Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shadow The Hedgehog. A famous actor who starred in many movies. Now, the very same actor playing the main character in a new movie.

Shadow crossed his arms as Amy directed him on how the next scene should go. "So you will be in the audience watching a concert of Sonic from The Odyssey." Shadow's eyes widened slightly. 'The Odyssey? My favourite band?' he thought. He couldn't believe Amy was actually able to get a famous band member on set.

"Okay. Did you actually get the real Sonic?" Shadow asked. Amy nodded with a hum. She tapped her clipboard as the doors flew open. Shadow turned his head to face a cobalt hedgehog, quills smooth and a guitar attached to his back. He smiled at Shadow, his fangs pointing out.

"Hey there! I'm Sonic! You must be Shadow Robotnik? It's nice to meet you!" Sonic beamed happily, taking Shadow's hand and shaking it. Shadow took in the hedgehog's features more closely. He had shimmering emerald eyes, his eyebrow, septum and lips pierced, along with a single ear piercing. His fangs were sharp and his nails painted black. Shadow couldn't help but feel heat crawl up his muzzle.

"Y-yes... I'm Shadow. Welcome Sonic to the set." He said, keeping his usual stoic tone. Sonic smiled again and lifted his guitar case off his back, kneeling down and cracking it open. Inside lay a black and blue guitar, littered with stickers from fans and ones he'd bought online. He lifted it out of the case with care and strummed a chord to test if it was in tune.

Sonic winced as his guitar was not in tune. Shadow couldn't help but smirk slightly. After a few minutes of tuning, the guitar finally sounded as it should; smooth and perfect.

"Welp, I'll see ya later Shadow! Gonna go practice!" He said, waving to Shadow as he ran to his assigned room. Shadow nodded and waved back, slightly in awe.

~★🎸🎤★~

Shadow made his way onto the set, wedging himself between two extras. He was at the front of the audience, right in front of the stage; in the perfect eyeline of Sonic. As the azure hedgehog made his way on stage, Shadow couldn't help but stare. His eyes were dark with eyeshadow and eyeliner, he wore a black shirt which hung loosely against his muscular figure and black baggy jeans to match. His arms were coated with black fingerless gloves, a chain hung on his pants and black converse resting on his feet. Shadow's jaw dropped and a blush spread across his face. Sonic looked amazing.

"Action!" The cameraman called. The entire audience began cheering as Sonic walked further into the stage.

"Hey everyone! How ya doin' tonight?" Sonic called into his microphone. The crowd errupted into cheers, including Shadow. Sonic smiled as he took a deep breath and strummed the first chords on his guitar.

"Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time
I feel alive
And the world, I'll turn it inside out, yeah
And floating around in ecstasy, so
(Don't stop me now)
(Don't stop me)
'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time!" Sonic sang into his microphone. The crowd's cheers grew, but Shadow was left staring. His jaw was dropped slightly as he watched Sonic sing. His voice sounded perfect, like honey to the ear.

"I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity
I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva
I'm gonna go, go, go
There's no stopping me
I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah
Two hundred degrees
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
I'm traveling at the speed of light!!!
I wanna make a supersonic man out of you!" Sonic sang harder, almost growling some of the lyrics due to his voice being trained for that and due to the fact this was one of his band's only non-metal songs.

"I'm having such a good time, I'm having a ball
(Don't stop me now)
If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call
(Don't stop me now) 'Cause I'm having a good time
(Don't stop me now) Yes, I'm havin' a good time
I don't want to stop at all, yeah
I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars
On a collision course
I am a satellite, I'm out of control
I am a sex machine, ready to reload
Like an atom bomb
About to oh, oh, oh, oh, oh explode!" Shadow stared at Sonic. He completely forgot what he was supposed to be doing, only being completely drawn in by Sonic's singing. The way he played the guitar perfectly, sung with such ease and danced around the stage made Shadow's heart stutter.

All the sound cancelled out his ears and the room faded, leaving just Sonic and Shadow. Sonic continued singing, but Shadow couldn't hear. He was hyperfocused on Sonic.

The song eventually came to an end, without Shadow realising. He snapped back to reality and began cheering. Sonic bowed, wiping sweat off his forehead. His gaze turned to Shadow and the room faded once again, this time leaving Sonic aware and only focused on Shadow.

Sonic smirked and winked at Shadow before turning back to the crowd. "Thank you so much everyone! Now, here's for my next song!!" And the crowd errupted into cheers and screams once again.

~★🎸🎤★~

"You did great Shadow." Amy began, tapping her pen against her clipboard. "I especially love the moment when you zoned out and enjoyed the music. That was great improvisation of you. We've decided to change the movie a bit and add Sonic as a key character for the plot so you'll be working with him for the next couple of months." Amy finished, smiling at Shadow; who just responded with wide eyes and a shocked nod.

Amy handed Shadow a new script, one improved and with lines for Sonic. Turns out, Sonic and Shadow's characters were going to get romantically involved. Shadow blushed slightly as he read over some of the scenes that were going to take place.

At that moment, the door burst open and Sonic ran in. His eyes were wide with almost fear and he was panting heavily.

"Sonic? Is everything okay?" Amy asked him. He shook his head and looked back at the door.

"No! I just got bombarded by all the extras about my performance! They started chasing me!" Sonic said in a panicked worry.

Shadow didn't know what got over him. He didn't know why he did it. But he put a hand on Sonic's shoulder, his expression softening. "Listen, Sonic. We want this experience to be the best for you. I'm very sorry this has all happened, you're clearly stressed about it. I'll go talk to them."

Sonic looked up at Shadow. And then it happened again. It felt as if it were just the two hedgehogs in the room, no Amy, just them. Sonic really took the time to take in Shadow's features. He had black quills with red highlights, a very muscular build which was highlighted by the tight shirt clung to his chest, he had two small silver snake bite piercings on his bottom lip and a singular ear piercing. His eyes shone against the light like rubies, glowing as if magic or enchanted. Sonic let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

They stared at eachother for a moment longer. Rubies locking with emeralds. Sonic couldn't help but feel slight heat travel through his body. He was going to be working with Shadow for the next few months.

And he couldn't help but already have a fucking crush on him.

Chapter Text

It was their first day on set together. Skimming through the script, Shadow had spotted this would be his and Sonic's characters' first interaction.

"Alright Shadow!" Amy began, walking into the room. "I've got you a costume manager, meet Rouge." As she finished her sentence, the door opened and revealed a sassy white bat.

"Hey, darling~" the white bat purred. "The name's Rouge, Rouge The Bat~" her voice was laced with sass and teasing. She wore a black tube top with matching black shorts which revealed her thighs. Her neck was decorated with multiple necklaces, sunglasses resting atop her forehead and black high heels.

"Hello, Rouge." Shadow spoke, keeping his usual nonchalant tone. Rouge smirked at him and motioned him towards a different part of the set.

"Follow me, hun. Let's get your outfit sorted out~" she walked towards a large door, her heels clicking as she did so. Shadow sighed and followed her.

What he didn't expect to see on the other side of the door when he opened it was Sonic shirtless.

Shadow blushed deeply. He just saw Sonic shirtless. Fucking shirtless.

He slammed the door before Sonic could notice him and flattened his ears with his hands.

