Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

     It was a warm summer morning, just a week before the fall semester began at Central City University. While most students had probably been partying or buying the textbooks they'd need for their classes, Shadow the Hedgehog was busy trying to sleep away what time he had left before school started. 

     Over summer break, he had royally screwed up his strict sleep schedule, so this was his attempt at getting it back to normal. Did it make any sense? Not really, but he was one of the more responsible students at that school, so he might've been onto something.

     It was around eleven in the morning (much later than Shadow typically woke up), and the sun was shining through the blinds, bringing as much light inside as would be provided by his lamp. However, that was never enough to wake Shadow up. Rather, the sound of loud BANGs and THUDs had him leaping out of bed.

     "HOLY SHIT!" He yelled, eyes wide and hands gripping the bedsheets. 

     The ebony hedgehog blinked a few times, taking a deep breath and relaxing as he lay back down. It might've just been construction outside, he thought, before sitting up once more and parting the blinds to check. There was nothing but traffic and a few pedestrians...

     Before he could think of another reason as to where these obnoxiously loud noises were coming from, another BANG occurred from the other side of the wall. The sweet old lady next door was never this noisy... were there new tenants moving in? 

     Shadow got out of bed and walked into the interconnected kitchen and living room, where he was met with his roommate's reality TV shows playing, even though she was more focused on her phone. He groaned and turned the show off so he could have her attention; this was important.

     "Hey, I was watching that!" Rouge scowled.

     "You've watched Jersey Shore and its entirety twenty different times; you aren't missing anything." He crossed his arms, "Did you know that people were moving in next to us?!" Shadow asked.

     She smirked, "Mhmm... if you were awake, I would've taken you to meet them. They're these cute guys; I'm sure you can forgive them for the noise. I think I might get the red one's number." 

     Shadow's eye twitched, "What happened to Judith?"

     "Heart attack. You should really unblock the landlord, hon', it's almost as if he tells us these things..." 

     His gaze averted to the floor. There was a long pause of silence between them before Shadow suddenly stormed out of their apartment complex. 

     "Where are you going?!" Rouge asked.

     "To talk to those jackasses." 

     He slammed the door behind him and was met by the hallway, cluttered with furniture and labeled cardboard boxes. The door was being held open by one of them, which had been marked "knuck's stuff." He pounded on the door despite it being wide open— fury doesn't mean forgetting your manners.

     A blue hedgehog peeked out from the room directly next to Shadow's. He stared at Shadow for a bit, which wasn't too surprising considering the state he was in. Untamed quills, shirt falling off his left shoulder, he looked a mess. Plus, there were a few holes in his face from not putting piercings in them that morning.

     "What's up, dude?" The cobalt one smiled.

     "Can you keep it down?" Shadow queried, "Who even are you, anyway?" 

     He blinked, "Yeah, sorry about that, man... I'm Sonic!" Sonic announced cheerfully.

     Shadow rolled his eyes, "You already met my roommate, Rouge. Quit being a nuisance, and you'll never have to see me again." He began to walk away, but was stopped after Sonic placed his hand on his shoulder. 

     "Wait!" 

     The ebony hedgehog turned around slowly, removing Sonic's hand with his own. He despised being touched, especially if it was sudden.

     "...What could you possibly want?" He asked through gritted teeth.

     "Are you and that bat, like, together? And— wow! I love your shirt, Chappell Roan is great! So, what's your name?" Despite all the red flags being presented before him, Sonic wasn't willing to shut up and get back to moving in.

     Shadow took a deep breath out of frustration, "Why don't you try putting two and two together and—" 

     "—W-well now that I think about it—"

     "No. We are not. Together." He answered, overstimulated purely by Sonic's presence.

     Before the cobalt hedgehog could apologize, Shadow was already back in his complex, absolutely seething at the asinine interaction he had just been disgraced with. He wasn't sure how long he'd survive with this imbecile living next door.

     Shadow sat down next to Rouge on the couch, grabbing a throw pillow and screaming into it loudly. Her eyes widened before she erupted into laughter, which made him hit her with said pillow repeatedly. His crash-out was the most expressive she'd seen this whole summer.

     "I take it didn't go too well?" She snickered.

     "NO! He asked if we were dating!" 

     Rouge's brow arched, "...Even with the Chappell shirt?"

     "Yes." His eye twitched for the millionth time that morning.

     "I can't wait to see how this plays out... I invited him and his roommate over for dinner tonight." She said, smirking.

     Shadow simply stared at her, ready to take her outside and shove her teeth against the concrete. 

     "Who was that?" Knuckles asked as he walked out of Sonic's room.

     "Just Rouge's roommate... who already hates us." He sighed.

     The echidna laughed, "What the hell did you do, dude?"

     "...He was really hot, and I panicked— so I asked him if he was dating Rouge as he was wearing a Chappell Roan shirt! AND WE HAVE TO SEE HIM TONIGHT!!" Sonic explained, dramatically curling up into a ball on the floor.

     "You have to see him tonight. Also, I don't know who Chappell Roan is...so..." He shrugged, picking up one of the boxes outside and bringing it in.

     The hedgehog jumped up, "Be quiet, putting that down!!!" He warned.

     Knuckles arched his brow, placing the box down as carefully as he could, all with a confused look on his face, "Why do you care?"

     "Why do you think he came over here to begin with?!"

     "Ohh..." He gave Sonic a thumbs-up,  "Now, will you get off the floor and help me move this shit inside?" 

     He got up off the floor, nodding reluctantly as they both of walked in and out (many, many times) to carry boxes and varying furniture to their respective places inside the complex. This took them another hour, mostly because Sonic continually distracted himself by opening boxes and messing with whatever they contained.

     Amy had messaged them while they (Knuckles) were finishing up, asking them to come down to a local cafe and hang out. Once everything was in its place, Knuckles and Sonic figured they had nothing better to do in the meantime and headed down to "Retro Brews." 

✧✧✧

     The cafe was located on the corner of the street. It was small and could be easily overlooked by the large buildings surrounding it. However, it was definitely the more colorful part of the street, having decorated windows and fairy lights. These decorations were all it took to have Sonic enticed.

     Once they walked inside, they were met by the comforting scent of freshly brewed coffee beans. It wasn't too busy, but there were enough people inside to show that it was a thriving business. Quaint jazz coming from the speakers wrapped up the aesthetic perfectly. 

     Amy was sitting with Silver and Blaze, quietly sipping on her honey vanilla latte, before she noticed Knucks and Sonic, waving at them to come over. Knuckles walked up to the counter to order Sonic and himself something; the hedgehog sat next to Amy within seconds. 

     "So, are you guys all moved in?" She asked, smiling warmly as always.

     He nodded, "Yeaaahhh... I mean, if you count boxes everywhere as 'moved in.'" Sonic chuckled.

     She sighed, "You're a hot mess, I don't know what we're gonna do with you." Amy clicked her tongue, shoving him playfully. 

     "I bet even after everything's unpacked, it'll still be a pig pen..." Blaze snickered, "Poor Knucks."

     "He's used to my messiness. Plus, I'll get random motivation around three in the morning to fix it all!" Sonic beamed, his leg bouncing up and down rapidly.

     "You're shaking the table, dude. You okay? Did you take your meds?" Silver asked.

     Blaze put her hand on his shoulder, "You can't just ask people that—"

     "It's fine, 'cause I didn't. He gets it. Except your meds are just fat blunts, huh?" Sonic laughed.

     Amy hit him, "Sonic!!!"

     Silver giggled, "Perchance..."

     "You can't just say perchance— KNUCKLES!" Sonic cheered, grabbing his iced cappuccino from the echidna's hands.

     Knuckles scooched in next to Sonic, leaving Amy to basically hug the wall, but she didn't mind too much. The five of them continued to converse, mostly talking about mundane and utterly useless topics, such as who would survive a zombie apocalypse. They unanimously agreed that Silver would die first if he didn't have access to his powers.

     Somehow, they came back to the topic of the move, which ultimately had Sonic (unintentionally) gushing about Shadow. Despite him getting scolded by the ebony hedgehog this morning, he was still going on and on about how "beautiful" he looked "fresh out of bed." Gay-ass.

     "I need to be friends with him, at least! He was rightfully upset. I also need to find his Instagram or something—" Sonic pulled out his phone, "Shit...I don't even know his name."

     "He didn't tell you?" Amy asked.

     The blue hedgehog shook his head, "Okay, do any of you have experience in internet stalking?" 

     Blaze rolled her eyes and snatched Sonic's phone, "What was the name of his roommate again?"

     "Rouge..." Knuckles told her.

     She started typing away, finding Rouge's Instagram rather quickly. The bat was somewhat popular on this app, not surprising considering... well, a lot of things. Mostly, how gorgeous she was. Blaze searched through her following, and sure enough, Shadow was amongst the hundreds of random businesses and celebrities she followed. 

     "Shadow. That's his name, but his account is private..." Blaze went back to Rouge's account and went through her posts, "Is this him?"

     Sonic took his phone back and smiled brightly, "YES! Blaze, you're unbelievable!" 

     "It wasn't even hard..." Her face flushed at the sudden praise.

     Amy looked over at Sonic's screen, "He is pretty cute..."

     Blaze shrugged, "What did you think, Silver?" She asked.

     "Raw. Next question."

     And now, everyone was staring at Silver with an insanely surprised look on their face. He was aromantic and had never shown interest in ANYONE before. When it came to asking if someone was hot, he always said, "I don't know..." This...this was crazy.

     His face quickly flushed beet red, "I-I just see the appeal! I would never actually...y'know...I just... I— never mind." Silver covered his face with his hands, groaning out of embarrassment.

     "Wow. We finally know what Silver's type would be." Knuckles laughed, "Speaking of Shadow, we should probably get going here soon." He disclosed.

     Despite it only feeling like they'd spent fifteen minutes together, it had actually been around two hours. How time flies when you're discussing an entire zombie apocalypse show's plot, except replacing the cast with anthropomorphic college students. 

     Sonic and Knuckles quickly said their goodbyes, heading back to their apartment to get ready for dinner. Rouge said to come over at four-thirty, which seemed early for dinner until Knucks realized she was probably expecting them to come a bit later. Or, in Rouge's words, "an excuse to bond with the red one." 

     It was around four forty-five, and Rouge was stalling as much as possible so she could have Knuckles cook with her. This was her "ultimate test" to see if he was boyfriend material, or at least one-night-stand worthy. She was wearing a full face of makeup and a burgundy satin dress that only went down to her thighs.

     "I don't understand why you're treating our apartment like a five-star restaurant, Rouge." Shadow quipped.

     "I'm showing off the goods. If you had tits like these, you'd show them off, too. It's all a part of the test..." She explained, chuckling softly.

     The hedgehog huffed, "You're more than your looks. Don't act like a desperate piece of garbage for a man you barely know..." He suggested.

     "I know I am! If I can get a night of fun out of him, it'll be a little bit worth it." Rouge sighed, "I am desperate."

     Shadow offered her a sympathetic smile, "Anyone would be lucky to call you their lover. For many more reasons than 'the goods' you have to offer. Be yourself." 

     Rouge rolled her eyes playfully, "I can say the same for you, hon'. I promise you, when I say you don't need ecstasy to fall in love, I mean it." 

     "...Just don't bring up any of my business at dinner. Have at it with the echidna, and I'll... try to be decent with the hedgehog." Shadow grumbled.

     The bat nodded, smirking as she started to make the dish everyone would be having for dinner. In the back of her mind, however, she was secretly hoping for Knuckles to say something about her aside from what she made obvious. That was the real test. Unfortunately, Shadow would never get that. She never did need his reassurance.

     About five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Shadow reluctantly got up from his seat and opened it, being met with his cobalt counterpart. 

     "Hello, Sonic." Shadow's eye twitched...again.

     However, instead of responding, Sonic was completely starstruck. He was losing his mind when Shadow was unruly, and now he's ready to jizz his pants after seeing him tidied up. The black button-up exposing just a hint of his chest, the leather pants... it was all too much. And Shadow was the one talking about treating the apartment like a five-star restaurant... 

     "...Are you going to come inside?" 

     The blue hedgehog blinked a few times, "Wh- yeah! Just...admiring um, your decorum!" He laughed nervously.

     Knuckles sighed, "He's a dumbass, just ignore him." He said, walking inside.

     Shadow walked back into the kitchen and sat down where he had been previously, a bad taste already being left in his mouth. The only reason he left the top button undone was that he hated the way the collar felt on his neck. But it did feel nice to be looked at in awe rather than hatred: He made a lot of enemies. 

     Rouge turned around, "Hey, Knuckles, how are you, hon?" She asked, smiling brightly.

     "I'm pretty good. Definitely tired from doing most of the moving, but it's whatever." He smiled back, "What's on the menu tonight?" 

     "Eggplant parmesan, is that okay? Would you...maybe want to help out a little?" Rouge asked, her teal eyes focused on his violet ones.

     The echidna nodded, "Yeah, I don't mind! Let's just hope I don't get sauce on my shirt... of course I wore white." He laughed.

     Rouge blinked a few times, just now realizing that he was, in fact, wearing white. A white wife-beater and some sage green cargo pants. She had been more focused on his muscular stature. Oh, how the tables have turned...

     He stood right next to her, "Where do you want me?" 

     "Can I trust you to make the marinara? Or are you one of those guys who...boils chicken and calls it food?" Her brow arched curiously.

     Knuckles rolled his eyes, smirking, "I may be a knuckle-head, but I'm not a complete idiot." 

     "That was terrible," Rouge giggled, "Alright, show me what you've got. If it turns out terrible, I'm blaming it on you~" She sang, taking out a cutting board and knife for the eggplants.

✧✧✧

     While Rouge and Knucks were conversing as if they'd known each other for years, the hedgehogs were sitting in awkward silence. Well, it was awkward for Sonic: Shadow couldn't have cared less. 

     "So, uh..." Sonic began, his gaze wandering around the room, "What kind of music are you into?" He asked; it was the only thing he could think of.

     "Guess."

     The blue hedgehog squinted his eyes, looking Shadow up and down, "I feel like you'd listen to 90s rock bands."

     "Nope. Do you?" Shadow didn't feel like revealing anything about himself; he felt it could only be used against him.

     He scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, sorta. But I like all kinds of music. Pop, alternative stuff; you name it, there's something of it in one of my playlists!" 

     "...Fine. I suppose you can't agitate me then if you 'like all kinds of music.' Sabrina Carpenter has been my top artist for every Spotify Wrapped since 2019." Shadow admitted, averting his gaze.

     "Really?! I wouldn't have expected it, but she's good! I like 'Taste' and 'Nonsense.' That's as far as my knowledge goes, though. What else do you like?" Sonic asked with genuine interest. 

     The ebony hedgehog met his gaze, holding back a smile, "Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Kehlani, SZA, amongst others..." He replied.

     "Favorite T.S. album on three. One... two... three! 1989!" Sonic loudly announced.

     "Evermore. Damn, you're basic." 

     The blue hedgehog rolled his eyes, "I only know her popular songs, it's just nice to see you less edgy."

     Shadow grumbled, embarrassed at the fact that he was having a nice conversation with someone he was sure he'd end up loathing. He took a deep breath and composed himself; it wasn't that serious.

     "Anyway, what do you listen to, Sonic?" 

     It seemed as if Sonic were about to jump out of his seat and explode, "AAA! I like Linkin Park, System of a Down, Pierce the Veil, Nine Inch Nails, Incubus—" He continued to list a bunch of bands and artists, all without taking a single breath.

     Suddenly, he was gasping for air, "Anddddd many more!" 

     Shadow bit the inside of his cheek, holding back a laugh. It was nice to know that someone else also acted insanely over the things they enjoyed. But it wasn't like he was getting along with this imbecile... of course not.

     "Sooooo, what's your favorite song, like ever? I know that's an impossible question to answer, but still! For me, it's definitely 'The Hand That Feeds' right now. But my favorite song changes, like, every other day." He giggled in a way that was reminiscent of a child. Adorable.

     Don't cave in, Shadow, he thought to himself, Sonic is just another asshole. He isn't attractive nor nice to be around in the SLIGHTEST. After this dinner, we are focusing on never seeing him again. Even though they were neighbors...?

     "It's not that hard a question to answer. For me, at least. It's between two songs, though: 'Dumb and Poetic' and 'marjorie.' They're usually on repeat unless I'm on a run." He answered.

     Once again, Sonic was practically jumping out of his seat, "You go on runs?! Me too!!! Where do you run? It's a little hard to in the city..." He was beaming. Very brightly.

     "I'm...not disclosing that information. Plus, the oven just went off. Let's focus on eating rather than where to find me every day..." Shadow scowled, even if he wasn't that mad.

✧✧✧

     Once everyone had sat down and Rouge had given everyone their plates (along with some wine), that was when the room erupted with conversation. Even Shadow the edge-hog seemed to be having a nice time, despite pretending to be pissed off the whole time. 

     Sonic was talking at a thousand words a second, having finished his food within a few minutes, just to talk more (and because it was really good). Knuckles never took his eyes off Rouge, his gaze only occasionally breaking away from her aquamarine eyes. Shadow was the only one who noticed this, however.

     "Looks like you didn't mess up the whole dish, Knucks. Congrats, you've passed the test." Rouge snickered, grabbing his hand from under the table.

     "...What test? I can cook?" He laughed awkwardly.

     The ebony hedgehog rolled his eyes, "You'll find out soon enough..."

     Knuckles stayed confused, even as Sonic obnoxiously wiggled his eyebrows up and down at him. The echidna wasn't an idiot, just naive and completely oblivious to when people were interested in him. Yeah, they're just holding hands as acquaintances. 

     They stayed for another hour and a half, talking just as much nonsense as they would with their regular friend group. But rather than zombie apocalypses, they talked about their celebrity smash or passes. Surprisingly enough, even Shadow participated. He just...didn't give any explanations. 

     "Okay— what about Ian Somerhalder?" Sonic asked the table, "I say pass. It's the freaky blue eyes, man..."

     Shadow raised his brows, "Smash."

     "Smash! Obviously smash, you idiot!" Rouge slammed her fist down on the table. This was serious! 

     "...Sonic, you're fucking crazy if you don't say smash." Knuckles scoffed. 

     The cobalt hedgehog groaned, "FAKE! You're all fake; I'm leaving. Thanks for the dinner, Rouge, it was great. You have a LOVELY apartment." Sonic announced, promptly walking out the door.

     "Wow, I didn't realize he was being serious. Good riddance." Shadow quipped, finally letting out a sly smirk.

     Knuckles stood up, "I guess that's my cue to get outta here. Plus, we have, like, fifty boxes that need opening... and sorted through. Fuck. Will I see you around?" He asked Rouge.

     "Check your back pocket, sweetie." She winked.

     The echidna arched his brow, pulling out a pink sticky note from his back pocket, one that had her number on it with a heart. He smirked, his cheeks flushing ever so slightly. Knuckles waved to her as he walked back into his complex.

     Shadow leaned back in his chair and sighed, "That's enough socialization for a week. Jesus, does that hedgehog talk." 

     "You think and Knuckles and I have a chance together?" Rouge asked her roommate, completely ignoring his statement regarding Sonic.

     He nodded, "He was staring at you the whole time. Lovingly, not in a weird way. Did he really not notice you putting a sticky note into his ass pocket?" 

     "If he did, he sure as hell didn't give a shit. Good to know." She snickered, placing the plates into the sink.

     "Well," Shadow stood up, "I'm going to bed. If you want to smoke later, just wake me up..." 

     Rouge began to wash the dishes, "You know I will, hon'. Goodnight."

     "Night," The hedgehog replied, walking into his room.

     As he discarded his shirt to the floor, his leather pants soon following with it, he looked around at the many Sabrina Carpenter vinyls that hung on the walls. Once he put his sleepwear back on, Shadow lay down in bed and placed his AirPods into his ears.

     Taking out his phone, he shuffled Sabrina's discography.

♬ Don't have to tell your hot ass a thing. Oh yeah, you just get it. ♬

♬ Whole package, babe, I like the way you fit. God bless your dad's genetics. ♬

♬ You make me make you want to fall in love. Oh, late at night I'm thinking 'bout you, oh, oh... ♬

     "Oh, for fuck's sake..." Shadow muttered, skipping the song, despite how much he enjoyed it.

Chapter Text

     It was an early Sunday morning, and Shadow had decided to go on a run. He usually waited until later in the day to do so, but he was restless and needed something to do (other than rot in bed). Plus, it was beautiful outside right now.

     The sunrise lit up the sky, painted with various pink, yellow, and orange colors. The breeze was brisk, but not too cold, and the city was tranquil. Shadow was rather eager to go outside, which wasn't typical of him. He loved the nighttime, but this morning was too perfect.

     He got out of bed, stretching a bit before getting dressed. He picked out a black compression t-shirt and paired it with grey sweatpants, as it was still too cool to wear shorts. Lastly, he put on his shoes and headed out the door, AirPods in, and his workout playlist shuffled.

     Once Shadow was outside, he paused to breathe in the morning air, smiling as the breeze brushed against his quills. He then took off, running his usual path through Central City.

✧✧✧

     At the same time, another hedgehog was getting ready for his morning jog. Sonic had gotten prepared a little after Shadow did, making it out of the apartment building's doors just in time to see the edge-hog take off. He knew it was a bad idea, but couldn't help following behind him.

     Sonic never took this path: Usually, he went outside the city and into the more suburban areas, often feeling safer in a neighborhood rather than a bustling metropolis. When sketchy shit happens there, no one typically sees it, nor will they hear about it until a week later. 

     He wondered why Shadow took this route, to begin with. He seemed like a much more cautious person than Sonic, so there's no way he hadn't thought of these scenarios before. But then again, Shadow is a cisgender man, so maybe he genuinely didn't worry about that stuff.

     It had been around thirty minutes before Shadow stopped in Central City Park, of all places. He sat down on the edge of the center fountain, checking his phone before standing back up. Sonic figured this would be a good time to talk to him. I mean, it was a little weird how he was following the ebony hedgehog. 

     Sonic waved to him, a bright smile on his face. Shadow saw him out of the corner of his eye, but figured he had been waving to someone else. Unfortunately, he was incorrect, as five seconds later, there he was, talking to Shadow senselessly. 

     Shadow groaned, taking an AirPod out of his ear, "Were you following me?" He asked, annoyed. 

     The cobalt hedgehog's cheeks flushed, "Sort of? Just thought that since we're, like, neighbors and all, we could be running buds! Whaddya say?" Sonic offered, holding his hand out to shake.

     Shadow looked him up and down with repulsion, "No."

     Sonic retracted his hand, face as red as his busted-up shoes. He didn't know what else to say, so the hedgehogs were left in awkward silence. It didn't last long, however, as Shadow began running in the direction that he came from, hoping Sonic wouldn't follow. But of course, he did.

     "Wait!" He called out, "I— I-I'm sorry, dude!" 

     Shadow began to run faster— like, extremely fast. His shoes, made it look like he was skating. Is he wearing Heelys? Sonic wondered, smirking as he picked up the pace. 

     Of course, both hedgehogs could run as fast as the speed of sound, but that wasn't something they showed off or even utilized on a day-to-day basis. However, seeing someone with a similar skill level to him, Sonic was positively intrigued. Within a few seconds, he was running right next to Shadow.

     "Gotta be quicker than that if you think you can outrun me!" The blue hedgehog snickered, "Are those Heelys?" 

     "They're air shoes!" Shadow corrected, speeding off and back into their apartment building. 

     Sonic groaned, following him inside. 

✧✧✧

     He reached their floor and knocked on Shadow's door vigorously, with no plans of stopping until his frenemy answered the door.

     However, Shadow didn't have much patience or the ability to ignore people, so he opened the door rather quickly. Sonic grinned, despite being met with the angriest face anyone could make.

     But before he was able to say anything, Sonic finally got a good look at the ebony hedgehog. And, oh my god, the compression shirt was enough to have him figuratively foaming at the mouth. He wondered what Shadow looked like with it off... only wearing those grey sweatpants—

     "My eyes aren't on my crotch, jackass." Shadow snarled, slamming the door in Sonic's face.

     "Goddamnit." The cobalt hedgehog mumbled, giving up and heading into his and Knuckle's complex. 

     After Sonic had left to go on his run, Knuckles decided that he would go to Retro Brews for a little bit. He figured it would be a nice pick-me-up before his shift at the gym as a personal trainer. Damn Instagram models and their morning routine videos... the echidna hated being awake this early.

     The cafe had only opened an hour ago, leaving it rather empty inside when he arrived there. Just two baristas at the counter and Knuckles. He stepped up to the counter and ordered a "Rising Sun Latte," which was a fancy name for a matcha with espresso. 

     But when he went to sit down, he noticed a familiar face out of the corner of his eye: It was Rouge! She was typing on a laptop, iced green tea sitting next to it. Knuckles found himself admiring her for a while before even thinking of sitting next to her. 

     Unlike the last time they saw each other, she wasn't wearing any makeup and was a lot more casual-looking, rocking an off-shoulder sweater and some black leggings. Rouge looked a lot more comfortable, even if whatever she had been working on was getting on her nerves; her brows furrowed angrily, but her skin was glowing brighter than the morning sun. 

     The echidna realized he had been staring and shook his head, walking over to Rouge and smiling as he waited for her to notice him. Her teal eyes were laser-focused on the screen, darting from left to right as she read. She groaned suddenly and sat back against the booth, turning her head, which led her to be startled by Knuckles's presence. 

     "Oh!" The bat laughed softly, "Didn't see you there, hon'." 

     "Sorry," He chuckled softly, "You mind if I sit with you?" He asked, mesmerized by her natural beauty.

     Rouge smirked, "Of course. I could probably use a break from this report." She admitted, promptly closing her laptop.

     Knuckles sat down, taking a sip of his matcha before placing it down on the table, "Report?"

     She rolled her eyes, "It's a police report I've been looking over; it just doesn't make any sense. I have to rewrite it, but the story's so jumbled, and... god, it's too early for this." Rouge explained.

     "Wait— police report?" The echidna queried, his brow arched curiously.

     "I'm an intern at a detective agency. I figured it would be good to get some experience before graduating from college. I'm majoring in criminal justice. Surprising, right?" She forced a laugh.

     He blinked, "Why is that surprising?"

     Rouge looked at him with dismay, "You... seriously aren't going to make a joke about how I 'don't need college' because I would 'make bank being a sex worker'?"

     "Um...no?"

     The bat stared at him in awe, despite it being the bare minimum to respect people... and treat them like people instead of objects. Knuckles stared back, concerned as to what this poor woman's past entailed. His mama made sure that he wouldn't be an incel, so hearing about stories like this always had him in pure disbelief. 

     "So...guys have actually—" He paused, "...told you, you'd be better off as a sex worker? Genuinely?" Knuckles was absolutely bamboozled.

     "Yeah, that's not even the worst I've been told— are you really shocked?" Rouge was just as confused.

     The echidna nodded, "YES! That is not normal. Is that normal for you?! I'm so sorry." 

     "YES? It's normal for every woman! At least you apologized. Except, you aren't the one who needs to!" She groaned, "This is awful. But enough about my life, what are you doing here?" 

     "Just hangin' out before I have to go pretend to be a personal trainer for this influencer lady. She wastes both of our time vlogging her sets, but at least I get paid for it..." Knuckles told her.

     Rouge rolled her eyes, "Sounds about right. Is that all you do? Does it pay well?" She wondered.

     "Well, school starts again tomorrow, but I'm not too worried about it. I mean, I'm a fuckin' geology major, so it's not like lives are on the line if I fuck this up." He shrugged, "And, yeah, somewhat. Nothing pays enough anymore, y'know?"

     "Tomorrow? Do you go to CCU?" 

     The echidna nodded, which had them both smiling brightly. With just one look, they realized that all this time, they had been going to the same school. What kind of a coincidence is that? 

     Knuckles pulled out his phone, checking the time, "Oh, shit. I've gotta get going, but I'll see you around, right?" 

     "Don't worry about it, baby. You'll be seeing me a lot, I'm sure of it." Rouge winked, waving him goodbye.

✧✧✧

     As Knuckles "trained" the girl, all he could think about was Rouge. Her smooth, velvety voice, her adorable laugh, and her infinitely illuminated eyes: She was so sweet. Despite only having known her for a couple of days, he loved being around her. These were all qualities of an amazing friend. 

     Unfortunately, he was a little oblivious to both his own and Rouge's feelings. Yikes.

     It was early in the afternoon when Rouge came back from the cafe. She walked into her and Shadow's complex and was met with radio silence. The hedgehog wasn't a loud person, but when he was home alone, he took advantage of it. He'd binge-watch shows, blast music, and do all of the things that he didn't want anyone else to see. Not even Rouge.

     She didn't find his hobbies or interests embarrassing, and she took time to tell him it was okay to be his authentic self around her. Regardless, his hatred of being perceived persisted. 

     Rouge placed her laptop on the coffee table, only noticing Shadow's presence on the balcony as she walked toward her room. There were only two scenarios in which Shadow hung out on their balcony, either to smoke or to stargaze. Ah, the duality of man. 

     She opened the sliding glass door, standing in the doorway, "What's got your panties in a bunch?" 

     "Shut up." The hedgehog rolled his eyes, joint resting between his thumb and index finger.

     She walked outside, closing the door behind her. Rouge stood next to Shadow, leaning against the railing and looking at her roommate expectantly. He groaned softly, passing the joint over to her. She inhaled, blowing the smoke into the hedgehog's face, mostly because she knew it annoyed him. His response was a nasty glare sent directly into her soul.

     "So... how has your day been thus far?" 

     "Annoying. That senseless blue hedgehog followed me while I was on my run... and then he stared at my dick for a solid thirty seconds. Thirty. Seconds." He told her, seething as if it were happening to him once again.

     Rouge shrugged, "Sucks to be hung, huh?" She asked with a serious voice before erupting into laughter.

     Shadow's cheeks flushed as he punched her in the shoulder. Hard. She continued to laugh despite her arm already bruising. Rouge and Shadow had known each other since they were kids; over time, fighting like they were siblings became the norm.

     "How about you, Rouge? How was your morning?" He grumbled.

     She giggled, "It was actually pretty good. I found out who my future husband is going to be~"

     "...What? Who? Since when did you want to get married?" The hedgehog queried, a little bit surprised.

     "Knuckles. And I wasn't being literal; I could never get married. I don't think so, at least. That usually entails having kids with that person, and I...am not the type of person who should be a mother." Rouge answered.

     Shadow glared at her once more, this time in complete disbelief, "You've known him for less than a week, and you're... one hundred percent sure... that he's the one? Are. You. Serious?" He questioned, baffled that she was thinking like a moronic middle-school girl. 

     "I mean, I want to keep talking to him for sure. He's a sweet guy; dating him would be nice." She noted, smiling as she thought about the echidna.

     The hedgehog huffed, "Good luck with that..." He remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

     "Oh, shut up. You need to go on a date for once. Maybe you'd be less miserable if you had someone like that in your life." Rouge suggested.

     Shadow sighed once more. It had been a long time since he dated anyone, and even then, he wasn't the type to commit to long-term relationships. The longest any of his romantic relationships lasted was about four months, but he and his partner were seeing other people during that time, so did it really count? 

     He shook his head, opened the door, and headed back inside. Shadow went straight to his room, ready to disassociate and pretend that Rouge was wrong. Deep down, he knew that it would probably be good for him to try seriously dating someone. But part of him feared that he'd only end up hurting whoever he decided to be with. 

     Ever since his conversation with Shadow this morning, Sonic had been acting...odd. He was quiet, consistently zoning out, and overall not acting like himself at all. When Knuckles came back to the apartment, he realized this almost immediately. 

     The hedgehog was sitting on the couch, staring at the black TV screen as if something was playing on it. Knuckles waved his hand in front of Sonic's face, but there was no reaction. He then shook him rather aggressively, assuming that it would do the trick. 

     And it did! Sonic blinked a few times, "AH— Hey, maaannn! What's up?" He smirked.

     "What is your problem?! Why are you zoning out like that?" The echidna asked, looking Sonic up and down. 

     He sighed, "Dude, I gotta be so honest with you." The hedgehog paused, "I can't stop thinking about Shadow. The thing is, he's such a dick. I just know I can be friends with him, though." 

     "Is that why you texted me, 'think I'm in my getting bitches era'?" Knuckles asked.

     "It was a silly little joke! But he is... so fine. But that's, like, a normal thing to think about someone. Y'know?" 

     Knuckles shook his head, which led Sonic to let out a dramatic groan of frustration. He found almost everyone attractive, but some people stood out more than the rest. Shadow was one of them, and he couldn't get his mind off the ebony hedgehog's gorgeous figure. He had muscles, but he wasn't a macho asshole! It was great!

     Sonic was desperate to be this guy's friend, but it felt like Shadow would never come out of his shell. Then again, he loved the chase. 

     "Sooo... was Kayla as shitty as she usually is?" Sonic asked.

     "She keeps trying to include me in her stupid vlogs... I'm this close to telling her she can't come to me anymore." He replied, his index finger and thumb only about a centimeter apart from each other.

     The hedgehog laughed. He opened his mouth to say something else, but noticed that Knucks had gone into the bathroom to shower. He left his phone on the kitchen counter, and it was buzzing like crazy. A little peek won't hurt, Sonic thought to himself as he stood up.

     He picked up Knuckles's phone, reading the notifications from his lock screen.

✧✧✧

     Messages

     Rouge: hey it was rlly nice seeing u today !! you're so sweet + i'd love to hang out more. r u free next friday? we could go to a bar or smth, idc what we do tho lol. just lmk, ok hon? ♡♡♡

✧✧✧

     Sonic smirked, placing the phone back down, "Ohhhh, shit..."

Chapter Text

     School had finally started, and Sonic was already miserable. He was never the type of guy who enjoyed learning, especially when he was tied down to a specific path. Honestly, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to finish school. But it was his senior year, and he didn't want to waste the track scholarship he'd gotten; it covered almost all of the costs he would've had to pay. 

     He had picked public health as a major and told people he was going to be an EMT (which was complete bullshit). He wanted to impress his family, make a difference in the "real world," and, more importantly, prove his worth. To whom? Mostly himself, but he never talked about those feelings. 

     Sonic didn't hide them in the way Shadow did; he just felt as though his situation wasn't one to be upset about. So many people had it worse; it was "stupid" to get so caught up over the littlest things. He rejected therapy for this reason, too.

     So, not only did he feel like there was no point in anything he was doing, but he was also already struggling in one of his classes. It had only been a week, and Sonic had fully accepted that he was going to fail this class. 

