Work Text:
"Sooo, I'll be seeing ya again?" Sonic mumbles, his swollen lips bumping against Shadow's.
Shadow rolls his eyes, his hands clenching the fabric of Sonic's shirt a little tighter. "You need to stop kissing me and leave the apartment to see me again, Sonic."
"And you need to let go of my shirt if you want me to do that," Sonic teases him back.
Shadow just huffs and pulls him in for another kiss, humming happily when their lips meet once more. Sonic tastes like mint toothpaste and he kisses like there's nothing else in the world more important to him than taking Shadow's breath away.
The morning after their second hookup, after breakfast (Shadow made cappuccinos and pancakes) and getting dressed, Sonic had cornered Shadow against the kitchen counter and pointed out that they hadn't gotten the chance to really kiss last night.
And now Shadow's honestly lost track of how long they've been kissing.
Enough for his lips to feel a little bruised and his cunt to start to ache again. Finally after a little while longer, he roughly shoves Sonic away, who simply chuckles as he stumbles back. Chaos, he has such a sexy laugh. "You should play rougher with me more often, baby," he croons, but he turns to pick up his backpack. "Anywayyys, yeah. If you want, we can pick a time to meet right now?"
Shadow feels as if his heart is swelling, in a painfully pleasant way. "Okay," he chokes out, and he's smiling wider than what feels normal.
They pull out their respective calendars (Shadow has a planner, Sonic has an app) and decide to meet next weekend, location to be determined. Then Sonic meets his eyes with an unreadable expression, seeming to pause and get stuck for a moment before snapping back into the moment and heading out with a cheeky wave and a smile, leaving Shadow kind of speechless until the door closes behind him.
Not really feeling like he has the brainpower to write at the moment, Shadow sits on the couch and catches up on trashy reality tv until Rouge returns from her sleepover with Knuckles an hour later.
He didn't tell her that he was having Sonic over, but the moment she comes into the house her ears twitch and she grins a diabolical grin. "Oh, spill."
Shadow sighs, slumping over and covering his eyes in embarrassment. "It can't be that obvious."
"You have a glow about you," Rouge says, gesturing at him. "A just been fucked glow. A just got railed beyond your wildest dreams gl-"
"Okay, okay, Chaos," Shadow interrupts, blushing furiously now and looking up at her. "I get it, I'll tell you, okay?"
After her birthday party, Shadow did the walk of shame back to his apartment where—despite being wickedly hungover—Rouge descended on him like a wild animal. She was so over the moon that he had lost his virginity that—once again, despite being wickedly hungover—she popped a bottle of champagne for him. Always his biggest cheerleader when it came to Shadow stepping out of his admittedly quite rigid comfort zone, Rouge was now also Sonic's biggest fan.
"We had sex," Shadow says, trying to make it sound like no big deal. Even though it obviously is.
"Well, duh," says Rouge, throwing her bag down and unzipping her boots before placing them near the door. "I knew that. What position?"
"Rouge," Shadow groans, but he knows better than to try and throw her off the scent. Rouge has stated many times that he's her platonic soulmate—that doesn't stop her from wanting to know every possible detail about his burgeoning sex life. "Missionary, okay?"
"Again?" says Rouge, wrinkling her nose. "Is he boring?"
"No!" says Shadow immediately, fur bristling a bit before he can stop himself, defensive of Sonic for some reason. "He… he had me tied to the bed beforehand…"
He tells her a brief summary of their night, including the the edging, his cheeks getting impossibly hotter the more he speaks. When he's done, Rouge lets out a whistle, fanning herself. "Damn. Okay, Blue! If you ever get tired of him, let me know."
"Right," Shadow says drily, but there's an odd part of him that feels sad at the thought. He really has just met Sonic and this is a very new relationship… there's no reason he should feel the instinct to say that he's never going to get sick of the blue menace. So he overcompensates a bit. "Honestly, I might already be tired of him. Maybe I'll never see him again."
Rouge lets out a big laugh, throwing her head back and everything. "Sure, hon," she says, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Honestly, though, you better be careful. It's easier than you think to get addicted to dick, if it's good enough. And he sounds like he's packing some pretty great dick. Especially for your first and second times."
"Don't be ridiculous," Shadow scoffs, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.
But Rouge's words stick in his head, despite his protests.
