Chapter Text
"What?"
Shadow was probably hearing things. Why did Sonic want him to sit there? He assumed Sonic was just going to tease him about his little situation and move on, but... Sonic seemed oddly supportive of his purring.
Almost like he wanted to assure him that it was okay.
"You heard me." The azure hero insisted, his gloved paw tapping enthusiastically on the spot next to him on the couch. "Come on! I ain't letting you out of this yet."
It took a small pause and a frustrated sigh for Shadow to make his decision. He slowly put one knee up and stood up from crouching, silently staring down the hedgie on his sofa. With a soft sigh, Shadow walked forward and slumped into the seat next to Sonic, tense and confused.
Sonic shuffled in his seat to sit crisscross on the couch, peach coloured torso rotating to the side so he could face Shadow.
"I don't know what's goin' on inside that head of yours, but you gotta quit overthinking everything." Unexpectedly, Sonic began to assure the other. "I don't think it's embarassing or stupid. I just wanna make sure you're not uncomfortable, y'know?"
They were a little too close for Shadow's liking. He could feel Sonic's soft breaths just barely drafting against his own chest fur, the earthy scent of Sonic's cologne filling his head with unwanted thoughts. Shadow avoided eye contact and stared daggers into a random dot on the couch.
"I'm not thinking either of those things." The ebony hedgehog insisted, although his voice wavered. "I'm simply not... used to being vulnerable."
"That's fine, dude! That's completely okay." Sonic's cheerful voice dragged Shadow's head out of the gutter, and he dared to lift his gaze up at Sonic again. The sight of his smile filled Shadow's soul with hope. "I can— you know..."
The slight tremble in Sonic's voice made Shadow blink expectantly. "What?"
A rustle of gloves made Shadow's ears flick, and he glanced down briefly at Sonic's fingers that fidgeted in his lap.
Sonic was nervous. Interesting.
The blue hedgie's eyes darted around, trying not to look at Shadow, but he quickly forced his eyes to meet Shadow's own. "I can pet you again? And see if it's okay with you?"
Shadow narrowed his eyes. In response, Sonic began to elaborate quickly.
"I just don't want you to bottle up your feelings. I feel bad, and the distance between us these past few days is makin' me think you're mad at me." The brief chuckle at the end of Sonic's sentence told Shadow everything he had to know.
They were both equally nervous.
Was Sonic feeling the same way? This weird flutter of fondness that shamelessly squeezed at his heart, invading his head with thoughts of awe that flushed the skin under his fur. Maybe.
Because Shadow definitely did.
"Fine."
Sonic beamed at Shadow's words, the silent distress on his face clearing up. A smile stretched on Sonic's fuzzy snout, his eyes glimmering with amusement.
"Okay." He agreed and hesitated, before he finally leaned in.
Shadow sat silently, his expression schooled into a tight scowl that worked as a stone cold wall against any emotion he felt. Gloved hands reached out and hesitated mid air again, and Shadow watched closely, his fur buzzing with anticipation for Sonic's touch. And then, slowly but surely, Sonic guided his gloved paws to the back of Shadow's head and combed through his quills.
At first, Shadow nearly jumped out of his skin. He was expecting the gentle strokes with such a high level of anxiety that the mere touch of Sonic's fingers on his spikes made him tense up. Sonic noticed and slowed down, his jade eyes gentle and concerned about Shadow's reaction.
"You good?"
Shadow was tempted to shake his head. Instead, the hybrid nodded slowly, his eyes going half-lid.
"Go ahead."
A shaky exhale left Sonic's lips as his hands slowly settled on the bottom of Shadow's quills.
Shadow sighed silently, relief flooding his system as all the anticipatory anxiety left his body. The black hedgehog sat silently, waiting for Sonic's next move.
