#Sonadow Fic

[galsgeneration]

Sonic and Shadow sharing a light made of Chaos energy in the pool from my story, "Private Affairs." Mature audiences only.

[sonadowcentral]

okay bitches I made a fanfic but I’m lowkey ass at writing!

I hope you guys enjoy it, this is my first time really planning out a fanfic with key plot points in mind!

[artificialchaoscola]

“But don’t think for a second that none of that was me, Shadow..."

I can't draw suits. x.x ANYWAYS this is a sketch of a scene from Chapter 9 of my fic because it makes me ill!

[ghostlyvoidbones]

Sonadow Lovebug AU - Pt. 3

a/n: Right so I have no excuses. It started- it started... look this chapter was supposed to be simple with just a teensy bit of action. I don't know what happened. I got flustered. Just take it. Take it and don't look at me-

summary: Sonic is made aware of Shadow's... situation. He's just as confused. Then he is flustered. Shadow is completely lost in the sauce.

contains: Shadow's drug induced delusions, dubious consensual light touching, uncomfortable situation, one sided affections, unwilling affection (given and received).

wc: 3K

Rouge’s phone call to Sonic had been short and… telling.

She’d asked Sonic if he and Shadow were dating and the answer she got was a resounding no. She even made sure to ask four times just to make sure. She’d only stopped when Sonic cut her off to check if she was feeling alright or if she was in danger. 

It was safe to say that whatever happened yesterday, it was definitely doing something strange to Shadow. Which made the situation all the more urgent.

Clad in her usual outfit, Rouge made her way back to the living room, careful to keep a calm exterior. She would not be bringing up the phone call with Sonic. After all, based on Shadow’s previous reaction to her poking at the subject, it seemed like a smart idea not to mention it.

Shadow was exactly where she’d left him earlier, a deep set frown on his face as he looked down at his phone screen.

“Everything alright?”

“I can’t find any pictures on here either.”

“Right. You can worry about that later, right now we have work to do.” She sidestepped to be next to him, hand perched on her hip. “Do you remember where you were yesterday when you had that dizzy spell?”

He did look up for that one “Yes. I was with Sonic.”

Rouge had to physically fight the urge to face palm. Now that she had a vague idea of what was going on, she couldn’t believe she didn’t notice how weird Shadow had been acting since earlier. Instead she let out a soft sigh, rolling her shoulders and redirecting the conversation back on topic.

Hopefully this wouldn't be a common trend throughout the day.

“No, as in the location. Do you know the coordinates?”

Shadow drooped minutely at the subject change. “I do.”

“Wonderful, let’s start there.”

Shadow nodded and tucked his phone away, pulling out his favored chaos emerald in its place. Rouge braced herself for the swooping feeling in her gut and prickling buzz of teleportation as Shadow called out ‘chaos control.’ The fuzz in her vision lasted for half a second and she blinked it away, expecting to see trees or a grassy hill.

What she got instead was a face full of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic blinked at the newcomers from where he sat on the couch of his own living room, a spoon held up halfway to his open mouth. Rouge knew her expression mirrored the hero’s, and even more infuriatingly, she knew that the hedgehog beside her wasn’t phased in the slightest.

They needed to get this issue with Shadow’s head taken care of. Like now.

“Uh… hey guys.” Sonic gave them a small wave, confusion evident in his lopsided smile. “Nice of you to drop in?”

“Hmmm, yes.” The strained smile Rouge returned came off as more of a pained grimace. “One second.”

With that, she twisted around, snatching Shadow by the shoulder and yanking him along with her. Scooting forward a bit further away, she pulled him down into a huddle.

“Shadow, I know for a fact you never went to Sonic’s house yesterday. Which begs the question; why are we at Sonic’s house right now?!” She hissed out, piercing her friend with a searing glare.

Not that it bothered Shadow in any way. The hedgehog in question was blatantly trying to twist his head back around to look at Sonic.

“I told you I was with Sonic. I was reminded of it so I must have unintentionally imagined being where he is now instead of where we’d been yesterday.” Rouge gaped at him. “That works well enough. Sonic can come with us.”

It was then that Rouge realized this wasn’t going to work out. With Shadow being like this, there was no way he was going to be able to get anything done. So, throwing caution to the wind, she straightened back up and turned to face the blue blur.

“Sonic, I need your help.” 

At the serious tone of her voice, lacking her usual teasing lilt, Sonic placed his bowl down on the coffee table in front of him and stood up. “Sure, what do you need?”

“Shadow said that he had a dizzy spell when he was with you yesterday and I think something… weird happened to him. Can you tell me where you both were when that happened?”

Recognition fluttered across his features. “Oh! Yeah, after we finished our race, right?” He addressed Shadow at that part who nodded dumbly, gaze transfixed by every single motion Sonic made. “I think we were on top of that one hill by the loop-de-loop. The one with the daffodils.”

“Okay, I know where that is. Thank you.” Rouge began making her way over to one of the windows, fiddling with the latch and pulling it open.

“No problem, but uh… what’s going on with Shadow, exactly?”

“He’s delusional. We were supposed to go together but now we’re here instead. Whatever happened yesterday messed with his head and he can’t think straight.” She paused for a second, coughing through a small chuckle. “Since he clearly can’t do any investigating himself, do you think you can keep an eye on him until I come back?”

“Uh, sure? What kind of delusional are we talking about here?”

She only gave him a pitying look. “Oh, right. Call Tails, we might need his Science know-how to figure out what’s going on with Shadow.” Then she was out the window without another word.

Deciding to just go with it, Sonic turned back to Shadow, trying to figure out where the issue was. He was slow to realize that Shadow hadn’t taken his eyes off him since the two G.U.N. agents got there.

“Everything alright there, Shadow? Rouge looked pretty stressed out.”

“I told her I was perfectly functional.” Shadow lightly shook his head, casting a brief frown at the window Rouge left from. “She’s being dramatic because I failed to inform her about every little thing that goes on in my private life.”

“That doesn’t really sound like Rouge.” Sonic tapped his chin in thought. “What kind of thing was it?”