A day later, in the evening, he's working on his next book at the desk in his bedroom, typing at his laptop. Or at least, he's trying to.
It's not even a romantic passage that he's writing; the book is a thriller for Chaos' sake. But embarrassingly enough, he's wet. Even though he's trying to pay attention, his brain can't help but meander back to the memories of the night before. The ropes tugging at his skin, the buzzing of the vibrator, his aching dick and his burning core. And Sonic's scent, his delicious musk, the sight and feeling of that stupidly big cock—he's so hung, the fucking asshole.
Before he knows it, Shadow feels his underwear become soaking wet, and he slams his laptop closed with a growl. He pushes away from his desk, stands up and heads to the bed. Angrily and with much huffing and slamming of drawers, he grabs his favorite toy and gets into position on his back, legs spread.
The toy isn't as big as Sonic's dick (fuck him fuck him) and he's so wet that he doesn't even need any lube; he needs it, and so in a blink he's suddenly full of silicone with a loud moan.
Well, kind of full. Not as full as…
The thought makes him angry again, and he begins to fuck himself. Hard. Enough to tear little whimpers from his throat, and it hurts a little, but he likes that it's stinging. Needs it, to ground himself. To distract himself.
When he finally comes, it's not very satisfying; short and it just doesn't crest as high as it usually does. Shadow pulls the toy out and carefully places it on a tissue on his bedside table before flopping back on the bed with an irritated groan.
After a moment, he fumbles for his phone and pulls up Sonic's contact.
shadow: I hate you.
He presses send before thinking too much of it, and then is immediately mortified. Sonic responds fairly quickly.
sonic: u didn't seem to hate me the other night ;)
sonic: or yesterday morning, for that matter
sonic: but what's up lol
Shadow's cheeks burn at the sight of those messages, but… not in an unpleasant way. He sent a fairly insane text to Sonic out of the blue, and instead of getting upset Sonic seems to be taking it in stride. Interactions like these can't stop that inane voice in the back of his head that tells him they're a very good match.
shadow: Nothing.
sonic: right right. ur thinking of me :)))
Fuck. Shadow's cheeks are flaming, now.
shadow: I was just thinking. Will Tails be home this weekend? Rouge will be, so you probably shouldn't come here.
He's proud of that. Good save.
sonic: o shit, good point. uhhh yeah i think tails will b home :((( man. maybe we should reschedule then?
Shadow thinks to himself for a second. If Sonic really truly was no big deal to him, this would make sense. They could push back their meeting a week, maybe two, and it shouldn't be a problem. And yet… Shadow really, really wants to see him.
shadow: We could get a hotel?
Shadow offers to pay for it. He knows that Sonic really can't afford the type of luxury he's grown accustomed to. But Sonic stubbornly insists on them splitting it, and so that's what they do. And Shadow, admittedly, likes how stubborn Sonic is. Not that he'd ever admit it.
They get a decent room closer to Sonic, where it's cheaper. Shadow finds something reasonable but nice enough for his standards, and Sonic signs off on it before sending over the money.
When Saturday finally comes, they meet in the lobby. Shadow tries to be casual when they check in, but he's sure that the squirrel working the front desk is giving them a knowing smile when she slides the key cards across to them.
But Sonic doesn't seem to care at all. He drapes a casual arm over Shadow's shoulders, squeezing his arm and greeting her with a chipper smile. It makes Shadow care less about the front desk woman, makes him feel all melty and safe already. They haven't even started fucking yet, and he feels as if he's already slipping into that submissive state.
Sonic has the backpack on, slung over one shoulder, which is getting Shadow even more excited. He's grown very fond of that backpack.
In the elevator, Sonic's still got that arm around him. Shadow finds himself leaning into him, a soft purr in his throat. "How was your day?"
"Getting better every minute," Sonic answers sweetly, kissing Shadow's temple.
Shadow rolls his eyes lets out a huff, although inside he's all gooey. Sonic smells so good, like always. "Gay."
"Takes one to know one," Sonic shoots back.
They chat casually as they find their room and head inside, placing their bags down. Shadow elected for a king bed, which he's excited for. The view from their windows is pretty nice too.
"This was a good choice, Shads," Sonic says happily, taking in the view.
