Chapter Text
The wind whipped above the village, dust and leaves scattering under heavy boots and the clunk of metallic feet. Eggman’s robots were everywhere, marching and parading through the ruined plaza. And at the edge of the chaos, Team Sonic stood ready- minus Sonic.
Shadow rolled his shoulders once, standing at the front.
He hadn’t imagined this, not really. Standing in Sonic’s place, his boots planted in the dirt where Sonic would usually vibrate with anticipation. There was a time Shadow would have scoffed at the idea. A time when all he saw in Sonic was arrogance and speed. But now, after the silence, the blood, the heartbreak, the note… that horrifying, gut-wrenching note...after holding that broken body in his arms, he knew better.
Shadow wasn’t just stepping in as a one-time substitute or Sonic replacement. He was standing here because something had shifted. Because Sonic had trusted him. Sonic didn't demand to be carried or show up. Sonic accepted rest and trusted Shadow with something beyond smashing robots, which terrified Shadow more than the battle ahead.
He adjusted his communicator to the frequency synced with Sonic’s call-in line. “We’re approaching the center. Tails, are the visuals active?”
Back at the apartment, Sonic lay propped up in bed, his arms pinned by the same IV lines and gauze, Shadow’s jacket tucked behind his head. It still smelled like lavender and gunpowder and Sonic thought he may never tire of that. In fact, he hoped after he recovered he'd be able to talk Shadow into letting him steal it. If the cost of that was a date, well...Sonic wasn't going to complain.
Tails had left a monitor and holo-pad beside him that showed Sonic the view from some of Tails' drones which had originally been used to view the attack. Sonic tapped another button and grinned at the image of his friends standing in formation.
“I see you, handsome ,” Sonic teased with a weak smile. “Try not to brood so hard you forget we have a plan.”
Shadow snorted and rolled his eyes, glad the visuals were too blurry for Sonic to notice the red creeping up through his cheeks. “You worry about healing. I’ll worry about making sure you have a village to come back to. Because someone wouldn't let it get destroyed.”
The screen went quiet as Sonic’s connection shifted to Tails’ device. The fox, flying his plane overhead, now fed data into the main grid while coordinating with the team on the ground.
That’s when the chaos began.
Robots swarmed like metal hornets, their limbs and claws lashing out at the buildings and the townspeople screaming and darting for cover. Amy, hammer in hand, finally let go. She roared as she tore through the machines, flattening them in threes and fours.
“Ohhhhhh this is cathartic ,” she growled. “Take THAT for calling Sonic a menace!”
Knuckles shouted gleefully, launching himself through one bot and shoulder-checking another. “You’re gonna need more than tinfoil soldiers to stop us!”
But Shadow? Shadow was something else entirely.
He moved like vengeance personified, Chaos spears flying, teleporting mid-air to slam into bots from above. But it wasn’t just the robots that bore his fury. It was the villagers.
“You.” He looked down at a few cowering in a doorway, “Did you get what you wanted? Is this the peace you asked for?”
“W-What?”
“You turned your back on him.” Shadow vanished into another strike but still spoke loudly enough for villagers to hear. “Let me be clear: if it were up to me, I’d let this place rot. But the hero you mocked decided you were worth saving. You don’t deserve him.”
He didn’t wait for an answer. Another Chaos blast sent a pack of bots flying.
When the mayor finally emerged, flanked by terrified aides, Shadow stalked forward.
“Wh-Shadow?! Why are you here?? Where is Sonic?"
Shadow narrowed his eyes and tried to calm down enough to not punch him... or worse.
Before the dark hedgehog could get more words out, he was cut off. "Where have you been?!” the mayor demanded. “Why did it take you so long to respond? We sent calls, warnings..."
“You sent complaints. Insults. Abandonment.” Shadow’s voice was low and dangerous. “You kicked your protector until he broke. You said you wanted him gone. And when he vanished, you acted like he owed you an explanation.”
