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The words on the page seem to blend together for Sonic, neatly typed letters and punctuation turning to mush. He sighs. “This is a nightmare.”
“You don’t need to tell me that,” says the emo in the corner.
Sonic looks up from the script to give him a death glare. “You didn’t need to take this part.”
It’s at this point he remembers that the problem with giving Famous Bad Boy Actor Shadow a death glare is that the man could probably stare down the devil himself. Red eyes seem to bore into his very soul. “Fuck you,” Shadow growls. “Why would your dumb ass think you can handle Oscar bait?”
“Excuse me?” Sonic bristles. He opens up his mouth to say something hopefully equally insulting when his phone vibrates. He huffs and picks it up.
Amy: You better not be picking a fight over there.
Sonic: i’m not the one picking a fight, Ames! he’s suuuuuuch a tool.
Amy: I will literally quit being your manager if you aren’t able to put aside your differences to film this thing.
Sonic: no tf you won’t
Amy: Want to bet?
Sonic groans out loud and jams his phone back in his pocket. Taking a deep breath, he puts the ‘ol Sonic Smile back on his face and walks over to Shadow, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Listen. I know we have our differences, but-”
“Don’t touch me,” Shadow immediately snaps, grabbing Sonic’s wrist and yanking him off so fast he nearly falls forward and slams his head on the table. Standing abruptly, he jabs at Sonic’s chest with his pointer finger. “Listen, you fuckwit. I did not go through years of classical training and working my way from stage to screen just to deal with your fucking ass. When I took this role I was under the impression that I would be playing against someone who actually knew what the fuck they were doing-”
“I know what I’m doing!” Sonic interjects in protest.
“-and now that I know that instead of a professional, I have a brainless CW teen drama heartthrob as a costar-”
“I needed the money!”
“-I’m no longer interested in this project,” Shadow finishes with biting contempt in his voice. “I’m out of here.”
And he stomps out of the room, leaving Sonic alone.
He sits there stunned for a couple of minutes.
Then the door slams open, and Shadow stomps back in with the sourest expression ever made by a member of mankind.
Despite himself, Sonic gives a shit-eating grin. “Rouge told you that you couldn’t quit?”
“...go fuck yourself.”
*
Shadow has always been an enigma to Sonic. Because he doesn’t like him.
Everyone likes Sonic. Even when he was on the CW, he was a favorite, and all the critics raved that he was too good for the show. When he started doing movies, he got nothing less than rave reviews. Fans flock to him like nuts, to the point where he often wears a wig or hat or and sunglasses while out because otherwise he’ll not be able to get anywhere without being mobbed. He had managers begging to represent him–thank god he found Amy. All of his fellow cast members adore him. His parents didn’t even approve of him wanting to be an actor at first, but have loved and supported him every step of the way. Everyone likes Sonic.
Except for Shadow.
And fuck Shadow. Just because he can recite fancy old dead words and has performed at Shakespeare in the Park doesn’t make him any better than Sonic.
Chaos Energy has a banger script, and even if Robotnik is a huge prick he’s still a banger director. Shadow’s right about one thing, it really could be Sonic’s chance to at least get nominated for an Oscar.
But when he walked into the reading room and saw Shadow sitting there, his heart sunk. Not only were they supposed to be in the same movie, they were playing lovers. Lovers! As if Sonic would ever even think about-
(Ok, time out, big lie. He’s thought about it several times. Asshole or not, Shadow’s hot as hell and plays his roles with a passion that kind of sets a fire inside of Sonic. He has an insane physique, smoldering eyes, and very kissable lips).
Anyway.
It’s awfully hard to pretend to be the lover of a guy who hates you so much that he can’t look you in the eye, no matter how good of an actor you are.
*
“C’mon, Shads,” Sonic protests, clasping his hands together and giving the other man a pleading look.
“Don’t call me that-”
“This could be a great opportunity for both of us,” Sonic persists anyway. “You for lead, me for supporting… and everyone knows we don’t get along, so the press is gonna be crazy! They’ll eat this shit up! Pleeeeeeeeee-”
“Okay, shut the fuck up,” Shadow says, throwing up his arms. “Fine. We’ll… make this work. For the Oscars.” He murmurs something under his breath that sounds awfully like if I don’t get nominated for this I’m murdering the Academy.