The hero took Shadow's somewhat relaxed deadpan as a que to continue. Gloved fingers curled up to comb through Shadow's quills, his jade eyes scanning and searching for any other reaction from his rival. But Shadow kept quiet and simply took deep, quiet breaths, to which Sonic huffed.
"How does it feel?"
Shadow glanced up at Sonic, his eyes soft and hazy. Sonic's heart hammered wildly at the oddly domestic nature of his rival, his smile faltering. And then, Shadow grumbled.
"Feels fine. You can keep going."
That was all Sonic needed. The cobalt hedgehog started to scratch and rub Shadow's quills on his head, and suddenly, the familiar warmth inside his chest started to bubble up inside his thorax. Shadow closed his eyes at the odd tingles in his throat, his body heating up uncontrollably.
And then, a low, barely audible click started rhythmically resounding from Shadow's chest.
Sonic's ears twitched and tilted curiously, his sensitive eardrums picking up on the familiar vibration that he was waiting to hear. After a moment of subtle vibrating, Shadow started to purr fully, slowly but surely.
It took a second for Sonic to fully take in the sight. At first, he paid close attention to the way Shadow's chest seemed to halt and pulse with each shaky breath, and then, he noticed the way the pristine fur coating the skin below his neck started to fluff up. He watched with awe how his fuzzy fur stood up, now seeming infinitely more fluffier than ever.
Shadow opened his eyes once again, his big ruby pupils staring right through Sonic's soul. The unusual sight made Sonic's breath hitch, and before he knew it, Sonic smiled at the other out of pure instinct.
A soft scoff escaped Shadow's lips, to which Sonic laughed again, the atmosphere around them soft and domestic. Shadow squirmed in place to get comfortable and mumbled during the process, his eyes closing again.
"Keep going."
The gentle tone combined with the silent purrs made Sonic's smile broaden. He didn't hesitate as he shuffled closer to take a better look at the hedgehog, his eyes softening at the sight of his fluffy quills.
Sonic shifted closer and pondered about what the hell was going on. Shadow looked like some edgy little plush toy, purring away like a fluffy animal that couldn't get enough of his touch. It was completely new and absurd to see Shadow in such a vulnerable state, but Sonic found himself silently thanking whatever heavenly force blessed him with this sight.
Shadow's purring only seemed to grow louder, and Sonic couldn't handle the cuteness anymore.
His gloved hands roamed down to cup around Shadow's tan furred muzzle, his thumbs gently ruffling the fur on his cheeks.
Shadow opened his eyes, unsure about how to react to their proximity. He felt that familiar rush of emotions take control of his critical thinking, his crimson glare softening into something unreadable. Sonic kept silent and just smiled at Shadow's reaction, still holding his head and coddling the hedgehog.
It took a brief moment for Shadow to realise just how extremely close they were. He hummed as Sonic's hands scratched underneath his chin, his round snout fluffing up even further from how hard he was purring. Crimson eyes gleamed with awe underneath the dim light of the room, and Sonic was starstruck by the sight.
But Shadow wasn't as uncomfortable anymore. Even though he could barely process what was happening, he didn't want this to end. He didn't want this moment to disintegrate into the depths of his complex mind, buried in the dust from all the decades of emotional constipation. He wanted to feel. He wanted to care. He wanted to...
He wanted to... thank him.
Something snapped inside of Shadow.
And out of seemingly nowhere, he broke their spell and leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to Sonic's lips.
_________________________
It didn't take long for Shadow to realise that he might've made a huge mistake.
Judging by Sonic's reaction, Shadow's little act of kindness was flabbergasting for the blue hero.
"Shadow!? Wh— Did you just—" The panic in Sonic's voice was unforgettably hilarious.
But the ebony hedgehog didn't even flinch. He was confused. He wanted to prove Sonic he was caring the same amount as Sonic did.
He wanted to reciprocate the affection.
Shadow wanted to say thank you.
Did he... do something wrong? Was his gratitude not worth mentioning?
Was kissing not an act of gratitude?
