Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sonic groans as a streak of sunlight passes through his window, hitting his face. 

He turns over on his side, pulling one of his pillows over his head to block out the rising sun. 

And, yeah, maybe it’d be easier to just get up and close his curtains or, better yet, actually get up and get ready to start his day. But his muscles feel like jelly and his brain feels foggy with sleep. 

Though, reluctantly, he does end up finally rolling out of bed (literally; he rolls over until he falls out of bed because that feels easier to do than stand up) when his alarm clock goes off. 

He slaps the button to stop the thing from beeping so much, and then stands up with a tired grunt, heading to the small bathroom connected to his bedroom. 

He stretches and yawns as he goes to turn his shower faucet to a lukewarm, somewhat cold temperature, before stepping into the chilly water fairly quickly, allowing the cold to fully wake him up. 

After taking a few minutes to hastily bathe, he steps out in a towel and goes to brush his teeth. 

As he faces his reflection in the moderately steamy mirror, his eyes fall to the symmetrical, noticeably pink, scars present on his chest, a reminder that he needs to take his meds this morning. 

He’d gotten top surgery only a few years ago, and he loves how he looks now. The scars don’t make him as dysphoric as he’d thought they might. 

Truthfully, they don’t really trigger his dysphoria much at all. Quite the opposite, actually. They honestly give him a sense of pride. The scars on his chest feel like any other ones he has on the rest of his body: mementos of every battle he’s had, of the challenges he’s faced, both physical and emotional. 

It reminds him that he’s come out of his hardest days, and he can continue to keep doing so. 

Some days are still more difficult than others, of course. Scars are scars, after all, and they tend to hold the painful memories of the wounds they’re associated with. 

But he loves himself when he can. And it seems like today is one of the days where he’s feeling more self-confident. 

He spins, admiring himself in the mirror a bit, and smiles. 

Hell yeah. He looks handsome as fuck. 

He finishes brushing his teeth and dries his fur off. Then, he grabs his testosterone gel from one of the tiny bathroom cabinets. 

The fog on his mirror has since cleared, and he’s able to more easily view his reflection as he takes some gel onto his paw pads before generously applying the medication to his shoulders and upper arms. 

He washes his paws when he’s done and puts the gel away. 

Then, he faces the mirror again, hoping to notice more things he likes about himself this morning. 

When he looks back into the mirror, though, his hips stand out to him, in a way that makes the skin under his fur itch uncomfortably. 

…oh. 

He soon leaves the bathroom to find a loose sweatshirt to throw on. 

Yeah, he feels pretty self-confident. As much as he can feel. Sometimes to the point of being egotistical, as Shadow might tell him. 

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t still arduous to be himself at times. Gender dysphoria is an exhausting asshole. 

Sonic rifles through different hoodies and jackets. 

Speaking of the darker hedgehog, he does wonder if he might see the other today. They don’t really have any plans together or with friends or anything, but he does like seeing the other hedgehog whenever he can. 

It’s… nice. 

Most might not think it, but Shadow can actually be very fun to hang out with, at least, to Sonic. Whenever they spend time around each other, the blue hedgehog finds his heart racing, stomach fluttering, he’s even more restless than he usually is, and he, for whatever reason, always tries to keep close to the the dark hedgehog every chance he gets (within Shadow’s comfort zone and boundaries, of course).

…

So, yeah, it obviously hadn’t taken him too long to realize he has a huge crush on the Ultimate Lifeform. 

He’d tried to keep his feelings majorly hidden for a while, but quickly found that he was fooling absolutely no one (including Shadow, to some extent). But it seems alright. He’ll lightly flirt with the ebony hedgehog, and he still gets surprised when the other hedgehog actually reciprocates at times. The first time it had happened, the azure hedgehog had ended up loudly choking on the water he’d been sipping on in response, in front of all their friends. 

The two of them aren’t dating. They don’t really talk about their feelings; he has no idea if Shadow is genuine or just teasing when he flirts back, but he supposes his own flirting is pretty ambiguous, too, even if his attraction to the other isn’t very well hidden. It’s all a kind of unspoken thing that the two of them seem to just be dancing around. 

He’d like to date Shadow, he thinks. He likes when the other hedgehog opens up to him, chooses to be around him, speaks to him, brushes a paw against his arm in a way that feels loving and intentionally affectionate and sends a shiver up his spine- 

Anyways.

He just doesn’t know if Shadow likes him back. He’s kind of worried that the black and red hedgehog never would if he found out Sonic was trans. 

He’s sure Shadow would be chill about it. He seems open-minded, especially if he’s willing to flirt back with Sonic so blatantly and overtly. 

But the blue blur’s main fear surrounding his identity is people finding out that he wasn’t born a male, and seeing him differently afterwards. 

What if other Mobians start to see him as someone who’s just pretending to be something he’s not? 

What if he’s never referred to as a man ever again?

And the idea of that kind of reaction possibly coming from Shadow? For some reason, Sonic thinks that would hurt the most. 

Maybe because the darker hedgehog’s approval and affection has begun to mean so much to him. 

It’s not like he truly needs anyone’s approval, really. But it means a lot coming from the Mobians he loves and cares about; the ones whose opinions matter most to him. 

And he supposes Shadow has started to become one of those Mobians. 

With a grumble to himself, Sonic yanks a loose sweatshirt out of his closet.  

Sonic just wants to be seen as a man.

That can’t be too much to ask for, right?

…

Nevertheless, with a small shake of his head and a disgruntled huff at the annoyingly anxious thoughts coursing through his mind, a light indigo sweatshirt pulled on with the sleeves comfortably rolled up to his elbows, Sonic bounces over to the kitchenette in his small house. 

He pulls out a bowl and pours himself some cereal, not up to making anything fancy for breakfast, and he jumps to sit on his countertop to eat, because who even needs a proper dining area, really. 

But, after taking only a couple bites of his somewhat sugary meal, he’s interrupted by a loud crashing and thundering noise outside. 

From where he’s sitting, he leans to look through one of his larger living room windows, and rolls his eyes at what he sees. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” he mutters to himself with a mouthful of food. 

A few large, hunking, metal robots stomp through Hedgehog Village and Sonic sighs, breakfast forgotten as he sprints outside to defend his home. 

Why is Eggman even awake this early in the morning?

=

Shadow sits up in bed with a huff, rubbing his eyes as he reaches to turn off the alarm on his communicator watch. He then puts the small device on his wrist, just below one of his inhibitor rings. 

Before doing anything else, he shuffles to pull out a small zipper pouch bag from his bedside table drawer, one that holds his testosterone medication inside. 

He likes to get this part of his morning routine over with as soon as he can. 

It’s tedious to him; he doesn’t enjoy it. 

He doesn’t like needles, never has, but it felt like the quickest way for him to take these meds in the morning, and it made the most sense to him. 

He moves to sit on the edge of his bed and, after preparing a small needle and syringe with his medicine, he carefully injects his leg. He whimpers a little, embarrassingly, as he does so, but does his best to keep his breathing steady through the process. 

He knows there’s gels for this kind of treatment, as well, but he doesn’t like the way it clings to his fur. It drove him into sensory overloads when he used to use it. Despite his anxiety around needles, the feeling of discomfort is at least more temporary with this. 

He doesn’t like needing to take hormones, to still need to be injected with needles, after everything he’s been through. 

It just doesn’t feel fair. He was created. He could’ve been made male. But, then again, he supposes that a lot of things could’ve gone differently in his life. He doesn’t know what would’ve happened if he had been born a male Mobian. 

Even so, taking his meds in the morning like this continues to make him feel like he’s still a part of those same old experiments from the ARK. 

And on top of all that, he still doesn’t really like how he looks in the mirror, either. 

Almost every aspect of who he is still just feels like one big insecurity. 

With a heavy sigh, he cleans everything up, carefully makes his bed, and leaves his bedroom, heading to his and Rouge’s shared bathroom in their small apartment. 

He notices Rouge is already in there, putting on makeup, and he knocks on the open door. 

His closest friend greets him with a small smile before turning back to her reflection in the mirror. 

“Good morning, darling!” Shadow can hear her smile through her words, her voice clear and singsong-y, even in the early morning, as she delicately applies light pink lip gloss to her lips. 

“Morning,” he responds, politely, stepping into the bathroom beside her so he can start his own long ass morning skincare routine. 

Well, it more so keeps his quills healthy and shiny and his fur soft and upkept, rather than caring for the actual skin under his fur, but that’s just semantics. 

Now this is a part of his morning routine he likes. Several aspects of his appearance and life are, or have been, out of his control, but this isn’t. He chooses to do it, and it feels lovely. 

It’s something he can bond with Rouge and a couple of his other friends over. It makes him feel gorgeous and happy and relaxed. His self-care is self-indulgent, and he deserves some self-indulgence. 

“How did you sleep, dear?” his roommate asks, sweetly, as he begins to apply his cleanser, and then his toner, to the fur on his face and muzzle. 

“Fine,” the dark hedgehog responds, monotonously, which pretty much means that his nightmares weren’t awful the night prior. “You?” 

“Oh, wonderfully,” Rouge grins, and she soon starts on a long tangent about the dream she’d had last night. Something about living like royalty, surrounded by jewelry, and maybe something about having sexual intercourse with that red echidna she’s been dating, too. Shadow rolls his eyes a little, fondly, but listens attentively, nodding along, as he applies a hint of antioxidant serum to some parts of his muzzle. 

“So. Have you had any more dreams about Sonic?” the bat’s next question pulls him back into the present as it catches him slightly off-guard. 

He takes a moment to breathe, trying not to let the fact that he’s furiously blushing show through on his face, and he lets out a playfully annoyed huff towards his friend as he shakes his head. He starts to add eye cream to the dark circles under his eyes, ones stemming from several restless nights of sleep over the week. They aren’t very visible with his dark fur, even to himself, but he likes how refreshed he feels after treating them, regardless. 

“Not since a couple weeks ago, still,” he sighs, finally answering his roommate, who has just finished her makeup and is now moving to sit on the bathroom counter. 

He’d told her about a particularly steamy dream he’d had about the blue hedgehog once, a few months ago, and since then, she asks him pretty much every morning if there have been any updates to his, now fairly consistent, dreams about the blue blur (both explicit and not). It’s a bit embarrassing, at times, but he likes having her to confide in. 

“Damn. That’s too bad,” Rouge huffs melodramatically, but with a small shrug. 

There’s a small intermission of silence in their conversation, and Shadow begins to rub a lavender and berry scented oil he’d found for Mobian quill health into his own colorfully striped quills. 

Then… 

“When are you gonna ask him out already?” 

Shadow pauses in his movements. 

It’s too early for this.

He meets his friend’s knowing look with a glare and scowl that doesn’t phase her whatsoever. She simply raises an eye ridge as if to emphasize her remark. 

Shadow looks away again with a miffed exhale, washing his paws off. “I told you. I don’t think he really likes me, he’s just a flirt.” 

He can see Rouge tilt her head back and roll her eyes about ten times more aggressively than he’s ever been able to achieve. “Oh my Gaia. I told you-“ 

“Yes, yes,” Shadow groans as he starts to squeeze some toothpaste onto his toothbrush. “I know. He gives you ‘flirting vibes’ not ‘teasing vibes’. Whatever the hell that even means.” 

“He does!” the bat insists, moving her own paws excitedly as she speaks. “You have to see the way he gets flustered when you match his energy. And how he practically clings to you like a magnet every time we hang out with him and his friends?” 

“He gets embarrassed,” Shadow argues. 

“Yeah, because he thinks you’re hot!” 

“He does not!” 

“He totally does! I see the way he looks at you! And the way that you look at him. It’s the same. He adores you! He’d be a fool not to!” 

Shadow finally begins brushing his teeth and his small fangs. He shakes his head at his best friend’s words with a half-smile. 

“Flatterer..” the ebony hedgehog says with a small chuckle, voice muffled with toothpaste before he spits it out and rinses his mouth out. 

Then, he finally turns fully away from the bat, walking out to the kitchen for some breakfast. She follows him. 

“Oh, c’mon, Shads!” she continues, now jumping to sit on one of their kitchen stools as the darker hedgehog grabs some coffee beans to eat. He turns back to his roommate with an exhausted, yet well-meaning, smile as she continues to talk, and he begins to eat from his bag of coffee beans like they’re candy as he listens to her ramble on. “What would he have to say to convince you? What is he supposed to do? Just walk right up to you and say, straightforwardly, ‘Shadow, I have a crush on you’- actually, nevermind. Don’t answer that. I know the answer.” 

Shadow answers anyway. “Yes, actually. That would be perfect. If he has feelings for me, he should just tell me! What’s wrong with being blunt?” 

“He’s probably just working up the courage to confess,” she says with a shrug, and she leans to rest her chin in the palm of one of her paws. “What if you just tell him how you feel first? Get it over with? Then you can be blunt about it.” 

The dark hedgehog has certainly thought of doing so. But… 

One thing continues to plague his mind. Something holding him back. 

He looks away from the bat, tapping his foot on the floor a couple times, anxiously. Then, still not meeting his friend’s eyes, he mutters out his fear. 

“I… don’t think he’d fall for a trans guy. What if he thinks I’m weird? Or… gross? Or something…”

He looks back up at Rouge after a moment. Her expression is more sympathetic, now; kind and understanding. 

“I don’t think Sonic thinks like that,” she replies back, voice softer than usual, but confident in her statement. 

He knows she’s probably right. He’s never known Sonic to be judgmental like that. He’s honestly probably the type to not see it as any of his business. 

…

But what if she’s wrong..?

Shadow likes Sonic’s company. Every time he’s around that dumbass, he finds his heart racing, stomach fluttering, he’s suddenly restless, and he can’t help but hope the little touches the other hedgehog places on his arms, paws, or his face (which happened one time) would linger a bit. 

Maybe it’s stupid, but he really likes Sonic. 

He doesn’t want to fuck up what they have, even if what they have feels like maybe it could be something more. 

And what if he tells Sonic he’s transgender, and it’s just another thing that makes them both so different from each other or incompatible? 

…what if Sonic really would hate him? 

“Hey,” Shadow is pulled out of his thoughts once more by the voice of his best friend; which, even for all of its frivolity and almost tiresome nature at times, was actually a massive comfort to him. 

She hops off the counter, her wings fluttering a little, and she carefully places two paws on the sides of Shadow’s face. A kind, caring, grounding action. 

She tilts her head as she brushes her thumbs against Shadow’s muzzle, soothingly. “If he’s transphobic or he’s an ass about you liking him or whatever, he’s no friend of either of us.”

Shadow nods, and Rouge moves her paws to intertwine with his. “How about this? If you’re comfortable with it, ask him out on a date the next time you see him. Just rip the bandaid off. And if he says no, and I doubt he will, truly, I’ll buy us both ice cream and we can watch some shitty, boring rom-coms together all night, until you’re over him, yeah?” 

Shadow considers. 

Her words are reassuring. The idea is reasonable. 

So, with yet another eye roll, and a half-smile…

“Fine.” 

Rouge gives him a quick hug and a kiss on the forehead, ever the affectionate friend, and Shadow giggles, shoving her away, playfully. 

Then, the bat’s communicator watch starts to ring, a notification from the red echidna. Rouge beams, and Shadow takes his turn to tease her. 

“You think you’ll recreate what happened in your dream with him tonight?” 

Now, Rouge shoves him with a gasp of faux indignation, both of them giggling as his roommate answers the call. 

“Hey, sweetheart. What’s happening?” she says, voice as saccharine as her words, and she walks a bit away from the kitchen to fully talk to her kind-of-boyfriend. 

Shadow continues to eat his coffee beans. 

A couple minutes later, Rouge walks back over with a sigh and a knowing smile towards him.

“Alright, Hot Topic. Knux just got called from Angel Island to help fight off some Eggman robots in Hedgehog Village and he asked me to come help him,” she explains. 

“This early in the morning?” Shadow huffs, almost amused. Why the fuck is Eggman even awake this early? 

It’s not like it’ll throw Sonic or his friends off their game. They’ll fight robots anytime. And even if Sonic himself isn’t a morning person, his friends certainly are. 

Rouge grins at the ebony hedgehog. But it’s more of a teasing smirk towards him, and it makes his quills bristle just a smidge in question. 

She’s going to suggest something stupid. He knows it. 

“Yep. And you are coming along with me because Sonic will be there, too.”

And there it is.

“Rouge-!” he protests, with a half-laugh half-scoff. 

She just smiles back at him, sweet and somewhat pleading. 

Truthfully, he isn’t that mad to go with her. He actually does kind of want to see Sonic, although he’s certain his roommate already knows that. 

So he throws his bag of coffee beans aside with a mildly irritated groan as he heads to his room. “Let me grab a hoodie, then we can go.” 

He hears a tiny, celebratory cheer from his friend. 

=

Sonic is kicking down a large, metal, beetle-like bot when Shadow and Rouge show up. He visibly grins when he sees the dark hedgehog. 

He jumps away from the robot after a particularly strong, swift kick, right to a weaker point of the bot that sends it retreating, half stumbling as it sways, disoriented. 

And he lands right next to the Ultimate Lifeform. 

“Hey, gorgeous. Didn’t know you’d be joining the fight. I would’ve gotten more dressed up for you,” the blue blur immediately smirks, winking at Shadow right after the statement. 

Shadow scoffs before seeing a smaller, bug-like bot in the corner of his eye. He promptly sends it flying away with a punch, chaos energy from his fist damaging it. The dark hedgehog is somewhat grateful for the mild distraction of the battle right now (albeit a fairly miniscule one, this morning, compared to usual) so that the azure hedgehog can’t see the bit of flush present on his muzzle from the words. 

“It’s alright,” he finally responds, with a grunt. “Your pretty face is enough.” 

The black and red hedgehog then rushes away to fight another robot, missing the visibly flustered reaction that his statement causes the Hero of Mobius. 

Or the way that it distracts that same hero enough to take a stinging scratch to the face from a different bot. 

Sonic screeches loudly at the sudden pain, stumbling back as the mantis-like robot manages to strike him once again, leaving another, bigger wound on the blue blur before he can land a hit, this one running from his hip to his knee, ripping his sweatshirt a little in the process.

He screams, injury blinding him in pain for a moment before he’s able to spin dash right into the machine’s gut. He kicks it in the head quickly after, and it crashes to the ground, appearing defeated. 

He takes a deep breath, wincing in pain after the attack. He brushes his paws against the wounds left on him. They aren’t deep, but they sting like a bee sting would, and they’re bleeding a bit. 

Not only that, but the sweatshirt he’s wearing is torn a little, too!

And damn it; he’d liked this sweatshirt! 

There’s a metallic stomp behind him, and he quickly turns, feeling more prepared to fight. Right as he does so, though, it’s too late. A thick, metal, hoof-like leg is about to smack him in the head. 

And it would have, even as he’d ducked for cover. 

But that doesn’t happen. 

Because, at that moment, a blur of black, red, and gold soon launches through the air with the force of a hurricane, sending the bot, one that’s at least 4 or 5 times the size of him and Shadow, flying a short distance, hitting the ground with a booming thud. 

Sonic’s eyes widen, his breathing coming out heavy in shock. But before he can turn to thank his hero, the darker hedgehog is already in his face, yelling at him. 

“Are you a fucking idiot?! Are you seriously this stupid?! You could’ve gotten yourself killed if that thing would’ve hit you!” Shadow snaps at him, eye ridges furrowed in fury, but his crimson eyes express a world of emotion and pain to the blue blur. 

“Are you okay?” is what the dark hedgehog actually wants to say, but his throat chokes on the words. 

So, instead, he simply continues to growl at the other. “What the fuck is the matter with you? Why are you so flustered? Snap out of it!” 

At those words, however, Sonic lets out an indignant scoff, going from somewhat bewildered but understanding to just bewildered. “What do you mean ‘why are you flustered’? You were just flirting with me before, weren’t you? Obviously I got flustered!!”

Shadow scoffs right back. “Oh please. You’re tougher than that. How could my words leave you so stunned at such an urgent moment?”

Sonic opens his mouth to respond, but realizes he doesn’t really have any reply that wouldn’t reveal his hopeless crush on the other. 

Shadow watches the other’s expression in confusion, and notices how the azure hedgehog gets even more flustered at the question. 

Shadow hesitates, a little confused. 

“Well it’s not like you have legitimate affections towards me,” the dark hedgehog tries, voice a bit quieter. “I don’t understand how my flirtatious responses would be distracting to you during a battle of all things, I mean…” 

Sonic looks at him with confusion at that. 

What? Had the darker hedgehog said something wrong?

What’s he missing here? 

“What makes you think I don’t have feelings for you?” the blue hedgehog asks, voice genuine and… almost hurt? 

The black and red hedgehog can’t help the surprise that takes over his own expression at the forthright words. 

…Oh.

Does… Sonic…

Just then, however, he’s snapped out of his own bewildering hindrance by a different robot, one with talon-like claws and a hefty form that kicks him down with a thud, strong enough that it could’ve knocked him out instantly, had he hit his head as he fell to the ground. The Ultimate Lifeform is dragged against the dirt by his shoulders, an action that he can feel bruising his body and scraping up his arms. 

Shadow struggles underneath the bot, twisting and growling and trying to move his legs and arms desperately, but he can’t push the beast away from him. He’s pinned. 

The ebony hedgehog starts to panic at the sudden lack of control, breaths coming out heavy and fearful as he tries to move in any way that he can, though the bot just leans closer over him. 

Without even realizing, his eyes glance back over to find Sonic’s, crimson eyes pleading. 

“Help me..” his expression whispers, and Sonic moves faster than ever, leaping to meet the metallic creature with his own punches and kicks to try and dissuade it away or, at the very least, distract it, but to no avail. 

The robot only seems to get angrier at this, and then its eyes are glowing a flaming red, a deafening shriek sound beginning to swell through its chest. 

Something inside it seems to be powering up. 

Oh shit. 

Shadow freezes for a second, realizing that he’s still unable to defend himself, and he braces for whatever impact he may face. 

But the cobalt hedgehog has also clearly heard the foul beast’s sound and, before Shadow can stop him, Sonic suddenly jumps off the robot, snaking under the bot’s body to where Shadow is pinned with an agonized scream of “NO!!” before he’s shielding the ebony hedgehog’s body with his own. 

And Shadow panics at this, too. 

WHAT THE FUCK. Why is Sonic protecting him like this? He could get hurt! They have no idea what this robot is capable of!! HE NEEDS TO GET AWAY!

But anything he’s thinking to say dies in his throat, mind struggling to process so much all at once. 

UGH, he’s such a fucking IDIOT. 

Shadow’s quills bristle instinctually, as if wanting to do something to protect the other hedgehog, too. 

He leans into the blue blur’s hold, both of them shutting their eyes tight, their ears going back, as the hybrid bug-monster-robot creature’s screeching peaks in its pitch. 

And then… 

A hammer pounds against metal, throwing the large bot off of them. 

Sharp fists grab the machine with ease, throwing it up into the air. 

