Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tuesday Morning

“Ma’am this is The Mean Bean… There are no Unicorn Frappuccinos here...”

The little girl on the other side of the counter frowned. “Then can you give me something pink?” She asked quietly, before instantly perking up with a new idea. “Oh! And add a little unicorn horn to it too! With sprinkles, powder, and drizzle!” She asked excitedly.

Shadow recoiled out of sheer disgust. How could anyone drink something like that when coffee beans existed?

Shadow sighed and softened his gaze. He looked down at the little girl. “I can’t make that, but what I can make you is a hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream?” He suggested, a-bit hesitantly.

The girl brightened up again and slammed a ten dollar bill onto the counter. “YES! Make me that!” she screamed.

Shadow recoiled so fast he almost fell off of his stepping stool. But he took her money and entered it into the cash register and handed the girl her change before hopping off his stool. His ears flicked when she let out a squeal of excitement. The little girl quickly rushed out the way for Stone to take care of the next customer. 

Shadow moved with precision every time he made a drink. Cold milk from the jug poured carefully into the pitcher. Pitcher under the steam nozzle, where it’d let out a small hiss and the milk began to bubble as the temperature rose.

Shadow tended to think while it heated up.

Shadow hadn’t been working at Coffee shop for long, today was his second day and he was already considering quitting. It had been two weeks since his sudden release from G.U.N.

But Shadow knew he was definitely being monitored—if the band on his left wrist was anything to go by.  

Milk swirling with cocoa powder always drew Shadow back in. The rich scent it released was one Shadow had grown accustomed to in the past week. It brought him back to her.

Pouring the mixture into the ceramic mug. Shadow wondered why they let him out, and why now. Fifty years of pain and they let him go despite the fact he might try and take revenge on them for killing her?

He circled the whipped cream around till it began to build up into a tall mountain of white. Shadow stepped back to momentarily admire it before he stuck a peppermint stick in the center.

Shadow placed the hot chocolate in front of the girl with a soft exhale, not realizing he’d been holding his breath until the moment passed. He glanced up and saw the little girl’s eyes light up as she admired her drink.

“Thank you,” She quickly said before she grabbed the mug and chugged her drink.

Perhaps it was the little girl's youth, her blonde hair, or even her blue coat that somehow reminded Shadow of Maria.

Perhaps it was odd of him to be reminded of her every time he saw a blonde, whenever he looked at the color blue, or whenever he saw someone as youthful as she was when she died.

Maria was a constant thought in his brain ever since his release. The pain of her loss felt like too much to bear at times

Shadow just shook his head and turned back to his work. 

“You alright Shadow?” Stone asked, standing by the front counter.

Shadow didn’t respond at first. He tried to steady his mind many times without success, he worried it was beginning to become a distraction. Would Stone get rid of him for it?  

“Y’know… if you’re feeling sick I can get Brayden to cover your shift.” Stone whispered.

Brayden was the only other employee of The Mean Bean. He worked there before Stone owned it. But Brayden was the only employee that Stone didn’t fire after he took over. (after he accused the previous owner of money laundering and got her locked up)

Shadow quickly shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Stone sighed, showing his dissatisfaction at Shadow’s response. Stone shuffled his feet, glancing around the shop. “You know, you could talk about it, if you wanted to." Stone tried to be subtle about his suggestion. Stone failed.

Shadow shot him a glance, his gaze narrowing into a glare and he felt like throwing Stone out the window. Shadow refrained from doing so since Stone had taken him in and given him a job. "I'm not here for therapy.”

“I get it. I do,” Stone held up his hands in a mock surrender and backed away from Shadow. "I don’t know what you're thinking about, or if anything at all." Shadow really wanted to just walk away. “But you’ve got a fresh start, kid. Even if it feels like you’re passing or wasting time, this is a chance to get away from whatever put you in that alleyway”

What put Shadow in that alleyway was the rain. Shadow had been hiding in a trash bin to cover from the night when Stone found him.

So technically that made no sense.

But Stone constantly drew his ex that disappeared off the planet on customer's coffee’s everyday and cried about how much he missed the guy so he never made any sense. Shadow was pretty sure Stone was going insane too…

“...Okay?” Shadow had no idea what to say to any of that.

Stone just nodded awkwardly and took a step back, still staring at Shadow. “Okay… okay” He kept staring at the hedgehog till the bell at the door rang and a customer walked in.

Weirdo.

“Oh, fuck” Stone sighed.

Now Shadow just had to turn and see what customer managed to make Stone curse with their mere presence. Either to thank them for helping him escape the awkward conversation or give them a kick to the face.

“What's up, Stone!”

Shadow would be annoyed too if someone walked in with that much energy at 11:23 in the morning. But he would be annoyed if anyone came in with that much energy at any time so who was he to be talking?

“Wade,” Stone greeted through gritted teeth, putting a smile on his face.

Wade Whipple was apparently a regular at The Mean Bean, much to Stone’s dismay. Shadow wondered if he would end up having to suffer the same fate as Stone: Having to serve Wade Whipple a coffee with copious amounts of sugar.

Stone had given Shadow an entire tutorial on how to make Wade’s concerning order without killing the man or dissatisfying him on his first day.

Wade walked up to the counter with a blindingly bright smile on his face. “Got an important case to solve today!” he announced proudly. Now that interested Shadow. As far as he knew, Green Hills was a quiet town with little to no crime at all.

“Three donuts went missing from my desk this morning!” Oh, way to disappoint! 

Listening on that was obviously not worth Shadow’s time. The espresso machine was in need of cleaning, and much more worthy of his time.

Stone forced a smile, he forced it so much you could tell he was forcing it. “Let me guess. Large coffee, and a ton of extra sugar?”

Wade obviously didn’t notice. “You know it!” Wade smiled so much it was starting to concern Shadow. “Oh, and throw in one of those muffins! I’ve been craving one since Friday” It was Tuesday… Why didn’t he just go to the store? Were the Mean Bean’s pastries that good?

Shadow glanced back at Wade to wonder if he needed to be put in a mental hospital too. Maybe he and Stone could be roommates.

Stone barely had time to start Wade’s coffee order before the doorbell chimed again. Shadow was gonna have to serve that customer… he crossed his fingers and prayed they wouldn’t be as energetic as Wade.

“Morning, Wade!” the man greeted, his tone casual as he approached the counter.

Well he technically wasn’t as bad!

The sigh Stone let out told Shadow that the guy definitely was.

Shadow wondered if quitting on the spot would be rude. He decided it probably was and turned around.

A man in a sheriff uniform walked up to the counter and stood besides Wade. The name ‘Wachowksi’ was on the right side of his uniform. He looked normal, not that interesting, and the soft smile on his face looked normal compared to Wade. He didn't look like a strict cop, but he wasn't as sunshine and rainbows as Wade.

“Ah! Tom! I’ve got a case for you!” Shadow desperately hoped it would be more interesting. “Donuts! Three stolen right off my desk!” Goddamnit.

"You sure it wasn't you that ate them-"

Shadow hopped up onto his stepping stool and waited for the two to finish talking. “Oooo! Another alien hedgehog!” Wade whispered.

… Another?

Shadow resisted the urge to tilt his head and ask about that. But instead, he looked Tom dead in the eye and asked, “What would you like to order?”

To say the sheriff was dumbfounded was an understatement.

Tom just blinked at him for a few moments before he shook his head. His mouth hung open for a moment before he spoke. “Oh, uhm… just coffee, black” He said before quickly going back to staring at Shadow and recovered just as quick. “Thanks”

Shadow nodded before hopping off the stool.