Sonic flushed deeply, his azure fur sticking out and fluffing up from sheer shock. "Why'd you do that—!?"
Shadow barely moved a muscle. "I'm showing you that I'm grateful."
"By kissing me on the MOUTH!?"
"Yes. Is that... a problem?"
"Of course it is!" Sonic yelled back bashfully, his jade eyes wide with confusion. Then, he backpedalled and stammered out another answer. "I mean— uh, kissing someone isn't inherently... wrong, but... Why'd you kiss me?"
A wave of unease rushed through Shadow's body. Was he... misunderstanding something? Did he misinterpret the situation? Something wasn't adding up.
"I told you already. I'm telling you 'thank you'." The ebony hedgehog elaborated flatly, his eyes slowly starting to squint at his rival. "Is kissing not an act of care?"
Sonic was jittery and anxious the entire conversation. The flush on his snout deepened as he stammered again, giggles and stutters leaving his lips. "I mean— A kiss on the cheek? Sure. But... a kiss on the lips...?" Sonic hesitated, his shoulders tensing up at the mere thought of the action.
Just as expected, an alien hedgehog wasn't very aware of the culture and history of how affection worked on Earth. "What's the difference, then?"
Tan lips opened and closed as Sonic formed an answer, his eyes wide and his expression blank. He seemed speechless. After a moment of silence, Sonic huffed out a deep exhale, trying to relieve the tension in his nerves. "A kiss on the cheek is, uh... friendly. Most of the time."
Shadow nodded slowly.
A cobalt ear flicked anxiously as he continued. "But... a kiss on the lips is dedicated for— uh, couples." The nervous edge in Sonic's voice was becoming more apparent, and Shadow hummed thoughtfully.
"A couple?" The ebony hedgie echoed. "As in, two people mate for life?"
Sonic blinked, unsure of how to reply to the textbook answer. The fact that Shadow was raised inside a whole laboratory made some puzzle pieces click together.
Exactly.
Shadow had no idea how romance worked.
"Y—Yeah, dude." The surprise in Sonic's voice was evident and clear. "Did you... not know?"
Shadow's ears pinned to his head out of shame, his eyes blinking aimlessly at Sonic. He didn't get it. What was the difference between what he and Sonic had, and what was supposed to be a romantic relationship between two people who deeply care for each other? Sonic and Shadow had a similar dynamic. Were they not a couple now?
Did Sonic... not want to be a couple?
"I apologise." Shadow finally mumbled, his tone small and sincere. "I should've kissed you on the cheek instead."
Sonic's eyes flashed with something indescribable — hurt, maybe? — but eventually, he sighed.
"Yeah, dude, it's cool." The hero shrugged it off, his confidence slowly resurfacing. "Yeesh, man, I genuinely thought you were gay."
Another word Shadow didn't know. "Gay?" The ebony one tried the word out on his tongue.
"Shad, the—" Sonic sighed. "It's a term for men who love men. You're such a geezer."
"Oh." Shadow hummed and paused. "Are you gay?"
"Wh— Pardon?"
"Do you like men, hedgehog."
"Dude, why do you...? Why are you asking me that?"
"I kissed you on the lips, and your heart rate increased. I assumed you returned my affection because of that, but it seems like you don't." Shadow stated simply, his sentence reflecting his exact thought process from earlier. "I just want to clear the confusion up, since I lack a lot of knowledge on this topic, and I don't want to cause any misunderstanding."
Sonic's eyes blew open wide. The room went silent as Sonic let out soft "uhh's", unsure about how to answer Shadow's straightforward questions. A nervous laugh left Sonic's lips. "What? You like me?"
"Yeah. Was it not obvious?" Shadow tilted his head.
Sonic's heart dropped.
Shadow continued. "And the label you explained that is used for people kissing on the lips?" He said. "I would like for us to try it out again. The thought of us being a couple suits us perfectly."