He asked because he was curious, despite knowing full well that Shadow’s response would be along the lines of ‘none of your business hedgehog.’ Only to be pleasantly surprised at the genuine answer he received.

“She accused me of lying about our relationship.” Shadow huffed out a displeased sound. 

“What did you say to her about it that she got so suspicious of you?” Sonic raised a brow, a smirk playing on his muzzle.

Shadow sighed. “I let it slip that we’re romantically involved.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

“I’m sorry,” Sonic began, after a while of trying to get his jaw unstuck, “we’re what?”

“In a romantic relationship.” The statement was delivered in Shadows' usual deadpan tone. A part of Sonic felt like he heard a joke, and admittedly a very strange one. But the serious look on the other’s face made it clear that it was anything but.

“Shadow… we’re not… dating.” Sonic said, slow and careful. Unless he’d missed something extremely important, he was pretty sure that was the truth.

Shadow’s eyes narrowed on him, nose scrunching up and gloved hands balling into fists at his sides. “Yes we are, Sonic. At the very least, I thought you would know that.”

“I thought I would know that too.” Sonic mumbled under his breath, “Which is why I’m so confused right now.”

Rouge had mentioned that Shadow was delusional, but this? It felt a bit too much, even for him.

Sonic knew Shadow was a good guy at heart. After all, he saved people almost as much as Sonic did, even though he wasn’t the type to talk about it. But the thing was, Sonic also knew that Shadow greeted him with a fist to the face over a friendly wave one too many times for their relationship to be anything even remotely close to something so emotionally intimate as dating.

Going over all their past interactions in his head, he couldn’t pinpoint a single time where they’d talked about being together. Even Sonic’s attempts at being friends never ended well. And this definitely wasn’t the sort of thing Shadow would ever joke about, so Sonic quickly understood why Rouge was so thrown off. Her earlier phone call made a lot more sense too, now what he thought about it.

And if this was someone messing with Shadow’s head, why make him think he was dating Sonic? Why make him think he was dating anyone in general?

Sonic eased up. Shadow wasn’t in his right mind, but that was ok. He said he’d help and he meant it. And despite how heavily in denial Shadow was about it, Sonic still saw them as friends and wouldn't leave him stranded in a situation like this.

“Hey, uh… I’m gonna go get Tails real quick. I can see Rouge was right, something’s obviously going on, so I think he’d be a big help. I’ll just run out, grab him, and come right back, okay?” Sonic pinned an easy smile on his face while jutting a thumb over his shoulder at the front door.

Shadow took an immediate step forward toward Sonic, red eyes fixed on the blue hedgehog with sharp clarity. “I’ll go with you.”

Sonic unconsciously took a step back. “You really don’t have to do that. You know me, I’ll be back in a flash! You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

Shadow followed, one step closer. “I can keep up, if that’s what you’re worried about. I don’t see why I need to wait here for you.”

 “Seriously Shads-” Shadow’s ear flicked at the nickname, Sonic now holding his hands up in a somewhat placating gesture. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

Another step forward. “You’re avoiding me.”

A step back. “No, I’m not!”

So close, a hand reached out and fingertips nearly grazed blue fur. “You’re acting weird.”

“I’m not acting weird, you’re the one acting-” The back of Sonic’s knees hit the corner of the coffee table and it almost made him buckle to the floor. Instead, his feet tripped over themselves and he stumbled.

In one, fluid movement, Shadow’s gloved hands glided along the fur of Sonic’s arms, stopping beneath his elbows to help him correct his balance. The hold was firm and Sonic felt it when they slid up to gently squeeze his forearms. 

“If you’re going to avoid me, at least be careful not to hurt yourself when you do it.”

Sonic’s fur stood on end and he pushed out of Shadow’s grip. He rounded the coffee table to stand on the opposite side, keeping the low piece of furniture between the two of them.

“Y’know what? I think I’ll just call him.”

Spinning around with his back to Shadow, Sonic pulled out his phone and frantically dialed Tails’ number. He refused to turn and look at the other hedgehog and tried to brush off the feeling of eyes burning holes into his back from behind him.

Breathing out a sigh of relief when the call went through, he spoke quickly to the voice on the other end.

“Heyyyyy bud! I’m at my place right now and I’m gonna need you over here pronto. Yeah. No, Shadow’s here too, uh- Rouge thinks Shadow’s been… Look, somethings up with him and we’re really hoping you might have something that can help work out what’s going on.” He caught the low scoff from behind him and pressed on. “So if you could come by as soon as you can that would be- yeah, yeah that sounds great! Thanks Tails, knew I could count on you. See you in a bit.”

When the call ended, Sonic finally dared to look back over at Shadow. He’d managed to also circle round the table and get closer to where the hero stood, but he wasn’t so close that he was in danger of invading Sonic’s personal bubble.

“Honestly, you’re being ridiculous.” His features settled on something neutral, arms crossed as he held Sonic’s gaze, but there was a twinge of irritation there. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but we should be able to work this out with having others interfering.”

“I’m being ridiculous?” Sonic eyed him warily, paying close attention to Shadow’s body language. “Shadow, why do you think we’re dating?”

The dark hedgehog was painfully unamused but seemed willing to entertain Sonic’s sudden denial of their relationship.

“I don’t know, perhaps the numerous dates? The special occasions we’ve celebrated together? Or maybe even the multitude of private moments we’ve shared? That all sounds pretty self explanatory to me.” There’s a bite to his words, brought out further by the way Shadow practically bared his teeth while he spoke.

Yup, Sonic can confidently say that he can’t remember doing any of those things. Whatever it was that made Shadow believe they were together was definitely doing its work. Especially if he’d not only just re-contextualized old memories but also, from what it sounded like, created brand new ones that never actually occurred.

Right now, all he could do was hope that Rouge managed to find a lead. And with Tails help, they should be able to start working on a solution to get Shadow back to normal. Not that having a Shadow that likes him isn’t nice, but the sudden affection and responsibility of a relationship was something Sonic really wasn’t prepared to handle.