“He looks like Sonic, but dark and edgy with gay highlights...” Wade failed to whisper quietly. “You think he knows him?”

Sonic must be the other hedgehog!

“Isn’t it wrong to think all alien hedgehogs know each other?”  

Shadow really wanted to laugh, but I’d reveal he was eavesdropping on their conversation. 

“I mean… aliens coming here is basically normal after Tails and Knuckles dropped by.” Tom laughed quietly. 

So there are other aliens on the planet besides me and Sonic!

“Right, right, right” Wade nodded in understanding, bowing his head slightly before quickly bouncing back. “He’s all dark and broody though, nothing like Sonic… bet they'd be best friends! Opposites attract!”

Shadow did not like where that was going.

“You should bring Sonic here! I bet he’d explode just seeing another hedgehog around!” 

Tom chuckled lightly. “I don’t think Sonic needs any more explosions in his life. And knowing him, he’d probably run around the room and talk a mile to the guy.”

Wade clasped his hands together as if the idea thrilled him. “Exactly! Imagine how happy he’d be! Sonic’s like your son dude! You should want him to have friends he relates to! It’d be so good for him!” 

Shadow wanted to think something mean about that, but he was starting to wonder if it’d be good for him too.

Stone handed Wade his coffee and muffin. “Will that be all today?”

“Oh, yeah! Thanks!” Wade was smiling brightly again before he turned back to Tom. “Just saying! I think their friendship would be mind blowing dude!”

Tom just nodded along. “Yeah, yeah”

Shadow saw the opportunity to step back onto his stool and slide Tom’s coffee over to him. 

“Shouldn’t you get back to working on your… donut case?” Tom asked. Is he trying to get rid of Wade?

Wade’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “Oh crap! I totally forgot about that.” Wade rushed out the door. Shadow was kind of sad to see him go since now he wouldn’t be able to find out much about that other hedgehog.

“So… new to Green Hills?”

Shadow looked up at Tom. “Yes” he said in the most monotone voice he could muster. Shadow was fighting the urge to ask a million questions about the man's alien hedgehog son.

“Don’t know if you heard, but my kid, Sonic—” Tom cut off mid-sentence when he looked back and Shadow’s pupils dilated in what was probably excitement, his tail wagging behind him. “...Sonic, he’s also a hedgehog, not from earth… and he's... blue”

“I’ve heard.” Shadow replied, trying to sound monotone and bored but the slight tightness in his voice betrayed his interest. Shadow hadn’t heard anything about the hedgehog before, but the idea of him was enough to have Shadow captivated.

Tom smiled at him. “Well, nice to meet you! I gotta head back to the station now!” Tom took his coffee and left.

Shadow only watched him leave.

────୨ৎ────

Tuesday Night

“What do you know about Sonic?”

Stone blinked, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “The Hedgehog?” He asked, even though there was no one else Shadow would be asking about.

Shadow nodded up at him, now that they were in the privacy of Stone’s apartment. Shadow wasted no time in getting to the point, as soon as the door shut it was time to interrogate Stone.

“He’s… a hedgehog” Shadow, ever patient and kind, resisted the violent urge to punch Stone to the moon. “Uhm… he’s fast, like stupidly fast—” Shadow ran to his bedroom and rushed back with a notebook and pencil in hand to write that down. 

Stone gave him a funny look, so Shadow glared at him to continue. “Uhm… He never shuts up, he’s ridiculously optimistic, annoyingly energetic…”

Shadow nodded along as he frantically scribbled the words down. He muttered to himself as he wrote, “Talkative…. Optimistic… energetic…”

Stone laughed. “Is he not your type?”

Shadow ignored the comment and glared at Stone as he sat down on the couch. “Tell me more about him” Shadow didn’t demand it this time, his voice softer and his tone sounded almost pleading .

Well Stone couldn’t say no to him now… 

“He lives with The Wachowski’s, Tom and his wife, Maddie” Stone began, holding up two fingers to count. “Then there's Tails, he’s a yellow alien fox with two tails, he makes gadgets and stuff.”

Shadow continued to nod and mutter. “Residence: Wachowski household. Family: Tom, Maddie, Tails” he looked back up at Stone to continue.

Stone momentarily wondered if he should be concerned but decided this was totally normal. “Then there’s Knuckles, believe it or not the guy came to Earth to kill him! But Sonic forgave him! Now he’s part of the family!”

Shadow froze in his scribbling, mind bouncing back and forth between wondering how Sonic could be so forgiving and how anyone would ever want to kill him?

Did Sonic have some super secret super dark backstory?

Shadow wrote that theory down in an instant.

“You know, for someone who pretends to be all disinterested… You’re really into this.”

Shadow shot him a glare but didn’t deny it, because he was very interested. “Is there anything else I should know about?”

Stone scratched his chin and went quiet to go deep into his thoughts. Shadow held his breath as he slowly leaned in closer to hear what the man would say.

“He’s like a hero to the people of Green Hills,” Shadow wasted no time in writing that down. “He helps the people here out of the good of his heart, just to be a hero… y’know?” 

“A hero… selfless… kind…” Shadow muttered.

“He, Knuckles, and Tails are kind of like a team now, they work with G.U.N to keep the world safe.” Shadow was quickly alarmed by that. “Not for them, but with them, they’re not assets or anything.”

Shadow wrote that down.

Shadow looked back up at Stone, that same hopeful glint in his eyes. Shadow was smiling.

It made Stone want to smile so bad. When he first met Shadow, he was like a dirty stray cat, out in the back alley of the Mean Bean hiding in trash cans. Maybe helping Shadow learn more about Sonic wouldn’t be so bad considering it made him smile. 

There was a childlike gleam in his eyes when he smiled.

Gosh Stone was really starting to get attached

Stone shifted in his seat and looked at Shadow, that familiar teasing glint back in his eyes. "I didn't know you were such a fan of Sonic, is he your new hero?"

Shadow's face flushed slightly, caught completely off guard by the teasing, but he kept his cool, trying to brush off the question. "I wouldn’t say that..." he muttered, eyes darting around. He hated to admit how much he was beginning to care about someone he didn’t even know.

Stone smiled at him, because he knew exactly what Shadow was feeling. “He’s interested in meeting new people, especially people like him. As soon as Tom opens his mouth about you he’ll be running to say hi”

Shadow’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you say that?!” He yelled, frantically flipping pages and writing notes at top speed. “What am I supposed to say to him if he shows up! I need to prepare! What if he shows up Tomorrow? I need to brush my quills! Do you know his favorite food? Maybe I should make him some food as a... friendship gift! Yeah that, now do I decorate the Mean Bean for his arrival...” Stone tuned out at that because he was not looking forward to any other ideas Shadow might have.

Stone was beginning to wonder if Shadow was a teenage girl in disguise.

♡

Chapter Text

Tuesday Afternoon

“Listen Tails… I’m gonna hold your hand when I say this... But the Megamind Show sucked so hard it's a disgrace to all TV shows"

Tails fell to his knees and cried. “How could you say that Sonic! It’s Megamind!” 

Sonic nodded along and patted Tails on the head. “I know, I know… it’s a disgrace to The Megamind movie too… you just need to stop deluding yourself…” he sighed and shook his head.

Knuckles threw another grape in his mouth. Watching Sonic cause Tails a mental breakdown over how bad the Megamind show is was far more interesting than the show itself.

Ozzie running up to the front door, barking, was all the three needed to realize Tom was back. "Oh! The Donut Lord is back!" Knuckles gasped, setting his bowl of grapes aside to look out the window. "And with groceries!" He gasped, quickly rushing out the door so he could prove his strength by carrying all the bags.