At this point, Sonic was close to melting away or exploding. Shadow was so blunt and forward with each question, it made his skin burn and heart thrum so loudly in his chest, Sonic was afraid Shadow would hear it with his sharp, ebony ears. Sonic took a deep breath to collect himself.
"I—I mean, uh. Yeah, I kinda like you back, y'know. I wasn't... exactly joking when I suggested the true love's kiss a few days ago." The cobalt hedgie added, his smile nervous and timid. "But, I was scared you didn't want a relationship."
Shadow hummed, intrigued and curious.
"I understand." The ebony one nodded. "I'm still not sure on how relationships work in this world, so I apologise if I was straightforward."
It all made sense now. Maybe Shadow didn't know how romantic acts of care functioned in their society, but he still liked Sonic. A sense of hope filled the cobalt hedgie as he nodded, a confident smile on his face.
"Well..." He cleared his throat. "I can tell ya how it works."
"Sure. Go ahead."
"So..." Sonic squirmed nervously, that antsy smile returning on his flushed muzzle. "Basically, uh, people who are a couple are usually commited to one another their whole lives. When they're in a relationship, they hug, kiss, the whole shebang. It's like a little contract where they always take care of one another and stuff."
Shadow listened intently, his crimson eyes full of an unnamed emotion. It was almost like he was imagining the whole scenario.
"And, uh" Sonic stammered, his smile widening. "That's all, honestly. We can, y'know. Try it out?"
Shadow didn't hesitate. He hummed out a thoughtful noise and shuffled closer, his voice clear and determined. "Yes. That would be nice."
It was pretty obvious that Sonic was nervous as hell. Judging by his constant fidgeting, smiling and laughing, it was crystal clear that the azure hedgehog was battling his inner demons that stressed him out. Sonic nodded along and stammered. "Yup— Okay, yeah. Do you want to kiss me?"
Shadow stared at Sonic for a moment.
He didn't reply.
Sonic froze, confused at his silence.
Shadow's expression was unreadable, and it only served to rise the anticipatory anxiety building up inside Sonic's stomach.
And then, Shadow spoke. "May I pet you first?"
"Huh?"
"You're stressed. I can help with that by reciprocating what you did to me."
"Shad, I— don't think I can purr like you..."
"Why not?"
"I dunno! I never did!" Sonic blabbered, to which Shadow sighed.
"That doesn't matter, anyway." The onyx hedgehog shuffled closer and settled in front of Sonic, their knees touching. "I simply want to calm you down. Purring isn't necessary."
Sonic's heart was literally raging inside of his claustrophobic thorax. He blinked and stared at his... rival? with wide jade eyes, unsure on how to react. But the anxiety was getting unbearable, and he felt like he might faint, so he sighed out a harsh exhale and mumbled.
"Alright, go ahead."
Shadow hummed back and reached out an ebony arm, his gloved hand slowly getting closer to Sonic's head. With a soft exhale, Shadow cupped Sonic's tan snout silently and began to scratch and stroke the underside of his jaw.
The gesture was nerve wracking for the flustered hero, but he managed to maintain a somewhat calm and collected expression. A shaky sigh left his lips, and soon enough, his body began to react to the petting. His face and neck tingled with shivers that wrecked his body with zaps of energy, and before he knew it, he started to relax.
Shadow kept doing what he was doing. A gloved hand continuously and rhythmically scratched Sonic's chin and cheek, and eventually, Sonic's fur began to act up.
The tan fur slowly stood up and fluffed out, now fluffier and softer than before. It was clear that Sonic liked what Shadow was doing, and soon enough, his azure coat was puffy and fuzzy, like somebody combed out Sonic's entire body and left him there.
It took a minute of gentle petting for something to start happening. And then, in the quiet silence of the living room, Shadow's black ears tilted at a familiar sound.
Sonic was purring.
But... the vibration was also coming from his own body, too.