Besides, all of these thoughts and memories are happening against Shadow’s will. He was pretty much manipulated by some external force into believing he was close and intimate with someone he wouldn’t be with outside of its influence. Deep down, Shadow could probably still recognize that and feel horrified at it. He wasn’t someone who liked being vulnerable with others and this was violating that part of him.

Sonic’s jaw tightened, sympathy swirling in emerald green eyes as he thought about what this situation meant for Shadow. Letting out a sigh, he closed the gap between them to place a comforting hand on Shadow’s shoulder.

“Listen. I don’t really know what’s doing this to you buddy, but I promise we’ll figure this out.” Sonic gave him a reassuring smile, thinking it would help ease his friend at least the tiniest bit. 

Although, he couldn’t tell if it was working with the other’s frown still firmly in place.

“I’m not your buddy.” Shadow gritted out lowly, almost spitting out the word ‘buddy’ like it personally offended him. His hand reached up to rest over where Sonic’s still sat on his shoulder. “And your nonsense is starting to get on my nerves.”

With a swift, smooth tug, Shadow pulled Sonic closer. Sonic’s breath caught as he fell forward, their chests bumping and faces so close he could smell the strong scent of lavender drifting from the ebony of Shadow’s fur.

“If you weren’t so cute, I’d do something about it.” 

Shadow's voice, with its rough and deep timbre, rumbled in Sonic’s ear and made it swivel away from the invasive sound. Even if hadn’t heard it, he felt the vibrations from his chest. Then the hand that wasn’t holding Sonic’s captive in the air came to rest on his waist, curling into the blue fur just below Sonic’s rib cage.

A violent shiver rippled through him and his face burned. The resulting flush turned the peach of his muzzle a whole shade darker.

“Woah-ho-ho okayyy. H-hey, let’s maybe calm down a bit there.” Sonic couldn’t help the way his voice pitched up nervously. He tried to carefully pull out of Shadow’s grip only to feel it tighten.

“I am calm.” Shadow certainly sounded like it, which really wasn’t helping. “Now tell me why you’re avoiding me.”

Sonic’s senses were full of lavender, gunpowder, and a faint undercurrent of coffee. He could feel the warm brush of breath against his cheek and his head spun so fast it rivaled the dizziness he experienced after going a few rounds through the loop-de-loop.

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m not!”

“Sonic-”

“Fine.”

Sonic ripped himself out of Shadow’s grip, leaving the darker hedgehog’s hands hovering in the air where they once held onto him. The deep breath Sonic took was that of a drowning person getting their first gulp of air after escaping a powerful ocean current.

“Fine, ok. Yes, yeah, I am. But it’s because you’re-” His hands floundered around. “I’m uncomfortable. And I’m not… the biggest fan of the situation we’re in right now. There, happy?”

“Not really. I don’t feel particularly good when you’re upset.” Shadow’s brows furrowed, arms finally dropping back down to his sides. “What ‘situation’ are you talking about? You’re still not telling me what’s going on.”

And if Sonic were to consider things from Shadow’s perspective, that was a fair argument to make. Which made this all the more difficult. Especially when ‘we were never dating’ doesn’t seem to be cutting it as a reason on its own.

“This, Shadow, you- I’m not used to you being so… affectionate? Clingy?” Shadow huffed out a breath, rolling his eyes.

“I am not clingy.” Sonic pointed to where Shadow had subtly started trying to reach for him once again. “That doesn’t count. I’m trying to keep you from running away from me.”

Sonic threw his arms up in the air. “I’m literally not going anywhere! I can’t leave because I’m waiting for Tails to get here! So I can tell him what’s going on! Because I don’t even know what’s going on!”

Shadow’s advances stopped. A flicker of concern passed over his face as he watched Sonic grow more and more frazzled with each sentence that came out of his mouth. A look that was unusual on the usually carefree hero.

“I think you should sit down. You’re getting worked up and I’m concerned you’re going to pass out.” Shadow’s tone was light and it helped bring the blue hedgehog back from the near panic he’d started spiraling into.

Sonic took a deep breath and gave a slow nod of his head. “Y’know what? Yeah, I think I’ll do that.”

Rubbing the ridge of his muzzle to try dispelling the oncoming headache blooming behind his eyes, Sonic headed over to the couch. He swiveled on his foot and let himself fall back onto the cushions, to immediately find something was out of place. Staring up at the ceiling, he took note of how he was supposed to be more far back than this.

“Shadow.”

“Yes, Sonic?”

“What are you doing?”

“Sitting with you. Obviously.”

“Right. I meant, why am I on your lap?”

“Because it’s more comfortable this way.”

Sonic didn’t even jump when he felt those familiar arms snaking across his stomach and locking him in place. His back was pressed to the soft white fluff of Shadow’s chest fur and the scent of lavender returned to tease at his nose.

“There’s so much room on this couch Shads. You can literally sit anywhere and still be next to me without having us be on top of each other like this.”

“But you wouldn’t be in my arms then, would you.” Shadow commented loosely, tucking his face into the safe spot between Sonic’s shoulder and his quills.

Sonic smothered his own face into his gloves, curling as far forward and away as his current position would allow. 

“This is not how I wanted to spend my Saturday.”

*

When Tails finally arrived not too long after, needless to say the sight that greeted him was a shock. The fox would never forget the pitiful little ‘help’ Sonic directed his way as he was being cuddled on the couch by a very content looking Shadow.

<< PREV / NEXT >>

[razzymatazzed]

For another katypery story!! Thousand and one nights. Read it here!!

[nightwanderers12081]

where the fuck are all the valentines day sonadow fics this is a crime

mean in general btw not just this year

seriously please send us all the valentines sonadow fics yall know of cause we cANT FIND ANY-(well we've found a few but like THERES SO LITTLE IT FEELS)

[random-weirdo]

Anyone got good sonadow AU fics on hand???

[jadeaphire]

Sonadow Holiday Fanfic!