And strong wings flap as paws catch the heavy robot. It’s spun around and around before being thrown out of Hedgehog Village and towards Eggman’s base like a frisbee. 

…

Huh.

Sonic’s widened eyes meet Shadow’s equally stunned ones. 

No words are spoken for a moment.

“Holy shit,” the blue hedgehog manages to whisper, after a few, long seconds. Shadow nods, slowly, in agreement, just as shock, his breathing just as ragged as the other hedgehog’s as they both attempt to take in what the fuck just happened. 

What could’ve just happened. 

Then, Shadow shoves him away, his mind finally catching up to the situation. 

“ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? YOU COULD’VE BEEN KILLED!!” he’s suddenly shouting at the cobalt hedgehog again. But Sonic can see that the other’s eyes are glossy, as if he’s fighting tears. “Did you forget I’m immortal?!” 

“Um... m-maybe!” the blue hedgehog stutters back, just as intensely.

Shadow lets out a loud, annoyed groan at the response, wiping angry tears from his eyes before they can fully fall. “Why would you even try to protect me?! What were you thinking?! You could’ve gotten away!!”

“Maybe because I care about you? And I care if someone important to me lives or dies? Ever thought of that?” Sonic shouts back, now just as confused and vehement as the hedgehog in front of him. 

“I can’t die, dumbass!!” Shadow screams, exasperated. 

“Hey. Guys?” Amy tries to interrupt the disagreement, but it goes unheard. 

“Well forgive me for not remembering that when I was trying to save your distracted ass!” Sonic yells. 

“You’re the one who distracted me!”

“You were flirting with me!” 

“Only because you flirted with me first!”

“‘Cause that’s our whole thing! I thought it didn’t bother you!”

“It doesn’t! I thought you would be able to handle it better in the midst of a fucking EGGMAN BATTLE!” 

“I thought you would, too!” 

“I DID.”

“No you didn’t! We both almost died!” 

“SONIC. I CAN’T DIE.” 

“Guys…” Knuckles calls for them. It’s also ignored. 

“Well, I wanted to protect you anyway!” Sonic fights his own tears as he shouts at the other. 

“You could’ve died!” Shadow is sobbing freely, now, but his voice doesn’t waver, as if the rest of his body is pretending it isn’t even happening. 

“So?” the blue hedgehog chokes out, without thinking. 

“‘SO’?” Shadow’s eyes widen in disbelief, and his voice actually cracks, sorrowfully, at that. “What do you think would’ve happened if you died? Do you think I would be okay with that?”

“Well, what would’ve happened if you could die? And I couldn’t save you?” Sonic bites back. 

“But I can’t!” 

“Well, I wasn’t thinking about that, was I? I was just thinking about how I wouldn’t want to spend another minute on Mobius without you by my side!”

“And why the fuck is that?” 

“BECAUSE I HAVE FEELINGS FOR YOU, IDIOT!!!” Sonic finally screams. 

“WELL, SO DO I, YOU FUCKING BUFFOON!!” Shadow yells back. 

“WELL MAYBE WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THAT!”

“MAYBE WE SHOULD! THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE HEALTHIER AND SAFER THAN TRYING TO ARGUE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE!!” 

“Hey! Lovebirds!” Rouge loudly snaps at them, finally the one to pull them out of their squabbling. 

A squabble that, they quickly realize, had their faces leaning closer and closer together as they’d argued. 

…oh. 

They lean apart again, just as fast, wiping stray tears from their faces as they turn to look up at Rouge, who is still floating above Hedgehog Village. She flies down a little, landing to rest on the roof of one house. 

“The battle is over,” she states, firmly, seemingly at her wit’s end with the two of them, but clearly just as surprised as them at how much emotion had taken place in the two hedgehog’s conversation. 

Sonic and Shadow both look around. 

All the robots from before are either gone or dismantled. 

… 

Oh.

Luckily, the village didn’t take much of a hit. This had only been a small attack from Eggman, after all. It was nothing. They probably could’ve sneezed and the bots would have dissipated, really. 

Looking at Amy, Rouge, and Knuckles, none of them have a scratch on them. 

And, yet, Sonic and Shadow sit, visibly wounded and out of breath, on the ground. 

…huh. 

“What the hell is up with you guys?” Knuckles asks, sounding exhausted and confused. 

The two hedgehogs just turn to look back at each other again, at that, the weight of everything that had just happened, of all that was just said, seeming to hit them as they look into each other’s eyes, as if they’re asking each other that same question. 

Silence passes through the group. 

After a minute, Sonic speaks, his voice quiet. “Um. Me and Shadow can head to my place. I have a first aid kit there.”

Shadow nods, voice just as soft. “Sounds good.” 

“Yeah…” Amy agrees, grimacing sympathetically as she looks at them. “You guys are a mess. You both need to bandage up your cuts and get cleaned up; you’re bleeding.”

Both of them look down at their fur, and then at each other’s wounds. 

Sonic has a cut on the side of his face, down his cheek. He has another, larger cut leading from his hip to his knee. 

Shadow has a large bruise painting his hip and his shoulders are scratched and matted. His back is also likely bruised and burned a bit from being shoved against the ground so roughly. He’d heal fast on his own, though. 

They nod again, slowly. The silence in the village is loud. The awkwardness coats the heroes like a fog. 

With fleeting eye contact, the two injured hedgehogs help each other to stand. They bid their friends farewell for the time being, and Sonic thanks everyone for coming to help. 

As the two stumble away to Sonic’s home in the distance, the tension is thick. Headache inducing, even. It clogs their minds like a bad cold. 

Neither of them mention it as they pick up their pace a little towards their destination, words caught in their throats. 

But the message is clear; and they can’t get to the blue hedgehog’s house fast enough. 

They definitely need to talk. 

(And… they also both don’t really want to be away from each other right now.)

=

“I don’t require medical attention. I will be fine,” Shadow huffs as Sonic sits down next to him on the blue hedgehog’s couch, already opening a first aid kit. 

The azure hedgehog meets his scowl with a look of confused disbelief. 

“Your hoodie is ripped at the shoulders from the way you were scratched, man,” Sonic deadpans. 

Shadow looks down at the article of clothing he’s wearing. It’s caked in dirt and a hint of blood, and tattered with gaping holes at the shoulders, as the blue blur had said. 

Oh.

“Well,” the dark hedgehog clears his throat. “I heal quickly anyways. I won’t be in pain for very long, and I should be completely recovered within the next few days.” 

Sonic raises an eye ridge at him, meeting his eyes with a kind, half-smirk. “But I’m sure it’d be nice to not be in so much pain right now while you heal?” 

Shadow pauses for a moment, considering the offer. 

He doesn’t really need medical attention. He doesn’t really like anything medical related being done to him. 

But, he considers who had just offered. 

He looks into soft, green eyes. Ones that are full of care and gentleness. 

Surely Sonic is someone trustworthy? 

And… maybe it would be nice to feel like he’s being taken care of by his crush… 

He scoffs mentally at that final thought. 

But, after that, still somewhat hesitantly… 

“Alright.” 

Sonic smiles at him, eyes crinkling at the corners as he grins, happy to help. 

It flusters Shadow a little and he looks away. 

“Hey,” a soft voice calls him back to the present. He looks back to the hedgehog sitting across from him, only a few, mere inches apart. “I’ll be careful. And you can tell me to stop if I make you uncomfortable or anything, okay?” 

Oh. 

Shadow nods. “Thank you.” 

Sonic nods back in confirmation. 

Then, he begins to gently lift up Shadow’s hoodie. 

“No! Stop!” the dark hedgehog immediately leans away, and Sonic moves his paws away as if he’d been burned. 

The cobalt hedgehog looks at him in concern and remorse. “I-I’m sorry.. I should’ve warned you-“ 

“I don’t want my hoodie off,” Shadow growls. 

He can’t risk Sonic seeing his top surgery scars, even with them being practically invisible at this point. He doesn’t scar very much or very easily, so the surgery had only left two, now very thin, white lines where his breasts used to be. 

They’re hard to see. But that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable having his shirt off around anyone other than Rouge. 

Plus, the two hedgehogs had already removed their gloves and shoes, so as to not dirty them further while they patched up their injuries. This all already feels very vulnerable to him. 

“Oh. Um,” Sonic starts, also clearly hesitant. “I… totally respect that. Really. But… your injuries are.. under your hoodie, my guy.”

Shadow huffs out a sigh of frustration at this, knowing the other is right, but not knowing how to explain why he doesn’t want to remove the hoodie. He covers his face with his paws in embarrassment and shame. 

“Hey, hey, no need to worry,” Sonic gently takes the other’s paws away, so that he can meet the blue hedgehog’s reassuring gaze. “Here, you can take this blanket, and just cover the parts of your chest that aren’t bruised or scratched.”

The ebony hedgehog’s eyes widen at the genuineness and comfort behind the words. 

It makes his heart pound in his chest, and his muzzle grows even more red as he nods and begins to unzip his hoodie. 

“Face away from me,” Shadow growls firmly, and Sonic quickly does so.

The black and red hedgehog shoulders the article of clothing off and takes the thin, mink blanket from nearby, covering his chest just underneath his shoulders and leaving room for the other hedgehog to patch up his bruised hip. 

“Okay…” Shadow squeaks out, once he feels his body is covered enough. 

He feels humiliated, but Sonic looks back at him with a small smile, just as assuring as ever, and he then begins to clean at the tiny cuts on the darker hedgehog’s shoulders with a wet washcloth. 

The ebony hedgehog hisses a little when it stings. 

“Sorry, man. This is the worst part. It’ll be over in a second.”

Shadow nods. 

He watches as Sonic, with more focus than he’s ever seen from the other hedgehog, gently patches up his shoulders. He applies a light amount of antiseptic cream to each little scratch, before tenderly applying gauze dressings to the wounded areas. It melts away any further anxiety Shadow had about being this vulnerable in front of him. 

He’s safe. 

“How’s that feel?” the cobalt hedgehog mutters after he’s finished. The dark hedgehog can’t help but notice how close their faces are at this moment, as he asks. He finds himself looking at the blue hedgehog’s lips, before he quickly snaps his gaze back to the other’s pretty eyes, instead. 

“Good,” he mutters back, in response. 

Sonic notices how close they are, too, and leans away a bit, voice shaking a little as he speaks again. “Uh.. okay, so.. uh, we should.. probably get the bruise on your side cleaned up, too, huh?” 

“Sure,” is all the other, even more flustered, hedgehog can reply with. 

Sonic just barely moves the blanket covering Shadow to the side; enough to see the bruise better. 

The blue hedgehog is a bit confused about why Shadow wouldn’t feel comfortable without a shirt on around him, but he respects whatever makes the other feel more safe, of course. Maybe it’s a modesty thing? Or an insecurity? 

Probably none of his business, either way, so he doesn’t think on it too hard. 

The bruise on the other hedgehog’s hip is large. He’s surprised that the dark hedgehog hasn’t seemed to have broken a rib or anything. 

He cleans the injury with the washcloth, as well, delicately. 

He looks up to try and gauge the other’s pain level as he does so, but notices that the ebony hedgehog’s gaze is only on him. 

Wait, what?

He can’t be seeing that right! 

But, no. Shadow is looking at him. His eyes do not deceive him. 

He isn’t looking at his wounded side or the washcloth carefully pressing against it. 

Shadow is looking at Sonic. 

“You okay?” the azure hedgehog asks, just to be certain. 

“We… should probably talk about what happened,” the black and red hedgehog states, bluntly. “About the battle? The… things we said after it ended? If you’re comfortable with that, of course.”

Sonic feels his paws shake a little, though his heart feels as though it’s bursting in his chest in anticipation. 

Shadow apparently, maybe, shared Sonic’s affections. That’s what had been revealed, right? Or were they different feelings? Or was it just something said in the heat of the moment? Or- 

“Shadow, I have a crush on you,” the words slip from his mouth before he can stop them. 

DAMN IT.

Well, then. That’s one way to do it. 

The conversation has certainly started now. 

At Shadow’s slightly widened eyes, Sonic pauses in his movements treating Shadow’s bruise. 

“S-sorry! I.. I-I didn’t mean to be so blunt-“ 

“Don’t be sorry. I have a crush on you, as well.”

Oh, thank Gaia. 

Still, Sonic can’t help but sputter in disbelief. “Y-you do?” 

“Yes,” the other hedgehog responds, simply but certain. 

“For how long?!” Sonic can’t help but wonder aloud. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” 

“Uh..” Sonic thinks about it as he goes back to pressing the cold cloth against Shadow’s side. “Maybe, like… 3 or so years?” 

Shadow looks shocked. “And you’re only telling me now?” 

“W-well.. I didn’t think you’d like me back!” Sonic squeaks out, muzzle reddening. 

And also because I’m trans, and I don’t know if you’re chill about that, he thinks, but doesn’t say. 

“How long have you liked me?” he questions the darker hedgehog again, equally surprised. 

Shadow also thinks about it, tracing memories back. “Um… I believe it’d be… around a year, now, now that you mention it. Huh.” 

Sonic scoffs, chuckling a little. “Well why the hell did you wait?” 

Because I’m trans. And I don’t know how you feel about that, Shadow thinks, but doesn’t say. 

He shrugs. “I.. suppose I didn’t think I stood a chance, either.”

It’s not entirely a lie. 

Sonic just sighs. He can feel the small smile on his face, avoiding the black and red hedgehog’s pretty eyes as he blushes. He’s a bit overwhelmed. He never thought all these feelings would be out in the open. Where do they even go from here?

“Wow,” he just ends up muttering with a shake of his head and a tiny laugh, and Shadow nods in agreement, equally as overwhelmed and relieved. 

Sonic finishes washing the injury on the darker hedgehog’s side, and then finally wraps the hedgehog’s lower torso in a thicker gauze after putting some flexible medical tape on and around the bruising to help it heal properly. 

“I’ll be right back,” the azure hedgehog states, afterwards. Shadow watches him rush off to another room, then to the kitchen, before he finally comes back to sit on the couch again, holding a red sweatshirt and some ice wrapped in a hand towel. 

“Here,” he holds the sweatshirt out to Shadow. “You can borrow this for the time being, if you want, since your jacket’s ripped.” 

The dark hedgehog accepts it graciously. “Thank you so much. That’s very considerate.” 

Sonic shrugs. “Not a problem.” 

He turns away without being asked as Shadow puts on the sweater. 

The ebony hedgehog taps him on the shoulder to signal that he can turn around again, after a second. 

Sonic smiles as Shadow looks at him bashfully, the sweatshirt slightly loose on him. 

He’s so cute. 

He hands the dark hedgehog the ice. “For your side.” 

“Thanks.”

Shadow tucks it against his injury, under the sweatshirt. 

Then, he pulls the first aid kit towards himself, before meeting Sonic’s eyes with a knowing look. “Your turn, hedgehog.” 

Sonic huffs with an eye roll, but quickly complies. He’s super sore, anyways. Unlike Shadow, he knows he’ll be feeling these injuries for at least a week. 

The black and red hedgehog in question suddenly stands up, before Sonic can think to stop him, and he limps over to the sink in the kitchen. Sonic watches as he cleans off the washcloth from before and gets it soaked in fresh water again. Then, he walks over to the azure hedgehog once more and sits back on the couch, beside him. 

He reaches for the edge of Sonic’s lilac sweatshirt, but pauses first, looking to the blue blur for consent. “May I?” 

Sonic nods, lifting the garment a little, himself, so that Shadow can see the full extent of the injury on his leg. The ebony hedgehog eyes it with concern.  

“This will sting a bit,” Shadow warns. But before he can press the cloth against the cut, Sonic pulls away a little. 

“Wait-!”

Shadow immediately stops and looks up at him again. “Are you alright?”

Sheepishly, with an anxious expression on his face, Sonic mutters. “Um. T-to be honest, I don’t… do very well in medical situations. Would you mind.. holding my hand? If it’s not any trouble?” 

His words stun Shadow a little, and Sonic feels embarrassed out of his mind to have asked the other that, but Shadow meets the blue hedgehog’s nervous eye contact with a small smile. “Of course I can.” 

The Ultimate Lifeform carefully holds onto a soft, blue paw, finding himself briefly surprised (although somewhat content) about how easily their paws seem to fit together. 

Shadow cleans and patches up the cut on Sonic’s leg as quickly and delicately as he can, so that the blue hedgehog is in as little discomfort and pain as possible. When he has to take his paw away from Sonic’s to wrap the wound, the blue blur gently holds onto Shadow’s arm as a way to continue soothing himself. 

Shadow doesn’t mind one bit. 

Then, the dark hedgehog moves to treat the gash on Sonic’s face. 

The cobalt hedgehog squirms as he does so, making the process somewhat tricky. 

“You have to stay still,” he states, softly. 

“I know, I’m trying,” Sonic insists, sounding somewhat ashamed. “But it burns a little, I can’t stop myself from trying to move away from it.”

“Here, what if I do this?” Shadow asks, and he cups one side of the azure hedgehog’s face, gingerly, to hold him a bit more still. 

He watches as Sonic flusters. 

“U-uh, um. Yeah. That… that’s fine by me,” the blue hero manages. 

“Yeah?” Shadow double-checks, just because the other appears nervous. 

Sonic nods, more firmly. “Please keep your hand there. I… I like it.” 

Shadow chuckles at the statement, blushing a little, too. He brushes his thumb against the other hedgehog’s cheek, affectionately. “Alright, then.” 

And he wipes at the large scratch, tenderly. 

After a minute, when Shadow is nearly done tending to the injury, he speaks again. “You really should be more careful while fighting Eggman’s bots. He might not be a very clever opponent on his own, but his skills in robotics speak for themselves.” 

Sonic huffs, lightheartedly. “Maybe next time don’t join me in a battle you aren’t needed in just to flirt. Don’t get wrong, I’m glad you came along. And you’re a nice distraction, I’m not gonna lie. But we really only needed Rouge’s powers.”

Shadow smiles at the words, rolling his eyes a little as he chuckles. “You were flirting, too, dumbass.” 

Sonic grins and laughs, as well. 

Shadow begins applying some antiseptic cream to the cut on the other’s face. 

“Rouge is the one who invited me,” the darker hedgehog explains, after a moment. “She was telling me I should finally ask you out the next time I see you.”

“O-oh?” Sonic stutters. 

“Mhm,” Shadow hums. “I’ve been nervous to, but she suggested I just go for it. ‘Rip the bandaid off’, so to speak, and see what happens.”

He meets green eyes again, before he continues, softer. “I’m, uh… glad we did.” 

Sonic meets crimson eyes with a sweet smile in return. 

As Shadow puts a couple large bandaids on the small wound, the azure hedgehog speaks again. 

“Y’know.. technically we didn’t set a date…” he mutters. 

Shadow faces him fully again once he’s finished patching up the cobalt hedgehog. 

They stare at each for a moment, gazes fixed on each other’s eyes. 

Shadow notices Sonic’s eyes wandering to look at the darker hedgehog’s lips. 

Sonic notices that Shadow’s paw hasn’t moved from cupping his face. 

With a suddenly dry throat, clogged with heavy, sweet emotions, expressions of want, the question ‘can I kiss you?’ present on the black and red hedgehog’s mind, but not coming through in his voice, his next words end up sounding raspy as they leave his mouth. “I guess we’ll have to set one up, then.”

Sonic nods, just barely, his voice also shaking as he replies in a breathless whisper. “Yeah..” 

A pause. 

And then…

“Can I kiss you?” 

The words leave their mouths at the same time, which seems to surprise them both for a second. 

But it’s quickly forgotten as their lips crash together, needy and messy. 

And it’s fucking electric. 

It’s amazing.

It’s open-mouthed, but without tongue, and somewhat delicate, but passionate at the same time. 

Shadow moves the paw not on Sonic’s face to rest on the blue blur’s hip, and loves the small sigh that leaves the cobalt hedgehog’s mouth as he does so. 

One of Sonic’s paws moves to cup the dark hedgehog’s face, too, and Shadow has to hold back a groan of delight at that as he absolutely melts into the touch. 

The kiss deepens just a little before they both pull away, panting, foreheads resting together. 

They stare at each other with wide eyes again, Shadow half leaning over Sonic, who’s laying back against one arm of the couch. 

…

Wow.

Neither of them can really speak for a few, long moments. But it doesn’t feel awkward, doesn’t feel tense. 

It just feels… 

“That… um,” Shadow finally speaks, leaning away, just a little, to give the other hedgehog space. “T-that was really nice. I-I.. I liked that.” 

Sonic grins, blushing. “Yeah. Me, too.” 

Another pause. 

“S-so..” Shadow’s voice still shakes a little, and he’s beyond flustered, but he somehow manages to pull together his next string of questions. “H-how does… dinner tonight sound? At 7pm? Um.. maybe at.. maybe at that new restaurant that just opened last week, a couple miles from here?” 

Sonic can’t nod fast enough. “Y-yeah, totally! I’ll be there.” 

Shadow smiles, sheepish, and he tentatively stands up from the couch, pulling a green Chaos Emerald from his quills as he meets the blue blur’s eyes with one more longing gaze before he goes. “Alright. See you then, faker.” 

And he Chaos Controls away, back to his own apartment. 

Sonic is still breathless when the gorgeous hedgehog leaves, and he slaps his paw against his forehead as he leans further back into the couch. He runs that same paw down his face as he takes in everything that had just happened. 

The tips of his paws linger as he touches his lips. 

Shadow had kissed him. 

And he’s not a bad kisser, either. 

And now they have a date. Tonight! 

“Holy shit,” he sighs out, aloud, a small chuckle of disbelief in his words. 

Then, he grins and pumps his fists in the air in celebration. “YES!!”

He can’t help but get up and sprint a few, fast laps around his house, overwhelmed with excitement. 

He has a date with Shadow the Hedgehog!!!

Then he pauses, almost tumbling as he suddenly stops. 

“Oh,” he remembers. “Oh shit!” 

Shadow still doesn’t know he’s trans! 

=

Holy shit! Shadow can’t help but beam in joy as he teleports back to his apartment. 

He just asked Sonic the Hedgehog on a date and Sonic said yes!

HE SAID YES! 

“Holy shit!” he screeches, cheerfully, and he sprints around his apartment to get rid of some of his excess energy, somewhat overwhelmed as Chaos energy courses through his body in elation. 

But he pauses as his next realization hits him like a ton of bricks. 

Oh shit. 

Sonic doesn’t know he’s trans. 

It sends a twinge of worry through his stomach. But before he can get too anxious, Rouge comes out of her room, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

“What’s got you so worked up?” she asks, and Shadow glances over at her. 

Right. He has a date. Tonight. 

He can worry about everything else later. Right now…

“Rouge. Do you have a dress I can borrow?”

Chapter Text

Piles of clothes are thrown onto Sonic’s bed as he desperately tries to find something that’ll look good to wear for his date. 

His date! he thinks, giddily. With Shadow!

He has to look perfect! 