"Thank you," Shadow says, pleased at the approval. He waits until Sonic turns to look at him before he smiles, trying to make it sultry, and sits on the bed. Slowly he spreads his legs, licking his lips. "Shall we?"
He can see that Sonic's eyes immediately trail down to his crotch, which is gratifying. One of the things that Shadow likes so much about Sonic is how much Sonic wants him.
But Sonic seems to shake himself out of it, looking back up in determination at Shadow's eyes. "Um, before we do that. Can we talk for a second?"
He doesn't look mad or anything, but this immediately puts Shadow on edge and makes him feel like an idiot for trying to seduce anyone. Shadow quickly closes his legs, his face heating up. "Sure," he says quickly, trying to sound nonchalant. "No problem."
Sonic smiles gently. "Hey," he says, and his tone communicates that he's seen right through Shadow's display of nonchalance. "It's not a bad talk. Didn't mean to scare you." He walks towards the bed, sitting right next to Shadow and placing a hand on Shadow's thigh, squeezing slightly. "I've just been thinking about something."
"Oh," says Shadow, trying to sound casual while Sonic's hand is searing under his pants, into his fur. "What have you been thinking about?"
Sonic smiles and lets out a little chuckle. "You're cute," he says fondly. "Um, just something." He pauses then, so long that Shadow is about to prompt him to continue. "I just think you should be more careful, is all."
"Careful?" Shadow echoes, tilting his head. He really wasn't expecting this. "About what?"
"Just, well." Sonic makes a vague gesture between them. "I know I was your first, so maybe you don't know this kind of thing. But staying at my apartment the first time we met, was kind of risky. You know, stranger danger?"
Shadow frowns. "I know that. But-"
"In general, I could have been a real monster, or at least some tool," Sonic interjects.
"But you weren't, and-"
"And you let me tie you up, babe, I mean. That's risky."
Shadow's ire is rising. Not even the usage of 'babe' can calm him down, not completely. "It worked out, didn't it? I-"
"Yeah, but what if…" Sonic huffs, shaking his head. He seems to be getting frustrated, too. "Like someone else, if you… they could do horrible things to you. And you're so sweet, I mean, you made dinner for me and everything, when we-"
"Well, we had to eat something!" Shadow interjects, quills bristling as he glares daggers into emerald eyes. (Sweet?) "And it's not as if you were a stranger, Sonic. Not completely. We met through a mutual friend. And I tend to trust Rouge's friends, even if some of them are annoying. Like you. Right now."
"Okay, okay, sorry 'bout that," Sonic says easily, holding up his hands as if to show he's harmless. "I just…" He sighs, starting to rub at Shadow's thigh. "When you do this with other guys, I just want you to-"
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Sonic," Shadow interjects, shoving Sonic's shoulder hard with his. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not, and you should really know that."
Sonic winces in pain at the shoulder check, but he seems too fixated on Shadow's words to really care. "Not, as in… not seeing other guys?"
"Yes, idiot," Shadow says, confused as to why this conversation has been going on for so long. "You're the only one."
"Oh," Sonic says, and the word seems oddly loaded. He hums, slowly nodding his head and drumming his fingers on Shadow's thigh. "Cool." Another pause, and he clears his throat before continuing, "Well, right now I'm not really seeing anyone else either. So that works for both of us, then." He reaches for Shadow's chin with his free hand, pulling Shadow to face him, and goes in for a kiss.
The kiss is sweet, warm. Shadow finds himself purring into it, leaning in and reciprocating. Now that he's not pissed anymore, he's kind of touched at Sonic's concern, the protectiveness. It makes him wet. Sonic is so sweet, so considerate. Sonic is moving the hand on his thigh, slipping it under his shirt and squeezing at his chest, making him squeak out a moan.
Shadow pulls away suddenly, gasping for breath. "Can I use my mouth on you?" he asks breathlessly.
Sonic blinks, before breaking into a smirk. "Oh, Shads, I would love that. You sure? I know you've never done it. But I can guide you through it."
Shadow hums, pleasantly surprised that Sonic acquiesced so quickly. Now that he knows he's going to do it, a little bit of nervous energy thrums through his blood, but he's already got himself into this, and he wants it, so he's not going to back down.