This is a holiday party chapter from my long-term Sonadow fanfic, but it can mostly be read as a one-shot (The previous chapter is an iceskating chapter that leads well into this one!).

The art is from my favorite scene :)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! ✨

[divine-blade]

Because I’ve been dying to write sonadow fake/pretend relationship trope. 🙏

Summary: To top the success of the Year of Shadow, Sega sets its sights on something bigger, better, and more popular.

Introducing 2025: the Year of Sonadow.

[your-compadre-infinity]

Brand new fic from avec moi :) (that is probably not how that term is used don’t hurt me-)

An extra reminder that this fic contains SONIC 3 SPOILERS, so avoid it if you don’t want spoilers 👍

[smthingandiforgorthelyrics]

★ When the Night Listens — Sonic/Shadow One Shot Fic

AO3 LINK REDIRECTION

OR

Read here for the full fic!

Leaves and trees rustled under the strong force of wind passing by through every pathway in the forest, and just in front of it, left a blue blur of motion and a small flow of dust against the ground of now fallen leaves from the fast creature.

Sonic had chosen to run a bit through the outcasted forest near his little hut he called a home due to not being able to sleep.

Each stride sent a thrill coursing through him, the wind cutting against his quills like a familiar song. The crunch of leaves beneath his feet was a rhythm, syncing perfectly with his heartbeat. Running wasn’t just movement—it was freedom, a fleeting escape where the world blurred, and nothing else mattered.

Sonic’s mood began to lift, a small smile crept on his muzzle as his feet tapped faster against the ground, his speed growing by every physical contact made on the leafy dirt.

As the forest thinned, Sonic’s pace slowed. He could already picture the cliffside—the sprawling view of city lights glittering like fallen stars, the crisp night air carrying a quiet serenity. It was the perfect spot to let his thoughts untangle, even if only for a moment

Almost immediately, Sonic had found himself standing in the place he had exactly wanted to be. Though, what he imagined was only slightly different from the reality; a silhouette of a quilly hedgehog.

Shadow had been sitting on the edge of the cliff, his back completely turned to face the view forward, his field of vision the opposite of the blue blur.

Shadow’s silhouette cut a sharp figure against the night, his red-striped quills catching faint light from the city below. His posture was rigid, almost statuesque, yet there was an undeniable weight to it, as if the world rested heavily on his shoulders.

“Shadow? What.. What are you doin’ here, dude?” Sonic said with a grin and a small chuckle emitting from his mouth.

Shadow said nothing but turned his head over his shoulder, his eyes on being visible over his quills. Sonic’s smile almost immediately was wiped off from the glare Shadow had given him. But that was it. Shadow had turned around and continued his intent staring at the skyscrapers lining the night sky.

‘Yo... You good, Shads?’ Sonic asked, his usual bravado tempered by an edge of hesitation. His voice, normally light and teasing, softened, carrying a weight that mirrored the stillness of the night. That concern only grew more when Shadow hadn’t answered him. 

‘Chaos, is something really that terribly wrong?’, Sonic thought. He wanted to see Shadow’s face, maybe then he could see what was going on, read his face or whatever. But that definitely wasn’t what Shadow wanted. Just when Sonic was about to lift his red fabric covered foot up to walk closer, Shadow had interrupted him.

“Don’t.” Shadow warned sharply, his voice staying firm and quite intimidating.

Sonic obliged, his foot staying in the air just above the ground for a few seconds before setting it back down to its original stancing position. 

Then there was this moment of silence. The wind just hitting the multiple leaves consecutively created a somewhat calming chime, and a mix of the glistening lights of each glass window of the buildings below them just added a nice touch. It would’ve been enjoyed if it wasn’t for the somewhat tense moment between the two hedgehogs. 

“Can I come to you now? Did you… cool off?” Sonic asked as some form of retorted speech, but he still lined his words with some concern.

Shadow stayed silent, but his body shifted slightly to the left of the cliff, a space left empty to his right. Sonic smiled a little to himself before taking the cue. He had walked over to him with more confidence and stride when walking to the empty space next to the alien, crouching then sifting through each strand of grass in the small patch of area with his fingers before finally sitting down, a relaxed sigh escaped from his lungs, one the blue blur didn’t know he had held.

Sonic had his eyes laid on the action below the cliff; the city. A terrain of bustling lights and cars, the stars above them watching over the city, and the trees and skyscrapers lining the sky with a perfect point. “Breathtaking..” Sonic thought aloud.

“Mhm.” Shadow responded with only a hum, his eyes also focused on what the view had in store.

Sonic hadn’t directly looked at Shadow, but his peripheral vision viewed Shadow lifting his legs from the hanging position they were against the edge of the cliff and into some form of fetal position. His feet were basically propped flat against the grassy dirt with his knees high enough to reach his chin, and he held his legs closer with his arms, causing his upper body to be slightly tilted forwards. 

Both of them really didn’t say anything afterwards, just the sound of chiming leaves against the wind and the average sounds of a night lit city. This time, the sound of someone else’s breaths had accommodated these already existing sounds. It made everything else feel somewhat floating, but it was also grounding. It reminded the other that there was someone else with them this time. And it wasn’t just someone, to make it clear.

“Sonic..?” Shadow had uttered his first word after a while, calling Sonic but still keeping his eyes on the starry night.

“Yeah?” Sonic replied immediately, looking directly at Shadow with a curious glint in his eyes and a slightly upturned smile on his face.

“...How do you live?” Shadow asked vaguely.

“...” 

A silent exchange before Shadow continued, thinking he wasn’t clear enough.

“I mean… how do you mortals do it? Knowing that every moment could be your last, that one day you’ll fall asleep and never wake the next dawn. Doesn’t it weigh on you?” Shadow says, his expression blank and his voice as monotone as ever, being only just above a whisper.

“.. Hm..” Sonic thought for a quick second, his eyes still at Shadow’s direction, but trailing down to Shadow’s features. Going from his red striped quills to his weirdly black bitoned back spikes, then to his red tipped tail then to the ground.

“Well..” Sonic looked back up at Shadow’s eyes, starting his sentence.