He wants to wear something that makes him look handsome, but that’s maybe a little revealing, too. He wants to feel extra attractive. 

Although…

He should still try to hide his top surgery scars… right? 

He looks at himself in his bathroom mirror, eyes glancing nervously at his flatter chest, and he runs a paw over the light pink, twin scars on his torso. 

What would Shadow think?

I want him to see me as a man! his mind screams at him. 

Would Shadow even like him if he knew the truth? That Sonic is a man, but he wasn’t born one? Would he hate him?

Would their friendship be destroyed, too? 

Was it a mistake to agree to the date? 

He feels a lump forming in his throat and he quickly leaves the bathroom so that he doesn’t have to look at his reflection anymore. If he stares at himself any longer right now, he thinks he’ll cry. 

He can’t let himself think about all those things. He knows that Shadow’s a good person. They’re friends; they respect each other. 

They care about each other, don’t they?

Everything would be okay. 

He smiles at that, and releases a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. 

A few minutes later, he picks out something that he thinks looks decent enough, and he finds the resolve to face his bathroom mirror again. 

He’s put on a light gray t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and an old, short, dark gray trenchcoat. 

He spins a little, glancing at his outfit fully. 

He looks… fine. 

He supposes. 

Well… maybe it wasn’t his first choice. 

But this one just… feels acceptable. 

The outfit has a masculine feel to it; it’s semi-formal, which is probably good for a first date. 

Right? 

Would Shadow be expecting him to wear something different? 

Should he go more casual? Should he go more formal?

Should he ask Shadow what he’s going to wear?

Or would that be silly?

Maybe that would be silly.

He covers his face with his paws and lets out a loud, frustrated groan. 

What is he supposed to do? 

What would make Shadow like him?

What would make Shadow see him as a man?

He removes his paws from his face and smacks them down onto the bathroom counter. 

He glares at his reflection. 

What does he have to do?

He just wants everything to go well.

He taps his foot on the tile floor as he continues to look at his reflection. But, after a minute, the scowl towards himself slowly begins to soften. 

…

This isn’t what he wants to wear.

His eyes widen a little as the thought hits him. 

…oh. 

He tilts his head a little at his reflection. 

Why should he wear something he doesn’t feel confident in?

A twinge of nervous bitterness bursts in his chest. 

Because he wants Shadow to like him.

Because he’s scared.

Because he’s scared of how others will perceive him.

No. Correction: He’s scared of how Shadow will perceive him.

He looks away from the mirror again, with a grimace, his green eyes going to glance down at his claws, which are currently digging into the white bathroom counter. 

He shuts his eyes with a quiet sigh. 

His foot taps on the bathroom’s tile floor. 

He thinks. 

Well, his mind moreso runs on its own. 

It spits mean words at his self-confidence, leaving stinging wounds. 

He rubs at the bandages Shadow had placed on his injured hip and leg. 

His eyes shoot open. 

He glances at his bandages. 

The ones that Shadow had put on him.

After a moment, he glances back up at his reflection. 

…

Shadow likes him. 

Shadow cares about him. 

And the feeling is mutual. 

Sonic steps away from the bathroom counter with a new wave of encouragement. 

He walks back into his bedroom, towards the messy pile of clothes on his bed. 

Shadow’s probably going to find out he’s trans eventually.

After all, most of his close friends only know because he’d outed himself accidentally, just from how much he yaps.

And he’s never known Shadow to be disrespectful to those that he cares for, at least not on purpose. Even if he doesn’t get it, he’s sure the ebony hedgehog would be willing to listen.

He throws off the fancy trenchcoat and shuffles through different articles of clothing thrown askew to find what he’d had his eye on earlier. 

Plus, even though Sonic hadn’t come out to Rouge, he’s almost entirely certain she’d be chill about it. And she’s dating Knuckles (or whatever those two have decided to label what they have going on; he honestly has no clue), who Sonic knows is chill about it.

And Shadow is, like, best friends with Rouge, right? 

So, like…

Uh…

Sonic shakes his head with a little huff at his current thought process as he grabs the pieces of clothing he’d been looking for. 

Whatever!! In his head, the math works out!

In conclusion, he thinks Shadow would probably be cool with him being trans.

The blue blur puts on the new outfit and walks into the bathroom again. 

This time, he smiles when he sees his reflection. 

He has on a short sleeve, black, fishnet crop top with a short sleeve, lilac button up shirt partially unbuttoned and slightly tucked into gray denim shorts. 

He twirls in the outfit. 

He feels pretty. 

He looks handsome. The outfit is a nice mix of formal and casual, but also leaves a little to the imagination. 

He feels extra attractive. 

He looks like himself.

He wonders if Shadow will kiss him like he did before, when he sees him. He can almost feel the sensation of Shadow kissing him fervently still lingering on his lips…

But he just scoffs at the thought when he feels himself getting flustered. 

He’s sure they’ll have fun on the date regardless.

Continuing to look in the mirror, he notices that his top surgery scars can be seen just barely with the outfit he’s wearing; but he doesn’t find himself caring all that much at this moment. 

He’s going to come out to Shadow tonight; maybe after their date. 

Does the idea of doing that terrify him a bit? 

Oh, absolutely. 

But it’s like Shadow had said: he just needs to “rip the bandaid off”. 

Sonic takes a deep breath as he prepares to leave for the restaurant, taking one last glance at himself in the mirror. 

“Let’s see where this goes,” he mutters to himself with a small, but more self-confident, smile and sigh. 

=

Rouge had almost appeared to be even more excited than Shadow when he’d told her about his upcoming date with the blue blur. 

Almost.

He doesn’t think he’s felt this overjoyed in a while. 

Him and his roommate had been somewhat brainstorming outfit ideas since that morning, in their anticipation, but actually beginning to look through different outfits from both Shadow and Rouge’s closets and finding something they thought would fit the occasion proved to be more difficult. 

A few hours before the date, the two best friends had started by looking through the very few formal articles of clothing the dark hedgehog has, though nothing stands out to either of them. 

Not an issue, though. He’d asked Rouge for a dress to borrow, originally, anyways. He knows the bat probably has something that she’d be willing to share that looks nice on him; and he’s a bit surprised at just how enthusiastic she is about offering him several different dresses she owns. 

They go through dozens as they try to figure out what would look best on the Ultimate Lifeform. 

“Soooo…” Rouge smirks, holding up a couple dresses against Shadow’s body to see how they might look. “What are you guys going to do?” 

“Dinner,” Shadow states simply. He shakes his head a little at both dresses. Neither are really his style.

“Where?”

“That new place in Hedgehog Village.” 

“Awww!” Rouge grins. “That’s so romantic…” 

The ebony hedgehog just rolls his eyes with a smile. He looks over another dress that the bat offers, and ends up putting it in a small pile they made for dresses that might look alright, with a little shrug. 

“What made him pick that place?” his friend asks, looking through her closet again. “I thought you two might just race and then make out or something.”

Shadow chuckles. “Actually, it was my idea.”

Rouge turns back to him, expression giddy and slightly shocked. “No way! You actually asked him out?”

“I took your advice,” the darker hedgehog smiles sweetly at his closest friend. “After we talked things out, I asked him if he wanted to go on a date there tonight.” 

He hadn’t told Rouge the details of all that had happened at Sonic’s place after the battle right after he’d gotten home. He had been tired, and he and his roommate had been more focused on discussing clothes and eating lunch. But, now, he’s pretty certain she’d enjoy hearing about some of what had occurred. 

She sprints the short distance over to him, pulling him into a quick, tight hug. He hugs her back more gently. 

She’s still grinning when she pulls away. “I’m so flattered you took what I said to heart!! And I’m so proud of you! You finally asked him out!! That’s amazing, darling.”

Shadow always appreciates her kind words towards him. He feels so lucky to have her as his best friend. “Thanks for encouraging me, Rouge.”

She waves off his words, but she still appears delighted at his statement. “Ah, it’s nothing, dear. You’re the one who actually asked him. I’m just glad to have helped a little.” 

The two soon begin to compare the dresses they’ve added to their “maybe” pile. 

“This one looks nice,” he points to one; a light blue dress with cut out sides. 

Rouge holds it up against him again, but then clicks her tongue hesitantly, shaking her head. “Maybe not. Normally, I think you’d look good in it, but with the bandages covering your sides right now, I don’t think it would look as great as it usually would.”

“True…” Shadow sighs. 

They go through some others, eventually excluding them, as well. 

Finally, they end up with two dresses, and Shadow finds himself really liking a red one. Rouge agrees that he’d look fantastic in it. 

Shadow thinks it’s perfect. However, he soon notices something about the dress as he continues to look at it, and he pauses before looking disappointed. “I can’t.” 

Rouge faces him, confused and a bit concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“It’ll show my scars,” the ebony hedgehog grimaces with a sigh. 

His friend holds up the dress to him once again. She tilts her head as she examines it against him. 

“I don’t think so,” she says, after a moment, laying the dress back down, smoothly. “Maybe a little, but it covers most of your chest. Plus, your scars aren’t very visible, anyways.” 

He lets out a tiny huff in response, somewhat ignoring her words as he moves to pick up the other dress. This one is black instead of red. 

“Let’s try this one,” he states, softly. 

Rouge looks at him skeptically for a moment, but then she nods, albeit a bit reluctant. “Alright. If you want.”

They head to the bathroom and Rouge helps him into the dress, zipping the back up for him. 

It’s a bit more modest and simple than the other one, and matches his fur while still standing out to some degree. It’s got a sweetheart neckline, and it’s held up on his body by spaghetti straps. It’s about knee-length on him and soft. It hides his scars. 

It’s… a good fit. 

He supposes. 

“What do you think?” Rouge asks, after a moment, and it takes Shadow a few more moments to respond. 

“Um,” he manages to stutter out. “I-It’s… it’s nice. W-what do you think?” 

“I think you look good in anything,” she shrugs. 

Shadow rolls his eyes, distinctly, with a loud scoff mixed with a laugh as he turns to her. “Oh, but when I tell you that, it’s suddenly not good enough criticism?” 

She laughs, too. “I’m serious!” 

“So am I!” 

Rouge just elbows him with a smirk, and they both look back at the mirror once more. 

Shadow sighs a little. 

He just wants this date to go well.

What would Sonic think?

Of his identity? Of the dress? 

Should he just pick something from his own closet instead? 

That would be the easier option, he thinks. 

But he wouldn’t be being himself. 

He’d be scared. 

Scared of how everyone would see him. 

No. 

Correction: Scared of how Sonic would see him. 

Plus, the dress and the possibility of him coming out? 

Would it overwhelm the other? 

Would Sonic hate him and everything about him? 

Was it a mistake to ask him out on this date?

“Sweetie,” Rouge, his closest friend, links her arm with his, one of her paws moving to rest on his own. It pulls him out of his thoughts. “I can hear you overthinking. What’s running through that mind of yours?” 

Shadow grimaces as he looks away from his reflection and down at his paws, his claws slightly scraping at the bathroom’s light gray countertop. He quickly releases the tension he’d unknowingly been holding in them, and he rests them against the cool surface as he breathes out. 

He looks at his roommate, reassuringly. “I’ll be okay. Just… can you help me out of this? I need a moment alone to think.” 

She nods, and unzips the dress for him. He takes it off and gently hands it to her. 

“Let me know if you need anything,” she states, firm but soft in her tone, and Shadow places a small kiss to her forehead. 

“Thank you, Rouge. I appreciate it,” he whispers back, and she smiles at him before leaving the bathroom, keeping the door open just a crack as she walks away. 

After a minute, Shadow finds the resolve to glare at himself in the mirror a little. 

Questioning. 

Frustrated. 

Afraid. 

One of his paws moves to trace over one of the barely visible scars on his torso. 

He moves it away after only a second with a huff, and he fully turns away from his reflection, hopping to sit atop the bathroom counter. 

The heel of one of his lower paws taps against the bathroom cabinet beneath him. 

He hates feeling so different. 

Despite being around those who have proven to care for him over the years, he still feels unlovable. 

He leans over as he shuts his eyes closed tight, paws moving to dig into his quills as his mind growls cruel thoughts into his already low self-esteem. 

Unlovable. Weird. Ugly. Monster. 

“Everyone fucking hates you!!” his brain screams at him, as if it’s true. 

He feels a sharp ache from his injured side, and instinctively rubs a paw against it to try and soothe it. 

As he does so, he feels bandages. 

His eyes shoot open, and he glances down at the bandages wrapped comfortingly around his lower torso. 

The other paw still pushing claws into quills stops, and he shakily moves it away as he gazes at his bruised side. 

Carefully patched up by Sonic. 

Sonic. 

…

“Shadow, I have a crush on you.”

He remembers the other hedgehog saying. 

Sonic had confessed, voice full of conviction and affection. 

So sure. So certain. 

Sonic likes him. 

Sonic cares about him. 

Sonic has a crush on him.

And the feeling is mutual. 

Shadow takes a long, deep breath, and jumps off the counter, turning to look at himself in the mirror again.

...Sonic has a crush on him.

Sonic sees Shadow for who he is, his mind reminds him. He always has. 

The blue hedgehog is open-minded, he's caring, he's patient, he's kind.

He makes Shadow feel safe.

Shadow feels a wave of affection for the azure hedgehog course through his body. 

He remembers how it had felt to kiss the other hedgehog. 

To be taken care of by him. 

And he realizes he’s just as certain about his adoration, his feelings, for the blue blur, as well. 

And he’s so fucking tired of pretending to be who he’s not. 

He wants Sonic to know he’s trans. 

The cobalt hedgehog was bound to find out about it eventually, anyways, even if they weren’t going to date. He imagines he’d come out at some point. 

He smiles at his reflection, just barely. 

Things will be okay, he finally reassures himself. He’s sure the two of them will have fun on the date regardless.

With a new surge of confidence, Shadow throws open the bathroom door. “Rouge! I want to wear the red dre-“ 

“Already got it,” his best friend grins, having been standing just outside the bathroom, leaning against the wall, with the red dress from earlier held delicately in her arms. 

They head back into the bathroom, and Rouge assists him with the dress. It’s a slightly revealing, red, sleeveless, nearly floor length, halter neckline cocktail dress, its silky fabric a bit shimmery. 

When he looks at himself in the mirror, with it on, he loves what he sees. 

“So handsome,” his friend coos towards him, in a way that almost sounds as though she’s talking down to him, but he knows she means it entirely affectionately. 

Shadow nods, in agreement with her opinion on how he looks, for once. “Thank you for allowing me to borrow this.” 

“No problem, hun.”

The dark hedgehog continues to get ready for the date, starting by grabbing a file to file down his claws nice and blunt. 

As he does so, Rouge chats with him. 

“I want details. Whatever you’re willing to share. What happened after you went to his place? What did you talk about?” 

Shadow rolls his eyes. With the bat’s gossip-y nature, he really should’ve seen this conversation coming a mile away. 

Still, despite any annoyances, he’s happy to give her “the scoop”, knowing he can trust her with it. 

With a sigh, he starts. “Well, there was obviously a lot of talking about our feelings and what we said during the battle. We confessed attractions to each other…”

“Oooooh,” Rouge smiles, cheerfulness contagious, and clearly invested as she listens attentively.

“He was very tender and kind when patching me up,” the darker hedgehog continues, moving his paws a little as he talks, even as he’s still trying to file his claws. “I was a bit worried about having my hoodie off when he was dressing my injuries, but he was very patient and reassuring. He offered me a blanket to cover my chest with so that I felt more comfortable, and didn’t do anything I didn’t want.”

He finds himself beaming and flustering a bit at the memories of how secure the blue hedgehog has always made him feel. 

His roommate clearly notices, playfully elbowing him in response as she grins, her happiness for the dark hedgehog evident and her enthusiasm unwavering. 

“Then what happened?” she encourages, moving to lean against the bathroom counter. 

Shadow puts away the nail file and grabs a bottle of ointment for his paws, massaging lotion into his paw pads. He enjoys caring for his paws as much as he does his quills and fur. He likes the feeling of them being soft. 

“After we bandaged up each other’s injuries, we kissed, and then-“ 

Rouge audibly gasps, looking flabbergasted when the ebony hedgehog glances back at her. “YOU KISSED HIM?!”

Shadow giggles a bit at her reaction. 

“Well, I didn’t exactly initiate the kiss,” the darker hedgehog shrugs. “It was moreso mutual.” 

Still, Rouge loudly squeals, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Oh my Gaia! You both leaned in for the kiss at the same time?” 

Shadow nods, still flushing a bit. 

“Awwww, Shads!” his friend grins, ecstatic. “I’m so happy for you; that’s amazing! Was it nice? Did you like it?” 

Even more sheepish, now, Shadow nods again, smiling brightly, but he rolls his eyes a little, once more. 

“Ooooh, tell me everything!” the bat pleads, elated, though she still makes sure to be respectful of her roommate’s boundaries. “Or, whatever you feel like telling me. Like, how was it? Is he a good kisser?” 

Shadow chuckles a bit as he puts away the paw ointment. Somewhat avoiding his friend’s eyes, and still consistently blushing, he speaks. “He kisses like he talks. Annoyingly good with his mouth, and noisy. Can’t say I hate it.” 

“Chaos,” Rouge sighs out. 

Shadow can only nod in agreement. 

Truthfully, he kind of hopes the other hedgehog will kiss him like that again. 

Soft, delicate lips against his own, perfectly slotting together as they kiss until they’re breathless… 

He lets out a tiny huff at the thoughts, and turns back to his mirror again, fully, smoothing out the pretty red dress he’s wearing. 

“Okay,” he says, after taking a minute to make sure he looks nice. “I should leave soon if I want to make it to my date on time.” 

“Alright,” Rouge kisses him on the cheek, platonic and as sweetly affectionate as ever. Then, she faces him with a slight smirk. “By the way, I’ll be on Angel Island spending the night with Knux, so the apartment is yours for tonight if you and Sonic decide to fuck.”

Shadow feels his face grow even brighter red, somehow, at her words. “Holy shit, Rouge. I highly doubt that’ll happen, but… thank you? I guess?” 

Rouge chuckles, with a small shrug, and the darker hedgehog giggles alongside her. 

Shadow takes his Chaos Emerald from his quills, just about ready to leave. 

“You know, with him being ‘good with his mouth’, like you said, I wonder if he’ll eat you out,” Rouge states, abruptly and as casually as ever. 

The black and red hedgehog flusters yet again as he laughs, completely bashful and stuttering. “ROUGE-“

=

Sonic taps his foot and flaps his paws a bit, anxious and restless as he stands outside the restaurant. 

His mind races, he feels like there’s butterflies swarming his stomach. 

But, just as his body and brain are about to decide that it’s the perfect time to have a full on anxiety attack, he sees a green glow out of the corner of his eye, and turns to see the hedgehog of his affections. 

Shadow teleports to the entrance of the restaurant. 

He’s a bit early, he thinks. 

But, as he looks around, somewhat nervously, his crimson eyes soon meet gorgeous, green ones. 

He lets out a deep breath, feeling tension in his shoulders, that he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding, quickly fading. 

“Woah,” Sonic can’t stop the quiet word of exclamation that falls from his lips when he sees the other hedgehog. He feels his heart pound against his chest as he stares at the other. It feels as if his body is coursing with the same electric energy he’d felt when he’d kissed the darker hedgehog before. He knows he must look stupidly lovesick, but he can’t find it in him to care all that much. “You look stunning.” 

“R-really?” is all Shadow can manage in return, because he’s equally in awe, equally as stupidly lovesick at just how breathtaking the blue hedgehog looks, as well. 

Sonic nods, his throat dry, and his eyes never leaving the pretty hedgehog in front of him. “Yeah.” 

He hadn’t expected the ebony hedgehog to show up in a dress, had no idea the other even liked to wear them. Though, his seemingly fearless display of gender non-conformity makes Sonic feel a little safer about his own outfit choice, a little better about being who he is, too. And he likes that Shadow appears to feel safe enough to dress like this around him, as well. 

Not to mention, the Ultimate Lifeform looks so… well, Sonic doesn’t think he could even find the words to describe just how gorgeous he thinks Shadow looks in this moment. It’s something people write entire poems about. 

It feels like they’re the only two in the world, here, right now. 

“It’s funny..,” the dark hedgehog finally says, softly, after a moment of pause. His words feel as breathless coming out as they had after he and Sonic had kissed. “I was just about to tell you that I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone quite as beautiful.” 

The blue blur looks absolutely charming in his outfit. It’s simple, but seems to speak a volume of vulnerability that Shadow’s outfit couldn’t. He hadn’t expected Sonic to wear a fishnet top, only somewhat covered by his button up, and tucked into matching denim shorts that showed off his legs, nice and strong from years of running. It feels like Sonic is revealing an unguarded part of himself to Shadow. And Shadow feels honored to be someone that Sonic feels comfortable enough around to do so. 

The darker hedgehog feels his paws trembling a little. In joy, in anticipation, in anxiety? He can’t really tell. 

But it feels like fireworks are going off all around him, even though he’s just standing near the other hedgehog. 

It feels like they’re the only two here, right now.

Shadow notices how the blue hedgehog’s muzzle and ears go flush at his words, and he seems to curl in on himself a little in embarrassment, though he’s smiling ear to ear. 

He thinks Sonic is reacting positively to what he’d said, but he worries if he went too far with his words. 

Meanwhile, Sonic can feel his mind rushing. OH GAIA HE’S SO GAY HE’S SO GAY, HE’S NEVER HAD ANYONE SO PERFECTLY CONFIRM HIS SEXUALITY. HE WANTS TO MAKE OUT WITH SHADOW SO BAD RIGHT NOW. CHAOS, HE WANTS THE DARKER HEDGEHOG ON TOP OF HIM AND KISSING HIM SENSELESS; HE’S SO GAY HE’S SO GAY HE’S SO- 

“Are you alright?” the black and red hedgehog asks, snapping the blushing hedgehog out of his thoughts. 

“O-oh! Uh, yeah. Sorry. You just… you flustered me there for a moment,” Sonic chuckles, fumbling over his words. “I… that was… you’re being really sweet; I don’t think my words were able to do you as much justice. I can’t stress enough just how gorgeous you look right now. You look so pretty, dude.” 

Now it’s Shadow’s turn to go bright red, a sheepish smile on his face as he chuckles, just the same. “Oh.” 

Good GAIA this hedgehog makes his legs feel weak. His own mind short-circuits at the blue hedgehog’s words. He wants Sonic’s paws, his mouth, all over him. Oh, chaos, that’s gay. That’s so gay. He’s SO gay. He wants to kiss that blue idiot so badly right now; he wants to feel the other hedgehog’s lips against his. CHAOS-

“You okay, Shadow?” he hears the other hedgehog’s soft voice, gently pulling him out of his thoughts. 

Green eyes are staring at him with loving concern. 

Shadow feels like his heart is melting. 

“Yes,” the ebony hedgehog finally nods, smiling. “I’m… I’m glad I get to spend more time with you.”

