist, squeezing him as the kiss deepened.

Once they pulled apart, Sonic sighed and buried his face into Shadow's neck, the ebony hedgehog letting out a soft gasp in the process.

"You have no idea how happy I am," the Blue Blur muttered, smiling into Shadow's fur.

Shadow sighed, "I'm... glad too,"

"So, be real with me here," Sonic said, pulling back, "Would... you wanna keep doing this? Going on dates and stuff? And could I maybe call you my boyfriend?" he asked, hopeful as ever but nerves were seriously eating at him.

Shadow hummed but smiled and kissed Sonic's nose, "I'd like that, boyfriend," he said, chuckling.

Sonic smiled and kissed him again.

Shadow melted into it. He smiled against Sonic's lips because for once, he felt good. He felt happy, and for the time being, nothing could take that away from him.

 

Sonic poked his head into the living room of their shared apartment and called out, "Hey, Shadow?"

"What?" Shadow replied, already annoyed that Sonic interrupted his show.

Sonic rolled his eyes, "What's your number?"

As Shadow rattled off his number to his boyfriend, he raised an eyebrow, "Why do you need my number?"

"Just for my phone," the cobalt hedgehog said, "Carry on,"

Shadow perked up, "When did you get one?" he asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket and seeing a text from an unknown number that said,

'you should save me as 'prince charming' lmao'

"Sonic!" Shadow snapped, but he smiled as he hear Sonic cackling from their bedroom.

He rolled his eyes and resumed his show but while making a contact for Sonic, he rolled his eyes as he typed out,

'Prince Dumbass'