Work Text:
Espio had a long fucking day at work. Though, he never actually knew when he didn't have a long day at work. Today just happened to be more physically taxing than other days. Rough cases that he barely got paid for. Utter bullshit if you asked him. He slowly opens the door to his apartment, groaning. Well, more like him and his boyfriend’s apartment. He wasn’t even sure Shadow was home. Always out late doing emo shit or something.
He drags his way to the fridge, already feeling the exhaustion creeping up through his legs to his back. He wasn’t even that hungry, it just felt good to keep the fridge door open, letting the cool breeze brush onto his scales. Lots of sticky situations. Maybe he was better off taking a quick shower.
“Babe? You home?” Espio turns his head at the sound of Shadow’s voice. He can't help but smile as he slowly closes the fridge, paw tapping against the door in a steady rhythm.
“Yeah, just me. I’m gonna take a quick shower, that alright with you?” He hums back, tail swooshing back and forth. Little things in life.
“Why wouldn't it be? I’m not the kind of asshole that needs his boyfriend right away.” Espio could hear the scoff that exited Shadow’s voice. Alright, cool, whatever floated his boat. He sighs, slowly trudging his way over to the bathroom. It smelled fresh of lavender. He took another sniff, as if his nose was deceiving him.
“..Did Shadow stay home and clean? It’s the only time the apartment smells like lavender…” Espio mumbled under his breath, before shrugging. Why did he even care? Less work he had to do later on.
Espio slowly turned the dial on the shower, until it was at the correct temperature. Not exactly cold, but not hot either. Both of them were hot enough as is, he didn’t need to practically steam up the place with a shower. He unravels the scarf around his neck, placing it against the sink counter, stepping inside the shower shortly thereafter.
The water dripping against his scales felt fucking amazing. It almost eased the ache his body was feeling from today’s event. Until it stung. Espio hissed, before looking down at his paw. He had completely forgotten he got cut during one of the cases, and certainly had not bothered to wrap it up. Maybe Shadow was right calling him a fucking moron. He sighs quietly, letting the water nest its way into the palm of his paw. It stings really bad for a moment, but the pain eventually wears itself off.
Espio stands in the shower for longer than he meant to, but it’s not like he was wasting hot water. His water was lukewarm at best, just the way he preferred it. It felt like his legs locked up on him, not letting him move to finish up what he needed to do. Surely his boyfriend was getting impatient?
Knock knock.
He spoke too soon, damn it. Espio sighs as he finally turns the water off, stepping out of the shower. His body screams at him to finally sit down, do something with himself, but everything feels frozen.
“Esp? You okay there? You don’t normally take these long showers.” He could hear the concern etched into Shadow’s voice. He shakes his head, as if Shadow is watching him do so.
“ Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I just needed a minute. I’ll be out soon, I promise.” Espio’s voice cracks as he speaks, but evidently, he doesn’t give a shit.
“Okay…I hope you didn’t rack up our water bill.”
“Why do you care? You don’t even pay for it.”
Espio knew better to retort, but his filter was disintegrating the more he spoke. He didn’t get a response back, which meant Shadow had left. Fine by him, it gave him a chance to collect his thoughts, if there were any thoughts to gather up. Normally cases never got to him. Why was today different? So rough on his mental strain? Espio shakes his head, before slowly opening the cabinet in front of him. It was rather bare, since Shadow almost never got sick, something about being the ultimate life form. Thankfully, there WAS bandages, and looked to be freshly restocked, considering the safety tape was still attached to it.
“Do we really go through that many bandages…?” Espio mumbles to himself, before using his claw to tear off the safety tape. He doesn’t even notice as his other paw trembles while wrapping his injured one. So many things flooded through his mind, but he still did his best to bite them back. He shouldn’t be thinking this way. There wasn’t any room for self doubt. Not now, not ever. It takes him way longer than he cared to admit to wrap his paw, before flexing it. Tight enough to not break open the wound, but loose enough that there shouldn’t be any strain on the wound. Good, at least he knew how to properly wrap his paw. Espio rubs his eye, before finally exiting the bathroom. Why did the bedroom door feel so far away? It felt further away with every step he took, until he finally reached the door, almost white knuckling as he latched onto the frame.
“Talk about being in rough shape. It’s almost pathetic to look at.” Shadow chuckles quietly, book placed firmly in both of his paws. He shifts the reading glasses on his face, ear twitching.
“Hah. Hah.” Espio’s chuckle comes out barely a laugh as he walks over to the bed…collapsing right onto Shadow. His face faceplants right into his chest fluff, and all the tension seems to leave his body as his arms wrap around his boyfriend.