The mayor opened his mouth, but Shadow advanced. “He’s not your servant. He’s not your mascot. You don't know what happened to him. You didn’t even look for him. If any of you had taken even a second to actually notice...really notice... what he was going through instead of using him like a weapon or a trophy, maybe we wouldn’t be standing in your mess cleaning it up now. And if it was up to me, none of us would be here defending you at all."
His communicator buzzed. Sonic.
Shadow exhaled through his nose and stepped back. “You’re lucky he doesn’t know what I just said,” he growled and flashed away.
He clicked on the channel. Sonic’s voice came through, weak but bright. “Hey. Just checking in. How’s it going out there?”
Shadow visibly relaxed. “Robots broken. Amy’s emotionally cathartic. Knuckles thinks this is a party. Tails is in the sky playing wizard. We’re about to breach the park perimeter.”
“Nice,” Sonic murmured. “Don’t forget to compliment Eggman on the color scheme for the park or say something snarky about his mustache.”
Shadow smirked. “I won’t.”
"Oh...and Shadow?"
Shadow hummed, waiting for Sonic's response.
"You look pretty with robot grease and ash on your face."
Shadow's jaw would've hit the floor had he not needed to pause for a second to smash a couple more robots.
Just then, a nosy villager leaned in. “Are you two...like, dating? Or is this some kind of... weird affair or...did Sonic get...”
Amy didn’t miss a beat. “Hey! Save your dumb invasive questions for me next time!”
Shadow raised an eyebrow and sneered, voice dropping. “If I hear one. more. comment. about Sonic that isn’t grateful, you can be the next test subject for Tail's weapons against Eggman.”
With the last bots cleared from the plaza, they advanced on the gates of Eggtopolis.
The ridiculous sign spun in chaotic colors, smoke puffing out in puffs of glitter. Inside stood Eggman, surrounded by more bots and the towering animatronic parade float of himself.
“Hold on, HOLD ON,” Eggman shouted. “Pause pause pause pause. Timeout. Where is that blasted hedgehog?!” [1]
He spotted Shadow. “Shadow? YOU’RE here? This is so confusing. Are you working with him now? Against him? Should I be flattered or terrified? How'd the second most popular character in the canon [2] end up on Team Sonic??”
Tails stepped forward. “Sonic’s not able to fight today.”
Eggman tilted his head. Sonic was always able to fight. Something in the boy’s voice clicked. His glee faded a fraction. “...He okay?”
There was a pause.
Tails nodded. “He will be.”
Eggman looked away. “Hmph. Well. If someone else hurt him, I’ll be very cross. I am the only one allowed to destroy Sonic. It’s contractual! Otherwise I'll be put out of a job! And we all know the legislation in this town is horrible and I'd never receive unemployment. And getting a job in this job market? Don't get me started!”
Tails and Shadow looked at each other. Sonic's voice came through the communicator to them: "Tell Egghead I expect a card and flowers too! And that he's going downnnnnn..."
Shadow relayed the message to Eggman before starting to dismantle the amusement park once again.
He grinned wickedly. “Let’s see if Mr. Broody the Edgelord can keep up. Otherwise, the village becomes Eggtopolis...and after what the villagers just put Sonic through, don't think I'm gonna skimp on the egregious line wait times.”
Back in bed, Sonic laughed out loud. It hurt, but he laughed anyway.
He wasn’t out there. But he was still in it.
Still part of it all.
Still surrounded by the people who chose to fight beside him.
__________________________________________
The fight was over.
Eggman had been sent packing, the ridiculous remnants of "Eggtopolis" smoking and collapsed behind Team Sonic as they made their way back down the jungle path toward Shadow's home. Amy held her hammer over her shoulder with pride. Knuckles was munching on some jerky he'd found near a downed robot. No one questioned it.
Tails, still hovering above them in the Tornado, sent a check-in through the shared comms. "All bots deactivated. Readings are clear," he said. "You guys did it."
"Not just that," Shadow said as they neared his home once more. " He did it. He made the plan. We just played our parts."