He just saw Sonic shirtless. And he loved it. He loved the shape of his body, his chest, his muscular tones, his-

No. Stop.

Shadow tried to calm his blush before turning around and walking back into the room. This time, Sonic had a shirt on. But Shadow couldn't get the memory out of his head. How could he?

"Oh hey Shads!" Sonic beamed. The nickname slipped past his lips before he realised, and Shadow froze.

"Pardon?" He asked, slightly flustered. He hadn't expected the nickname. And now all his thoughts were filled with fantasies about Sonic calling him the name.

"Ah- sorry Shadow! I-It slipped I sw-"

"It's fine, Sonic. I don't mind you calling me that." Sonic blushed at this remark. He chuckled nervously and turned away.

"Okay Shadow!" Rouge began, walking over. "Your outfit for the upcoming scene is simple. You'll be wearing a white shirt and black ripped jeans, adorned with black lace up boots and some jewellery. The scene will be filmed in the 'rain' so I thought getting a white shirt wet will get your fans all riled up~" Rouge finished with a wink.

Shadow nodded and took the clothes, slipping behind the curtain to change.

~★🎸🎤★~

"Action!" The cameraman called. Shadow began running through the 'rain'. He knocked into a random pedestrian.

"Watch where you- Arthur?" Shadow asked. 'Arthur' was Sonic's character's name.

"Oh hey there! I saw you at my concert earlier, you enjoy?" Arthur asked. Shadow nodded.

'Okay, this is running smoothly.' Shadow thought.

"What's your name by the way?" Arthur asked.

"Lancelot." This was Shadow's character's name. They seemed to be based off the ancient tale of Camelot; the names being from the king and his knight.

"Well hello there Lance~" Arthur said, nudging into Lancelot's arm. Lancelot simply scoffed and pushed his arm away.

"What do you want Arthur." This was more of a statement than a question, more of a demand for an answer.

"Oh, just a little something~" Arthur purred. His character was seemingly flirty. "All I need is a favour~"

"Which is what." Lancelot growled. This was yet another demand for an answer.

"I need you to help me get rich!" Arthur grabbed Lancelot's arm, to which he shoved it away and growled.

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?!"

"Commit a few crimes with me~" Arthur purred yet again, his voice was low and dangerous. Shadow gulped, not Lancelot, Shadow.

"Fine...but only for a cost." Lancelot inched closer, not to build intimacy, to build fear. Arthur smirked, leaning in.

"Which is?"

"Be my fake partner."

~★🎸🎤★~

"Perfect!" Amy exclaimed, jumping up and down. "The scene was perfect! I can't believe how good of an actor Sonic is! And the way you were so stoic and nonchalant during all of that! Gosh Shadow I'm so proud of you!" Shadow couldn't help but crack a slight smile.

"Thank you, Rose. I appreciate it." Shadow spoke softly.

Then, the door flew open. A green tenrec walked in.

"What's up bitches!" She yelled, her voice growly yet smooth; like a feminine version of Shadow's.

"Surge!" Amy exclaimed, pulling her into a hug to which the tenrec returned.

"Hey, Rose." Surge replied.

"Who's this?" Shadow asked, gesturing towards Surge.

"Ah! This is Surge! Surge The Tenrec! She's on the editing team!" Amy beamed. Shadow looked over at Surge. She was green with her quills pinned up in a ponytail, she was loud and energetic yet she had quite a calm demeanor to her. She wore black jeans, a white leather jacket adorned with a dark green tube top and white high heel boots.

"Hey, you're Shadow right?" Surge asked. Shadow nodded, arms crossed. "It's nice to meet you in person! It's such an honour working on the same set as you, I love your movies!"

"Thank you, Surge. I appreciate your support." Surge nodded, a smile forming on her face.

"We best go off. Surge and I have a reservation at a restaurant!" Amy excitedly said, practically vibrating on the spot. Surge laughed sweetly and dragged her out the door.

~★🎸🎤★~

It was June, pride month. And what was Shadow doing? Looking at updates of his new favourite band. Sonic had recently posted on Instagram, so Shadow was reading the post.

It consisted of the other two members of The Odyssey: Knuckles and Silver. They were all dressed up for pride month, embracing their sexualities.

Silver's eyes were adorned with the colours of the gay flag, Knuckles holding an ally flag to show his support for the LGBTQ+ community. But Sonic? His eyes were decorated with the colours of the bisexual flag and was holding the transgender flag behind him. He had his shirt unzipped, which clearly showed two top surgery scars. How had Shadow not noticed them before?

The title of the post read 'Happy Pride Month everybody! Me and the gang are preparing for our special pride concert coming later this month. Ticket sales in 3 hours <3' with a link to the sale.

Shadow clicked the link, which brought up a website to The Odyssey's tickets. The sale opened in 5 minutes, so Shadow smiled to himself and waited in the queue.

When the sale opened, he was only 123rd in the line. That wasn't too bad for him. He set his phone down on his desk and continued looking through Sonic's Instagram on his laptop.

As he scrolled, he paused on one specific post. It was Sonic in a special outfit for a limited show. He wore a golden, short skirt with a matching shirt. Shadow blushed again and quickly closed the tab. Fuck him and his stupid thoughts about Sonic.

He glanced over at his phone which now presented that the queue had moved forward and that his turn was coming soon. He scooped it up and waited patiently until it was his turn.

Then he booked the tickets.

~★🎸🎤★~

Shadow sat in his favourite cafe, a burning black coffee in his hands. He gently sipped it, enjoying the calm of his surroundings.

The cafe door opened, which Shadow wouldn't have taken any mind to if it wasn't none other than Sonic The Hedgehog entering the cafe.

The way he so calmly talked with the staff, the way he waited for his order, the way he thanked the staff and turned to walk out. But before that, he spotted Shadow staring. His expression softened and he walked over.

"Heya Shads! What ya got there?" He asked, sliding into the chair opposite Shadow.

"Just a black coffee." He replied simply, running his finger along the edge of the mug.

"Black? No sugar? No milk? No-"

"Just black. Nothing else." Shadow interrupted. Sonic nodded. "What about you? What do you have?"

"Iced coffee." He said, smiling and taking a sip. Shadow took note of his order.

"What brings you here?" Shadow asked Sonic.

"Well, one of my friend's boyfriend works here! I planned to come see him but I don't know where he is."

"Which friend?" Shadow asked curiously, leaning into the conversation.

"Silver. He's dating Espio, who should be here somewhere but he's probably out the back." Sonic replied, taking another sip. Shadow nodded, keeping his hands clasped around his cup.

"Say Shadow, why don't we get to know each other a little?" Sonic asked, his voice lightly dipped with nervousness.

"Well, I didn't grow up here. I was raised on the Space Colony ARK, created by Professor Gerald Robotnik. Unfortunately a few years after my creation, G.U.N. invaded the ARK and wiped out everything within it. I was the only thing to survive, but I was put into stasis for 50 years." Shadow concluded, hands clutching his cup tighter as memories were brought back. Sonic's eyes widened slightly.

"Wow... I'm so sorry." Sonic said, a sorrowful look in his eyes. Shadow hummed, showing his gratitude.

"My backstory isn't much better. I don't really remember much of it. I remember being raised at the age of 5 by a close friend because well...I lost my family in a fire..." Sonic's voice slowly trailed off and Shadow's eyes widened.