“I live it exactly like how you said it.”

Sonic says, his eyes still on Shadow, making it feel like he’s the only thing he can look at this moment.

“Huh?” Shadow asks, an eyebrow raised framing his eyes, giving a funny look to his broody face. “What do you mean?”

Sonic chuckles and finally breaks eye contact with Shadow as he closes his eyes. But not too long after, his eyes face Shadow’s again. “I mean..”

Sonic thinks again for a moment, before opening his mouth again.

“I mean that I live life like every moment’s my last––because it might be.” Sonic stops to breathe before continuing. “Why waste time worrying about what’s behind or ahead when there’s so much happening right now? Life’s a race, Shadow, and you can’t win it if you’re stuck looking back." Sonic closes his sentence with a small smile, his view now at the night sky.

Shadow almost mesmerizingly stares at Sonic, his eyes just slightly widened from what had Sonic said. He definitely wasn’t expecting what Sonic had in store to be whatever the hell he said.

Shadow hadn’t really thought about ‘living life in the moment’-esqe philosophies. Due to his whole past, Shadow sort of wrapped himself around that, and just that. Not possibly living for the now. 

Besides, everything Shadow does or chooses is only because of how his past moved him, almost counting his steps to align with his moral code, given to him by his late sister.

As the silence stretched, Sonic leaned back on his palms, tilting his head toward the stars. 

“Just.. live, you know? Think about where you are now. Just live for yourself. You’d find yourself much happier, trust me.”

“...”

“You’d feel more free, you know?”

Sonic says, glancing at Shadow with a content smile.

Shadow stared ahead, his gaze fixed on the glittering cityscape below, but his mind was anything but steady. Sonic's words were simple, almost too simple, and yet they struck something within him. Live for the moment? How could someone with a past like his possibly let go so easily?

He thought of Maria—her laughter, her kindness, her hope. Every decision he made, every step he took, was in honor of her memory, bound by the weight of promises made long ago. Could he really cast that aside and live as Sonic did, untethered and free? ‘No… that kind of freedom isn’t for someone like me,’ he concluded, his fists clenching instinctively.

And yet, there was a quiet envy that crept in, uninvited. Watching Sonic so effortlessly embrace life stirred something Shadow couldn’t quite name—admiration, perhaps, or longing. For all his power, he had never felt truly free, never felt the lightness Sonic carried so easily. He hated the thought that he might want it, even as he knew it was something he could never have.

Shadow finally turns and looks at Sonic with an unreadable expression, his lips parted slowly, showing his teeth before quickly shutting his mouth closed. He looked into Sonic’s eyes and for the briefest of moments, Shadow didn’t see Sonic at all. Instead, he saw blonde hair framed by a blue headband, blue eyes filled with kindness that felt like a warm embrace. Maria’s smile flickered in his mind like an old photograph before vanishing, leaving only the reality of Sonic's gaze. It left him hollow and aching

Before Shadow could react, his head snapped to the side as if trying to escape the weight of Sonic’s words. He propped his chin on his folded arms, his body curling tighter around itself. His wide eyes betrayed a fleeting vulnerability before he forced them shut, as if the act could block out the echoes of memories stirred within him. Instead, his gaze dropped to his arm, fixating on each black strand of fur with an intensity that spoke of a mind desperate for distraction. The slight tremor in his breath, almost imperceptible, gave away what he refused to let show.

The silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable—not entirely. The wind brushed through the hedgehogs' quills, carrying with it the faint rustle of the forest and the distant hum of city life below. Sonic leaned back on his hands, letting his legs dangle over the cliffside, his relaxed demeanor a stark contrast to the tension in Shadow’s frame.

“You know,” Sonic began, breaking the quiet but keeping his voice low, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you just… sit like this before. Kinda nice, seeing you not scowling for once.” His tone was light, teasing, but there was a warmth behind it—a genuine appreciation for this rare glimpse of a quieter Shadow.

Shadow huffed, the barest hint of amusement flickering across his features. “You assume too much, hedgehog. I don’t spend every waking moment brooding.”

Sonic grinned, his emerald eyes glinting as he tilted his head toward Shadow. “Could’ve fooled me.”

Shadow turned his gaze away, but not before Sonic caught the faintest quirk of his lips. The wind picked up, and Sonic shivered slightly, wrapping his arms around his torso. Without a word, Shadow shifted, his body angled just enough to block the breeze from hitting Sonic directly.

Sonic blinked, momentarily surprised, then gave a soft chuckle. “Didn’t know you cared, Shads.”

“I don’t,” Shadow said quickly, but his tone lacked its usual edge, and he didn’t move away.

Sonic leaned forward again, his grin softening into something gentler. “Thanks, though.”

Shadow didn’t respond, but his posture relaxed ever so slightly, his arms resting more loosely around his knees. For a moment, their gazes met, green and red holding steady in the quiet night. The city lights below seemed to blur, the stars above flickering just a little brighter.

“Y’know,” Sonic said, breaking the eye contact but keeping his tone casual, “if you ever wanna talk about… stuff, I’m here. Not saying you need to or anything, just… putting it out there.”

Shadow didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked back at the city, his expression unreadable. “I’ll think about it,” he said finally, his voice quieter, almost thoughtful.

Sonic nodded, satisfied. He leaned back again, letting the night air fill the space between them. And while no words were spoken after that, something unspoken settled in—a tentative understanding, a shared solitude that felt less lonely than before.

Sonic breathed in a little shallow, thinking that the slightest disturbance in his and Shadow’s silence could break the moment.

The weight under Sonic’s palms shifted slightly as his head moved towards Shadow’s direction. “You know, Shads, for someone who’s supposed to be all about ultimate power and independence, you sure seem like you carry a lot around.”

Shadow glanced at him from the corner of his eye but said nothing.

Sonic pressed on, his tone casual but his words more pointed. “I get it, though. Being the tough guy, keeping everything bottled up because, hey, no one else gets it, right?” He let out a soft chuckle, though there was a note of sincerity in it. “But, news flash, Shads—you’re not as alone as you think.”

