stillamobiandefender | Tumblr Anon Ask Round #1

Oh, don't worry. The road to your recovery lies in baby steps.

And let me guess. I can't take those, right?

You got it! HAHAHAHA YOU LEGLESS FREAK!

Like I chose to lose my legs yep.

How does it feel knowing you'll never walk again?

Why do you care so much?

Because I like seeing you squirm. Dr. Eggman must be real proud of himself, huh? And how many visitors do you get? How often?

Yeah Egghead's proud of himself. Has a monument about it and everything. Still the others have taken care of him just fine and I'm not needed anymore.

How many visitors...? How often...?

...

I dunno if I wanna share that with you.

It must be pretty lonely, huh?

...

Yeah. I guess you could say that.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hmph. Idiots.

...

Don't pay them any mind, and you are not alone.

Edited Date: 2012-05-28 10:25 pm (UTC)

I'm not really. They're just trying to push my buttons and I realize that.

... I...

... never mind.

Good. I will not let anyone hurt you ~~like I did~~.

... Hm?

...

Nothing.

...

Nonsense.

Everything seemed fine before when they weren't.

... Do you still think I would be upset at you?

...

...

...

...

I am coming over there.

... With a chili dog.

[ THAT'LL CHEER HIM UP. ...

It will, right...? ]

[ Type face goes down. Hard to type when there's a sudden drop in energy. ]

yeah
okay.

That definitely set off some serious alarm bells.

Shadow motored as quickly as he could, what happened a few days ago entering his mind as he did. The last time he did this for Sonic, it was... not under the best of circumstances. At all.

Now he didn't seem to be okay, again, and he didn't know what was wrong. He just wouldn't open up to him.

He wanted to change that.

Softly, gently, he stepped into the room, the scent of greasy meat wafting within. He even got some of the same place's specialty tater tots for him. At least that, he could stomach if Sonic wasn't about to eat it.

He just hoped he'd drink the soda he got with it. That was not getting touched by the ebony hedgehog no matter what happened.

"... I'm here."

Edited Date: 2012-05-28 11:05 pm (UTC)

The blue hedgehog sat up a little when Shadow entered, stretching out slightly; he was trying to revitalize himself, his energy having been tanked along with his mood. Indeed, something was bothering him, but it would take a bit of coaxing before he was ready to tell the black hedgehog.

He did manage to give him a bit of a smile. It wasn't like his usual beam, the one that had become associated with the Sonic the Hedgehog name; it was meek, somewhat powerless. There wasn't much light in his eyes, but it was enough to indicate that he was attentive, enough to indicate that he was still there and hadn't disappeared off in space because of whatever it was that was bothering him.

"Hiya," he yawned, eyeing the chili dog and soda that Shadow was holding. "Even brought me a drink, too? Aww, you're generous." The light taunt didn't really have the feeling that it typically did. Sonic was thirsty and hungry, but he was also exhausted. He'd bet he would collapse right after he ate.

Sometimes, emotions just plain damned him.

At least he was taunting him. That was... something, yet Shadow detected more beyond that. The smile he gave him... It wasn't exploding with energy like a Sonic smile should be.

Shadow frowned deeply, but not with any of the scorn and distaste it tended to him. It was genuine concern, a mellow expression of sadness rather than harsh irritation.

"I thought you would need it," he responded, sitting on the chair next to him and placing the food onto the dresser. "As well as a side dish."

Might as well, right? As long as it made him feel better.

...

His eyes lowered slightly, his gaze hitting the floor.

He had to ask.

"... How are you feeling?"

What a loaded question.

Honestly, he often felt a whirl of different things all in one day. Now, Sonic wasn't quite sure what he was feeling; there were so many combinations of different emotions that it was hard to pick them all apart individually. He grasped the soda, taking a gulp of it in order to ease his mind, not quite going for the chili dog yet. He wasn't sure he could stomach it.