Were they...
Were they both purring?
Shadow froze and stopped his soothing motion of his fingers, his usually sharp glare now soft and surprised. The other hedgehog blinked several times before a chuckle bubbled up in Sonic's throat.
"Shads, are we both purring—?"
"Maybe."
"Don't you start purring only when someone pets you?"
"... Apparently not."
"Cool."
Shadow sighed and dropped his hand to rub at his vibrating chest, a flustered exhale leaving his lips. "I can't believe it's happening again."
"Dude, you'll make it worse like that."
"It'll stop eventually, hedgehog..."
"Nah, come here." The cobalt hedgehog leaned back against the arm rest and curled his fingers towards himself repeatedly, inviting Shadow to come closer. "I don't mind if you start purring, Shad. Let's just relax."
The gloved hand that rubbed helplessly against pristine fur slowly stopped, and Shadow's eyes gazed at Sonic expectantly. Shadow let out a hum and blinked slowly, his ruby gaze drifting between Sonic's body and his eyes. And then, he began to crawl on the sofa, the tiny distance between them finally closing.
Shadow made sure to be careful around Sonic's wounded leg as he settled against Sonic's chest. The ebony hedgehog curled in on himself against the plush fur of Sonic's torso, his tan coloured snout burying in the short fur of Sonic's cleavage. The purring that reverberated from Sonic's throat only seemed to amplify Shadow's own purring.
"You're purring even louder, man." Sonic's voice sounded so close and sweet against Shadow's black ears. With a gruff sigh, Shadow mumbled back against Sonic's chest.
"Shut it, hedgehog." The ebony one growled. "You're doing no better than me."
"Heh, you're right." A gloved hand sneaked up to scratch the top of Shadow's head, and Sonic laughed at the pleased purr that escaped Shadow's body in waves. "We're both screwed."
It was almost comical, how they were both equally stressed out over the same thing, dwelling over every conversation, every touch and caress, despite the fact they both wanted the same thing.
They both wanted to be together.
"At least we're both calmer now." Shadow's soft voice broke the ambient vibrating of their chests.
A devious grin spread on Sonic's flushed muzzle. He gently knocked on Shadow's head to tease him, to which Shadow growled. "Is now the time for the true love's kiss?"
Shadow nuzzled against Sonic's neck, still growling and mumbling. "You're insufferable."
"Only sometimes." The hero retorted as Shadow tilted his head, their eyes meeting.
"Most of the time."
"Can't you kiss me already?"
"I'll think about it, faker."
"Fuck you." Sonic laughed out loud, to which Shadow's frown slowly melted into an amused grin. He crawled up to rest his body fully on top of Sonic and pressed their black noses together, teasing Sonic with their tiny distance.
As expected, Sonic started complaining. "Shad, come on."
A hum left the hybrid's lips. "Alright. Only this once."
The soft purring only seemed to grow louder from their combined expectancy rising the heat between them. It was almost unbelievable how oblivious they both were, always ignoring that spark of impalpable energy that surged between them whenever one of them did as much as nudge the other.
Azure arms wrapped around Shadow's neck, gently ruffling the quills on his nape before their eyes closed in unison. Their lips interlocked, releasing a burst of fireworks inside their chests. The kiss was soft and gentle, meant to ease them into this new, uncharted territory, since they both knew that they needed a slow introduction. Soft pecks were pressed against Shadow's lips and he growled, confused by Sonic's sudden energy.
Sonic pulled back to pepper Shadow's fuzzy snout with small kisses and smooches, and Shadows growing dissolved into heavy, rumbling purr. The sweet response of the black hybrid pulled a giggle out of Sonic's chest, and he leaned back into the soft cushion to pull away. Shadow's snout fell right into Sonic's peach chest fur, a tired grunt leaving Shadow's lips.
"Thank you."
Sonic scoffed. "Shad, that is NOT what you say after a first kiss."