"I...am sorry Sonic. You didn't deserve that." Shadow spoke softly, in an attempt to comfort.

"It's okay Shadow, I'm just glad I'm able to tell you. You're an awesome friend after all." Sonic spoke sweetly and innocently.

Shadow wasn't sure why, but he felt a pang of emotion in his chest. Jealousy almost. Almost anger. The word friends hit him like a brick.

"Yeah...good friends."

Chapter Text

sonic.xxxx started following you. [Friends]

That was the notification Shadow woke up to. Sonic had followed him back on Instagram. He raised an eyebrow, deciding to ignore it.

Atleast he would've ignored it if he didn't get added to a groupchat with basically everyone.

Sonic added Rouge, Amy, Surge and 4 more.

Sonic: Hey guys! There's a fireworks show at 10pm tonight and I think it would be cool if we all went!

Rouge: Sounds fun Blue. Me and Knuckles will be there

Surge: Amy isn't awake yet but we'll be there

Espio: I can for sure be there.

Silver: ME TOO!!

Blaze: I can also come.

Shadow didn't reply. He just scoffed. A fireworks show? The places where you eat junk food and watch colours pop into the sky? What's the fun in that?

He simply reacted to Sonic's message with a thumbs up, signalling he'd be there.

Sonic: Great! I'll send you all the address! Be there and LOOK NICE :)

Shadow smiled at the last message sent by Sonic. But it quickly faltered as he remembered what had been said previously.

"You're an awesome friend after all." Sonic had said. They were just friends. They'd never be nothing more. Anger boiled in Shadow's chest as he took a deep sigh, getting up from his desk to get a coffee.

He abandoned his phone at his desk while he made his way to the kitchen. Which was probably the worst idea because when he returned with his coffee, he was met with over 100 notifications.

He opened up his Instagram to see that they were all dms from Sonic. He raised his brow as he opened it, seeing it was Sonic spamming him.

Sonic: Shadsss
Sonic: Helloooo
Sonic: Shadssss
Sonic: SHADOWWWW

*Incoming video call from Sonic.*   

Shadow tutted and placed his phone against his wall on his desk, standing it up. He then swiped right, answering the call.

"SHADOW." Sonic immediately began, an aura of energy vibrating off of him.

"What is it? What's so important that you had to spam me?" He spat, though no real bite in his voice.

"Are you coming later?" He asked, his voice sly.

"Yes I am. I thought me interacting with your message made it obvious." He sighed heavily.

"Yeah but you only gave a thumbs up. You didn't say what time you'd be there and if you were gonna come to my house after, everyone else is coming." He said, his voice dipped with softness and warmth.

"I'd probably be there at 9:30, probably will go to yours with everyone too." He said, rolling his eyes. Sonic laughed.

But this was no laugh Shadow had heard before. It was soft, inviting, welcoming, it felt like home. A laugh that could get a heart beating faster, which is what it did.

"So I'll see ya then?" Sonic asked, hope in his words.

"You will." Shadow spoke nonchalantly again, but a smile played his face. Sonic nodded.

"Okay then ima leave you be. Sorry for the spam, bye Shads!" Sonic's words were animated and bubbly. Shadow nodded before Sonic ended the call.

Then he just buried his face in his hands and groaned loudly.

                          ~★🎸🎤★~

Surge, Amy and Sonic were the first ones there. Sonic and Amy were engaged in a light conversation whilst Surge just listened, holding Amy by the waist. Then arrived Silver, Blaze and Espio. Silver and Espio had their hands linked while Blaze followed close behind. Then arrived Rouge and Knuckles, Rouge walking in as if a model and Knuckles walking beside her as if her bodyguard.

Of course, Shadow was the final one to arrive. He kept his head low, interacting with the least people he could. A dark leather jacket hugged his chest matched with a dark gray Linkin Park shirt. He kept his hands stuffed into his pockets and watched as everyone else interacted with eachother.

"Shadsssss~" a familiar voice called out. Shadow couldn't help the smile that formed on his face.

"Hello, Sonic." He spoke, his voice smooth and deep as usual.

"Heya! Glad you made it!" His words were full of excitement. He grabbed Shadow's arm and vibrated on the spot.

Shadow tensed up slightly at the touch and blushed lightly. Sonic noticed and backed away. "You not a fan of touch?"

"No no I am. I just-... it caught me off guard." Shadow spoke through a sigh. Sonic nodded and continued blabbing about everything he wished to do.

And even though some people would've found it annoying, pushed it away, ignored it. Shadow listened.

                          ~★🎸🎤★~

10 pm was approaching and everyone was sprawled out on the grass.

Amy and Surge sat hand in hand, staring up at the sky patiently. Rouge, Knuckles, Blaze, Silver and Espio were all sat in a small huddle; talking in small conversations to one another. Shadow was stood against a tree, pressing his back to it. And Sonic? Sonic was sat next to the tree; legs spread out and kicking his feet.

Shadow didn't know what to expect. Sure, he'd worked with fake fireworks on movie sets before but he had actually never encountered a real one.

He hadn't even realised everyone was counting down before they all excitedly yelled "ONE!". He stared up at the sky.

BANG

Shadow flinched, ears pinned back and eyes wide. Everyone else was enjoying this, he wasn't.

BANG

Shadow flinched again. His mind raced. Raced back to a certain thought.

                          ~★🎸🎤★~

Shadow and Maria were sat in their den made of pillows and blankets, adorned with fairy lights.

Suddenly, the alarms of the Ark began blaring. Red lights flashed in the room. Gerald ran in, panic striking him.

"We have to go."

Shadow and Maria ran down the hall, holding hands and trying not to part. There were inaudible yells from the G.U.N. soldiers behind them mixed with panicked gaps from Maria. They ran into the control room.

"Shadow! Get in the escape pod! I'll follow after you!" She yelled at him. He nodded firmly, sliding into the pod.

But instead of Maria following him, she pressed a button on the control pad. The doors slammed shut, leaving Shadow trapped in the escape pod.

"MARIA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Shadow growled, banging on the glass. G.U.N. soldiers continued to pound on the door, demanding entry.

"Shadow... I'm sorry..." Maria spoke softly. "Do it for me... for them.... for all the people on that planet... protect them. Be a hero."

"MARIA! GET IN HERE!" He yelled. A G.U.N. soldier broke through the door.

"Sayonara, Shadow... the hedgehog..." Shadow shut his eyes tight and a loud bang rang within the room. His eyes snapped open to be faced with Maria, putting her weight against the control pannel with blood dripping from her stomach.

She smiled one last time before pulling the lever. "MARIA!" Shadow yelled up.

But it was too late.

                          ~★🎸🎤★~

Shadow was breathing heavily, hyperventilating. His vision blurred and with every bang of the fireworks caused it to worsen. He bought his hand up to his quills, pulling on them hard.

Sonic heard the sound of Shadow's breathing and turned his head around to see Shadow panicking.

"Shadow?! Shads?! Hey...Shadow can you hear me?!" Sonic shot up, noticing this was a real situation.

All Shadow could hear was the ringing of his ears and the bangs of the fireworks. Sonic stood up rapidly, grabbing Shadow's hands away from his quills.