It took him a bit of staring at the sheets, trying to convince himself that Shadow wouldn't judge him (when he'd had plenty of evidence in the past to prove otherwise) before he spoke quietly. "A lot of things." It was a vague answer, but a true one. He thought for a moment -- try to pinpoint the biggest thing. "... Mostly lonely, I guess."

He shifted a bit, groping around for a photo he had lying around. He held it up to the black hedgehog.

It was Sonic and Tails. Specifically, it was Sonic giving Tails a piggyback ride and the two tailed fox reaching up to the sky joyously. Both of them looked so happy, the blue hedgehog laidback and at ease as he usually was while his younger companion ecstatic just to be in the presence of his idol. Present-day Sonic made sure that Shadow grabbed the photograph before he started talking.

"Tails and me, we used to be so tight," he began. "He used to never leave my side. We did everything together, yeah? My best friend. Always knew he wouldn't abandon me." He stared at the wall. "Him and Amy. Amy for a different reason than him, but it didn't really matter to me. She was always with me, too, trying to catch me wherever I went. It wasn't always this clinging to me, sometimes threatening hammer thing; we'd have quiet moments together, sometimes we'd just race, sometimes we'd just chat. I liked her a lot. I still do, she's one of my closest friends. I mean, I don't return her feelings for me, never did, but I've always thought she was pretty cool when she wasn't insisting on marrying me.

"I almost regret having been kinda... shove-offy with her. I never... I never appreciated her completely. I didn't want the crushing hugs or anything. And sometimes the responsibility for Tails kinda wore on me, y'know? Sometimes he could be kinda whiny, demanding. I guess the good comes with the bad with everyone. But... I regret ever complaining about any of that, because...

"I would gladly take it back in exchange for what we have now."

He placed his hand over his chest, breathing deeply, sighing loudly. "I miss them... I miss them real bad, Shadow. They avoid me now. I talk to them more over the phone than face to face, and even that can be seldom. And... I know why..."

He extracted the blankets from his stubs, the bandages from which he hadn't removed yet, and he glowered down at them. "These things. They're avoiding me because of these things. I wonder what haven't they ruined at this point. I'm losing two of my best friends... all because I can't walk anymore."

The bad news: Shadow's face was beginning to curl with purest distaste.

The good news: It wasn't towards Sonic.

That was just about the only bright side.

He stared down at the stumps, fists clenched and shaking softly with a suppressed need to use them. He didn't care how much Tails and Amy may have liked him before the accident. It was what they were doing afterward that counted.

Shadow may have had a cold and distant mind for very, very long, but even he knew and appreciated the value of loyalty. He did so for Maria, and now... now he was doing the same for Sonic. He stood by her side whenever she needed it, and now he was repeating it for the hedgehog in blue.

All while his supposed 'best friends' weren't even trying.

Because of those stubs.

He knew he had to get some grip on self-control, but the anger... the anger that began to bubble up was outrageous. He knew that if anyone mistreated Maria while she was still alive, he would never forgive them. Now, this was proving to be the exact same for Sonic, a need to protect him from fake friends overwhelming him and washing over him like a tidal wave of pure acid.

He lost a sliver of his control, which was just enough, and so he spoke, voice laced with venom and figurative cyanide, a deadly and disgusting combination.

"Damn them. You do not need those imbecilic and untrustworthy excuses for... friends."

He spat that last line out, as if his throat was caked to the brim with rattlesnake toxins that his body desperately need to be ridden of. His eyes blazed and gave a display of fiery contempt withheld, all combined with sympathized hurt.

He didn't deserve this.

"If they will let those get in the way of your 'friendship'," he hissed, lip curling into a snarl, "then they are not worth your time, those... those shallow, moronic, inconsiderate..."

Sonic completely ignored the insults to his friends, practically overlapping what he was saying in response to one of his earlier statements, "But I do!"