Ah, what a joker.
*
They start off their epic male bonding by going for a coffee on set. Sonic notes with some small amusement that people tend to part like the Red Sea for Shadow; he certainly has a reputation as the Hollywood bad boy.
“Okay,” he says, chipper as he starts peeling apart his chocolate croissant. “What’s your favorite color?”
Shadow finishes taking a sip of his black coffee and raises an eyebrow disdainfully. “That’s your first question? And what the fuck are you doing to that pastry?”
“Peeling it,” Sonic replies happily. “Makes it last longer. And yes, it is.”
“...Green,” Shadow says.
Sonic blinks. “Really?”
“You think I’m lying?” says Shadow irritably.
“No, no,” Sonic says quickly, munching on a croissant peeling. “I just assumed it would be red. Or black.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, it’s disgusting,” Shadow replies coolly. “And don’t act like you know me at all. It’s green.” He meets Sonic’s gaze for a second before looking away quickly.
Okay, whatever, weirdo.
“Aren’t cha gonna ask me?” Sonic says, waggling his eyebrows with a smile.
“What is your favorite color.” Shadow’s tone could not be drier.
“Blue,” Sonic says, and he eats another peeling of croissant.
A long, put-upon sigh. “Shocker,” says Shadow, taking another sip of his coffee.
“Why is your favorite color green?”
This question seems to take Shadow by surprise. His eyebrows raise, and lower in a frown again. Sonic is half-expecting the other man to deny him an answer, but, “It’s natural.”
“Natural?”
“Yeah. I like nature. It relaxes me.”
It’s Sonic’s turn to be surprised. He blinks. “Oh. Cool. Me too, I guess.”
“Why is your favorite color blue?” Shadow looks almost as if he cares about the answer. Almost.
“I dunno,” Sonic says honestly, flushing a bit. He was so curious about Shadow’s answer that he forgot he doesn’t really have a good answer. “It just makes me happy to look at it, and I think it suits me.” To get over his embarrassment, he shoves a bit more of the croissant in his mouth.
“I see,” says Shadow. There’s a pause, which Sonic is about to fill after he swallows his croissant, but Shadow beats him to the punch. “Why did you want to be an… actor?”
His tone is reluctant and ‘actor’ sounds like it’s supposed to be surrounded by air quotes, but Sonic appreciates the gesture nonetheless. “When I was a kid, me and my brothers used to put on these elaborate shows for my parents,” he says, smiling at the memory. “My mom suggested I go out for the school play. It was love at first sight. I killed it in Peter Pan, believe it or not.”
Shadow snorts out a laugh, and Sonic is immediately transfixed, saving the sound to memory. He’s never seen Shadow laugh before.
“Why did you want to be an actor?” he asks.
A pause, as Shadow seems to be debating his answer. Then, “I didn’t want to be myself. I became fascinated with the thought of embodying someone else. As an unexpected bonus, I was very good at it.”
“...Oh,” says Sonic. What else could he say? He swallows his last bit of croissant. “Um. Do you still not want to be yourself?”
Red eyes lock onto his, before looking away again. “Too personal,” says Shadow, and Sonic drops it.
*
Epic male bonding part two happens at a local park, per Sonic’s decision.
Sonic has his shocking blue hair tucked under a baseball cap, and his aviator sunglasses on. When he meets Shadow at their previously agreed on spot, he sees the other man has on sunglasses as well, his red and black hair put up in a loose bun.
He looks good like that, Sonic thinks.
“Why here?” Shadow asks as he sees Sonic approach.
Sonic smiles. “Cause nature, right?”
Shadow’s eyes widen ever so slightly. He turns his head away, but not quick enough to completely hide a small smile.
It kind of makes Sonic feel a little crazy for a second.
They walk around the park, asking more questions before getting to a bench that overlooks a pretty part of the park. They sit a respectable foot away from each other, looking down at the wind whistling through the trees.
Pretty peaceful. But of course, Sonic has to talk. “So,” he says out loud. “What’s your favorite food.”
A pause. “Coffee beans.”
Sonic whips his head to stare at Shadow. “Coffee beans?”
“Yes,” says Shadow, looking like he’s blushing a little as he glares back at Sonic. Cute. “Coffee beans. I like the flavor and the crunch.”