Knuckles walked back in not even a minute after, proudly holding up all the bags up to the sky like trophies. "Behold! The grocery bags! Witness my strength!" He announced, looking around the room for people to present the bags to. 

Sonic wondered if he should clap or to laugh. He decided to clap because he was glad it was Knuckles and not him carrying those bags. “Well done Knuckles! Truly a grandiose feat!” Tails side eyed him but clapped too.

Maddie appeared from upstairs, and rushed up to give Tom a quick kiss. “Hey hun, how was work today?”

Tom shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing much happened,” He looked over at Sonic. “But… I did meet someone very interesting.”

“Oh?” Sonic raised a brow, crossing his arms. “And who could possibly be so interesting they’re worthy of being mentioned by THE Donut Lord?”

Tom laughed softly. “There’s a new guy in town and guess what? He’s a hedgehog”

Sonic’s jaw dropped so far it almost hit the floor. That was all the reaction Tom got before Sonic bounced around the room before rushing up to his room and running back down with a notepad.

Sonic cleared his throat and put on some glasses (where’d he get them???) and clicked his pen. “Ahem, yes, yes, what uhm… What's his name?”

Tom fought back the urge to laugh. “His name is Shadow…” He was unsure of what to say now. Tom expected Sonic to be excited but the blue hedgehog always seemed to surprise him. He should’ve expected it at this point.

Sonic nodded and frantically wrote that down. “Mhm, Yes, Mhm, I see… yes” he nodded at the single word on his paper.

While Sonic had been writing things down, Tails had been pulling out a board to draw a hedgehog shaped figure. “What does he look like?” Tails asked, pulling out his more colorful markers.

“He’s uhm… black with red highlights” Tom paused to try to recall the details while Tails scrambled to fill the hedgehog in with black and red. “He had red eyes and…uhhh” Tom broke off at the sight of Sonic dreamily staring at Tails’s artwork. “There was like red eyeliner on his eyes?”

Sonic gasped and hurriedly wrote that down. “So Cool!!”

Tom rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if his son secretly ran on the rainbow path. “Uh, he was also kind of quiet… super serious, work oriented I guess?”

Sonic nodded. “Need to search: Work oriented” he whispered aloud while continuously nodding with every word he wrote down. “Serious… possibly shy and reserved… in desperate need of friends!”

Tails was also nodding along, writing down notes beside the giant drawing of the black hedgehog. Tails gasped dramatically, slapping his marker down and pointing at Sonic. “He’s a tragic loner who’s hiding his pain behind a cool and mysterious demeanor!”

Sonic’s gasped and his eyes sparkled. “Oh my gosh, Tails, you’re right! That makes him ten times cooler!!! We have to meet him!” He yelled, waving his hands around and jumping around. The notepad flying out his hands.

Tom groaned and rubbed his eyes, gosh he was starting to regret opening his mouth . “Look, he’s new to town and I think we should maybe give him some time to settle in?”

Sonic grinned mischievously, pulling down his glasses that were already slipping off his face. “Time? Pfft, I have no idea what that is!” Knuckles was starting to get concerned and opened his mouth but Maddie shushed him. “He’s probably just waiting for someone to crack through that tough exterior of his! And guess who’s the perfect guy for the job?” Sonic looked around the room.

Knuckles raised a hand. “Me?”

“No!” Sonic yelled, and Knuckles lowered his head sadly. “Me! Obviously!”

Maddie crossed her arms. “And I’m guessing you already have a brilliant plan to introduce yourself, Sonic?”

Sonic paused, tapping the end of his pen against his chin in thought. “Oh, I don’t know yet. But trust me, by the time I’m done, me and Shadow will be best friends foreverrr”  

Tails turned around tilted his head after drawing the last smidge of color onto Shadow’s red eyes. “Shouldn’t we consider the possibility that he doesn’t want friends?”

Sonic waved dismissively. “Everyone wants to be friends with me, Tails! I’m like… the connector of all space alien animals!” He held up his hands and imagined the title. Sonic nodded to himself. Tails was really starting to regret enabling this and Tom really regretted ever mentioning Shadow.

Sonic looked up at Tom expectedly, hands on his hips and the most serious look he could muster on his face. “Now, where is this mysterious dark hedgehog located?”

Tom wondered if crying would be an appropriate reaction. It wouldn’t so he let out a deep sigh, “I don’t know, I saw him walking around” wow what a great lie!

Sonic lowered his head, looking so sad Tom almost revealed Shadow’s place of work till Sonic quickly brightened up and ran over to grab his notebook and pen, quickly wrote down a few things before he jumped up onto the couch. “A–”

“Feet off the couch” 

Sonic jumped off the couch in an instant, probably traumatized by Maddie’s wrath and too afraid to ever anger her again. Sonic looked around at everyone, before announcing, “Okay team! Here’s the plan—”

“Oh no” Tails sighed, his ears dropping and his head lowered as he stared down at his shoes and wondered where he had gone so wrong in life.

Sonic pointed at a miserable looking Tails. "Tails! How easily do you think it’d be to find his home address or any social media for me to contact him?"

“Uhm—”

"Perfect! Knuckles!" Sonic pointed dramatically at the echidna, who perked up immediately.

"Yes!" Knuckles thumped his chest. "What is my role in this mission?" He demanded eagerly.

"If Shadow tries to play it cool and ignore me, you’ll carry him over to our house right to the dinner table. Gently, of course. There's a 78% chance he's got a tragic backstory, so we gotta be sensitive about that stuff!" Sonic nodded proudly at his very questionable plan.

Knuckles gave a firm nod, putting a hand over his heart. "Understood. I will carry him with the utmost gentleness!"

Tom tried to interrupt, “Wait Sonic, are we—”

"Tom, Maddie!," Sonic said, spinning to face Maddie and Tom. "You two will prepare the house. We need the warmest, most welcoming atmosphere possible!"

Madide threw his hands up. "I didn’t sign up for this." she pointed a finger at Sonic. “And you can’t kidnap someone into becoming your friend!”

Sonic gasped, putting a hand over his chest. “I would never!” He gasped, sounding all hurt. “How dare you suggest that! I feel so betrayed!” Sonic fell back onto the couch and put a hand over his head. “Oh the woe! Oh the pain and the misery I live in!”

Knuckles wiped a warrior tear from his eye before letting out a warrior cry and running up to Maddie and shaking her (with utmost gentleness). “He must befriend the dark hedgehog! Or else he will suffer from heartbreak!”

Sonic sat up, quickly abolishing his previous woe. “Anyways, the plan is for me to introduce myself, make his acquaintance and THEN we bring him here to introduce my bff to chili dogs!” Sonic stood up. “What could possibly go wrong?”

“He won’t like chili dogs?” Tails suggested, looking genuinely curious.

Sonic decided it wouldn’t be nice to throw his notepad at him.

Maddie groaned. “Sonic, we are not holding a chili dog intervention for some random guy you’ve never met—”

“But he’s not random!” Sonic interrupting, arms flailing around, notepad and pen flying out of his hold again. “He’s a hedgehog! Like me! What if he’s been out there, all alone, just waiting for someone to challenge him to a super awesome high-speed race! What if I’m his only hope for friendship? What if without friends he commits world domination? What if he secretly loves chili dogs and just doesn’t know it yet?”

Knuckles nodded solemnly and gave Maddie a serious look. “A hedgehog without chili dogs is a tragedy no warrior should endure!”

Maddie held up her hands. “Alright, fine! But no dragging people home against their will!” She gave Knuckles a serious look that had him bowing his head and sighing in defeat.