     It was twelve forty-five, and he was getting ready to head over to the university for his one p.m. statistics class. That was the class that was giving him trouble. Not only was Sonic just bad at school in general, but he was especially shitty at any math course he had ever taken. Cs were the highest grades he could ever achieve. 

     "I think it's a sign to drop out now and figure out some other career that doesn't require all...this." Sonic ranted, searching for his notebook as he talked to Knuckles.

     "Dude," The echidna paused, "You act like you're the first person to consider dropping out. No one cares if you do, y'know." He assured the hedgehog.

     Sonic groaned, shoving a red notebook into his decked-out tote bag. A plethora of pins covered the front, but didn't hide the print of Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" painting. One thing the cobalt hedgehog loved learning about and admiring was art. He was pretty talented in the medium, too, but it was a hobby he didn't show off much.

     "Even if I were serious about dropping out, I can't do it until after Christmas. Don't need my family bothering me about getting into a relationship AND quitting school... I'd rather avoid the confrontation with my mother." He explained, stepping out of his bedroom.

     Knuckles shrugged, "She can't be that bad, can she?" He wondered.

     Sonic glared at him, "Single mother, raised triplets by herself, had to deal with Manic's... everything, has to 'mourn the loss of her second daughter' because I 'selfishly decided' to 'turn into a man.' She is that bad. But it could be worse, y'know?"

     "Yikes... wait— what about Tails?" The echidna queried.

     Sonic clicked his tongue, "...He'll be able to get outta there soon enough. It helps that he's smart as shit. I do worry about him a lot, though."

     Knuckles put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, "Hey, man, it's gonna work out. It always does." He smiled.

     "Yeah, I've gotten this far, right?" 

     Sonic smiled back at his roommate as he walked out of the complex, mentally preparing himself to feel like a complete idiot in that damn lecture hall. It didn't help that his conversation with Knuckles had his mom on his mind. 

     He took a deep breath. Going into a class you're already anxious about with PRE-EXISTING anxiety isn't going to help. Chill, Sonic told himself. Over the years, the cobalt hedgehog learned how to successfully calm himself down: affirmations, reassurance, and breathing exercises didn't always help, but it was always worth a shot. 

     Sonic walked into the classroom and sat down close to the door, just in case he needed to nonchalantly BOOK IT during the middle of the lecture. Y'know, if the class got any worse than it already was. So much for positive thinking...

     As more students entered the room, he noticed a certain someone he hadn't seen since the last time he was in class. Black and red quills, amazing fashion sense, and a resting bitch face...was that Shadow the Hedgehog?! 

     It most certainly was, and Sonic was ecstatic. He contemplated walking over and sitting closer to him, but figured that could wait for another day. This immediately changed his mind about leaving halfway through, though. At least if he was bored with the lesson, he had another option: admiring Shadow.

     The professor began speaking, explaining a new topic that branched off from the one they discussed last time. It didn't take long for Sonic to get lost, but he still wrote down as much as he could comprehend. His notes were beginning to look like a tornado of panicked chicken scratch. 

     I mean, I'm the one writing. I'll know what I mean when it's time to study... Sonic shrugged, no longer worried about whether he'd be able to read his notes later. He then got distracted, tuning out the lesson and doodling on the paper. Someone forgot to take their Adderall! Just kidding, he's a college student; he can't afford that. 

     An hour-and-a-half class soon felt like ten minutes when he realized it was time to get out of there...and absolutely NOTHING had been accomplished. Notes? Only a fourth of them were actually written down, and it wasn't legible in the slightest. Homework? Definitely going to kill him later tonight. But at least he had a pretty drawing of Shadow to look at while doing it...

✧✧✧

     Shadow was a biology major, looking to be a neurologist in light of his late sister's fatal neurological disease. He loved to learn, especially about life and how it works. The ebony hedgehog adored all things scientific, but he also wanted to help people in need. 

     He'd never admit it to people like Sonic, but he was an extremely selfless person. Consistently helping out communities in any way possible, volunteering, he did a lot of good work, but refused to take the credit for it. Again, he hated to be perceived. 

     Regardless, school was never a struggle for him. He didn't hate it, either. CCU was great for him, and it was a breath of fresh air compared to his horrifically run high school. Here, no one cared who you were, where you came from, or how you lived your life. They didn't even acknowledge you. It was amazing.

     Being good at all things science, though, oftentimes means that math is also a strong suit. Shadow didn't have many opinions regarding math or math classes; it was just something he'd gotten used to as someone who wanted to pursue neurology. Studying the brain's complexities, interpreting data, and modeling neural activities, among other things, were all crucial to his desired career. 

     It was, however, rather convenient that he was pretty good at the things that would prepare him for those parts of his future career. For once, Shadow felt secure with what he was doing with his life. 

     His notes for each class were structured: color-coded, with noted learning objectives, and tied together with detailed headings and subheadings. He was precise and particular, which was probably why he did so well on tests of all subjects. He also recorded the lectures on voice memos, just in case he missed anything in his notes. Someone could probably learn a thing or two from him.

     Shadow noticed Sonic on the first day of class, making sure to sit far away from where he did. He was there to learn, not to converse with "imbeciles." But he did find himself looking back and watching him for a minute or two. Sonic's silly "concentrated faces" were honestly adorable, but no one had to know that Shadow was thinking that...

     After all, he hated the guy. Sonic was just another annoying idiot who thought he had a chance in the world. News flash: He didn't. Or at least, that's what the ebony hedgehog had to tell himself each time he was reminded of Sonic's existence. 

     As Shadow was walking to his apartment complex, he noticed Sonic doing the same thing. This wasn't surprising; it just meant he had to be quick to avoid another idiotic conversation with the hedgehog. He got out his keys, his hands shaking as he tried to fit them into the hole. (That's what she said...)

     He groaned, finally getting the key in and unlocking the door. Unfortunately, it was too late, because Sonic was right there. Shadow turned to face him, absolutely seething. Except this time, he was more angry with himself than Sonic.

     "Heeyyyy, Shads." The cobalt hedgehog beamed.

     "It's Shadow. You don't get to call me by a nickname." He corrected.

     Sonic put his hands in the air, "My bad! I do have...one teensy, tiny little question for you, though." He grinned.

     "What?" 

     "...Do you understand what's going on in stats? If so, I have a request... THAT you can say no to, butitwouldbereallygreatifyou—" 

     Shadow rolled his eyes, "You already need help?! We've only had two classes, are you dense?" He questioned.

     The blue hedgehog sighed, "Yes. Look, I've never been good at... school in general, but especially math. I can barely stay focused, let alone grasp the concept of what we're doing." Sonic explained, "Please, just help me out for the semester. I'll pay you back with literally anything you want. I promise." He held out his pinky finger; this was serious. 

     Shadow stared at the other hedgehog's finger. His angry expression softened as he shook Sonic's finger with his own, "Fine." He replied.

     Sonic smiled in surprise, his cheeks flushing a light pink. He wondered how it didn't take much at all to convince the edge-hog to help him out. What he didn't know was that Shadow had been immediately reminded of Maria. He made a pinky promise to her once, too.

     It was that he would find a cure for NIDS. If only she knew how hard he was working to get there. 

     "I have some other work I have to get done. You can come over at six, or later if that works better for you. Don't make this weird." Shadow told him, letting go of his finger.

     Sonic nodded, "I'll see you then!" He said before going into his complex.

     Shadow did the same, feeling like a fool for caving in so easily. Now he was stuck with that blue moron for the whole semester... what had he been thinking? Nothing at all, apparently. 

✧✧✧

     Rouge was sitting on the couch watching "90 Day Fiancé," which Shadow found to be repulsive. He discarded his bag on the floor, sat down next to his roommate, and stooped down to her level. According to him, being addicted to reality TV was an all-time low. 

     She gave him a look, "Now, what's your problem?" She asked. 

     "I just agreed to help Sonic with our work in statistics. Could you shoot me?" 

     Rouge laughed, "Oh, wow. Are you sure your unconscious isn't trying to tell you something?" She suggested.

     "Don't bring Freud's idiotic ideologies into this," Shadow quipped, "I'm civilly doing this, not to get close to him." 

     The bat shrugged, returning her focus to the TV, displaying a disgusting relationship between some young Balkan girl and a middle-aged American man. Shadow scoffed, getting up and going into his room.

     It was around six-thirty when Sonic came knocking at his neighbor's door. Shadow answered rather quickly, leading him into his room. Sonic looked around in awe, mostly because it was spotless.

     "I wish my room were this clean. I always lose motivation or get distracted." Sonic said, looking at all the things Shadow had decorated his room with.

     The ebony hedgehog rolled his eyes, "I'm not helping you with that one. And make sure you're not touching anything; everything has a place, and I don't need you messing it up." He told him.

     Sonic gave Shadow a thumbs-up. "Where do you want me to sit?"

     "We can both sit at my desk; it's large enough. Plus, I have a stool." Shadow pulled a little stool out from under his bed and set it next to his black office chair. 

     Out of common courtesy only, Shadow took the stool, grabbing his notebook and laptop. He opened their assignment and the notes from earlier in the day, nodding at Sonic to do the same. So, he did.  

     The cobalt hedgehog sat like a maniac in the office chair: That is, if he could even pick a position to stick with. Shadow's posture was perfect, which honestly looked a little odd, but Sonic didn't say anything. He just pulled out his...singular page of notes.

     "...Is that me?" The ebony hedgehog queried, more intrigued than upset, surprisingly enough.

     "Yeah, I got distracted." Sonic shrugged, "Can I just look at your notes?" He chuckled softly.

     Shadow nodded, "I don't mind, but this isn't bad at all. It's the only reason I'm not furious you drew me to begin with. Why is an art major in a statistics class?" He asked.

     "Oh, I'm a public health major."

     "...Why?" Shadow's brow arched curiously.

     Sonic blinked a few times, surprised that Shadow, of all people, was being... nice about this. Most people would tell him that art isn't a real career or something of the sort. I mean, his entire life was full of those comments.

     He shrugged, "It's something worth being." 

     "Not if you aren't interested in these subjects. Clearly, you aren't." The ebony hedgehog replied with conviction.

     "Well—" Sonic paused, "What's your major, then???" He questioned.

     "Biology."

     The cobalt hedgehog groaned, pulling up the assignment on his own laptop so they could get to work. As much as he wanted to keep talking about his love for art with Shadow, he knew that it probably wasn't worth it. Shadow didn't like him. 

     Over the next hour, Shadow went over the lesson on the different types of data and the importance of misleading graphs, all the while providing real-life examples and discussion questions he'd taken from the textbook. He needed it, seeing as his notes were drier than boiled chicken. For the first time, Sonic was getting this.

     Sure, what they'd been going over in class was fairly easy to the normal person, but it was fairly obvious to Shadow that his cobalt counterpart was struggling with a plethora of undiagnosed learning disabilities. He didn't like him, but he still liked helping. Plus, this was working for Sonic. 

     "Are you ready to start the assignment?" Shadow asked.

     Sonic nodded, "Yeah, now that I fucking get it!" He beamed, clearly happy that this was starting to make sense.

     Shadow watched as he read and answered the questions, all correctly, too. Only sometimes did he ask for help or for a second opinion, which made the ebony hedgehog overjoyed. He even managed to crack a smile.

     "Ooohhh, is that a smile I see?" The blue hedgehog queried, smirking like an idiot. 

     Shadow's face flushed scarlet as he turned away, "No! Stop acting like a fool and do your work!" He scolded, feeling rather embarrassed.

     Sonic laughed, "I finished it! Hundred percent, bitch! Up top!" He held his hand up for a high-five.

     The ebony hedgehog turned around, still as red as a rose, "Fine." 

     He went to high-five Sonic and missed because the blue hedgehog had moved his hand lower.

     "Down low!"

     Shadow tried to high-five him again... and was tricked once again.

     "Too slow~" Sonic sang, giggling.

     Shadow crossed his arms, "You're such a child!" He yelled.

     Sonic shrugged, leaning over and giving the edge-hog a hug, "Thanks for your help, man. I really appreciate it." He winked before getting up and leaving Shadow's room.

     Before the ebony hedgehog could react, Sonic was already gone. He didn't know whether to be furious or... proud? Usually, Shadow despised physical touch in every which way. However, something about the way Sonic's hug felt... it almost ignited something in him.

✧✧✧

     By the time he and Sonic were finished with their work, it was nine-thirty, and Shadow was exhausted. He figured it wouldn't hurt to go to bed this early, especially considering he didn't have any homework or studying to do. Well, he technically did, but he would save it for tomorrow since he didn't have any classes. 

     He always listened to music to help him sleep, and it was always a struggle to pick out what he would listen to for the night. But tonight, it was a rather easy decision. In fact, there was an urge to listen to 'reputation' by Taylor Swift. 

     It wasn't his favorite album, but it was definitely one of the gems that came from the 2010s. Despite the album's aesthetic of revenge and rising from the dead (figuratively), it was littered with love songs and a loud undertone of yearning. 

     Call it what you want, Shadow. We know what you are.

     Sonic danced into his apartment, squealing like a little girl. Knuckles looked up at him with confusion and a little bit of disgust. 

     "What's up your ass?" The echidna asked.

     The hedgehog giggled, "We're becoming frienndsss~!" He sang once more, "AND I understand what's going on now! Ha-ha!" 

     Knuckles watched as Sonic walked into his room, wondering what the hell had happened in Shadow's apartment. He pulled out his phone to text Rouge.

✧✧✧

     Knucks: i think sonic and shadow r fucking, bro. why is this blue gumball son of a bitch dancing and singing like a fuckin disney princess

     Rouge: hot topic over here is blasting taylor swift, so it's definitely a possibility... wanna bet on them getting together this semester?

     Knucks: absofuckinglutely. $50 is urs if they get together

     Rouge: $100?

     Knucks: fine. only cuz ur sweet or wtv

Chapter Text

     It had been a month since CCU's fall semester began, and the school year was already flying by. But it's not like a bunch of burnt-out, depressed college students are upset that the days seem to pass extraordinarily fast. They're ready to be done, even if autumn had just arrived in Central City.

     Regardless of the season changing, it was still bright and sunny, only ever reaching the sixties once a week, if that. Despite all this change happening around them, Rouge and Knuckles relatively stayed the same. 

     They talked to each other over the phone and in person every single day, gushing about each other to their roommate after every interaction. It was easy to see that they were falling hard for each other, even Shadow the Edge-hog was begging Rouge to make a move. However, nothing romantic happened between them for a while.

     Both of them were too busy to see each other outside of their apartment or the occasional meet-up at the CCU campus. Late-night calls and conversations from their balconies were what kept this relationship flourishing and growing as quickly as it had been. From an outside perspective, it was difficult to watch the tension turn into NOTHING.

     Suddenly, a few days ago, Rouge was pleasantly greeted by a text from her favorite echidna. 

     Knucks: hey, i would ask u this in person, but u and i both know that we're too busy to even see each other in the apartment building. ik we haven't been talking for that long, but i rlly love being around u and i'd love to take u out sometime. lmk when ur free, ok? ♡

     Rouge: r u stupid, ofc!! screaming, kicking my feet, u r the cutest thing. i would love that, sweetheart. does friday afternoon work?

     Knucks: surprisingly, it does. i have a whole plan, so i hope u like surprises lollll :) 

     Rouge: i usually don't. be glad i trust u LMAO ♡♡♡ 

     The only reason Knuckles had the balls to ask her to begin with was because Sonic had been "coaching" him that entire WEEK. They came up with the date plan together, his outfit for it, the whole nine. During one of their study sessions, Shadow made sure to tell Sonic what types of dates Rouge even liked to go on. Not that he cared... of course not. 

     After a while of brainstorming, Sonic and Knuckles came up with the idea to have him take her to one of those botanical gardens. Shadow had informed them that she was only ever taken out on shitty dates to the club or some restaurant, rather than being treated to something thoughtful and romantic. 

     Despite what people thought about her, she loved the classy type of romance: dancing in the rain, walking along the seashore, and love letters, amongst other things. It was mostly fueled by her love for romance movies, but it was still a genuine desire for her relationships. For once, it would be nice to see her get what she's always wished for. 

     It was around five in the afternoon when Knuckles knocked on Rouge and Shadow's door, holding a bouquet of pink and red roses. She opened the door, wearing a light pink, long-sleeved, lace-tied blouse and black flared leggings. Her face lit up with joy upon seeing the flowers...and Knucks.

     "Aw!" She giggled, "These are so pretty... It's okay if I bring them inside, right?" Rouge asked.

     Knuckles laughed, "Yeah, of course."

     While she was inside her complex getting the flowers situated, Knuckles pulled at his white compression t-shirt nervously, his stupid khaki cargos getting tighter by the second. Don't make an ass of yourself by trying to fix these stupid fucking pants, he told himself. 

     When Rouge came back out, she hugged the echidna, her head resting against his chest. She smiled, looking up at him with those beautiful aquamarine eyes. He blushed, wrapping his arms around her as well, the hallway feeling hotter than ever. It was safe to say that he was extremely nervous. 

     He pulled away, grabbing her hands gently, "You ready to go?" The echidna asked.

     She nodded, "I'm so excited! Is it a place we can walk to? It's so nice outside." Rouge suggested, squeezing his larger hands tightly.

     "Hm," Knuckles thought for a moment, "Yeah, it isn't that far. Let's get going." He let go of one of her hands and led her downstairs and out of the building.

✧✧✧

     The garden was only fifteen minutes (by foot) away from their apartment building, which gave them a decent amount of time to let all their anxiety wither away. They'd talked like this a million times; just because it was an official date didn't make it a foreign concept. Plus, the breeze had a cooling effect, so Knuckles wasn't sweating his balls off anymore.

     "Can I at least get a hint?" Rouge pleaded, "C'mon..." She pouted.

     Knuckles shook his head, chuckling softly, "No! It's a surprise for a reason." He reminded her.

     The bat scoffed, "Just say you hate me!" She giggled.

     "I do not."

     "Say it or tell me where we're going! I'm the only one allowed to gatekeep shit." Rouge nudged him with her shoulder.

     He rolled his eyes playfully, "Hypocrite. It's just around the corner; you can wait!" 

     "Fine... only because you're sweet." She smirked.

     They turned the corner and were met with a large, historical-looking building. It had an ivy-covered arch at the front, which led to the front French doors of the garden.

     There was a concrete path right before the doors, which was surrounded by shrubbery and wildflowers. Rouge's smile grew ten times bigger as she figured out where they were. 

      She was practically jumping up and down, "I've always wanted to go here! I just— I never have time and... I- Knucks..." Her cheeks flushed a light pink, her gaze softening as she looked up at the echidna.

     He scratched the back of his head, "Is it a good surprise?" 

     "The best. Let's go inside!!!" Rouge beamed, dragging Knuckles inside.

✧✧✧

     Despite the garden being indoors, the first room was decorated to resemble a fantasy-style forest. Stepping stones over shallow water with a mossy wooden bridge and overarching trees. There weren't many flowers in this room, but it was still amazing nonetheless.

     There was a metal bench near the end of the room where the trees parted perfectly to create a heart. Rouge sat down and patted the spot next to her so Knuckles would join her. He sat down, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. The bat took out her phone and snapped a quick picture of the two of them, her smile as bright as ever.

     "Oh, this is already so amazing! It smells so good in here, and I feel like a fairy... this is the best!" Rouge gushed, resting her head on the echidna's shoulder.

     He grinned, "I'm surprised they haven't taken you to be a part of the exhibit." 

     "Pfft- shut up. I'm not that pretty." She rolled her eyes.

     "You're gorgeous, what are you talking about? None of this can compare to how amazing you are. I may be a dumbass, but I'm not clueless." Knuckles told her.

     Rouge gave him a look, "And you aren't a dumbass. Stop being mean to yourself." 

     "Only if you stop it, too!" He pressed his forehead against hers, their eyes interlocking.

     "We're in public~" She whispered, snickering as Knuckles stood up from the bench.

     She got up as well, grabbing his hand and walking with him into the next room. Knuckles was a little bit embarrassed, but Rouge was rather ecstatic to know how badly he wanted to be close to her. She felt the same way, but having Knucks continually make the first move was extremely attractive to her. 

     The next room had a glass ceiling, the sun shining through and making the plethora of flowers seem brighter. This room was filled with a lot of shrubbery, paired with flowers hanging from the ceiling and off the walls. Lots of orchids, lilies, and a variety of other colorful flowers. 

     There was also a rectangular body of water in the middle of the room with a multitude of fish inside. This immediately distracted Knuckles, as he was more entertained by watching the fish move around than admiring the decoration of the room. 

     "I think those two are fighting..." He tilted his head, watching the little fishies intently.

     Rouge giggled, finding it adorable how engrossed he was in this community of sea creatures. She placed her hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently as she watched them with him. He jumped at the sudden touch, chuckling softly after realizing it was just Rouge.

     "I wonder what they think of us. I wonder how complicated fish societies can get... is it anything like how Mobian ones work?" The echidna queried.

     She shrugged, "I dunno. Unless you're planning to be the Émile Durkheim for fish, we'll probably never know." Rouge quipped.

     Knuckles arched his brow, unaware of what she was referencing. She shook her head, leading him into the next room. He spent the next five minutes asking who Émile was, and Rouge kept trying to tell him "never mind." She ended up just googling a summary on the guy to show Knucks.

✧✧✧

     Over the next several rooms, Knuckles and Rouge, aside from admiring the greenery and wonderfully done flower arrangements, were swimming in romantic tension. They never let go of each other's hands; the echidna's often wrapped gently around Rouge's waist. It looked like they'd been dating for years, despite having only known each other for a little over a month.

     I mean, hey, Rapunzel and Eugene got together within two days of knowing each other. And when you know, you know. They both knew it was just a matter of time until one of them said the words, "I want to be with you." Even a simple "I love you" would work. 

     But it had been a long time since Rouge had been in a meaningful relationship with anyone, since most of her encounters with romance ended rather horrifically. Truth be told, she was a little scared. Knuckles was perfect, but what if all of that changed as soon as things became official? 

     On the other hand, Knucks had only ever been in a few relationships, none of which were particularly bad. He had been isolated on Angel Island for so long; he didn't know how to be around people when these relationships were happening. His social ineptness was the downfall of them, or rather, the lack of patience and understanding from his partners' sides. 

     They both wanted things to go smoothly, for this to work, to be "soulmates," but sometimes it is too good to be true. As the end of the exhibit neared, Knuckles began to feel anxious once again. 

     The last area of the garden led visitors outside and into a small wisteria tree forest and a path leading back to the front of the building. Rouge gasped at this view, mostly because she was unhealthily obsessed with purple, and this was purple fever. She let go of the echidna's hand and skipped along the path, giggling like a little girl.

     Usually, she wouldn't act this soft or childish around any of her other dates, but Knucks made her feel comfortable enough to be herself. To act like a little girl again, to be silly, to be cute rather than "sexy and smooth." It was freeing.

     She stopped skipping suddenly, giggling as she twirled around, the wisteria petals floating around her. It looked straight out of a scene in a rom-com; Knuckles adored it. 

     "This is the best day EVER!" She squealed, running over to Knucks and tackling him in a hug.

     He stumbled back a bit, chuckling as he wrapped his arms around her, "I'm glad... I was worried you were gonna hate this." He admitted. 

     "Even if you took me to some shitty bar, I wouldn't be mad. It's you I'm going on a date with, after all. But I'm happy you made sure this was original... like, overjoyed." Rouge assured him, placing her hand on his cheek.

     Knuckles rubbed her back gently, making sure to be careful around her wings, "I don't want this day to end at all." He sighed.

     "Well, I plan on having many more days like this with you. It's okay to call it a day, baby." She told him, removing her hand from his cheek and placing it in his palm. 

     His face flushed a deep maroon. "You wanna get something from the gift shop first?" The echidna asked.

     "You know me so well..." She snickered.

✧✧✧

     The gift shop was just as crappy as any other, with overpriced items that were dollar-store quality; it was NOT worth it at all. However, Rouge had a shopping addiction, to say the least, so there was a one-hundred percent chance that she was buying something today. She was stuck in the section with all of the flowery resin jewelry.

     There were two necklaces she had been staring at for a while now. They had the same gold chain with a tiny flower encapsulated by clear resin and a gold border to said resin, but the flowers were two different colors. One was pink, and the other was purple. She loved purple, but you don't stack purple on purple clothes. Pink would match better...but purple.

     "Aha!" She grabbed them both and brought them up to the counter.

     After paying, she walked back over to Knuckles and put the purple one around his neck. He arched his brow, surprised that Rouge didn't keep the purple one for herself. 

     "We can match. That one matches your eyes, too. For once, I think I'm better off without the purple variant." She giggled.

     He blinked a few times, "My eyes?"

     "Last time I checked, they were violet... have you never looked in a mirror, hon'? If not, you're missing out." The bat quipped.

     Knuckles looked down at the necklace and smiled before looking back up at Rouge, "I love it. Thank you." 

     Rouge winked, putting on her necklace as well, her hand intertwined with the echidna's as they began walking back to their apartment building. 

     The sun was beginning to set as they were traversing through Central City once again, the purple-pink sky matching the beloved couple of friends as they walked home. They weren't as talkative as they were on the walk to the garden, both of them nervous to speak up about their feelings.

     There were about five minutes left of their walk, and Knuckles knew he had to say something. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat, turning his head toward Rouge. She noticed and looked up at him, waiting for him to speak.

     "I love you." He said, "I love how hilarious you are, how you laugh at your own jokes— your laugh is just contagious— your gorgeous eyes, everything. There's so much I don't even know how to say because I'm surprised you even want to be around someone like me. I want this to work, but I'm such an idiot—" Knuckles confessed, before Rouge put a finger up to his lips. 

     She shook her head, "I love you, too. And for the last time, you are NOT an idiot. This is going quickly, but it doesn't feel wrong. I want to try before I miss my chance, so thank you for saying something. I've been... afraid to, as embarrassing as that is." 

     "...I don't know how to be around people, Rouge. I didn't know a single other person until I was in my late teens. I don't know a lot, and so many people regard me as an idiot! It's hard not to believe it after a while." The echidna explained to her.

     Rouge squeezed his hand, "That isn't your fault. It doesn't bother me. You're perfect to me, Knucks... I don't want you to change at all." 

     They had reached the steps to the door of the apartment building. Rouge and Knuckles were standing in front of each other, gazing into each other's eyes with a mix of anxiety and wonder. 

     If we don't try, how will we know? Rouge wondered, fidgeting with her necklace worriedly. 

     Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes and pressing her lips against Knuckles's. While a little surprised at first, he was quick to return her level of passion, his large hands holding onto her waist. His cologne was everlasting, a mix of cedar and citrus, a scent she would cherish anytime they were this close.

     Rouge's lips were still covered in pink lip gloss, the cherry taste of it leaving Knuckles hungry for more. One of his hands left her hip and cupped her cheek as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She was fully accepting of this, one of her hands holding onto the back of his head.

     They stood there in the middle of the sidewalk for a few more minutes, passionately kissing each other as if letting go meant their whole world would collapse. Alas, oxygen is a necessity: They broke apart from each other, breathing heavier and suffering from severely flushed cheeks. 

     Rouge's lip gloss was smudged and no longer on her lips, but on Knucks's. She giggled, wiping some off his face with her thumb. They walked inside the apartment building, unable to keep their eyes off of each other. 

✧✧✧

     When they reached their complexes, they gave each other one last kiss before heading into their respective apartments. Love had struck the two of them hard.

     Shadow was waiting for Rouge in the kitchen with dinner, ready to kill Knuckles if he ended up being like the majority of guys she went out with. However, when he saw her with a big smile on her face and smudged gloss, he knew that it had gone exceptionally well. 

     Rouge closed the door, pressing her back against it and sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. She giggled, holding onto the resin necklace like it was a lifeline. 

     "I suppose you had a nice time?" The hedgehog assumed.

     "...The best time." She replied.

Chapter Text

     Sonic was never the type of guy to host parties, mostly because he was disorganized, and his procrastination always got the better of him. Plus, Amy was the queen of hosting, and she usually got around to having get-togethers at her place before Sonic even thought to do so. 

     However, he wanted to do something nice for everyone. Plus, he had been extremely bored after finally getting into a routine. He had a study schedule for the first time in years, as well as the days he got help from Shadow. The old him would've never studied until the night before, or even considered getting a tutor. 

     He was also catching up on sleep and managing to pay attention in classes using tips and tricks he had learned from the edge-hog. It felt odd to be put together like this, but it wasn't a bad trait to acquire in the slightest. 

     Now that he had gained this routine, he was severely understimulated. The adrenaline rush from completing homework right before turning it in, the amazing thirty-minute power naps he had to take just to function, and all of the sick parties he prioritized over school, Sonic missed it.

     Instead of messing all of that up, though, he had the bright idea to host a little party with his friends. Consider it a late housewarming party...with alcohol and fun music, of course. Everyone he loved had been so busy; it was going to be so nice seeing them all!

     He and Knuckles went to the local grocery store to get all they needed a few days prior: various bottles of alcohol, snacks, cups (and other disposable dishes), etc. Then, Sonic added everyone to a group chat to invite them. It was better than texting them all individually...

     blueeee: hey hey hey guys were having a sick party on saturday. pull up 🗣️ 

     Amy!!: What time? 

     blueee: idc just come. probs after noon tho cause i  wont be awake b4 that 

     blaziken: Dude how are you sleeping past NOON??????

     Silvaaa: from stayin up thinkin bout shadow... will he be there? :)

     blueee: no. 

     Rouge: he's not a partygoer. bro would throw a hissy fit if u invited him 

     blueee: ok enough abt shads, JUST COMMEEEEE i miss u guys :( 

     Saturday rolled around rather quickly, which had Sonic bouncing off the walls like a little kid hopped up on sugar. Knuckles, on the other hand, was happier knowing that Rouge would be there. He didn't exactly tell Sonic that they were official yet. Oopsie.

     It was around one p.m. when the first knock at the door was heard, which led to Sonic running to open it. Amy was there, wearing a pink dress with flowy sleeves and a little bow on the chest. She smiled, embracing Sonic in a warm hug. 

     He returned it, squeezing her tightly, "Heeeyyyy! Come inside, I actually cleaned for once!" He chuckled, walking backward into the complex.

     Amy rolled her eyes playfully, "I'm glad. Thank you." 

     They walked into the kitchen, and Sonic poured his friend a drink, handing the red solo cup over. She took a sip, smiling brightly as always. 

     "You should probably turn on a playlist when more people get here..." The pink hedgehog suggested, eyes darting around the complex.

     "I will!"

     While the hedgehogs conversed, Knuckles sat on the sofa, watching the door like a hawk. Rouge would be coming rather soon; it would be ridiculous if she didn't, she lives next door, for fuck's sake. They hadn't been dating long at all, but he missed her every second they were apart. 

     The door opened a few minutes later, Rouge's glowing complexion gracing the apartment. She wore a cropped, red tube top and some black, baggy jeans, a matching belly-button ring accompanying the outfit. Knuckles jumped up from the couch and picked her up, twirling her around in the air before putting her back down. 

     She giggled, "Happy to see me, I presume?"

     "I always am. I got Pink Whitney for you~" He sang, placing a quick kiss on her cheek.

     Amy blinked a few times, "When did you guys start dating?" She queried.

     "Like, a week ago." Rouge snickered.

     "A WEEK?! I was NOT made aware of this." Sonic's jaw hung open.

     Knuckles scratched the back of his head, "It never came up... It's not that I didn't want to tell you." 

     Rouge shrugged, walking over to the counter and grabbing the bottle. She was planning to drink straight from it, which was a little ratchet, but it was real as fuck. Regardless of what kind/brand it was, if there was alcohol, that bat made it her mission to get wasted. 

     About fifteen minutes later, Blaze and Silver arrived at the door. Blaze was holding a box that appeared to be some sort of card game. Sonic's eyes lit up, as he was a card game FANATIC. He also enjoyed a lot of board games. He just enjoyed the competition, to be honest.

     "What is that??" He asked excitedly.

     "It's like Pictionary, but the prompts are...naughty." Silver explained, snickering like a little kid.

     Blaze chimed in, "But a little more fun because you can..." She giggled, "...you can cockblock the other team to steal a guess. It's awesome." 

     "Sounds like it!" Sonic smiled, "Go get yourselves some drinks, and then we can start with the fun!" 

✧✧✧

     Once everyone had drunk a considerable amount of their body weight in alcohol, Sonic begged Blaze to take the game back out and explain it to everyone. First, everyone split into teams: Sonic, Knuckles, and Rouge VS. Blaze, Silver, and Amy. The rules were rather simple, as Blaze had previously stated.

     The first team will pick an artist, and said artist will roll the die. They'll also pick up a card, and whichever number corresponds to the number they rolled, that word/phrase on the card will have to be illustrated. A timer will start, giving an allotted sixty seconds for the rest of that artist's team to guess the word/phrase.

     However, there were a couple of extra things the teams could do to sabotage each other. First, if the teammates couldn't guess in time, whichever team says the correct answer first gets the point. Secondly, each team is given three "cockblock" cards, which let the other team answer along with the artist's.

     Speaking of everyone getting a chance to guess, when players roll a six, it causes an "orgy" (the game's words: look it up.) This means that ANYONE can guess without using up their cockblock cards. This game is just a glorified Pictionary, in a good way. 

     And with that explanation out of the way, they were finally ready to play the game! Each team sat on the opposite side of the coffee table in the living room, shuffling and spreading the cards out. Sonic begged to go first, but he picked up the die before anyone could tell him to chill out.

     He rolled it and landed a five, picking up a card and looking at the prompt. The cobalt hedgehog had to draw, "holy shit." He snickered to himself, picking up one of the notecards and a pencil, flipping the sand timer, and starting his illustration.

     "What the hell is that?" Rouge raised her eyebrow in confusion, "Piece of shit?"

     Sonic held his finger up, signaling that she was close but to wait a second. He drew a little halo and some angel wings over his drawing of (literal) shit. How creative. 

     "HOLY SHIT!!! HOLY SHIT!!!" Knuckles yelled, leading Sonic to pick up the card and place it on their side of the table.

     "YEAAAHHH!!!" The hedgehog cheered, high-fiving Knucks.

     Amy rolled her eyes, "You're lucky, you got an easy one!" 

     Sonic shrugged, "Sure, sure... You sayin' you wanna draw next?" He asked.

     Amy smirked, picking up the die and rolling it. It landed on two, which was apparently bad, because her face after picking up and looking at the card was...rather interesting. She groaned, her cheeks growing rosier by the second. Her phrase was "reverse cowgirl." It wasn't that bad, but Amy is the "mom friend," so of course, she was appalled. 