Sonic laughs, throwing his head back. He doesn’t see the way Shadow watches him do it. “That’s wild, man,” he says happily. “You’re so weird. Mine is-”
“Chili dogs,” Shadow finishes dryly, which throws Sonic off again. “You genuinely will not shut up about it in interviews. It’s annoying.”
“You watch my interviews?”
“I watch everyone’s interviews. I like to know my contemporaries.”
He thinks of me as a contemporary? “But you don’t do any interviews yourself.”
“Fuck no,” says Shadow, looking affronted at the idea. “No one needs to know my business like that.”
“It’s good PR,” Sonic says with a shrug. “Plus the fans love it.”
Shadow scoffs. “I don’t care about the fans. The fans are the worst part of the job.”
“Damn,” says Sonic. “You really are the bad boy of Hollywood.”
“Oh, don’t call me that,” Shadow says with an eye roll. He looks embarrassed. “I hate that nickname. Just because I want my privacy-”
“And because you’ve punched two different members of the paparazzi?” Sonic says, an eyebrow raised and a knowing smile on his face.
Shadow pauses, grins, and laughs again. This time it’s lighter, surprisingly higher in pitch. “Okay. You’ve got me there.”
Sonic feels lighter, somehow. Like he’s floating.
*
Epic male bonding part 3 happens when Shadow invites Sonic back to his apartment to read lines over.
Which, whoa! What the fuck!
To be honest, Sonic is pretty sure he’s gonna fuck this up. Break an expensive vase or step on a Persian rug with muddy shoes on or something.
But “It’s the one place I know I won’t be bothered, and I need that for my process,” says Shadow, and fair enough.
Sonic get to the address, takes the elevator to the penthouse, and the elevator opens right up into the place.
Shadow’s place is luxe, sleek and monotoned, but surprisingly under-decorated. Or maybe not that surprising, given his nature. No worries about breaking vases or muddying rugs.
Still, Sonic sees tons of opportunities to add a little oomf to the place. A large painting of a landscape here, a jewel-toned throw blanket there… Well, that’s what Sonic would do if he lived there. Which he doesn’t.
Shadow’s living room sofa is large and white - Sonic is kind of freaked out to even sit on it, but Shadow guides him there. “Do you want anything to drink?” he says. “I have sparkling or tap water, coffee, tea…”
Sonic gets a cup of chai, Shadow gets a black coffee, and they get the scripts out.
Sonic opens his up to a random page and nearly chokes on the chai.
“What’s wrong,” Shadow says quickly, giving him a concerned look.
“Nothing, nothing,” Sonic says just as quickly.
Of course it’s not nothing. It’s the sex scene. He’s been so preoccupied getting to know Shadow, actually starting to feel comfortable in his company, that he kind of forgot the end goal here.
They’re supposed to be lovers.
Sonic is no stranger to sex scenes as a CW veteran (and he really has been through it, thank you very much), but Shadow is just so…
“Oh, that scene.”
Sonic jumps. He was so lost in the sauce that he didn’t see Shadow move closer and look over his shoulder.
“What, are you scared?” Shadow says mockingly, but there’s no real bite to it. He leans a little closer, so close they’re maybe an inch apart, grinning with teeth. “I know you’re not an on-screen virgin.”
Sonic nearly jumps out of his skin. Fuck, he knows he’s crimson right now. His face feels really hot. “I… I’m not scared,” he defends.
Shadow laughs, moving back to a respectable distance away. “I’m just fucking with you.”
Sonic is slowly learning that Shadow has a wicked sense of humor. He really likes it, actually.
“I get flustered at that sort of thing too, at first,” Shadow says. “It’s why I don’t do it often.”
That’s true. Shadow has been in only two movies with sex scenes in them. Sonic may or may not have watched them a couple times. A couple dozen times. It occurs to him that both of those scenes were, in fact, with women.
“Does it bother you that I’m… well, a guy?” he asks curiously.
Shadow shakes his head. “I’m gay.”
Oh.
“Oh.” Sonic feels insanely stupid right now, unable to come up with something to say next. His mouth is suddenly dry, for some reason. “Cool. I’m bi. But you probably know that, because of-”
“The interviews,” Shadow says neutrally.
“The interviews,” says Sonic. Something else occurs to him, and his stupid idiot fucking awful brain blurts it out before he can stop himself. “But does it bother you that you’re the bottom?” No, no, no, kill yourself NOW.