There was a moment of complete silence. His head snapped up, ears drawing back, as he stared blankly at Shadow for several moments after the interjection. Then, slowly, he began to sink, his hands grappling for the black hedgehog's arm as his body aimed to lean against his friend's. His voice was quiet once more as he elaborated, "I do need them... I need all the support I can get." He rubbed his cheek against Shadow's upper arm, not crying but definitely going through the motions as if he was about to. "Just as I need you..."

He let that hang in the air. He admitted it, he needed Shadow. He needed everyone, really. He felt so alone without them around. He wasn't sure what he would do -- it'd even been a comfort back when he had his legs, back when he'd had that confidence. He adored and craved attention, and nowadays he hardly received it from anyone but the black hedgehog he was currently clinging to. And of course, that was the very reason he was clinging to him, because at the moment he was the only constant. He was the only thing that would constantly be there if he needed it.

And despite his admitted mistreatment of him in the past, he was better than nothing.

"They still care about me," he continued, his voice more even than it was before, calmer. "I know they do. It's why they still check up on me. They're just... afraid. Afraid of what I've become, afraid of what's happened to me because of the fact they're... gone." He bit his lip. "They're trying to delicately tip-toe around. Everyone does that except for you. They don't want to hurt me." He almost said, You don't care, but he mentally berated himself for that. That wasn't true, and he knew it. Shadow cared a lot; why would he stop by if he didn't? He was simply less cautious than they were, that's all. "And I get that... I just want to experience things with them again.

"I think the isolation is changing me more than the handicap itself is."

"I don't give a damn about what they want to do. It's about you."

The words came out in an instant, as if he'd rehearsed saying this over a thousand times when he never thought he would ever say that. Shadow's fury knew no bounds but his body's, keeping well-contained within his physical being, but only barely. He trembled, he hissed, he snarled, yet he didn't take it further than that when his mental state shrieked at him to do something.

He'd trained himself well to be in control of his emotions.

While he definitely had his slip-ups, such as what recent events displayed, he was well intact with his anger.

... Most of the time.

"You need them and they will not come near you. There is no excuse." He eyed Sonic with a passionate fury that he couldn't hold back in his orbs, burning crimson now more akin to two full-blown suns. None of it was directed at the blue one, of course, and yet...

He wanted so bad for just his looks towards Amy and Tails to scald them to their core.

Because they deserved it.

"Shadow, please stop..."

It was a small plea. The rant, the yelling, all of it... he couldn't handle it. It didn't matter to him how angry Shadow was at his other friends. He didn't want to hear it; he cared so much for Tails and Amy and just couldn't stand to listen to them being degraded. In other to further beat in the fact that Sonic was not fond of Shadow's behavior, he backed away from his arm, turned, and grappled at his soda, gulping it down, quills turned to the black hedgehog purposefully.

"I get your intentions, okay? I get what you're saying. But I didn't tell you that just so you could go ahead and insult my best friends. They'd been there for me far more than you could ever imagine." And he wasn't about to give them up just because Shadow told him he didn't need them. He may've been clinging onto breaking threads, but he needed those threads. They were what kept him Sonic the Hedgehog, through and through.

"I needed someone to listen. I didn't need someone to tell me who my friends are and who aren't."

He wasn't angry. He was just... rattled. The hostility Shadow displayed for them... and in front of him...

He didn't need this right now.

He could hear the distress in his voice, something that swiftly brought Shadow back down to Earth. His rage began to dissipate, slowly, but surely, allowing for him to be left at a simmer.

Yet that didn't automatically make him feel better about his friends. Hell no. That would take a lot more convincing than that for Shadow to be on a respectable level with those two. Loyalty... was not something he treated lightly. He never did, and he never will.

He didn't want to make Sonic so upset either, so at any rate, he had to cool his tits here.

"... Then I only have one more inquiry," he continued to speak, his voice more leveled and less boisterous. "They may have been there for you then, but they are not there for you now, when you need them the most. What is more important? Then or now?"