Sonic grins, trying to hide how he’s bouncing on the balls of his feet, rocking back and forth a little, as he tries to contain how equally excited he is. “Me too!” 

“Shall we go inside, then?” Shadow holds his arm out for Sonic to hook his own around. 

“Hell yeah! I’m starved!” Sonic smiles and, either ignoring or not noticing (probably the latter) the more formal way Shadow had expected them to link arms before heading in, he instead takes a gloved, striped paw in his own, intertwining them and carefully pulling the dark hedgehog along so that they can finally go inside. 

Shadow’s heart skips a beat, and he feels his stomach flutter at the gesture, but he doesn’t find himself disliking it; not one bit. 

The dinner is pleasant. It’s casual. It’s filled with small talk; gentle conversation about their week and their future plans with friends while they eat. 

Although, it is a first date. 

So a bit of awkwardness is to be expected. 

But, it doesn’t really make it as unpleasant as one might expect, either. 

“‘n so, then I told Knux to just talk to her like a normal person,” Sonic is telling him some story, but he’s talking with food in his mouth, so Shadow only gets about half of it. 

He wants to be annoyed at the sounds of chewing and talking mixing together; and maybe he is, a little, because it’s a bit of a pet peeve of his. 

But Sonic practically has stars in his eyes as he talks on and on, and the black and red hedgehog still finds himself being drawn in with every word the other hedgehog says. 

The blue hedgehog soon takes a pause while telling his story to twirl his fork in one of his paws so he can eat more of his (slightly overpriced) spaghetti, taking another bite. 

“You know, Rouge actually told me that she was the one to ask Knuckles out the first time,” Shadow adds to the conversation. 

Sonic grins in between bites and, to Shadow’s relief, he does swallow before he speaks again, but with just as much passion as before. 

“Oh my gosh, yeah! I was just about to get to that part!” he smiles. “And so then, Knuckles comes over to my place, redder than his fur, and he tells me that..”

Shadow continues to listen, his chin resting in one of his paws as he sips spoonfuls of soup. 

But, after a second, he quickly realizes some spaghetti sauce has gotten onto the blue blur’s chin, and he stifles a giggle at that. 

Sonic’s story cuts off when he notices Shadow laughing a little. He blushes. “What?” 

“You’ve got some sauce on your face,” the darker hedgehog gently points out. 

Sonic is quick to look embarrassed, but Shadow just grabs a napkin as he chuckles. “Don’t worry, I’ll get it.” 

And he dabs the napkin against the other hedgehog’s chin, wiping away the bit of food matted in his soft fur. 

Shadow flusters a little once he’s done, and pulls away. 

Sonic looks just as bashful. 

A bit of awkward silence passes between them for a minute, until the ebony hedgehog speaks up once more. “So, what did your brother say happened after he and Rouge kissed? You can’t just leave me on a cliffhanger like that.” 

Sonic’s eyes visibly brighten at the cue to continue, and he happily begins to do so, right while eating his food. 

Shadow rolls his eyes, mentally, at the action, but his heart feels too warm right now to even think of saying anything about it. 

Sonic feels absolutely joyous, ardent, exuberant, he’s not even sure there’s an accurate word to describe how he feels, as he’s able to yap continuously with barely a pause. 

He’s always been chatty, but he knows the hedgehog sitting across from him is fairly quiet. He keeps worrying that he’s going on for too long, being too annoying, and tries to take breaks in his story for the black and red hedgehog to talk, as well. 

But he’s surprised at how encouraging and attentive Shadow is to his story, staring at him like he hung the stars in the sky and asking him questions that show he’s listening, that he wants to hear the cobalt hedgehog keep talking. 

And it sends Sonic’s heart fluttering in his chest. 

When Shadow appears to be comfortable enough to add his own stories and remarks to the conversation, unrelated to Sonic’s own, the blue hedgehog is absolutely engaged in return. 

Even if he does slurp his soup a bit too loud, a noise that sends both of the blue blur’s ears twitching. 

But… with the way that Shadow smiles and laughs with him, despite the awkwardness of it all, the way Shadow listens and the way he talks, somewhat soft-spoken, as if it’s only for Sonic to hear, the azure hedgehog can’t find himself getting very annoyed with him. 

It’s almost… charming. 

He feels his ears downturn a little as Shadow takes another loud sip of his soup. 

…almost. Truthfully, it’s a bit of a pet peeve of his. 

And, yet, he can’t help but beam as he looks into gorgeous, crimson eyes. 

When Shadow looks back at him, they manage to hold eye contact for a mere few seconds. It’s quiet; simple. 

And then, they’re both turning away again, sheepish as the same awkward silence passes through them as they eat. 

After Shadow pays for the meal (he’d insisted), the two walk out of the restaurant, side by side and giggling. 

The nighttime air is a bit chilly, the dinner was nice, but somewhat mediocre and a bit overpriced, and their stomachs are still a bit empty. Though, it seems neither of them would have had it any differently. 

“Maybe next time, we settle for some takeout and hanging out together,” Sonic chuckles. 

“Gaia, yes,” Shadow agrees with a laugh. 

“Next time”. The two get so caught up in their chatter that they hardly realize they’re already planning a second date. 

It just feels natural. 

They walk next to each other (now with their arms linked, to Shadow’s delight), not really having a destination in mind. 

Neither of them say it, but the words can be heard by both of them in the way their paws brush one another’s slightly, and through their ever steady conversation and unhurried walking, as if to try and savor the moment. 

They both aren’t ready to part just yet.

They like (maybe even love) being here together, like this, right now.

It just feels… natural.

It’s like being wrapped up in a blanket. It’s loving. It’s warm. Which feels pretty nice on a colder night such as this one. 

They walk for a while, for at least several blocks. Definitely for nearly an hour. 

And just as they’re about to actually say goodnight, unable to avoid doing so any longer, Sonic notices a small shop nearby, and Shadow can actually see the blue hedgehog get a literal skip in his step.

“Ooh! Wanna get some froyo?” Sonic grins towards him. 

“Frozen yogurt?” Shadow asks, likewise noticing the shop. 

“Yeah. Maybe as a nice treat before we both head home,” the azure hedgehog shrugs. “If you want. Plus, I can pay for it.” 

And how could Shadow ignore such a sweet (literally) sounding offer? 

“Sounds lovely.” 

They head inside the small frozen yogurt shop, and Sonic unlinks their arms to happily grab a large cup to fill with the dessert, before heading over to the froyo machines. 

Shadow opts to grab a smaller cup and follows his date, looking towards the yogurt machines with more hesitation. 

The blue hedgehog looks back at him as he partially fills his own colorful paper cup with strawberry froyo. “You okay?” 

“I’m just not sure what to get,” Shadow shrugs, not often getting treats like this for himself. 

Sonic looks pensive for a moment, before brightening once more with an idea. 

“Why don’t you get all the flavors I’m not getting? ‘Cause I’m going to get a bunch. Then, you can get whatever toppings look good and we can share.” 

Shadow thinks the idea over for a moment, and then shrugs. “Alright. That sounds like it could be fun.” 

The soft, sweet look and eager smile he gets from the blue blur in response makes his heart flicker. 

The blue hero ends up getting a bunch of sweet flavors. Strawberry, mango, banana, pink lemonade. And he’d added rainbow sprinkles and white chocolate chips as toppings. 

So that’s how Shadow ends up with a small cup of chocolate, blueberry, pineapple, and raspberry frozen yogurt. He adds dark chocolate chips and gummy worms to it. 

As they walk back outside to continue their casual stroll, they slowly eat their dessert. 

Sonic looks at what Shadow got, talking to him a little with a mouthful of froyo. “You like gummy worms?” 

“I’ve never tried them,” Shadow admits, nonchalantly, and he picks up one of the sugary worms between two paw pads before quickly eating it. 

Sonic takes another bite of his fruity mesh of yogurt flavors as Shadow chews on the sweet. 

“What do you think?” he asks, after a moment. 

Shadow ponders over the flavor a little before responding. “I like them.” 

Sonic nods. Then, he gently elbows the hedgehog walking next to him. “Want to try some of mine?” 

The blue hedgehog scoops up a small spoonful, offering it to the hedgehog beside him. 

“Sure,” Shadow opens his mouth, and the blue blur feeds him some of the froyo. 

It’s sweet, but slightly bitter with the way the different fruit flavors mix. It’s a bit tart, and it makes the dark hedgehog’s nose scrunch a little. 

Sonic chuckles. “Is it not good?” 

“It’s a bit… sour, almost,” Shadow laughs, too. 

Then, he scoops up some of the frozen yogurt in his own cup, making sure to mix the different flavors together. He offers the spoonful to his date. “Here. Try some.” 

The cobalt hedgehog eats it, seeming to take his time tasting it, just the same. 

“It’s not too bad,” he concludes, after a minute. 

“I thought so, as well,” Shadow adds. “It’s not as sweet. It’s more mild. I don’t like things that taste too sugary. It gets… kind of overwhelming, you know?” 

Sonic nods in understanding. His gaze turns to look at a nearby bench before he turns back to Shadow again. “You wanna… sit down for a bit?” 

“Sounds good.” 

So they do. And as they do, they eat their dessert and talk some more. 

At first, when they sit down, they keep a bit of space between them. But, as they joke and continue to share spoonfuls of frozen yogurt with each other, elbowing one another playfully as they laugh, they’re soon pressed up against each other’s sides amidst their chuckles. Their legs and shoulders brush, the two of them practically cuddling. 

The air feels clearer here than when they’d eaten at the restaurant. The energy feels more carefree; lighter and more gentle. 

Easy. 

They’re closer. 

And it feels safe. 

The restaurant had been lovely. It had been a nice place to talk and eat, but this? 

This feels… intimate. More than intimate, really. Eating at the restaurant had felt intimate, too. 

This feels like it’s something special. 

It’s really nice. 

Sonic offers Shadow another scoop of his frozen yogurt. 

Although, as he does so, he misses the dark hedgehog’s mouth a little, getting a bit on his face. 

“Ack-!” Shadow cringes at the feeling. 

“Ah, sorry,” the azure hedgehog quickly apologizes. 

“It’s alright,” Shadow huffs out with a light chuckle. He looks around a bit, and lets out a tiny sigh. “We didn’t get napkins, did we?” 

“No…” the blue hedgehog sighs, as well. 

Then, Shadow notices one of the blue blur’s ears twitching as he seems to get another idea. He looks towards the black and red hedgehog, and opens his mouth as if to speak. But he quickly closes it as he looks away with a bashful giggle. 

“What is it?” Shadow laughs a little, too. “What are you thinking about?” 

Sonic looks back at him with a small smile. “Can I try something?” 

Shadow raises an eye ridge. “Like what?” 

Carefully, as if the darker hedgehog is a piece of glass, Sonic reaches up to cup one side of the ebony hedgehog’s face with his paw. 

“Push me away if it’s too much, alright? I won’t be upset if you do,” the blue hedgehog states, and Shadow nods, the other’s paw on his cheek feeling almost electric. 

Then, Sonic leans in a little. 

Oh. Shadow hadn’t expected this. Are they about to… kiss again? 

The dark hedgehog finds himself leaning forward, as well. 

And then… 

Sonic licks the corner of Shadow’s mouth. 

Oh.

The cobalt hedgehog’s tongue swipes at the frozen yogurt near his mouth, before he slowly pulls away again. His paw goes back to rest in his lap as he looks at Shadow. 

Both hedgehogs are blushing heavily after that, a new awkwardness between them. 

Until Shadow laughs. He covers his smile with his paw a little. 

Sonic smiles, too, though he looks a bit nervous. “Was that too much? I didn’t wanna make you uncomfortable…” 

Shadow fights a grin back at him. The black and red hedgehog tilts his head a little, small smile still present on his face as he gazes back at the blue blur with affection. “I didn’t push you away, did I?” 

Sonic seems to fluster even further, if that’s possible, and he elbows Shadow lightheartedly, to which Shadow does the same to him.

They continue to giggle, bumping against each other jokingly as they do so, and they continue eating their froyo. 

Sonic leans into Shadow’s shoulder, and the darker hedgehog finds that he doesn’t mind the contact. He brushes his nose against Sonic’s ear, affectionately, before leaning against the blue blur, too. 

It gives Sonic butterflies in his stomach, and he scoops up a final spoonful from his cup of froyo. 

Shadow does the same, ready to offer some to Sonic, but pauses in surprise when he notices the azure hedgehog doing the same. 

Sonic pauses, as well, equally surprised at the small coincidence. 

But, slowly, still, the two eat the frozen yogurt from each other’s spoons. 

When they both pull away again, they keep their soft gazes on each other, small smiles on both their faces. 

After a few, long moments, they lean away from each other a bit more. 

Sonic stares down at his empty froyo cup. 

Tonight’s been really fun, he thinks. 

He knows he’ll see Shadow again, probably within a few days if they’re hanging out together with friends. 

And it’s been a long day. Usually, by now, he’d be tired, but he still feels filled with energy. 

He brushes his thumbs against the paper cup, unsure of what to say. 

But just as he’s about to try and say something… 

“Hey. Um.. Sonic?” he hears the quiet voice of the dark hedgehog beside him. 

He glances towards the other hedgehog again, who is staring at him with kind, crimson eyes. He’s just as fidgety as Sonic is. 

“What’s up?” the blue blur responds, giving him an assuring smile. 

Shadow opens and closes his mouth for a moment, before he finally speaks, his voice gentle and his gaze tender. 

“I would like to kiss you again. If that’s alright?” 

Sonic can feel his heart soar, and he nods, beaming. “Dude. I’ve been wanting to kiss you again since I saw you tonight at the restaurant.” 

Shadow smiles back. 

And then… slowly, delicately, the darker hedgehog leans forward, head tilted a little, and he carefully places a peck on the blue hedgehog’s lips. 

It’s short and chaste, barely lasting a couple seconds; but it’s wonderful. 

It’s different from their first kiss; not filled with the same, breathless passion, now a little more hesitant, but still sweet, caring, soft. It’s delicate; practically featherlight. 

And then Shadow pulls away again, just slightly, to stare back at the other. 

They both pause, breathing against each other’s lips as their faces remain close. 

Sonic swallows, his eyes wandering back to the darker hedgehog’s lips after a few seconds, before he meets crimson eyes again. 

But he sees that Shadow’s eyes go to look at the cobalt hedgehog’s lips, just the same, before his gaze is drawn back to the hero’s green eyes, as well. 

They stare at each other for a moment, and then… 

Almost like magnets, they reconnect, lips crashing together. 

This time, it’s more fervent, a little messy, even. Their paws move to pull each other closer. Shadow’s paws find purchase in Sonic’s button up shirt, and Sonic’s cup Shadow’s face. Their teeth clack a little as their heads quickly tilt to deepen the kiss, the blue hedgehog sighing happily against the ebony hedgehog's lips. 

Shadow’s paws move to wrap around the blue blur’s waist as Sonic moves to card his own paws through striped quills, and Shadow fights a groan of contentment at the feeling. Their chests brush as they pull each other impossibly closer. 

It’s only when the black and red hedgehog feels Sonic’s tongue gently meet his that he realizes they should really go somewhere more private if they want to keep kissing like this, and he quickly pulls away. 

Sonic had carefully tried to brush his tongue against the other hedgehog’s, thinking that was the direction their heated kiss appeared to be going, but he immediately regrets not asking before doing so as Shadow tenses and moves away. 

He’s about to apologize profusely, but the darker hedgehog speaks up first. 

“M-my apartment.. is empty. Rouge is staying the night on Angel Island.” 

OH.

“O-oh,” Sonic can’t help but be surprised at the other hedgehog’s straightforwardness, no matter how much he probably really should expect as much from him, after all these years. “Cool.” 

“If.. you wanted to keep kissing there instead…?” the dark hedgehog elaborates. “Only if you’re up for that. We really don’t have to if you aren’t comfortable-“

“Yes, please,” is Sonic’s almost immediate response, his heart already pounding in his chest. 

Shadow nods and, with haste, they get up and throw their empty cups away. Shadow offers Sonic his paw, and Sonic happily intertwines his with the ebony hedgehog’s as they start to walk, briskly, in the direction of Shadow’s apartment. 

As they do so, however, they both soon feel droplets of water dripping down onto their quills and fur. 

Sonic looks up at the sky as rain starts to drizzle down on them. He hadn’t even noticed that the clouds had begun to gray. 

As the amount of rain increases, he looks over to his date. The two of them giggle at the unlucky odds, and quickly break into a full on sprint. 

It starts to fully downpour as they race to find cover, laughing as they try to cover their heads with their arms in an attempt to stay somewhat dry to, obviously, no avail. 

By the time they make it under the awning next to the entrance of Shadow’s building, they’re soaking wet from the rain, out of breath, and laughing as they hold each other close. It feels like a scene straight out of a cheesy, sweet, romantic movie. 

Their scents mix together as they stand there, watching as the rain falls for a couple minutes, the perfume-y smell of Shadow’s quill oil, and the natural, musky, nature scent of Sonic from him running around in the forests by his home for hours, combining in an almost soothing way, dancing in the air around them. 

It smells like lavender and petrichor. 

=

Shadow lets out a tiny, frustrated growl as he fumbles with his apartment key, half-focused on getting it into the slot so he can open the door while the rest of his focus remains on the way that he and Sonic are currently making out as they both stumble around a bit, only making it harder for the darker hedgehog to unlock his apartment door. 

Shadow finally pulls away a little, after a couple minutes, so that he can actually get the door open. Sonic keeps his lips on the other hedgehog, though, gently kissing down his jaw, and then against his neck, as well. 

The ebony hedgehog’s paws tremble a little at the feeling. It feels like the inside of his body is on fire, and he nearly gets lost in the feeling as he tilts his head to give Sonic more space to kiss. He holds him closer, before he quickly recalls the task at hand, and finally twists his key into the door’s lock. 

Shadow’s lips meet the blue hedgehog’s again as soon as they’re inside and he shuts the door behind them. 

They take their shoes and gloves off, still trying to keep their kiss together as they move, although it’s difficult, and their teeth clack against one another’s at some points. 

After those bits of clothing are tugged off, though, their paws are instantly back on one another, fully, and Sonic feels himself being carefully pushed against the wall (right next to the door) and he grins into the kiss with a deep groan as he tugs Shadow even closer than before. 

Soon, Shadow dips to kiss and nip at Sonic’s neck, reciprocating what the blue hedgehog had done to him before. It surprises the blue blur, although it’s certainly not unwelcome. He lets out tiny moans at the contact as he tilts his head back a bit. 

As his date’s short fangs graze the underside of his jaw, Sonic feels a shiver go up his spine, and his legs start to feel more and more like jello. 

“Hey..” he says, soft and breathy, after noticing the sofa in the living room area close by. “Do you mind if we move to the couch?” 

Shadow moves away from the cobalt hedgehog’s neck, eyes a bit half-lidded, and he presses a tiny peck to Sonic’s lips before responding, slightly out of breath. “Of course we can, my darling. Are you… still doing okay?” 

Sonic smiles at the considerate words (and flusters a bit at the unexpected pet name; though, he’s not complaining). He chuckles as he places another short kiss to the other hedgehog’s lips. 

“I am absolutely fucking perfect,” he huffs out with an elated grin, and he pulls Shadow along to the couch, the two sharing even more small kisses as they make their way over. 

Once there, Shadow lets himself fall back onto the couch. He partially leans against one of the arm rests, like how Sonic had when they’d kissed back at his house. 

The blue blur carefully straddles the ebony hedgehog, his legs moving to rest on either side of the other hedgehog’s lap as he leans over him. 

“This alright, Shads?” he asks, to make sure the action isn’t overwhelming the Ultimate Lifeform. 

He notices how the black and red hedgehog blushes brightly before nodding enthusiastically, and the dark hedgehog soon leans towards Sonic once more to reconnect their lips. 

This isn’t the first time that Sonic had called Shadow “Shads”. It’s a fairly common nickname that the darker hedgehog has allowed a few close friends to refer to him as, if they like. 

And yet, now, like this, Shadow finds himself entirely flustered by the way the simple nickname sounds on his ears, coming from the azure hedgehog. He’s heard it from Sonic so many times, but it feels almost different now; affectionate. 

The way he lets Sonic press him against the couch and run his paws through the white fluff on his chest feels safe. 

The way they both accidentally buck their hips at the same time and quickly pull each other closer to find the friction again, on purpose, feels easy. 

When Shadow licks against Sonic’s lips, their tongues finally meeting, with more certainty this time, and he feels Sonic groan, happily, into his mouth, it feels adoring. 

And as their kiss gets more heated, their bodies continuing to seek more friction and more pleasure against one another as their paws move to grab at each other wherever they can, everything feels good.

Everything feels perfect. 

Well, until… 

“Shads. I want to fuck you so bad,” the words are panted out in a whisper from swollen lips. 

“The feeling is mutual,” is the breathless response. 

And their passionate kiss resumes, their mouths hardly having parted from one another’s, the sweet smell of rain still present around them and the feelings of fireworks still coursing through them. 

That is… until they both realize what they’d just said. 

It takes a few seconds, and then they both pause; tense. 

They slowly lean away from each other a little. 

They can both see the same worry reflecting in each other’s eyes. 

…

Shit.

…now what?

They’re both equally frozen in place. 

Time feels like it slows, abruptly, as they both try to find their words. 

Shadow swallows, and then he’s the first to speak, ears going back a little as his voice shakes. “We should… talk more, b-before anything else happens between us.” 

Sonic just nods in agreement, his throat feeling dry. 

They delicately separate, moving to simply sit on the couch, side by side, with more space between them. 

They avoid eye contact for a while as they sit there. Sonic’s leg bounces nervously and Shadow’s paws fidget with similar anxiety. 

“W-would you…” Sonic glances over at the black and red hedgehog when he talks again, after a long minute of silence. “W-would you want to have… sex? Tonight?” 

“Um..” Sonic’s voice quavers a bit as he searches his mind for an answer. An answer he has and wants to say, but the nervous tension in the air, and the weight of the still unspoken conversation about his identity, makes it feel as though the words are choking his throat. “I-I mean… yeah, I think that’d be cool. I-I’d definitely like to, if you also wanted to. But.. we don’t have to do anything you don’t want, obviously. If you want to, we can call it a night. I.. wouldn’t mind that, either.” 

“I know,” the dark hedgehog says, clear and certain. “I know that, and I want you to know that I don’t mind not doing anything either, if you’re uncomfortable with it. The consent goes both ways. However, if you did want to… I would like to, as well. If.. that’s where this was going?” 

Crimson eyes finally meet green ones, hesitantly. 

He can see that Sonic looks just as uncertain about something. 

It was somewhat odd, seeing the usually-confident hedgehog appear so nervous and unsure. 

He looks more anxious than Shadow even feels. 

“There’s… no pressure, Sonic,” Shadow reassures, more vehement, now, in his message. “We don’t have to do anything. I have no expectations.” 