He’s so distressed at his own question that he almost misses the faint flush on Shadow’s face. “Well, no,” says Shadow. He pauses. “I… tend to prefer that? More often.”
Oh, sweet Jesus Christ.
“Cool!” Sonic says, way too loudly. “I, uh… yeah! I actually, y’know, I actually prefer topping more often, so-”
“Sonic.”
“-this actually might work, because, yeah, we prefer what we prefer, and-”
“Sonic.”
“-by the way, I’m not actually the kind of freak who like. Asks about whether someone is a top or bottom on the regular, I have no fucking idea why I asked that, so-”
Shadow grabs him by the shirt, yanks him forward, and kisses him.
And after a brief moment of shock, Sonic kisses him back, all of his nerves somehow draining now that Shadow’s made this move. How could he be nervous, when Shadow kissed him first, and his lips are smooth and his hair smells like lavender?
Sonic’s hands trail down to Shadow’s slender and very grippable waist, squeezing gently, which elicits a groan from Shadow that makes his toes curl. Shadow responds in kind by relinquishing Sonic’s shirt and wrapping his arms around Sonic’s shoulders.
The kiss deepens, their mouths open. Sonic presses his tongue into Shadow’s mouth, and Shadow sucks on it, which makes him moan and feel a little crazy.
Before he knows it, he’s guiding Shadow back, encouraging him to lean into the couch and let Sonic press a knee between his legs.
It’s not difficult, Shadow goes eagerly, moaning into the kiss as Sonic’s knee presses down. He’s getting hard, actually, and Sonic really feels himself start to lose it.
He pulls away from the kiss, unable to resist biting and tugging on Shadow’s lower lip as he does so. “Wait-”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Shadow gasps out, and oh god he’s rocking his hips into Sonic’s knee. Like he’s just going full animal in heat, jesus christ. “I’ve wanted you since I saw your first stupid fucking interview, just-”
“Really?” Sonic interjects, voice hoarse. He kind of feels like his dick might explode suddenly. He leans down and kisses Shadow firmly on the lips before trailing his mouth down that gorgeous neck.
“Y-yeah,” Shadow says breathlessly. “You idiot… I wanted you so badly it made me so angry…”
Oh, so it’s like that. “Let me guess,” says Sonic. He grinds his knee up and Shadow whines. “You were so angry because you wanted to get fucked by the ‘brainless CW teen drama heartthrob’, right?”
Shadow nods, looking away with his face flushed, and Sonic rewards him for his honesty by biting down on his neck and sucking a mark in.
“Fuck!” cries Shadow, and suddenly he’s pulling at Sonic’s shirt. “Off.”
Sonic doesn’t need to be asked twice. He sits up and whips off his shirt, throwing it to the side. Shadow responds in kind, sitting up and doing the same. Sonic wants to take the time to admire his chest, his peaked brown nipples and firm abdomen, but the two of them are embracing again before he can blink.
He’s hard now too, rocking his hips up into Shadow’s core, making their dicks touch through layers of clothes. It’s hot as hell, and Shadow sure seems to agree with the noises he’s making. Moans getting higher in pitch as he wraps his legs around Sonic’s hips, fuck, Sonic is going to die.
They kiss passionately for a moment, before Sonic breathlessly murmurs into Shadows lips, “Want me to fuck you, baby? I’m not gonna last forever like this…”
Shadow gasps and his legs clench, clearly enjoying the petname–which, noted–before he nods and shoves Sonic back. “My room,” he says hoarsely.
He takes Sonic by the hand and guides him through the apartment. This time Sonic doesn’t waste any energy on possible interior decorating ideas; he instead is staring shamelessly at Shadow’s ass.
They reach the bedroom, and Sonic is beyond pleased to see a king size. “Wow.”
“I wanted the space,” Shadow says with a shrug.
Sonic grins. “I wanna fuck you,” he replies, and reaches out to use Shadow’s shoulders as grip to spin the other actor around and shove him bodily into the bed.
Shadow’s eyes go all cute and wide as he slams back on the mattress, before they narrow at Sonic. “Getting cocky, are we?”
“Just getting started,” Sonic replies, his own eyes sparkling.