     She flipped the timer and began drawing, biting her lip as her cheeks flushed due to pure embarrassment. Silver stared at the paper, completely lost as to what she was drawing. Amy wasn't the best artist.

     "Bull riding? Sexy leapfrog?? Orgy???" Unfortunately for Blaze, her guesses were terrible.

     Rouge picked up one of her team's cockblock cards and slammed it down on the table, "REVERSE COWGIRL!!!" She screamed, giggling like a madman. 

     Amy then slammed her head down on the table, groaning, "Correct... god damnit." 

     "Oooohhh...I see it now!" Silver tilted his head, observing the drawing.

     "ANOOOTTHHHERRRR POINT FOR TEAM SONIC!!!" The blue hedgehog cheered loudly, jumping up from the couch and holding his fist in the air.

     Knuckles picked up the die next and rolled a six, which meant it was time for an orgy! However, the cards didn't have a sixth option, so he had to roll the die again. After rolling a three, he looked at the card and prepared himself to draw a "broken condom." He laughed, grabbing a notecard and a pencil to begin.

     Rouge flipped the timer for him, and he began to draw, first starting with a pregnant stick figure. 

     "Abortion?!" Silver guessed.

     "She's still pregnant, no!" Blaze scoffed, "Is it whore?!"

     Amy gave Blaze a look, "THAT ISN'T ANY BETTER!" 

     While those three fought, Knuckles drew another stick figure with a VERY surprised face. At this point, everyone was perplexed because this drawing had plenty of answers. Was the stick figure a cheater? Was it a failed abortion? No one quite knew.

     "WE HAVE LIKE TWENTY SECONDS LEFT! THINK ROUGE, THINK!!!" Sonic screamed, shaking her vigorously with his hands on her shoulders.

     "Oh my god— is- wait, IS IT BROKEN CONDOM?!" Rouge guessed.

     Knuckles jumped up, "YESSSSSSS!!! In your FUCKIN' face!" He said before he laughed...in Amy's face.

     The pink hedgehog rolled her eyes, "This isn't over!" She declared.

     The six of them continued to play for a couple of more rounds, screaming in each other's faces and declaring war. The number of times Knucks threatened to curb-stomp his own teammates was astronomical. Well, not Rouge. She received somewhat less violent threats. 

     Meanwhile, in Shadow and Rouge's apartment, the ebony hedgehog was absolutely seething. All he wanted to do tonight was do some self-care: catching up on his soap operas, curling his quills (yes, he's THAT extra), and maybe getting a little high. However, it was hard to do any of that peacefully with a group of screaming drunks next door.

     Before Rouge went over there, he warned her that he'd crash the party if it got too loud. She promised to keep it down, but after hearing her specifically scream, "BROKEN CONDOM?!" (amongst other things), he realized she never intended to keep said promise.

     He groaned, pausing La Última Pasión and putting on Rouge's slippers, since they were the closest pair of shoes. He then walked out of his complex and into Knuckles and Sonic's. Shadow was NOT a happy camper.

     When he opened the door, whatever playlist they had on was extremely loud. "Promiscuous Girl" by Nelly was currently playing, which made him scoff. Shadow hoped no one but Rouge would notice him, just so he could talk to her about the noise levels. However, he was wearing one of the shirts he only wore at home.

     It said, "I wish I had serotonin instead of this huge cock." Shadow might've been serious on the outside, but he had an online shopping addiction just like everyone else. Sometimes he liked to have a little laugh. A giggle, if you will. 

     Everyone noticed his sudden presence rather quickly, which had the room radio silent... not counting the several "promiscuous girl...you're teasin' me's. 

     "Is it true?" Silver asked with genuine curiosity.

     "What do you think, fa—" Shadow began, before being cut off by his roommate.

     "Shadow. No. We'll be quieter." She rolled her eyes.

     Sonic frowned, "C'mon, can he stay? We're doing karaoke next!"

     "Since when?" Knuckles queried.

     "Since five seconds ago when I thunk it up in my brain." The blue hedgehog retorted.

     Shadow groaned once more, turning around to leave the complex before Sonic ran in front of him, blocking the door. The ebony hedgehog attempted to push him out of the way, but drunk Sonic was more determined than he was sober.

     "Pleeeeeeaaaassseeeee? I'll buy you a week's worth of coffee." He held out his pinky finger.

     Shadow chewed his lip, unfortunately compelled to wrap his pinky around Sonic's. His cobalt counterpart jumped up and down, cheering as he ran back into the living room. 

     "Okay! I wanna go first!" He grabbed his phone from the table, searching through his playlists to find the perfect song.

     And then, out of the blue, as he was snickering as "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber began to play. Sonic stood on the wooden coffee table and used his half-filled solo cup as a microphone. Obviously, he didn't actually listen to this song and just thought it would be funny to sing along to. Because he barely knew the lyrics, he made a complete ass of himself. 

     Everyone watched as he drunkenly thrusted the air to certain lyrics, mumbling the words and being the goofy jackass he always was while this was wasted. Shadow watched from the corner of the room, cracking the smallest of smiles. It was a little funny.

     Once he was finished "singing," Sonic walked over to Shadow and dragged him over to the coffee table, begging him to join in. At first, he was absolutely against this idea, saying he wouldn't make a fool of himself the way Sonic had just done. But then again, if the edge-hog wanted that coffee...

     After five minutes of fighting, Shadow finally agreed, but he was NOT standing on that table. He snatched Sonic's phone out of his hand and searched for "Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj. Might as well also do something that isn't a part of his specific musical interests. Plus, no one would remember it in the morning, right?

     Once the intro began playing, Rouge started screaming because she was a Nicki STAN. Sonic squealed as well, mostly because Shadow was keeping his pinky promise. He didn't care for Miss Minaj that much. He did care to take a few shots of tequila, though.

     Shadow cleared his throat, making eye contact with the floor as he rapped the intro perfectly, "This one is for the boys with the boomin' system, top-down, AC with the coolin' system—"

     Everyone's drunk asses cheered like crazy, hyping him up as if they were being serenaded by Nicki herself. However, halfway through the song, the ebony hedgehog noticed that Sonic ran off to the bathroom. It wasn't abnormal to him until he noticed that Sonic didn't come back. 

     He shook his head. He isn't your friend; these fools who ARE can take care of him, he thought to himself. But none of them had even noticed that the blue blur was missing, so he reluctantly walked over to the bathroom door.

     Shadow knocked a couple of times, but after no answer aside from random groans, he realized he had no choice but to barge in. 

✧✧✧

     Sonic was hunched over the toilet, puking his guts out. Shadow grimaced, locking the door behind him so no one else would disturb this asshole's drunken misery. The ebony hedgehog sat down next to him on the tile floor, rubbing his back gently. Sonic replied with another groan. 

     "You didn't chill the shot glasses, did you?" Shadow asked.

     The blue hedgehog shook his head, pulling away from the toilet, now leaning against the sink cabinets. Shadow stood up and walked out of the bathroom, coming back with a cup of cold water for Sonic. 

     "Don't chug it. Drink slowly." He directed, running his fingers through Sonic's quills as he sipped the water.

     "Mm..." 

     Shadow grinned softly, "There you go." 

     The only reason Shadow was being this comforting was because he figured that Sonic wouldn't remember this moment between them. He wouldn't remember the shirt, remember the singing, and especially not remember the sweetness. Plus, he wasn't that bad of a guy, so taking care of him wouldn't be something to regret.

     Was he foolish, though? Yes. Impulsive? Also yes. But he didn't have any qualities that made him a bad person, and Shadow recognized that. He also knew that going through the less fun parts of being drunk alone was awful. He'd been in that position himself too many times to count. 

     "You gonna be okay?" Shadow asked.

     Sonic nodded, "Yeah. Sorry."

     "No need for an apology, blue." 

     They sat in silence for a moment before suddenly, Sonic leaned over and hugged his neighbor, holding him close. Shadow flinched slightly, surprised by the touch. He sighed, wrapping his arms around Sonic as well. Despite being a stubborn bitch when it came to physical affection, he still liked it from time to time.

     Sonic nuzzled his head against Shadow's furry chest, "What cologne do you use...? I love it." He told him.

     The edge-hog's face burned beet red as he pushed Sonic away, "Luna Rossa Carbon from Prada! Back off." He scoffed.

     The cobalt hedgehog shrugged, giggling softly, "I'm too poor to afford Prada... where the hell do you get the money?" He wondered.

     "Unlike you, I save my money. It takes a while to go through a whole bottle."

     "You avoid answering me, like, always. Maybe your shirt is right. You should get some antidepressants... and not weed." He said in a serious tone, even if he was still tipsy.

      Shadow blinked a few times, avoiding eye contact. He got abnormally quiet, enough for Sonic to realize he might've gone too far. But then again, he knows nothing about the edge-hog; he just had a lot of assumptions. 

      He stood up and walked out of the bathroom, leaving the blue hedgehog alone again. Sonic stared at the ceiling, squeezing his eyes shut, which led to a few tears streaming down his cheeks. Guilt will only ever eat you alive, won't it? 

     Shadow walked back into his complex, slamming the door shut. He pressed his back against the door and slid until he was sitting on the floor. 

     "I hate him." He muttered, even though he knew it wasn't true.

     The ebony hedgehog stood up and grabbed a random glass from the kitchen counter, throwing it angrily to the floor. It shattered, leaving little glass pieces flying everywhere. His breathing got heavier before he threw another. And then he was hit with regret, as throwing glasses was rather childish of him.

     "He's just a fucking idiot." He told himself.

     Shadow stepped over the glass, storming into his room and locking the door behind him. He knew what he felt, and it was stupid. Stupid for finding Sonic's presence comforting, almost like a breath of fresh air. He hated how perceptive the idiot was, even while completely wasted.

     And he hated how his own mysteriousness was no longer an unsolvable puzzle. The pieces had been put together; Sonic just knew where to place each one. How did he know?! Why didn't he just keep his mouth shut?! And worst of all, why did Shadow like it?!

     Shadow put his headphones on and pulled up Spotify on his phone. The last thing he had been listening to was "New Year's Day" by Taylor Swift. He unpaused it, crawled into bed, and hid under the covers. Cognitive dissonance can really fuck someone up.

♫ I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day. ♫

...

♫ Hold on to the memories, they will hold onto you. ♫

...

♫ Hold on to the memories, they will hold onto you. And I will hold on to you. ♫

...

♫ Please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I can recognize anywhere. ♫

...

     The ebony hedgehog groaned from under the covers. He didn't know how much longer he could pretend that Sonic wasn't someone he liked to be around, especially when the imbecile was testing his patience.

Chapter Text

     While it had been a few days since Sonic's party, the events that Shadow witnessed still lingered in his mind. He didn't know whether to stay mad or reminisce, silently wishing he had tagged along with Rouge from the start. The worst part was that he seemingly enjoyed his short time there. 

     Then again, how his cobalt counterpart read him like a book was somewhat concerning. Terrifying, actually. How can a drunk man see through him so clearly? Had he always been this transparent? Or was it a sign? 

     Whatever it was, the conflicting emotions of confusion versus anger versus euphoria... they had him spiraling. The tranquility that came with silence was no longer there, being replaced by the constant pondering of "how?" Shadow had shut out Sonic the most, and yet he seemed to know him the best.

     It was eating him alive; he needed to know, but there was no way in hell that he'd confront that fool. For once, talking to Rouge wasn't an option either, because to understand his situation, she'd have to listen to hours of depressed ramblings. He'd rather keep his burdens to himself.

     It would've been easier to talk about his problems, though, if they didn't feel so inconsequential. He was living rather nicely, with no good reason to feel so miserable. The days went by quicker than one could blink, and oftentimes they blurred together. A month and a half into this school year, and he was already crumbling.

     Nights, consistently spent awake and staring at the dusty ceiling. He never could reach it, not even with a chair, so there they stayed. The world felt so grey, so dull, so lifeless, despite every good thing that came his way. Nothing had felt bright, or worth a damn, since...

     Suddenly, there was a knock on his bedroom door. He didn't answer, not even a pathetic hum to let Rouge know it was okay to come in. Some days were worse than others, and right now, the heaviness of his blanket was too comforting to leave behind.

     Rouge opened the door, sticking her head through, "Hey, I'm heading down to Retro Brews. Wanna come?" She asked. 

     Any time Rouge offered to hang out with Shadow, it was never really an offer. Rather, it was a way to make sure he was still functioning by forcing him to leave the house. She didn't always know how to talk to him, but she did know how to bring him to life a little. 

     Shadow sat up, rubbing his eyes. He blinked a few times, taking a deep breath and nodding. It was a non-verbal morning, especially because he hadn't slept much the night before. Rouge smiled, closing the door gently to let him get ready in peace.

     After five minutes of sitting in bed and mindlessly staring at the wall, the ebony hedgehog finally got up. The cold September mornings were always a sweet reminder of the season ahead: Autumn had always brought a small amount of joy into his life. Maybe he'd wear a sweater to celebrate.

     And maybe today would be the break from the bullshit. Crisp, colorful leaves, and a nice cup of black coffee to top it off. 

     Sonic was never a morning person, but he still woke up early to run just in case he'd see Shadow one more time. He remembered a lot of what happened at the party, and his biggest regret was forgetting to record the ebony hedgehog's insane performance of Super Bass. 

     He also remembered the rough conversation they'd had, and to be honest, Sonic meant all of what he said. Despite not knowing Shadow that well, he still cared. He helps everyone, regardless of his relationship with them, and that includes the extremely stubborn ones. 

     If Shads ever called Sonic asking for anything, the blue blur would be there within seconds. That's just who he was and who he'd always be. Part of him did wonder, though, if he took it a little far. Maybe he had been too pushy, too assuming of the edge-hog, too quick to ruin a good moment.

     No one else knew what happened in that bathroom. Hell, no one even knew Sonic had puked his guts out, to begin with. For once, he felt like there was no one to ask for advice. Knucks wouldn't get it, Tails doesn't need to hear about it, and Amy is just overbearing sometimes.

     Sonic leaned against the railing of his balcony, the cool breeze giving him goosebumps on his exposed skin. There weren't many things he thought this long and hard about, mostly because he could never focus on one thing. Not even his own thoughts were safe from his shitty attention span. 

     The look on Shadow's face right before he left the bathroom, though, the image was burned into his retinas. He was so surprised that it could almost be seen as fear, which was the most worrying part of all. Sonic isn't a scary dude, so what could he have been afraid of? 

     Not only that, but the ebony hedgehog wasn't one to be afraid of such simple things. If he even had a fear, it would be surprising just because he's THAT stoic. So what was wrong, and what could Sonic do to make things better? 

     There was no other choice but to talk to Shadow about this. He needed to ask him what was wrong, what he did to upset him, and how to make this better. The blue blur wanted nothing more than to be friends with this guy. The only way to get there was to crack that hard ass shell the edge-hog was contained by.

     And if he hadn't gone on his run this morning, Shads had to have been in his complex. Look at that, he didn't even have to travel that far to make amends! 

✧✧✧

     Sonic walked out of his complex and knocked on the door to Rouge and Shadow's, quickly being met with silence. He knocked at least twenty more times before giving up and groaning obnoxiously. He tapped his foot, thinking about where he could've run off to. 

     Isn't home, didn't go on his run... where else could he have gone?! He pondered before being struck with an amazing guess as to where Shadow could be.

     During one of their study sessions, the ebony hedgehog had mentioned how much he hated leaving his apartment. He only went to places he needed to go or places he had been dragged to. Rouge also wasn't home, which meant the latter had occurred. 

     Where did she go every morning? Retro Brews! Sonic felt like a genius detective, putting together clues and solving the case. Call this bitch Olivia Benson and play the Law and Order intro, because he was getting to the bottom of Shadow's location!

     He chuckled to himself, smirking as he ran to the elevator and headed to the ground floor. Once it was socially acceptable to run, Sonic was speeding toward the cafe. His mission was almost complete, after all. 

     Sonic walked into the cafe and looked around, noticing Shadow and Rouge sitting at a table in the corner. He sighed in annoyance, not necessarily wanting to talk about this in front of her. So, he figured he would linger and wait for her to leave. 

     He walked up to the counter and ordered a strawberry refresher (with green tea, of course). The cobalt hedgehog was never a fan of coffee anyway, especially when it was hot. Ice cold, fruity drinks, however? Absolutely, yes, every single time. 

     Sitting down at a table just a few away from Shadow, he watched and waited for them. He finished his drink within minutes, which wasn't exactly abnormal for him. Plus, the amount of hidden caffeine in this drink was astronomical and just enough to fuel Sonic's raging addiction. Not because it gave him energy, but because it mellowed him out. 

     It was excruciating to sit and wait around, hoping Rouge would get up and leave Shads behind in the cafe. They weren't even talking to each other, after all! She was typing away on her laptop while Shadow read a book. He tried to see what the cover looked like and could only make out the author: Holly Jackson. 

     Sonic rested his head against the table, wishing he had more than just some ice in his cup. Damn, being fast at everything was awful. Not really, but right now it was, because his already-thin patience was wearing, well, thinner. 

     But suddenly, he overheard Rouge's smooth voice saying something about being late. His head perked up, and his ears twitched ever so slightly. While he couldn't make out the majority of their conversation, he could see the bat scrambling to collect her things and get out of the cafe. Sonic cheered internally, heading over to the edge-hog once Rouge was out of sight.

     Shadow seemed to be rather enthralled by his book, not even noticing when his cobalt counterpart had sat down. Or maybe he did notice and was simply ignoring Sonic, hoping that would make him go away. 

     "What'cha readin'?" Sonic asked, tilting his head and smirking.

     The ebony hedgehog looked up at him, his crimson eyes staring directly into his soul. His eyes traversed back down to the pages, continuing to move from left to right. 

     Sonic tilted the book up with his finger so he could read the whole title. It was "As Good As Dead" by Holly Jackson, with a surprisingly captivating cover. Another thing the blue blur didn't necessarily enjoy was reading; school had ruined it for him. 

     "What's it about?" 

     Shadow slammed the book shut, "What the hell do you want?!" He questioned.

     The cobalt hedgehog blinked a few times, quickly being reminded of what he was there for: "To apologize. I know you might not believe me, but I'm serious. And...I remember everything that happened." He admitted.

     His cheeks flushed, "Don't waste your breath, faker." Shadow quipped. 

     "New nickname?" Sonic chuckled softly, "But seriously, I want to be your friend, and I want to apologize for... well, being pushy. I shouldn't have been intrusive like that, especially after you did a nice thing for me, whether you'd like to admit that you did or not." He explained.

     Shadow paused, unable to put his thoughts into words. He didn't know if it was more appropriate to forgive him or pretend that he was still mad. How could he ever explain that his anger came from fear, and that fear had come from confusion, and... he was so confused.

     "And how would you feel knowing you were right, even though you don't know me at all? Explain to me how you see through people! And why, why me?!" He lashed out, raising his voice at Sonic. 

     It wasn't the reaction he wanted to respond with, especially not in public. However, it felt like he couldn't control himself, like his mask was breaking, like the safety blanket he hid himself in was unraveling. There were so many feelings coming back, ones he hadn't experienced in a long time. It was all extremely overwhelming, all at once, and all so suddenly.

     "Dunno, I've just...always been able to see people past all that. And, you hate me, so of course I'm gonna try to change that. Also, you're cool, dude: Who wouldn't want to be friends with you?" Sonic told him, his smile growing despite being yelled at.

     The ebony hedgehog rolled his eyes, "No one ever wants to be friends with me. I also don't care if they do or not. You have serious problems, faker." 

     Sonic snickered, "You're the faker, faker! And doesn't everyone have problems? Including you? Whatever you're smoking, it lingers even after the shower." 

     Shadow was absolutely seething, and even he knew it was for no good reason. After being constantly yelled at, made fun of, and disrespected, Sonic still treated him like a person. He didn't get it. 

     And now that he thought about it, fighting this fool was a waste of energy. If he only ever kept being nice, giving second chances, and inviting him to shitty parties, was there really a point in pushing him away? 

     After all, he wasn't so bad. He could still hate, no, dislike him, and still keep the idiot around. If Sonic isn't meant to be a part of Shadow's life, then he can leave on his own, rather than being forced out. That was reasonable enough.

     "Fine. You win... this time." He scoffed, crossing his arms like an angry child.

     Sonic's face lit up with joy as he jumped out of his seat, "YEAHHHH!!! I knew I would~" He sang, giggling like a madman.

     Shadow bit the inside of his cheek, forcing himself to hold back a smile. He figured the blue fool knew what he was doing, but it still mattered to stay a morally grey, statuesque, stoic, and stubborn piece of shit. It was his brand, after all. 

     "Soooo..." The cobalt hedgehog began, "Maybe we could exchange numbers? Perchance...?" He suggested.

     Shads thought for a moment, pausing before he pulled his phone and opened a blank contact for Sonic to fill with his information. Once again, the blue blur was practically convulsing from pure joy, putting his number into the edge-hog's phone and taking a stupid selfie of himself to accompany it.

     He did the same for Sonic (except for the selfie, naturally), feeling a little less afraid to be opening himself up for his cobalt counterpart. Sometimes, the things that are hardest to do are the most rewarding, and maybe this would be good for him in the end.

     Plus, he'd rather text this fool than have to knock on his door just to ask for something. And, exchanging numbers out of convenience was a good cover-up if Rouge ever snooped through his phone. 

Chapter Text

    While they had only met a few times before, whether at parties or random public sightings, Amy, Blaze, and Rouge were desperate to get closer. After all, they were the only girls at many of their friends' get-togethers.

    It was just a matter of when one of them actually made plans to hang out without the guys...

     Rouge: we need to hang out. lets go to that one mall near the CC park or whatev 

     Amy!!: Yyyyeeesssssss!!!!!!!!!! Omgomgomgomgomg yes! For once, I'm actually free to hang out with you guys! 😊

      Blaziken: Same. Time?

     Amy!!: OMG! Let's all go in the same car so we can just listen to music and have fun. Not the stupid crap Sonic put on the party, but like, GOOD stuff.

     Rouge: yyuuuurrrrrrrrr. love it, ames. u guys gotta give me a few hours to get ready, tho. maybe like 3 pm?

     Blaziken: Okay, cool. My car is kind of a mess

     Amy!!: I can drive 💕

     Rouge: sick. see u cuties then ;)

     And finally, the girls had planned something (very abruptly, but still) to do together! All of them were overjoyed, jumping up from wherever they had been texting each other and going to get ready almost immediately. It was only eleven-thirty, so there was plenty of time, but the excitement couldn't be contained. 

     Amy swung her closet doors open and pondered what she should wear, staring into the abyss of clothes with conviction. Most people probably don't spend this much time picking out their outfits, but the pink hedgehog was extremely indecisive. There were a lot of factors that came into a good outfit!

     The weather is one, as well as the vibe of the occasion. Autumn dinner party or Summer get-together? These things mattered. After fifteen minutes of close examination and precise elimination, Amy had finally decided on what she wanted to wear. 

     She picked out a sage green oversized sweater with a black skirt and tights, tied together with some black Dr. Martens and silver jewelry. She was more of a gold girlie, but the silver matched both the outfit and the vibe a lot better. 

✧✧✧

     Blaze was shaking from how positively jubilant she was to be hanging out with a group of girls. A small group of girls, but it was still a big accomplishment. Being a princess, one who was isolated from everyone her entire life, making friends was the hardest thing to do.

     It took a long time for her to be as close as she is with Silver, but having a bunch of gal pals to do silly girly stuff with from time to time was something she had always wished for. After meeting everyone at Sonic's party, that wish was so much closer to becoming true.

     And now, here she was, doing her hair and putting on makeup to go shopping with her girlfriends! Today was a good day, an AMAZING day, and nothing had even happened yet! 

     The cat squealed, "AAAHHHHHH!!! I have girlfriends! Friends to hang out with! Girls! Silver, I love you, but this is so much different!!!" She cheered, bouncing around her room like a child hopped up on sugar. 

✧✧✧

     Rouge had texted the girls from the cafe and was quick to head back to the apartment when they said they were free to hang out. She was a busy girl, juggling all of her schoolwork, an internship, a relationship, and her mental health; there wasn't a lot of time to spend with her other friends.

     But as she sat at her typical seat in the cafe, staring at her laptop screen, she realized that there was a timeframe when there wasn't anything to take care of. The first thing that came to her was to hang out with those girls, mostly because it was a good brain break, but also because she liked being around them.

     Plus, she'd need some friends after she graduated. Right now, Shadow and Knucks were the only ones in her circle. Rouge is a strong believer that everything happens for a reason, and she's convinced these girls came into her life to be there for her for life. Or at least she'd hoped; you never know what could go down a few months from now.

     Regardless, she was willing to take the chance. Not all of her memories from her senior year had to be of stupid homework and nights crying over all the things she hated about herself.

     It was exactly three P.M. when Amy's pink Volkswagen Beetle arrived at Rouge's apartment, her aux blasting Lavender Haze by Taylor Swift. Rouge smiled, grabbing her purse and practically running out the door. She wasn't one to walk with haste, but she was outside in less than two minutes. 

     Amy rolled down her window and squealed, "ROUGE! You look so gorgeous! GET INNNNN!!! Today is gonna be so fun, and it isn't if you don't have your beautiful butt in this seat!" She giggled, her smile brighter than the sun.

     Blaze was in the passenger seat, with a smaller smile, but still just as excited as the other two girls. She wasn't very expressive, but that wasn't her fault. Rouge got inside the car, snickering to herself joyfully. 

     "Okay, I think you should be in charge of the music. Mostly cause I can't pick, and Blaze keeps saying she 'doesn't care.'" Amy declared.

     Rouge plugged it into her phone and shuffled her playlist, consisting of Charli XCX, Ayesha Erotica, Kehlani, Megan Thee Stallion, and Snow Tha Product, among other artists. Amy screamed when 360 began playing; she turned it up rather quickly.

     The girls drove off, headed for the mall, all while singing along to the music and b-b-bumpin' that beat (as Charli would say). Already, they were having a great time, even though nothing had really happened yet. 

     Some girls are mean, and others are just fake nice. However, these three were genuine, and that's why they clicked so well, despite only having spent fifteen minutes together before they arrived at the Central City Mall. There was no more anxiety among them because it was very clear how things would go from there.

✧✧✧

     After taking a whole seven minutes trying to find a good parking spot, Amy finally parked her car, and the girls ran inside. Not literally, but the pace they were walking at was a lot faster than most people heading into a mall. Their decline over the years has been rather devastating. 

     "Where should we go first? Or is this more a 'just-go-into-places-as-you-walk-around' kind of thing?" Amy pondered, taking a quick look at the map of the mall at the entrance.

     "The last thing you said." Rouge snickered, taking the lead and heading straight for Victoria's Secret.

     Amy sighed, then shrugged. Maybe she could find a nice perfume or something rather than looking at twenty skimpy bras that would never fit her right. She didn't have anyone to impress anyway. 

     They walked inside and browsed: Amy smelled the entirety of the fragrance section, Blaze lingered behind her, and Rouge did her own thing. However, she did occasionally ask for the girls' opinions on whatever she was looking at. 

     She turned around and showed off a black, lace-lined bra, "This one?" Rouge asked.

     "Why is it sixty-five dollars?" Blaze queried, rather appalled at the fact that it still wasn't the most expensive one in the store.

     Rouge shrugged, "Not like it's gonna fit me anyway, this is just for show."

     "Who are you even—" Amy answered her own question and sighed, "It's your choice, not ours, y'know? But if you're getting something 'just for show,' you should get one that's, I dunno, more obnoxious, I guess." She suggested.

     "...obnoxious?" The bat arched her brow.

     "This whole store is obnoxious, man. C'mon..." Blaze chuckles softly, crossing her arms uncomfortably.

     Rouge shrugged, put the bra back, and walked out of the store, looking behind to see if Amy and Blaze were following. Both of them sighed in relief, catching up to her and wandering around the mall once again. 

✧✧✧

     "Oo! C'mon, let's go to Sephora really quick!" Amy proposed.

     Blaze smiled, "I've been meaning to stock up... I need some more eyeliner." 

     "Do you think they still have self-tanner? I need to get like twenty...I can't be pasty when winter comes." Rouge queried.

     Amy shrugged, "There's only one way to find out!"

     The three of them walked inside and traversed around each section of the store together, collecting things they wanted to buy along the way. The store was quiet until their giggles and stupid conversations filled the void. They tried to be quiet, too, but sometimes, those moments of pure deliriousness took over. 

     "Who the fuck is getting zebra print nails?!" Blaze snickered, holding a box of press-on nails that were absolutely bodacious.

     "I think Knuckles would—" Amy laughed, "—LOVE those, Rouge! C'monnnn..." 

     She hit the hedgehog's shoulder playfully, "Shut the fuck up, oh my god." Rouge giggled.

     Rouge picked out a normal-looking set of nails and moved on to the next section of Sephora, which was skincare. Blaze started going CRAZY as she grabbed twenty different products off the shelves and put them into her basket. She did say she needed to restock, but this was insane.

     "And you're complaining about bra prices?! That's over a hundred dollars worth of just skincare..." Rouge pointed out.

     "I'm still rich. But even I know we're dealing with insane inflation, and that bras just....shouldn't be seventy dollars." She replied.

     The bat shrugged, "Yeah, you're right."

     After spending a little bit longer browsing, the girls checked out and left the store to find somewhere else to spend their money. However, they collectively agreed that they were hungry and should probably eat before inevitably getting horrific headaches... and then wondering why their heads hurt so bad. 

✧✧✧

     It took a lot of careful consideration, but the three of them eventually agreed that they would go to Auntie Anne's. If they were going to eat at a MALL, then they had to go all out. While the aforementioned pretzel joint wasn't gourmet in the slightest, fuck, it was delicious. 

     The girls walked over to the little pretzel stand and ordered a large bucket of the regular soft pretzel bites (with cheese and honey mustard on the side, of course). They also all got a Dr. Pepper because, duh. Then, they found a table in the food court and sat down.

     "Oh my gooooood, I forgot how good these things are," Rouge said as she devoured three pretzels at once, all smothered in cheese. 

     Amy nodded, too engrossed in the soft, salty, delectable experience to respond with words. Blaze, being a princess and all, hasn't gotten to experienced as many middle-class activities before. So, this was her first time having a soft pretzel. EVER.

     It was safe to say that she was in heaven, savoring each bite as if she couldn't just buy a cup of these every day if she really wanted to. Despite it probably being the most mundane part of her day so far, it had to have been her favorite part. 

     "You havin' a good time, babe?" Rouge asked the cat.

     "Mhmmmmm..." She giggled, her toothy grin absolutely adorable.

     After they finished eating, the girls figured they'd walk around for a little longer and then head home, even though they did NOT want to leave. These three were quickly becoming the best of friends. 

     They walked around for a while, checking out a plethora of random stores like H&M, Bath and Body Works, and Pandora, amongst others. While they were walking around, Rouge and Amy decided to (sort of) prank Blaze by showing her around Spencer's. Harmless, right?

✧✧✧

     The three of them walked inside and were immediately greeted by terrible anime merch. I mean, if you're going to sell niche stuff, you might as well make it look good, right? Guess not. 

     "This doesn't seem too bad... It's just really dark. And crowded. But not even by people, these clothing and jewelry racks are just horrifically placed." Blaze remarked, wandering around aimlessly.

     Rouge and Amy followed behind, snickering to themselves. They figured Blaze would be extremely shocked at the vulgarity in the store, but there wasn't a clear reaction to see how she felt yet. Time will only tell...

     Blaze picked up a penis-shaped lollipop, "Can dicks really be this big? Why is it so big? Who is gonna eat this big of a lollipop?" She had a lot of questions but a mild reaction. Damn.

     Her biggest reactions thus far were to the clothes, mostly at the fact that they were cheaply made, but cost twenty-plus dollars each. She finally reached the back and looked at the wall of sex toys, her eyebrow arched. 

     "...What happens when, like, a thirteen-year-old or something, tries to buy one of these? What do they say? Can they refuse service?" She queried, "I mean, it's not like there's a law or anything, right? Maybe there is. What do you guys think?" Blaze turned to the girls.

     Rouge shrugged, "Good question, but I figured you'd have a more...um, well, a bigger reaction to the raunchiness of this. Y'know, being a rich asshole and all."

     "She isn't an asshole." Amy corrected her.

     The cat snickered, "You guys are so childish! I mean, yeah, if my mom saw this, she'd probably have an aneurysm. But it isn't that serious..."

     "You never know!" The hedgehog giggled along with her.

     Blaze shook her head, "I think that's a sign that we've been here long enough, huh?" 

     The girls disappointedly agreed that they should head home, happy that they spent the day together but sad that they had to separate. Oh well, they still had the group chat. 

     When they all got back home, they were left with a melancholy feeling. Despite having just hung out, they missed each other a LOT. Being around someone and not getting drained by their presence is a rare occurrence, and now that they had found those people, of course, they wanted to be around each other all the time.

     But on the bright side, now that they were close enough to hang out, they could have more days like this. Maybe not in a public space, but together nonetheless, and that's all that mattered. 

Chapter Text

     Sonic loved going to concerts. Since he popped out of the womb, he had more energy and adrenaline than a little kid hopped up on ten tons of sugar. Nothing could contain this or even harness this energy except for two things: running and concerts.

     He had been to many in his lifetime: Slipknot, Korn, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Alice in Chains, etc., etc. No matter who it was, he would never turn it down. So when Amy said she had tickets to a concert in October, and none of her other friends could go, he was quick to tag along. 

     However, he was unaware of whose concert he would be attending until the day of. Amy drove over to his apartment and surprised him with matching outfits...to Sabrina Carpenter.

     The matching outfits referenced the "Taste" music video, with Amy wearing Sabrina's bloodied outfit and Sonic wearing Jenna Ortega's. 

     "Why do you get the cool fit?!" Sonic retaliated, hands glued to his hips.

     "Because this concert is for me! You're only coming along, so I'm not alone." Amy scoffed, throwing the black dress at him. 

     He groaned, wanting to convince her to switch, but stopping while he was ahead. Looking back at all of the times he and Amy had stupid arguments, he only won about two percent of them. It wasn't worth it. Plus, he looked good in black. 

     Amy went into his bathroom to change, walking out a few minutes later wearing a light blue tank top (stained with fake blood) and matching jeans, as well as some white heels and a silver necklace. Sonic had changed in the time she did; his black bodycon dress was skin-tight. Unlike the pink hedgehog, he refused to wear heels and instead put on some black Dr. Martens.

