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smthingandiforgorthelyrics · 1 month ago

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

AO3 LINK REDIRECTION

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.