Shadow’s brows furrowed slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.

Sonic shifted to sit cross-legged, turning his full attention to the alienated hedgehog. “I’m not saying you’ve gotta spill your guts or anything. But you don’t always have to handle everything solo. You’ve got me. And I’m pretty awesome at listening, if I do say so myself.” He grinned and winked, his usual cocky charm brightening the otherwise heavy conversation.

Shadow finally looked at him, his crimson eyes steady but conflicted. “And why, exactly, would you care?”

Sonic tilted his head, his expression softening just a touch. “Because…” Sonic thought for a moment, collecting his words. 

“Cus’ I think there’s more to you than all that..  All that ‘ultimate lifeform’ talk, you know?” Shadow’s ears perk up a tinge at Sonic’s statement, his action showing he wants to hear more without showing overt interest. He only slightly squints to understand what the blue blur has left to say.

Sonic inhales before continuing. “You’re not as scary or untouchable as you want everyone to think.” He smirked, leaning slightly closer. “And, honestly, you’re not half as annoying as I thought you were at first.”

Shadow blinked, taken aback by the unexpected sincerity. He opened his mouth to reply, but Sonic stood abruptly, brushing grass off his legs.

“Anyway,” Sonic said, stretching his arms above his head. “Just… think about it, okay? I’m not going anywhere, so whenever you feel like talking—or yelling, or whatever—I’ll be around.” He flashed a wide grin, the wind catching his quills as he prepared to leave.

For a moment, Shadow considered stopping him, saying something—anything—but the words caught in his throat. He only managed a small nod, barely noticeable in the dim light.

Sonic noticed, though, and his grin softened into something warmer, something almost reassuring. “Catch ya later, Shads,” he said, giving a quick salute before dashing off in a blur of blue and gold.

Shadow sat there, staring at the space where Sonic had been moments before. The quiet returned, the wind carrying the faint rustle of leaves and the distant hum of the city below.

He let out a slow breath, his gaze drifting back to the skyline. Sonic’s words lingered, echoing in his mind like the fading afterimage of his trail. “You’re not as alone as you think.”

Shadow closed his eyes, leaning his chin on his knees. He hated how those words stirred something unfamiliar in him—something warm, but also achingly distant, like a star that seemed close yet was light-years away.

And as the night deepened, Shadow remained, a quiet figure against the starlit backdrop, left to grapple with thoughts that were harder to outrun than even Sonic’s speed.

[galsgeneration]

A Hog-Killin' Time

[chat--blanc]

Poolside Blues

Rating: T Warning tags: Mention of past torture, experiencing a panic attack and aquaphobia.

He didn’t know why he agreed to come along. It took nearly three days' worth of constant nagging and pestering from Amy for him to crack. She had insisted that he come along with all their friends to the small community pool for some ‘fun under the sun’ as she put it. Sonic gave her a condition: he would come as long as he didn’t have to step a foot into the water. As exasperating as she thought he was being, she agreed to his terms.

Sonic let out a long dramatic sigh as he shifted a small pool tote to his other arm. He walked alongside his partner, Shadow, who carried a separate tote bag with towels and small snacks for Sonic as well as some adventure books so he wouldn’t get bored at the pool. They walked down the dirt path, getting closer to the small community pool. Supposedly Amy had rented it out for the day for all of them.

“You didn’t have to come if you didn’t want to.” Shadow stated flatly, there was no malice in his tone, he simply was stating the obvious. Sonic trudged his feet beside him, he looked at Shadow. Long slender legs wore red swim trunks and his gaze went up to see a toned stomach, trailing over soft chest fur up to piercing ruby eyes. He smiled softly to himself.

“Yeah, I know but FOMO and all that, am I right?” He quipped playfully, arms resting behind his long cobalt quills.

“FO what?” Shadow looked quizzically, slightly miffed. Sonic chuckled lightly and grabbed Shadow’s free hand, lacing fingers together. He felt Shadow squeeze his hand lightly, a comforting gesture they shared often to convey that they were present and there for each other.

“Means fear of missing out, like you might miss out on something fun or awesome.” he said casually. His counterpart hummed in response, thinking it was a silly saying. They walked closer, arms brushing against one another, a playful nudge here and there.

When they arrived at the community pool they were greeted by friends. Tails whammed into his brother’s arm the second he had a chance, nearly knocking the hero down.

“Woah! Good to see ya too, lil bro.” Sonic laughed as he ruffled fluffy yellow bangs. Tails smiled a toothy grin as he playfully swatted the offending hands.

“Same goes for you! I can’t wait to show you what I’ve been working on next time you’re free.” He beamed.

“Ohhh, still modifying the Tornado or is it something different?” He inquired, his signature smirk written on his face. Tails flicked his namesake excitedly.

“Well both I guess, I’ll tell you later about it. I’m sure Amy and Knuckles wanna say hi too. Hi Shadow, how are you?” he waved and smiled warmly at him.

“Doing well, are the rest of my team here?” he asked calmly.

“I think only Rouge could make it, said something about Omega preferring to destroy practice dummies in the training grounds.” The fox stated. Shadow gave a curt nod and walked past the two to greet Rouge. Sonic watched him go, he couldn’t help but stare.

“I’m surprised you actually came to the pool, Sonic.” the little fox said with a hint of smugness his hands resting on his hips. The two walked over to the lawn chairs close to the fence a few feet from the pool and sat down.

“Yeah well, Amy asked and you know how she is.” He said as he leaned back in his lawn chair. He gazed at the pool and saw Cream and Cheese playing in the shallow end. He smiled and waved at the two who eagerly waved back and continued to play.

“Yeah, I get that.” Tails laughed softly. “So I know there’s no way in chaos that you’re gonna swim, so what are you doing?” He asked. Sonic shimmied in his tote for his book.