     "Okay, how far away is this thing again?" Sonic queried, pulling at the dress in hopes of stretching it out a little.

     "Like an hour and a half...when you aren't considering traffic. So probably two-ish. That's why I got here early!" She beamed.

     He groaned, "I don't know if I can be cooped up in a car while wearing this for that long."

     "You'll be fine." She assured him.

     Amy grabbed her purse and then Sonic's hand, dragging him out the door so they could get going. She loved him dearly, but he was the most stubborn person she knew. Oh well, they'd have fun. 

     When they arrived at the concert venue, it was only about ten minutes until the show was set to start. This freaked Amy out, leading her to scramble around like a headless chicken. She wanted merch, a drink, to go to the bathroom, and then to actually find their seats... It was a whole thing.

     Sonic, on the other hand, thought that they were rather early. What a fool. 

     The stadium was filled from head to toe with girls of all ages, all dressed up in glitter and GoGo boots. It looked like an insane sorority party to the cobalt hedgehog, but he kept his thoughts to himself. 

     Despite the initial anxiety he felt, he soon calmed down as the opening artist played through some of their songs. While he didn't know this artist, nor any of Sabrina's songs, the vibes were immaculate, and that was all that mattered. Amaare's set quickly ended, and the intro to Short 'N Sweet began.

     As Sonic watched the seventies-style "commercial," his mind drifted off a little. He thought about how much Shadow would love this, how he'd probably be jumping up and down like a kid if he were here right now. The thought of seeing him genuinely happy brought a smile to the blue blur's face. 

     Then, Sabrina came out in her sparkly towel, unraveling it before singing "Taste," which had everyone in the stadium screaming like a maniac. Amy nearly destroyed his eardrums as she held onto him and squealed. At least she was guaranteed to have a good time. 

     "SHE'S SO FUCKING HOOOOTTTTTTT!!! GYAAAHHHH!!!" Amy exclaimed as she shook Sonic vigorously.

     "...YEAH!" He warily agreed; this was scarier than being trapped in a mosh pit.

     The rest of the first act was amazing, even for someone who wasn't super-inclined to pop music. Sabrina's stage presence, choreography, pure talent, and gorgeous vocals have made the experience amazing so far. Sonic had thoroughly enjoyed "Good Graces" and "Bed Chem" and was rather excited to hear more.

     However, when she was gettin' freaky with the cameraman behind the curtain, he was a little surprised. Most people just curse or use slurs on stage to add some spice to the set, but her confidence was almost inspiring. I would do something like that if I made music, Sonic thought to himself. 

     "Isn't she just amazing, Sonic?!" Amy asked as she giggled.

     "Yeah, she's great! I like the songs so far; I might have to go through her whole discography!" He replied.

     She rolled her eyes, "Sure you will."

     "I will! This is good!" 

     The pink hedgehog only chuckled as a response, turning her attention back to the stage as Sabrina performed "Feather." Sonic knew this song, mostly because of TikTok, so he sang along to the chorus. It was catchy, after all.

✧✧✧

     Sonic knew fewer songs during the second act, which led him to pay more attention to his surroundings. The girls' dresses shimmering in the night, the screaming of lyrics, phones recording every little moment. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw a very special someone. 

     Shadow was one of many who were singing along, his white shirt rather noticeable amongst the bright colors surrounding him. He couldn't tell what it said from afar, but Sonic was determined to find out. The cobalt hedgehog lied to Amy, saying he had to go to the bathroom, but he actually just walked over to the edgehog.

     Usually, the ebony hedgehog would've noticed Sonic way before he even made it over, but Shadow was completely entrhalled in "Sharpest Tool." The blue blur smiled brightly, waiting to be noticed. It took about two minutes before that happened.

     Shadow was genuinely surprised, holding his hand to his chest and exhaling sharply. Sonic read his shirt: "Jesus was a Carpenter." He began laughing like a fool.

     "Because her last name is Carpenter!" He continued chuckling.

     "Why are you here, faker?!" The ebony hedgehog queried, his demeanor changing within seconds. 

     Sonic's smirk didn't falter, "Amy needed someone to go with her. Look, I'm Jenna Ortega!" 

     "I see that... does that mean you two are... together?" The edgehog wondered.

     That was what turned the smirk into a full-blown "confused and quite frankly disgusted" face. 

     "...How did you come to that conclusion?!"

     Shadow was silent for a moment, his cheeks flushing a bright red, "They...make out in the music video. Sabrina and Jenna...so..."

     "Oh."

     It was silent for a moment before he turned his attention back to the stage, his little smile melting Sonic's heart. He figured Amy was fine and (probably) didn't even notice he had been gone. So, he decided to stay with Shads. Maybe this is what would get them to really bond.

     For the rest of Act Two, it was hard to watch Sabrina when Shadow was so... captivating. He couldn't have cared less about what anyone thought of him, dancing around as if he'd practiced it in his room. Hell, he could probably perform the entire concert with no practice; he had the songs memorized, after all. 

     Seeing him happy was also adorable. He just wanted to scoop Shadow up and shove him in a handbag. 

     But at the same time, it was probably weird to consider Shads cute. They weren't even that close, nor were they friends in any capacity, even though Sonic wanted them to be. In that moment, though, he was just glad that Shadow hadn't noticed him staring.

✧✧✧

     After finishing up "Coincidence," Sabrina brought out a bottle to spin on a circle of numbers: one through four. Sonic looked over at Shadow and noticed how tense he seemed. Not tense, like nervous or angry, but excited. His cobalt counterpart kept getting more and more surprised with how expressive this edgehog could get. 

     Not that it was a bad thing, but damn, it was a shock each time he started screaming or cheered, or simply smiled. Shadow was the least emotional person Sonic had ever met. But that illuminating smile had him feeling...different.

     "What's happening?" The blue blur asked. 

     Remarkably enough, Shadow was happy to answer, "She's playing spin the bottle to determine the surprise song. It's fun." He explained, bouncing up ever so slightly.

     Sonic smirked, "Ahh... that is fun!"

     The hedgehogs watched in anticipation as the glass bottle spun, slowing down until it landed on number two. Text popped up on the screen, announcing that the surprise song was going to be "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton. Suddenly, the crowd erupted with joy as the instrumental began.

     As expected, Shads was singing along as if he'd written and produced the song himself. Of course, Sonic knew some of the lyrics, so he tried to match the energy levels of the stadium, but it was hard to watch this cutie AND sing along at the same time. 

     When it was over, though, the energy didn't die down one bit. Oh no, something crazy was about to go down.

     "Now what?! How did you guys manage to get crazier?!" 

     The edgehog laughed, "Nonsense is next." 

     "IS IT REALLY?!" Sonic queried, because this song he knew front, back, left, right, upside down, the whole nine...

      Shadow nodded as the famous intro played, leading the blue hedgehog to scream louder than most of the girls in the stadium. He sang along with more emotion and moxie than Sabrina herself. Now, Shads was the one staring in awe. 

      "I'm talking opposite of soft; I'm talking wild, wild thoughts—" Sonic sang, pointing and dancing with the ebony hedgehog, "I caught that L-O-V-E; how do you do this to me?" He giggled, instinctively throwing his arms around Shadow. 

      Before he even noticed what he was doing, Shads reluctantly wrapped his arms around Sonic as well, honestly happy that the blue idiot was willing to hang out with him (all while managing to be twenty percent less annoying). The blue blur finally took all of this in, his face turning beet red within seconds.

      He pulled away, laughing awkwardly, "Did you just hug me?" He asked. 

      "I guess so." Shadow smirked, "Don't get used to it, faker." 

      At this point, Sonic's jaw hurt from how much he was smiling. Were they seriously becoming friends, or was this just a once-in-a-lifetime-and-then-never-again type of thing? Oh well, it was better to bask in the moment than dote on the future. 

✧✧✧

     "Nonsense" had ended, and act three had officially begun. The stadium got quiet, but Shadow was still as ecstatic as ever. He had clutched the collar of his shirt with his hand, all while bouncing up and down and smiling brighter than the moon above them. 

      During their study sessions, they would listen to music and queue up songs on Spotify to make the mood a little less... "annoyed and pissed off at bullshit math." One song that Shadow FREQUENTLY played was "Dumb and Poetic," his favorite song off of Short 'N Sweet.

      By now, Sonic could recognize the song, especially the intro. Hearing anything similar to it always brought his mind back to Shads's heavily decorated room. That's where his mind stayed as Sabrina began singing the aforementioned song.

     As the bridge of the song neared, Shadow was nearly in tears, but he never let a tear roll down either of his cheeks. The blue hedgehog wondered if Shads would've cried, given he wasn't around. If he could express this many positive emotions, he could definitely cry, too, right? 

     "I could listen to that song on repeat for the rest of my life."

     "I don't doubt that." Sonic chuckled.

     Shadow turned his attention to his cobalt counterpart, "Are you having a good time?" He wondered.

     He nodded, "Yes! I mean, it would be better if I knew her songs, but this is great!" 

     "And you're sure Amy isn't pissed off that you left her alone?" 

     "Pfft..." Sonic rolled his eyes, "If she even noticed I was gone, she would've found me by now." He told him.

     After "Dumb and Poetic," Sabrina began talking to the crowd about how happy she was to see them all, the typical gratitude speech. The hedgehogs were closer to the front, almost at the barricade, so Shadow was taking this very personally. As he should, tickets were far from cheap. 

     "Oh my god," Sabrina began, "Station Square, this might be the sexiest hedgehog I've ever seen! Who does your highlights?" She asked, the camera pointing to none other than Shadow himself. 

     The Jumbotron began flashing the words, "UNDER ARREST FOR BEING TOO HOT," as police sirens went off. Obviously, the ebony hedgehog was screaming. Loudly. Obnoxiously. 

     "What is your nammeee?" She giggled.

     "SHADDOOOOWWWWWWW!!!" 

     The singer put a hand over her mouth as her long skirt fell to her ankles, "You're so stunning that my clothes are falling off! Might wanna take these for after the show." She then handed some fuzzy pink handcuffs to security with a wink, who then gave them to Shadow. 

     He turned to Sonic, "Today is a good day, which is surprising because you're here." He quipped, giggling as he held the handcuffs. 

     "Wow, thanks." The cobalt hedgehog scoffed, shaking his head. 

     Shadow shrugged, his smile wholesome and pure. Despite Sabrina already singing "Juno," Sonic found it extremely difficult to look away. The way his lips parted slightly and revealed his perfect, ivory teeth. How his tail wagged back and forth, and how his eyes looked more brown than crimson in this light. 

     For a moment, it felt like he was starting to love this edgehog. But of course, that was nonsense. 

     She performed the rest of act three, ending on "Espresso" and an encore, of course. Sonic went back to Amy, and it was as if he'd never left. She embraced him in an excited hug, gushing about her favorite parts of the concert. 

     "Can you believe Shadow got the handcuffs?! I didn't even know he liked her music! I need to talk to him about this; at least he'll understand! I bet you're still clueless." She giggled, making her way to the parking lot with Sonic.

     "Oh man, finding him amongst all these people is going to be impossible, Ames. I'll relay the message, how about that?" The cobalt hedgehog assured her, smiling brightly. 

     Amy nodded, "Fine by me! Might as well give me his number; we could probably talk about it for hours." She suggested.

     "I'm sure." Sonic rolled his eyes playfully.

     By the time Sonic made it back to his apartment complex, he was exhausted and ready to sleep for at least fifteen hours. He was even considering skipping his run tomorrow, but that was unlikely. However, the thought of running right now made him sick to his stomach.

     But before he collapsed into bed, he figured he'd talk to Shads for a minute. I mean, tonight was a roller coaster. All he's known of the edgehog was... well, edginess. 

     He knocked on the door, and it was opened almost immediately by Shadow, who looked surprised to see him. He went to slam the door shut, but was quickly stopped by Sonic's foot. 

     "Wait!" He called out, "I just— I would've never guessed you, y'know, would get so excited over Sabrina Carpenter. I've never seen you happy at all. I don't know, it was—" Sonic rambled.

     Shads cut him off, "Find your words and spit them out, faker." He groaned.

     "Sorry." The blue hedgehog laughed awkwardly, "I'll take you to more concerts if it means you're smiling and laughing and...stuff." He proposed. 

     Shadow raised his brow curiously, "Why do you care?" He queried.

     "I just...liked seeing you happy. All I ever get is grumpy, easily-annoyed, sassy Shadow, and...tonight I saw a happier, genuine version of you." Sonic shrugged, "Tonight was great, right? Even when I, out of all people, was hanging out with you?" He asked.

     "I suppose it was..."

     His cobalt counterpart put a hand on his shoulder, "Would you like to have more nights like that?"

     "...It wouldn't hurt."

     Sonic patted said shoulder a few times, "Alright! We could see Sting... or Charli XCX, since you're more into that kind of stuff. Or maybe just a music festival. I couldn't care less." He smiled.

     "Couldn't care less. But fine. Don't make me regret this." Shadow crossed his arms, secretly a little bit excited.

     "Sick!" The blue blur exclaimed, "See ya tomorrow, Shads."

     He groaned, "Don't call me that." But by then, Sonic was already in bed, sleeping soundly. 

Chapter Text

     After Sonic and Shadow left to attend the concert, Knuckles quickly went to his neighbor's apartment. He and Rouge had planned to hang out once they knew that both hedgehogs would be out around the same time. It almost felt too good to be true. Almost.

     The echidna let himself in when he saw the unlocked door, walked into the kitchen, and leaned against the granite counter as he awaited his girlfriend. A few minutes after his arrival, she walked out in a pink, satin pajama set. Long pants and a low-cut shirt showing off her chest, complimented by a necklace Knucks had gotten her a while back.

     "There she is." He beamed, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, "Is this new?" He asked.

     Rouge shrugged, "I might've bought it for the occasion... do you like it?"

     "Of course. But you make any outfit beautiful... if I'm being honest." Knuckles's cheeks flushed as he ran his left hand up the small of her back.

     "Shut up..." She rolled her eyes, leaning up and kissing his cheek, "So, do you fancy a glass of cheap champagne?" Rouge queried.

     He shrugged, "Might as well."

     They let go of each other and walked to the fridge. Rouge grabbed the champagne while Knuckles found some glasses for them to use. They didn't match, nor were they the "correct" glasses, but to him, it didn't make much of a difference. Plus, the cabinets were, surprisingly enough, a mess.

     She filled each of their glasses to the brim, "Sometimes I feel like I might be an alcoholic, and then I remember that most college students are, and I feel less shitty about it." Rouge mentioned.

     "You could be doing worse things. Like coke or something." Knuckles replied before drinking half of the glass, and then refilling what he had drunk.

     "What, are you?" Rouge arched her brow, smirking.

     He chuckled softly, "I have not touched anything worse than weed."

     "Can't say the same, but I was...influenced. I was too young. But then again, are you ever old enough for hard drugs?" Rouge finished off her glass rather quickly, the rest of the bottle filling it up.

     Knuckles wrapped an arm around her waist once more, "I think people are just afraid of missing out since our lives feel so short. Doing stupid shit to feel connected to a fleeting lifeline." He hypothesized. 

     "Eugh, you're right, and I don't wanna think about that." She shuddered, "Wanna watch some shitty reality TV? Or— well, you can pick if you want." Rouge suggested.

     The echidna laughed, nodding as he walked into the living room and sat down. Rouge followed, sitting in his lap as he searched for something to watch. He knew that Rouge wanted him to pick something, but he was also aware that her attention span wouldn't survive while watching a nature documentary.

     And to be honest, that's all he ever watched. He liked to learn. 

     He clicked his tongue, "Sister Wives...?" 

     "OH MY GOD!!!" Rouge screamed, "It's insane. I've finished it, but you need to see these people. Not that their lifestyle is weird, but there's so much unnecessary drama." She explained.

     Knuckles clicked on it, and the intro was enough to tell him everything he needed to know about this show. Oh well, the half a bottle of champagne would make it as "crazy" to him as it was for Rouge. He finished off the glass and placed it on the coffee table, focusing on this fuckass dude and his four wives.

✧✧✧

     Each episode was about forty-five minutes long, so they only watched two and a half of them before tapping out. There's only so much Polygamous Mormonism you can stand after a while, and two hours was their limit. 

     "I don't think I could handle almost twenty kids... like that's insane." Rouge laughed, "Hell, I don't even think I could handle one kid."

     Knuckles nodded, "I just feel bad for the wives. Each of them has about five kids, except for Meri, but still. That has to have a major effect on your anatomy..." He acknowledged.

     She paused for a moment, "Would you ever want kids? Would you care if it... 'changed my anatomy?'" Rouge queried.

     "I don't mind. And that's... not why I mentioned that. It just has to hurt or be uncomfortable in some sense, right? I've heard too many horror stories." He replied, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I would never want to see the person I love in that much pain, especially postpartum." 

     Her cheeks flushed a rosy pink, gaze traversing the room. If she looked into his sweet, violet eyes, she'd never be able to look away. Hell, if they locked eyes, Rouge's pants would magically find themselves on the floor. And what a shame that would be if it happened...

     "Rouge, is everything...good?" Knuckles wondered.

     "Mhm." She turned her attention back to the echidna, her aquamarine eyes finally focusing on his. 

     He smiled, "Good. I was worried I said something stupid—" Knucks began to say before being cut off.

     Rouge pulled him in for a kiss, pushing him against the arm of the couch and wrapping her legs around his waist. While he was surprised at first, it was only a matter of seconds before he returned with double the passion. His hands wandered up her back, slowly removing the satin top and discarding it.

     Knuckles pulled away for just a moment, "Is this okay?" He asked, one hand on her waist and the other cupping the back of her head.

     "If it wasn't, you would've been dead by now." She whispered, snickering. 

     His face got hot rather quickly before his lips were pressed against Rouge's once more, soft grunts escaping them every so often. The echidna was nervous to feel her chest at first until she pressed his hands against them herself. She wished he'd be a little bolder, but was also happy that he cared about her enjoyment and comfort. 

     After about ten minutes of just making out with each other, Rouge pulled away. They were both out of breath and sat for a minute or two, catching it and giggling like fools. 

     Rouge picked up her phone from the coffee table and checked the time, "Wanna head over to my room? The concert just ended, so we have, like...two hours? That's plenty of time, right?"

     "This time, sure." He smirked, his boldness finally shining through.

     Knuckles picked Rouge up bridal style, placing kisses on her forehead as he walked into her bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed before removing his shirt, revealing a plethora of tribal markings that aren't usually visible. He may wear mostly sleeveless shirts, but the majority of his markings were on his chest and legs.

     "For once, I'm pretty excited," Rouge told him, her smile as bright as the moon outside.

     "Are you usually not?" The echidna queried as he lay down next to her. 

     She shrugged, "Most guys aren't like you, hon'. You're a keeper, y'know?" 

     "Whatever you say, beautiful." He chuckled, "I'm up for anything; you can make the decisions tonight." 

     "Meeeee?" Rouge giggled, "I say you show me what you're capable of." She suggested.

     Knuckles only gave her a cocky smile as he slid the rest of her clothes off, climbing atop her to place kisses all down her chest and around her waist. He parted her legs slightly before going down on her, tongue gently caressing her clit. The echidna waited for further instruction before doing anything too crazy. 

     Rouge moaned softly, running her hand through his quills as gently as he pleased her. Since he was doing so well, though, she figured she could trust him to go a little further.

     "You're doing good, love," She assured Knucks, "You can give a little more, I promise." 

     And so he did, hands still running up and down her soft thighs. His breath on her skin felt almost as good as the tongue inside of her right now, but that was probably because she was falling madly in love with him. Who knew a man could have this many good qualities?

     The fact that he knew how to make a woman feel good inside and out, sexually and romantically, was almost uncanny. Unheard of— to her, at least. She'd considered limiting her dating preferences to women only, but that was more of a desperate measure. Knuckles came into her life at the perfect time. 

     Speaking of coming, Rouge was fairly close, but finishing this early was rather boring.

     She pulled on his quills gently, "Stop, please." 

     Knuckles pulled away, lips covered in her slick excrement. He wiped it away, looking at her like a puppy waiting for its treat. How adorable.

     "Come here, baby." She sat up, patting the spot next to her on the bed.

     He scooched over and sat down, one knee in the air and the other lying straight on the comforter. Rouge pushed his leg down, slipping his grey sweatpants off, then dramatically flinging them behind her. Knuckles chuckled, watching as she began jerking him off.

     While his breathing got heavier, and a few soft grunts escaped his mouth, most of his arousal came from the way she looked up at him. Her sly smirk, the occasional giggles, her glorious, curvy body. The echidna was sure that if he stared at her long enough, without being touched at all, he could cum. What a slut.

     "You ready?" Rouge asked out of the blue.

     "For what, exactly?" He arched his brow curiously but in a more excited sense. 

     She climbed on top of him and placed his tip at her opening, promptly sitting down on it. Rouge bit down on her lip, adjusting to the size. Knuckles placed his hands on her hips, his heart pounding so rapidly he felt like a Looney Tunes character. There was no way she couldn't see it beating in his chest. 

     "So... are you?" She asked once more, her cheeks flushed a bright scarlet hue. 

     Knucks could only nod, too astounded to speak. Even if he tried to say something, it would only come out as gibberish. And... that would leave her drier than the Sahara Desert. 

     Rouge held onto his sides as she thrusted herself in and out, or up and down, depending on how you look at it. Both of them got louder, their moans more prominent and symbolic of their comfort level. This was their first time doing anything sexual together, so it was a little nerve-wracking at first, considering they were really into each other.

     And when you don't necessarily work out in that department, everything usually collapses. But now that they knew that they were good— or rather fantastic together (in all areas), there was nothing left to worry about or hide. There was so much hope for the future.

     "Oh, fuck..." Rouge mumbled under her breath, leaning her head back in pleasure.

     "E-everything okay?" Knuckles queried.

     She laughed, "Fucking amazing, baby." 

     The echidna could only smile, happy that she was thoroughly enjoying herself. He'd never felt so attached to someone before or concerned with how they were feeling. Hell, he never even thought about the future, or kids, or marriage with any of his other partners. With Rouge, it was so different. 

     Maybe soulmates were real, and maybe true love made life feel like a rom-com. Who cares, though? Knuckles was just grateful for the sexy, sweet, silly, perfect woman on his dick right now. Add Heaven to the "maybe it IS real" list. 

     After a little bit of the cowgirl routine, Knucks pulled Rouge off of him so they could both finish without worrying about hurrying to CVS the next morning. She basically collapsed onto him, rubbing her face into his chest. Cute. 

     "Did you have a good time?" The echidna wondered, asking to make sure everything was one hundred percent a-okay on both sides.

     "Ten out of ten, will be doing it again..." She closed her eyes, "Pull the blanket over us, pleaaaseee..." She whined.

     And so he did, even though he was still sweating, even more so now that his girlfriend was on top of him. Oh well, as long as she was comfortable. 

     "I love you," Knucks told her, stroking the back of her head gently. 

     "I love you, too. I'm so happy you came into my life." Rouge replied before she fell asleep.

     Even though he was exhausted, it was hard to keep his eyes shut. Knuckles figured he had developed a staring problem, considering how much he loved to watch Rouge every second he was with her. Watching her reactions to stupid TV shows, her body language, the way she looks at him, and now how she sleeps.

     Was it creepy? Only if they weren't dating. Plus, she probably didn't notice. Hopefully not.

Chapter Text

LOOK AT HOW CUTE THIS IS I'M LOSING MY FUCKING MIND EEEEEEEEEK 

Chapter Text

     After having had such a good time with Shadow at the concert and those copious amounts of study sessions, Sonic found himself wanting to be around the edgehog more and more. It was so odd that he often missed his ebony counterpart when they were apart. I mean, they were barely even friends.

     It didn't matter, though. Their friendship status didn't stop Sonic from thinking about all of that. He had been trying to go to bed early, considering the shitload of stuff he had to do tomorrow, and yet, the cobalt hedgehog couldn't doze off. After thirty minutes or so of tossing and turning, he decided to watch some TV in the living room.  

     But as he clicked through channels and various streaming services, he found himself unable to find something that would capture his interest. Sonic groaned, sitting up on the couch and walking onto the balcony. The indigo sky was filled with stars, shining brightly amongst the waning gibbous moon.

     There were no clouds in the sky, either, which made the sight all the more astonishing. His first thought was of Shadow: Had he seen this? Wouldn't he love this? He smiled at the thought of the edgehog letting his happiness show, just as he did the night of the concert. 

     As the cobalt hedgehog gazed up at the sky, part of him began to feel tempted to go over to Shadow's apartment and see if he was willing to go stargazing. Plus, there was a nice field just outside of the city they could go to... It was almost too perfect.

     Sonic slipped on his shoes and walked next door, knocking on it gently and hoping that the ebony hedgehog was already awake. God only knows what just-woken-up Shadow is like...especially toward Sonic of all people. 

     The door swung open after a few seconds. Shadow was standing at the door, wearing his concert tee, glasses, and rollers in his quills. So that's how they turn upward! Sonic smiled, scratching the back of his head nervously.

     "What the hell are you doing?" The edgehog queried.

     "Wanna go stargazing?" His cobalt counterpart asked as a response, smiling like an idiot. 

     Shadow blinked a few times, "...Why?"

     "It's so beautiful outside! I figured you're into that stuff...and I can't sleep, so, y'know." He chuckled, rocking back and forth on his heels.

     The edgehog turned around and glanced outside, "I suppose so... But where would we even go to stargaze?" The fact that he was considering this was surprising to Sonic.

     "This field is just a bit outside the city. Not too far for guys like us, if you know what I mean." 

     Shadow sighed, biting the inside of his cheek as he thought about Sonic's request. He was into that kind of stuff, and it would be perfect to do so on a night like this. But...with this idiot? Of all people? 

     At the same time, however, he knew that deep down he had a soft spot for the blue hedgehog. He was so annoying, so chipper, and yet so adorable and sweet and understanding, too. God, it sounded like he was in love with the faker. Eugh.

     "Fine. I'll go." Shads obliged, putting Rouge's pink, fluffy slippers on and walking into the hallway. Sonic was practically jumping for joy as he grabbed the edgehog's hand and pulled him down the hallway and out of the building. And then down the street...and on the path to the field. 

     When they arrived at the field, Shadow's mouth hung agape as he stared at the scenery in awe. The bright, magnificent sky and the meadow below it. In a spur of complete impulsivity, he ran out and collapsed onto the grass, smiling brightly as the nature around him radiated pure tranquility. 

     Sonic laughed, jogging over to where the ebony hedgehog lay in the grass, and lying down next to him.

     "I told you so~" He sang.

     "You did, you really did." Shadow began fidgeting with his quills joyfully.

     The cobalt hedgehog grabbed his hand, holding it gently as they looked up at the stars. He didn't necessarily realize that his gesture was... relatively romantic, but it wasn't like Shadow noticed. He was completely enthralled by the whole other world that was right above him. 

     But all of a sudden, Shadow's eyes looked glassier than before. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes and made their way down his cheek, and his smile faltered as well. Sonic sat up a little bit, placing his hand on the ebony hedgehog's shoulder.

     "Are you okay?" He asked.

     Shadow turned his head away from his cobalt counterpart and mumbled something incoherent to Sonic's ears. He sniffled, trying to stop himself from crying more, which obviously just made it worse. At this point, he was inconsolable, sobbing silently as his thoughts consumed him. 

     "What's wrong, Shads?" Sonic asked again, becoming more worrisome by the second.

     Shadow sat up and held his head in his hands, sniffling, "My sister..." He murmured

     "...What about her?" 

     He took a deep breath before speaking, "She loved space. She would've loved this. I'm sorry." He briefly explained.

     "Oh... I'm so sorry." Sonic didn't exactly understand what the context was, but he felt sympathetic nonetheless.

     The ebony hedgehog was already embarrassed and upset, but he was also surprised that Sonic wasn't hounding him for being so emotional right now. Maybe...maybe it was okay to let it all out. Besides, even if it blew up in his face, he had an excuse to get high as shit. 

     "She...died a while ago. It still hurts, though. I mean, she was all I had for the majority of my life. Seeing her slowly lose her life to an incurable disease was... so heartbreaking." Shadow explained further, tears drying up just a bit.

     Sonic looked into his eyes with melancholia, "That's horrific, I'm... I can't imagine what that must've been like. Do you wanna head back to the apartment?"

     "No. It's fine. Surprisingly enough, you're helping me calm down." The edgehog let out a pitiful laugh, "Thanks..."

     "You're welcome, I guess." The cobalt hedgehog chuckled, "How else can I be of service, Sir Shadow?" He teased.

     Shadow rolled his eyes, "It...would be nice if you just talked for a while. Distract me." He suggested. 

     "Okay!!!" He smirked.

     Sonic was an absolute yapper; he could simply talk for hours on end. So when given the opportunity, he will talk and talk and talk and TALK for hours. About nothing in particular, really, just anything that comes to his mind. And that's exactly what Shadow needed right now.

     "Hmm..." He pondered for a moment, "I wonder what your favorite color is. WAIT— DDOOOON'T TELL ME!" Sonic held his hands out, "It's purple, right? It has to be!" 

     The blue hedgehog continued, "It can't be red, because I feel like you only got your highlights done red because it matches the black really well. Purple is a diva color and you're a diva, y'know?" He explained, giggling like a little kid. 

     Shadow blinked a couple of times, hesitating before he spoke, "Y-yeah, it is purple. How did you know?" He smiled softly.

     "YES! I have good intuition, I guess!" Sonic's smile was as wide as it could be, his white teeth shining almost as brightly as the stars above.

     To be completely honest, though, Shadow didn't have a favorite color until his cobalt counterpart guessed purple. He loved the way Sonic was smiling and giggling; he found it more endearing than ever. So, Shads told him that he was right. It was purple.

     And it probably would be until the end of time, if he could look at that alluring smile every time. He didn't realize how intently he'd been staring at Sonic until the blue hedgehog tapped him on the shoulder.

     "You good?"

     "Y-yes. I'm great, actually. Thank you..." He replied, his cheeks flushing a deep maroon. 

     "Good. We should probably head back, huh? I'm starting to get eepy." Sonic proposed, standing up with a dramatic grunt. 

     Shadow nodded in response, walking back to the apartment with his... friend. Yeah, that seemed like an adequate description of their relationship status. He wouldn't admit that aloud, though. 

     After walking Shadow back to their apartment, Sonic headed back to his room and lay down on his bed. He let out a large, climactic sigh before placing his pillow on his face and screaming into it. A happy scream.

     "I. LOVE. HIMMMMMMMMMM!!! FUUUUUUUUUUUCCccckkkkk..." He yelled, throwing the pillow onto the floor and staring up at the ceiling. Guess it was gonna have to be a sleepless night. 

Chapter Text

     It was a nice Friday afternoon for Shadow, simply reading his smutty fantasy books and drinking coffee. However, his peace was disturbed after Rouge dropped whatever she was handling for the umpteenth time. The incessant noise was unbearable. He slammed the book shut and walked outside his room to lecture her.

     "What the hell are you doing?" He asked in a stern tone.

     Rouge was on a mini ladder, placing Halloween-themed decorations on the walls and ceiling. She groaned, stepping down from the ladder and picking up what she had dropped. She then glared at the edgehog.

     "Setting up for the party tomorrow night!" 

     "...I thought it was going to be next door. I thought this was Knuckles's responsibility. I thought—" He stammered, eye twitching, and rage rising.

     Rouge sighed, "Yes, but since there are a lot of people being invited, we decided to use both apartments so no one's cramped. You'll live, hon'." She explained.

     He took a deep breath before turning around and heading back into his room, opening his book back up, and mentally preparing for the shit show that tomorrow would be. 

     The next day arrived much quicker than Shadow had ever wanted it to. Alas, there he was, putting on his guyliner about five minutes before the party "officially" started. Regardless of when it started, though, most of the people invited would be late anyway.

     He walked out of the bathroom with a shirt on that said, "This is my Halloween Costume" written in Sharpie on a plain, white shirt, along wth some random pajama shorts. Surprisingly, Shadow was not the biggest fan of Halloween. He hated candy, hated kids, and especially hated dealing with drunk people. 

     The edgehog went into the kitchen and opened a bag of black licorice, and ate a few pieces. Rouge always buys a big bag of it for Shadow each year because it's the only candy he eats, despite it tasting like shit. He had odd taste, but she still loved him. 

     "Shadow, what are you wearing?!" Rouge asked as she walked out of her room, her costume barely constructed. 

     He turned around, "My costume." The ebony hedgehog smirked.

     "You're impossible. Anyway, come tie the back of this corset, please." She told, rather than asked.

     Shadow walked over and laced the ribbon through the holes of the corset, tying it tightly around her waist. She turned around and gave him a little kiss on the cheek.

     "Thank you! Now I have to pray these fucking tights don't rip on me..." Rouge groaned before heading back inside her room.

✧✧✧

      It took an hour and a half for everyone to show up, which wasn't as bad as the hosts had expected. Once there was no one left to wait for, it didn't take long for everyone to start slamming Buzz Ballz and rolling joints. After all, what's a college party without the fear of permanently damaging your frontal lobe (and liver...and lungs)?

     And what's a Halloween party without some sick costumes? Rouge was wearing a scarlet corset with black lace embroidery, a black skirt, flowery tights, and matching lace gloves. Despite wanting Knucks to match with her, he was rather set on going as Ryu from Street Fighter.

     Sonic, being the nerd he is, walked in wearing an F1 racer costume that was entirely latex: It was the typical red with checkers on the side. The only thing surprising about his costume was the dedication to wear something so tight-fitting. It would definitely be gone by the end of the night, discarded somewhere on the floor.

     Amy was surprisingly late, her excuse being that the traffic was insane and that she couldn't decide on what candy to bring. She went as a cheerleader, the uniform being pink and white. Her costumes weren't typically elaborate, and they weren't ever scary. She wasn't a fan of horror elements in anything.

     However, her costume this year was so basic that she and Blaze ended up unintentionally matching. The only difference was that Blaze's uniform was purple and white rather than pink. The princess's reason for picking said costume was that it was the only one that didn't feel "unnecessarily sexualized." Which was fair enough.

     Silver, on the other hand, went rather complex with his costume. Not the appearance of it, though. Just the idea of it, considering he put a bunch of grey cotton balls on a headband, and then taped some water droplets on his face and body. No one knew what the hell he was trying to accomplish there.

     "...You're a thunderstorm?" Amy guessed.