The care behind the darker hedgehog’s words makes Sonic’s heart flutter, and he smiles, a bit more assuringly. 

“Yeah. I know that, too,” he replies, softly. “I trust you.” 

The care behind the blue blur’s words make Shadow’s stomach swarm with butterflies. He smiles back. “Good. I trust you, too, Sonic. I care for you. Deeply. You make me feel safe, and I always hope you feel just as comfortable. You… would tell me.. if you didn’t… right?” 

Sonic feels as though his heart could just burst. The previous tension that had been clouding around them, thick and heavy, feels like it’s being lifted, little by little, and Sonic grins, sincerely, at the hedgehog next to him. 

“Of course I would, Shads. I feel safe around you, too. You make me so happy, dude.” 

Shadow feels his body tremble a bit at the sweet and wholehearted certainty of the words. The affections the blue blur has for him are… certain. He says it like it’s the easiest thing in the world. 

The two hedgehogs look away from each other again, soon after, just sitting there as they think about everything that’s been said. 

Shadow… can be himself. 

…

But his mind still drifts to the thought of the scars hidden under his dress. 

The confession on his tongue is stifled by his lips, which refuse to relay what he knows he wants to say. 

An overwhelming spike of anxiety thunders through his chest and stomach. 

And then… he finds himself crying. 

He sniffles a little, lump in his throat at the overwhelm of everything building up in him, and he subsequently feels tears spilling from his eyes before he can stop them. 

He tries to hold his breath or keep his mouth shut in an attempt to muffle any sobbing noises, but they quickly slip from his throat. He tries to turn away from Sonic a little more so that the other hedgehog can’t see his tears.  

But Sonic’s ear twitches at the sound of a choked sob leaving the black and red hedgehog’s throat and, as he starts to hear more sorrowful whimpers come from the dark hedgehog, he turns to look at the other again, seeing that Shadow is facing further away from him. Worried, he finally speaks up again. “Shads…? Are you alright, man?”

Shadow’s ears downturn at the soft concern in the blue hedgehog’s tone. It makes his heart twist in his chest, and he wants nothing more than to allow himself to be soothed by the other’s words, or to move to cuddle close to him to feel consoled in his embrace, but he almost feels unworthy of it. 

“‘m sorry,” he mumbles, trying desperately to wipe away the steady flow of tears leaving his eyes, his voice shaking with the sobbing sounds leaving his throat as he half-turns to face Sonic again.  

“Woah, hey…” Sonic says, softly, comfortingly. He slowly moves to sit closer to the other, but is careful not to fully touch him, in case he’s overstimulated. “Hey; what’s going on, Shadow? What’s wrong? Is it something I said?”

Shadow faces him, just a little, barely managing to keep eye contact as his watery, crimson eyes weep. His lips visibly tremble with what he wants to say. What he really does want to tell and explain to Sonic. 

The sight of Shadow appearing so emotional makes Sonic’s heart sink in his chest. The darker hedgehog looks so broken, so saddened, so… anxious? 

The cobalt hedgehog reaches a paw out to cup one side of the crying hedgehog’s face. But he pauses before actually touching him, looking to the other for consent. 

Tearfully, Shadow moves to rest his head against the blue paw. 

Sonic gives the ebony hedgehog a bittersweet smile as he continues to cry. The blue hedgehog brushes his thumb against Shadow’s cheeks, tenderly wiping away his tears as he softly shushes the black and red hedgehog’s downcast blubbers. “Shhh.. it’s okay, Shads. Take a deep breath, love. What’s the matter?”

Shadow takes a few, long seconds to breathe, briefly collecting his thoughts as he lets out a soft sigh, shoulders slumped and face scrunched in worry. 

After a moment of silence, though, stomach still swarming with anxiety, tears still falling freely and voice still heavy with the weight of his words, the dark hedgehog finally mutters out what he’s been wanting to tell the other hedgehog for ages. “Sonic, I’m… I’m trans.” 

Sonic feels his mind short-circuit a little. With widening eyes, all he can mutter out is…

“W-… what?”

Had he just heard Shadow correctly? 

The black and red hedgehog’s voice quavers as he sniffles. “I’m transgender. I was born a girl, but I’m not one. I’m still the male you’ve always known, I just… I still.. I have female anatomy and such, so… I don’t know. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before, I know I should’ve told you, I was just so scared-“ 

Sonic’s heart thumps in his chest, brain going fuzzy at the revelation. 

HOLY SHIT??? his mind screams. His anxieties over coming out lift, just barely, replaced with a feeling of immense elation. HE’S TRANS, TOO??? 

It feels perfect. It feels right. He feels lucky, overwhelmed, overjoyed, he feels- 

His foggy mind soon snaps back into focus as new waves of sobs and apologies leave the black and red hedgehog. 

“I’m so sorry,” Shadow mutters out tearfully, as he continues to wipe his eyes. “I understand if you don’t want to date me anymore. I know it’s a lot, I don’t want you to feel pressured to like me just to make me feel better, just please don’t think of me as a girl, now. I-.. I- I- I’m so sorry, Sonic. I’m still the same person-“ 

“Woah, woah, woah, hey, hey, hey,” Sonic quickly waves his hands, his brain and body finally catching up to each other as he immediately reassures the darker hedgehog. “No, hey, I’m not mad; I’m not upset at all, dude, seriously.”

But Shadow just keeps stringing out incoherent apologies, even as Sonic tells him he doesn’t need to be sorry, and the blue blur soon offers Shadow a hug that he accepts almost instantaneously, practically falling into Sonic’s arms with a loud sob and absolutely melting into the touch as the azure hedgehog holds him close. Shadow curls further into Sonic’s embrace as he breaks down, and the blue hedgehog pulls him even closer, gently kissing the black and red hedgehog’s ears and head as he comforts him. 

“Breathe, Shadow,” he rubs the darker hedgehog’s quills in a calming motion. “Everything is okay, you’re safe.” 

Shadow nods, his tears beginning to subside slightly, though he continues to sniffle and cry a little, clearly overwhelmed and somewhat uncertain. 

Sonic pauses. He knows what he needs to say, now. What he’s been wanting to tell the other hedgehog for ages. 

He knows now that there’s probably no one safer to come out to at this moment.

Still, he feels his paws shaking a bit as he carefully pulls away from the hug, just a little, so green eyes can meet crimson ones once more. 

“Shads,” he says, meaning for the words to come out sure of himself, although it’s still coated with layers of his own nervousness and hesitancy. 

Shadow’s sorrowful expression meets Sonic’s anxious one as the dark hedgehog wipes away another stream of tears from his face. 

No better time than the present, I guess… Sonic thinks. 

And then, after a deep breath…

“I’m trans, too.” 

Shadow’s tears seem to just about pause in their place as Sonic is met with a look that’s even more befuddled than his own initial reaction to Shadow coming out. 

The black and red hedgehog’s mouth opens and closes as he seems to struggle to respond. 

All that he can eventually muster is a confused “Wha-… you… wait, what?” 

Sonic chuckles at that. “I am also transgender. Born a girl, but I’m not.” 

Shadow is floored. He’s fucking flabbergasted. 

Because what the hell are even the odds of this happening?! 

“You-…” he still can’t find the words to match his thoughts. He wants to sound as cheerful about this news as he feels. Because, really, he is! His heart feels like it’s soaring. This is fantastic! He doesn’t feel alone, he doesn’t feel gross, he doesn’t feel ashamed! 

But all he can do is laugh, lightheartedly, in disbelief. His smile turns just as bright and astounded as his date’s. With tears drying up on his face, he scoffs, half-confused, half-hopeful. “No fucking way?” 

“Really! I am!” Sonic grins, with a huff of laughter. 

“Oh my goodness,” Shadow likewise beams, looking so incredibly relieved and cheerful, and Sonic can feel relief washing over himself, as well, tension visibly leaving his shoulders. 

But, then, Sonic sees Shadow’s expression shift a little into concern. 

Before he can ask why, a striped paw moves to brush against Sonic’s cheek. 

And he wipes away a tear from the blue blur’s face. 

“Why are you crying?” the darker hedgehog asks, worry audible in his voice. 

“Am I?” Sonic hadn’t even realized he’d started to, as he wipes at his face a little. 

He chuckles, somewhat tearfully, when he sees that the other is right. 

He feels Shadow, very gently, cup his face with both of his paws, and he meets soft eyes again. 

Slowly and carefully, the black and red hedgehog leans forward to place a single, delicate kiss to Sonic’s lips. 

Sonic leans into the tender affection. It lasts barely a few seconds, Shadow soon pulling away again. 

And he faces the blue hedgehog with a look that is so loving, so certain, that Sonic feels as though the other hedgehog doesn’t even need to say anything else to comfort him. 

And yet… he does. 

“You’re safe, Sonic,” he whispers, firm and caring. 

And Sonic’s lips tremble before he lets out his own wave of sobs that he hadn’t even recognized to be building up in his throat. 

Shadow holds him through it just as close. Just as tenderly. 

And everything feels perfect. 

Everything feels easy. 

After several minutes, when the azure hedgehog’s tears have mostly subsided, he can’t help but chuckle a little against the dark hedgehog’s shoulder as he sniffles. 

“What’s so funny?” Shadow tilts his head a little as Sonic leans away so the two of them can look at each other. The ebony hedgehog can’t help the small smile that graces his lips at the flecks of joy coming back into the cobalt hedgehog’s expression. 

“I just… wow,” the blue hedgehog laughs, quietly. “I just can’t believe I was so nervous to tell you I was trans for so long.” 

Shadow laughs at that, too. “Me, as well. And I can barely fathom that both of us turned out to be transmasculine and both of us kept it hidden. I mean, really, what are the odds of such a thing happening?” 

“Exactly!” Sonic waves his hands in agreement. “And, like, even if one of us wasn’t trans, there was really nothing to be that scared about. It’s not like either one of us would’ve been upset about something like that.” 

“That was my thought, too!” Shadow covers his face in embarrassment as he chuckles alongside the other. “And yet, I was still petrified.” 

“So was I!” 

They laugh together and reminisce like this for a while. They move to cuddle up on the couch, soon getting lost in each other’s voices and the easy conversation, one that also turns into them talking about and bonding over their shared experiences on testosterone. 

Pressed up against each other’s sides, embracing one another blithely, now, the energy in the room feels electric; energetic. 

They share another small kiss, at one point. And it, again, soon turns into something a little more heated. 

Within minutes, they find themselves thrown into the same bout of passion they’d been in before they’d started having their heavier conversation. 

Things feel lighter, now, though. 

Weightless. 

Easy.

There aren’t any more secrets. 

They both finally feel like themselves around each other.

They both feel safe. 

They both feel relentlessly adored. 

And it’s really, really, nice. 

Chapter Text

Shadow is straddling Sonic’s thighs as he sits in the blue blur’s lap, now, his paws digging into blue quills as he kisses him senseless. 

Sonic kisses him the same. When he sucks on Shadow’s tongue, the dark hedgehog can’t help but melt further against the other, hips bucking weakly. 

Sonic moans at the feeling, trying to match the movements in earnest. He loves the breathy sighs it pulls from the other. 

The blue hedgehog’s mind is cloudy as Shadow nips at his lips, but it’s an action that he knows is meant with the utmost sweetness. 

Sonic’s arms are wrapped entirely around the darker hedgehog’s waist. Earlier into this kiss, his paws had simply rested on the other hedgehog’s strong hips. But, he supposes he’s melted into Shadow’s touch, as well.

Sonic pulls away, for a second, and Shadow leans to kiss at the azure hedgehog’s nose before pulling back, too. 

“Shads,” the blue blur mumbles, a lovesick beam on his face. 

“Hmm?” Shadow hums back, eyes half-lidded as he gives a small, fond smile in return. 

“Do you wanna see my top surgery scars?” the cobalt hedgehog asks. His tone is somewhat casual, Shadow notes, though there’s a bit of an excited glimmer in his gaze. 

The ebony hedgehog’s eye ridges raise in surprise at the sudden question. However, with the cheerful expression on the other’s face, and the air of confident pride in the blue hedgehog’s posture, as if he wants to show off something that’s special to him, Shadow can’t help but nod, the enthusiasm contagious. 

Sonic grins, and his paws quickly move to unbutton his lilac shirt. 

Shadow watches as he slides the garment off his shoulders, swiftly throwing it to the floor, before pulling off the fishnet top underneath and discarding it, as well. 

The light pink scars on his chest are clear as day against his soft, peach chest fur. 

They’re slightly asymmetrical, Shadow notices, but beautiful. Imperfect, yet, they appear to stand strong. It’s almost mesmerizing. 

Sonic is very good-looking. Shadow’s always considered him to be so. But he feels like he’s truly in the presence of a work of art right now. The blue blur’s scars look like they could’ve been painted on with careful brush strokes, everything about him crafted with care. 

“They… they look lovely,” Shadow compliments in a whisper. 

Sonic blushes, gratefully, and there’s a bit of a shimmer in his eyes that makes the darker hedgehog feel as though the other understands just how pretty Shadow thinks he is, even if he can’t find the words to fully describe it aloud. 

Shadow smiles back at him, just as tenderly. 

He hopes he can find the words to tell him sometime soon. 

The black and red hedgehog glances back down at the other’s chest again, after a moment. Hesitantly, he reaches a paw out towards where the scars are, looking up at Sonic for consent before moving any further. “May I…?” 

Now Sonic looks surprised, his face going slightly flush at the question, but he also nods, wordlessly. 

Shadow touches the scars with an intense carefulness, as if the hedgehog in front of him is made of glass. 

The peach fur around the scars is soft. He traces a paw over one scar with his thumb, and Sonic visibly shivers. 

Shadow looks back up at him in concern, but Sonic just chuckles. “Sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong. They’re just a bit sensitive.”

A blue paw moves to gently hold the striped paw where it is, as if he’s asking the darker hedgehog to keep it there. 

Shadow obliges. He runs his paw over the mark, while his other paw affectionately brushes against Sonic’s stomach and chest. Then, it moves to lightly grab at his hip. 

He starts kissing Sonic’s neck again, leaving a trail of small bites every couple of pecks. He makes sure to show the cobalt hedgehog’s collarbone and upper torso some attention, too, attempting to express just how magnificent he’s always believed the hero looks. 

Sonic is a noisy mess at the soft touches, letting out quiet moans and huffs of pleasure as Shadow’s mouth moves. The pretty noises have Shadow himself subconsciously grinding his hips against the other’s, and he grits his teeth to suppress his own groans when Sonic continues to easily meet the movements. 

When the dark hedgehog leans back a little, after a few seconds, to look at Sonic again, the gaze he’s met with is tender and loving. 

…Safe. 

“Unzip my dress, please,” Shadow says, abruptly, before he can even think twice about it, his voice low and a little shaky. “I want to show you my scars, too.” 

Sonic’s eyes widen, and he can’t help but hesitate a bit. It feels like a bigger deal for Shadow to do something so vulnerable, and the slight quaver to the ebony hedgehog’s speech gives him pause. 

“Really? Are you sure?” he asks, for confirmation. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I like showing mine off, but I don’t want you to feel obligated just because-“ 

Shadow faces him with a sort of glare, eye ridges furrowing and crimson eyes bright, almost begging. There’s no anger in his expression; just reassurance. Need.

“I want to show you, Sonic.” 

The weight of the trust in the simple statement makes Sonic’s heart do a little spin in his chest and, after another moment, he nods, giving the other hedgehog a small, sweet smile as he reaches and unzips the back of the dress. 

Shadow slips out of it easily, letting it fall to the floor beside Sonic’s clothes. 

The white scars on the hedgehog’s chest are hardly visible, but Sonic soon notices the little lines hidden beneath dark fur. 

“Woah…” he gasps, with a small grin. “You heal well, dude. Holy shit..” 

Shadow chuckles. “That’s the alien-hedgehog genetics for you, I suppose. I don’t really scar very much.” 

“You look awesome, man!” the cobalt hedgehog compliments in amazement, as if he’s never seen anyone so striking. It makes the skin under said dark fur feel hot with flush. 

Shadow allows the blue blur to touch his scars, as well, and Sonic’s paws graze over the areas with just as much care. It makes the darker hedgehog’s heart feel as though it’s bursting in his chest. The blue hedgehog’s touch feels electric against him, and he can’t help but sigh out a little, happily, at the simple contact. 

Sonic thinks Shadow looks breathtaking. And not even just his scars. His eyes, his chest fur, his short fangs; the soft paw pads and gentle claws that sweetly graze his sides. Everything about the darker hedgehog leaves him in awe every time he sees him. He feels so lucky to be able to see this side of Shadow. 

He’s gorgeous.

Sonic looks back up into the eyes that he’s so fond of, and he sees just how calm the other hedgehog looks right now. 

His posture is slightly hunched, leaning into Sonic’s touch; his eyes are half-lidded, and his ears are just barely downturned in a relaxed manner. 

He’s calm around Sonic. 

He lets himself feel vulnerable around Sonic. 

The blue hedgehog doesn’t feel as though there is any higher praise. 

He moves his paws up to run through fluffy (and now slightly messy) chest fluff, before they find their place back on the sides of Shadow’s lovely face for the nth time. 

“Gaia, look at you,” he can’t help but utter, breathlessly, at the sight of him. It’s the same sight he’s been looking at for hours, for years, but Sonic thinks he falls a little more in love with the Ultimate Lifeform every time their eyes meet. “You’re amazing. Everything about you, I just… I don’t think I can even put it into words, Shadow.”

The look that the black and red hedgehog gives him in response is one of surprise, eyes widened and almost watery at the remark, before it melts into a soft, adoring smile. 

And then Shadow crashes his lips with Sonic’s in such an astoundingly passionate kiss that the blue hedgehog thinks he nearly sees stars. 

Shadow’s tongue is hot in his mouth and against his lips. A deep groan rises from his chest at how incredible it feels, and he tilts his head to try and deepen it further, if that’s even possible. 

As he continues to try to match the way that the dark hedgehog is kissing him, he lightly sucks on the other’s tongue again, something he’d quickly noticed Shadow seems to like, after the times he’d done it earlier. 

However, this time, instead of receiving little, breathy gasps, he can hear the ebony hedgehog whimper (yes, actually whimper, pleasurably) into his mouth. He hadn’t even noticed how quiet Shadow had been prior to this, but the blue blur thinks he’d love to hear the other hedgehog make more noises like that. 

“Fuck, that’s nice…” he mutters against swollen lips as the two just barely part to breathe. 

But what Shadow himself mumbles out next, between tiny inhales and exhales, has Sonic’s stomach swarming with butterflies yet again. 

“Sonic, my darling, I want you so badly,” he accentuates the statement with a gentler kiss to the azure hedgehog’s lips. 

Then, a kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

Then, one to his jaw; which gets a tiny bite and lick to it, as well. 

And Sonic lets out an embarrassingly needy moan. “Please, Shadow.”

As his paws move to rest on the darker hedgehog’s shoulders, Shadow finally pulls away fully, sitting up, even as he remains seated in Sonic’s lap. He feels the darker hedgehog rubbing soothing circles into his sides with his thumbs. 

One paw moves to hold Sonic’s chin up, even though Sonic is already looking at him, and Shadow tilts his head a little, meeting his eyes with a slightly questioning look. 

“Do you really want to?” he asks, simply and without any pressure in his tone. Just a genuine query, to make sure they’re both on the same page. “Are you ready to? Tonight?” 

Sonic smiles brightly at him. “Yeah. But only if you want to just as much as I do. We can both still back out or save it for another night. There’s still no rush.” 

But Shadow absolutely beams. “Of course I want to. With all of my being, yes.” 

Sonic chuckles, sweetly. “Well, thank Gaia, because I really want to, too.” 

And their mouths meet again for another kiss. A short, open-mouthed one, this time; full of tongue and teeth. 

Shadow is the first to lean away again, their breaths still mingling as he speaks, tender and affectionate. “We have to talk first, then.” 

The ebony hedgehog stops straddling blue thighs, twisting to move off of Sonic’s lap to sit next to him. 

He looks at the blue hedgehog with a bit more seriousness to his expression, though his voice remains saccharine and slightly sultry. “Boundaries. What we like and don’t like. What we should know before we become more physically intimate.” 

Sonic nods; nothing to disagree with there. 

And then, Shadow continues, a bit firmer, but somewhat quieter, and with unwavering kindness. He takes one of Sonic’s paws in his own. “If we’re doing this, I want to treat you the absolute best that I can. I want you to know how much you mean to me.” 

Sonic’s heart skips a beat at the words. 

“Shads…” his smile turns into a flustered grin. 

HOW CAN HE EVEN RESPOND TO SOMETHING AS SWEET AS THAT?! WHAT.

“Holy shit, man, I don’t even know what to say…” he finally manages, with a small chuckle. He rubs his thumb over Shadow’s paw, closely intertwined with his. “I want that for you, too. Y-you mean the world to me, dude. I totally want you to feel just as good.” 

He speaks the words with his whole chest, and he can feel them with his whole heart. 

The blue blur leans forward from where the two are sitting on the sofa, facing one another, and he places a large, fond kiss to the other hedgehog’s nose, to which he receives a loving laugh in return; one that makes him feel like he’s floating. 

He adores Shadow’s laugh. It’s unforced and full of utter contentment. It’s unguarded and relaxed. 

Pulling back with a giggle of his own, he sits back against the couch with a comfortable sigh, ready to start their much needed (yet very much anticipated) conversation. 

“Okay. So…” he begins, cautious, but cheerful (and slightly awkward), as he gazes at the hedgehog of his affections. “Why don’t you start, then? Did you have any questions in mind? Or, like… maybe we could start with what kinda stuff we’re both into-“ 

“Top or bottom?” Shadow asks, abruptly, a teasing smirk to his smile. 

Shit, alright. Right away, then. That’s fine. 

“Oh! Uh…” Sonic fumbles over his words for a moment. But he gets a reassuring look, a gentle squeeze to his paw, in response, and any nerves he’d had quickly dissipate. “Switch. I’m good with either. Whichever feels right in the moment. You?” 

“Me too,” Shadow states, however bashfully. 

“That’ll make things fun, then,” Sonic squeezes the darker hedgehog’s paw in return. “How about… what stuff do you not like? Why don’t we get the heavy stuff out of the way first?” 

Shadow hums in acknowledgment. He thinks for a moment, nose twitching a little as he ponders the question. Then, he replies. “No pain play. Other than little nips and bites. Nothing further than that, at least not tonight.” 

Sonic nods. “Noted.” 

“You?” Shadow asks. 

“I’m open to most things,” Sonic shrugs. “I just have to be given a heads up. Can’t say I have anything I strictly dislike. As long as there’s safewords and communication during, I’m pretty much fine. And.. I do get a bit sensitive after sex. So, I’ll probably need some help grounding myself after everything.” 

“Sounds good,” Shadow responds. “Speaking of safewords, though, it’s probably best that we have one, even if we aren’t doing anything particularly intense.” 