“Just gonna read for a bit before we all sit and have lunch, Shadow got me this new book about a wandering hero chao, talk about way past cool!” He proudly showed the cover to his little brother who awed at it. They chatted for a bit more until Tails decided to head to the pool. Sonic scanned the area and his gaze landed on Shadow who seemed to be very deep in discussion about something with Rouge and Knuckles. They stood in the shallow end of the pool. He wondered what they could be talking about, for all he knew it could have been about the chaos emeralds which wouldn’t be surprising. Rouge had quite an obsession with beautiful gems, Shadow was chaos-gifted and Knuckles was the guardian of the Master Emerald. He hummed to himself.

“Sitting all by yourself huh?” a soft voice spoke beside him, he turned his gaze and saw his dear friend Amy. She beamed at him, wearing a white polka-dotted red one-piece with a small frilly skirt.

“It’s cool, I was just gonna read. Blaze couldn’t make it?” he asked as she sat in the chair next to him. 

“No, she had princess duties to attend to today, but that’s okay.” She sighed wistfully. They both watched their friends, Tails, and Cream were splashing around with Cheese. Meanwhile Shadow, Rouge, and Knuckles headed farther into the pool. Slowly wading in as Rouge continued to converse with the two. 

“Being a royal must be tough, huh?” He asked, making small talk. Amy nodded but wasn’t at all melancholy about it.

“Yeah, but I’m proud of her for it. I’m going to swim with the others, I hope you enjoy your book, we’ll get you when it’s time to eat.” She smiled and waved goodbye. He waved back and settled himself on the lawn chair, resting against it as he opened to a quarterway through the book to read. The sun shone brightly and the cool July breeze swept through. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, completely relaxing in his seat.

The sun beamed high above, splashes and laughter could be heard. At some point Shadow let himself drift to the side of the pool, floating freely but his arms crossed and resting on the concrete. His eyes closed as he just soaked the warmth in from his dark fur. Rouge had left the pool some time ago but wandered towards Shadow, two drinks in hand. She sat at the edge of the pool, dipping her feet in and then her calves, next to Shadow’s head. Feeling the water ripple around him and the shifting of the bat as she sat down, he raised his head from his arms and glanced at her. She handed him a drink.

“What’s this?” he inquired, taking it from her, it had a purple mini umbrella above a colorful pink smoothie.

“Strawberry and banana smoothie, thought you might like to give it a try.” Rouge stated as she sat down with her own drink. Shadow nodded thanks and took a sip, he hummed his approval, he rested his back against the wall of the pool beside Rouge.

“So how have things been with you and Blue?” she asked casually, sipping her drink. Shadow gave off a very small smile. 

“Pretty well, actually.” he states contently.

“You’re not gonna go into detail?” She croons, he shakes his head, a notable smug smirk.

“That’s so like you to not go into specifics, well as long as you two are happy.” she chortles. 

She’s quick to cover her face with her outstretched wing from a small splash led by small giggles from the younger members of the group. 

Shadow however wasn’t as fortunate and his quills and fur became soaked, even his beautiful fluffy chest fur was flattened down by water. He whipped his head around quickly to find Tails and Cream roaring with laughter a few feet away. He even noticed that Sonic was lightly chuckling before going back to his book. Shadow huffed playfully and he splashed back, not as forceful. Cream squealed with delight as Cheese soared above her mischievously.

Tails and Cream put their arm lower in the water to create a bigger wave as they whisked their arms forward. Shadow shielded his face instinctively and splashed back in playful retaliation. This went on for a few minutes until Shadow thought of an idea. Using his chaos energy, he aimed his chaos blast at the water in front of him and it made a fifteen-foot-tall wave, Cream and Tails squealed in delight but as the wave came crashing down outside of the pool, Shadow felt a pit of dread in his stomach as he watched it crash in the direction of the beach chairs. Where Sonic sat peacefully. 

It happened so quickly, the poor cobalt hedgehog felt a harsh cold smack over his entire body. His quills puffed and sharpened and he flattened himself rigidly against the chair, eyes wide in terror as he inhaled sharply. He coughed and hacked a few times, eyes glazed over in fear.

Shadow quickly waded over to the other side of the pool, fumbling out apologies, trying to defuse the situation but Sonic couldn’t hear anything, he was shaking so violently that he scrambled to get up, dropping his soaked book in the process with a harsh splat. The blue blur sped out of the gated pool area so fast that Shadow had barely made it out of the pool. Everyone began to voice out their concerns and worry but Shadow didn’t listen, he was too focused on the speedster that left, He haphazardly put his skates on and yanked a towel off of one of the chairs that managed to avoid the wave.

“I’ll handle it, stay here.” he stated sternly and skated off. He wasn’t sure which way he took off but he wouldn’t stop until he found him. He zig-zagged through the woods, peering through the brush and foliage, it wasn’t long until he found blue at the base of a big tree.

Sonic sat down, back quills scraped against the tree as he quietly hyperventilated into his knees.

Shadow felt dreadful, he should have thought his actions through, he shouldn’t have let himself get carried away like that and now his lover was suffering the consequences of his actions. He needed to approach this carefully, Sonic wasn’t always rational when panicked. He knew of his fear of water but had never really known the extent of it, he wished that he didn’t have to see it firsthand, it was such a heart-wrenching thing to witness. 

Shadow appeared in front of him, purposefully rustling the bushes to announce his presence.

“Sonic? Can you hear me?” Shadow carefully crouched in front of the frightened hog, who still was clutching his legs tightly, breathing heavily into his knees, eyes squeezed shut tight. His ears were pinned against his head and his body was wracked with shivers. No doubt from fear and the damp quills and fur of his body chilling him to the bone in the shade of the trees. Hesitant hands reached but stalled, uncertain of how to proceed, how to comfort. 

Sonic’s breathing became more erratic, choking back, he threw his head back slightly, his own hands reaching for his throat. He was struggling to regulate his breathing and Shadow took action. With cautious handling, Shadow gently grasped Sonic’s wrists and pulled them to his chest. He smoothed his lover’s palm flat against his heart and drew him close to his body, shushing him soothingly, pulling Sonic against his chest. A blue ear flicked against a soft fluffy chest, searching for a beat he didn’t know he wanted. Shadow shuffled close to the tree, leaning his side against the bark, as Sonic curled instinctively closer to him, seeking his warmth and gentle touches. He gently stroked through cobalt quills that grew lax with each touch. His breathing began evening out slowly over time as Shadow whispered simple soothing phrases, softly peppering kisses against his forehead.