     "Maybe he's just rain." Knuckles pondered.

     "Or he has a secret kink we don't know about," Sonic suggested before being punched by Knucks.

     Blaze sighed, "He's under the weather. Do you get it now?" She explained.

     Everyone let out a collective "ooohhh..." That did not make Silver much happier. He grabbed a passionfruit martini Buzz Ball and drank it quietly in the corner. 

     Chaotix was the next group of people to arrive, and they were... not coordinated at all. Then again, they were broke as fuck, so one could only assume whatever they were wearing was either stolen or very poorly made. Or both.

     Charmy was dressed up as Cupid. Cute, right? Wrong. He was wearing a white bath towel and some dollar-store angel wings. He had a bow, too... a toy bow from Walmart that was meant for little girls who liked the Disney movie "Brave." 

     Espio, of course, was dressed as a ninja. He was probably the only one who paid for his costume, considering it looked like it came straight from Amazon. It's the thought that counts, right?

     And Vector... Vector had the worst costume of the three. It was the worst costume of everyone there, even if there were still others on the way to the party. It's always funny when, in old cartoons or movies, a horse separates into two separate people. It's a lot funnier, however, when a crocodile is wearing only the second half of said costume... With no person to match it.

     Knuckles looked him up and down, "That's the best you could come up with...?"

     "I begged like six girls at the bar to be the other half, I swear," Vector replied, as if that made his costume decision any better.

     The echidna only sighed as a response. Vector then shrugged before walking away nonchalantly. 

     Sticks often flaked out on invitations to parties and hanging out in general, despite being unemployed and not in school. So when she showed her face, wearing a black suit and matching sunglasses, everyone was equally excited and confused. Halloween is about scaring people, right? So, she was dressed up as a government agent!

     Last, but certainly not least, the Babylon Rogues arrived. No one was surprised to find out that they were doing matching costumes, but they were...perplexed to see the birds dressed up as Smurfs. Red pants, stupid white beanies, and...poorly dyed feathers. They are seriously committed to being blue. 

     It was silent when the three of them walked in, mostly because everyone was astonished that they even thought to do something as ridiculous as this. No one had thought it could get worse than Vector's half-of-a-horse costume. Yet, it did.

     Shadow looked them up and down before giving Rouge a look from across the room, asking her, "Why the hell did you invite these assholes?!" with just his eyes. She only smiled before chugging a cup of the Halloween-themed cocktail she made. He grumbled, sitting back down on the couch and deciding to watch the shit show rather than be a part of it.

✧✧✧

    The usage of both apartments was a smart move in the long run, considering everyone was quick to get as fucked up as possible. It was so much better to have a bunch of wasted fools in spacious rooms rather than being crowded together in just one. 

     Knucks and Rouge were in his apartment, sitting on the couch, taking turns with a bong and questioning the logistics of helium. How did we discover it? How the hell did we find out it could float? Where does it come from? So many questions; not enough answers.

     Amy, Blaze, and Silver were all stalking random people in the corner of Rouge and Shadow's apartment, giggling at random girls' ugly boyfriends and general fakeness. So many bad fake tans, too. It was entertaining!

     Chaotix and the Babylon Rogues were arguing over who could rap best since they unanimously agreed that leaders of different countries should just have rap battles instead of wars. Charmy freestyling against Storm was definitely...something.

     "Ayo..." The bee cleared his throat, "I'm rappin' to the society, and I'm gonna move your anxiety. Mean, annoying, unreliable, like the power—  Boy, I tell you, I thought you were a shower! I can't take being broke, can't take this science.. I woulda have tried sleeping on it, I guess I got no compliance..." He then dropped an invisible mic. 

     Vector and Espio screamed, "OHHHHHH!!!" As if the birds had gotten absolutely demolished by their mediocre lyrics. 

     Storm then began, "Hope the face got some space, my case doesn't like no dirty grace. Run up to the base and get the place. What more could you ask for? The fine race? You complain about being a loser; I gotta love it though - somebody still speaks for the case." He then crossed his arms, even though it wasn't much better. 

     "Yeah, we could win a war for sure." Jet declared, laughing smugly.

     "Maybe, but we would definitely win against you guys!" Vector countered.

     The two groups then continued to poorly and drunkenly rap at each other to declare who would win in a war against the other. Maybe they were onto something... (or simply on something).

     Despite all of the fun everyone else was having, it was hard for Sonic to feel okay doing anything without feeling extremely bad for Shadow. The edgehog was still sitting on the couch, playing Block Blast and occasionally looking up at whatever the people closest to him were doing. It was just...sad. Almost pathetic.

     The blue hedgehog poured some of the cocktail into a red solo cup and brought it over to Shadow, "You're just gonna sit here all night?" He wondered.

     Shads looked up at him and rolled his eyes, "And so what if I am?" 

     "I just..." Sonic sighed, sitting down next to him, "Feel bad. Can you just like, indulge me and let yourself have a little fun tonight?" He asked.

     "You act as if—" The ebony hedgehog stopped himself and took a deep breath. 

     He did owe this to Sonic, considering what happened a couple of nights ago. After all, that faker let him bawl his eyes out and didn't even judge, or treat him like an imbecile... he was kind. Shadow took the drink out of his cobalt counterpart's hand and downed it.

     He smirked, "Let's go find the echidna."

     Sonic arched his brow curiously, "Why?"

     "Weed." Shadow got up and started to walk out of the apartment and into the other one, Sonic following behind. 

     They got some from Knuckles and rolled it into a joint, lighting it and taking turns passing it back and forth out on the balcony. Shadow thought to himself, wondering if it was a good idea for him to be acting like this: Being that kind of college kid: drinking heavily and acting a damn fool. 

     "I need to take this costume off, dude," Sonic announced, before promptly undressing for all of Central City to see. 

     He was wearing a white tank top and boxers underneath, scars on his chest peeking out from the lack of sleeves. Shadow stared for a moment, somewhat confused as to how he got them. Sonic noticed.

     He chuckled, "You seriously don't know?" Sonic queried.

     "...Know what?"

     "I'm trans, Shadow." He answered rather casually. 

     The ebony hedgehog blinked a few times, "I couldn't tell. You pass really well." 

     "Thank God." Sonic giggled a little more, his cheeks flushing. 

     Shadow pressed the tightly rolled joint up to his lips, finishing it off with a meticulously slow inhale. He exhaled soon after, smoke billowing out of his mouth like a freight train through a small town. After tossing the butt of it off the balcony, he headed back inside to drink himself senseless like the others.

     Sonic was surprised that Shads did all...that without coughing up a lung. It made him think about how many times he's done it.

     The edgehog grabbed a bottle of Fireball and started downing it, which immediately made Rouge sit up from the couch and basically sprint over to him. She grabbed his shoulder, but that didn't make him stop. It just wasn't like him to drink like this, or at least not as of recent.

      He put the bottle down and turned to look at her, "I'm fine. Just easing up." Shadow reassured her.

      "Promise?" She asked with a serious tone of voice.

      "Promise." He replied.

      Within seconds of that interaction, he picked the bottle back up and finished it off, turning to the blue blur with a mischievous smirk. Sonic's stomach turned in happy knots seeing Shads grin again, even if it was sillier than the last time. 

✧✧✧

     It didn't take too long for the entire bottle of Fireball to take control of Shadow. Everyone who saw that happen completely expected that. However, Shadow isn't your average Joe, simply actin' a fool before puking his guts out. No, this hedgehog has completely lost. His. fucking. Mind.

     When "Telephone" by Lady Gaga and Beyonce came on, he made sure the speaker playing it was turned up as loud as possible so he could. He then danced along to it, the exact choreography from the music video, to be specific. He grabbed Sonic's hand, begging him to dance along.

     "C'mon! You know the dance! Everyone does!" Shadow laughed, slurring the lyrics together. 

     "I absolutely do not— but it's so great that you do!" Sonic chuckled, rather thankful that there was a whimsical side to the edgehog. 

      Once the song ended, he did end up turning the speaker back down to its original volume. However, his adorable, loud, and ridiculous-sounding laughter filled the void. While some of the others were concerned at his genuine giggles, Sonic was enthralled by them. 

      A little bit later, he, Shadow, Vector, Knuckles, and Jet were all sitting in the living room talking about random shit, like what the best strategy was to use to win a hot dog eating contest. None of them could agree on one method, but it was a very helpful seminar for Sonic, considering he entered these types of contests often. 

     But as all good conversations between wasted idiots go, the topic changed about a thousand times within seconds. Somehow, hot dog contests turned into romance and the dating world. 

     "I think Rouge and I are in it for the long run. This is so corny, but I've never been more in love with someone." The echidna smiled, his cheeks flushing ever so slightly.

     Sonic rolled his eyes, "Must be nice." He huffed, crossing his arms out of envy.

     Shadow chuckled at his cobalt counterpart's sudden sense of jealousy. He found it amusing, seeing that the faker was something other than happy and excruciatingly cheerful. 

     Jet laughed at Sonic, "It's obvious why you can't get any bitches— you're insufferable!" He continued to chortle, even though nothing was that funny.

     "BITCH! The last time you had a girlfriend was, like, nineteen-ought-seven!" The blue blur retorted, throwing a pillow at his face. 

     "Anyway," Vector interrupted, "Enough about you guys, I think Vanilla and I are finally going steady. No more BS, no more breaks." He smirked.

     Knuckles groaned, "Jesus, you say that every time. If you guys are actually serious, why don't you invite her over?" He suggested.

     Shadow sat up, more alert when Vanilla's name was brought up. He went to high school with her and babysat Cream for the first years of her life. He was a lot different back then than he is now. He really didn't want to see her tonight.

     "Fine then, I will!" Vector spat, pulling out his phone and calling the rabbit.

     The ebony hedgehog's heart dropped. He needed to sober up and fast. Well, that is, if Vanilla were to come over... 

     "Put it on speaker!" Shads suggested, more so for his benefit. 

     "Good idea!" And so the crocodile did, the dial tone still ringing incessantly.

     Vanilla finally picked up, right before it would've gone to voicemail, "What do you want?" She asked, tired.

     "Come over to the address I'm about to send to you. It's a small get-together with friends." He told her.

     She sighed, "Um... yeah, I guess I can. Cream is asleep; she'll be fine for a couple of hours." 

     "Okay, babe, see ya." Vector hung up before playfully punching Knuckles's shoulder.

     Shadow sat up and walked into the kitchen rather abruptly, pondering whether he should drink the only water available (tap) or more alcohol. He picked up a bottle of Pink Whitney and drank with more passion than an alcoholic, deadbeat dad. Maybe then his nervousness would wither away, just like all his other shitty feelings tonight.

     He held onto the counter with both hands, trying to stand up somewhat straight. The edgehog felt like he could throw up, pass out, cry, and die within the next couple of minutes. He forced all of that down, though, grounding himself (as much as he could in that moment), and heading back to the conversation pit. 

✧✧✧

     It took about fifteen to twenty minutes for Vanilla to arrive, opening the door slowly and peering her head inside. She walked into the living room, tapping Vector's shoulder since his back was facing the way she came. He turned around and grinned widely before standing up and wrapping his large arms around her body.

     They embraced in a quick hug before kissing. Vanilla smiled, her cheeks flushing a rosy pink hue. Shadow turned his head away from the rabbit, hoping she wouldn't notice him. However, bright red highlights are going to be the first thing anyone notices in a room, no matter how hard you try. 

     She tilted her head, "Shadow, is that you?" Vanilla queried. 

     He slowly turned his head to look at her, "Hi." 

     The rabbit blinked a few times. "You do this kind of stuff often?" Which really meant, "Have you not changed at all?" 

     Shadow knew that deep down, she cared a lot about his well-being, despite not being in contact for years. What she said, even though it was meant as a worried gesture, still hit him like a ton of bricks. Before he knew it, he could barely breathe, his heart pounding out of his chest.

     "No. I'll be back." The ebony hedgehog stated before dashing to his room.

     Sonic seemed to be the only one who was sober enough to give a shit about what just happened. Of course, he didn't understand any of it, but he still cared. Without any warning, he got up from the couch and went after Shadow.

     He would've knocked, but the door wasn't even fully closed. Sonic wasn't entirely sure if even Shads noticed that. The blue blur walked in and locked the door behind him, finding the edgehog crying into a pillow on his bed. 

     Sonic sat down on the bed and rubbed Shadow's back, "What's wrong, buddy?" He asked. 

     The only response he got was a few sobs and maybe a couple of slurred, muffled somethings about what had just happened. Sonic continued to rub his friend's back, waiting until he was ready to explain. Even if that time never came, he wouldn't have left Shads alone.

     After a few more minutes of sobbing, Shadow lifted his head and looked at his cobalt counterpart, eyes puffy and red. The pillowcase had two wet spots from where his eyes were, which made Sonic's heart shatter a little. 

     "I...I've changed, I promise." He choked out, "- I-I'm not..."

     "Take your time." 

     Shadow took a deep breath, "She knew me when I—I did this like, every day, Sonic..." He wailed. 

     Sonic tilted his head in confusion, "What do you mean?" He wondered.

     The ebony hedgehog was quiet for a minute or so, supposedly trying to collect his words. God only knows how jumbled his thoughts are right now; he was more wasted than a sewage treatment plant. 

     "I was a drug addict for...most of my high school career. Vanilla and I went to school together. I babysat her daughter for...drug money." He admitted, the look of shame on his face twisting Sonic's stomach in knots.

     A few more tears streamed down Shadow's cheeks before he spoke again, "She thinks nothing has changed..." He whispered, as if admitting it out loud would make it true. 

     The blue hedgehog lay down next to Shads on the bed, wrapping his arms around him, "I know we aren't exactly close enough for me to be, well, cuddling you, but it's the only way I know how to help right now." He chuckled softly.

     Surprisingly, Shadow leaned into his cobalt counterpart's embrace, pressing his forehead against Sonic's chest. The blue blur's cheeks flushed. If only he had his phone to document this moment...

     "You gonna be okay?" He asked.

     Shadow nodded, "You're not that bad... I just hate being wrong. I thought you were...such a dick... an idiot. You're so sweet." He mumbled, yawning in between some of his words. 

     Now Sonic was extremely red, completely taken aback by what Shads had just admitted. They say that drunk words are sober thoughts, but no way did that saying apply here. Right?! Shadow literally hated him... so what the hell was this? 

     Suddenly, the edgehog sat up and got out of bed, "mmm...gonna go to bed..." He muttered, taking his pants off.

     Sonic instinctively covered his eyes before parting his fingers and letting himself stare. Unfortunately, Shadow was built beautifully, so he had to bask in the beauty while it was out in the open. He could've died when the ebony hedgehog took his shirt off.

     He soon replaced his "costume" with sleepwear: a tattered hoodie and some thin pajama pants. Shadow sat back down next to Sonic and looked into his eyes, smiling ever so slightly. Sonic bit the inside of his cheek, his heart pounding rapidly.

     But as he looked into Shadow's eyes, he noticed that the typical crimson color they usually had wasn't as prevalent in this light. Here, they looked like a freshly brewed cup of coffee, a deep, beguiling brown. This might've been the longest Sonic has ever been able to hold eye contact with someone.

     "You're the best asshole I ever met..." Shadow hummed happily before giving Sonic a quick peck on the cheek. 

     He then climbed under the covers and passed out almost immediately. The blue blur knew that the kiss didn't mean anything. Shadow was drunk, he was sad, and who even knows if his vision was 20/20 in that moment. But still, it had butterflies chasing each other around in his stomach. Then again, that could've been the alcohol. He was still tipsy, after all.

     Sonic sighed, trying not to dwell on what had just occurred, and figured he should just go to sleep, too. He crawled under the covers and shut his eyes, praying that he would be the first to wake up. If an extremely hungover Shadow saw his cobalt counterpart in bed next to him, he would never see the light of day ever again. 

Chapter Text

     Sonic's eyes fluttered open as he woke up with a semi-bearable headache and no clue where he was. He groaned, sitting up and stretching his arms, and his eyes adjusting after a few seconds. The hedgehog turned his head and was alarmed when he saw Shadow asleep beside him. Once he looked around the room, the memories of last night came crashing back.

     Right. The Halloween party. It was both a blessing and a curse that Sonic could get wasted and still remember what happened the night before. Or at least most of it. He was thankful that he didn't do anything crazy with Shads, because that would've gotten him killed. But as he thought of that scenario, he did remember that... the edgehog did kiss him last night.

     Only on the cheek, of course, but a kiss nonetheless. He would've never expected the ebony hedgehog to be such an emotional drunk, but at least he was emotional with Sonic over whoever else would've never let him live it down. He smiled, his cheeks flushing a soft, rosy color.

     Sonic reached over and brushed some loose quills out of Shadow's face before climbing out of bed and stretching his legs and back. Part of him didn't want to leave the room; he was more enamored by the sweetness of Shadow sleeping. So peaceful; it might've been the calmest he'd ever seen him. 

     The blue blur opened the door and walked out, shutting it as quietly as possible as he went to leave. However, part of him felt guilty for simply leaving Shadow alone and hungover. He sighed, walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge. The least he could do was make Shads some breakfast, right?

     He took the carton of eggs and took four out. If Shadow was getting breakfast, Sonic would make some for himself, too. After all, he was STARVING. He put the carton back in the fridge and, in turn, got out some butter and milk. 

     While searching through their cabinets, he found some olive oil, black pepper, and a bowl. Now all he needed was a pan, which was in the oven drawer. Sonic cracked the eggs into the bowl and stirred them up with a fork, adding in some milk and butter before putting some olive oil and then the mixture into the pan.

     The hedgehog continued to scramble them in the pan as they cooked, hoping Shadow would appreciate the gesture and ignore his terrible cooking skills. Once the eggs were done, he sprinkled some black pepper on them and a little shredded cheese so it would get all melty on top. 

     He then made his own plate the same way, wishing he knew where the hell he and Rouge kept their toaster (if they even had one) so he could make some buttered toast. Sonic shrugged, grabbing two forks and placing them on the plates. He was going to take them to Shadow's room before seeing the coffee maker and figuring he could go for some.

     The hedgehog brewed two cups: one black and one with sugar and half-and-half. He then carried the plates with his left hand and forearm, while the cups of coffee were intertwined with his right fingers. Carefully, he walked into Shadow's room to deliver breakfast. 

     He placed the plates and mugs on the ebony hedgehog's bedside table before resting his hand on the edgehog's shoulder and gently shaking him. Shadow began to wake up, soft grunts escaping his mouth as his eyes opened. He groaned, pulling the blankets over his head.

     Shadow grumbled, "Rougeee..." He whined, "Let me sleep..."

     Sonic chuckled, "Not Rouge, buddy. I fell asleep in your bed last night, but I doubt you remember any of that." 

     Suddenly, the ebony hedgehog leaped out of bed, 'WHATTT?!?!" He screamed, his voice groggy and erratic. 

     His cobalt counterpart jumped, shocked at the sudden change in energy, "We didn't do anything!" Sonic clarified.

     "I DON'T CARE IF WE DID ANYTHING OR NOT!!!" Shadow continued to yell, "You were in my bed!!!" 

     "I was worried about you! The only reason I stayed was because I wanted to make sure you would be taken care of!" He explained, "See, I even made us breakfast!" The blue blur grinned.

     Shadow was seething, "I can't believe I let myself act so foolishly!" He sighed, "Why did no one stop me...why didn't you stop me?!" He asked angrily.

     "You were having fun for a while, I didn't want to interrupt that! You only freaked out when Vanilla came over, so I took you here to calm you down." Sonic explained.

     The edgehog side-eyed the blue hedgehog, "Vanilla?! What the fuck do you mean Vanilla saw me like that?!" He suddenly got much more agitated, his entire body shaking with what seemed to be a mixture of rage and worry.

     Sonic was confused until the conversation he and Shads had about Vanilla came back to him. He frowned, standing up from the bed and pulling Shadow in for a hug. He tried to resist, but soon gave up as he rested his forehead against Sonic's shoulder. The blue blur's grip around the edgehog tightened.

     Shadow sighed, reluctantly wrapping his arms around Sonic and holding onto him. He hated this. Hated the vulnerability and the embarrassment that came with acting like this. He was too hungover to care this time, though. He was grateful that someone still cared enough to want to hold him. 

     "If you don't want her to think that you're still an addict, then you need to talk to her. In person." His cobalt counterpart suggested, rubbing his back gently.

     The ebony hedgehog bit the inside of his cheek, tearing up a little bit. Of course, he wouldn't cry in front of Sonic right now, but he wished he had the confidence to do so. His horrific migraine and tsunami of emotions weren't a good mix right now. 

     "I know," Shadow replied, his voice quiet and minuscule, "It's so hard to be this vulnerable. I can't believe that I'm even able to talk to you, of all people, like this." He admitted through gritted teeth.

     "I get it, I really do, and I'm glad that you... somehow... feel comfortable enough to open up like this. I'm not here to judge you, Shads." Sonic stepped back and grabbed Shadow's hands, squeezing them gently.

     Shadow leaned his head back and took a deep breath, pulling his hands from Sonic's and taking a step back. Suddenly, he ripped out a concerning number of quills from his head, which somehow made him a little less tense. The cobalt hedgehog was quick to grab his hands, holding onto them tightly enough so he couldn't pull away.

     "What the hell was that?!" Sonic asked, his eyes as wide as they could go.

     "It was either that or a full-blown meltdown, and I'm not going to let you see me like that." Shads scoffed, "This is ridiculous. Just leave." 

     The blue blur groaned, "It is not!!! Please, what can I do to help you calm down?" He wondered, looking into those deep, crimson eyes with a small glimmer of hope that he'd comply.

     The ebony hedgehog turned his head, "We are not friends. I'm done treating you like one! I'm done letting myself act like this!" He stated angrily, but that anger didn't seem directed at Sonic...

     "Shadow, you are allowed to feel whatever you need to! I am not judging you!" He sighed, "If I didn't care, do you really think I would've been here when you woke up? Do you really think I would've made you breakfast if I despised you? What about holding your hands just so you don't fucking RIP OUT your quills?!" Sonic questioned.

     He paused, suddenly lost in the eyes he's been looking into for the past...however long they'd been talking. Shadow's eyes were known to be a deep yet gorgeous red. But Sonic noticed, as he kept going on and on trying to explain how genuine he was being, those eyes seemed to look so much more brown. 

     The blue hedgehog blinked a few times, hoping that he could get the best look into those deep, mysterious eyes. Shadow noticed and quickly averted his gaze to the floor.

     Sonic took it as a hint to finish his point, "If everyone else who cared about you up and died, you do know that I'd be here for you, right? If we aren't friends, I guess I can live with that... but if you need to talk, I'm next door." 

     Shadow nodded, "I'm sorry. For being... an asshole." He said in a soft voice that his cobalt counterpart had never heard before. 

     "I don't blame you." He chuckled, "I like it better when you talk less...gravely and rough."

     "And I like it better when you keep your mouth shut, but I keep those inside thoughts, faker." The edgehog laughed.

     Sonic shrugged, "Maybe we should both shut up and just eat." 

     He grabbed his plate of food off the bedside table and ate all of his (now) cold eggs within seconds. Shadow smirked, taking his cup of coffee that was semi-warm, and sipping on it slowly.

     "This is gross." Sonic admitted, "I'll DoorDash you something, kay? You need to eat after the shit you consumed last night..." 

     "What did I do?!" Shadow seemed rather reluctant to know, but at the same time, he needed to know what blackmail everyone now had on him.

     "Uhh..." The blue blur scratched the back of his head, "A lot." 

     The ebony hedgehog simply stared at him, eyes like daggers through Sonic's delicate soul. He caved, listing all of the obnoxious shenanigans Shadow got himself into, such as dancing to "Telephone", smoking an entire joint within one inhale, and...kissing Sonic. Of course, the cobalt hedgehog didn't mention that last thing.

     Shadow groaned, "If that's the worst I did, it wasn't as bad as a night I thought it was." 

     Sonic figured he wouldn't pry. If Shads could think of worse things, then it was definitely bad enough to be kept a secret. He ordered the edgehog some food, waved him goodbye, and went back over to his apartment to go back to bed. 

     As he collapsed onto his bed, he almost wished that he hadn't left Shadow's room. Part of him wanted to crawl back into bed and fall back asleep with that stubborn asshole. Those thoughts were just thoughts, though. They didn't mean anything...right?

Chapter Text

     Although they quite literally lived next door to each other, Knuckles and Rouge hung out one-on-one very rarely. Sure, they FaceTimed almost every night and made sure to meet up in the hallway when their class times aligned, but it (obviously) never amounted to actually seeing each other. Dates matter, people!

     However, for the first time in what felt like forever, both of them were available to hang out for an entire day! They were ecstatic, preparing for the day as if it were their wedding. Rouge got up rather early that morning, mostly because she couldn't keep herself asleep. It seriously felt like Christmas morning.

     She applied some light makeup, including blush, mascara, and a light pink lip tint. Rouge enjoyed keeping it simple for him, now that she felt comfortable being herself around Knucks. He loved her unconditionally, and despite that being the bare minimum, it meant the world to her that a man was treating her nicely. 

     Perhaps that was a bad thing, but she didn't really care as long as he continued to love her. She put on a light brown, long-sleeved shirt and some black leggings. Rouge figured she could go without jewelry since it wasn't a particularly fancy date. After all, they were going to the cafe downtown. 

     As for Knuckles, he took about five minutes of his time getting ready. Not that he didn't care about looking nice, it was just that it didn't take that long. He washed his face and threw on some clothes, a Kendrick Lamar hoodie, and some sweatpants, to be exact. He cared a lot more about seeing his girlfriend than being the most presentable person in Retro Brews.

     He stepped outside of his apartment and knocked on Rouge and Shadow's door, a toothy grin plastered across his face. Knuckles wasn't used to feeling so giddy about small things like this; maybe it was a sign that Rouge was "the one." If that were a real philosophy, so to speak.

     Rouge opened the door and immediately threw her arms around the echidna, squealing from pure glee. Knucks wrapped his arms around her in return, kissing the top of her head repeatedly. She looked up at him with her tourmaline eyes beaming with joy.

     "Good morning~" The bat sang, giggling softly.

     Knuckles placed a kiss on her forehead, "This is the first time I've seen you happy this early in the day." He teased.

     She rolled her eyes, "Trust me, if you weren't the person I was hanging out with, I'd be a lot less...chipper. God, I feel like I'm gonna puke." 

     "You haven't eaten anything yet, and I doubt you've drunk a decent amount of water this...entire week, so there are two possible causes." He shrugged, "What do you think?" 

     "I'm excited... but I am also hungry. So, you were basically right." Rouge snickered, grabbing his hand and leading him down the hallway.

     The couple headed to the elevator at the end of the hallway and went down, walking out of the apartment building and into the cold city streets. Rouge always loved autumn, especially right after Halloween, when November had its time to shine. The only thing that sucked about this time of year was...jackets/coats. Good ones are the worst to style, so she simply didn't wear them.

     Knuckles noticed within a few minutes that his girlfriend was shivering, so he took off his hoodie and handed it to her. He was wearing a simple, plain t-shirt underneath. 

     "Here. Did you forget to bring a jacket or something?" He asked.

     Rouge put the hoodie on, only because if she didn't, he would've put it on for her. 

     "I only wear jackets if it suits the outfit. So, I intentionally didn't wear one!" She explained, smirking.

     The echinda arched his brow, "But...you knew that it was going to be cold outside.

     "Ugh, you're a man, you don't get it." She groaned, "I don't want a big ass coat because they look stupid! Then I have to carry it around whenever I'm inside; it's just a pain in the ass altogether. I'd rather freeze, y'know?" Rouge explained.

     He blinked a few times, "Your Christmas present is going to be a coat. I hope you know that." Knuckles laughed. 

     She rolled her eyes, "Yours is going to be a good punch in the gut!" Rouge exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips.

     They continued to argue about coats the entire way to the cafe. While it was a little ridiculous that this conversation was going on for that long, at least it wasn't a genuine argument. However, Knuckles was one hundred percent serious about getting her a coat for Christmas. 

     When they arrived at the cafe, Rouge almost immediately took Knuckles's hoodie off and gave it back to him. While every part of her wanted to steal it and sleep with it until its scent wore off, she felt rather guilty for leaving him in a t-shirt in thirty-degree weather. 

     Rouge walked up to the counter and ordered herself a chai latte and an almond croissant, as well as a matcha latte and a fruit parfait for Knucks. After everything was done, she carefully walked over to the table he was at and set everything down. 

     "I'm rather proud of myself for not dropping anything!" 

     "I could've helped you." The echidna stated.

     She shrugged, "It's not that big of a deal, I can handle myself." 

     "I know you can." He smiled softly, simultaneously loving and being aggravated by her stubbornness. 

     It seemed as though there wasn't much of a point in getting food and hot drinks, considering that they were getting colder and more untouched due to how much Rouge and Knuckles were talking. It was endless, loving, and overall very showing of their adoration for each other. 

     The two of them were completely different around each other than they were with their friends. Rouge was sassy, flirtatious, and a bit arrogant around others, but with Knucks, all of that melted down into a big puddle of soft and sweet. It was rather interesting to see her in such a gentle nature.

     Knuckles, on the other hand, was pretty hot-headed and tough at times, and that didn't often change from person to person. He seldom shifted his personality, but a different light shone when he was around Rouge. He was so much more caring and affectionate around her; pure husband material. 

     Neither of them had been in a relationship that felt this way. It almost felt...odd, feeling so comfortable. 

     "Do you ever feel so comfortable with someone that it starts to feel too good to be true?" Rouge queried.

     "No," Knuckles replied, "Why do you ask?"

     She took a bite of her croissant and shrugged, "'Cause that's how I feel right now. And all the other times I've spent with you. I feel like I'm living in a rom-com, and that's not normal at all, so...maybe I should take your perfection as a warning sign." The bat sighed with a sad smile.

     The echidna's brows furrowed; not out of anger, but rather, concern. He didn't exactly know how to respond, how to reassure Rouge, or if that was even what she needed in the moment. Knuckles's mind turned back to the night they spent together a bit before the Halloween party. 

     When she said she was "influenced" into doing harder drugs, and how she mentioned it so casually, too. He wondered, just for a moment, what else she was influenced into doing? Who had she been in relationships with? What were they like?

     What has she dealt with in the past? He grabbed her hands from across the table, holding them gently. Knuckles rubbed his thumb against the backs of her hands, caressing them tenderly as he gazed into her eyes with admiration. She arched her brow as a response, not as concerned about what she'd said as the echidna was.

     "What?" Rouge chuckled, tilting her head ever so slightly. 

     "What in the world has influenced you to think that way?" He asked, "I'm not perfect, and I'm not hatching a secret plan to treat you like shit. Please believe me when I say that, and tell me when you're having those thoughts." 

     She pressed her lips into a thin line, her gaze straying away from Knuckles's violet eyes. Rouge closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning her attention back to her boyfriend. 

     "Knucks, you have to know that the men in this world are usually horrific to be around, right?" 

     He leaned his head back slightly, "I only know what you've told me."

     "Literally how?!" She groaned, a little frustrated.

     "My love, I'm from Angel Island. I am the last echidna on Mobius. I grew up with absolutely no one, and I didn't experience any part of the world until the Master Emerald's business led me elsewhere." He told her, which resulted in a jaw drop from Rouge. 

     Her eyes widened in utter shock, "Knuckles! Why didn't you mention that earlier...like earlier in our relationship?!" 

     "I didn't know it was that important." He shrugged.

     "Of course it is!" She squeezed his hands, "I'm sorry. I... I mean, no wonder..." Rouge sighed, "No wonder you aren't a piece of shit. There wasn't anyone molding you into a monster." 

     Knuckles pulled one of his hands from Rouge's and placed it on her cheek, "Who hurt you?" He asked so genuinely, without realizing it was a saying. 

     Rouge laughed in his face, because he was just too cute, "No one you need to worry about!"

     "I was just vulnerable to you! Tell me why you have such negative thoughts all the time!" He begged.

     She rolled her eyes playfully, "I've put up with a lot of abuse from a bunch of different people. But I was also making myself available to these people because I was ingesting more acid than water." Rouge remarked, "I would tell you more, but there are listening ears...everywhere..."

     "Yes. Mine." 

     The bat scoffed, "Oh, shut up."

     "What if I don't?" Knucks smirked slyly.

     "Then I guess I'll have to make you!" She replied, before leaning forward and kissing him on the lips.

     His smirk turned into a soft smile, "You fell right into my trap..." 

     "And I'd do it again!" Rouge crossed her arms, "You're such a brat. I love you."

     Knuckles's cheeks flushed a deep maroon, "I love you, too. Much more than you'll ever know."

     "If you keep talking like that, I'll have no choice but to expect a ring here soon." She joked. 

     "I can only promise that you'll get one eventually." He said rather nonchalantly.

     Now, Rouge was the one blushing, "Oh, get outtt!" She whined, in a little disbelief that he was somewhat serious about marrying her.

     Once the two of them had finished their drinks and food, they left the cafe and walked back to their apartment building. The whole way back, they stayed hand-in-hand, but that wasn't the only thing interlocked on the stroll back. Their gazes seemed to be glued to each other.

     There's always a plethora of sweet and sentimental things to say about "true love." Mentions of it at weddings and anniversary parties, or just generally speaking. There was always something about soulmates. 

     Whether or not they knew it themselves, Knuckles and Rouge fit that vague definition of soulmates fairly well. 

Chapter Text

     Sonic was losing his mind over an upcoming test in his statistics class. Even though he had been a student for an obnoxiously long time, he had no clue how to study. Of course, Shadow had still been tutoring him over the past few months, but that didn't mean his studying skills improved. Not in the slightest.

     Out of complete desperation and a severe lack of motivation to try and focus, the hedgehog grabbed all his materials and headed to Shadow's apartment. He knocked on the door relentlessly until someone finally opened the door. Rouge opened it with a hand on her hip, looking at him, slightly annoyed.

     He scratched his head, "Sorry, that wasn't meant for you." Sonic chuckled nervously.

     "I know. He's trying to ignore you, but I'd like to watch The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives without having to turn the TV all the way up." She replied, stepping backward from the entryway to let the blue blur inside.

     Sonic went to Shadow's room, knocking on the door much more gently than before. Surprisingly, it didn't take him long to open up.

     "What?" The ebony hedgehog queried with furrowed brows and indignant eyes.

     His cobalt counterpart sighed, "I'm gonna need a lot more than hopes and prayers if I even want a C on this upcoming test. I am BEGGING you to help me." Sonic exhorted, willing to get down on his hands and knees just to pass this test.