Slowly he slides off the bed, biting his lip as he walks to stand in front of Sonic and drop to his knees on the hotel's carpeted floor. He tries not to think about how dirty it might be, and succeeds when Sonic leans down to pet his head fondly, which makes him feel all mushy again. Before he can forget, he takes off his gloves and offers them to Sonic, who hums in approval and takes his own off, placing them both aside before moving to pet at Shadow's head again.
"You're so good for me, baby," Sonic coos, making Shadow purr and nuzzle into his hand as a reflex. "Mm, you know what I think?"
"What do you think?" Shadow replies fondly through his purrs as he reaches towards Sonic's sheath, which is already starting to swell with arousal. He palms at it, clenching his own thighs together.
Sonic hisses through his teeth, lightly pinching Shadow's ear. "I think that you'd look good in a collar for me, hm? Something leather, or something lace? Like a good little pet for me?"
An eager whimper sounds out before Shadow realizes that he's the one who made the sound, and he blushes profusely. The thought of being collared, of being owned in such a way while they fuck, is endlessly appealing. "I'd…" He swallows, licking his lips as he undoes Sonic's fly, unzips the zipper, and slowly pulls out Sonic's half-hard cock through the space in his boxer briefs. "I'd like that. Being a pet for you."
"Yeah, I know you'd like that, you pretty little slut," Sonic coos to him, scratching behind his ear. "Keep going, baby. Take my cock out. I want to feel your lips wrapped around it."
Normally, Shadow would roll his eyes at this, but he's far too lost in the sauce to have an attitude. His mouth is practically watering as he feels the weight of Sonic's cock in his hand, watches it twitch and harden. "Can I put my mouth on it now?" he says dreamily. He's not really feeling that nervous anymore; more eager than anything.
"Good boy for asking," Sonic praises. "Yes, you can. I'd like that, very much. You can start by using your tongue."
"Okay," says Shadow, and immediately leans in to lick a stripe up Sonic's cock, from base to tip. The salty, musky taste should be gross, but it's delicious. Immediately Sonic groans, grabbing for a handful of Shadow's quills and tugging lightly. "That's so good, Shadow. Keep going."
Shadow moans softly. He loves being praised. So much of his life, he's spent not knowing how to interact with people. When Sonic is praising him, he knows where he stands. He's safe. He laps at Sonic's cock again and again, before he finally gets bold enough to wrap his lips around the tip. That's when he gets the first taste of Sonic's come, and he shivers. It's fine. It's not bad. Slowly he takes Sonic in deeper, moaning softly, putting his hands on Sonic's thighs. That beautifully thick cock is over an inch deep inside of his mouth when Sonic speaks again.
"Fuuuck, Shadow," he groans, gently tugging at black-and-red quills once more. "I love your hot little mouth, baby. You're a natural. Can you suck it?"
Obediently and immediately Shadow sinks a little deeper, hollows out his cheeks, and sucks. Sonic's cock feels almost as good in his mouth as it does in his pussy. Almost.
The reminder that he could be having Sonic's cock in his pussy makes him wetter, and suddenly he's sweating in his clothes. He pulls off Sonic's cock with a wet pop before he can stop himself, and Sonic lets go of his quills immediately. "All good, babe?"
Sonic looks so beautifully concerned about his comfort. It's touching.
"Yeah," Shadow says happily, using Sonic's thighs for balance as he shakily gets to his feet. "Mmm, just. Can we take off our clothes now?"
Sonic seems to relax a bit, smiling up at him with shining eyes. "Ah, I see. Someone's getting impatient."
There's a pause, where Sonic is looking up at him expectantly. Shadow technically has the higher ground for once, looming over the other hedgehog, but he still feels so wonderfully pathetic and lost in that emerald gaze. Finally it clicks for him, and he opens his mouth. "Please? Please can we take our clothes off?"
"Well, if you're going to ask so nicely," Sonic drawls, leaning back on the bed. "You go first, Shads. Give me a show."
Shadow immediately feels a prickle of nervousness again—after all, he's not exactly terribly familiar with burlesque, or anything. But something about Sonic makes him feel so safe, so brave. He nods, and slowly brings his hands to the top button of his shirt. It's kind of a blouse sort of thing, made of fine silk and colored a rich purple, already unbuttoned at the top to showcase the crest of white fur on his chest. Sonic had mentioned over text how much he loves to see it, and Shadow remembered that.