"Hey no... don't do that...Shadow look at me." Sonic grabbed Shadow by the chin and lifted his head up to look at Sonic. "Breathe with me okay...in....out..." Sonic breathed slowly.

Eventually, Shadow's breathing slowed. He had calmed down and yet Sonic's hand still lay on his chin. Shadow gulped, out of pure nervousness, embarrassment and flusteredness.

"I...am sorry Sonic. That you had to see me like this." Shadow looked behind Sonic, seeing that the sky had died down at last.

"Hey... it's okay... come, let's go somewhere quiter." He moved his hand from Shadow's chin to Shadow's hand.

Shadow smiled, wide. Wider than he had in a while and nodded. Sonic smiled back and dragged him away from all the noise.

                          ~★🎸🎤★~

They approached a bench by a lake, far enough from chaos but close enough to not get lost. Sonic the whole way was talking to Shadow; song ideas, the movie they work on and Sonic's general music taste. That topic came up when Sonic pointed out Shadow's shirt and went on an endless rant about other bands he likes.

They both sat down on the bench, still hand in hand. Sonic had tried to push Shadow to explain his panic attack but Shadow brushed it off and insisted nothing was wrong.

"Shadow...even if you won't tell me, know I'm always here for you. You're worth loving, worth being cared for. And I hate to see you in so much pain like that." Sonic spoke gently, rubbing his thumb across Shadow's knuckle gently.

Shadow looked away, blushing. He ignored his thoughts, ignored his urges to kiss Sonic, ignored everything. He focused on the moment.

The moment lasted forever. Shadow turned back to look at Sonic. And as soon as that happened everything else faded. It felt like that moment when Sonic sang, it was just them. Sonic parted his lips slightly, staring up at Shadow's. Rubies and emeralds locked together, seeing forever in eachother.

They hadn't noticed how close they'd gotten. But to be honest? No one cared. Sonic's eyes were now half lidded and he slowly inched closer.

"Shadow..." Sonic whispered. "Can I..."

He didn't even have to finish his sentence before Shadow whispered back. "You may."

It didn't take long before Sonic crashed his lips into Shadow's. Shadow groaned at the touch and kissed back, arms snaking around Sonic's waist. Sonic's arms hung loosely around Shadow's neck as he kissed deeper.

Shadow pushed Sonic down against the bench, laying him down so Shadow was on top. He dived back in for another kiss.

Their lips slotted together effortlessly, fangs scraping, lips brushing, tongues dancing. They made out as if the world was ending right there and then.

"Sonic and Shado-ohhhhh.... Oh! Oh~" Rouge walked over, smirking. Shadow shot up off of Sonic and glared at her.

"What." He spat, still on top of Sonic.

"We're all done here. We're going to Sonic's now." Rouge smirked.

"Fine." Shadow sighed, lifting himself off of Sonic.

"Wowza..." Sonic lifted a finger to his lips where Shadow's just were.

They'd definitely be doing that again.

                          ~★🎸🎤★~

As the group entered Sonic's house, Sonic immediately grabbed Shadow's hand and pulled him to the kitchen.

"Fancy a shot?!" He asked, pulling a bottle of vodka from the cupboard. Shadow simply nodded sharply. He could use some alcohol right now.

Sonic grabbed two shot glasses from the cupboard and filled both up to the top. He slid one over to Shadow, downing his own and refilling it. Shadow downed his also, sliding it back to Sonic for a refill.

They both drank until the bottle was empty. Sonic was heavily drunk, as well as Shadow. They both slumped their way to Sonic's living room where everyone else was having their own share of a bottle of alcohol.

"Guys! Let's play seven minutes in heaven!" Silver's words slurred as he spoke.

"Yes we should!" Surge exclaimed, grabbing their empty bottle and sliding it into the middle of the floor. "Everyone circle 'round!"

                          ~★🎸🎤★~

Sonic picked up the bottle and spun it fast. Everyone watched eagerly as it slowed and landed on...Shadow.

"Well well well handsome~" Sonic purred as he stood up, extending his hand to pull Shadow up.

"Shut up faker. Just get your ass in the closet." Shadow grumbled. Sonic laughed, full of energy as he made his way to the closet.

The two hedgehogs shut the door and stared at eachother. It didn't take long for them to crash into eachother for a passionate kiss. Their tongues blended together and Shadow pinned Sonic to the wall.

Shadow's mouth moved from Sonic's mouth to his cheek, trailing hot open mouthed kisses to his neck and biting; creating a love bite that'll be obvious to anyone who even only glanced.

"F-fuck..." Sonic huffed. The small space quickly warmed up with the heat that radiated between the two. Shadow smiled against Sonic's neck, creating another hickey.

"Enjoying this?~" He asked. Sonic nodded frantically.

"Very much." Shadow simply chuckled and continued to kiss Sonic heavily.

And the rest of that night was history.

Chapter Text

The next morning, everyone was hungover. Rouge, Amy and Surge were all huddled up on the couch sleeping. Silver, Espio and Blaze were all sprawled across the carpet; also sleeping. Knuckles was awake, but struggling with a pounding headache.

Though Sonic and Shadow? The two were awake, little to no sleep and in Sonic's room talking about anything and everything.

That was all going well until Sonic received a notification.

"One sec Shads!" He said, picking up his phone. His smile dropped faster than it appeared.

"Sonic?" Shadow asked, resting his hand on Sonic's shoulder.

"I- I-"... Sonic frantically scrolled through his phone, eyes darting across the screen.

"Sonic?! What's wrong?" Shadow asked, more concern flashing his voice.

"I haven't been keeping track of the comments on our pride post and there's alot of ones pointed towards me.." Sonic sighed. He glanced again at the top comment.

"No one told us Sonic was a fa-"

"Sonic. Listen to me." Shadow grabbed Sonic's wrist. "Don't listen to those people. They're homophobic because they don't know any better. You're an amazing person, truly. If they met you and really got to know you, I can guarantee they wouldn't say the same things as they did before."

"This isn't the first time this has happened I-...allow me to elaborate on my past."

                          ~★🎸🎤★~

Sonic's parents had died when he was only five years old. Unfortunately, they had passed away in a fire that was set by none other than the very person that took Sonic in...

This very person was a green hawk, Jet.

Sonic had been struggling with his identity ever since he was 8. He didn't feel right wearing dresses, he hated having longer quills and he didn't like it when he was made to play dolls.

One day, in exploring his identity, he finally found the right term that fit him. Transgender. He was only 11, so someone that young was expected to have no idea what they were talking about.

But Sonic? Sonic knew. He was so eager to try and get to the way he wanted himself to be. But when it came to telling Jet, he was nervous.

"Heyy uhh....d- I mean Jet?" Sonic asked nervously?

"Yes, Darla?" Jet responded. Darla was Sonic's deadname and he hated it.

"I uhm... have to talk to you.." He spoke nervously, his voice was small and quiet. "About something important..."

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?" The hawk growled.

"I... Do you know what it means to...I... I-I'm trans...?" Sonic whispered out.

"....what." Jet said, his head snapping around. Sonic recoiled in fear.

"I-I thought I should tell you. I don't want you calling me Darla anymore and I don't wanna wear skirts." He said firmly and confidently.