“No promises!” Sonic laughed, before realizing his notepad flew away and running to grab it and scribble down more words incomprehensible to man.

Tails peeked over Sonic’s shoulder. “What are you writing now?”

“My backup plans!” Sonic said, flipping to a page that read in bold letters: PLAN A: BE COOL. PLAN B: BE REALLY COOL. PLAN C: BE REALLY REALLY COOL. PLAN D: SPIN AROUND HIM UNTIL HE GIVES IN. PLAN E: INTRODUCE HIM TO CHILI DOGS AND BECOME BEST FRIENDS FOREVER.

Tails needed to tell Sonic something before he went out and gave Shadow the wrong idea. “Uhm… Sonic… About plan d—”

“Genius! I know right!” Sonic threw the notepad off into the distance—never to be seen again—before he mischievously rubbed his hands together. “Now… I gotta get ready for tomorrow…” he chuckled darkly.

Tails prayed for Shadow’s soul. He really hoped Shadow was mentally prepared ready to meet Sonic.

 ────୨ৎ────

Wednesday Morning

“Do my quills look okay?”

“For the last time Shadow, you look fine”

Shadow huffed, glaring at his reflection like it had killed Maria. “Fine isn’t good enough, Stone” he gave the man a harsh look.

Stone wondered if he should tell Shadow he looked like silly kitty and that he really wanted to pick him up and spin him around. “You look… uh… dashing?”

Shadow paused, tapping his chin before nodding. “Good enough” he turned to the espresso machine he had been staring at for the last hour. Shadow had not slept all night, too busy obsessively brushing through his quills and mentally preparing for the meeting. He even wrote an entire script of what he would say!

The doorbell rang and Shadow instantly shot toward the front counter. In came a blue figure that Shadow instantly recognized as Sonic. Wow… he looked much more impressive in real life… and so much cuter than I imagined— WHATTT

Shadow’s brain short-circuited and he couldn’t do anything but blankly stare into the depths of Sonic’s soul. 

Thankfully, Sonic had a very similar reaction. All the confidence he had built up was gone and all the planning had been thrown out the window. Sonic couldn’t even bother to remember that his family was literally beside him, watching the entire thing go down.

Knuckles leaned over to whisper to Tails, “Is this how hedgehogs challenge each other? I am unfamiliar with their customs.” Tails just shook his head at him so he backed away and continued to watch their stare-down.

Stone made eye contact with Tom, who looked more confused than he did. Tom mouthed out words that Stone interpreted as, “What is going on?”

Stone just shrugged his shoulders and looked back at the two hedgehogs.

Sonic was pretty sure his heart was about to explode. He could feel it thumping in his chest—faster than usual, like wayyy faster. His pulse was already concerning for regular people, his current heartbeat would probably mean cardiac arrest for them.

Tails was quickly tired of their romantic tension and slipped a note to Stone with his order on it before taking a seat at a table. Maddie quickly pulled Tom and Knuckles to the table to give Sonic and Shadow space to talk.

“Uhm…” Sonic began, trying to shake himself out of his trance but his eyes were stuck on Shadow’s face. Sonic sped up to the front counter and rested his cheek on his fist. “Hey”

Shadow burst out laughing and turned around to conceal his expression. That was probably the cringiest thing he had ever seen in his life.

Tails sighed and crossed off plan A while he sipped on his Stoneacchino. "How much do you guys bet they'll be dating by the end of the week?" he looked around for any takers.

Tom was about to open his mouth to tell his son not to be betting. Maddie shook her head. "Nah, a weeks too soon. Give them a month!"

Tom was about to tell his wife to not encourage Tails but Knuckles had to add in. "I trust in the hedgehog, in only a day they will be partners!" Yeah Knuckles was definitely losing.

Sonic came bouncing over to the table a few minutes after, practically shaking in place. If Sonic smiled any harder his face might split into two. "Guys! Guys! I got him to agree to race me!"

“This sounds like a playground tactic.” Maddie whispered to Tom—who was wondering if he should give Sonic ‘The Talk’ or if he should pat him on the back.

Knuckles slammed a fist on the table, startling everyone and nearly spilling Tails’s drink all over the place. “I knew it! They’ll be partners before sundown! My faith in the hedgehog remains unshaken!” He stood up to shake Sonic. “Your victory will bring me mountains of grapes!”

Sonic chuckled nervously as Knuckles finally let him down, dizzy and disorientated. “Yeah… Uh—”

Knuckles grabbed Sonic’s shoulders with the most serious expression on his face. “Don’t forget me when you two run off into the sunset! Name a child after me!”

“...Huh?”

♡

Chapter Text

Thursday. 5:30

Stone was starting to get concerned after the twentieth minute of Shadow staring at the clock. Shadow’s shift had ended at 5:30 but he stayed at The Mean Bean. Probably just to watch the clock. (Instead of going to the apartment he had a key for)

Shadow stared unblinkingly and unmoving at the clock. The bowl of coffee beans in-front of him had been long forgotten.

Stone wondered if he should intervene at this point or watch with him. Intervening was probably his best bet at this point. So he set down his latte (With Robotnik’s face drawn on) and approached Shadow’s table. All the other customers had been served and probably didn’t care to hear a conversation between the owner and his teenage alien hedgehog employee.

“Alright, what did that clock do to you?” Stone asked.

Shadow snapped out of his trance just to give Stone an odd look. “It’s an expression.” Stone quickly explained, holding out a hand to stop Shadow before he questioned it. “But really, what are you waiting for?”

Shadow glared at Shadow before looking back up at the clock. “I’m waiting.” He grumped, taking a handful of coffee beans and stuffing them in his mouth.

Stone wanted to bash his head against a wall. Talking to Shadow was like that sometimes. “Yes, but for what?”

Shadow stopped again, then lowered his head. “For the race.” He ate another mouthful of coffee beans.

In moments like this, Stone wanted to giggle and tease him or do backflips and squeeze Shadow out of cuteness aggression. Stone just had to exhale a breath and shake the thoughts out of his head because Shadow would probably kick him across town if he did that.

“With Sonic?” The answer was obvious. There was no one in green hills that Shadow liked and matched his speed. It was definitely Sonic.

Shadow nodded, not meeting Stone’s eyes.

Stone wondered if this is how parents felt when their children started dating. And Shadow wasn’t even his kid… or dating (yet.)

Stone tried hard to suppress his grin but failed. “You’re nervous, aren’t you?” He asked, taking the seat across from Shadow and watching as the hedgehog lifted his head to give him a glare. 

“I’m not embarrassed,” He scoffed, shaking his head. “I don’t get embarrassed!” he added, before shoving another handful of coffee beans in his mouth while glaring at Stone.

Stone wondered if that many coffee beans was even healthy… and started to wonder if his financial situation would eventually be at stake due to Shadow’s concerning eating habits.

Stone decided that the sooner they got together, the sooner Shadow would start opening up to people and finally get some friends. “Y’know, you’re treating this a-lot like a date…” Wow some matchmaker he was.

Shadow’s head shot up, looking Stone straight in the eyes. Shadow’s eyes were blown wide and he looked horrified.

“How did you know the race was a date?!”

…HUHHH

“...Huh?” Stone praised himself for keeping his composure and not yelling aloud.

“Okay, it could be a date because we’ll be running around and chasing each other around at night in a field which is apparently a romantic setting but even thought Sonic’s whole thing is going fast I don’t think he’d dive head first into a relationship!”

Stone honestly stopped listening when Shadow said the word ‘date’ and only started listening again when Shadow said ‘relationship’ and he felt like his mind had just been blown by Shadow saying those two words.