     Shadow shrugged, "Fine. Come inside." He said, walking back into his room.

     Sonic exhaled with relief, walking inside with the edgehog. He sat down on the beanbag chair in the corner of the room and laid out all of his materials. The school issued a statistics book, his notes, and... nothing else. Shadow sighed and took out his own study materials, handing them over to the blue hedgehog.

     "Mine are no good?" He asked, "You haven't even looked at them!" 

     "I don't need to. I have example problems written somewhere in there. It would be helpful if you did them." The edgehog told him as he came up with more problems on a separate piece of paper.

     Sonic nodded and did as he was told. He was never stupid or necessarily bad at academic things; he just couldn't focus or get anything done unless someone was holding him accountable. When someone was basically breathing down his neck as he worked, shit got done. Shadow was very good at intimidating him into being productive. 

     The blue blur groaned, "Ugh, I'm already lost." He announced.

     Shadow arched his brow, "Which one is it?" He asked, leaning over and looking at the notebook.

     It was a question about conditional probabilities: the possibility of an event or outcome happening, based on the existence of a previous event or outcome. Shadow rarely found anything in stats difficult, so he never struggled with this concept personally, but was still willing to help. He guided his cobalt counterpart through the problem, leading him to eventually understand what was going on.

     "Ohhh..." Sonic grinned, "Okay, okay, okay...I think I get that. Why is the next problem something completely different, though?!" 

     "Because it's a unit test, faker." Shadow rolled his eyes. 

     The blue hedgehog wrapped his hands around his throat and pretended to choke himself, complete with hacking noises and everything. The edgehog gave him a look that immediately put an end to Sonic's nonsense. He picked the pencil back up and continued working.

     For the next hour and a half, the hedgehogs studied together. Shadow simply re-read the section of the textbook they were being tested on, rewriting his notes much more intricately than he did during the lectures. As for Sonic, he copied everything the ebony hedgehog had written down into his own notebook, asking questions about the content here and there. 

     Regardless of his productivity, though, he complained and tried to distract himself every step of the way. Or, the probability of Sonic the Hedgehog getting distracted by something completely idiotic is much more likely than him focusing on the main task at hand. This unit does focus on probability, so, ha..ha ha.

     He groaned, "Why does math even have vocabulary words? Can I at least use a Quizlet version of this?" The blue blur asked Shadow, who had given him some flashcards to study.

     "No." The edgehog replied, "Paper is better than technology. God only knows what your screentime is." He quipped.

     Sonic whined, "Can we at least take a break? It's been foreeeevvvvveerrrrrr!!!" 

     The ebony hedgehog thought for a moment before answering, "I suppose so." He declared, closing his textbook promptly. 

     His cobalt counterpart cheered, quite literally exclaiming, "yay!" Shadow tried to hide his laugh, but Sonic had already taken note of it. The edgehog's cheeks flushed, which made Sonic chuckle a little as well. 

     "You know what I've been into recently?" He began, "This stupid—okay, I'm gonna sound like an idiot, childish...whatever! But, this freaking game on Roblox where you..." Sonic continued to explain a dumb tycoon, before somehow branching off into a million other things.

     Music, his hatred of the cold weather, the annoying thing about buying new shoes, and overall, the most random topics that...surprisingly enough, Shadow enjoyed listening to. Despite thinking of the faker as nothing more than a blue fool, listening to him speak like Shadow was truly his friend felt comforting. Plus, he was a little funny.

     "You know what I think is underrated?" The ebony hedgehog would say no, but he did want to know. He always wanted to know. 

     After a while, he was barely listening to the words coming out of Sonic's mouth. Just the sound of it was enough to completely calm him of any tenseness that he may have previously, and unknowingly, had. Sure, it was a little high-pitched and animated, but there was a certain timbre that was hidden within the tone of his voice that he loved to listen to. 

     Maybe, just a little bit, Sonic talking incessantly was a little cute, too. Shadow pushed that thought away as soon as it came about, but that doesn't mean its existence was erased. 

     Suddenly, the ebony hedgehog had noticed Sonic's gloved hand waving in front of his face. He jumped a little, sitting upright and wiping the stupid grin off his face. His cobalt counterpart was chuckling once again, his laugh so childish and ridiculous, Shadow wished he could hate it. 

     "Shads! You like, totally zoned out there for a minute, man! You good?" He asked, still laughing like a. fool.

     The edgehog sighed, "I'm fine."

     Sonic sat beside him on the bed, his hand resting only a few centimeters away from Shadow's. It made the darker hedgehog's heart beat faster, as if he was convinced the blue blur wanted to hold his hand. Of course, neither of them made a move.

     "Y'know, I'm surprised you haven't told me to get back to work or something." The chipper hedgehog noted, "Like, 'Gggrrr!! Get back to work, you stupid faker! This is why everyone hates you and wants you dead! Agh! He said, doing a poor impersonation of Shadow.

     The edgehog rolled his eyes with a sassy scoff, "I do not sound like that. And... I don't want you dead. I don't...always hate you either." He admitted.

     Sonic's cheeks flushed rather brightly, "Well, that makes me feel a little better. You're very hard to read at times. I can never tell if you want me dead, pity me, or are secretly in love with me." He winked before laughing once more, "That last one was a joke."

     Now, Shadow was the one with a face redder than his gay highlights. Honestly, he was a little taken aback, considering he always knew that the blue hedgehog had found him attractive. It was relieving to know that he wasn't...romantically interested. But at the same time, the fact that he even mentioned it had Shads thinking about that scenario more than he wanted to.

     Ultimately, he was at a loss for words. Sonic noticed this and placed a hand on the edgehog's shoulder. No words were said, but his stupid fucking smirk said enough. The ebony hedgehog bit the inside of his cheek and turned his head, squeezing his eyes shut, as well.

     He's such a piece of shit. Faker fucking asshole... making me feel like a goddamn idiot! There's no way he isn't doing this on purpose. Shads told himself, fists clenched angrily. He wanted nothing more than to pummel the other hedgehog, but he kept his composure. Ish.

     He took a deep breath before speaking again, "Why do you always make it a point to...make me feel like this?! Jesus, it's like I'm a child again! Crying and questioning everything like an imbecile!!!" Shadow fumed.

     Sonic removed his hand from the furious hedgehog's shoulder, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

     The edgehog cut him off, "It's so weird what you do to me!!! First, it's the fucking get together forever ago, then it's the shitty apologies, and making me go to a stupid meadow! I'VE CRIED FOR YOU LIKE NO ONE ELSE! WHY?!" He let out an extremely exasperated sigh.

     "And the Halloween party?! How, out of all people, how are you getting me to drink like an 'Irish' person on St. Patrick's Day?! What the fuck?!" Shadow groaned, his eyes getting glassy, "And here we go AGAIN!"

     The cobalt hedgehog took a deep breath, "I'm not choosing to do this to you, Shads. If you want me to leave, though, I'll go." 

     "Don't come back. Ever. I can't do this." He said abruptly, refusing to look Sonic in the eyes. 

     The blue blur simply nodded and left the apartment with his things. Immediately after his bedroom door was closed, Shadow burst into tears and then felt a wave of rage. He wanted to break shit and go crazy, but he figured it would only prove that he deeply cared about that faker. 

     He stepped out of his bedroom and joined Rouge on the couch, resting his head on her shoulder as she watched her trashy TV. The bat wrapped one of her arms around him and caressed his shoulder gently. 

     "You gonna be okay, hon'?" She asked. 

     Shadow nodded, "I just hate this. I haven't felt so strongly toward someone since..." His words soon trailed off into nothingness, but Rouge knew what he was referring to.

     "Maybe it's time you find another Maria. Whether that be a friendship or...something else." She suggested.

     He shrugged, "I don't like the idea of replacing her." 

     Rouge gave him a look, "I mean, being open to actually loving and caring about someone deeply again. Y'know, without screaming in their face about it." She quipped. 

     "I..." The hedgehog grumbled, "I'm not the commitment kind. You know this." 

     "You should be. It's time you quit being a stubborn asshole and let yourself feel...feelings!" She addressed, "I mean, look how happy I am!" 

     Shadow took a deep breath and stayed quiet for a moment, simply watching what was on the TV. He figured if he ignored her, ignored everything about Sonic, it would all go away. That's how it always has been since Maria passed. That's how he always wanted it to be, because no love could transcend the kind they had. 

     Of course, there was a difference between romantic and sibling love, but it was still love. And he was sick of it, because it made him feel like this. 

     Rouge paused the show and spoke up once more, "Maybe..." She paused, "You should let yourself fall in love with him." 

     Shadow simply looked at her with sad, dull eyes. He pressed his lips into a thin line and exhaled sharply through his nose. 

     "Maybe." He whispered, wishing he could retaliate. 

     But at the end of the day, even he knew there was no avoiding this. It was only a matter of time before something ridiculous happened between them. 

Chapter Text

     It had been a few days since Shadow was left bawling his eyes out over something Sonic did...again. Even though he always thought much more about that faker after these moments than usual, this time felt different. Unfortunately, Shadow felt a little bit of remorse for how he yelled at his cobalt counterpart. 

     The ebony hedgehog lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling fan as it spun clockwise. He sighed, dramatically rolling over and groaning loudly into whichever throw pillow was closest. Rouge glanced at him from the kitchen, knowing exactly what this was all about. 

     "Y'know, there's this awesome thing called 'apologizing.' How about 'taking accountability?' Ever heard of it?" She teased, but she still meant what she said.

     He sat up and sighed, "You're right. However, I would rather die than apologize to that fool..." Shadow admitted, crossing his arms out of frustration.

     Rouge shrugged, "I can't force you to do anything, but I can strongly advise." She picked up the hedgehog's wallet from where it sat on the kitchen counter, throwing it at him, "Maybe talk things over with some coffee?" She suggested.

     Shadow caught it in his hands and exhaled sharply, "...I'm only doing it to clear my conscience." He said, but that was very much a lie.

     "Mhm... well, I'll be here. So, call me if you two get into a fist fight or something." She snickered.

✧✧✧

     After getting dressed, wearing a simple cashmere sweater and some black jeans to match, Shadow walked over to Sonic's apartment and knocked on the door. It took a few minutes, but eventually, the blue hedgehog answered it. The door swung open, and Shadow was met by his neighbor, who was definitely not expecting him to be at the door. 

     Sonic's face flushed, "Oh, hey... what's up?" He asked with a smile.

     "You might want to get dressed," The ebony hedgehog advised, "I'm taking you out for coffee." 

     The blue blur blinked a few times, "...Like a date?" He queried, his cheeks flushing a deeper pink than before.

     "NO!" Shadow nearly shrieked, "Just...to talk. Not romantically! Eugh, god..." 

     Sonic laughed, "Okay, cool. Although a date with you doesn't sound too horrible. Maybe in another life, I'll go get dressed." He said before walking back into his complex. 

     The edgehog grumbled as Sonic walked away, feeling like this whole thing was already ruined. Of course, that faker had to mess everything up, just as he always did. Shadow took a deep breath, trying to avoid screaming at the blue hedgehog again. 

     A few minutes later, Sonic walked back out of his apartment, wearing a graphic t-shirt and a long-sleeved one underneath and some cargo pants. The shirt read, "Lesbians eat what?!" with images of shocked cats in the middle. Shadow took a deep breath and simply ignored him.

     "Shall we go, then?" The ebony hedgehog asked, averting his gaze.

     Sonic grinned brightly and nodded, leading the way as they walked to the elevator, into the lobby, and out onto the streets of Central City. 

     Upon arriving at Retro Brews, the hedgehogs walked up to the counter and ordered their drinks. Shadow wanted a simple cortado, while Sonic ordered an iced caramel latte with extra everything. The edgehog felt sick just thinking of what it tasted like— he was never a big fan of sweet things.

     Once they got their drinks, they sat down at a nearby table for two. Sonic sat criss-cross in the seat, despite it being a typical four-legged chair; Shadow found it somewhat amusing. He took a sip of his steaming drink, a warm smile arising as the coffee traversed his taste buds.

     "Mmm..." The ebony hedgehog hummed, extremely pleased with his drink.

     His cobalt counterpart giggled, "Earth to Shadssss... You wanted to talk, right?" 

     "God forbid I enjoy the drink I bought with my own money." He snarkily replied, "I wanted to talk about what happened at our study session a few days ago..."

     Sonic tilted his head slightly, "Oh?"

     "I apologize for acting the way I did. The way I...have ever since we met." He sighed, "No matter how horrible I act toward you, though, you always come back with the same care and genuine kindness as before. Even though you must only assume that I hate you." Shadow shifted uncomfortably in his chair, barely able to keep eye contact with the blue hedgehog. 

     Sonic smiled sweetly, reaching his hand across the table to hold Shadow's, "You aren't horrible; you're guarded. You don't hate me, either. You told me that yourself. I know who you are, Shadow, and I see you." He continued, speaking in a much gentler tone of voice than the ebony hedgehog was used to, "I think you're so cool, and so strong, and a genuinely amazing person. I'm so willing to knock down your walls to see that person all of the time. I want to be your friend, or at least someone you feel safe around." The blue blur explained.

     Shadow held his breath, his gaze shifting between Sonic's left and right eyes. He couldn't focus, not on a single thing. His eyes welled with tears that he didn't want to escape, not in public, and especially not because of this idiot faker again. He gripped the other hedgehog's hand tightly, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks.

     He sniffed, "If we're friends, why do I get so upset when you're around?" Shadow asked.

     Sonic shrugged, "It might be a little overwhelming to be cared about despite your flaws." 

     The ebony hedgehog nodded slightly, "It's overwhelming knowing that you're trying so hard...for me. I didn't think I was worth all that." He admitted. 

     "You're worth all the effort in the world, Shads. Your past isn't your fault; you were dealt some pretty shitty cards and had to make do with them. I get it." The blue blur told him with the most sincerity in the world.

     Shadow smiled brightly, "As much as your words mean to me right now, I don't necessarily want to cause a scene. I'll be back." He said, getting up and heading to the bathroom so he could be emotional in peace. 

     Sonic immediately pulled his phone out to text...really, anyone who would listen. His heart was pounding violently, and he seriously felt like a heart attack was imminent. He tried Knuckles at first, but of course, the echidna didn't respond. 

     blueee: ROUUUUUGUGGUGUUGEEE help plplplplplssss

     rouge: what

     blueee: omfg shadow officially stated we r friends but i think im in love with him 😭

     rouge: giiiiirrrrrrrrlllllll...... wife him up i promise he def wants u too

     blueee: no way bruh but ill try. i literally love u ok bye 

     The cobalt hedgehog put his phone away as Shadow walked back to the table, sitting down and smiling softly. At this point, the edgehog's drink was lukewarm, which Sonic could tell by the look on his face that he was a little upset about. He planned to buy him another before they left.

     "Soo... Thanksgiving is coming up. Have you made any plans?" The blue hedgehog asked, trying to steer the conversation away from its previous emotional tone.

     Shadow shrugged, "Well, I was going to invite you to the friendsgiving that Rouge is hosting. Other than that, I have no plans. No family to see, and no friends that aren't around here..." He explained.

     Sonic's eyes lit up with excitement, "Really?! Yes, I'll be there!" He beamed, "You can text me the details later because I won't remember them if it isn't documented somewhere." He chuckled, which made Shads's smile grow a little bigger.

     "Well," The ebony hedgehog said, "I'm sure you have some interesting plans. Always dashing around with your copious amounts of friends..." 

     "At the speed of sound, baby!" Sonic laughed once more, "Yeah, no, I'm actually just going to see my mom and siblings this year... and obviously the friendsgiving. But, um, yeah. Cool." He replied, his tone of voice seeming a lot more despondent.

     Shadow arched his brow curiously, "You don't seem too excited." He noted.

     His cobalt counterpart sighed and then grumbled, "Yeah, well, if you knew the shit I had to deal with, you would understand." 

     Shadow was silent for a moment, mostly because he was rather taken aback by the fact that Sonic even could act this way. He'd never seen him upset or angry; it was a foreign concept. 

     "Would it... be helpful if you had someone there with you?" The ebony hedgehog wondered.

     "I... I mean, it would definitely help my sanity." He admitted, "But who would even come with me? Knuckles can't filter himself, Blaze is entirely too stoic, and Amy would probably kill my mom." 

     "Sonic..." The edgehog groaned, "That was my way of offering to come with you." 

     The blue blur blinked cluelessly before his cheeks turned pink from embarrassment, "Oh, yeah..." He snickered, "I don't think I'd mind having you there."

     "I'll be there, then. You can text me the details later." He winked before laughing at his own idiocy.

     Sonic giggled as well, only because it was so damn cute when Shadow was noticeably happy. It made him feel good knowing that there was hope, that he wasn't completely detached from the world. His resilience was astonishing. 

     As they got up to leave, the cobalt hedgehog ordered another cortado and handed it to Shadow, which left the ebony hedgehog grinning from ear to ear. They promptly walked out of the cafe and headed back to the apartment.

     After saying their goodbyes, Sonic headed into his complex and immediately ran to Knuckles's room. Even if the echidna wasn't amazing at expressing or understanding emotions, the blue blur had to rant to someone. In person.

     He screamed, "I HAVE NEWSSSSSSUHHHHHH!!!" 

     Knuckles sighed, "What now?" 

     "I...have...a...SERIOUS...crush..." Sonic spat out, "...and...it's—"

     "Shadow?" The echidna asked rather plainly.

     The hedgehog nodded aggressively before bursting into a rant about how much he loved Shads. The way his quills always looked perfect, when the light made his eyes look brown instead of crimson, his beautiful smile, and blah, blah, blah, the whole nine. He'd fallen off the deep end for sure.

     Knuckles patted his roommate on the shoulder, "If it makes you feel any better, Rouge and I already predicted you guys were gonna get together." 

     "It doesn't because he just declared that we were friends." Sonic sighed.

     "...Yikes." 

     The hedgehog then leaned against his friend, sighing as he thought about Shadow. He could never tell what that dude was thinking... and who knows if that drunken kiss even meant anything? Regardless, Sonic knew that these feelings would most likely get worse, especially considering that Shads was meeting his family. Oh brother...

Chapter Text

     'Twas the day before Thanksgiving, and Rouge was getting ready for the Friendsgiving she was hosting for all of her closest friends. Surprisingly, she got up extra early to prepare dinner and get ready for everyone's arrival. Of course, Shadow helped her as well. 

     The turkey was cooking in the oven as she worked on her mashed potatoes, making sure there were no chunks at all. Shadow, on the other hand, was busy crafting his sweet potato casserole, despite not liking sweet things himself. It was something his late sister adored.

     "I think the potatoes are mashed, Rouge." He noted with a sarcastic tone. 

     She scoffed, "Make another snarky comment and your head is gonna be the next thing I broil." Rouge threatened.

     The hedgehog snickered, "I'd like to see you try." He said as he placed the casserole in the oven, on a different rack than the turkey, of course. 

     Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, which had the bat's heart racing with anxiety. She raced to the door in her knee-high boots, which was just a recipe for disaster. The fact that she was already fully dressed was rough enough considering how many messy things were in the kitchen at the moment. 

     Along with her boots, she wore some brown tights and a skirt, completed with a black turtleneck and gold jewelry. She sighed as she opened the door and was rather surprised to see her boyfriend's face. Immediately, Rouge pulled the echidna into a loving hug. 

     Knuckles grinned brightly as he wrapped his arms around her, "Smells good in here... just came early to help out a little." He said.

     "God, we need it. Well, I need emotional support because I'm running myself ragged." Rouge admitted.

     "I figured, but at least you look stunning, right?" He chuckled, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

     They walked into the kitchen, Rouge resuming her work on the mashed potatoes and Knucks waiting for instruction. Despite it being around forty degrees outside, the echinda was still rocking a green tank top and white cargo pants. At least he looked rather...festive with his color palette.

     Rouge turned her attention from the potatoes to Knucks, "Alright, I have a bunch of fruit and veggies and dips and stuff... would you be so sweet and amazing and cut them all cute and make charcuterie boards?" She requested.

     He saluted jokingly, "Yes, ma'am." The echidna said, grabbing a knife and some large festive plates.

✧✧✧

     For a little while longer, the three of them continued to prepare dinner, but as always, time moved way too fast, and people began to arrive. Sonic was the first to come over after Knuckles, but he would've definitely been late if he hadn't lived next door. He brought a huge basket of dinner rolls.

     "Helllluuuurrrr!!!" The cobalt hedgehog called out, setting the basket on the kitchen counter. 

     Shadow turned and greeted him by the door, smiling ever so slightly, "I've never seen you wear this many layers... You seem like the type to wear shorts in the dead of winter." He teased.

     Sonic had a textured sweater on and some brown plaid pants, which was a rare sight for anyone who really knew him. He chuckled softly, scratching the back of his head as he did so.

     "Well, I figured I could at least dress nicely for you guys, considering I'm not much of a cook." He replied.

     The two hedgehogs sat down on the couch and conversed as Rouge crammed the last thing into the oven. She turned around to see how Knuckles had arranged the charcuterie boards, only to find him eating most of the grapes she had bought.

     She swatted him away, "Hey! Save some for the rest of us!" The bat demanded.

     He laughed deviously, "Fine, fine, fine! I don't know what you expected, though..." Knuckles pointed out.

     Rouge rolled her eyes as she pushed him away, heading to the door as another knock was heard. She opened the door and was met by Amy and a huge pumpkin pie in her hands. The girls walked into the apartment, and Amy promptly greeted everyone. She looked like she walked straight out of an indie autumnal movie. 

     She had a white textured sweater on with a red scarf and some flared jeans, tied together with brown Mary Janes and turkey earrings. Of course, to Shadow, she looked like she had just come from the Red (Taylor's Version) photoshoot. 

     "Eek!" She cheered, "I'm so, so, so excited that I could make it!!! It literally smells so good and you guys look sooooo cute!" Amy remarked, making her way toward Sonic to sit next to him.

     "Trust, I'm glad you could make it too, sweetheart," Rouge said warmly.

     After Amy sat down, Sonic wrapped his arms around her in an awkward side hug. She embraced him, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly. Even though they texted each other every day and called almost as often, it was a catch-up session every time they hung out. Shadow simply listened.

     Amy had a way of captivating the edgehog's attention every time she entered the room. She seemed so carefree, but not intellectually challenged. She seemed rather knowledgeable, which surprised Shadow, since most of Sonic's friends were... lacking in areas.

     About fifteen minutes later, Silver and Blaze came through the door with two bottles of wine and smiles on their faces. Silver's navy blue blazer nearly went to his knees, and his pants were so long that he could trip over them. Anyone who noticed that had already predicted that he would be crashing to the ground sometime tonight. 

     As for Blaze, she was as neat as ever. A cream colored turtleneck, a nice gold necklace with a pearl in the middle, complemented the space on her chest. Her brown, flowy dress pants were perfectly cuffed and ironed. Their appearances said a lot about their friendship. 

     Blaze placed the bottles in the fridge and looked back at Silver, "Do not even think about eating twenty rolls before dinner." She reminded him with a cold, stern tone.

     He huffed, "I wasn't planning on it..." The hedgehog lied.

     Sonic chuckled softly, "Sometimes he's worse than a little kid... if Blaze weren't around, he'd probably forget how to breathe." The blue hedgehog joked, his hand resting on Shadow's shoulder gently.

     "Tch," The edgehog smirked, "You act as if you aren't the same way. If it weren't for me, you'd be failing a rather important class." He teased.

     His cobalt counterpart rolled his eyes and playfully punched the other hedgehog's shoulder. Shadow laughed softly and pushed Sonic back. The fact that they were getting along caught Rouge's attention, but she didn't say anything... she would later, though.

     There was just one more person who hadn't arrived yet: A friend of Rouge's who was in town for the holidays. She continued to frantically check the door, listening closely for any knocks or twisting of the door handle. Just as she was setting up for everyone to eat, her friend arrived.

     "FINISH THE REST!" The bat shrieked, handing Knuckles the decorative napkins she was placing on the table.

     Rouge ran to the door and opened it swiftly, immediately embracing the woman at the door with a hug. Shadow hadn't even been introduced to this friend over the phone; hell, he didn't even know her name. He peered his head to the side, trying to get a decent enough look at her. 

     She was a chipmunk with short, brunette hair and deep blue eyes. She had a light blue sweater on and a high-waisted black skirt, and seemed rather put together and almost extravagant. He wasn't entirely surprised; Rouge was friends with a lot of...bougie women.

     The chipmunk was finally released from her friend's grasp and walked inside, waving at everyone. 

     "Hi, everyone, I'm Sally. I just came in from New Mobotropolis, and I'm super excited to be here!" She announced, smiling brightly. 

     Everyone was rather quiet for a moment before Amy got up from her seat and welcomed Sally with a hug. The chipmunk was surprised at first, but ultimately didn't mind, as she wrapped her hands around the hedgehog soon after.

     "Sorry," Amy giggled, "It's so awesome that you're here! Rouge is awesome, so I'm sure you are too! I'm Amy, I'm sure you've heard of Knuckles..." She continued to point out everyone in the room.

     Sally beamed, "Well, I look forward to getting to know everyone a little better. Thanks, Amy." 

✧✧✧

     Everyone sat around the kitchen counter/makeshift table (it's an apartment, there isn't room for a real table), their plates filled with autumnal delicacies. Everyone in the room ate like they were starving children, and they kind of were. College kids don't often have time to eat a decent meal three times a day, let alone one time.

     Sonic, of course, ate an entire turkey leg and went back for seconds. It was slightly concerning how he could eat and eat...and eat without getting sick or backing down. Once he sat down with his third plate, Shadow gave him a look. 

     "I refuse to get puked on by you tonight." He said rather seriously.

     "What?" Sonic said with a spoonful of mashed potatoes in his mouth, "I'm fiinneee... this is my last one, I swear! And then I'll have some pumpkin pie...and then just a few more rolls. And then I'm done." 

     Shadow sighed, "You're going to feel miserable tomorrow." 

     "Hey man, I think you should appreciate the fact that I'm gonna be taking all your leftovers!" The blue blur noted.

     "Leftovers are what make Thanksgiving, faker. You're getting jack shit." The edgehog responded with a slightly alarmed tone. He loves that leftover stuffing...

     Suddenly, Amy was tapping her wine glass with the end of her fork in an attempt to get everyone's attention. Once they all looked toward her, she grinned brightly.

     "Okay," She cleared her throat, "I know it's kind of rudimentary, but we should say what we're thankful for! I mean, it is a Thanksgiving celebration after all, even though the actual holiday is tomorrow." Amy suggested.

     Sally smiled brightly, "I think that's a great idea. Well, I know that I'm extremely thankful to be here tonight." 

     "Okaayyy my tuuurrnnn!" Amy chirped, "I'm super duper thankful that this semester is ALMOST OVER!!! I am so burnt out, guys." She said and then giggled. 

     "Amen to that," Sonic said, lifting his glass, "I am thankful that Shadow has officially deemed me his friend." He declared, resting his head on Shadow's shoulder with a devious grin.

     The egdehog grumbled, his cheeks flushing, "I suppose I'm thankful for you too..." He expressed with a softer tone of voice.

      Rouge gave Knuckles a sly look, and he simply responded with a laugh. He knew that sooner or later, he would owe his lover one hundred dollars due to the bet they made a while back. Those damn hedgehogs were way too romantic and way too oblivious. 

     After the rest of the group announced what they were thankful for this year, they all dispersed throughout the apartment and mingled either each other. Rouge started to clean up a little bit, just so she didn't have to deal with it later. She started to put food into Tupperware containers when Sonic came over.

     "Mind if I help out a bit?" He asked.

     "No, of course not. Thanks..." She replied, smiling warmly.

     He helped her put away the rest of the food, secretly taking the wishbone and shoving it in his pocket. He desperately needed to win that over Shadow tonight, mostly because he had a very special wish. Once they were finished cleaning up, he hugged and thanked her for the meal. 

✧✧✧

     Sonic and Shadow had been talking almost all night without any awkwardness or anger, which was rather nice. Comforting and pleasant, even. The blue blur finally took the wishbone out of his pocket and waved it in front of Shadow's face.

     "Look what I snagged~" Sonic sang with a devious tone.

     The ebony hedgehog smirked, "Wow... you are such a child. Fine, I'll feed into your foolishness." 

     Both of the hedgehogs held onto the wishbone and pulled it until it broke. Once they compared the two pieces, it was rather obvious who won. Sonic jumped up in joy, giggling like a child as he shoved his part of the wishbone into the side of Shadow's cheek. The edgehog pushed him away, pretending not to care that he had lost.

     "Ha-ha-ha-ha haahaaaaaa~ I got the longer boneee~ Na-na-na-na nanaaaa~" The cobalt hedgehog sang once more.

     The egdehog rolled his eyes, "I don't care. You can quit gloating." He told him.

     Sonic shrugged, chuckling softly as he stared at his half of the wishbone. He closed his eyes and finally decided to make a wish. The blue blur held the bone close to his heart as he thought of what he wanted.

     I wish for Shadow and me to be together by the end of this year, he wished, even if it was asking for a lot. He'd never felt such strong love like this before, and if something didn't happen soon, he might spontaneously combust. He wants that fucking cookie...so...bad. 

     Suddenly, Sally walked over to the two of them and sat down, resting her arm behind Sonic on the couch. Shadow adjusted his posture, the smile on his face melting away. Sonic grinned, turning his head to face the chipmunk.

     "Hey, what's up?" He queried.

     She shrugged, "Nothing, just thought I might try and get to know you better." Sally stated, blinking slowly.

     Shadow immediately noticed the fact that she only came over here to flirt with Sonic. He held back a groan as he watched the two of them talk: Sonic, who was completely oblivious to her advances, and Sally, who seemed like she wanted nothing more than to be in his pants. 

     As Shads watched her eye his cobalt counterpart up and down, he felt himself getting more and more enraged. He had no idea why; it's not like he liked Sonic like that, and it's not like Sally was being inherently gross or inconsiderate. She was just...flirty. Nothing wrong with it. 

     Did the edgehog hate PDA? Yeah, but this was barely that. He bit the inside of his cheek, holding back from saying anything he probably shouldn't. Nothing. Was. Wrong.

     "So..." Sally trailed off, "Got a girlfriend or anything?" She asked.

     Shadow's eye twitched.

     "Uh, no. Why?" Sonic wondered, still as oblivious as ever.

     The chipmunk inched closer, "Well, if you'd like to go out while I'm in town, I'm allll for that." She suggested with a wink. 

     Shadow could feel his heart beating faster and his face getting hotter. 

     "Ooohh...um..." Sonic laughed awkwardly, finally realizing the past five minutes of conversation had actually been flirting. 

     The ebony hedgehog sat up and faced Sally, "Alright, back the fuck off. CLEARLY he's not interested in your FUCKass bob and freaky-ass orbs you call eyeballs. It might be best if you hop on someone else's dick tonight, sweet pea." He seethed, brows furrowed aggressively.

     She simply clicked her tongue and walked away as a response. Shadow sat back against the couch and sighed.

     "...Dunno if it was that serious, but thanks, I guess." Sonic chuckled softly, more amused by the edgehog's outburst than annoyed.

     "Whatever," Shadow crossed his arms, mumbling insults toward Sally under his breath.

✧✧✧

     After a while of sitting around and chatting, people began to leave and head home. Since Sonic lived next door and could leave whenever, he felt entitled enough to put on Robot Chicken and watch it once it was just him, Shadow, Rouge, and Knuckles in the apartment. Classy.

     Since Shadow had nothing better to do, he figured he'd watch it as well. The show was very telling of who Sonic was as a person...because it was definitely a show. He didn't understand half of what was going on, why this shit even existed, and how that damn faker even enjoyed it.

     Ultimately, though, it didn't matter. After watching an episode and a half, Sonic was completely asleep on the couch. Once Shadow noticed this, he turned the TV off and picked his friend up in his arms. It wasn't too noticeable with his baggy clothes, but Shads was rather strong.

     He walked over to Sonic and Knuckles's apartment, heading into the blue blur's room and placing him under the covers of his bed. Shadow sighed, shaking his head as he tucked his cobalt counterpart in. 

     "I can't wait to say 'I told you so' tomorrow... you're gonna be so sick." The edgehog chuckled before going back to his own apartment.

     Shadow simply went into his bedroom and got undressed, putting on his sleepwear and crawling into bed. Despite being exhausted from the forced social interaction, he could barely sleep. Thoughts of that blue fool flooded his thoughts like a bad downpour in a small town. 

     It didn't help that he had to spend the whole day with Sonic tomorrow, no less with that faker's family. 

Chapter Text

     Shadow had woken up extra early this morning: He always did for special events. Today was the day that he and Sonic would be visiting the blue hedgehog's family for Thanksgiving, which didn't seem horrible. Shadow had dealt with his fair share of insane, weird, and completely out-of-touch parental figures before. He was supporting his friend.

     He munched on some coffee beans as he did his makeup and struggled to pick out the right outfit. Sonic was horrible at providing details, and the ebony hedgehog didn't know how to look presentable. Just presentable enough or... "rich people enough"? He groaned, picking out an olive-toned turtleneck and some dress pants. 

     By ten o'clock, Shadow was ready to get going and was hoping that Sonic would be ready soon as well. However, he had a gut feeling that damn faker hadn't even gotten out of bed yet. There was only one way to find out, so he walked over and knocked on the door to Sonic and Knuckles's apartment.

     After twenty obnoxious knocks and no answer, the edgehog pulled a quill out of his head and used it to pick the lock. He opened the door, walked inside, and headed for Sonic's room. The door was wide open, showing the blue hedgehog sprawled out like a starfish in his bed. Half of the blankets were falling off the bed, and the sheets were disheveled.

     He walked inside, turning the lights on and shaking his cobalt counterpart vigorously. Sonic jumped up with a small, but forceful gasp, before sighing in relief that it was only Shadow before him. And, y'know, not a serial killer or burglar or something. 

     "Oh my god..." Sonic chuckled, "You scared the shit outta me!" 

     "I see that. You need to get ready, Sonic. If you want to be on time, we're gonna have to leave here in a little bit..." The ebony hedgehog reminded him.

     Sonic sat up and rubbed his eyes, "Ughh...yeah, I know. I'm just really dreading it." He admitted.

     "It can't be that bad." 

     The blue blur raised his brows with a scoff, climbing out of bed and heading toward the bathroom. Shadow shrugged before looking into Sonic's mess of a closet in an attempt to pick him an outfit to wear. Not a single article of clothing was on a hanger, in a dresser, or even folded. It was like a jungle of band tees and oversized jorts.