Slowly Shadow starts to unbutton the shirt, and he sees how Sonic's eyes seem to track each inch of revealed fur. Once it's fully unbuttoned, he folds it neatly and places it on the table below the hotel room's tv, before turning back around to give Sonic the full view of his underwear as he unbuttons and pulls off his black jeans. Slowly. His underwear is a pair of crimson boxer briefs in a mesh material, and Sonic laughs as soon as he sees them. It's not an unkind laugh, but it makes Shadow blush. "What?"
"You're so wet," says Sonic, and Shadow looks down to see that Sonic is completely right. There's a visible wet patch in his underwear, and his blush deepens. But Sonic doesn't seem to mind. "Don't worry about it, baby. Just take 'em off for me, okay?"
"Okay," Shadow breathes, feeling almost as if he's in a dream. In a good way. Slowly he wriggles his underwear off, revealing his dripping pussy.
He hears a wolf whistle, and snaps his head up to gape at Sonic, his face in flames. "Th-that's rude!"
"You love it," Sonic says smugly, eyes clearly darting between his eyes and his pussy. "You love how much I want you, I know it. I can see your eyes get all misty when I compliment you."
Shadow hates it, but Sonic is right. He really does love it when Sonic shows desire for him.
"Alright, my turn," Sonic says, standing up with a cheeky expression on his face, jarring Shadow out of his thoughts. He doesn't make as slow of a show of it as Shadow did, but it's gratifying nonetheless to see more and more blue fur reveal itself. Sonic really does have a very nice body.
After he's done undressing, Sonic sits back down on the bed and pats his thighs, smirking up at Shadow. "Why don't you come take a seat, babe?"
Before he can take stock of the request, Shadow finds himself walking across the room, almost in a trance. He puts one knee on the bed, then another, straddling Sonic's lap and wrapping his arms around Sonic's neck.
"Good boy," Sonic purrs in approval, putting his hands above Shadow's hips. He can span Shadow's waist in his hands, Shadow realizes, and the thought sends heat rushing through him anew—along with the feeling of Sonic's cock rubbing against his folds.
Shadow lets out a little whine and brings his lips to Sonic's, deepening the kiss almost immediately. Sonic responds in kind with a hungry little growl, squeezing Shadow's waist as he practically devours Shadow's mouth. As they kiss, Shadow is embarrassed to find himself starting to rock his hips, rutting against Sonic's cock over and over again, sliding his clit against it again and again.
Kissing Sonic like this, so filthy and deep, is so good. Sonic smells so good, and he's gripping Shadow's waist so tightly like he never wants Shadow to leave. When he does finally pull away for a moment, a thin thread of saliva connects their panting lips, which Shadow opens his mouth to apologize for. But Sonic simply licks his lips. "I love the way you taste," he breathes, before lowering his mouth so that he can start biting and kissing at Shadow's neck.
He finds exactly the spots that make Shadow squirm and whine, and it's that combined with the consistent and delicious rubbing against his folds that cause Shadow to come far earlier than he expected. He lets out an embarrassingly loud keen, tightening his grip around Sonic's neck as he rides out his pleasure, his slick soaking Sonic's cock.
Sonic groans, pressing his forehead against Shadow's. "Fuck, baby," he murmurs, pecking Shadow's now-swollen lips. "You just came, didn't you? Just with a little kissing and humping?"
His orgasm ending, Shadow sags into Sonic's lap with another little keen. "Yeah," he manages breathlessly.
"What a slut," Sonic hums, lowering his hands to Shadow's ass before giving him a firm swat, which makes Shadow lurch forward and yelp. "My pretty little slut. I didn't even give you permission to come yet. But it's cool. It's so hot, how much you want me."
"Want you to fuck me," Shadow sighs into Sonic's neck, kissing at it. He feels drunk on this stupid blue hedgehog.
"I wanna fuck you, so that works," Sonic says smugly. He relinquishes his grip on Shadow's waist. "Hands and knees, babe."
Shadow hurries to obey the command, scrambling onto the bed and getting in the position Sonic requested. His tail quivers as it lifts straight into the air, giving Sonic the full view.
He hears Sonic whistle again in approval, and his face heats up. But he stays where he is like a good boy. "You're so beautiful, Shads. Just give me a sec, I need to-"
"We don't need a condom," Shadow interrupts him, quivering impatiently. "Just fuck me."