Stone looked around to check if he had been transported into a romance fanfic.

He read a ton of those, it’d be like karma if he got transported into one.

Shadow lowered his head into his hands, “If it is a date… I want it to be right, and I want him to be happy.” Okay there was no way this wasn’t some type of romance novel now what the hell

Stone really had no idea since the last time he had feelings for someone it was a weird power imbalance thing where he pinned himself to the wall and gave the guy coffees because the guy loved the way he made them.

“Okay, let’s back up,” Stone deciding, holding up his hands. “First of all, have you even asked Sonic if this is a date? Or, you know, just a race?” he asked in the most serious tone he could muster. Customer service mode .

Shadow frowned, his ears flattening slightly. “No,” he admitted, his voice barely above a grumble. “But it’s implied. ”

“Uh-huh,” Stone said, nodding slowly. “So, you’re basing this on… what, exactly?” 

Shadow hesitated, clearly reluctant to answer. Finally, he muttered, “The way he looked at me when he asked. He seemed… excited… very excited” Shadow looked out the window. “ And maybe a little nervous…” He admitted, cheeks flushing a bit.

Stone had to fight back a grin. He clasped his hands and nodded to himself. “Okay, let’s assume for a second that you’re right and this is a date. What exactly is your plan?”

Shadow blinked, looking back at Stone before tilting his hand to the side. “Plan?” he asked. Gosh Stone wanted to legally adopt the kid.

“Yeah, plan.” Stone repeated. “You know, what are you gonna do to make this ‘date’ special?” Stone wiggled his fingers for emphasis. Seriously, if his son his employee 

Shadow hesitated, his confidence faltering. “I… thought we’d just race.”

Stone sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Shadow, buddy, I hate to break it to you, but if this is a date, ‘just racing’ isn’t exactly going to sweep him off his feet.” Stone really thought he had taught him well…

All those episodes of La Última Pasión for nothing? Stone felt like shedding tears. 

Shadow frowned, looking genuinely puzzled as he tapped on his chin. “But he loves running? It makes him happy.” Shadow looked at Stone for an explanation. 

Stone rubbed his hands together. “Well, what else does he love?” He asked, pulling out the notepad he conveniently kept in his pockets. 

“Chill dogs.” Shadow said without hesitation. “He would not stop talking about how amazing they were.”

Stone had honestly not heard of those before. Frankly, he never wanted to because that sounded horrendous.  

Stone considered kidnapping Sonic and sending him to the nearest mental hospital. 

Stone nodded and put the notepad down. “Alright here’s what we got,” He slid the notepad over for Shadow to see. Shadow looked horrified the moment he saw it. 

Shadow looked back up at Stone, his mouth hanging wide open before he forced it closed. “Stone… what the hell…?”

Stone furrowed his brows. “What? What's wrong with my ideas?”

Shadow pointed at the words written on the notepad with an offended expression. “Run across the world to get him the world's best chili dog?” He scoffed before his eyes. “Have his kids in 10 years?!” he gasped before looking around to make sure no one heard.

Stone nodded solemnly, putting a hand over his heart. “You should always plan ahead!” He then gave Shadow another serious look. “You should be planning baby names by now!” 

Shadow paused, scratching his head as he looked down at his coffee beans before stuffing his mouth full of them again. Shadow’s eyes sparkled with an idea before he swallowed his coffee beans and looked back up at Stone.

“Memphis” Shadow decided, looking proud of himself despite the fact Stone would definitely bully a kid with that name. (Not like he could be bullying anyone)

“...Memphis?” Stone repeated with a strained smile. This is what trying to be supportive gets you, Stone.

Shadow nodded, his eyes shining and his ears perked with happiness. A genuine smile gracing his face before he closed his eyes and nodded again, a bit more eagerly this time. “Memphis Tennessee, like the city!”

Stone nodded, fighting back tears. “That's great!” God should strike him down for lying, and so horribly too. The pain was etched across his face he. Stone was momentarily thankful Shadow didn’t notice.

Shadow opened his eyes and smiled, before looking at the clock and looking absolutely horrified. Shadow hurriedly jumped out of his seat before speedily throwing his coffee beans in his mouth and chewing them at speeds that had Stone remembering the kid was an alien.

Shadow looked up at Stone and said, “It’s six, I need to go meet Sonic” Before he sped off.

Stone sighed and lowered his head. “God when’d I become a single parent?”

♡

"Sonic! Are you off to pursue your potential life mate?" Knuckles called, watching as the hedgehog tried to sneak up to the front door and failed miserably. Getting caught by his entire family who was currently watching The Godfather.

Gosh Sonic hated that movie, it insisted on itself too much.

"Whaaaaaaat no???" Sonic laughed, trying to brush of Knuckle's comment but the looks he got told him he wasn't fooling anybody. Not even Tails! 

"Sonic, you spent an hour brushing your quills today. There is no way this is not a date." Tails scoffed before looking back at the TV and eating a handful of popcorn. (of which Knuckles tried to sneakily grab a handful of but Tails swatted his hand away)

Tom just chuckled. "Yeah, yeah" He looked over at Sonic as he opened the door. "Make sure to be back by ten!" He yelled.

"Yeah! Got it, Donut Lord!"

"And make sure if there are any sudden off-spring that you name one after me!" Knuckles put a hand to his chest and held his head up high. "Knuckles The Echidna!" He raised a fist to the sky despite the horrified looks from his parents. 

Sonic just sighed, and had mentally resigned himself to writing 'Knuckles Jr' on a baby name possibility list he had been forced to write by Knuckles. 'You must be prepared for future challenges!' he had said. 

Sonic first had to get through the challenge of actually asking Shadow over for dinner. For the candle lit dinner Sonic had planned before he had even met him where Shadow will be gently kidnapped and gently sat down at a table and gently forced to eat chili dogs.

"Yeah sure!" He yelled back before shutting the door behind him, locking it too before hiding the key away under the doormat. (Which Tom had told him not to do, but it was convenient!)

Sonic should not be trusted with naming things anyways. Knuckles would have better luck convincing Shadow... Not that they would be having kids together!

Tom sighed, resting his head atop his wife's before he looked over at Knuckles. "You were joking about the baby name thing, right?"

Knuckles side eyed him before slowly eating a fistful of popcorn.

"...Right?!"

Chapter Text

It was 6:01.

Sonic was late. So by default, Shadow had already won the race by getting to the target on time.

Shadow was about to spiral into the idea that Sonic had ditched him, but the blue hedgehog appeared in a blur in an instant.

“You’re late.” Shadow turned to face Sonic, watching as he brushed the imaginary dirt of his shoulders and grinned.

“Fashionably late!” Sonic announced proudly, hands on his hips before he took a step forward. “Knuckles and Tails held me up a bit, they were all watching a movie and apparently I’m not good at sneaking around!” Sonic scoffed.

Shadow just narrowed his eyes at Sonic. “What happened to being The Fastest Thing Alive? ” 

Sonic quickly turned to Shadow, putting a hand over his heart and gasping. “Excuse me!” He gasped, feigning hurt. “Being fast does not mean I am stealthy!”

Shadow huffed, glancing at the moonlit grass ahead of them. "Excuses don’t matter. You’re late. By default, I’ve already won." He announced proudly, crossing his arms.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on," Sonic said, holding up his hands as he stepped closer. "That’s not how this works! You don’t just win because you got here first." 

Shadow just stared at him, waiting for the idiot to realize that was exactly how races worked. 