Jet's eyes narrowed as he walked over to Sonic with anger. "Are you serious right now?! You're one of those sick little fucks?!"

"I-...no! They're not sick! They're just different." Sonic defended.

"Don't speak to me like that." Jet growled and he raised his hand. "You're not trans. You can't be."

"Jet I-"

SLAP

                           ~★🎸🎤★~

"And that's basically my past...so uhm...yeah..." Sonic sighed. He hated talking about it, but it was time Shadow knew.

"Sonic... I'm so sorry.." Shadow eyes were shut tightly as he pulled Sonic into an embrace. "I wish I could do something, really."

"What's done is done, it's in the past now. We can only focus on the future." Sonic's sentence ended with a smile, making Shadow feel more secure.

"If anything is ever wrong, please talk to me." Shadow's words were stern and certain.

"I promise." Sonic nodded, linking his pinky with Shadow's. "Now come on, I'm sure the others are up by now."

And that they were. Most of them were curled up together on Sonic's couch, watching Kpop Demon Hunters. Knuckles and Rouge on the other hand had left.

"Rouge and Knuckles headed home to clean up." Espio said calmly, crossing his arms while staring at the screen that played Soda Pop. Amy and Silver were singing together, almost screaming their hearts out.

"How are you two not horribly hungover?" Surge growled, grabbing her head tightly.

"Not even sure." Blaze grumbled, also holding her head tighter.

"You guys look rough. And seriously...Kpop Demon Hunters? You do know it's like 1 pm?" Sonic asked, pointing at the clock on the wall.

"YES BUT THIS IS SO IMPORTANT! BLAZE AND ESPIO HAVE NEVER SEEN IT!" Amy screamed back, linking hands with Silver.

Shadow just sighed. "We may as well watch it with them. What else do we have to do?" Shadow asked. Sonic groaned in defeat and sat infront of the couch. Shadow sat next to him, staring at the tv screen infront of them.

During the whole movie, Amy and Silver sang every song as loud as they could. At one point, Sonic even joined in.

And although it was the second time Shadow heard Sonic's singing in person, he couldn't help the blush that made its way onto his face. He attempted to cover it with his hand but Espio noticed and silently teased him about it.

Honestly, Shadow couldn't help himself. He had always blushed at the thought of romance, even when he and Maria talked about it together on the ark.

                         ~★🎸🎤★~

"I hope to one day find my prince charming...do you believe so Shadow?" Maria asked. Shadow blushed, the topic of romance had come up again.

"Yes, Maria. When you get better, when we return to Earth, you will find the right person for you." Shadow spoke truthfully, looking into his sister's eyes.

"And I'm sure you'll one day find your princess Shadow!" Maria smiled warmly. She was pale with sickness but she still had all her energy to her.

"Maria...can...two princes like eachother?" He asked, feeling embarrassed and ashamed to ask the question.

"Of course they can Shadow! And if you want a prince charming too, you can have one!" She beamed excitedly, holding Shadow's hands within her own.

"That would be nice." Shadow smiled back.

                         ~★🎸🎤★~

"SONIC PLEASE SING WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE WITH US!!" Amy screamed at Sonic. He rolled his eyes playfully, standing up and grabbing Amy and Silver by the hands.

"I'M RUMI!" He exclaimed, stepping forward to begin his part.

"I'm Zoey!!" Silver giggled. Amy nodded and looked forward, giving Sonic the spotlight.

As Sonic began to sing, Shadow blushed harder. There was something about how gentle Sonic's singing voice was for certain songs. If you heard Sonic singing other songs he liked, such as For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica or In The End by Linkin Park, you'd hear the difference within his voice.

Sonic's vocal range was spectacular. He could growl while singing, his voice could be raspy at times but he could also sing gentle songs and high notes.

Shadow adored this about Sonic. His skill was truly astonishing. Shadow blushed again at the fantasies that raced his mind.

"I broke into a million pieces and I can't go back!" Sonic sang, even growling a few words to make it his own. "But now I'm seeing all the beauty in the broken glass! The scars are part of me." When he said his, he ran his hand along his chest to symbolise his top surgery scars.

"You've fallen deep for him." Blaze spoke calmly.

"What?!" Shadow asked, snapping his head to look at Blaze.

"I see the way you stare at Sonic, anyone can. You're deeply in love with him." She smirked. Shadow groaned, flustered.

"Yes. Yes I have. What about it? What's so bad that I've found someone that I finally love and trust enough to tell them anything...when I can bring myself to... And what's so bad about it being Sonic?!" Shadow defended.

"This is exactly what I mean. You'd defend him with your life, and that's a good thing. You're a good person Shadow, I know you are. Just don't let fame get between you two, okay?" Blaze asked. Shadow only nodded.

Shadow looked back at the screen to be faced with Jinu dying trying to protect Rumi. His mind raced back to that certain memory again...

He hadn't realised it, but he had spaced out. All he could think of was Maria's last words and the gunshot that rang within his head. His ears were pinned to the back of his head and his breathing was hollow.

"Shadow? Shads?" Sonic asked, kneeling on one knee and tapping his shoulder. "Shadow?! Earth to Shadow? Shadow to Earth?" Sonic shook Shadow.

"Huh? What? Oh, sorry." He replied, ears perking up as he came back to reality. Sonic frowned, he knew something was wrong but he couldn't figure out what.

Later that day, after most had left, Sonic and Shadow were left together in the kitchen. "Shadow, please talk to me." Sonic started gently.

When people asked about Shadow's past, he'd usually snap. But he tried his best to stay calm "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Shadow you know." Sonic became more firm. "That night, at the fireworks show, you had a panic attack. And earlier today, you zoned out. What's going on?"

"Nothing is going on Sonic, drop it." Shadow turned around, going to leave the room. But Sonic stopped him, grabbing him by the wrist.

"Please just talk to me! I opened up to you earlier, can't you do the same for me?!" He practically pleaded. Shadow's facial expression softened slightly.

"Many years ago...on the ark. I had a friend, a sister. Her name was Maria, Maria Robotnik. She was.... everything to me. But everything went wrong. G.U.N. knew of what I was capable of...and tried to take me from Dr. Gerald Robotnik. Me and Maria were supposed to escape...but her life was taken by G.U.N... The only living thing that made it out that day was me." Shadow teared up slightly at his explanation, sitting on the counter and burying his head in his hands.

The look Sonic's face played was worried. He knew this would've been very traumatic for Shadow, watching his best friend die.

Since Shadow was sitting on the counter, he gave Shadow a hug; standing between his legs. Shadow smiled softly and hugged Sonic back.

Their friendship had evolved, and a relationship had begun.

Chapter Text

Shadow walked into the recording studio. Different members on different teams greeted him, waving at him, nodding towards him, showing general gratitude.

He smiled as he opened the door to his private room; a star on the door reading "Shadow The Hedgehog". He glanced at his desk to find a coffee cup with a sticky note attached to it.

'Heya Shads!!
I got you some coffee!! :)
Enjoy!! <3'

Shadow blushed as he read the note and pressed it warmly against his chest. He took a sip from the coffee. Black, bland. Just how he liked it.

After finishing the cup, he scrunched it up with his fist and shoved it into his bin. He stuck the note from Sonic to his mirror and smiled.