He cranes his neck to turn his head, and sees Sonic giving him an incredulous look."Are you sure?"
What a sweet, wonderful, considerate man. "I'm on birth control."
Sonic's look turns into a catlike grin. "You're perfect," he says firmly, before surging forward to mount Shadow and slowly slide into him.
Immediately Shadow cries out in bliss, digging his claws into the blankets—oops, he'll pay the hotel back if he has to. He's been waiting for this all week, and it's even better than he remembered. Sonic's cock really does seem to fit into him perfectly, like they were both made for this. Made for each other.
Shadow's eyes are already watering, but he feels warmth on his hands and he blinks back the tears to see Sonic's hands possessively covering his own. He shivers. "S-Sonic, you can move. I can take it, I-"
He doesn't need to say it again. Sonic slowly pulls out of him before slamming back in, immediately starting up a rhythm that makes Shadow's toes curl and his lips part with breathless moans. He can feel his cunt being stretched so much more than before when they used a condom. He can feel the precome drooling inside of him, feel the warmth and texture of Sonic's cock, and he knows immediately he's never going to want to use a condom again. This position also makes Sonic's cock hit that much deeper inside of him.
It's difficult to think straight. But all of a sudden he realizes, as Sonic is rocking into him, as he's sobbing with pleasure and begging for more, what he's done. What they've done, what they've decided. Exclusive. They both just agreed to be exclusive.
The thought pushes him even closer to orgasm, and he wails as he feels tears trail down his cheeks. "S-Sonic, Sonic, fuck," he gasps, tightening around him. "It's so good, it's s-so…"
"Yeah," Sonic replies, sounding almost as wrecked as Shadow feels. "Yeah, it's good. I love your pussy, baby, I love how wet and tight and gorgeous you are. Sweet boy. Let me know when you're close, 'mmkay?"
"'kay!" Shadow says back in an embarrassingly high squeak, pushing his hips back into each thrust. More fucking, the rhythm, out and in, and it all gets more intense when Sonic brings a hand to his clit and starts to stimulate it with delicious little circle. It's not much longer before Shadow finally manages to say, "Gonna come, getting close-"
Immediately Sonic pulls out, making Shadow let out what's practically a howl of rage and despair, actively ripping into the blankets. "You, you fucking-"
"Sorry, sorry," Sonic says in a rush, not hesitating to grip onto Shadow's waist and flip him bodily over, until Shadow's on his back again and looking up into Sonic's handsome face. Sonic lines up and slides into him again, thank Chaos, and Shadow's back to being a moaning happy mess again.
"Thank you for your patience with me, baby," Sonic coos, leaning down to kiss Shadow sweetly, before pulling back to give him a few good hard thrusts. "I love the faces, mmf, that you make when you come."
"I- ah, ah! I love you too," Shadow responds, dazed smile still on his face.
For some reason, Sonic looks surprised by this, his thrusts slowing. "Sh-Shadow, did you-"
"Sonic, please don't stop," Shadow beseeches, squirming, really not sure what this hedgehog's problem is. He reaches up to wrap his arms around Sonic's shoulders, holding him close. "I said I was close. My clit, touch my clit again, please-"
He cuts himself off with a triumphant moan as Sonic does what Shadow begged for, stimulating his clit and picking his thrusts back up once more. It's only a moment before Shadow is coming with a scream, arching his back and squirting. His breath comes in sobs, and the sobs increase in pitch when Sonic comes in hot, vicious spurts inside of him. Shadow feels someone come inside him for the first time in his life, and the feeling is euphoric.
He finds himself sinking into the haze of subspace again. Loosely he's aware of Sonic lapping at his neck and face, grooming away his sweat. It makes Shadow's heart swell, and he kneads at Sonic's back affectionately, claws retracted. He feels so amazing, giggly and silly and everything he's usually not. He pulls Sonic in by the quills to kiss him deeply, and Sonic kisses back, and they're both purring loudly, and everything is a lovely blur.
Lovely, that is, until his mind starts to clear after an unknown amount of time and he recalls their conversation.
I love you too.
'I love you too'?!?
Chaos, what has Shadow done. He's ruined everything, it's all a disaster, why in Gaia's name would he say that?