Sonic stared at him expectantly, seeming to think of it as a staredown. Once Sonic realized he was quick to wave his hands around, losing the staredown in an instant. "No, no, no! That’s not how this race works! We didn’t even start yet—there was no countdown, no 'ready, set, go,' none of that!"

Shadow quirked a brow, clearly unimpressed. "Sounds like someone’s making excuses for being slow."

“Fine!” Sonic announced. “Let’s settle this properly."

"Properly?" Shadow echoed, leaning slightly forward. "You mean you losing?" He teased .

Sonic’s grin widened, a spark of determination lighting up his emerald eyes. "Keep talking, Shadow. That confidence of yours is gonna look real funny when you’re eating my dust."

Shadow smirked, the faintest hint of a challenge flashing in his expression. "We’ll see who’s laughing when this is over."

They both turned to face the stretch of moonlit fields before them.. Sonic gestured dramatically toward the path ahead. "Alright, the rules are simple. First to that oak tree—” He pointed at one far ahead, up on a hill. “—and back. No shortcuts, no cheating! —just pure speed. Deal?" he held out his hand to Shadow.

Shadow nodded and shook his hand. "Deal. Let’s see if you can keep up this time." He smiled, lining up at their imaginary starting point.

────୨ৎ────

“Fox, can you see anything?” 

“Shh!” Tails put a finger over his mouth and turned his head towards Knuckles. “Whisper!” He yelled in a hushed tone before looking back at the two hedgehogs down on the field of grass and the occasional dandelions or sunflowers.

Tails looked back into his binoculars and gasped. “They’re lining up, Knuckles! They’re lining up!” He squealed.

Knuckles shoved Tails over and grabbed the binoculars. “Let me see! Let me see!” He gasped at the sight before lowering the binoculars and pumped a fist up to the sky. “Yes! Sonic will soon win over the barista’s heart!”

Tails glared at him. He silently made a quick prayer that Sonic would take the full week. If he won, his prize would be a mountain of mints.

If Maddie won…

Tails shuddered. Kitchen duty… Knuckles’s knuckle sandwich special… 

But still! Tails trusted that Sonic wouldn’t rush into a relationship in only a day! It’d been a day since they met which meant if they were together by tonight… Knuckles would win.

That meant… The Warrior Fighting Pit would be allowed in the living room.. And Tails would have to face his greatest foe!

Lightning.

Tails had no idea how Knuckles would make him face it. But Knuckles would definitely find a way…

“Here, I brought you your own pair!” Tails handed Knuckles a pair of binoculars, earning an approving nod from the echidna.

"Thank you, Fox! Your readiness is greatly appreciated!” Knuckles looked back at the pair of hedgehogs. “Now… when are they supposed to kiss?”

Tails was so shocked he had to slowly lower his binoculars, then slowly turn to look at Knuckles. Completely missing as Shadow and Sonic sped off toward the finish line.

“It’s supposed to happen when they finish the race and stargaze.”

Knuckles and Tails screamed so loud that Tails had to turn around to make sure Sonic and Shadow hadn’t heard. (They didn’t, they were too busy racing)

“It’s the goat milker!” Knuckles shouted.

“ It's the goat milker!” Stone mocked before scoffing and handing Tails a Stoneacchino and Knuckles a Cortado. Knuckles sniffed it before downing it in one gulp.

Tails handed a pair of binoculars. “Glad to see you could make it!” His tails swishing behind him as he smiled at the man. “Now! How long do you think it’ll take Sonic and Shadow to start dating—”

“By tonight.”

Tails’s ears drooped, he sighed and shook his head. 

“Oh! They’re about to make it to the tree!” Knuckles gasped excitedly.

────୨ৎ────

"Touchdown!" Sonic shouted, placing a triumphant hand on the trunk of the tree. He turned to Shadow, ready to brag and dance but froze when he realized the other hedgehog was nowhere to be found. 

Sonic looked back at the path they had ran on and gasped when he saw Shadow racing back to the starting point. Oh! I said to here and back!

Sonic scrambled back on the path, re-running the path to try to catch up. His efforts were in vein when he saw Shadow already waiting at the field of grass, tapping his foot impatiently against the ground as he waited for Sonic to return.

Sonic sighed and fell onto the grass, rolling onto his back and facing up at Shadow. “I would’ve won if I remembered to come back!” He announced proudly, trying to save some of his lost dignity.

Shadow snorted lightly before sitting down beside him. “Sure, sure”

 “What does the winner get?” Sonic wondered aloud before turning his head to the sight and seeing a sunflower right under his nose. “Oh!” he gasped, sitting up to pluck it out of the ground.

“What are you doing with that?” Shadow asked, struggling to keep his tone flat. Oh gosh this is what they do in Telenovelas!

Sonic grinned and spun the sunflower between his fingers before holding it out to Shadow with a playful flourish. “What does it look like? I’m giving it to you,” he said, his tone light and teasing. “Winner gets a prize, right?”

Shadow stared at the flower for a moment, his ruby eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re giving me… a flower ?” He asked, looking at Sonic to confirm.

Sonic nodded, closing his eyes with a smile. “Yep! A pretty flower for the pretty winner!” Sonic was about to take that back till he saw the flushed look on Shadow’s face. Wow I am such a natural flirt!

Shadow leaned forward, and Sonic tried to place the flower behind his ear as carefully as he could.

Shadow sat frozen as Sonic leaned in. The sunflower’s stem brushed lightly against Shadow’s quill. Sonic's fingers briefly grazed Shadow’s cheek as he finished his work.

“There,” Sonic said softly, pulling back just enough to take in his handiwork. He tilted his head, a grin on his face. “Perfect.”

Shadow couldn’t tell what he looked like. But if Sonic said it was perfect, then he trusted him.“You’re insufferable,” he decided to say, his words lacking any bite. 

“And yet, you’re still sitting here with me,” Sonic quipped, leaning back into the grass with his hands behind his head. “I must be doing something right!”

Shadow glanced at him, a small smile gracing his features as he murmured, “Maybe.”

Sonic dug a finger into the grass beside him, testing out the dirt before letting out a satisfied hum. “I’ve got another idea”

────୨ৎ────

Tails squinted through his binoculars, his twin tails swishing with anticipation. “What’s Sonic doing now?” he murmured, adjusting the focus. Tails quickly gasped and pulled out his notepad, crossing a line over a sentence and going back to watching. “Plan D is in action!”

Stone’s brows furrowed, looking between the two aliens. “What’s plan D—” With a shove of the utmost gentleness from Knuckles, he was shut up.

“Shh!” Knuckles hissed before excitedly looking into the binoculars.

Sonic was… running circles around Shadow? Wait no, it wasn’t a circle unless Sonic was blessed with idiocy. It looked like a triangle with two small circles— OH.

Stone gasped, before whipping his phone out and taking a photo. He then proceeded to take out a fucking Sony Hxc-fz90sn Portable Hd Studio 4k Cam W/ 20x Lens & 7" Studio camera and took a photo. Stone then magically put it away into a bag and pulled out a Bluey Digital Camera… weird guy…

Tails really wanted to comment but he’d probably be punched to the moon (with utmost gentleness) by Knuckles for interrupting the moment. “This is so skibidi!” Knuckles gasped.

Tails really wanted to punch Sonic for infecting Knuckles.

“Sonic did it!” Knuckles cheered, jumping up in joy despite how Tails rushed to try to shush him. The echidna had completely forgotten that they might get caught. “The hedgehog made a heart!” He put a hand over his chest proudly. Impressed by his brothers Sonic’s game.