He grabbed his clothes to change into and faced his mirror. He yanked his shirt off his head and just stared at himself in the mirror.

He grimaced. He didn't like himself. He blamed himself for Maria's death. It was his fault. How Sonic liked him was a wonder to him. He ran his hand gently along his arm, his eyes only looking at the mirror in front of him. Faint, white scars painted his arms. He had done it ages ago, but they never left. He had wished they'd leave.

Thankfully, no one had ever noticed before. Not all the times he'd been on tv, never. But that didn't stop people who were getting closer to him to notice. Soon enough, they'd all notice. He couldn't hide it for long.

He just scoffed and yanked the jacket over his head, zipping it up. He took one last glance at himself in the mirror before leaving the room.

~★🎸🎤★~

"ACTION!"

Arthur and Lancelot walked down a street together. Their aim? To keep a low profile. Lancelot had his hood pulled above his head and stared at the ground.

On the other hand, Arthur did not keep a low profile. He kept his head high and interacted with everyone.

"Arthur." Lancelot hissed.

"What?" Arthur asked, smirking.

"You know what you're doing. We're here to commit a crime, not to blow our cover within seconds." He bit at Arthur.

"I'm not blowing our cover Lance~" Arthur purred. "I'm helping us make allies~"

"The only ally we're making is the cops unless you pull your shit together." He growled.

"Fine fine. Gosh you're NO fun when we're on a mission." Arthur rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and slouching his walk.

~★🎸🎤★~

SMASH

The glass surrounding the diamond was smashed by Lancelot's bare fist. He lifted it slowly and grasped it in his palm.

"Uhmmm...Lance?" Arthur asked nervously, eyes darting around and gulping.

"What is it?!" Lancelot asked, snapping around. But he didn't have to wait for a response.

As he turned around, he was met with hundreds of lasers pointing directly at them.

"Fuck." Lancelot muttered. "I hope you're good at dodging."

"Good at what now?" Arthur asked nervously. Suddenly, the lasers turned blazing hot and started chasing the two hedgehogs.

Lancelot easily jumped into a flip, dodging it. Whereas Arthur was unprepared and a laser grazed his arm. He hissed in pain.

"CUT!" The cameraman yelled.

Makeup artists began working on putting fake blood on Sonic's arm. Shadow just stood to the side, patiently waiting.

"Shadow!" Amy yelled, running over.

"Rose? Something wrong?" Shadow asked, tilting his head.

"Not at all!" Amy smiled. "I wanted to tell you how EXCELLENT you're both doing!! And just to remind you about your next scene~"

Shadow blushed. Right. That'd be eventful. "Right, thanks Ames for the reminder."

"Of course, now get back to filming!!" She beamed. Shadow nodded at her, waving her a small goodbye.

"EVERYBODY BACK ON SET! 3...2...1... AAAAAND ACTION!"

Lancelot's head snapped around to look at Arthur and his eyes widened.

"ARTHUR!" Lancelot yelled. "Shit!"

He continued to dodge lasers, hopping over them. He kicked a few sensors, disabling them. He growled, the sound rumbling from deep within his throat.

He managed to make his way past all the lasers whilst Arthur just managed to get out of harm's way. Lancelot slammed his fist into the keypad, disabling all the lasers.

He ran over to Arthur, scooping him up bridal style and running back out. "Hold tight, Arthur." Lancelot spoke.

Arthur just nodded and blushed. This was a genuine blush, one from Sonic. Lancelot's eyes were focused as he focused on running to a space where no one else was.

He stopped in an alleyway, placing Arthur against the wall. He ripped the arm off his jacket and tied it tightly around Arthur's wound, keeping pressure pressed down.

"Are you alright, Arthur?" Lancelot asked, genuine worry in his voice.

"Yes... I'll be just fine. The wound isn't all that deep. Are you okay?" Arthur asked, also concern flashing his words.

"Who cares?" Lancelot asked, scoffing.

"I do!" Arthur grabbed the sides of Lancelot's face and pulled him into a long kiss.

Lancelot's eyes widened before they immediately softened and he melted into the kiss. He laid his hand on the wall next to Arthur's head and deepened the kiss.

Their lips slotted together as if they belonged together. As if the lips were made to be together.

They were in the moment and-

"CUT! Perfect! That's all we need for now guys! Take 5!" The cameraman yelled.

Sonic and Shadow pulled away reluctantly. And Sonic's eyes immediately melted into worry.

"Shadow." Sonic began, his eyes darted to Shadow's arm. Before Sonic could continue, a flash of red distracted him. Shadow chaos controlled away.

~★🎸🎤★~

Shadow chaos controlled to his room and locked the door. He stared at himself in the large mirror in front of him, feeling his breathing pick up.

He slammed his fist into the mirror as hard as he could. It shattered and cut his knuckles. He recoiled his hand back in pain and stared at the now shattered mirror in front of him.

He grabbed onto his quills tightly and pulled. A habit he had when he was stressed. He yanked his hands out quills, pulling a few out with it.

He slammed his hands against the desk laying there. How did it end up like this? This is exactly what he feared. How could he let it happen?

"SHADOW OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR NOW!" Sonic's fist pounded against the door. Not with anger, with worry.

But Shadow thought differently. Hot tears filled his eyes as he slammed his back against the door and slid down into a sit.

"I'M SORRY." He yelled out. He covered his ears with his hands and sobbed into his knees.

The last Shadow remembered was his vision going black.

~★🎸🎤★~

When Shadow opened his eyes, he was laying on the couch in the lobby. Sonic was panicking; shouting at someone, pointing towards Shadow. Amy was sitting on a chair opposite Shadow. When he sat up, she jumped up and went over to him.

"Shadow?! Are you okay?!" She asked worriedly.

"I-...I don't actually know..." He sighed. His hands were bandaged up and his head pounded.

Amy simply nodded. Sonic's muffled yelling could still be heard. As soon as he was done, he ran over to Shadow and pulled him into a tight hug. Tears ran down his muzzle.

"SHADOW!" Sonic yelled. "YOU SCARED THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF ME! Are you okay?!" He asked.

Amy cut in before Shadow could answer. "He doesn't know what he's feeling right now. Maybe some comfort would be appreciated."

Sonic kissed Shadow's cheek and held both hands within his own. "I think you had a major mental breakdown." Sonic whispered at Shadow. He just nodded.

"I was scared." Shadow said quietly.

"You know I won't judge you ever." Sonic's hand moved up to Shadow's muzzle and caressed it gently. "Please talk to me...what was all that?"

"From a while ago. From when I blamed myself for Ma-" Shadow cut himself off. Tears filled his eyes again. "I'm sorry."

"Hey hey... it's okay...but I think....we might need to get you therapy Shadow." Sonic suggested softly. Shadow's eyes widened and he shook his head frantically.

"No." Shadow replied sternly.

"Come on Shadow please... it'll be good for y-"

"NO." He yelled. He noticed all eyes on him again. He'd made an embarrassment out of himself, he thought. He was supposed to be brave, to be strong.

"Shadow please. I can go with you, to help you, to support you. But you need something." Sonic whispered with genuine worry. His muzzle was stained with tears and fear.

"I-...okay.." Shadow sighed, closing his eyes.

"Thank you Shadow..." Sonic kissed his cheek.