He climbs onto the bed, crawling between Shadow’s legs and rubbing his thighs gently. He notices Shadow let out a sigh, eyes fluttering shut. “How long has it been, baby?”
Shadow’s eyes open again, his face flushed. “A while. Hard to find someone I can trust not to spill everything to the press, or not to want to fuck for clout. You?”
“Not too long,” Sonic admits. “But I gotta say, I’ve never had anyone as pretty as you.”
“Hmph,” Shadow says grumpily, but the flush on his face deepens.
They get all the way undressed pretty quickly, throwing pants and underwear to the side. Shadow looks amazing naked, toned brown skin and nice muscles, and from the way he’s staring up at Sonic he clearly doesn’t hate what he sees, either.
“You got stuff?” Sonic asks, and Shadow nods.
He moves to get on his knees and turns to the side table. “Don’t stare at my ass.”
“Too late,” says Sonic with a shit eating grin. “It’s a nice ass. It looked great in that one period piece where you went down on the queen.”
Shadow cranes his neck to look back at Sonic with a raised eyebrow. “So you are a fan.”
“Of your ass, yeah.”
Shadow snorts. He finishes digging out the lube and a condom and turns, handing them to Sonic.
Sonic thanks him with a quick kiss, deepening it until Shadow is struggling to breath before pulling away and raising an eyebrow. He drops the condom on the bed for later. “Ready to turn around and present for me, handsome?”
This makes Shadow flush. “Asshole,” he accuses, but his tone is harmless, and he obediently turns around to get on his hands and knees. It feels like it can’t get any sexier, and then Shadow arches his back, canting his hips up. Fuck. He peers around his shoulder to give Sonic a challenging look.
Sonic likes a challenge. He reaches out and spanks Shadow’s ass, just a quick tap with a bit of bite behind it. Nothing crazy.
Shadow moans, hips jerking forward. “You’re a fucking asshole!” he says again.
“You like that?” Sonic asks him happily, gently massaging the place he just slapped. “That’s good to know.”
“Just get on with it before I change my mind.”
Sonic doesn’t want him to change his mind. He pours out some of the lube, warming it a bit on his fingers until finally pressing one in. Shadow groans at this, head dropping down. Shadow’s groans only get louder as Sonic works his finger inside of him, biting his lip at how the other man feels. “You weren’t kidding when you said it’s been a while, huh, Shads? Damn, you’re tight.”
Shadow doesn’t dignify that statement with a response, instead tightening his grip on the blankets.
Finally he starts to press against Sonic’s finger. “More,” he demands, but god, it’s more like a whine than anything with bite behind it. So hot.
“How can I say no to that?” Sonic says lightly, and presses a second finger inside of him. He’s trying to go slow, but Shadow starts to move his hips to encourage his fingers to go faster, and before Sonic knows it he’s got three fingers inside of the other man, fucking him furiously as Shadow pants and whines for it, his poor neglected dick dripping onto the sheets. Sonic starts to curl his fingers, getting his prostate with every thrust, and it causes Shadow to all but howl.
“Sonic,” he moans finally, breathless.
“Yesss?” Sonic says teasingly, not slowing the pace of his fingers. “What is it, baby?”
Shadow moans in frustration, rocking his hips back in a desperate sort of way that makes Sonic glad he’s good at staving off an orgasm. The view in front of him is just too erotic for words. “Do it.”
“Do what?” Sonic purrs, scissoring his fingers again just to hear Shadow’s breath stutter. “Sorry, I’m a braindead CW actor. You’re going to have to be a little more clear with me.”
“You fucking…” Shadow begins, before Sonic curls his fingers again and he cuts himself off with a cry. “AH! Fuck me, Sonic, fuck me now!”
And that’s how you ask for something, so Sonic is powerless to refuse. Slowly he pulls his fingers out–Shadow shuddering appealingly as he does so–before wiping them on the sheets, sliding the condom on, and lining himself up with Shadow’s hips. He closes his eyes for a moment, letting the anticipation build inside of him.
Then Shadow whines wordlessly beneath him, and he can’t stop himself anymore. He takes his cock in hand and presses in, slowly but surely.
“Oh, God,” Shadow groans in pleasure underneath him, arching his back. It feels amazing. He’s so tight around Sonic’s dick, so warm and slick from the lube, that it makes Sonic’s head spin.