────୨ৎ────

Shadow stared at the uneven heart Sonic had drawn into the grass. It was lopsided, with uneven lines and awkward curves, a poor excuse for a heart. But it was still a heart and it was… endearing.

He glanced at Sonic, who was standing outside the lines, watching Shadow’s expression for a hint of approval. The blue hedgehog had a smug grin plastered on his face, clearly anticipating that approval.

“So?” Sonic asked, turning his head to look at Shadow. “What do you think? Pretty romantic, huh?”

Shadow folded his arms, feigning indifference despite the fact this was the most romantic gesture he had ever received in his entire life (and the only aside from that flower Sonic had just given him). “Romantic isn’t the word I’d use.”

Sonic gasped, placing a hand over his heart dramatically. “Shadow! You wound me!” he gasped before falling back. 

Shadow chuckled before sitting inside of the heart, near the edge of it to be closer to Sonic. “It’s… nice” He decided.

That was way to kind, Sonic shot up instantly with stars gleaming in his eyes and a smile so bright Shadow feared he might go blind.

Shadow snorted, and Sonic snorted back. Shadow wondered if he should comment on that, but decided against it.

The two simply looked up at the stars above. The night stretched on in comfortable silence, with only the faintest sound of the wind rustling the grass and flowers around them. The occasional dandelion blowing.

The stars were brightly above, scattered across the sky. 

The last time Shadow was able to sit down and watch the stars, was fifty years ago. Back when she was still alive.

The pain of her loss was still there, but it wasn’t as unbearable as he thought it would’ve been when he was in his stasis. He felt like it was consuming him, drowning him in nothing but a repeated grief and anger as his memories repeated over and over.

But with Sonic… the pain became more bearable.

The happiness Sonic made him feel made that pain feel bearable. No longer did that anger consume him. When he fell asleep at night, he thought of Sonic. Sonic was a thought that guarded his mind and kept the recurring memory of Maria’s death away.

The pain was there. Maria was gone. But Shadow’s love was still there, sitting right besides the pain he felt. 

And Sonic had come into his life and brought him joy he had never thought himself worthy of.

Sonic spoke up again, like he knew Shadow was a thought away from losing himself to his thoughts. “You know, I never really thought much about the stars before,” he said, his gaze still fixed on the sky, his voice a little more introspective than usual. “I never really took the time to just... look. They’re a lot more interesting than I thought.”

Shadow glanced at him, surprised by the unexpected honesty in Sonic’s words. “You didn’t look at the stars?” he asked, half-teasing but also curious.

Sonic laughed softly, glancing sideways at him. “Nah, I was always too busy running. Always trying to outrun something,” he admitted with a shrug. “But tonight, I don’t know... it feels different. It’s like... there’s no rush or anything. Just me, you, and the stars.”

“You’re not wrong,” Shadow said quietly, his voice softer than usual. “It’s strange. Quiet. But not bad.” He looked up at the stars.

Sonic grinned, his eyes watching Shadow, not the stars. “Yeah, it’s beautiful, huh?”

It was quiet for a little while longer till Sonic pulled his phone out of his quills and hissed. “Oh crap! It’s almost ten!” He shot up so fast he might get whiplash. “I gotta go!”

Shadow nodded, standing up and brushing the dirt off his shoulders before he met Sonic’s eyes. “Will you come by The Mean Bean soon?”

“Of course I will!” Sonic smiled cheerfully. “Now! Gotta go! Or else the Donut Lord might give me a lecture! Bye!”

He missed the utter look of confusion on Shadow’s face. “... Who the hell is The Donut Lord…”

────୨ৎ────

Tails slowly lowered his binoculars and sniffed, whipping a tear from his eyes. “Why is Sonic’s plan working?” he sniffed.

“Because Sonic has one thing no one else on this planet does!” Knuckles announced, looking up at the stars with a proud look. Like he was mentally thanking his ancestors for blessing Sonic with such an interesting romance story.

“What’s that?” Tails asked, genuinely curious. 

Knuckles grinned, slowly turning to look at Tails. His voice brimming with pride as he said the worst thing Tails had ever heard in his mouth,  “Ultimate rizz. ” Tails was going to fucking kill Sonic. 

Knuckles laughed before jumping up. “Now! We must fulfill our part of his plan now that he has!” 

Tails was gonna lose that bet… Tails was seriously gonna kill Sonic in his sleep if he got put into that Warrior Pit.

"...What plan?!" Knuckles knocked Stone out the moment he opened his mouth.

────୨ৎ────

Shadow just stood there for a while, looking at the direction that Sonic had raced off in. A serene expression on his face as he looked up at the moon.

“I think you would’ve liked him, Maria.” Shadow whispered. The night’s gentle winds brushed through his quills, and Shadow looked down at his hands. The hands that were meant to destroy, but with Sonic, now had the chance to love.

Shadow hoped that if the time ever came, he would be able to gently hold Sonic. That he would be able to soothe and love Sonic.

If the chance never came, and Sonic never gained feelings for him. Shadow could at-least be glad that he had loved someone with his own feelings, that he had ever been capable of being in-love.

Something in the air suddenly shifted. His senses sharpened at the chance of a threat, but before he could react, a hand gripped his shoulder with surprising force. A low growl barely escaped his throat as he whirled around, only to be met with darkness.

Chapter Text

“...Why is our house glowing?” 

Sonic picked up a stray rose petal from the living room floor, looking over to see Ozzie rolling in them, petals sticking onto the dog’s golden fur. 

Besides the roses there were other… decorations that provided a very romantic atmosphere. Like the lit candles on various surfaces ranging from the living room coffee table to the dinner table… wait was there one on the bookshelf?!

Sonic sped over and quickly blew the candle out and took it off the shelf. Who in their right mind thought it’d be a good idea to put a candle next to a bunch of VERY flammable objects?

Sonic heard the sound of footsteps coming from the kitchen and ran over to take a look. There was Tom and Maddie, both with excited expressions on their faces the moment they saw their alien son.

“Tom! Maddie! Good, why does the house look like a Love Island set!” 

Tom and Maddie exchanged a quick glance looking back at Sonic. “We were told Shadow was coming over for a romantic candlelit dinner?” Maddie looked confused now. “Isn’t it nice, though?” She asked brightly, looking around at all the decor. “Knuckles even helped out!”

We can tell . “Uh huh… wait…” Sonic scratched his head, looking around at the house. He felt like he was missing something very important here. 

Sonic gasped as he whipped his head around to look at his parents, frantically shaking his hands around. “Wait, wait, wait!” He yelled, “Is this about that time I asked you to make the most warm and welcoming home possible?” He asked, clasping his hands together and silently praying it wasn’t what he thought it was.

Maddie and Tom shared a confused glance before Tom opened his mouth, then closed it and looked back at Sonic. “Uhm… yes?”

Sonic fell to his knees and put his head in his hands. “Oh no… oh no, no, no.” Sonic looked up at the two, who were beginning to look extremely confused.

“That means Tails probably found his home address and Knuckles is carrying him here!” Sonic cried, falling backwards and splaying his arms and legs out in defeat. Oh gosh and things with Shadow were just going so good… Now I’m KIDNAPPING him!

Indirectly, but STILL!!!

“I’m so dead. Shadow’s gonna think I’m some kind of weirdo. Like, who even does this?!” He yelled, standing up and walking over to the couch just so he could collapse onto it and scream into a pillow. Ozzie was quick to rush over and lick his cheek. The dog was still covered in rose petals which did nothing to help Sonic’s mood.

Tom sighed loudly, probably regretting whatever he did that put him in this position. “Well… lets hope Shadow’s super open minded to getting forced to have dinner with you!” He clapped his hands together before walking over to pat Sonic on the back. “Me and Maddie will be out of your way for the night, we’re heading out to watch The Goonies, it’s their fortieth anniversary!”