Sonic practically melted, deflating against a strong cobalt body, nuzzling his nose into downy soft chest fur. 

Shadow internally breathes a sigh of relief, glad that his instincts led him correctly. They sat like that for quite some time. Minutes had passed, maybe even half an hour.

Sonic scooched closer and began to fiddle with Shadow’s inhibitor rings, feeling rather awkward. The weight of what just transpired finally settled in. Sure they had been dating for a while but he never thought he’d embarrass himself like that in front of Shadow of all people, he felt his cheeks grow rosy.

“I-I’m sorry you had to see that…” Sonic mumbled bashfully, averting his gaze as best as he could. Shadow couldn’t help but chuff playfully.

“There is nothing to be sorry about, I’m the one who's sorry, I- I should have been more careful. I had no idea your fear of water was this bad, you shouldn’t need to feel as if you have to hide this side of you. We’re partners.” He spoke softly, leaving a small peck at the base of his ear, it twitched from the ticklish display. Sonic hummed and pressed a chaste kiss against the nape of his neck.

“Although… the reaction I saw today, there was more to it, wasn’t there?” Sonic froze, his eyes blanked and Shadow realized his misstep.

“Forgive me, you don’t need to answer that if you’re not comfortable.” He backtracked. Sonic sat up a bit and huffed softly.

“No no, it’s- it’s fine. It’s just not something I’ve ever really told anyone… but I don’t mind telling you… if that’s okay?” He couldn’t help but hesitate, unsure. Shadow gave him a nod of reassurance and Sonic exhaled shakily.

“W-well I’ve never been a fan of water, I can’t swim. Obviously.” He chuckled awkwardly as he rested his head against his white chest fur again.

“But- my time on the… Death Egg wasn’t very helpful either.” He began to fidget with the soft fluffy chest fur, anxious. Shadow furrowed his eyebrows, feeling a pit in his stomach with where this was going.

“They um… tortured me a lot and well waterboarding was…the most common.” He felt his voice begin to fizzle out, waver and his lip quivering back a small sob. He clung to Shadow, he didn’t really understand it but he felt shameful about it, afraid to look into his lover’s eyes. Afraid that he’d think less of him or that he was weak, he knew deep down he wouldn’t but the what-ifs always nagged at the back of his mind.

Shadow felt his blood turn cold. He knew that Sonic had endured a lot during those six months but seeing Sonic after those events, with his signature smirk and goofy behavior, he had just assumed he would be fine, had he been hiding all this the whole time? Would he need to suggest counseling? He wasn’t against the idea, he himself did it but would only offer if Sonic was interested. His mind swirled with worry for his boyfriend and rage towards Eggman and Infinite, all the ways he could make them pay for everything.

“Hey, I can hear you thinking from here, I’m okay now, that’s what matters.” Sonic smiled solemnly and sat up. He cupped Shadow’s face and kissed him deeply. Shadow held his hands and looked into his emerald eyes

“You know if you ever need to talk, I know that’s not something we’re very skilled at, but I’m here… if you need me. There are professionals to that I-” Shadow cleared his throat, a little embarrassed to admit he had a therapist.

“I attend therapy every now and then, if you’re interested I can help you with that.” Shadow shied a bit, holding hands as he lowered them down to their laps. Sonic squeezed them in return and smiled softly.

“We can talk more about that later, we should get back, I feel bad that the others are probably really worried, ugh I’m embarrassed.” Sonic cringed a bit, ears downcast a bit as scrunched his nose and gave an awkward smile.

“It’s alright, I’m notifying Rouge, we’re going home. She’ll swing by with the remainder of our belongings-” Shadow paused in the middle of his message. And looked up with a grimace. 

“I- apologize. I ruined your book, I promise I’ll replace it tomorrow.” 

Sonic beamed at him with a dopey grin.

“Have I told you how much I love you?” He wrapped his peach arms around broad ebony shoulders and peppered silly kisses to a tan check. Shadow’s heart fluttered giddily.

“Practically every morning and- I love you as well.” They shared a very slow and very tender kiss, Shadow leaning more into Sonic’s space. Sonic lost his balance and flopped on his back, quills splayed in the pale brown dirt. He giggled infectiously.

“When we get home, can we do snacks and a movie date?” He asked excitedly, Shadow hovered over him, striped arms boxing him in. He smiled and shook his head playfully. He sat back up, pulling Sonic along with him.

“Of course, let me finish the message.” They stood up and brushed the dirt off themselves and Shadow sent his message. 

They linked hands and began heading home. Walking through patches of shade and sunlight that beamed through the leaves. Sonic hummed a playful tune and swayed their joined hands back and forth along to the beat.

“So what are we watching?” Shadow inquires.

“Oh, obviously The Barbie movie.” He teased. Shadow looked begrudgingly at him with a scowl.

“Fine, if that’s what you want, love.” Sonic knew he was feigning disinterest. His black tail was a dead giveaway that he was excited to watch it.

“Oh definitely.” Sonic bumped his hip against Shadow’s, egging him on as he giggled.

“Come on! Race ya, slowpoke!” He sped off before Shadow could say anything. The ebony hedgehog exhaled softly through his nose, smiling warmly, and raced after the blue blur.

[artificialchaoscola]

Not something for the next chapter, but there's going to be a conversation that plays out later in the story and I really couldn't get these expressions out of my head! I wonder what Sonic could possibly be saying!

Inspired by this iconic scene in Death Note

[clowningraven]

Ahem. So um.

BASICALLY, IM WRITING A SONADOW FANFIC TO COPE AND WANTED TO SHARE THE START CAUSE IM FREAKING OUT ABOUT IT AND I GOTTA YAP.

Gonna put it here and RUN.

[shrimpickle]

New cover image for

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56139643