Sonic bottoms out, biting his lip hard. He grips Shadow’s hips tightly, staving off any embarrassing chance of him coming before he can fuck the life out of Shadow.
“What are you waiting for,” Shadow says suddenly. He clenches around Sonic, causing a hiss. “I asked you to fuck me. When are you going to fuck me?”
Sonic spanks him again, causing a small yelp and a jolt of those tanned hips. “Desperate,” he accuses, before slowly pulling out almost to the tip and pressing himself back in, starting a rhythm.
Shadow keens, rocking his hips into it. “I can’t help it,” he says breathlessly. “It’s- ah, been so long.”
“Yeah, I know, sweetheart,” Sonic murmurs. “I’ll give you what you’ve been waiting for.” He starts to pick up the pace, with a very favorable reaction from Shadow, who moans and matches his rhythm.
They move in that way for a while, when Sonic notices Shadow is shaking, struggling to support himself with his hands as he gives into the pleasure. “You need help, baby?” he coos.
“Fuck you,” Shadow bites out, but he hums in relief when Sonic places a possessive hand between his shoulder blades and starts to press his upper half down into the sheets. He goes down willingly, cheek pressed into the sheets. Now he doesn’t have to support his own weight anymore, held up by Sonic’s grip on his hips.
“Maybe next time,” Sonic quips with a smile, but there’s a possessive steeliness in his eyes. “Good boy, Shadow.”
Shadow’s eyes widen, pupils dilating, and he whines.
“You like that, huh?” Sonic says sweetly, starting a rhythm again. “You wanna be my good boy?”
Shadow locks eyes with him and nods, looking so sweet and flustered.
“I know,” Sonic says with a sage nod, grunting a bit as his hips move faster. “I know you do. You’re so sweet like this, you know that?”
Shadow whimpers in response, before suddenly crying out as Sonic adjusts the angle slightly and finally finds his prostate again.
“And listen to you,” Sonic continues, picking up the pace until he’s slamming into Shadow with every thrust, abusing that spot that Shadow loves so much. “All whiny and whimpery like that. Where’s that Shakespeare you’re so known for? Wanna give me a monologue right now about how much you love my cock in your ass?”
All that Shadow does in response is continue to cry out, so pathetic, so good, letting Sonic know just how much of an effect he has on him. It builds Sonic’s already sizeable ego way up. He’s starting to tear up, too, which is making Sonic even harder inside of him.
“S-sonic, mmph, close, I’m getting close,” Shadow manages. “Touch me.”
Sonic smiles and opens up his mouth to ask for the magic word, but turns out there’s no need to do so.
“Please, please touch me,” Shadow begs.
“Well, if you’re going to be so needy and polite about it,” Sonic says with a wolfish grin. He slows his thrusting for a moment to lower his upper body down so that he’s plastered across Shadow’s back, kissing at the back of his neck in a way that makes Shadow squirm. His left hand snakes between Shadow’s neck and the bed, wrapping around him in a position that’s almost a chokehold. His right hand goes to Shadow’s cock. He starts moving his hips and hand in sync, and that’s when Shadow loses it.
“Oh God,” he sobs, the tears leaving his eyes and trailing down his cheeks, “Sonic, fuck, fuck, that feels, ah, that’s so…” He trails off again, crying out with each thrust to his prostate.
Just as Sonic feels as if his body may be reaching its limit, exercise-wise, his mouth drops open as Shadow clenches around him and sobs, splattering the bed with come. Sonic makes his own share of embarrassing noises and comes as well, filling the condom in pulses.
It’s ecstasy.
When it’s over, Sonic slowly pulls out. He treasures the strangled noise it brings from Shadow, before tying up the condom and crawling over to dispose of it in the neat little waste bin next to Shadow’s bed.
While he’s looking away from Shadow, he hears a little grumpy noise. Turning, he sees Shadow–face still planted in the sheets–reaching needily for him. He smiles and crawls back over, flopping alongside of him and pulling him into his arms, kissing his forehead. “How was that?”
“Do you even need to ask?” Shadow’s voice is hoarse as he wraps his arms around Sonic’s waist, getting in even closer. He huffs out a laugh. “Think we’re ready for that scene, now?”
Sonic laughs in response, leaning in to kiss him full on the mouth. “I think you’re my new favorite costar, Shadow.”