Sonic must feel Shadow's body stiffening up, because he hums and strokes down Shadow's quills, still purring loudly. They've found themselves in a spooning position, although Shadow's not sure how that happened. "Shads," Sonic says gently. "What's wrong?"
"You know what's wrong!" Shadow manages, squirming to to face Sonic with burning eyes. Oh fuck, he's about to start crying… "What I said-"
"Hey, hey," Sonic cuts in, reaching up to thumb a tear away from Shadow's eye before it can trail down his cheek. "Shadow, listen. It's not that big of a deal."
"Not that… are you joking?" Shadow demands of him, feeling small and stupid. "I fucked up. I fucked it all up."
"You didn't fuck anything up," Sonic insists, cupping Shadow's cheeks and leaning in to press their lips together gently. "Shadow, I'm serious. You're fine. In the heat of the moment, words come out, and it doesn't have to mean anything. You were already getting into subspace, you didn't know what you were saying. This can…" For an odd moment Sonic seems to falter, but then he rallies with a brighter smile and continues, "This can still be casual, it's all good."
This is Shadow's lifeline. This is his way out. He can agree with Sonic, and then they can keep doing what they're doing with no strings attached. That's good. That's what Shadow wanted.
But for some reason when Shadow goes to open his mouth, he falters. Pauses, as that nagging little voice in his brain starts shouting at him. He feels like his feelings are trying to heave themselves from his mouth, and he finds himself powerless to stop them.
"I… don't know," he says finally, hating himself for every word. Sonic's mouth drops open, and Shadow hurries to explain himself, looking down at Sonic's chest to avoid seeing any more unfortunate facial expressions. "I've been really enjoying myself, obviously, but. I don't know." He swallows. Chaos, he really feels like he's about to throw up. "I'm not saying it's love, but… but I really feel like I like you, Sonic. I really hope I'm not making you uncomfortable, and this kind of thing isn't in my comfort zone, but I can't lie to you. I…" He trails off and groans, shaking his head. "I think about you a lot, when we're not together. I'm so sorry. I'll shut up now, if you want me to le-"
"Fuck no, I don't want you to leave," Sonic interrupts, with a tone so fierce that it causes Shadow to look up at him in surprise. "Shadow, you're jumping to a lot of conclusions about what I'm thinking right now. I've never seen you talk so much. Wouldja let me speak?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Shadow immediately says, feeling disgusted with himself and looking down at Sonic's chest again.
A hand cups his cheek, forcing him to look up at Sonic's gently smiling face. "Don't apologize, geez. It's okay, baby. I like you too."
Shadow blinks. "What?" It's all he can think to say. He can practically feel his heart rising in his chest.
"I like you too," Sonic repeats. He looks happy. Really happy. "I've been thinking about this for a while. You're… really special, Shads." There's a slight blush rising on his cheeks. "Obviously there's the sex; it's fucking mind blowing with you, you're handsome as hell and you have the most beautiful body. But it's more than that. You're so fun to talk to. You impress me every time we meet up, with how smart and cosmopolitan you are. You're an insanely talented writer, a great cook. And overall, your presence just makes me happy."
Shadow still feels speechless, just gaping at the hedgehog lying in bed with him. "You can't possibly mean all of that," he says softly. "Not about me."
"Dude, I'm so glad you said something about liking me," Sonic said with a little chuckle, leaning in to kiss Shadow's nose. "Fuck. What a weight off. When you said you weren't seeing anyone else, I had an inkling maybe it was mutual. But Shads, honestly, I don't wanna be with anyone other than you right now." He starts to kiss all over Shadow's face and neck.
"Sonic," Shadow sighs, feeling like he might melt into the sheets. He starts kneading at Sonic's shoulders. "I feel the same. I-" He moves to hitch a leg over Sonic's hip, before pausing and wrinkling his nose.
"Ah," Sonic says, expression turning smug. "You need a shower, huh? Sounds like a plan." Immediately he rolls off the bed and scoops Shadow up bridal style, making Shadow grunt in surprise. "C'mon, babe! Don't worry, I'll clean you out."
"I fucking hate you!" Shadow squeals, struggling halfheartedly in Sonic's arms.
"Ha!" Sonic barks out the laugh. "No you don't."
And of course it's true. He really doesn't.