“I like to use the traffic light colors,” Sonic offers. “Green for good, red for stop, yellow to slow down and reevaluate?” 

“That’ll work,” Shadow agrees. 

There’s a moment of pause in their conversation. Sonic notices a small, careful glint in Shadow’s eyes, however, as if he’s thinking something over carefully. 

The darker hedgehog asks his next question slowly but, almost with a gentle eagerness; a thrilling excitement to it. 

“Um. So… what things do you like?” is the softly-spoken inquiry. “Anything I might be able to do that you’d especially enjoy?” 

Sonic grins, although he blushes brightly, the tips of his ears even tinting pink. “Um… I kinda like… scissoring.” 

There’s a bit of an awkward waver in his voice as he says it, but Shadow just shrugs, the faintest hint of pink dusting his own cheeks as he smirks. “That’s fine. I think that could be nice. What else?” 

Sonic is a little surprised at the other’s neutrality (but, seemingly mild interest, he notes), although it encourages him on. 

“Not much other than that, really. Hmm..,” he says, briefly rummaging through his cluttered mind for anything he might’ve left out. 

Then, a thought hits him, something that only deepens the crimson on his face, and he mutters out a final, shy… “I.. also kinda have a praise kink, too. Like… I like knowing I’m pleasuring someone during sex, and that they’re feeling good in the moment, or they tell me I’m making them feel good. If that’s… anything.” 

He sees Shadow’s smirk only grow, although there’s a loving, teasing nature to it. “I can work with that.” 

Sonic flusters, but he smiles, in embarrassment, looking away. “Well, what about you, hot stuff? What turns you on?” 

He realizes his tone might’ve come off a bit too defensive, by accident, but as he looks at the darker hedgehog again, he sees that Shadow’s touch of enthusiasm hasn’t changed. In fact, he chuckles a little at Sonic’s words, only flushing due to him thinking over his own response. 

But his smile does falter a bit once he speaks again. “Um. Well… this is less of a ‘turn on’, to start with, and more of… a preference, I suppose?” 

Sonic nods, reassuringly. 

“While I am a switch,” he continues (somewhat shakily, Sonic notices). “I do like to take the lead a bit more? N-not to be overbearing or possessive or anything, of course. It’s just… I feel a bit safer when I feel a little in control. Like… I‘ll know my limits are respected. And I’ll know what to expect…?” 

Shadow looks a bit ashamed at the words, looking to his paws, but Sonic’s heart just sinks in his chest. 

“Shads…” he says, carefully. The darker hedgehog looks up at him once more, ruby eyes appearing cautious. 

Sonic meets the gaze with softness. “I won’t do anything that pushes you that you don’t also want to do. You tell me to stop, and I will. No complaints. We can… talk, like… the whole time we fuck, if you want. I know you’d do the same for me.” 

The words make Shadow’s small smile come back to him, little by little, and he lets out a tiny puff as he looks away, rolling his eyes affectionately while he tries to hide his grin. “Thanks, Sonic…” 

But, after a few seconds, he faces the blue blur once again, with an equally serious expression. “And you know that the same goes for you? You’ll safeword? You’ll tell me if I push a limit by mistake?” 

Sonic smiles back, scooting a bit closer to bump noses with the other hedgehog once more. “Hell yes I will. Of course. Plus… for the record… I don’t mind too much if you like to tell me what to do during sex, to an extent. I actually really like being talked through it, so… this does kinda work out well.” 

Shadow laughs at that, lightheartedly, and gives the blue hedgehog a short peck on the lips in affection. 

When he pulls away only a second later, gazing into soft, viridescent eyes, he speaks, even more softly; a whisper, as if it’s a little secret, just for Sonic. Or, rather, maybe to put some emphasis on it, just for him. 

“You make me so happy.” 

Oh..

The words mean everything to Sonic, truthfully; because he knows what they mean to Shadow. 

A million things he wants to say, to describe how he feels, summed up in a single, caring, endearment. 

More unhurried, now, he leans in to place a somewhat longer kiss to the ebony hedgehog’s tan lips. It’s hardly open-mouthed, a little bit of tongue slipping in only to accentuate the emotion behind it. He doesn’t let it deepen, and Shadow doesn’t move to deepen it, either. 

“I love you, too.” The words are unspoken, but damn if Sonic doesn’t try to leak the soft sentiment into the kiss. 

He finally pulls away after a long minute. 

Shadow looks at Sonic with a level of fondness and adoration that he’s sure he’s never seen from anyone else. 

Or.. maybe it never meant the same thing when other people did it. 

“Sonic,” the dark hedgehog says, just as quiet. There’s a hint of fear in his gaze. “I don’t want this to be just a hookup. Or a one night stand. If we decide this isn’t going to work out after we sleep together, that’s fine; but I want to go into this with the intention of it being romantic and intimate and vulnerable and special; something lovers do. I don’t want to do it just to do it.” 

Sonic’s heart could melt. 

He carefully places his paws on the other hedgehog’s hips, both of their gazes half-lidded as they stare at each other. 

“I’d have it no other way, Shads,” he whispers back. 

He leans close enough for their noses to still brush, his tone shifting to one that’s more lustful. “Tell me what you like, love. I wanna make you feel good, too.” 

Shadow hums. “Nothing especially; I’m open to experimenting a little. Although, I do enjoy using my sex toys. And they’re clean; so I’m fine with sharing them tonight, if you’d like.” 

“Ooh,” Sonic’s interest is piqued a bit at that. “Okay! I’d love to see the ones you have. Anything else?”

“Um…” Shadow thinks it over. He really doesn’t have any particular kinks or anythi- 

A thought hits him. 

…

 The blue blur sees him, very obviously, fluster. 

Sonic grins, knowingly. “Tell me..!” 

Shadow chuckles. It takes him a minute to will any courage in his body to say it aloud. “I… well, I do kind of like the idea of… getting eaten out. If… i-if you’re willing to do that. You don’t have to, of course.” 

Sonic’s smile only brightens. He leans to press a kiss to Shadow’s jaw, voice only growing more lustrous at the idea. “Oh, absolutely I’m willing.” 

Shadow feels a spark of arousal at the sensual way the other hedgehog’s voice deepens, just slightly, with his words. 

Oh. 

With a smirk, Shadow leans closer to one of Sonic’s ears, the two hedgehog’s chests flush against one another’s as he does so. 

He leaves a small nip and a kiss to the twitching ear, arms moving to wrap loosely around the other hedgehog’s shoulders. 

He whispers to the azure hedgehog, yet again, but this time it’s different. This time, his own voice edges on lustful. 

“…good boy.”

…

Sonic leans back a little, eyes widening towards Shadow, pupils dilated a bit. 

And before Shadow can even question if he’d already gone too far with the remark, the cobalt hedgehog’s lips smash into his once again. 

=

They’re a mess of kisses, tiny moans, and stumbling as they make their way to Shadow’s bedroom. 

Shadow is somewhat tugging Sonic onward, the two of them laughing as they bump into the doorframe of the darker hedgehog’s room on the way in. 

It’s all imperfect. It’s all vulnerable. 

Neither would have considered that things could get more vulnerable than the two of them literally coming out to each other, but it’s certainly not a terrible turn of events whatsoever. 

Sonic’s denim shorts, that had somehow remained on earlier, are quickly thrown off as the door loudly closes behind them. One of them had been lightly shoved up against it as tongues had entered the kiss again, but it’s too much of a beautiful, messy blur for either of them to really care all that much. 

They’re moving towards the bed, anyway. 

Right by the edge of the bed, Shadow briefly parts from the kiss to open the drawer to his bedside table, revealing a not unimpressive collection of sex toys. 

“In case any interest you,” he gestures towards them, voice low as he goes to kiss the blue hedgehog’s neck, while said blue hedgehog looks over the neatly organized assortment of silicone objects. 

He picks up a couple that do, indeed, interest him, as Shadow distractingly leaves little bites to his collarbone. 

Though, he does soon finally set his eye on one he’s familiar with. 

“Oh! I’ve got one of these,” he says as he picks it up. The darker hedgehog stops to glance at it. 

It’s a light purple stroker toy. A small hole through the center of a small silicone tube that always seemed to stroke his t-dick the right way. 

“It’s a bit smaller than mine,” Sonic notes, but he smirks towards the other hedgehog. “Could be fun.” 

Shadow smiles, gently taking it from blue paws and placing it atop his drawer. “We can save it for later, then.” 

Sonic grins, looking back into eager eyes as he sets his full attention on the ebony hedgehog in front of him, once more. “Sounds good to me.” 

He looks the dark hedgehog up and down a little. Gaia, he still can’t process just how absolutely gorgeous Shadow is. 

“Now…” Sonic starts again, his paws on dark-furred hips, and his lovingly teasing smirk unfaded. “Where were we?” 

Shadow looks at him with the same, intense stare, an easy smile still present on his own face. “I don’t know; you tell me. How did you want to start this?” 

Sonic’s tiny smirk becomes a full-on grin again. “Thought you’d never ask, faker.” 

He pushes Shadow delicately against the bed, although the black and red hedgehog lets himself fall, for the most part, pulling Sonic with him. 

They get situated on the bed, comfortably laying in the center as their lips meet in a soft kiss; one that Sonic soon moves lower and lower down Shadow’s body. 

A kiss to the corner of his mouth. His jaw. His neck. His collarbone. His chest. The usual.

There’s a particularly gentle kiss placed to one of his thin scars, an action that makes the dark hedgehog shudder slightly. 

A few kisses are placed on his stomach and hips, and then… 

Before he knows it, Sonic’s face is between his legs, hovering above his sex. 

He’s looking at Shadow for permission to continue. 

Shadow is speechless. 

“Do you… still want this?” Sonic asks, voice barely above a whisper. 

And Shadow quickly finds his voice again, at that. 

“Please, Sonic. I need your mouth on me…” the statement feels utterly pathetic coming from him, and he only grows more embarrassed when Sonic chuckles, sweetly, at the statement. 

Though, of course, all that is quickly forgotten as the lightest of kisses is placed to his crotch, his pussy beginning to show itself as the protective sheath covering it shifts away. Shadow stifles a groan. 

Then, there’s a kiss that’s actually given to the lips of his pussy, followed by a tiny, teasing lick to his swollen, red bud of a t-cock. 

And he whimpers again, biting his fist a little to cover the sound. 

“Hm, already so wet for me,” Sonic hums. He licks a stripe up said wetness, and the ebony hedgehog can’t fight the small moan that leaves him, at the feeling and the words. 

“Gaia, Sonic, please…” the fact that he’s already begging sends even more flush to his face, but it sends a spark of arousal to Sonic’s own unsheathed cunt and member. 

“Alright, alright,” Sonic concedes, with a shit-eating grin, at the way the other hedgehog folds at the soft touches. 

And then, finally, the blue hedgehog wraps his arms around dark-furred thighs, his mouth diving between them. 

He laps at Shadow’s folds and mouths at his cock for a while, before he slowly slides his tongue into the darker hedgehog’s hole. He feels the thighs nestled near his head shake, and hears small, breathy gasps of delight. 

Pleased at the way he appears to be making the other feel, Sonic finds himself rubbing his own aching sex against the comforter beneath him, and he moans, just barely, against the black and red hedgehog’s cunt. 

“Ah- yes…” he hears the dark hedgehog above him whimper. 

The vibrations send a wave of arousal through Shadow’s core, but it still feels almost taunting. 

“Sonic, more…” the ebony hedgehog mumbles through short, broken gasps. His eyes are shut as one of his paws grasps at the pillow under his head. His other paw grips the blanket underneath him. 

Sonic hums a little in response, his tongue obliging and delving deeper; further. For a while, he just thrusts in and out, letting Shadow’s quiet noises spur him on as he grinds his hips against the mattress, his own noises sounding out against the hedgehog’s pretty cunt. 

“Hah…” the breathy moan escapes the dark hedgehog as Sonic gives Shadow’s dick some care, as well, sucking at it. “Shit… yes…!” 

Even in bed, the darker hedgehog isn’t very chatty, so Sonic appreciates every little noise he can draw from him, each sending the blue blur closer to the edge, as well. It’s a bit embarrassing, really, how hard he is just from eating the other out. 

But he adores the bittersweet taste of Shadow’s slick, is enthralled by the way Shadow’s legs twitch as Sonic tries to find where the ebony hedgehog likes his mouth the most, loves the way Shadow shudders and squeaks as Sonic breathlessly switches between making out with his hole and sucking harder on his cock. 

Eventually, he keeps his tongue as deep as it can go in the other hedgehog’s pussy, searching for one spot in particular… 

Searching for… 

“AH-! Oh fuck!” Shadow practically shouts, tilting his head back as he nearly fights sobs of pleasure. 

Found it.

The azure hedgehog’s jaw starts to ache as he stretches his tongue to press it to the darker hedgehog’s g-spot, over and over. 

“Ahh, don’t stop! Don’t stop, don’t stop…” the hedgehog whines in elation. 

Sonic wasn’t planning to. He ruts against the soft blankets beneath him, groaning, feeling his own release building; but he’s determined to make Shadow cum first. 

Though, judging from the way the ebony hedgehog’s breathing quickens and his legs shake, he couldn’t be too far from that. 

A few more thrusts of his tongue and… 

“Sonic! Ah- shit- I’m cumming! Sonic, I’m cumming…!” 

Shadow feels waves of ecstasy course through his body. It runs through his legs and arms, his mind clouding with hits of oxytocin as he reaches his peak. He knows a mortifying amount of slick is pouring from him, but he’s too blissed out to care all that much about the mess the two of them are making, and will probably continue to make. 

After all, he wants to make Sonic cum just the same. 

All he can do is try to conceal his barely contained, higher-pitched moans of pure delight. Even through all the pleasure, he still feels a bit nervous to let out the noises that show it. 

Sonic topples over the edge right alongside his lover, groaning as his heart pounds against his chest and his own legs shake. But he makes sure to suck and lap at the dark hedgehog’s swollen clit, to help him ride through the waves of his orgasm, too. 

His tongue feels tired, his mind feels floaty, but he’s perfectly content where he is. 

Shadow opens his eyes as the final few sparks of his climax wash through him. 

If he hadn’t just cum, the sight in front of him would’ve been enough to make him do so on the spot. 

Sonic’s eyes are shut, eye ridges furrowed in concentration as he keeps lapping at Shadow’s folds, his dick… 

It’s… so attractive. 

He sighs as he feels his legs relax, trying to catch his breath. 

He moves one of his paws to brush at Sonic’s ear, gently pushing the other’s head away from his cunt. 

The blue hedgehog looks up at him, his breathing heavy. He sits up a bit and wipes at his mouth with his wrist, eyes half-lidded. 

They both sit in stunned silence for a few seconds. 

Shadow tries to speak first. “That… I.. that…” 

He replays the very recent memory of the feelings over and over. “You… that was…” 

He finally just concludes his statement with a “wow”. 

Sonic giggles, shifting to lay over Shadow, chin resting in his chest fluff. “That good?” 

Shadow sits up on his elbows, leaning to kiss the blue blur’s forehead. 

“Incredible,” he huffs out, entirely happy. “You are amazing. I adored that.”

Sonic grins up at him, ears visibly perking at the words. 

Shadow leans down to kiss moist lips. The taste of his spend on the other’s mouth feels a bit odd, but he shrugs it off, wanting to kiss the beautiful hero anyway. 

“My jaw is sore,” Sonic comments, with a small chuckle, when they both pull away. 

“Ah, I’m sorry,” Shadow reaches to brush his paw against the side of the cobalt hedgehog’s face, eyes slightly widened as he looks the other over, just to make sure there’s no real damage. 

“No, don’t worry; I enjoyed it,” Sonic assures, still beaming as cheerfully as ever. “I could eat you out all day.” 

Shadow nods, the first half of the reply assuaging his brief worry (and the second half of it making him blush). 

He leans back against his pillow, pulling the blue blur closer as he does so. Sonic moves to lean over him, their faces inches apart. 

“Why don’t I help you, now?” Shadow grins. “You took such good care of me. I wanna make you cum, too…” 

Sonic’s heart skips a beat at the words, before he feels like it drops to his stomach. 

Oh.

About that…

He blushes bright, looking away in embarrassment as the dampness between his own legs reminds him of his untouched orgasm. 

“What is it?” he hears Shadow ask, softly. “Are you alright?” 

He looks back at the black and red hedgehog. “Yeah. I’m okay. I just… I mean… I don’t think that’ll be… necessary.” 

Shadow’s gaze is confused. “Why?” 

“Well…” Sonic tries, but he just ends up pursing his lips as he flusters further, unable to get the words out. 

Carefully, the cobalt hedgehog moves away from leaning over the other. He sighs a little, vaguely gesturing to the wetness between his own legs. 

Shadow just stares, tilting his head. “I don’t understand. You got aroused from pleasuring me? That’s fine. It’s attractive.” 

Sonic smiles at the words, but shakes his head a little, again. “A bit… more than aroused…” 

Shadow is still confused, looking away as he ponders Sonic’s admission. 

After a few moments, though, his eyes widen, the pieces quickly put together. 

Ohhh.

…

OH.

He looks back towards the azure hedgehog with an almost incredulous expression. “You mean you… from just…?” 

Sonic nods, sheepishly. 

Shadow is flabbergasted. Though, certainly not unhappy. Really, it’s kind of flattering to him. 

Still, he feels the need to clarify, in his state of shock. “You came just from eating me out?” 

Sonic’s ears go back a bit. He laughs, though he covers his face with his paws. 

Shadow chuckles, too, fully sitting up to move the other’s paws away. “Sonic…” 

“Yeah…?” the blue hedgehog looks at him again, appearing slightly nervous. 

But Shadow just smiles at him. “That is so hot.” 

Now Sonic’s eyes widen. 

…OH.

“Really?” 

Shadow nods, his cheeks tinting pink, as well. 

Sonic grins as relief washes over him. Then, he wraps his arms around the darker hedgehog’s shoulders, pulling Shadow to lay over him, now, as he smashes their lips together once again. 

Shadow slips his tongue into Sonic’s mouth, and the blue blur moans at the feeling. The dark hedgehog attempts to suck on the other’s tongue, though it’s awkward and he just ends up biting it a little. Still, Sonic giggles and holds him closer. 

The two hedgehogs remain close, even as Shadow pulls away again. 

“Sonic…” Shadow whispers against his lips. “If you’d like… I still want to make you cum again. You were so good to me; I want to make you feel just as special. May I?” 

And fuck, there was no way Sonic wanted to say no to that. 

“Fucking please,” he groans with a nod. “Please touch me, Shadow.” 

So he does. Shadow runs his paws down Sonic’s sides as he kisses at the azure hedgehog’s cheek and jaw. His paws move to push blue thighs a little further apart, and Sonic whines in need. 

Unlike how the cobalt hero had, Shadow doesn’t tease as much, swiftly brushing a finger against Sonic’s newly dampening folds to give him a bit of warning, before he pushes one inside. 

“Ah, yeah…” and, also unlike Shadow, Sonic is much noisier. 

Though, it just makes the darker hedgehog smile. As if he’d complain.

After a few seconds, he works another finger in, carefully stretching him, before he begins to thrust them in and out more. 

He keeps the pressure light, mixing between slow and quick movements. 

Sonic thinks it’s magnificent. 

His legs fall further open as he takes what Shadow gives him, hips bucking slightly. 

“Shadow…” Sonic’s groan of the ebony hedgehog’s name is long and drawn out. It sends the hedgehog in question’s heart racing. “Fuck, babe, that’s nice; keep going…” 

“Enjoying yourself?” Shadow can’t help but tease, quietly. 

Sonic just nods, whimpering as the darker hedgehog adds a third finger. Shadow rubs his hip, soothingly. 

Then, that same paw moves up his hip, gently smoothing the fur on the cobalt hedgehog’s stomach, before it runs through his chest fur, brushing his thumb over random spots in an affectionate, and very much admiring, manner. 

Blunt claws give the softest of touches to the scars on his upper torso just as Shadow finds the blue blur’s g-spot at the same time. 

Sonic’s back arches as he cries out, nearly cumming then and there. 

Nearly. 

“Oh, shit, right there, Shads, please…” 

Shadow presses into the spot a couple more times before he continues his more languorous pace from before. 

The pace is sometimes slow, sometimes fast, but somehow always stimulating, always just barely grazing his g-spot, over and over. 

It’s teasing. It’s nearly infuriating. 

It’s thrilling. 

“Fuck, Shads,” Sonic is almost in tears, throat starting to grow sore with the way he’s been moaning. “Fuckkk… ah-“ 

“Mm, you sound so lovely,” Shadow mutters, tenderly. The paw not in Sonic’s cunt continues to delicately grab and massage at different parts of the blue hedgehog’s torso, lovingly. “So beautiful underneath me like this, my darling.” 

Sonic’s ears go back as a new flush spreads over them at the words. His hips move with the agonizingly sweet pressure being thrusted into him. 

He feels close. 

“H-harder, Shads. Please, please, please…” 

“Are you getting close, love?” he hears the hedgehog above him ask. 

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes,” Sonic sighs out with a small moan. “I’m really close, ‘m gonna cum soon… please move your paw a little faster, Shads, I’m so, so close.” 

Shadow simply hums. 

Sonic feels his scars being gingerly traced with a gentle paw, motions that feel like tiny sparks of electricity brushing against his body. 

He feels Shadow’s thumb rub just a couple circles over his cock. 

There’s a long kiss placed against his neck. 

All of these things, one after another, make Sonic’s cunt throb against his lover’s fingers. 

…and then Shadow pulls them out.

It sends a small gasp falling from Sonic’s throat in surprise. 

But then there’s lips meeting his in a slow kiss; a pleasant distraction, despite the bittersweet sensation of his climax’s buildup quickly disappearing. 

Shadow pulls away from his lips, brushing their noses together. 

“Don’t worry,” the dark hedgehog chuckles a little, fondly. “I’m still going to make you cum. I just… had an idea.” 

Sonic nods in response, trusting him, and he turns to watch as Shadow reaches over to his bedside table. 

He holds up the small, silicone toy from before. 

Sonic feels himself clench around nothing. 

Shadow stares at him, crimson eyes caring. “How are you doing, my dearest? What color?” 

Oh! A check in. The simple gesture makes the cobalt hedgehog’s heart swell happily in his chest. 

“Green,” he grins, giving Shadow the go-ahead. “Very green. I… I like your idea.” 

Shadow beams back just as brightly. “Alright. Good.” 

The black and red hedgehog switches positions a bit, moving to straddle one of Sonic’s thighs so that he can get a better angle and have more control over the toy gripped in his paw, determined to make the azure hedgehog feel a breathtaking amount of pleasure. 

He carefully rubs the hole of the toy against Sonic’s folds a little, to lubricate it. 

He thrusts his thumb into the hole of the toy a bit, after that, to open it up some more, spreading Sonic’s slick inside. 

The blue hedgehog can’t help but salivate a little at the show. 

Finally, the dark hedgehog moves to press the blue blur’s cock into it. Finally.