And although that was resolved, there was still much more bottled deep down within Sonic.

~★🎸🎤★~

After everyone had left the recording studio, Sonic had escorted Shadow home. He wanted to stay with Shadow but he wished for time alone, whether that was good or bad.

That meant Sonic was left to walk home alone in the dark, his hands stuffed into his pockets. A heavy weight of the day rested on his shoulders, he felt responsible for everything.

He wasn't looking where he was going and accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh I'm so-...Jet?"

"Darla?! What the fuck are you doing?!" Jet growled, grabbing Sonic's hoodie.

"Get the FUCK off me!" He pushed Jet off of him.

"You look like shit." Jet spat.

"I AM SHIT!" Sonic fought back. "I've been through fuck all since you!" He shoved his finger into Jet's chest as hard as he could. Jet stumbled back.

"Holy moly Darla....calm your shit." Jet spoke, pushing Sonic down.

"Nothing is calm around you, you pathetic bird." Jet growled and slammed Sonic into a nearby brick wall. His head hit the brick and a trail of blood fell down his face.

"Listen here you little shit." Jet hissed, venom dripping his words. "You still belong to me. I raised you, you are what you are because of ME. Just because you don't live with me anymore doesn't mean I can't control you. Stay in your fucking place, you transgender little-"

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" A voice spoke. Jet turned around to be met with Silver.

"Silver! Help!" Sonic called out. Silver nodded and ripped Jet off of him.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Jet growled.

"Silver. Silver The Hedgehog. And Sonic's best friend." Silver defended.

"Sonic? That's the name you chose? Fucking Sonic?!" Jet's head snapped towards Sonic.

"Think fuck about it Jet." Sonic spat back.

"Whatever." Jet finally lost his shit and walked away.

All of today's feelings came crashing down on Sonic and he just burst into tears. He clutched onto Silver and sobbed.

Silver didn't blame him. He knew Sonic had it hard. He just comforted him and walked him back to their shared apartment.

Being famous was too hard.

Chapter Text

It had now been 3 weeks since Shadow's mental breakdown. He had been going to therapy every other day with a therapist called Dr Vanilla.

"Thank you for telling me Shadow. That is our time over for today." She speaks sweetly, smiling warmly at Shadow. Shadow smiles back and nods.

"Yes, thank you Dr Vanilla. Have a good day and I'll see you on Monday." Shadow speaks, waving at his therapist before exiting her room.

The last thing he expected to find in the waiting room was none other than Sonic. His leg was bouncing with anxiety and he was biting his lower lip. A yellow kitsune fox walked out of a room which made Sonic stand up and walk over to him.

The door shut behind them, but he could see Sonic's outline through the blurred glass. He was shaking, crying it looked like. And it crushed Shadow. Sonic was also struggling? Why hadn't he said anything?

Shadow pulled out his phone, noticing a dm from none other than Sonic's best friend Silver. His profile picture was a very unattractive 0.5x of him eating, making Shadow chuckle.

Silver: Shadow can you check up on Sonic? He booked an emergency meeting with his therapist today which he hasn't done in months. I'm worried about him but he trusts you more than me :)

Shadow's brows furrowed. Sonic wasn't okay. He texted Silver back with a brief thumbs up before grabbing his headphones and putting on his playlist to listen to when he feels down.

The song that played was The Chosen One by Sonic. Not the remaster with all of The Odyssey, just Sonic. Sonic wrote it when he got kicked out at 16 (therefore he hadn't been on testosterone yet and had a feminine voice) and needed money. In playing it on the streets, Silver found him and bought him in. They then released their music on YouTube which attracted millions, making them rise to be a popular band.

Shadow closed his eyes and began to head home. As he walked he listened closely to the lyrics, analyzing them.

"Wish I may, wish I might...be someone else tonight.... Sometimes I wish I was never born at all..." The way Sonic's voice sounded so hurt in the recording broke him every time. He was an innocent kid who just wanted acceptance.

Shadow let out a deep sigh as he headed to his apartment. Once there, he opened the door.

"Smoke?" He called out. Smoke was the name of his black cat. He took off the red scarf he was wearing and threw it onto his couch.

"Smoke are you in here?" He walked deeper into his apartment. Once he reached his room, he spotted the cat asleep on his bed. He smiled.

He walked over to his bed and sat down with Smoke, petting her gently. He pulled out his phone and opened Sonic's contact.

Me: Sonic? Are you okay?

It didn't take long for Sonic to reply back to him.

Sonic: Yeah ofc I am!!!! Why Shads? :)

Me: Because I saw you at therapy today.

It showed Sonic had read his message but didn't reply. Shadow's brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed.

Something was wrong.

~★🎸🎤★~

At the recording studio, Sonic was awfully quiet. The only times he really spoke was when he was acting.

"Arthur! Keep your shit together!" Lancelot yelled as he pulled the money out of the bank's safe. Arthur just scoffed.

"It's fineee~" Arthur purred out. Lancelot's eyes narrowed.

"It's not fine! If we get caught it'll be all your fault! Pay attention." He spat out. Arthur sighed and nodded firmly.

As Lancelot finished gathering the money, his head snapped to Arthur. "Let's make a run for it."

SMASH

Lancelot smashed the large window with the bag of money, glass shards flying everywhere as the two jumped out. Alarms blared, signalling a robbery had been committed. Arthur and Lancelot ran as fast as they could, hand in hand, laughing and enjoying themselves.

They both ran to an empty parking lot, the nearest escape to their police chase. Lancelot collapsed to the floor in laughter. Arthur smirked at Lancelot laying on the floor.

Arthur's eyes softened as Lancelot just lay spread out against the concrete. "Ya know?" Arthur began, sitting down next to Lancelot. "You really are something Lance."

"Yeah yeah fuck off. I'm only helping you commit crime for money." Lancelot smirked. Arthur frowned and flicked his nose.

"We both know you're here for more~" Arthur flirted. Lancelot blushed and rolled his eyes.

"And if I am?" Lancelot dared back. Arthur's breath hitched as he looked to the side.

"Lancelot?" Arthur spoke softly. Lancelot's ear twitched, signalling he heard. "I love you."

Lancelot let out a quiet gasp as he turned to look at Arthur. He smiled softly. "I love you too, Arthur."

~★🎸🎤★~

"Sonic." Shadow called out, grabbing Sonic by the wrist. Sonic turned around and glared at Shadow.

"What?" Sonic spat. His eyes widened and he looked away. "Sorry, what's up?"

"I saw you earlier, at therapy. Silver also texted me. What's going on?" Shadow spoke with anxiety and worry.

"Did I ever tell you a few weeks ago I ran into Jet." That was more of a statement than a question. Shadow's eyes immediately softened as he realised what was going to happen.

He grabbed both of Sonic's hands and sat them both down on the couch opposite each other. Shadow motioned for Sonic to continue talking.

"I accidentally bumped into Jet...which wasn't the best. He started being really...transphobic towards me. He slammed me into a brick wall and...said some fucked up shit to me. It really affected me. I began having lots of gender dysphoria and I started hating my body and...and...it got too much..." Sonic's large emerald eyes were glistening with tears. Shadow's ruby eyes were wide with worry and anger.