Sonic actually lifted his head to give Tom the most confused stare he could as he watched his parents walk out the door. “The WHAT?!” He yelled after that, but the door quickly closed behind them. “What the hell is The Goonies…” he muttered under his breath.

Ozzie barked at him, and Sonic was very sad to admit that he really did need to get up and probably stop Knuckles before Shadow woke up and made the assumption that Sonic had kidnapped him and was forcing him to have dinner with him.

…Dinner needed food.

Sonic slowly turned to look at the table and let out a sigh of relief when he saw no food there. 

Which meant there was no candlelit dinner for Shadow to even be taken to! 

There was a knock at the door and Sonic was momentarily debating on whether or not to open it. It was either a random new salesman—who hadn’t heard about the red alien dragging strangers by their ankles—or worse… The red alien that dragged strangers by their ankles.

Sonic shuddered before slowly creeping towards the door, fingers crossed.

Finally, he reached the door. Carefully, and cautiously, he peeked through the window. No sign of Knuckles. No sign of Shadow being dragged across the front lawn. No sign of Tails flying above, dragging Shadow by his feet. Just a plain brown bag sitting on the welcome mat with Tom’s name on it.

Sonic blinked, then rubbed his eyes. “No way…” he muttered. He reached for the doorknob, twisting it as slowly as possible to make sure Knuckles wouldn’t jump in with Shadow on his back. The coast was clear. Sonic quickly grabbed the bag and slammed the door shut behind him, pressing his back against it and letting out a deep sigh of relief.

Sonic turned to walk to the dining room, internally cheering at the sight of his favorite fast food restaurant that somehow had a location in Montana’s smallest town. Thank you, America!

Just as Sonic had set the bag down. The front door opened and two sets of footsteps were heard throughout the house. 

Please be Tom and Maddie…Please be Tom and Maddie… Please be Tom and Maddie… Sonic crossed his fingers and closed his eyes, whispering frantically under his breath as he slowly turned around.

“Sonic! We’ve told you not to leave your key under the doormat!” Sonic sighed and lowered his head in shame, looking up to see Knuckles dragging Shadow into the living room and Tails locking the door behind him. Shadow was—very unfortunately—slowly beginning to stir back into consciousness.

Knuckles dropped him unceremoniously, completely jerking the hedgehog awake. Knuckles raised a fist triumphantly and announced, “I have delivered the hedgehog! With utmost gentleness!” He then walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bowl of grapes for his victory feast. Sonic didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. So he laughed awkwardly as Shadow began to sit up.

Shadow looked entirely unimpressed and a bit angry at Knuckles for dropping him. His arms were crossed, and he glared at Sonic because Knuckles was no longer next to him. “Explain,” he demanded, his ears twitching in irritation.

Sonic chuckled lightly as he looked at Tails for help. Tails whistled, looking back and forth between the two hedgehogs before booking it for the attic. Knuckles was slower in his ascent up the stairs, carrying a tower of grapes with him, but he was apparently trying to see how fast he could go without dropping them… damn thats impressive. 

Sonic groaned, running a hand down his face before glancing at Shadow, who was starting to look just as confused as Sonic. “Look, I swear, this isn’t what it looks like!” Sonic yelled, waving his hands around frantically. Shadow jolted at his sudden yelling, but he listened once he calmed. “I didn’t actually plan this! And I definitely didn’t mean for you to get—uh, kidnapped here?” He sounded more confused than anything. Sonic scratched the back of his head and waited for Shadow’s response.

Shadow stood up, raising an eyebrow before looking around. “So you didn’t kidnap me…” Shadow’s eyes fell on the table, the bag of mcdonalds sitting there. Candles lit and spread out across the table with lavenders at its center. “...to eat fast food under candlelight?”

“No!” Sonic said quickly, though he grimaced and added, “Well, yes, but no—not like that!”

There was a moment of silence. Then Shadow huffed, his lips twitching into the faintest hint of a smirk. “This might be the strangest thing anyone’s ever done to get me to stay for dinner.” He looked at Sonic and watched as the hedgehog’s expression changed into something of awe.

“Well, uh, since you’re here…” Sonic chuckled lightly, trying to regain all of his lost composure and coolness. He gestured awkwardly toward the table, where the candles flickered and the McDonald’s bag sat in all its unromantic glory. “Might as well eat, right?” Sonic tilted his head and awaited Shadow’s response.

Shadow gave him an amused glance but didn’t protest. “Fine.” He huffed, sounding more amused than anything.

Sonic grinned, pulling out a chair for Shadow before he dug into the bag and pulled out… two happy meals??? What the hell??? Couldn’t they just come as that instead of being put in the bag??? Maybe Mcdonalds was trying to be ominous…

Sonic cleared his throat before grabbing a chicken nugget and getting down on one knee in-front of Shadow. Shadow looked a justifiable mix of confused and horrified. “Shadow the Hedgehog,” Sonic began, his tone mock-serious as he locked eyes with Shadow, “I know this is sudden, and I’m really putting myself out there, but…”

Shadow looked like he might explode from confusion. The sentiment shared by Tails who was unfortunate enough to have come down to get Knuckles more grapes.

Sonic ignored him completely, holding the nugget up as if it were a diamond ring. “Will you do me the honor of accepting this token of my undying appreciation and, dare I say, love and admiration?” He asked. “And become my boyfriend?

Shadow stared at him, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “You’re joking.”

“Not at all!” Sonic said brightly, though the corner of his mouth twitched as he fought to keep his laughter in check. “I mean, look at this nugget! It’s perfectly golden, perfectly crispy—just like you.” He spun the nugget.

Shadow blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected comparison. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, visibly struggling to form a response because this was the worst proposal ever what the hell. Finally, he made one out, “I’m nothing like a chicken nugget.”

“Oh, but you are!” Sonic insisted, wagging the nugget for emphasis. “You’re tough on the outside, soft on the inside, and universally loved—except maybe by losers who don’t know anything!”

Shadow groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What the hell…”

“Is that a yes?” Sonic pressed, his grin only widening.

There was a beat of silence, then Shadow sighed heavily before he opened his eyes looked at Sonic for a long moment. Tails—still standing in the middle of the kitchen bowl of grapes in hand—held his breath and prayed Shadow said no so there’d be no warrior pit in their living room.

Finally, Shadow muttered, “You’re an idiot.”

“Your idiot??” Sonic asked without hesitation, silently hoping Shadow said yes.

Shadow’s lips pressed into a thin line as his crimson eyes darted between Sonic’s expectant face and the Mcnugget. His sharp, exasperated sigh filled the room as he reached out and snatched the nugget from Sonic’s hand. “Yes,” he said flatly. “If this will stop you from embarrassing yourself further.”

Sonic’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Is that a yes?!”

Shadow rolled his eyes, though a faint smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Yes I said yes, obviously!” 

Tails audibly gasped, accidentally spilling a few grapes as he nearly dropped the bowl. “He said yes!” he screamed.

Sonic cheered, throwing his arms up triumphantly. “He said yes!” he screamed before realized Tails was there and had screamed the same but in a much different way. Shadow and Sonic were quick to watch as Tails fell to his knees and started to pray that he doesn't get struck by lightning. Knuckles flew down the stairs just to cheer.

“I WINNNNNN!!! NOW ITS TIME FOR ALL OF YOU TO HELP ME MAKE OUR WARRIOR FIGHTING PIT!!!”

“...I’m leaving”