“Let me know if it’s too tight, love,” he mentions, and Sonic nods, before the silicone toy wraps around his t-dick. 

He lets out a sound like a moan and a sigh combined as he gets used to the sensation. It’s a bit tight, yeah, but not too tight. 

It’s good. 

And Sonic is still close. 

“Mm, I’m okay,” he speaks, softly, after a few seconds. “You can move.” 

Shadow nods, and finally, finally, does so. 

It sends waves of pleasure through the azure hedgehog, and his hips buck up into the feeling. 

“Oh fuck, oh yeah, that’s it, that’s good,” he rambles in a whine. “Just like that, Shads.” 

He hears Shadow groan, just a little, above him, and he soon feels a hint of wetness against his thigh; the one Shadow is currently straddling. 

He looks over to his leg, eyes still a bit half-lidded in his pleasure. 

Shadow is lightly grinding against his leg, cunt dripping and cock swollen as it rubs against his thigh. 

Shit, that’s hot.

In the midst of his enjoyment, Sonic slows his own, shallow thrusts into the stroker, and moves a paw to brush Shadow’s thigh, gently moving it towards the black and red hedgehog’s arousal. 

The dark hedgehog pauses with a tiny chuckle, a bit confused. “What are you doing?” 

“I wanna finger you…” Sonic mutters, voice clouded in lust. 

Shadow smiles, flushing a bit in his surprise with an eye ridge raised. “I’m taking care of you right now. You don’t have to worry about me.” 

“‘m not,” Sonic argues, no bite to his tone, only assuring. “You can keep focusing on me, I just wanna let you ride my fingers. Thought maybe it’d feel nice.. y’know?” 

Shadow blushes, flustering and fighting a grin at the considerate words. Eventually, he nods. “Alright. If you insist. I suppose I would like that.” 

The two of them shift so that Sonic’s paw can move to where Shadow has been sitting, and the black and red hedgehog can sit back down with his lover’s fingers nestled in his pussy.

Once they’re both comfortable, Shadow lets out a deep sigh at the feeling. It does feel nice. Very much so. 

“Hah…” he gasps out, grinding his hips once more as his stomach flutters at the touch. He has to pause to regain his focus on the blue hedgehog underneath him, who is now smirking, knowingly, at him. 

“So? How is it?” 

“Hush,” Shadow huffs out, with a teasing growl. Sonic laughs. 

Shadow moves the toy in his paws again as his mind goes back to his task of jerking off the pretty hedgehog below him. 

Sonic gasps out and loudly moans at the quick pace the ebony hedgehog suddenly starts up. 

“Color?” Shadow checks. 

“Green. Do not fucking stop, please, Shadow,” the cobalt hedgehog begs, voice slightly raising in pitch as his hips buck. “Ah…” 

He can feel Sonic’s fingers twitch, in the heat of the moment, from where they’re resting in Shadow’s cunt. 

But the darker hedgehog is far from thinking about that. 

He traces striped paws along Sonic’s chest and arms. He dips down to leave kisses on the blue hedgehog’s neck and cheek, and back on his chest again, gently licking over scars and nipping at parts of his torso before quickly kissing them better. 

Sonic shakes underneath him, but there’s a blue paw resting on Shadow’s knee, brushing his thumb against the fur there, to show he’s still having a good time. 

“Are you going to cum for me, sweetest?” he leans and whispers into a twitching ear, before he playfully bites at it. 

Sonic nearly sobs. “Ah- faster, harder, baby, please, I’m so close, I wanna cum so bad…”

Shadow can feel his own arousal dripping onto the fingers inside him. He moves his paw faster, driving the toy against the cobalt hero’s aching cock at a brisk pace. 

“Ohh, Shadow!!” Sonic moans. Shadow leaves kiss after kiss on the other hedgehog’s sensitive neck, his own, tiny groans making their way out of his throat at the gorgeous sounds. 

“Fuck, you’re so sweet and pliant under me,” Shadow whispers as he kisses the blue blur’s peach chest fur. “So, so good. You’re doing amazing for me, beautiful.” 

And with that, Sonic cums, his orgasm abrupt and powerful. His whole body curls at the sensation as he trembles through it, wave after wave, moaning and whimpering non-stop. He feels a couple tears spill from his eyes. 

He sees stars, maybe for a full minute, before his body finally relaxes again, little by little, mind hazy with yet another burst of happy chemicals rushing through it as he tries to come back into the present. 

He feels his fingers leaving his partner’s cunt, the stroker toy being tossed aside, and a gentle paw placed on his hip, rubbing soothingly. 

Crimson eyes come back into his line of vision, more clearly, wide and comforting. 

“Are you doing alright? Was that too much?” a worried voice asks. 

Sonic just giggles. He nods, a couple seconds later. “That was maybe one of the most intense orgasms I’ve ever had, dude. Holy shit.” 

Shadow breathes out a sigh of relief. “Oh, good. I was worried because you were tearing up a bit.” 

Sonic simply beams. Him and Shadow move to lay next to each other to rest for a while, facing one another as they lay on their sides. 

“Did you want to stop for the night? Are you tired?” Shadow continues to make sure he’s still okay, as if Sonic is something that’s delicate or easily destroyed. He wraps his arms around Sonic in a way that feels lovingly protective, cautious. 

The blue hedgehog feels so unbelievably secure. 

He’s never felt so certain about loving someone this much. 

Sonic shakes his head, smile softening. “No, I’m good for a couple more rounds, if you want. I just need to catch my breath.” 

He runs his paws through well-groomed, striped quills. 

“How about you?” he looks at the darker hedgehog with equally intense care. “Are you doing okay? How are you feeling? Are you overwhelmed? Do you wanna stop? Have I been checking on you enough?” 

Shadow feels his heart swell in his chest as he fights a bigger smile back. 

He is so head over heels for this hedgehog.

He pulls Sonic in for a small kiss, humming against the other’s lips. 

“I’m having a wonderful time, my love.”

The pet name still sends a shiver up Sonic’s spine, and he places a bit of a longer kiss to tan lips. He feels Shadow’s sweet laugh against the kiss, and it only makes him smile more as he pulls away again. 

“Y’know..” he chuckles, leaning to place a little kiss to Shadow’s ear. “Maybe next time I can watch you jerk off with that stroker…” 

Shadow teasingly shoves him away at that, though he quickly pulls him back, with a laugh. “Another time.” 

Another time!! Sonic’s heart soars, and he kisses Shadow’s forehead as he smiles. He’d love for there to be more times like this. 

Another time… Shadow thinks fondly, ecstatic when he sees Sonic’s excited reaction to the words. He’d love for there to be more times like this. 

Shadow snuggles up into Sonic’s neck, going back to leaving tiny kisses. There are kisses up his jaw and around his mouth, sending little sparks through his body as he soaks in the tender affection. 

He feels Shadow’s paws squeeze at his hips a bit, short fangs biting against Sonic’s lips, careful but loving and yearning. Wanting. 

Sonic grins, curiously. “Shads? Did you cum, earlier, when you were getting me off?” 

Shadow leans away a bit, brushing noses with Sonic. “No…? I was focusing on you. Is that okay?” 

“No, yeah, I know. Of course that’s fine. I was just… curious; ‘cause you’re all affectionate right now. I was just wondering if you still needed to cum, or if you wanted to?” 

“Oh,” Shadow feels a bit flustered at the question, but the arousal between his legs, still coating his inner thighs with fresh slick, screams for him to say yes. And he wants to, too. “I… suppose your fingers inside me felt better than I had expected.” 

“Yeah, I could see that,” Sonic smirks. “Did you… want some help? Do you want me to… do it again?” 

YES! his brain shouts. 

He looks into forest green eyes. They’re gazing back at him with a sort of passionate adoration to them. 

“Really?” Shadow grins.

Sonic nods, enthusiastic. 

“Well, then, certainly,” the darker hedgehog takes him up on the offer. 

They both shift so that they can still lay on their sides, but so that Sonic can still comfortably reach between Shadow’s legs, as well. He starts by slowly rubbing large circles into the black and red hedgehog’s clit, and Shadow’s head falls back at the easy touch. 

Sonic gives the ebony hedgehog’s exposed collarbone a small kiss. 

Then, surprising Shadow further, the blue blur asks another question. “So… how did you want me to finger you?” 

Shadow looks back at him with a look of confusion. “What do you mean?” 

Sonic shrugs. “I mean… like. I don’t have to finger your pussy. If you want, there’s always…” 

And with the most unhurried and careful of touches, he reaches farther between Shadow’s thighs, delicately stroking the outer rim of his anus. 

Oh.

It sends a surprising flutter through the darker hedgehog’s core, and he leans into his partner’s shoulder with a barely stifled groan of pleasure. 

“What do you think?” Sonic asks. 

“I think…” Shadow stutters with a bashful smile. “That might actually be very nice…” 

“Yeah?” the cobalt hedgehog double-checks. 

“There’s lube in my bedside drawer, next to my sex toys,” Shadow confirms. 

Sonic quickly shoots up in bed at the consent, and reaches to the drawer, nearly tumbling out of said bed as he does so. 

He grabs the clear bottle, dolloping a generous amount of lube onto his fingers as he moves to be closer to the darker hedgehog once more. 

He leans into the black and red hedgehog’s soft neck, breathing in his scent with a little hum. He moves his paw back in between the other hedgehog’s thighs, reaching to rub his fingers over his rim. 

He feels Shadow tense a little at the cold touch, and uses his free hand to rub his back. “Let me know if anything hurts, or if you wanna stop, ‘kay?” 

Shadow wraps his arms under Sonic’s, hugging him even closer as he nods. 

Sonic slowly presses one finger inside, to start, barely thrusting it in and out. 

The darker hedgehog’s hole squeezes around his paw pad. 

Sonic brings his free paw to rest on Shadow’s side, comfortingly. “Relax, honey. I’ve got you.” 

“Still getting used to the feeling,” Shadow mumbles. 

The black and red hedgehog maneuvers himself against Sonic’s fingers over the course of the next few minutes, adjusting until he’s content with the feeling. 

Then, he nods for Sonic to start again. 

The blue hedgehog thrusts his finger up a little more. He hears Shadow let out a tiny squeal at the action. One of the paws that had been previously hugging the blue hedgehog moves to cover more noises. 

Sonic smirks, thrusting his finger a little further, when there’s no resistance. Soft pants and whimpers are muffled by a striped paw. 

“I wanna hear you…” Sonic says, quietly, eye ridges somewhat furrowed as he licks at Shadow’s neck. “You don’t need to hide, baby. I love the sounds you make.” 

Still, he doesn’t want to push the other hedgehog, so that’s all he says as he continues to move his finger in and out, keeping up the pace. 

Eventually, he adds a second finger, and a moan is audible, even through paw pads. 

After a couple more minutes, Shadow moves his paw away from his face again, wrapping his arm around Sonic’s shoulders as he presses his muzzle into the side of the blue idiot’s stupid, pretty face. 

“Sonic…” he whines, the blue blur’s name on his tongue long and drawn out. 

“What is it, handsome?” the blue hedgehog coos, teasingly. “Want me to add a third finger?” 

Shadow just groans, loud and deep. He begins to push back against Sonic’s fingers, meeting the thrusts in earnest. 

Sonic chuckles, placing a peck to Shadow’s neck as he holds onto his hip a bit tighter. “Hold on. Slow down. I’m gonna add another finger. You’re stretching so well, beautiful…” 

Shadow lets out tiny moans, urging him on, and Sonic slips in a third finger before continuing his faster-paced thrusts. 

Louder noises spill from Shadow, and Sonic can feel his cock hardening again at the sounds alone. 

And as the darker hedgehog appears to gather more and more confidence in allowing even more sounds of pleasure to escape him, he gets more and more vocal. 

“Faster, darling, please! Harder!!” the ebony hedgehog practically sings. 

“Mmm, of course, love,” Sonic himself moans, speed picking up. 

Shadow pants and keens, back arching slightly at the enduring movements. 

“Are you close?” Sonic asks, softly. 

“Stroke my cock, please…” Shadow mumbles out, more quiet (more embarrassed, really). “Need it..” 

He whimpers into Sonic’s ear, and the cobalt hedgehog rubs a thumb over his hip, soothingly. 

His hand soon moves lower, landing where the darker hedgehog wants it within moments. 

Fingers pound him deep, a thumb rubs over his swollen bud, and Shadow is thrown into ecstasy once more, cumming hard around his partner’s fingers as he nearly screams into Sonic’s fur. 

The yell is mixed with broken moans and whimpers, the black and red hedgehog squirming as he rides Sonic’s fingers through his bliss. 

Wow, the azure hedgehog thinks, smiling as he works him through his orgasm. He’s even louder than me…

His heart twirls in his chest at the realization. 

“Was that good?” Sonic asks, cheekily, once Shadow relaxes in his arms. 

“Gaia, I’m sure you know,” Shadow laughs through deep breaths. 

“Yeah, maybe,” Sonic chuckles, pulling out and wiping the lube on his fingers off onto the bed sheets (they can clean them later) before that same paw moves to trace small shapes against Shadow’s arms. 

He thinks about all the noise Shadow had made. How much he… kind of wants to hear them again.

“What are you thinking about, faker?” Shadow’s voice snaps him back into the moment, a striped paw brushing through his quills. 

Of course Shadow could tell that he had something on his mind, Sonic mentally scoffs. 

“I was wondering… what’s your favorite toy to use on yourself?” he ends up inquiring. 

Shadow leans away a little, to look at the blue blur more clearly. “Why do you ask?”

Bashfully, Sonic admits, avoiding Shadow’s gaze, “I… kinda thought… you sounded really hot when you made a lot of noise. Maybe… I could help you cum like that again..?” 

There’s a pregnant pause before he gets a response. 

“You really think I… sounded hot? Like that?” 

Sonic looks back at Shadow, who looks nearly as flustered as Sonic feels. How is that possible? 

“Wha-… well, yeah!” the azure hedgehog replies, somewhat dumbfounded at Shadow’s shock. “I got hard again just listening to you! You sounded so pretty! I-I mean, you’re pretty regardless, but then you sounded so… so, like, happy and comfortable. And, y’know, I still like you when you’re quiet, too, of course; you don’t have to be loud if you don’t like to, I’d never want you to force it, y’know, I mean… I-I mean… you… like… y’know, I-I mean-“ 

Shadow grins, shutting him up with a soft kiss before the other can get caught in an endless, anxious ramble. 

Sonic can’t help but feel a little grateful for that. 

He smiles sheepishly at him. “Sorry…” 

“Don’t be,” Shadow smiles. “I like it when you’re noisy, too. I suppose I got lucky that you never shut your mouth.” 

Now it’s Sonic’s turn to blush furiously, turning his head to hide his crimson face in Shadow’s pillows. 

He can hear the darker hedgehog giggling, in response, he can feel the light peck placed on his forehead. 

Then, he feels movement. Shadow reaches over him. 

In his confusion, he looks up; and he sees the black and red hedgehog leaning to search through his bedside drawer. 

“What are you doing?” Sonic queries with a laugh. 

Shadow shrugs. “You asked me which of my sex toys was my favorite.” 

Oh yeah. He’d gotten so caught up in Shadow’s stupidly sweet remark about his own voice that he’d almost forgotten it was him being embarrassingly horny about Shadow’s that had caused him to say so in the first place. 

The dark hedgehog finally grabs some type of dildo, and lays back down beside him. 

“Rabbit vibrator,” he holds the hot pink, adult toy up for Sonic to see. “External and internal vibrations at the same time. It gets the job done nicely.” 

“Shit, sounds like it,” Sonic agrees, based on the description alone. 

Shadow hands it to him, and Sonic takes a minute to examine it. It’s dildo-shaped, but slightly curved, and there’s a smaller part connected to the base that seems to be for stimulating the clit. It has a smooth, silicone feel. It’s clean, obviously, but does seem somewhat well-loved, like the darker hedgehog had implied. 

He wonders, for a moment, if Shadow’s ever thought of him while using it. 

He quickly shrugs the idea off. It doesn’t really matter either way. 

He gets to be with Shadow now, in this moment. And he’s definitely happy with that. 

He turns back on his side to face the black and red hedgehog again, and Shadow does the same. He fumbles with changing the toy’s different settings until he figures out how they work. 

“Need any lube for this or anything?” he asks, glancing up at the ebony hedgehog as he switches it back to the lowest setting. 

Shadow shakes his head with a tiny laugh. “I think I’m still fairly wet from just having cum.” 

Sonic’s thighs rub together, his own, swollen clit begging for stimulation when he hears that, knowing it was his doing, and he grins. 

He wants to make Shadow see stars.

With careful movements, he slowly guides the lightly vibrating dildo part of the object into Shadow’s waiting cunt. 

The Ultimate Lifeform immediately squeezes around the tip of the toy alone, a breathy groan leaving his throat at the contact. 

He soon calms again for Sonic to be able to push more of the vibrator’s length into him, the black and red hedgehog placing a paw over Sonic’s to help move it in comfortably, as well. 

It takes a couple minutes for the toy to fully bottom out; but, when the entire length is inside him, Shadow knows that it’s been worth the wait, as it always is. 

The head of the dildo grazes his g-spot and pulses in his pussy in just the right way, while the external nub on the toy presses against his cock in a manner that makes his mind spin.

He moans softly at the pleasure that ensues, one paw remaining on the toy so that he and Sonic can work it in and out of him together, both taking turns with the pace while the blue blur controls the vibration speed, and his free arm loosely wraps around the azure hedgehog’s shoulders, to keep him grounded. 

As the toy is moved in shallow thrusts, the vibrations upped another notch, the sensitive spot inside him is hit over and over again. He growls, adoringly, as arousal leaks onto the sheets while his cunt keeps the toy inside him firmly. 

“Keep making those noises, love,” he hears Sonic whisper. “Gaia, I could cum just listening to you.” 

The loving statement only encourages Shadow; long whimpers are drawn out of him as his clit is massaged, the double stimulation making his body shake a little, and Sonic’s words going straight to his heart, sending it fluttering with affection. 

“So good…” Shadow nearly cries as his cunt is relentlessly thrusted into. Sonic changing the speed to go up another level has him moaning even louder. “It’s so good, Sonic.” 

“Tell me how good it is, Shads,” a featherlight kiss is placed to the underside of his jaw. “Let me know how good I’m making you feel, darling…” 

He glances down between their bodies, and notices that Sonic is toying with his own cock with the paw not holding the dildo. 

“Fuck, you really are getting off to this,” he can’t help but mutter, breathless. 

“Is that okay?” Sonic looks up at him, paw moving away from himself a bit as he looks to make sure the act isn’t making the other hedgehog uncomfortable. 

“It’s.. very attractive,” Shadow manages to admit, between his panting and a few, gentle groans. Praise spills from his mouth without him even thinking about it. “You’re so good to me, Sonic. You make me feel so fucking good, so perfect, I-…” 

He’s about to tell Sonic just how much it makes him want to suck his dick, or maybe eat him out like he’d done for Shadow, but he’s taken aback by the sudden feeling of his peak quickly hitting him. 

“O-oh fuck, I’m cumming!” he cries out. “Ah- I’m cumming, I’m cumming…!” 

He moves to wrap both his arms around the cobalt hedgehog, feeling the need to hold him close as his orgasm strikes him with an almost overwhelming intensity. 

He pulls the azure hedgehog into a hard kiss, which is quickly and enthusiastically reciprocated after a tiny, surprised moan. Sonic moves his hand from his cock, somewhat close to orgasm himself, to hold onto the dark hedgehog’s hip, thumb rubbing soothing circles on it. 

Shadow keens against the other’s lips, absolutely groaning into his mouth as wave after wave of pleasure bursts through him. 

Loud moans hum against both hedgehog’s lips as Shadow’s climax continues for close to a minute. 

His legs finally begin to stop shaking, his body starts to calm again, but- 

The vibrator continues to stimulate. With his body still sensitive, he feels pricks of… ah; actual overstimulation, now. 

One of his legs twitches, and there’s a slight groan as he pulls away from Sonic’s lips. 

He whimpers, leaning his forehead into his partner’s shoulder, feeling too overwhelmed to articulate his current feelings. 

But Sonic feels the way claws dig a little into his back, hears the way Shadow’s noises sound a bit more pained. 

He instinctively pulls the other hedgehog a little closer. “Woah, you okay, Shads?” 

“Too much…” the ebony hedgehog barely manages, one paw moving to squeeze at the base of the dildo inside him, over Sonic’s paw, as he tries to feel for the toy’s off switch. “Off… turn it off, please…” 

“O-oh! Yeah, yeah, of course!” Sonic quickly finds the button, pressing to turn the device off. 

Shadow breathes out a long sigh. Happy, for once, to no longer have his g-spot and t-cock pounded with annoyingly excellent precision. 

He moves to lean against Sonic’s chest a bit while he catches his breath, still a little hazy with post-orgasm bliss and a small remainder of overstimulation. 

A gentle kiss to the shell of one of his ears, and a paw rubbing his back helps to ground him a bit more. 

“You alright, babe?” worry laces the blue blur’s voice, but Shadow reassures him with a tiny hum. 

“I’m fine… thank you,” he sighs out with a small smile. “That was actually a very good orgasm. I just.. got a bit overwhelmed there at the end. I’m alright, really. Just need… to catch my breath.” 

He hears the other hedgehog let out his own breath of relief. Blue paws gently card through striped quills. “Oh, good. That’s good.” 

After a moment.. “Do you want me to pull it out? The.. vibrator?” 

Shadow nods. “Yes, please. Slowly.” 

“Alright.” 

Sonic reaches between their bodies and, for once, does take his time to remove the slick-covered sex toy from Shadow’s tight cunt. He tosses it to the edge of the bed to be cleaned later. 

“I think I have one more good orgasm left in me,” Shadow notes aloud, surprisingly casual in his tone. “But then I’ll actually need to rest.”

Sonic can’t help but chuckle, slightly astounded. “Dude, you just came for, like, a minute, and you’re telling me you’re still good to go?” 

“Well, I mean, give me some time, I’m still sensitive, after all,” he laughs, likewise. “But yes, I believe I could go another round.”

With a smirk, he finally moves to meet Sonic’s eyes again. “At least… after I’m done helping you.” 

The cobalt hedgehog raises an eye ridge. “Me?” 

Shadow smiles. “If you’re willing, I’d love to eat you out, this time.” 

The darker hedgehog moves them, so that Sonic’s laying on his back and Shadow’s resting his chin atop Sonic’s chest. He doesn’t make a move to dip lower, simply rubbing his paws up and down the blue hedgehog’s sides, to give him time to process the statement and think it over. 

Though, he thinks he sees Sonic’s brain short-circuit. 

“Wha- really? Are you sure?” he asks. Shadow thinks he looks close to shocked, but there’s a spark of excitement (eagerness, even) in his bright, green eyes. 

Shadow chuckles. “Sonic. My dearest. You just pulled two back-to-back orgasms out of me. I’d love nothing more in this moment than to return the pleasure.” 