"I should've let you stay with me Sonic. Maybe then, you would've at least been safe that night." Shadow spoke with regret.

"Shadow please don't blame yourself. You were having a hard day and just needed time alone." Sonic shook his head.

"Yeah but what if Jet did worse? What if Silver wasn't there? What then?" Shadow asked. Sonic stayed silent. He knew Shadow was right.

"I'm sorry." Sonic said with true regret, his leg was bouncing up and down like it was at therapy.

"No... it's okay." Shadow pulled Sonic into a tight embrace. "We're both struggling in our own ways. Maybe it's time to talk about it to each other."

"We already do?" Sonic chuckled as Shadow wiped a loose tear.

"Yes, but when it affects us instead of hiding it and letting it get too bad." Shadow flicked Sonic's nose. Sonic giggled and smiled.

"Thank you, Shadow." The words 'I love you' burned at the tip of his tongue but he didn't say them.

"Anything for you to feel okay again Sonic." Shadow leaned in and kissed Sonic, not with heat and intimacy; but passionate and filled with love.

Sonic sighed with content into Shadow's mouth as the other hedgehog grunted. They finally pulled apart, staring deep into each other's eyes.

And Shadow smiled, a full, genuine smile that made Sonic's heart stop. He was falling very deeply in love.

~★🎸🎤★~

It was the day of Sonic's concert. Shadow smiled as he checked himself in the mirror. He wore ripped black jeans with an official The Odyssey t-shirt that had a cut-look at the short sleeves. He glared at his bare arms in the mirror but decided he'd leave it. Today was a day to enjoy himself.

Sonic was preparing for the show. He wore dark black eyeliner with a loose beige t-shirt with white baggy jeans and black boots. He smiled at himself in his mirror as he did a little spin.

"You look great Sonic!" Knuckles beamed as he viewed his own outfit. He wore a black leather jacket with dark gray jeans. He turned around and smiled at Sonic.

"You also look great, Knux!!" Sonic smiled at Knuckles.

"You both look awesome!" Silver spoke as he wandered into the room with Espio. Espio nodded, agreeing with Silver. Silver wore a black tight shirt with white skinny jeans and converse. He smiled at Sonic who smiled back.

"We're gonna kill this show!" Sonic excitedly said, vibrating on the spot.

"Where's your boyfriend? Mine's here." Silver asked Sonic, pointing at Espio.

"He's not my boyfriend!... Yet!" Sonic blushed.

"Invite him!" Knuckles butted in. Sonic groaned.

"No! Just let him do whatever he's doing! He's probably busy doing something on set!" He protested.

"Whatever Sonic." Silver sighed playfully.

~★🎸🎤★~

The large hall began piling up as fans crowded around the stage ready for the concert to begin. By luck, Shadow ended up right infront of the stage. That made him smile.

As The Odyssey entered the centre, fans started screaming loud. Shadow just smiled.

"What is up Station Square!!" Sonic screamed into his mic. Fans errupted into cheers.

Sonic glanced at Silver and Knuckles who took their positions at their guitars and drums.

Sonic took a deep breath. Silver began playing the chords on the guitar as Sonic joined in for the melody.

Fans immediately recognised the song. I Am All Of Me.

"I see no, hear no evil
Black writings on the wall!
Unleashed a million faces,
Then one by one they fall!!
Black hearted evil!
Brave hearted hero!
I am all, I am all I am!!" Sonic growled into the mic, Knuckles assisting with backing vocals. The crowd screamed along.

"I...I am! Here we go buddy!
Here we go buddy!
Here we go! Here we go buddy!
Here we go!
Go ahead and try to see through me!
Do it if you dare!
One step forward, two steps back I'm here!"

"One step forward and two steps back!" Silver whispered into his microphone, though loud enough to be heard.

Here came Sonic's favourite part.

"Do it. Do it. Do it. DO IT!
Can you see all of me? Walk into my mystery!
Step inside and hold on for dear life!!
Do you remember me?
Capture you or set you free? I am all, I am all of me!" Shadow was mesmerized by Sonic's singing. He sounded spectacular. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the music.

It didn't take long for the song to end. And when it did, that's when Sonic and Shadow made eye contact. A wide smile spread across Sonic's face and his eyes softened.

"And for my next song..." Sonic spoke with a sly tone.

"I kissed the scars on his skin.
I still think you're beautiful~
And I don't ever wanna lose my best friend!
I screamed out "GOD YOU VULTURE!"
Bring him back or TAKE ME WITH HIM!" Fans, Shadow and the other members of The Odyssey noticed Sonic had changed the lyrics. Shadow blushed slightly. Was it for him?

"TEAR IT DOWN! BREAK THE BARRICADES!
I wanna see what sound it makes!
I hate this flavour with a passion and I FUCKING HATE THE AFTERTASTE!
How does it feel?
How does it feel? Well it feels like I'm on fire!
Wake up I know you can hear me..." Sonic sang with so much passion, really growling out the words with a husky voice. He kept making eye contact with Shadow, making Shadow's suspicion seem more true.

"Make me a promise here tonight!
Love like a tidal wave~
Dreamless in early graves!
Never wanted it to be this way!
The chemicals will bring you home again!
This is it, when it's done we can say that.
When it's sudden death we fight BACK." Sonic slid onto his knees, playing the guitar with such force that all the fans were left screaming as loud as they could.

But for Shadow? This just made him fall deeper and deeper in love...

~★🎸🎤★~

After the show, people began exiting. But not Shadow, he made his way behind stage.

"Sir, state your name." A bodyguard asked him.

"Oh uh...Shadow. Shadow Robotnik. Shadow The Hedgehog. Either." Shadow said, shrugging.

"You have permission to enter." The bodyguard stepped aside, letting Shadow enter the backstage area.

As soon as he saw Sonic, he began running over. Sonic was talking with Silver and Knuckles about how well the show did. Silver spotted Shadow and smirked.

Shadow ran up behind Sonic and hugged him from behind. "W-woah...Shadow!" Sonic gasped, turning around to face him.

"Hey, Sonic." Shadow whispered playfully. Sonic giggled like a high school girl in love.

"You came! I was so surprised to see you!" Sonic beamed, clutching onto Shadow's arm and vibrating on the spot.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world. You look beautiful." Shadow spoke softly, bringing his hand to Sonic's muzzle and the other to Sonic's waist.

"I love you." Sonic said without thinking. Shadow smiled wide and blushed very deeply, red painting the tips of his ears.

Shadow's lips crashed into Sonic's, making out with him with passion. Sonic moaned quietly into the kiss, snaking his arms around Shadow's waist.

Shadow broke the kiss but didn't pull away, leaving their faces inches apart. "I love you too." He said before crashing in for another kiss.

Sonic smiled into the kiss. He felt so happy, so content. He felt as if he had the perfect life. "Shadow. Be my boyfriend."

Shadow chuckled at this remark. "Not a question? I don't get a choice?" Shadow asked playfully.

"No. You don't." Sonic teased back, roaming his hands around Shadow's back.

"I don't need the choice. I already know my answer is yes." And with that Sonic's lips crashed back into his, pinning Shadow against the wall.

Silver and Knuckles just looked at eachother before leaving the room and locking the door for the others to have privacy.

And at that time, for the very first time in a while, everyone was happy.