     However, after some digging, he found something decent for his friend to wear. Some nice, but still loose, jeans and a good belt, along with a button-up short-sleeved shirt. Then again, it was winter, so he also dug out a black leather jacket. That would work.

     Sonic walked back in with freshly brushed teeth, neat quills, and less tired eyes. Shadow threw the clothes at his cobalt counterpart, which resulted in a groan from the blue hedgehog.

     "Uuuugghhh...do I seriously have to wear these pants?!" He whined.

     "They're the nicest, cleanest, and decently sized pants you seem to own. You don't always have to dress like a slob." The edgehog noted.

     The cobalt hedgehog continued to bitch and moan as he took the clothes and changed into them...right in front of Shadow. He was never the type of guy to care if friends saw him naked, especially after his transition. It would probably help if Sonic were a little more modest, though.

     Shadow turned his attention away from his friend as he changed. Mostly to be polite, but also because (unfortunately) Sonic had an amazing figure. It was almost odd seeing an actual outline of the blue blur's body, considering he only ever wore baggy, tattered clothes.

     Once he was finished changing and adding an unnecessary amount of accessories, the hedgehogs headed downstairs and outside of the apartment building. Shadow led Sonic to his car in the parking lot adjacent to the building, a black Honda Civic. Classic.

     The car was spotless and looked brand new, both inside and out. The interior smelled of lavender, and it contained a variety of practical tools. Cup holder covers, car seat gap fillers, headrest hooks, the whole nine. 

     "Wow... remind me to clean my car before the two of us ride in it." Sonic quipped, chuckling softly.

     "God," The ebony hedgehog shook his head, "I can only imagine how disgusting you let it get..." He squirmed a little.

     Sonic punched the edgehog playfully before they drove off, listening to whatever shitty pop music they wanted the entire drive there. 

     Two and a half hours later, they finally arrived at a wealthy, gated community just outside the normal suburbia. Sonic's mother's house was the one in the far back, which just so happened to be the largest one. When they pulled up, it looked more like a mansion than just a normal house.

     There was a marble walkway up to the steps, which finally led to the front door. The house was breathtaking, with magnificent architecture, beautiful agricultural elements, and a serenity like no other. However, there was an undertone of menacing uncertainty. Sonic's demeanor already seemed...off.

     "I didn't take you for a rich kid," Shadow remarked.

     "Trust me, I was cut off as soon as I was no longer her legal responsibility..." Sonic replied, his tone melancholy. 

     Both hedgehogs got out of the car and walked up to the door. Sonic smiled awkwardly into the Ring doorbell, hesitantly pressing it as he fought dissociation. Within seconds, a woman opened the door; a mouse. Wow, they even had a housekeeper.

     "Welcome back, Maurine!" She beamed, leading the two of them inside.

     Shadow arched his brow before remembering that Sonic...was not born a man. A small fire started within him; how could his own family not respect who he truly is?! Sonic simply smiled and brushed it off, even if it was killing him inside. 

     They walked into a large living room with mostly white and gold furniture, the TV bigger than most of the doors in the house. Inside was a purple hedgehog with long quills, wearing a cream-colored dress. She looked like Daisy from The Great Gatsby come to life with the way she looked. Pearls on pearls on pearls.

     "Maurine!" The woman smiled brightly as she went to hug Sonic.

     The blue hedgehog grimaced as he dubiously returned the hug, "Heeyyy...mom..." He said, dragging out his words as if they didn't want to come out of his mouth.

     "I rarely see you anymore, I always forget you come up dressed like a slob... It's okay, your brother will always take the cake for the least presentable!" She laughed, as if her words weren't crude at all.

     "Hah, yeah, um..." Sonic scratched the back of his head, "Well, Mom, this is Shadow. He's a close friend of mine, so I decided to bring him along. Sorry." He explained.

     The ebony hedgehog reached his hand out to shake, "It's a pleasure to be meeting you." He expressed in a silky smooth tone of voice. Intoxicating.

     "Mm... well, at least one of you knows how to act!" She snickered, "I'm Aleena, and I hope you can knock those lovely manners into my daughter here." She suggested.

     It was a good thing that Shadow had a perfect poker face, because if he didn't, Aleena would've been well aware of his feelings toward her long ago. Internally, he was fuming and ready to pummel her into the ground. Regardless, he knew to be on his best behavior.

     Aleena led the two of them into a different living room that looked identical to the one they were previously in, except this one was decorated with seasonal items. It also looked much more loved than the other room, which could only mean the first room was purely used for bragging.

     Sitting on the couch, manspreading and mindlessly scrolling on his phone, was a green hedgehog whose quills were styled into liberty spikes. He was wearing ripped, baggy, grey jeans and a well-loved wife-beater, covered with a thin jacket that had been embellished with pins and patches. He had more piercings than Shadow: all up both ears, both eyebrows, honestly, anywhere he could've put them.

     "Deal with your brother, I have some other things to take care of," Aleena grumbled, lightly pushing Sonic before walking off. 

     The blue blur grabbed Shadow's hand and brought him over to the couch, sitting him down and simply staring at the green hedgehog. Those bright, green eyes just gape at him like he was a foreign object. So weird.

     Suddenly, the other hedgehog looked up and smacked Sonic's face, "Oh my god, you fucking faggot." He laughed.

     "Maniiiccc...this is my friend, Shadow. And we all appreciate how you already reek of weed." Sonic grinned before turning back to the edgehog, "This is my brother. He's cool, don't worry."

     Manic smiled as well, which truly showed his and Sonic's similarities as siblings, "Welcome to the fucking circus, man."

     "Yeah... okay, does your mom not know that you're—" Shadow asked before getting cut off.

     "—Oh, she knows." Manic scoffed, "She just refuses to respect it, or believe in it, or even entertain the fact that it isn't 'just a phase.'" He explained.

     The ebony hedgehog turned his head toward Sonic, "...Why do you bother coming back here, then?!" He asked.

     His cobalt counterpart groaned loudly, holding his head in his hands with a large, dramatic pause before he spoke, "My little brother... mom won't let him visit me, and I can't stand being over here, so I come over for the holidays to see him."

     Shadow nodded slowly, "I understand. How old is he...?" He queried.

     "He just turned seventeen a few days ago, actually," Sonic replied. 

     As if being summoned perfectly on cue, a short, yellow fox with two tails walked into the living room. He was wearing baggy, army-green shorts and a Los Pollos Hermanos shirt. He looked like a copy of Sonic with the way he accessorized as well, wearing a plethora of rings and bracelets. 

     "TAILS!" Sonic jumped up from the couch and nearly tackled the fox with his hug.

     He returned the hug and giggled madly, fixing his chunky glasses after Sonic had finally let go of him. They walked back over to the couch and sat down, immediately catching up on their lives. Shadow wanted to assume that he was the younger brother... but the fact that he was a fox made it a bit confusing.

     "You're always the best part of these shitty visits... oh!" The blue hedgehog put his hand on Shadow's shoulder, "This is my friend Shadow! He's extra leverage... but he's sweet once you get to know him." 

     The edgehog stared at Tails, unintentionally making himself look a lot more intimidating. The fox averted his gaze, shuddering ever so slightly.

     "Uh, hi, I'm Tails. Mom calls me Miles because she sucks. Um..." He mumbled as he fidgeted with his bracelets. 

     "...Are you adopted?" Shadow asked abruptly.

     The fox laughed awkwardly, "Um, yeah? Is that why you're staring at me like that?" He wondered.

     Sonic shook his head, "Dude... you can't just ask people that..."

     "I just did." The ebony hedgehog smirked, "What'cha gonna do about it, binch?" He chuckled.

     Manic clicked his tongue and grinned, giving Tails a devious look that meant something more than what was seen on the surface. Sonic noticed, and his face began to burn a bright red. Shadow, however, didn't think of it as anything to worry about. 

     The housekeeper came in from another room and announced that dinner was being served and that Aleena was requesting their presence. She escorted everyone to the dining room, which was more like a long hallway of wealth. 

     There was a chandelier in the middle of the ceiling, brightening the room with a warm-toned light. The table was long, able to seat fourteen people at a time. The tablecloth was pure, white silk with embedded lace on the ends. Candles and flowers were lined up in the middle of the table, along with all of the food. 

     Shadow would've never thought that his cobalt counterpart had come from a rich family. Hell, he had assumed that Sonic was used to being broke. But now, as he looked around him, he realized just how wrong he had been. Part of him wondered how much Aleena had "cut off" from Sonic when he turned eighteen. 

     He sat down next to the blue hedgehog on one side of the table and noticed another hedgehog sitting by Aleena. Her quills were a bright fuchsia color, but her eyes were much softer. Like she had forced herself to learn how to survive like this. Under so much pressure.

     She looked just as classy as her mother, making a long-sleeved, black, maxi dress look as elegant as a ball gown. The gold jewelry she paired with the outfit, and her demeanor in general, made it seem like she was the only one to come out of this like Aleena had wanted. 

     "Soni—" She glanced at Aleena, "Maurine, who is this?" She gestured toward Shadow. 

     "Oh, Sonia, this is Shadow. He's my friend, that's all. Shads, this is my sister Sonia..." He said in a dull tone of voice.

     The ebony hedgehog cleared his throat before speaking, "Nice to meet you." 

     Sonia only nodded as a response. Everyone sitting at the table began to pass plates of food and make their plates, which Shadow assumed was only something that happened in movies. He noticed how little food his cobalt counterpart was taking, compared to how much he ate at Friendsgiving, at least. 

     It was quiet as everyone ate; only the sounds of clinking and forks scratching the porcelain plates could be heard. No one even made eye contact, unless you counted the creepy family portraits and Shadow's curious gaze. He was starting to understand why Sonic never comes over. 

     "Maurine," Aleena suddenly looked up from her plate, "Why do you bother coming over? I mean, who the hell is begging you to come back?" She wondered, laughing with so much contempt that it was sickening. 

     Sonic's grip around his fork tightened as he simply shrugged, refusing to look even Shadow in the eyes. Manic rolled his eyes and grumbled, moving the dry turkey around his plate like a hockey puck. Tails adjusted uncomfortably in his seat.

     "Mom, I like it when he comes over..." Tails mentioned, desperately trying to keep a little bit of peace.

     She scoffed, "I birthed a little girl; that's all you'll ever be. Archaeologists aren't gonna believe that you were a boy when they dig you up in a million years! Give it up... " Aleena complained. 

     Shadow bit the inside of his cheek hard, trying not to cause a scene. Not because he cared about behaving, but because he knew it would only make things worse. He grabbed Sonic's hand from under the table, caressing the blue blur's tense knuckles with his thumb. 

     "Mom... if you want to talk about that, can we at least do it in private?" Sonic begged.

     "I'll talk with you about what I want, when I want, and however I want to! I am your mother!" She raised her voice, as well as her fork, pointing it at him, "I just wish all of my kids were as grateful and successful as Sonia. Hell, Tails— a child I didn't even give birth to— is less of a disappointment than you've been! Your WHOLE life, mind you!" She lamented. 

     Aleena, unfortunately, continued speaking, "I don't know what I did to deserve this disrespect from you and your brother... I guess I'm the worst mom ever! Sorry, I provided a roof over your head, clothes on your bodies, and food in your stomachs!" 

     Manic stood up, hands slammed against the table, "Now why the fuck do you have to bring me into this?! Why the FUCK do you have to be so negative all of the time?!" He queried aggressively, "What do we fucking owe you, woman?!" 

     Sonia held onto her dress tightly under the table, leg bouncing vigorously, but her face remained as still and monotonous as ever. She might've been the only person at the table who was able to hide their feelings. Aleena's jaw dropped, and her brows furrowed.

     "You owe me everything!" She yelled, "You owe me the life I set up for ALL OF YOU! But no, god forbid a mother wants her babies to succeed in life. All you want is to get high and JERK OFF EVERY DAY!!!" Her yells turned into disgusted screams.

     Manic stormed off, slamming the door to the dining room and heading... somewhere. Tails got up and walked over to Aleena, putting a hand on her shoulder and trying to get her to calm down. She shooed him away, which finally angered him enough to leave as well. 

     It was just the four of them now: Sonia forcing a poker face, Aleena screaming obscenities at Sonic, Sonic bawling his eyes out, and Shadow with no solution to this very large problem. 

     He grabbed the cobalt hedgehog by the wrist and dragged him out of the dining room, bringing him to the closest, quietest room he could. Shadow had never seen Sonic anything other than happy and hopeful, so to witness him have a horrible breakdown was agonizing. Now he understood just what being "leverage" meant.

     The ebony hedgehog grabbed Sonic by the shoulders, "Look at me, Sonic. Please. Just breathe for a moment, and we can figure this out." He urged, his anxiety spiking rapidly. 

     Sonic was completely inconsolable, unable to speak properly. After a minute or so of being contained by Shadow's grip, he escaped and ran off to some other room. As much as Shadow wanted to run after him, he knew that he needed time alone before any progress on calming down could be made.

✧✧✧

     Shadow took the time to calm himself down as well. He wasn't sad or hurt like the others were, but rather angry that this is what they've had to deal with their entire lives. The edgehog had his own shitty past, but he never would've thought that Sonic did. Especially because he seemed so well-adjusted and genuinely happy.

     He found his way onto the back porch, peering over an inground pool (covered for the winter, of course). The entire back of the house was surrounded by greenery and beautiful collections of flowers. It was such a shame that such a lovely place housed such an evil woman. 

     Manic was out there as well, artificial-mint scented smoke billowing out of his mouth. He pressed his head against the white brick, taking a deep breath before finally noticing Shadow's presence. He laughed. It was a pitiful sound.

     "Am I bothering you, handsome?" He joked, but the pain was embedded in his attempt to seem fine.

     The ebony hedgehog shook his head as he walked closer to Manic, leaning against the wall next to him. Manic offered his vape to Shadow, and despite being a huge germaphobe, he took it and inhaled strongly.

     "So..." Manic gave Shadow a look, "Are you two seriously 'just friends'?" He queried.

     The edgehog's cheeks flushed, "Yeah. Friends." He stated candidly.

     "Regardless, shouldn't you be in there, I don't know, comforting him? Instead of smoking with his fuckass brother..." The emerald hedgehog suggested with a hint of anger in his tone.

     Shadow sighed, "He... needed a moment. Can't even speak. I've never seen Sonic like this. I'm just... giving him time to recollect before I come in." He replied.

     "Well, despite being homeless after mom kicked him out, he thrived from the minute he was exiled from this place." Manic told, "Could finally be himself, y'know?" 

     Homeless? Shadow's brows furrowed. There was a lot that damn faker was amazing at hiding, and Shadow was almost jealous of it. The number of times he bawled his eyes out to Sonic was ridiculous; he wished to be at least semi-inconspicuous for the longest time. 

     Manic kept speaking, which let Shadow know that he and Sonic were definitely related. They just never knew when to shut up... but it never bothered him.

     "I mean, Sonic was so clearly a dude from the minute we were born. Like, he was never a girl to me. None of us cared but Mom. Sonia just pretends because she just wants her schooling paid for. I don't blame her, but, jesus, grow some balls." He scoffed.

     He took another hit of his vape, "It's a good thing Tails is so fucking smart and shit, otherwise mom would've sent his ass back into the system. Poor kid." 

     "How does he hide all of this so well? I would've never thought..." Shadow's words drifted off into nothingness.

     "When you're raised in this kind of bitch-ass community, you're kinda forced to hide everything that shows your family's liabilities." Manic mentioned, "Guess he got good at it." 

     The ebony hedgehog simply walked back inside without another word. His vision blurred, and his heart palpitated. Something inside him snapped, like he wanted nothing more than to make sure Sonic never felt hurt again. He hadn't felt so strongly since...

     He looked down at his hands and noticed how badly they were shaking. Shadow knocked on each door, hoping that Sonic would be willing to open it for him. After searching for what felt like forever, he found the only door in the house without a lock. Opening it revealed a disarrayed Sonic lying on the bed, still as can be.

     The bedroom was the smallest in the house, with no attached bathroom (which was abnormal for this building). It also seemed completely untouched, considering how much dust was lingering in the air and on the furniture. It looked brand new and so ancient at the same time.

     "...Sonic?" The ebony hedgehog called out.

     His cobalt counterpart sat up and sniffed, wiping tears from his cheek, "Don't you mean Maurine? For once, she has a point. Why the fuck do I keep coming back?" 

     Shadow walked over to the side of the bed Sonic was sitting on and pulled him into a hug. His arms wrapped around Sonic's shuddering body, holding on tightly as he rested his head on the blue blur's shoulder. Sonic buried his head into the edgehog's chest and sobbed quietly. 

     The two of them stayed like that with no plans of letting go. Silently. Some would say...lovingly. Nothing in the world mattered but that embrace. Not even a shitty mom with even shittier values.

     "This room is really hard to breathe in..." Shadow noted, unable to keep his comments to himself. 

     Sonic chuckled sadly, "It used to be mine. Smallest, no bathroom, no lock, and no decorating allowed... just the white room and me. She refuses to come in here now. Won't even let the housekeeper clean it." 

     While there was no real need to whisper, it felt much more comforting, knowing that there was no one else who could hear them. The silence within the storm; it was a peace like no other. Shadow was his safety net amongst an unbeatable war. 

     "You ready to just head home?" The ebony hedgehog asked.

     "I've been ready to go home since we got here." Sonic snickered, squeezing his friend a little bit tighter before they let go of each other. 

     After a grueling drive back to Central City, the hedgehogs walked back to their apartments. However, Shadow invited Sonic to stay over. Just for the night... for a decent recovery... that's all. He gave the cobalt hedgehog a comfortable set of clothes to wear while Shadow made some vegetable soup.

     "Shads, I'm not sick...I'm fine now, dude!" 

     "This is my official 'thank you' for all the times I got emotional over nothing to you. And I'm not that great at comforting people. This is a lot easier than finding the right words to say." Shadow proclaimed, smiling brightly as he handed Sonic a big bowl of soup, "You also barely ate at your mom's house."

     The blue blur took a bite, "Well, yeah, cause she hates it when the chef seasons shit. Plus, if I actually eat, she's just gonna comment on how I'm gonna be fat...eugh." 

     Shadow sat down next to him, "Figures. Well, at least next year you won't have to go back." 

     "Thank god, amiright?" He laughed.

     The hedgehogs continued to feast on soup and cheap wine as they binge-watched a bunch of crappy rom-coms for the rest of the night. Thankfully, Rouge was spending the night at her parents' with Knuckles, so they had the apartment to themselves. The furthest they went was Sonic resting his head on Shadow's shoulder... but progress is progress, right?

Chapter Text

     Most people don't expect it to snow in the winter until late December and into early February, especially considering global warming and all. However, when Rouge went to make her morning coffee and saw inches and inches of a winter wonderland outside, she became ecstatic. After all, it was only the week after Thanksgiving. 

     She put on a light jacket and walked out to the balcony with her peppermint-flavored coffee, smiling brightly as snowflakes drifted in the wind. Winter had always been her favorite season, for no other reason but the magnificence of nature. Rouge was fully grown, but still yearned to frolic in the ice like a child. 

     Most people, though, didn't experience the same joy she felt when the temperature dropped below forty degrees. Even her closest friends declined the invitations to have fun in the cold. All of a sudden, she came up with a devilishly good idea. She could make her boyfriend play in the snow with her! 

     Rouge went back into her room to get changed into the proper attire: thick leggings, fuzzy socks, a long-sleeved shirt, and a puffer coat. Today would be a fun day, even if it may be a little mundane for Knuckles. She didn't care; he loved her and was very compliant in doing cute things with her. 

     After getting dressed, she hurried next door and opened it. Knuckles had trusted her enough to make a key for her, so she was very welcome to come on her own, if needed. Rouge quietly walked into the echidna's room and shook him gently. Unfortunately, he sleeps like a rock, so she had to do a bit better. 

     She ripped the blankets off his bed, which resulted in him nearly jumping out of his skin. Knucks saw Rouge's face and sighed with relief, lying back down and giving her a dazed smile. 

     "Mm..." He groaned, "Hey, beautiful... what are you doing?" Knuckles asked in a groggy voice.

     Rouge giggled madly, "It snowed so much outside! Get dressed and come to the park with me... please?" She asked in that sweet, irresistible voice he could never get enough of. 

     The echidna sat up once more and grabbed her hands, kissing her on the forehead, and heading to his closet. He pulled out an oversized hoodie, sweatpants, and the only jacket he owned. Knuckles wasn't one to wear layers or heavy clothes in general unless he had to; he was hot enough (temperature-wise) already. 

     Once he was dressed, he turned to Rouge and grinned, "It's good to know you love the snow as much as I do... just another reason to stay with you forever." He said rather casually, holding his hand out for her to grab.  

     Her cheeks flushed as she grabbed his hand, holding it tightly as they walked out of the apartment and to the local park. The walk there was amazing, even though it wasn't even the beginning of their fun. The cool breeze left her cheeks flushed, and the snow resting in her hair as it fell was enough to have her giddy. 

     When they arrived at the local park, it was comparable to a ghost town, with absolutely no one there. It wasn't that surprising, though; after all, most people reveled in the fact that they had an excuse to stay inside on cold days like this. 

     "Looks like we have the whole park to ourselves." Knuckles noted, gazing down at his girlfriend with a smile.

     She squealed loudly, "I know!!! It's perfect."

     Rouge held his hand tightly and ran toward the open area of snow-covered grass, away from the trees planted along the sidewalk. Once they were smack-dab in the middle, she let go of him and fell back right into the snow. She screamed with glee once more, spreading her arms and legs out to make a snow angel. 

     Knuckles helped her up off the ground, before (much more carefully) lying on the snow next to the imprint she made and making one of his own. 

     "They look like they're holding hands!" Rouge giggled. 

     The echidna replied smugly, "Exactly."

     She rolled her eyes playfully, "You're such a dork. I love you."

     "I love you, too." 

     The two of them continued to play in the snow as if they were experiencing it for the first time, which wasn't the case, but it was fun to pretend. They built crappy snowmen and tried to make other types of snow angels—ones that looked more like objects, rather than themselves.

     Of course, the rule was, they had to somehow use their bodies to make these shapes. It was Twister without the colorful dots deciding your fate. 

     "What the hell are you doing?!" Rouge asked, hunched over with laughter.

     Knuckles's body was shaped like the letter "E", except it looked completely ridiculous because he was desperately trying to achieve something great. He groaned and grumbled as he positioned his body and oddly moved around to make the proper imprint on the snow. Rouge was dying.

     "A table!!! One of those..." He grunted, "Fancy ones!" 

     She wiped a tear from her eye, "Oh my god... I- I can't breathe—"

     The echidna eventually figured out the strategy for making a "fancy table" in the snow by using his body and carefully got up, cheering in succession. He then proceeded to crack every bone in his body, which was just a little bit concerning. 

      Once Rouge calmed down, she thought of the one thing they hadn't done: a snowball fight. Of course, she didn't want to announce that she wanted them to participate in one, because then she wouldn't have time to prepare the ultimate battle plan. 

     Luckily, the snow was dense enough that she was able to build a large mound of snow to hide behind, as well as some pretty compact snowballs. 

     "What are you doing?" Knuckles queried. 

     "Building a fort...just because." Convincing. 

     He shrugged before suggesting, "Want me to help?" 

     Perfect, Rouge thought to herself, He can take part in his own demise. 

     Over fifteen minutes or so, the couple built a huge fort that was rather stable for being made out of snow. Knuckles looked at it from a distance, proud of what he'd accomplished. Within seconds, a snowball hit the side of his face, and he heard an evil giggle from behind the fort. 

     He had only now realized what had just happened. The echidna had been tricked, fooled by the love he had for his girlfriend. Knuckles then did the only thing he could think of doing, which was making a bunch of half-assed snowballs and chucking them at the fort. 

     "YOU WISH YOU COULD GET ME! HAH!" Rouge boasted, throwing some nice, firm snowballs in the echidna's direction.

     He managed to dodge a few of them, but was hit by the rest. Quickly, Knucks took cover behind the fountain in the middle of the park, speedily making some more snowballs to sneak-attack Rouge with. She was rather busy making a stockpile of them.

     While she was busy making extra snowballs, Knuckles managed to sneak around and hit her from behind. Rouge whipped around and started throwing as many snowballs as she could, even if they weren't exactly hitting the target. He was pretty fast, after all.

     "Come back here!" Rouge yelled, wishing her wings weren't contained by the coat she was wearing. 

     Knucks laughed madly, "In your dreams!"

     She stopped in her tracks, picking up snow from the ground and forming a sphere, which was then thrown precisely at him. Maybe Little League softball wasn't for nothing, after all, considering it hit his chest. Rouge squealed in victory before being forced to dodge another ball of snow.

     They continued chucking slightly dangerous balls of ice at each other for a while, even though it only seemed to get colder and more snowy outside. There was an inexplicable warmth when they were near each other, like the feeling of being covered by a blanket fresh out of the dryer. 

     Rouge truly couldn't remember the last time she played in the snow with someone. Most kids didn't get along with her, so even on the best snow days, she was still alone. 

     Knuckles, on the other hand, had only begun experiencing the fun of snow when he migrated from Angel Island, which wasn't too long ago. He had been used to warmer climates, and he found the cold rather enjoyable. Everyone else he knew had never been a fan, though. It was nice to share that love with someone.

     It also felt extra special to share that love with someone you adored more than anything. 

     But no matter how long they wished they could stay outside, it just wasn't going to happen. Rouge trampled her boyfriend in a big hug, burying her face into his chest. They were both freezing and tired from running around. 

     "Ready to head back?" He asked.

     "Oh my god, yes. I can't feel my fucking fingers." Rouge answered.

     After swiftly returning to the apartment complex, the couple was quick to bask in the actual warmth of the building. Once they reached their apartments, Knuckles followed Rouge into hers and Shadow's to spend a little extra time with her. 

     The two of them discarded the unnecessary winter accessories and piled on the couch, cuddling with a big blanket as they watched a shitty Christmas Hallmark movie. Rouge could admit they were bad, but she still somehow loved them. Ironically, of course. 

     "All of these movies have the same plot..." Knucks noted.

     "Yeah, basically. Just a guilty pleasure of mine." She chuckled. 

     He sighed, "What's redeemable about any of them?" The echidna queried.

     Rouge shrugged, "It feeds into my irrational belief that maybe someone will love me as much as these random guys love the dumbass girls in these kinds of movies." She admitted. 

     "I love you a lot more than those guys ever could."

     "Well, I guess it makes my belief a little more irrational, then, huh?"  

Chapter Text

     It had been about two weeks since Sonic tortured himself by going back to his mother's house for Thanksgiving. Every year, it was the biggest mistake, but he had always felt obligated to go. Whether it be from the copious amounts of guilt dumped onto him by Aleena over the years, or the fact that he knew Tails needed a sane person in the house for at least a day. The only difference now was that he couldn't stop thinking about all of it.

     How disgusted his mother had been, Sonia's pure fear, and Manic's dilapidated appearance—all of it— made Sonic's stomach twist in knots. He had always wanted to be better than his family, but he would've never thought "being better" was being sober and unafraid. The cobalt hedgehog wondered if leaving was the right choice, and despite knowing it was, the way his siblings were now made him rethink that decision anyway. 

     Although Shadow and a few of his other friends had been comforting throughout all of this, it wasn't entirely convincing him that he did the best he could. The only person he hadn't told this to, and the only person who could probably help at this point, was Amy. She had been there from the start. Even stayed at that house one time and was forced by Aleena to sleep on the back porch. 

     Sonic was sitting on his balcony, staring out as the snow barreled down. He was quick to pull out his phone when thinking about Amy, going to his contacts and calling her rather quickly. 

     Amy picked up a few seconds after being called, answering, "Whhaatttt's up?" 

     "Just thinkin' 'bout a lot of things at the moment, wanted your advice. Or, at least some input." Sonic replied.

     "Oh, lord," The pink hedgehog teased.

     The blue blur then went on to explain everything that had happened on Thanksgiving, providing every detail about it, down to the pattern of the tablecloth and the fact that Shadow looked pissed but didn't make things worse. He found it endearing, in an odd way. 

     Once he was finished illustrating what happened, Amy took a minute or so to reply. She knew that his family sucked, but it always enraged her when he made these stories known. It took everything for her not to drive up there and kick Aleena's ass herself. Every. Single. Time. 

     "Amy?"

     She sighed loudly, "I'm not surprised, but I'm still angry." Amy prefaced, "I don't know what to say other than, 'wow, she's a piece of garbage.'" 

     "Well, that's not what I needed advice on." Sonic mentioned, "I feel like the so-called 'piece of garbage' because my siblings are doing horrible, and I'm living a great life without them. I feel evil, I dunno." 

     Amy groaned, "Literally, why?! You didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault that Manic is a drug-addicted felon, and Sonia is a bitch who can't stand up for herself. Jesus, Sonic!" She scolded.

     He laughed awkwardly, "Yeah, I know, but it's like, a subconscious kind of guilt... I just haven't been able to cope with the crap she said." 

     "It's probably gonna be like that for a hot minute. Do some fun stuff. Distract yourself." The pink hedgehog suggested.

     "Yeah. I think I will. Talk to you later, Ames." He said before hanging up.

     "Wait— I didn't mean now—" 

     Sonic walked back inside and into his room, searching through the piles of clothes on his floor to find something presentable to wear. He had always been a messy, impulsive person. So, when Amy told him to "do some fun stuff," he took it as a green light to do something he had wanted to do for a while now, which was getting another tattoo. 

     The cobalt hedgehog had a few small, stupid tattoos that he either did himself with a sewing needle and pen ink or got while blackout drunk. Ever since he got top surgery, he wanted to get a tattoo on his chest, but never found the time (or money) to do so. 

     Almost all of his friends had tattoos as well. Especially Shadow, with two full sleeves of beautiful artwork that actually meant something. Sonic was a little jealous, and seeing them reminded him just how badly he wanted something like that. Not just for the meaning, but also because being covered by art was symbolic in and of itself. 

     Sonic put on a baggy jacket and some somewhat clean shorts (despite the cold) before heading out. 

     He arrived at one of the many tattoo shops in Central City, walking in casually and praying that the shop had room for a walk-in. The worker was a heavily-pierced cat with her hair secured in a claw clip. Sonic felt a little less tense as he looked around at the state of the shop. 

     The workers all had tattoos and piercings, the environment was clean, and it felt welcoming. South Park was playing on the TV in the corner of the room, which also felt comforting. 

     "Hey!" The cat greeted him, "Welcome to Velvet Ink, I'm Cassidy! What brings you in here today?" She asked cheerfully.

     Sonic explained to her that he wanted to get a top surgery tattoo, which seemed to get her excited. Since the two of them were very obviously extroverted yappers, they continued to talk about a bunch of different things before getting down to business. The hedgehog brought up how much he loved art and how he wanted to pursue it, but couldn't find his outlet. 

     Then, that turned into the two showing off artwork. Sonic pulled out his phone, showing off pictures of intricate drawings he had done, as well as some other forms, such as spraypainting, mosaic art, etc. 

     "Wow...these are awesome! Scarlet would love to see these..." The cat mentioned.

     "Who?"

     Cassidy laughed awkwardly, "Oops, sorry. She's the owner; that hummingbird over there!" She pointed to a small bird inking someone in the corner of the room. 

     "Huh..." Sonic shrugged, "Well, guess she can look after me and get situated."

     "Right! I have room for a walk-in, so let's go over what you want, and I can get the stencil printed!" Cassidy beamed. 

     After figuring out the specifics of what he wanted to get done, printing the stencil out, and getting the placement right, he was ready to get tatted up. It wasn't too intricate, just some text and a symbol, so it didn't take as long as other tattoos often do. 

     Once everything was finished up, Cassidy wrapped it with something similar to Saran Wrap so it wouldn't get infected. She also gave him some free moisturizer to use, so it heals nicely and doesn't get yucky. He shoved it in his pants pocket and walked to the front desk to pay. 

     He was just about to leave, before the cat stopped him, "Wait, wait, wait! SCARLET!!!" She called, leading the bird to walk over. 

     "What's up?" She queried.

     "This guy's art is awesome! And ever since Dawn moved, you've been wanting a new apprentice..." Cassidy giggled, "C'mon, show her the stuff you showed me!" 

     Sonic scratched the back of his head, took his phone out, and showed the owner all of his art that he'd taken pictures of. Scarlet investigated each piece, examining every last detail. Once he had no more art to show, she seemed to be lost in thought. 

     "Better to get your phone number now than have to worry about it later, right?" Scarlet joked, handing the hedgehog a sticky note and a pen.

     Sonic was rather stunned as he took the paper and pen, surprised that someone liked his art aside from his friends. Of course, he appreciated their compliments, but they weren't as knowledgeable. However, these people knew what they were talking about, so it felt surreal knowing they thought his art was worth something. 

     He wrote down his name and number on the paper, thanking them over and over before finally heading back home. 

     Upon arriving at his complex, his mind was screaming at him to show Shadow first. He knocked, but wasn't met with a response. Sonic twisted the doorknob, and surprisingly enough, it was unlocked. The cobalt hedgehog walked inside and headed to the edgehog's room.

     He cracked the door open and saw Shadow with headphones on and a notebook he was writing in. Sonic walked in and tapped him on the shoulder.

     Shadow whipped his head around, hand clutching the collar of his shirt, "HOLY SHIT!"

     Sonic cackled, "SORRY!" 

     The ebony hedgehog took a deep breath, "Jesus... what the hell do you want?"

     Sonic took his jacket off, "I got a tattoo!!!" 

     On one side of his chest, it said, "I can see through," and on the other side, it said, "the scars inside you." In the middle of his chest, there was a red target. Shadow's cheeks flushed as he looked at it, wanting to reach out and touch what was in front of him, but refraining from potentially making Sonic uncomfortable. 

     "I love it." He said with a smile. "It's amazing. Simple, but amazing..." Shadow noted.

     "Good!" Sonic giggled, "But, there's more..."

     The ebony hedgehog arched his brow curiously. Sonic then explained how he'd shown the owner some of his art and that they were considering hiring him as an apprentice. Shadow seemed rather supportive of this idea, a soft smile never leaving his face. 

     "That's great, do you want to do that?" He asked.

     Sonic shrugged, "I do, but like, I'm almost done getting my degree and stuff..." 

     "You hate school. You aren't passionate about being an EMT at all. Why torture yourself?" 

     The cobalt hedgehog sighed, "I...I feel like I have to do something 'real.'" He admitted.