They left the village to be taken care of by the villagers. The team wasn't about to do it all right now. They had more important team members to take care of. And Amy and Shadow saw this as some of the punishment the village deserved.
Inside, Sonic lay bundled in blankets, Shadow’s jacket now an accessory to Sonic's comfy setup. Tails' tech still beeped softly beside the bed, monitoring his vitals. The IV was still in, and Sonic's fingers had curled around the tubing while he watched the drone feed. He heard the sound of Shadow's air shoes and Knuckles stomping outside and perked up with what little energy he had left.
The door opened, and before anyone could stop him, Sonic tried to get out of bed.
Shadow's eyes went wide at the sound of sheets moving en masse. Of course Sonic was going to be reckless with excitement. "Wait...wait, Sonic- sunshine, stop…"
He swung his legs over, groaning, legs trembling like reeds in the wind. Shadow entered just in time to see him nearly collapse upon standing up.
"Sonic!"
The word was like a command, a sigh, and a shout all together as Shadow rushed forward.
Shadow immediately caught him, one arm under Sonic's back, the other under his knees. Without hesitation or commentary, Shadow swept him up into a full princess carry, bridal style, in front of the team who had just made it to the bedroom too. [3]
Sonic flushed pink but didn’t fight it. “Sorry, I just...I wanted to see you guys."
Shadow met excited, electric, green eyes and said with quiet, firm weight, "You don't walk until we say you walk."
Knuckles whistled low as Shadow rolled his eyes. Amy teared up a little, seeing Sonic nestled in Shadow's arms like something precious.
Shadow didn’t care. Not about pride, not about appearances. Sonic was breathing. That was all that mattered.
Seconds later, there was a knock at the door. Shadow was already carrying the blue hero back into bed, wrapped in blankets and safe in his arms. Tails cautiously answered the door...and blinked. There was no one there, just a small box of white lilies and navy-blue wildflowers, and a card propped beside them.
Amy snorted. "Oh my chaos, it's from Eggman. He actually sent Sonic flowers!"
Knuckles took it and put on his reading glasses, smirking as he did. "Wait... actually, I can't read. Can someone else read it?" [4]
Tails sighed and took the flowers to Sonic and the card out of Knuckles' hands. Shadow raised a suspicious eyebrow at the excitement and the flowers Sonic was holding.
Amy cleared her throat dramatically. The card began with a formal note: "To Sonic, the most irritatingly indestructible rodent I know: It has come to my attention that you were not, in fact, being lazy, but incapacitated. It doesn't take a doctorate to know what happened. I know you. If you ever pull that again, I will file a grievance. That said, if you need someone to punish the villagers for you, I am more than available... provided you don't try to stop me this time."
It ended in a recorded singing loop, slightly off-tune and unmistakably Eggman's voice: "You better not die, because only I get to kill you!"
Tails nearly fell over laughing.
Sonic snorted so hard he winced and held his stomach. "Tell Egghead I want a fruit basket next time too. And chocolate... Something classy. Dark chocolate with orange is my favorite." [5]
Sonic didn't miss Shadow trying to be discreet about writing that down. He didn't say anything but smiled endearingly.
Shadow, after definitely NOT writing down what kind of chocolate Sonic liked, helped set the flowers up where Sonic could see them.
Tails rechecked his vitals while Shadow redid the IV line and tucked the covers tighter around him. Shadow sighed and grumbled something about how if Sonic tries to get up, he'd do some damage ripping the IV out again. They administered the evening meds, and as the warmth and softness and pain relief surrounded him again, Sonic’s body began to relax.
Sonic turned to Shadow as he drifted, barely conscious, and said with a soft, sleepy smile, “That was pretty funny… right?”
Shadow didn’t answer besides a nod. He just brushed Sonic’s quills back and held his hand.
The others hovered for a few minutes, unsure of what came next. But Sonic was already drifting.
"Hey," he murmured, voice gravelly but warm, "Can you guys stay for a bit? Not forever. Just... a bit."