Sonic’s ears and nose twitch as he smiles. “I’d.. fuck, I’d love that, too.” 

Shadow grins, and the blue hedgehog notices a glimmer of an idea in his ruby eyes. It makes his stomach flutter. 

“You know…” the dark hedgehog continues, after a moment, his teasing smirk coming back. “I was also considering… maybe giving you a different type of oral sex…?” 

Sonic faces him with confusion for a few seconds, though his expression soon changes to being astonished, yet again, once he realizes. “You… you wanna give me a rimjob?” 

“Would that be alright?” 

“Wh-“ Sonic sputters, before he’s entirely beaming. “W-well shit, I’m definitely not gonna stop you, that’s for sure! Yeah, absolutely!” 

Shadow smiles, quickly grabbing one of the pillows on his bed and placing it under blue hips to get a good angle. 

He gives Sonic’s sides and tummy kisses. Some are featherlight and chaste, others are accompanied with tiny nips and licks. The cobalt hedgehog relishes the touches. 

The kisses move to his thighs, around and in between them. 

There’s a small kiss placed on his cock that makes him shudder a little. 

Shadow takes a moment to admire the other hedgehog once he leans back again. 

He can see every sensitive part of the azure hedgehog’s body; something that Sonic is willingly showing him. Just for his eyes. 

Shadow beams to himself. He’s going to treat him so good. 

Sonic means so much to him, treats him so well, and he just wants to give him every ounce of praise he deserves and more. 

He smiles at the cobalt hero, kneading his ass a little before running his paws down the other hedgehog’s legs. He sees the blue blur relax at the touch, and it’s sweet enough to reiterate Shadow’s urge to make sure Sonic knows just how stunning he is. 

And so, he throws one of the azure hedgehog’s legs over his shoulder, lays on his stomach with his elbows propping him up, and slowly licks a stripe from his asshole to his t-dick. 

Sonic’s entire body shakes at the contact. “Holy shit, dude..” 

“Doing alright?” 

Sonic nods with a sigh. “Yeah.” 

Shadow rubs the blue blur’s hips, soothingly. “Relax, love. Tell me if anything bothers you or doesn’t feel good. I want to make you feel incredible.” 

“You already do,” Sonic responds, breathlessly. 

Shadow’s heart soars. 

He moves his face back between blue thighs, and starts to lap at the cobalt hedgehog’s pretty pucker. 

A choked sound leaves his lover’s mouth. “W- oh, wow, that’s nice…!” 

Shadow hums in acknowledgment. Slowly, he moves his tongue to breach the rim. 

Sonic nearly screams from the feeling, his core tightening as he feels slick spilling from his other hole. 

“Ah- babe, that’s so good, keep going, keep going!” 

Oh, Shadow was planning on it. 

He smirks against the blue blur’s ass, diving further as he makes out with his hole. His ears twitch at every sound of pleasure from the other, listening to what feels best and putting pressure on any sweet spot he can find. 

This goes on for several minutes, with Sonic whimpering and moaning and shaking, not holding back any of the sensual noises or biting his tongue to hide words of encouragement, as always. And Shadow thinks he’s, admittedly, grown incredibly fond of the way the blue hedgehog never shuts up. 

Sonic thinks it all feels amazing. Satisfaction runs through him, cunt sopping and probably soaking Shadow’s muzzle. 

“‘m sorry..” he can’t help but mutter in between groans. 

Shadow stops what he’s doing and looks up, worriedly. “Why? What’s wrong?” 

“‘s so much slick... making a mess…” 

Shadow just grins. “You’re enjoying it, are you not?” 

“Well.. yeah..” 

“Then it’s simply a sign that I’m doing the right thing. I love that you’re making a mess of me. Please continue.” 

Sonic blushes furiously, covering his face with his paws. 

“Dude…” he mutters with a muffled laugh. “You sound so sexy when you say shit like that..” 

“Can I please keep going?” Shadow asks, somewhat sheepish. “I… think I may be enjoying this as much as you are…”

Sonic pulls his paws away from his face. “R-…really?”

Shadow nods. “It feels like I’m giving you the praise you deserve. You mean so much to me, my love.” 

Love. Shadow ponders. 

Yes, he believes he does love Sonic. What other word could explain just how much the annoying idiot means to him?

Sonic, truthfully, fights tears at Shadow’s words. 

I love you. I love you, Shadow. I’ve been in love with you. His brain urges him to finally admit. 

Though, maybe he should save that for later… 

“I’d love for you to keep going,” he finally huffs out, with a beaming grin. “It really does feel fantastic. You’re good with your mouth… feels so good.” 

“I’m glad.” 

And with that, he goes back to eating out the beautiful blur. 

Sonic is still a mess, and Shadow happily laps up any sweet slick that makes it out of Sonic’s cunt while he’s eating his ass out. He groans happily at the indications of his partner’s delight. 

“Shads…” Sonic sighs, out of breath and voice slightly raw from his noises. “This is really great, don’t stop, but… I don’t think I can cum from just this. Would you mind… using your fingers…?” 

His sentence is a bit cut off from his lungs gulping in air, but Shadow understands. 

He slides one paw up to the blue hedgehog’s folds, gently parting them and moving to thrust his thumb in and out. 

“Oh yeah! Just like that!” Shadow didn’t think it was possible for Sonic to get louder than he already had been, but he’ll certainly take it. “Don’t stop, don’t stop, I’m so close, Shads, please don’t stop!” 

Shadow moves his mouth with fervor. With the same paw that’s thrusting into the blue blur, he moves his fingers to try and stroke at his t-cock simultaneously. 

“Oh, I’m cumming-!” Sonic shouts. He’s soft in Shadow’s paws, melting like goo at his touch as Shadow keeps up with his movements. He can feel Sonic moving against his mouth, just a little, seeming to try and ride out the pleasure, as well. 

Shadow gladly lets him. 

And then, there’s a nearly overwhelming amount of slick pouring from Sonic’s cunt. 

It befuddles Shadow for a moment… until he realizes. 

Is Sonic… squirting?

He remembers Rouge mentioning something about it happening when some people cum. Apparently it can happen when the pleasure is very good. 

Had he really done that well? Had he made Sonic feel that good? A hint of pride swells in his chest, but he continues to focus on the lovely hedgehog panting underneath him. 

He carefully moves away from Sonic’s rim. He laps up some of the fluid gushing from him, placing a couple, sweet pecks to his folds. He licks at the other hedgehog’s swollen t-dick. 

“Shads…” Sonic breathes out with a tired laugh. “I’m good. You can stop. I’m a bit… sensitive down there, right now.” 

Shadow quickly relents. “Ah. My apologies, dear.” 

“‘s all good,” Sonic mutters, his eyes half-lidded and his soft smile practically lovesick. 

After a few seconds, the azure hedgehog moves the pillow from underneath him, tossing it aside with all the other stuff he’d have to help Shadow wash. But that’s for later. 

He sits up, nearly toppling back onto his side in his bit of post-orgasm dizziness, but he moves to pull Shadow close to him, gently pulling him into a short kiss. 

The black and red hedgehog happily accepts, humming against peach lips. 

“That was fucking amazing,” the blue hedgehog sighs after he pulls back. He kisses Shadow’s shoulder. “And… oddly gender affirming.” 

They both chuckle at that. Then, their lips meet in a kiss once more. It’s tired, though still somewhat heated. 

Tongues mix again, seeming to know each other well by now. 

Sonic moves to be on top again, softly turning the two of them and pushing the other hedgehog back into the sheets with ease as they kiss. Striped arms wrap around blue shoulders, while tan paws hold dark-furred hips. 

Sonic pulls away briefly to place a kiss on the corner of Shadow’s mouth. Their lips brush together as he speaks, voice raspy from their activities. 

“You said you had one more good orgasm left in you. Is that still the case?” 

Shadow nods with a soft whine. “Yeah..” 

Sonic smiles. “Yeah, me too.” 

Shadow gives him a gentle kiss, groaning against his lips for a moment, before he pulls back and asks, “Wanna scissor? I know you said you’d like that, earlier.” 

Sonic could swoon. “Fuck, can we?” 

Shadow kisses the blue blur’s nose. “Of course we can, sweetest. You’ll have to top, though, because I’m exhausted.” 

Sonic laughs, affectionately. He leans back a little to fully sit up. “Alright, babe. I gotcha.” 

He moves to situate them, one of his legs half-straddling one of Shadow’s thighs, and he moves Shadow’s other leg to wrap around his waist, making it easy to press their cunts together. 

Experimentally, Sonic grinds his hips against the other’s. 

Their swollen clits brush, and it makes them both let out pleasured sighs. 

He feels a paw carefully grab his hip, helping him to move forward again. 

“More, Sonic…” the black and red hedgehog underneath him lightly moans. 

Sonic grins, delicately taking hold of the paw that had been on his hip and intertwining it with his own. Shadow moves to intertwine their other paws the same. 

And with that, Sonic starts to move again, grinding their cocks and wet cunts together almost effortlessly. 

Shadow moans. “Ah, Sonic-!” 

“You like this, baby?” the cobalt hero teases. 

Shadow’s head is thrown back, equally thrusting his hips against his lover’s. “Yes. Gaia, you’re such a good boy for me…” 

Oh, how those words made Sonic flush, all the way to the tips of his ears. 

He grinds harder, squeezing the ebony hedgehog’s paws lovingly. 

“Yes, yes, faster, sweetest,” Shadow encourages, feeling his pussy clench around nothing as his dick pulses against his partner’s. “You’re fucking me so well.” 

Sonic feels his eyes swell with tears, brain rushing with happy chemicals as he feels his legs go jelly-like, orgasm quickly building as praise hits his ears. 

“Shadow…!” he groans out. 

“What, darling? Tell me how you’re feeling…” 

“Shadow… Gaia, you’re so fucking gorgeous,” he cries out. 

He notices the dark hedgehog go quiet under him, and he glances to meet the other’s eyes, hips slowing. 

Shadow is looking at him, eyes shiny with disbelief, but a gentle smile on his face. “Really..? You think so?” 

Sonic scoffs, though it’s full of nothing but complete adoration. “Of course you are, Shads.” 

He notices a couple tears leave the Ultimate Lifeform’s eyes, too, but he’s beaming ear to ear, head falling back once more as his quills stay beautifully splayed against the pillows. 

“Keep going,” Shadow mutters. “I’m starting to get close.” 

“Me too,” Sonic sighs back as he picks up speed again. 

He feels Shadow squeeze his paws. “Tell me when you’re about to cum. I want us to finish together.” 

Sonic absolutely moans at that, nodding. 

It only takes a couple more minutes for them both to reach that point. 

“‘m close,” Sonic whimpers. 

“I am, as well,” Shadow replies softly. “Can you move a bit faster, beautiful?” 

“Yeah,” Sonic sighs out, urging his cramping legs back and forth. “Like this?”

“You’re doing perfect,” Shadow moans out. “I’m almost there, darling.” 

Sonic groans, mind flooding with pleasure to the point of vague overstimulation. 

He whimpers, eyes shut tight. “I’m getting a little overwhelmed.” 

“Do you want to stop?” Shadow asks, voice sweet and concerned. 

Sonic shakes his head, determined. “No, I wanna cum one more time. And I wanna make you cum, too.” 

“You’re doing so well,” Shadow soothes. “You can do it, love. Stop if you need to.” 

Sonic sighs out happily, tears spilling from his eyes as he moves his hips at the same pace. “This feels so good. I think I’m gonna cum soon.” 

“Good,” Shadow praises. “I’m about to cum, too. Cum with me, beautiful. I want to feel you cum on my cock.” 

“Ah-!” the blue blur’s orgasm hits him fast and hard, and he sobs as he grinds his hips down relentlessly. 

He feels Shadow topple over the edge with a scream of his name, not long after, the leg wrapped around Sonic’s waist pulling the azure hedgehog even closer. 

Shadow feels himself get slightly overstimulated, as well, nearly blacking out as he finishes. 

He thinks it’s one of the best orgasms he’s ever had.

Sonic’s legs fully tire out. If he’d been on his knees or standing, he certainly would’ve fallen over. 

He lets himself collapse onto Shadow’s chest, and he tucks his face into the other hedgehog’s neck as he bathes in the feeling of one of the greatest climaxes he’s ever experienced. 

=

Neither of them talk for a few, long minutes, simply resting in the afterglow. 

Sonic’s brain feels encompassed by fog, letting out tiny whimpers against the ebony hedgehog’s fur as he breathes in his comforting scent. 

Lavender.

“You okay?” Shadow asks, reaching to pet blue quills. 

They still smell like petrichor. 

“I think that’s enough sex for tonight,” he hears the words muffled against his neck. 

Shadow can’t help but laugh out loud at that, equally fatigued. He pulls the other hedgehog to cuddle closer. “Yes; I would have to agree.” 

With a quiet sigh, he soon sits up, planning to head to the bathroom. 

He feels Sonic hold him tighter. “Wha-.. w-where are you going?” 

Shadow rubs his back. “I have to grab a washcloth from the bathroom to get us both cleaned up. And then I’ll change the sheets and we can cuddle.” 

“Nooo…” Sonic complains, somewhat tearfully, into his neck. “Stay… please don’t leave me..” 

Shadow is perplexed. “Sonic… what-“ 

“I do get a bit sensitive after sex.” He suddenly remembers the cobalt hedgehog having said to him. 

Ah.

He supposes he’ll have to take care of this first, then. Not a problem, though. 

“I’m not leaving you,” he assures, rubbing one of the blue hedgehog’s ears. “I’d never leave you right after something like this. I’m still here.” 

He pulls away a little bit, and sees the blue hedgehog look at him with dazed, half-lidded eyes. 

Shadow wipes away any new tears spilling from the other’s eyes with the back of his paws. “Shh. It’s okay. Come back to me, Sonic.” 

As he continues to soothe the teary hedgehog, he notices the somewhat blank look slowly begin to clear from his green eyes. 

“Are you with me, dear?” the darker hedgehog asks, gently, after a couple minutes. 

A slow nod from Sonic. “Yeah, ‘m trying.” 

“Good. That’s good,” Shadow gives him a kiss on the cheek. “You’ve done so well for me.” 

The ebony hedgehog leans over and reaches to the other side of the bed, grabbing the sex toys they’d used so he can bring them to the bathroom. As he stands, he quickly reassures the other hedgehog before he goes. “I’m just going to go to the bathroom for a minute. I’m not leaving. I’m getting a washcloth so that we can clean off. You can stay here and relax until I come back.” 

He walks away, headed to the small bathroom connected to his room. He tosses the sex toys into his bathtub for later, and picks up a clean washcloth to soak. 

This feels right, Shadow thinks, running the piece of cloth under the faucet. Taking care of the blue blur after giving him orgasm after orgasm, making him feel so good. 

He smiles as he thinks about the day they’ve had. 

As he’s about to wring out the washcloth, though, he feels careful arms wrap around his waist. 

Shadow lets out a tiny hum, half in acknowledgment and half in laughter at the other hedgehog’s sweet clinginess. 

He turns in Sonic’s arms, after a moment. “Here; sit on the side of the tub, dearest.” 

He leads the blue blur to sit down. 

Shadow kneels to sit on the floor, in front of him, once he does, washcloth in his paw. He looks up at Sonic, whose expression is still somewhat glossy. 

“Sonic,” Shadow places a paw on the other hedgehog’s knee. “Focus on my voice, and on the feeling of me cleaning you off. Come back to me, sweetheart.” 

The blue hedgehog smiles, giving him a tiny nod, and Shadow gets to work, taking his time to clean off the slick between the other’s thighs and the dried up slick on his muzzle. He rubs Sonic’s outer thigh with his thumb while he does so, soothingly. 

After a few minutes, the dark hedgehog hears a soft sigh above him. He looks up to meet a clearer gaze. 

“I’m starting to come out of my haze, now,” the cobalt hedgehog assures, quietly. He rubs his eyes a little. “Thanks for takin’ care of me, Shads.” 

“Not a problem,” Shadow smiles. “I’m happy to help.”

Sonic carefully pulls himself up after Shadow finishes cleaning up his fur. He takes the washcloth from him, soaking it in sink water again. 

Shadow raises an eye ridge. “What are you doing?” 

“C’mere,” Sonic waves him over. Once Shadow is standing next to him, Sonic wrings the fresh water out of the cloth, bringing it to wash off Shadow’s inner thighs as well. 

The touch is just as soothing to him. Especially when, after cleaning off the dark hedgehog’s thighs, the blue hedgehog runs the washcloth under warm water again before bringing it up to Shadow’s muzzle to gingerly wipe at his face. 

He hadn’t realized he’d needed to be taken care of a little bit, as well. 

“You were incredible, too, y’know,” Sonic says, after he’s regained his voice some more. “That last orgasm was insane.” 

“I think I nearly blacked out from it,” Shadow agrees, which makes them both giggle. 

Sonic kisses the black and red hedgehog’s forehead, throwing the dirty cloth into the bathtub to be washed at a later time, as well. That’d be tomorrow’s problem. 

“How about you change the sheets, and I’ll grab us something to eat?” Sonic whispers to him. “Do you have anything in your pantry?” 

“Some crackers,” Shadow nods. “And there are bottled waters in the fridge. You should have something to drink.” 

“Got it,” with one final peck to tan lips, Sonic leaves to grab the items. 

Shadow grabs fresh blankets and some clean pillow cases from his closet after leaving the bathroom. Honestly, the two hadn’t made as much of a mess as he’d thought they did, considering they were having sex on top of the blankets. So, he replaces the dirty ones, throwing them into his hamper, and changes a couple pillow cases. 

As he lays down, Sonic trots in with a sleeve of crackers and two small bottles of water, swiftly jumping onto the bed to sit beside the other. 

Shadow sits up to lean against the blue blur’s shoulder as he opens the sleeve of crackers. He quickly eats a couple, enjoying having something to replenish his energy. 

They let themselves eat and sip their water before either of them decide to talk too much. 

Sonic eventually makes some small remarks about some unimportant things, at one point, like the colors of Shadow’s blankets and some of the trinkets on his bedside table. Shadow’s happy to listen. 

However, the blue hedgehog does still talk with food in his mouth again, and- actually, no. Honestly, who even cares at this point? Shadow might be starting to grow fond of that, too.

After their snack, they cuddle up closer, bodies pulling them together like magnets. They intertwine their paws, and pull fresh, warm blankets over themselves as they snuggle; Shadow laying on his back with Sonic nestled against his chest as the two fall into quiet pillow talk. 

“I know I said it before, but I’ll say it again,” the cobalt hero states. “I love the way you sound when I’m making you feel good. All those moans and whimpers; I could listen to you all day. I don’t know what it is about it, but you just sound so… so unashamed and happy and… and like… like…” 

“Like I felt completely safe in your arms?” Shadow guesses, voice barely above a whisper. 

Sonic just pauses, looking at him with somewhat widened eyes; so the darker hedgehog continues. 

“That’s because I do,” he says, looking away slightly. But his partially hidden, soft smile is clear. “Usually, I feel as though any noises I make when I feel like that are silly or embarrassing. Even when I’m alone.”

Sonic listens intensely. A striped paw massages his quills, absentmindedly. 

“I never expected anyone to actually want to hear me sound like that; nor did…” Shadow feels himself choke on his words a bit. “…n-nor did I think… I would ever feel comfortable enough to show that side of myself to anyone.” 

Sonic thinks he sees tears in the dark hedgehog’s crimson eyes. 

But Shadow meets him with a stare so appreciative, so trusting and loving that Sonic thinks he could break down into tears himself. 

Loving.

Yeah, he decides. Now would be a good time to say it.

With a quiet, deep breath, staring into some of the prettiest eyes he thinks he’s ever seen, with tears in his own, Sonic finally whispers out, “I think I’m in love with you.” 

Shadow doesn’t say anything; just stares back at him with an unreadable expression. So Sonic continues. “I think I have been. For years. I… I love you, Shadow.”

Silence overtakes the room. Sonic’s heart pounds in his chest. 

But just as he’s about to backtrack, assure Shadow that he doesn’t need to say it back, as he’s about to try and find something, anything, to say instead- 

“I love you too, Sonic.”

The words are soft-spoken, as they always are. Stray tears spill from ruby eyes. 

“Really..?” Sonic whimpers. “B-because you don’t have to say it ba-“ 

He’s cut off by a gentle paw caressing his face, and tan lips meeting his. 

And he melts into the touch, sobbing. 

He cries against soft lips, deepening the kiss only slightly. 

He thinks it’s the best kiss they’ve had yet.

He feels Shadow wiping tears from his muzzle before he’s even realized the kiss ended. 

“Shh..” the ebony hedgehog comforts. “Why are you crying? Don’t cry, dearest, this is a good thing..” 

Sonic lets out a small, wet laugh. “Shut up, you’re crying, too!” 

Shadow also chuckles with tears falling down his face, but he pulls Sonic to lay back down with him, holding the blue blur close as he peppers little kisses to his salty tears. 

Truthfully, the darker hedgehog is glad Sonic had said it first. He doesn’t think he could’ve ever worked up the courage to express that same affection to him, even though he feels it with his whole chest. He could sing it, to be frank. 

But saying it aloud? Even as he said it back, it wasn’t easy. 

It’s hard for him to say things like that, so bluntly. Usually, it’s easier to mention things in passing, to show him instead. 

He likes to say it in the way he opens up to people, the way he gets brave enough to do vulnerable things, in the way he whispers praise in soft, blue ears, knowing how much the other hedgehog likes it. 

And he thinks Sonic knows that; knows that Shadow isn’t one that’s good with words. That he tries to show how much he adores him in every little affectionate action, until it’s unmistakably, certainly love. Until all he’ll have to do is feel it and he’ll know for sure. 

Although… he thinks he does like hearing it from the blue blur, too. 

He shoves his face against the blue hedgehog’s neck, tenderly breathing in his scent. 

“You always smell like the forest and the rain,” he says, half-muffled by fur. “I really like it.” 

He feels Sonic kiss his collarbone. “You always smell like lavender and berries. I think it’s cool. It’s all sweet and soothing… you’re like my own aromatherapy candle.” 

Shadow rolls his eyes, shoving the other hedgehog off of him with a laugh, at the remark. “You’re such an ass! I was trying to be affectionate!” 

Sonic laughs, just as fondly, grinning ear to ear. “Yeah, and so was I! C’mere, you dork.” 

He pulls Shadow down with him, and the two of them lay on their sides, bodies pressed up against one another. 

Sonic nuzzles Shadow’s cheek, then grooms the tufts of fur in his ears back into place. 

Shadow is, admittedly, jelly in the other’s arms as he does so. 

He sleepily reciprocates with small licks to the tussled fur on one of the azure hedgehog’s shoulders. 

Regardless, though, they both fall asleep in minutes. 

Their combined scents mix in the room, pleasant and subtle. 

Lavender and petrichor. Who would’ve guessed?