“When’s the last time you collapsed on my chest like this?” Shadow teases, placing one of his paws gently against Espio’s back, tapping as he continues to read.
“Do me a favor and shut up.” He grumbles, shoving his face down further into the fluff. It was almost a safe haven for him. Not like he knew why.
“Long day, huh?”
“Did I make it that obvious?”
Shadow chuckles as he places a bookmark in his book, and places both the book and his reading glasses off to the side. His free paw then starts to gently stroke the top of Espio’s scales. Espio always liked how meticulous he was with his actions.
“Just a little. For one, you never open the fridge the minute you come home. Second off, you took a longer shower than the norm. And now here you are, face deep in my tits.” he keeps his tone light as he speaks. Espio can feel very quiet clicks rumble against his face. For being such a stoic hedgehog, he sure got excited snuggling with him.
“Just a few mentally taxing cases. I don’t even know why it’s getting to me so hard. Probably because Charmy wouldn’t shut his bitch ass up!”
“Mhm? Is that so?”
“YEAH! That kid can’t keep his mouth shut for ANYTHING! He almost got us caught because he was talking about his stupid little girlfriend!”
“The kid has rizz?”
That comment makes Espio snort before he responds back. “I don’t think I really could count Sage as his girlfriend. I mean, she’s a part of the eggman empire, that is his golden girl.”
“Yeah, and the man he’s married to rather runs a coffee shop that acts as a criminal base than go and fight actual good guys.”
Espio snorts again. He always forgot how funny his boyfriend could actually be under the RBF exterior. That also could just be because he got to see the softer side of Shadow, unlike anyone else.
“Something like that, yeah. Then Vector, per usual, worrying about our money situation, followed by him being excited that he’s now married to Vanilla for…the 18th time of the day.”
“I’ve never seen a man so fascinated by a woman like he is.”
“TELL ME ABOUT IT! It’s non stop every day! God, I wish both of them would just shut up for once and focus! Then maybe we wouldn’t be injured so much!” Espio raises his wrapped up paw in frustration. Shadow raises an eyebrow, taking the paw into his own.
“What happened? Who do I need to kill?”
“Woah, woah, no one needs to be killed. Not yet, anyway. I just got distracted by them when my kunai slipped in my paw and cut it. It hurts like hell, but I'm opting to ignore it in favor of being face deep in your tits right now.”
“You sound like a woman sometimes, do you know that?”
“Oh kiss my ass Shadow.” Shadow snickers after Espio’s comment, before placing his paw down, going back to tapping against his back, alongside stroking his scales. Espio swears he can hear the clicks get louder under his chest, but he found it best not to point it out, or he’d lose the sacred tits.
“I’m sure you’d love for me to do that right now, but I can feel how exhausted you are, so maybe another night.” Shadow hums, the humming matching the rhythm he had created with his paws against his back. Espio’s tail swooshed back and forth. He never thought he could be more content than this, but here he was.
“Someone’s enjoying themselves.” He chuckles lightly, looking down at Espio. He just shrugs.
“I don’t hear you complaining none.”
“Not one bit, but don’t be surprised if you end up falling asleep and I use your head as a book prop up.”
“You sound like an old man, reading all the time. You even have reading glasses!” Espio snickers quietly.
“I can remove you from my tits.”
“Please don’t.”
“What I thought. I suggest you behave.” Shadow chuckles again, paw still running its course against the top of Espio’s head. Espio can feel the clicks rumble against his face, and he can’t help but giggle quietly. He quite enjoys his boyfriend snuggles, if he was being honest. Even trade anyway! He wasn’t going to complain.
“Space cadet, your scales are turning colors again.” Shadow taps lightly against the end of his scales. Sure enough, there was a faint pink hue.
“Shut up, you know I can’t control when my scales do that. If I could, it wouldn’t happen at all.” Espio groans, just shoving his face down further.
“I know. Heaven forbid I want to tease my boyfriend a little bit.” Shadow snickers again, still tapping against the scales. It seems to bring him comfort, seeing as Espio can feel the rumble of his clicks against his face. He had no idea why he was into it, but he didn’t care. Whatever made him happy.
“Are you cool if I…?”
“Fall asleep against me? I’m honestly shocked you haven’t already at this point.” Shadow hums, nestling his head down on the top of Espio’s.
“Cool. Night Shadow. You know I love you, right?”
“Mhm. Wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Espio smiles under the fur, before he nestles himself further down against his boyfriend. He doesn’t even remember falling asleep, but he’s cozy against his boyfriend. Life is great this way, and he couldn’t ask for more.