     "Tattoo artists are very real. Their jobs are very sought after. Sonic, do something you love, you'll regret it otherwise," Shadow assured him. 

     "Why do you care?" 

     Shadow's face flushed a deep maroon as his gaze fixated on the floor, "We're friends...it's my job to care. And like any other job I choose to take on, I love doing it." 

     "You loooooooveeee caring about me~?" Sonic teased.

     The edgehog punched his shoulder playfully, "Fine then! I'll go back to being a whiny asshole around you! Fuck, man." He grumbled.

     "I'm joking, dude. It's okay, I seriously appreciate it... But you really think I should drop out?" The blue blur asked.

     "Yes. I have no idea why you've wasted this time on something you very clearly despise." Shadow stated bluntly. 

     Sonic hugged Shadow from behind, his arms wrapped around the edgehog's neck, and his head resting against Shadow's quills. The ebony hedgehog placed his hand on one of Sonic's, holding onto it gently. The hogs stayed like that for a while, comfortable in each other's embrace. 

     As the blue blur thought about it more, he realized that he'd barely retained anything from the classes he had taken. He was so focused on impressing others, holding himself to the standards of his mother, and acting like a complete fool. He wondered if he stopped trying to befriend Shads, how long he'd be stuck working in a hospital for. Probably forever. 

     He would've probably never gotten that tattoo. Never knew the options available for someone like him, someone who wasn't meant to be tied down with a corporate job. The future excited him, and he was extremely ready to have Shadow be a part of it. Whether that be as his best friend, or something a little more. 

Chapter Text

     Christmas was right around the corner, and winter break had just begun at CCU. Even though he wasn't a big holiday guy, Shadow was relieved to have a two and a half week break. He'd been working constantly since August and was completely over school; completely ready to be done. Then again, that's how everyone felt. 

     As soon as the first snowflake dropped to the sidewalk, Rouge decorated her and Shadow's entire complex with festive decorations. This occurred annually, except it somehow managed to get bigger and "better" every year. The edgehog wondered just how much of her money went into Christmas. 

     After sleeping in as long as he possibly could, Shadow emerged from his room and walked into the kitchen, making himself a cup of coffee. Since his guard was down, it was much easier for Rouge to sneak behind him and get his attention by yelling in his ear. He jumped, nearly spilling the drink and almost hitting Rouge in the nose. 

     "HOLY SHIT! Why... Why do you always do that?! What do you want?" The hedgehog asked, one hand holding his cup tightly and the other resting on his chest. 

     She snickered, "Because of your reaction to it, hon'! Anyway, we could do a gift exchange next week. Something like the Friendsgiving but Christmas. It would be good for you to get some gifts...like, soon." Rouge mentioned. 

     He groaned, "I have gifts for the people I care about. Like you, like Cream... I'll get everyone else a gift card or something." 

     "Well, at least you're semi-prepared. Did you seriously only get gifts for two people?" She wondered.

     Shadow shook his head with a sigh, "No... There are a few others. Like Sonic." 

     "Ahh... Sonic..." Rouge winked, "Well, I'm gonna be at the mall for a while, so have fun by yourself. See ya." She said before leaving the complex. 

     The edgehog bit the inside of his cheek, angry at what Rouge was implying. It's not that she was wrong, it's just that he wished it were. 

     The gift exchange came rather quickly, feeling like the moment had arrived in the blink of an eye. The morning of, Shadow had quickly hurried over to a convenience store and picked out random twenty-five-dollar gift cards for Blaze, Silver, Knuckles, and Amy. He had no idea what they liked, and he really didn't care. But he wasn't that much of an asshole to get them nothing. 

     Everyone was supposed to be coming in about an hour or so, and the hedgehog was still hyper-focused on what would be best to wear. Usually, he picked something presentable and moved on, but for whatever reason, he cared a lot more about looking nice and attractive tonight. The feeling took over, causing him to change his outfit repeatedly. 

     Eventually, Shadow settled for a red sweater with a pattern and some brown dress pants that were a little too tight around the waist. It didn't matter now, because he had already heard the door opening. He hurriedly put on some eyeliner and walked into the hallway, giving a small wave to Blaze and Silver as they walked in. 

     The tense feeling in his chest and shoulders calmed knowing that it wasn't Sonic walking through the door. He hated that he cared what that damn faker thought of him. Nonetheless, Shadow was awaiting some sort of praise from his cobalt counterpart. It was sickening. 

     The ebony hedgehog sat down on the couch, neatly decorated with Christmas-themed throw pillows and blankets. His ears rang persistently, in the back of his head, with the sound of music and chatter serving as futile background noise. Every minute or so, his eyes darted to the door, waiting for that bright blue to make his anxiety feel sickeningly sweet. 

✧✧✧

     Sonic had woken up late and was furious with himself for doing so. Was it surprising? No. It was expected of him by almost everyone, all the time. Despite all of the alarms and reminders on his phone, he'd slept through them all. It was already past the time that Rouge told them to show up, and Sonic barely had clothes on. 

     "Dude, are you almost done?! We live next door and we're fucking late." Knuckles complained, having been ready for the past hour and a half. 

     The hedgehog groaned, "Ugh— just go! Tell them I'll be there in a hot minute!" He instructed.

     "And exactly how long is a 'hot minute'?" 

     "Uhh..." Sonic trailed off, "Just— just go, man! I'll be ready in like, five minutes!" 

     The echidna groaned and walked next door, knowing that the hedgehog wouldn't be ready for at least thirty more minutes. Sonic continued to scramble for an ugly Christmas sweater that he'd bought a few weeks ago. Even though he hadn't moved it from its spot in the corner of his room, it seemed to be missing. How convenient. 

     After searching for what felt like forever, he finally found it and put it on, along with the nearest and cleanest pair of pants on his bedroom floor. Sonic brushed his quills out once more, put on some fancy cologne, and walked out of the complex with his gifts in hand. As Knucks had predicted, all of that took thirty minutes longer than it probably should've.

     Sonic swung the door wide open and yelled, "MEEERRRYYY CHRISTMAS!" with a wide smile. 

     Shadow rolled his eyes, getting up from the couch to properly greet the cobalt hedgehog, "Settle down, you still have some time before it's actually here." 

     "Look at my shirt." The blue blur almost demanded with a stupid smirk. 

     The edgehog looked at the sweater, which had an ugly reindeer made out of pom-poms and deconstructed tinsel on it. Underneath said reindeer, "Horny" was written in cursive and sequins. Shadow sighed, holding back a chuckle so as not to give Sonic any satisfaction. 

     "Isn't it great?"

     "It's... something." 

     Sonic giggled for a moment before throwing his arms around Shadow and squeezing him tightly, "I know you love it..."

     The ebony hedgehog's stomach twisted in knots as he reluctantly wrapped his arms around the other hedgehog, silently cursing, wishing that he didn't feel this way. They were just friends... barely. There was no good reason for him to be acting like a schoolgirl anytime Sonic walked into the room. 

     But that's exactly what had happened. As soon as he saw those beautiful green eyes, that ridiculously addictive smile, and his messy blue quills, Shadow was quick to jump up from his seat. He practically leaped, just to breathe the same air as that fool. Nothing had felt more conflicting than this. 

     Sonic, on the other hand, was screaming on the inside. Happily squealing, basking in the soft touch and his natural, enticing lavender musk. Shadow was never much of a physical touch kind of guy, but the cobalt hedgehog always took notice when he accepted it. He felt special when it was he who got to be graced by the mystique that is Shadow the Hedgehog. 

     He felt somewhat obsessive: stalking Shadow's TikTok reposts, mesmerizing his face, and drawing that damn tattoo on his collarbone over and over again. The guy was starting to take over his life, and he was starting to feel a bit guilty about it. Creepy, even. But was it creepy if no one knew about it, though?

     "Would you like a drink?" Shads asked, his toothy grin showing off the fangs that were a hidden, delectable treat that Sonic reveled in. 

     "Uh, sure! What's on the menu?"

     "Hm," Shadow made a mental list of everything he and Rouge had, "Some cranberry cocktail that's way too sweet for my liking, red wine, Dr. Pepper, and water. We're more stocked in the food category..." 

     Sonic chuckled, "I don't plan on getting wasted tonight, I'd rather be here physically and mentally, so... just a D.P., please." 

     The ebony hedgehog grabbed one out of the fridge and handed it to Sonic with a soft smile, one that made the blue blur's stomach flutter with excitement. His gaze stuck to the wall as he took a sip of the drink, avoiding the bottomless pits that were Shadow's crimson eyes. 

✧✧✧

     Rouge watched the hedgehogs from the other side of the room, cocktail in hand and a smile plastered across her face. There were a lot of reasons why she was happy: all of her friends were together celebrating Christmas, Shadow was finally opening up to someone, and very soon, Knuckles would owe her one hundred dollars. 

     "I should've never made that bet with you." He mentioned.

     "Yeah, probably not. Never would've expected those two to be perfect for each other, did you?" She queried. 

     Knuckles shrugged, "Not really, not after all the stupid bullshit fights they used to get in. It's odd seeing him... happy. Without holding himself back and stuff." 

     "Yeah, it's weird for me, too. Despite knowing him longer than anyone. I think there's just something else there that no one else can give him, like Sonic does." Rouge theorized, resting her head on the echidna's shoulder. 

     "Well," He snickered for a moment, "You aren't getting shit until they declare a romantic relationship." 

     Rouge groaned, rolling her eyes before placing a small peck on his cheek. 

     Since the get-together was in the middle of the day, Rouge didn't get as extravagant with the food as she usually did. There were a few charcuterie boards neatly decorated with a variety of meats and cheeses, as well as a few bowls of chips and dip. It was casual, snacky, and gave them more time to spend in each other's presence. 

     During that time, Sonic and Shadow were never at any more than an arm's length distance. Wherever one was, the other was right next to them. One could argue that's "just what friends do at parties," but there was something different that lingered around the hedgehogs. An odd, new, gut feeling. 

     Rouge gathered everyone in the living room, which wasn't that big considering the apartment size, so everyone squeezed together like they were sardines. Rouge stood by the bright pink Christmas tree (yes, she is that extra), Knuckles sat on the armrest of the couch, and Blaze and Silver sat closely on one couch cushion. The only places left were the floor or that other cushion. 

     Shadow took the space on the couch, expecting his cobalt counterpart to either take the floor or stand. However, Sonic collapsed back onto the sliver of couch next to the edgehog. Shadow's face burned a deep scarlet, but he didn't dare utter a word. In fact, he wasn't too bothered by how close Sonic was to him.

     "Scooch over a bit, Shads!" 

     "I literally can't." He mumbled, shoulder-to-shoulder with Silver. 

     "Oh well!" The cobalt hedgehog shrugged before wrapping his arms around Shadow, chin resting gently on his shoulder. 

     Rouge gave Knuckles a quick look before holding up one of the many gifts under the tree and announcing, "Alright! Time for the exchange!" 

     She handed out all of the gifts from her, gently placing them in everyone's lap. Once she handed them all out, everyone opened the neatly wrapped gifts. Knuckles received a gold chain necklace with a ring hanging from said chain, Blaze got a true crime book series, Silver was given a bunch of crystal jewelry, Shadow was gifted a vinyl, and Sonic got a collection of fancy ass art supplies. 

     Sonic cheered with glee, extremely grateful, but also knowing deep down that Shadow told her to get that. It felt odd to be seen without being judged. Of course, none of his real friends judged him, but the world did. His family did. No one treated Sonic this way except for Shadow, even though that edgehog swore up and down that he hated him. 

     Everyone took turns handing out their gifts. Knuckles gave everyone rocks that "meant" something, Silver got everyone snacks, and Blaze wrote personalized letters to each person. It was Shadow's turn, and he only had one real gift. Everyone got gift cards except for Rouge and Sonic. 

     Rouge received a pair of earrings she had wanted for a long time, but Sonic got something with a lot more thought involved. 

     "Is it a book?" Sonic wondered.

     "If you unwrap it, maybe you'll find out." Shadow quipped.

     The cobalt hedgehog sighed dramatically before unwrapping the gift. He was right: it was a book. A scrapbook, that is, and a rather thick one, at that. He started to flip through the pages, reading the dated entries Shadow had written over the course of the semester. 

     In the beginning, they were mostly about how much he disliked Sonic and all of the stupid things that he did. As time went on, though, the entries got nicer and more endearing, and started to include pictures and mini crafts. Sonic's heart raced as he continued to flip through pages. Hell, even his eyes were filling with joyous tears.

     "Well, don't cry... I didn't think it was that great—"

     Suddenly, the blue blur stood up and hugged Shadow tightly, whispering, "This is amazing. Thank you so much." Into his ear.

     Shadow returned the hug, that feeling in his gut intensifying tenfold as they embraced. Even while wearing that ridiculous, itchy sweater that brushed up against him like a jumping cholla cactus, the ebony hedgehog wished he could stay like this for much, much longer. Sonic, quite honestly, felt the same way.

     They pulled apart, and Sonic walked over to the tree, picking up the gifts he had for everyone. Everyone got a different pair of ugly Christmas-themed socks, even Shadow. He said, "DICK THE HALLS" with a bunch of penises on them. It was stupid, but that was the whole point. 

     "God, these are ridiculous. It's worse than your sweater." The edgehog scoffed, chuckling slightly.

     "Uh, they're amazing. I almost kept them for myself, but being the responsible, money-making adult that I am, I just bought another pair. Now we can match!" Sonic admitted.

     Shadow shook his head, "...Such a child." He mumbled, the grin on his face growing larger by the second. 

     Everyone knew that the tension between them was there and extremely thick. However, instead of making note of it, they just ignored it with the hope that they'd figure out their feelings for each other soon. As Rouge watched the two of them, though, an amazing idea popped into her devilishly intelligent mind. 

     "Hey, you two should go get something out of my car for me. It's one of those foldable tables, and I wanna play some euchre!" She declared.

     "Oh, okay." Sonic said, "Well, let's go." 

     The hedgehogs walked in unison to the front door, opening it and ready to head out into the parking lot. Just as they were about to shut the door, Rouge yelled.

     "WAIT!" Her voice echoed throughout the complex.

     The two of them turned their heads to face her, brows raised in confusion. She snickered as she pointed to the top of the doorframe, where a piece of mistletoe hung right above their heads. Shadow groaned, and Sonic giggled slightly.

     "Seriously?" The ebony hedgehog censured, "Can we just get the table?" 

     "For once, I agree with Shads. It's just stupid shit that movies use for plot purposes." Sonic noted.

     She shrugged, "Do what you want, but it's there for a reason..." 

     Sonic turned his head to face Shadow, who had his back against the door frame. He smirked like an idiot, which made Shadow blush slightly. However, those crimson eyes didn't seem as willing to go along with the joke. 

     The cobalt hedgehog grabbed Shadow's hands, whispering, "C'mon, it's just a kiss." 

     "...With you, of all people." His eyes shifted from their typical crimson to that gorgeous, dark mahogany hue 

     Sonic tilted his head, his gaze softening as he spoke, "What difference does it make? What's weird about a kiss between friends?" 

     "Because I don't know what we'll be afterwards." Shadow admitted. 

     There was a tranquil silence that followed his statement. Sonic's hand traversed up the other hedgehog's shoulder and rested gently on his cheek. Shadow, surprisingly enough, leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. Sonic pressed his forehead against Shadow's, breathing in that damned lavender cologne. 

Chapter Text

     Shadow turned his gaze toward Rouge, whose eyes were twinkling expectantly. He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning even closer towards Sonic's face. Their lips pressed together for only a moment, just a small peck being exchanged before the ebony hedgehog pulled back. He then slammed the door shut, holding Rouge's car keys tightly in his hand. 

     Both of their faces were beet-red, despite the kiss not being anything that crazy. Regardless, it still changed things. Meant something. A meaning that was more complex than any words could convey.

     Sonic chuckled slightly, "So... what are we now?" He joked, clearly referencing the last thing Shadow had said to him.

     The other hedgehog looked up from the floor and groaned, biting the inside of his cheek before taking off down the hallway. Shadow didn't know how to feel. At that moment, he felt pathetic for getting his hopes up, for ignoring the butterflies in his stomach as a warning. He could survive the rest of the party, pretending nothing was wrong, but as soon as that blue hedgehog was out of sight, he knew it would be all over. 

     Sonic followed him down the hallway, yelling out, "Dude, what? What are you so mad about?!" He questioned, trying to feign ignorance. 

     The cobalt hedgehog felt it too. Felt the embarrassment and shame, the stupid, universal agreement that they weren't anything different after that "kiss." Neither of them was afraid of what would happen after; in fact, they were hoping that it would bring something beautiful. Something new between them. 

     Yet, it didn't. It was just...silly. Is that how everyone saw it? Is that why Rouge sent them out there in the first place? Sonic didn't want to know.

     Shadow raced down each floor of the apartment building, regretting every moment he had spent with that faker. It was all a joke, a lie. Some sort of sick, twisted manipulation. It had to have been; why else would he have fallen that hard? Just for the defining moment to be so anticlimactic?

     Sonic continued to yell for him, but Shadow tuned it out, the ringing in his ears defiant over that fool's dastardly voice. He reached the parking lot entrance and swung the door open, running out to the sea of cars and straight to Rouge's purple Mazda 3. He hoped that Sonic would give up on following him, but of course, he was still there. 

     Before even unlocking the car, the ebony hedgehog turned around, "What?! What else do you have to say, or do to make me feel like even more of an imbecile?!" 

     His cobalt counterpart took a small step back, hesitating slightly, "Shads, I wasn't— I didn't mean—" He stuttered.

     "Was what I said just a fucking joke to you?! Like everything else is? The least you could do, after all these months, is make it feel WORTH IT!" Shadow yelled, eyes welling with tears. 

     Sonic trembled as he spoke, "Look, I didn't mean it like that! I just— there's no way you fucking like me. Why the hell do you care about a stupid Christmas game or whatever if all you do is say that you HATE ME?!" He shouted back.

     "I never meant it." Shadow admitted, his voice much softer and more afraid now, "How did you seriously believe that? After all of the shit I did for you, that I would've never done if I truly despised you." 

     "Because," Sonic's lip quivered slightly, "I don't feel like I have given you any good reason to stick around. You've seen the worst parts of me. The obsessive, disgustingly in love, desperate, disgusting, stupid, traumatized parts of me, and still stayed."

     The ebony hedgehog laughed, "And you've seen all of that from ME, TOO. What the fuck is the difference?! You're the only person I feel real around!" He continued to chuckle, but it felt like frustration more than anything.

     Sonic shrugged before practically throwing himself onto Shadow. One arm wrapped around his waist, the other holding the back of his head. The cobalt hedgehog's lips collided with his, voraciously taking in what he had been begging for since the very start. Shadow whimpered softly, his arms holding onto the other hedgehog as tightly as he could.

     Their mouths fit together like the final pieces of a puzzle, the connectivity of deep passion visceral as they forgot the world around them. Sonic pushed the ebony hedgehog against the car, his hands feeling what he'd previously only known in his dreams. Shadow's body was a blend of perfect curvatures and soft, manicured muscle. 

     "Sonic— stop-" Shadow pushed him away, his face red and lips starting to bruise.

     "...Is something wrong?" He queried. 

     Between deep breaths, he said, "Look, it's just a bit far... and...we're outside." Shadow mentioned.

     "Oh. Yeah, we should probably, uh...get that card table, huh?" Sonic laughed, scratching the back of his head. 

     Shadow unlocked the car and opened the trunk, only to realize there was no card table. Nothing. It only took him a few seconds to realize that Rouge really did send them out here just so she could see them kiss. And then he realized she would be expecting them to again when they walked back inside. 

     He tilted his head up, eyes closed, and prayed that whatever god out there would strike him down in that moment. Sonic shook his head and laughed, wrapping his arms around the ebony hedgehog from behind and placing a small kiss on his neck. 

     "Let's just go inside, Shads. It's no biggie." 

     When they arrived back at Rouge and Shadow's complex, the hedgehogs sat and stared at the top of the doorframe. The door was closed, because what awaited on the other side was a group of people expecting them to go tongue each other like it was a shitty Hallmark rom-com. Not like they were against the idea, it just wasn't ideal in a group setting.

     "Ugh, she just has to be fucking obnoxious," Shadow complained with his arms crossed.

     Sonic shrugged, "We could say we kissed behind the door." He suggested.

     "...I'm not that great of a liar," Shadow said.

     "What are you talking about? You're like the best liar—" 

     The cobalt hedgehog was cut off by a kiss from Shadow. It wasn't anything like what they shared in the parking lot, but it was still sweet. Sincere. Once he pulled away, he opened the door and walked in with a smug grin. Sonic was still a little surprised, his cheeks rosy and warm. 

     Amy tilted her head from where she sat on the couch, "Where's the card table?"

     "There never was one." The ebony hedgehog told her as he rolled his eyes.

     "Yeah, Rouge is just really into BL," Sonic remarked with a chuckle.

     The bat's cheeks went bright pink, "What the hell?!"

     Knuckles laughed loudly, "Is he really wrong, though?"

     "WHAT?! What is that supposed to mean?!" 

     Unfortunately for Rouge, everyone was too caught up in their laughter to give a decent response. It should've been obvious, though; she had been praying for something to happen between them since the first night Sonic and Knucks spent here. And, y'know, her search history says a lot, too.

     The night continued with drinking games, stupid conversations, and holiday cheer. This time of the year was always difficult for a plethora of reasons. Family struggles, money, and just being stressed out by life. When the world expects you to be happy, it feels annoyingly pathetic when you aren't.

     But for the first time in a long time, Central City truly felt like home for these guys. There was no safer place than in the presence of those who truly cared, and there was no better feeling than knowing that those people had been found. It was a good omen that things would be okay forevermore. 

     One by one, people started to head back home after saying their goodbyes, checking out for the night. Knuckles and Rouge went over to his and Sonic's complex, leaving the two hedgehogs alone once more. Maybe it was intentional, or maybe the couple wanted to have their own alone time. Whatever the case may have been, neither Sonic nor Shadow was complaining. 

     Shadow changed into his sleepwear, which was a pair of grey sweatpants and an old Three Days Grace t-shirt. He sat down on the couch and put on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Sonic, after discarding his uncomfortable sweater onto the ground, joined Shadow on the couch. 

     "I love this show..." Sonic commented, holding back the urge to grab Shadow's hand.

     "I've watched it a lot, but it helps me fall asleep. I'm kind of spent for today." He replied.

     After a lot of deep consideration, the cobalt hedgehog grabbed Shadow's hand and held onto it gently. His reaction was small, but worth it. A sweet smile, followed by a squeeze of Sonic's hand. Sonic inched closer and closer until his shoulder brushed up against Shadow's.

     "I really love the gift you made me. I wish I could express my pure joy a little bit better..." The blue blur mentioned in a soft tone.

     "I'm glad. But I don't need a superficial reaction to know that you like it." 

     They were rather quiet for the next thirty or so minutes, simply enjoying the closeness and the show. Speaking wasn't a necessity when, at this point, they could read each other perfectly. The codes were cracked, and the walls had been broken down. 

     Suddenly, Shadow turned his head and looked Sonic deeply into his emerald eyes. He looked tired, but those drowsy eyes had Sonic going crazy on the inside. His throat tightened, and his face brightened drastically, wishing he hadn't folded this quickly.

     "You want to make out again?" He asked rather nonchalantly with a drunken smile stretched across his face. 

     Sonic blinked a few times, his eyes wide with surprise, "This is so confusing, but...hell yes." 

     The ebony hedgehog leaned in, pressing his mouth against Sonic's and going all in almost immediately. His kiss, his touch along Sonic's back, was that of someone completely starved. He had been waiting for this, and now that he had it, there was no going back. Fortunately for Shadow, Sonic was entirely enthralled by this. 

     It wasn't long before Shadow had him against the couch, feeling up and down his chest as his tongue worked wonders in the other hedgehog's mouth. Sonic whimpered and groaned, even though he was barely being touched; he felt deplorable underneath Shadow. 

     "You're just as desperate as I am, aren't you?" The ebony hedgehog questioned, snickering between kisses.

     "Well— it doesn't help that you're so hot..." Sonic admitted, completely out of breath.

     He continued to kiss down Sonic's torso, leaving hickeys near and on his waist. Sonic's hand was entangled between the black and red quills, ready for anything that might happen that night. He was so ready. 

     Shadow sat back up abruptly, wiping his lips off with the back of his forearm. The cobalt hedgehog looked up at him with an arched brow, perplexed as to what was going on. He was preparing for anything, and the low-key edging was ruining the moment. 

     "What are you doing?" He wondered.

     "Going to bed. Until next time, faker." Shadow snickered.

     Saying that was his way of making it crystal clear he wasn't ready to go that far, but was absolutely interested in doing so at some point. However, Sonic being Sonic, he didn't pick up on that at all and simply responded with a loud, annoyed groan as the other hedgehog walked into his room. 

     "YOU'RE A DICK! A FUCKING TEASE!" He yelled before lying back down on the couch in defeat. 

     Both of them quickly drifted off to sleep, despite their thoughts being flooded with thoughts of each other. Neither of them had any idea what their relationship was after all that, but they did know it was the start of something amazing. 

Chapter Text

     It had been a week since the gift exchange, as well as the steamy makeout sessions between Sonic and Shadow. Those moments lived rent-free in the cobalt hedgehog's mind, playing like a movie when the world around him was quiet. After it had happened, he assumed that they would both move on and accept that it was a freaky moment amidst friends.

     Alas, the twisted feeling in his gut grew with each passing day. Most of the time, Sonic's thoughts were miscellaneous and ultimately quite annoying because of their useless nature, but ever since that night, he felt like a goddamn philosopher. 

     Did any of that mean anything more than just a wrinkle in their friendship? Was what Shadow said about "next time" a joke, or something to look forward to? If he hadn't stopped when he did, how far would they have gone? There were too many "what ifs," possibilities, and confusing feelings involved. And yet, Sonic was determined to figure it all out. 

     Worst of all, he continuously asked himself why he enjoyed it all so much. There was no way in hell Shadow could be interested in Sonic. It was much more likely that he wanted to mess around, have a bit of fun. Not allude to a sexual relationship... or even just a romantic one.

     But then again, what if he was?! Seriously, the only thing on Sonic's mind was that faker with the perfect, mahogany eyes and sweet smile—his lips, which were forever embedded with the taste of spearmint chapstick. The lingering, musky lavender aroma smelled the strongest in the crook of his neck, felt like forbidden fruit that Sonic was fighting desperately not to eat. 

     Shadow was that of a rose, thorny and off-putting from a distance, but a glance up close was like a dance with the divine. It felt like a blessing to know Shadow as well as he did, being able to cry in his arms like it was second nature. 'Tis the damn season for the aching of hearts; he didn't know how much longer he could take it.

     Usually, when faced with a dilemma such as this, Sonic would call Amy or Tails for advice, but what would they know? How could they comprehend the transcendence of Shadow's presence alone? The way his quills fell perfectly in place? The timbre of his voice in the quiet of the night? The way his breath felt between Sonic's thighs? They couldn't even dream of it.

     Nor could they explain why the ebony hedgehog made an appearance in all of his dreams, whether it was to be his knight in shining armor or represent the crippling fear of rejection. If the hedgehogs never talked to each other again, there was too much that time could not erase. Shadow would always be in the back of his mind, whether it be as a distant memory or as his one true love.

     It felt ridiculous even to feel that way— about anyone. There was no guarantee that soulmates existed, and it wasn't as if Sonic particularly believed in that philosophy, but something unyielding and relentless was tying him to Shadow. It had been there since the very start; that first, horrendously embarrassing meeting way back in August. 

     He stayed up late at night, unable to simply close his eyes without wondering if the ebony hedgehog felt this way, too. Did he look into Sonic's eyes and see their future together? Did he fight the urge to grab his hand and hold it as tightly as possible? Did he get a fluttering, conflicting sense of anxiety when he walked into the room?

     Sonic was rather impatient at this point. Not with Shadow— god, he never could be. Rather, the impatience is self-inflicted. He continuously, tirelessly holds back from making a complete ass of himself. He didn't want to be the one dropping to his knees, begging for something more than a conspiracy as to what they were. 

     The cobalt hedgehog started to question his own sanity, flipping through the pages of his sketchbook that were filled with sketches of Shadow. Stalking his repost on TikTok and marveling at the pictures saved in his camera roll, it was borderline obsessive.

     But how could he not become obsessed with him? The feeling of his fingers so tight around his blue quills, but still gentle with his soft, cherry-red lips. Being able to be so sickeningly sweet and seductive, but still having a vulnerable, empyrean side that only Sonic had seen. There had to be something more there, and either Shadow was afraid of losing it, or he was the sadistic asshole everyone deemed him to be all along.

    Those were the worst times, wondering if none of this meant a damn thing to Shads. If a fun time, to him, simply meant leading someone on to the point of no return. Loving him so easily and blindly could've easily been both the worst and best mistake Sonic had ever made, but there was only one way to find out. 

    It was odd how he could walk next door and simply ask to be loved by Shadow. That's what Rouge and Knuckles did. What was so different about the two hedgehogs? They were afraid. Too afraid to be the reason why something so seemingly perfect went awry. 

     But you can't live your life in fear. Not forever. 

     Shadow was flipping through the scrapbook that Sonic had made for him again. It had been the millionth time, but he never got tired of looking at it. Admiring the time, talent, and patience that went into this. The love that he felt just by turning the pages. 

     Although at the same time, his stomach twisted and turned thinking about it. How he left Sonic hanging, played it off like a joke, even though he'd done that out of fear. Not fear of intimacy, but wondering if he was good enough to grace the pure ethereality that is Sonic.

    He felt stupid. Genuinely idiotic. Ever since he realized his feelings for that faker, he couldn't think straight. Brain fog became the new norm, and each original thought managed to become tainted with the image of blue quills and piercing green eyes. He wished it were some sort of odd, spiritual possession, but not even the dumbest of theories could hide the truth. 

     Looking through the book felt like a bad omen; a guilty pleasure. The pictures of him and Sonic within the pages were what he stared at the longest, wondering how he looked better in pictures when the blue blur was placed next to him. Quite honestly, though, how could one compete with how alluring he was?

     He was as confident as ever, extroverted but not insufferable, genuinely kind...the list went on, and on, and on, and on. It infuriated Shadow how many good qualities this guy had, and it made him even more furious knowing that's what made him so attractive. 

     Sonic was like a pearl; anywhere and everywhere, but only a few are actually real. So many people wished they could be as authentic as he was, and they would try to be their entire lives, only to fail miserably. No one made Shadow want to be someone worth loving more than Sonic. But really, he just wanted the cobalt hedgehog to be the one loving him.

     It was disgusting how obsessive he was becoming, going so far as to analyze Sonic's texts like it was a Shakespearean play. He had no other choice, really. How else could he be able to tell if this was just a ruse? Sonic was a kind person, and just because he indulged in Shadow's irrationality doesn't mean he's into it. 

     The ebony hedgehog had never been in a real relationship— definitely nothing as complex as what these two had. Before Sonic, the word "relationship" simply meant that you and the other person did drugs and had sex together a few times before parting ways. Feelings were a dealbreaker. 

     Shadow didn't care if he never did anything intimate with Sonic; all he wanted was the ability to call him his lover. He watched Rouge and Knuckles and wished that he had that, wished that there would always be that one person who promised to never leave. The blue blur had already promised that, and it's not like there was some deadly illness that was going to stop him from keeping it.

     His brain was screaming at him for falling in love, but his heart knew what was right. For the first time, he felt like it was safe to be authentically him. It was the start of a new age where Shadow would be happy. It was intimidating, but it was time. 

     It was time to be brave. For the first time in forever. 

     Sonic finally found the courage to get out of bed. He knew Shadow was strict about his sleep schedule, but deep down, he knew that the other hedgehog was also struggling to sleep tonight. His hand hovered on the doorknob for a while before he opened it and headed next door.

     He opened the door gently, making sure it wasn't loud as not to alarm Rouge. The cobalt hedgehog carefully walked to Shadow's room and nudged the door open, peeking his head inside. The room was dimly lit with a lavender-scented candle, Shadow staring up at the ceiling while covered in a plethora of blankets. 

     Shadow turned his head with a slightly surprised look, but the smile that appeared made it abundantly clear that this was good timing. Or at least, that's how Sonic saw things.

     "Hey," Sonic grinned, closing the door behind him, "I just needed to talk to you." He said in a soft, silky tone.

     The ebony hedgehog sat up, his mahogany eyes intertwined with Sonic's emerald ones. Sonic sat down on the other hedgehog's bed, not breaking eye contact as he did. There was a moment of silence, presumably the blue blur thinking of how to express what he wanted to say. It mattered to make his feelings crystal clear. 

     He took his gloves off before grabbing Shadow's hands, which resulted in a small gasp from the ebony hedgehog. His eyes darted between Sonic's hands and his eyes, smiling brightly but clearly confused as ever. 

     "Sonic, I'm equally terrified as I am honored, but...what is going on?" He wondered, holding Sonic's hands tightly.

     Sonic's lip quivered slightly, his eyes watering before speaking, "I love you." He admitted.

     It was so simple, and yet, it led to him bursting into tears. Sonic's forehead was pressed against Shadow's shoulder as he sobbed, the weight of love and fear and everything he was feeling hitting him all at once. Shadow, on the other hand, was frozen.

     His mouth hung slightly agape, his hand rested indefinitely on Sonic's bare back, and his mind was racing at a mile a second. What was there to say? How was he supposed to react? Why did he feel sick? Terrified, even? 

     "...Sonic, I..."  The ebony hedgehog paused, at a complete loss for words. 

     It was so much all at once. Too much. There wasn't enough time to process. Everything felt like it was closing in— the blankets felt like hot sheets of metal tangled around his quills. 

     "I— I need you to go, Sonic. I can't... I need time... I need to think— God, I can barely breathe." Shadow told him between labored breaths, holding back the wave of a meltdown. 

     He had no idea why he was so overwhelmed by this, why three words seemed to be the worst anyone could ever say. Sonic lifted his head, the devastated look in his eyes breaking Shadow's heart. He could explain later, but as of right now, there wasn't anything he could say to make the situation better.

     Shadow loved him too, but this wasn't the place or the time to talk about it. It was late, and it was abrupt. He had already been overwhelmed by his own, relentless thoughts. The sudden visit of vulnerability was so much pressure that he couldn't handle right now.

     The blue blur got up and walked out without another word. He didn't understand; he wasn't sure that he wanted to. How could this have gone so wrong?