"We'll be right outside," Amy said quickly, wiping a tear.
Tails patted Sonic's hand. Knuckles gave him a little salute and a grin. “We brought more snacks too. I picked some up on my way back from the village."
They filed out to the living room, giving the exhausted hedgehog space. Shadow, with a nudge from Rouge, begrudgingly offered to let them stay the night.
Shadow watched Sonic drift in and out of sleep, chest rising and falling, IV still connected. He never thought he'd be here. In Sonic's place. Guarding his team. Carrying him . Shadow hadn’t expected the storm of emotion it brought. Protecting Sonic had begun as instinct, but now it meant something deeper... too deep.
It was Maria again, only different. This time, he still had the chance to keep someone breathing.
Shadow sat on the bed, silent. He placed a hand over Sonic’s, feeling the flutter of warmth, the fragile but persistent life still in him. His chest ached.
Was this love?
It terrified him.
He didn’t understand it, didn’t want to name it, but when Sonic rolled slightly in his sleep, nuzzling closer to the other, Shadow just exhaled and closed his eyes.
____________________________________________
That night, Sonic couldn’t sleep well. The meds kept his body relaxed, but his mind kept circling.
Shadow stirred beside him. "You okay?"
"I should ask you that."
Shadow turned his head slightly. He didn't speak. Sonic reached over and tangled their fingers together. He patted the bed beside him and invited Shadow in again as opposed to the chair Shadow had been sitting on.
Shadow gently slid in bed from the opposite side, careful not to disturb Sonic's setup. The blue hedgehog reached his arms out toward the other. Shadow obliged and wrapped a loving arm around Sonic and held Sonic's hand again gently.
They lay like that, fingers laced. Shaky breathing coming from both of them.
Sonic spoke again, barely above a whisper. "Why did you come for me that night? Like...really?"
Shadow swallowed. He stared at the ceiling. "Because I couldn't lose you too." The words came low and sharp, like a truth carved from stone. Shadow didn’t look at him, he couldn’t.
His jaw clenched, his breath uneven. “I already lost Maria,” he added after a long silence, voice shaking. “I watched her die in my arms. And when I saw what you’d done to yourself... when I found you...”
His fists trembled. “I thought I was going to relive it. And I couldn’t...I wouldn’t survive it again.”
Sonic was quiet, his eyes wide, throat tight with emotion. Something about the way Shadow spoke, like it cost him something to say any of it, dug deep into Sonic’s chest. He felt it in his ribs. In his spine.
“I didn’t mean to make you relive that,” Sonic whispered, guilt threading through his voice.
Shadow shook his head. “You didn’t. You just...” He exhaled harshly. “You matter. That’s all. I didn't want to lose you.”
Sonic’s throat bobbed as he swallowed the sudden tears stinging his eyes. It wasn’t the words alone. It was the way Shadow said them, like someone who wasn’t used to being allowed to care, and did anyway. “You…you didn’t. I’m still here. Because of you, Shadow. ”
The silence between them trembled.
Eventually Sonic dozed off again.
Shadow listened to the slow, shaky, tired breathing.
When Sonic shifted, his hand brushing along Shadow's side, he murmured, half-dreaming, "Pretty..."
Shadow blinked.
His heart stuttered. It was that arrow, no-origami feeling all over again.
He stared at the sleeping form next to him.
Then slowly, gently, he brushed Sonic's messy quills back from his forehead.
"Radiant," he whispered.
Shadow felt that in that moment he was slightly less terrified of what love could feel like.
[1] suggested by @Ichigo_chaan
[2] Reference to Sonic Boom S1 E52 in which Eggman is a Shadow fan
[3] Wickiphetiam called dibs
[4] Yes this is canon in Sonic boom, see... a handful of episodes
[5] To the couple of people who will inevitably tell me real hedgehogs can't eat chocolate OR citrus, I think we are all aware that Sonic is not only a Mobian, but has a stomach of steel and deserves an exemption.