"Drop it," was Sonic's snappy response. He was stubborn, not about to let Shadow impress upon him that his friends were traitors in any way. Perhaps the black hedgehog simply couldn't understand. He wasn't going to argue a moot point, and so highly discouraged Shadow from doing the same.

He huffed and, wanting to make absolutely certain his friend got the point, flopped down on his side with his back still turned to him. This discussion was obviously over, and Sonic was sorry he ever brought his friends up. He wasn't about to get lectured on his choices, and he knew why they weren't around. Not to mention they were children -- Tails eight, Amy thirteen -- and they were having a hard time dealing with their hero crumbling. It was understandable, common sense in Sonic's opinion.

He simply missed them terribly. It was a selfish thought, anyway.

His fingers tightened on his sheets, and his roughened expression softened into something more... longing. Longing for old times, longing for someone to understand, longing for things to be as they should instead of complicated and painful as they were now. And steadily, steadily, he felt that agony grip his chest, and he let out a slight choked whimper. He was so sick and tired of this. He wanted to go home. He wanted to relax under sunlight, legs outstretched, friends laughing and rejoicing.

He would never have that ever again.

Of course he would be upset. The damage was already done, not to mention that hearing that his friends might not be as spic and span as he thinks is not an easy thing.

... still, Shadow did not waver. He was sorry that he hurt him, but he was not sorry for stating his opinion.

He glanced to the chili dog and tater tots, left in pure abandonment, uneaten. Sonic had to eat. He at least wanted him to be satiated to some extent.

He reached out for both, holding the fast food cartons in his hands, and then nudged at the blue hedgehog's shoulder.

"Here," he offered. "You need to eat."

He almost was going to refuse to eat. Sonic didn't feel much like cooperating with Shadow at the moment over anything; it was hard enough to swallow the insinuations he'd been making about his other friends, but to demand anything of him after that? Still, despite being only sixteen and still a teenage boy by all matters (never mind the fact he's a hedgehog), his situation had allowed him to reflect and think enough that he knew he was not just being stubborn but stupidly stubborn. He also knew enough about his predicament that being stupidly stubborn was a bad idea.

So, Sonic took the chili dog, took back his soda, and started to eat and drink as he should be, but he left the tater tots untouched. He wasn't that hungry, and he was still uncertain as to whether or not he'd stomach the chili dog, much less anything else. And so, he wasn't about to risk it. He was fine with being a minimalist this time around.

Actually, he'd been a minimalist a lot lately, which was worrying the nurses. He ate less. He was gradually growing to be less energetic. He was sure that the difference was obvious to Shadow, who'd been around him daily and knew enough about his old habits, but he couldn't find himself caring. He wanted to muster up more energy, sure, but he couldn't reach for energy that wasn't there. And honestly, much of this situation and many others that sprang up as a result of it made him lose his appetite more cases than not at all.

He ate in complete silence, refusing to talk to the black hedgehog at the moment. He didn't expect anything but another rant about his decisions or pain or whatever. He'd gotten that a lot lately, hadn't he? It was wearing.

There wasn't much more he could do. Sonic didn't even want anything to do with him.

Shadow looked to the tater tots, untouched, unwanted, and left behind by his companion. He couldn't find himself surprised, considering his appetite had been going down, and yet... he wanted him to eat. He wanted to see him waffle down food the way he used to. He could even shove a chili dog down in a large set of three bites ~~according to Black Knight, at least~~.

But... no. Not anymore. He wasn't the same now.

Unlike Tails and Amy, however, he wasn't going to let that push him away.

He grabbed the hunks of potato and stared down at them. Someone had to finish them. He might as well do the honors, but just to be safe...

"... Are you going to eat these?"

All Sonic did was shake his head in response. Geez, the tense atmosphere was making his spine prickle, but he wasn't in the mood to attempt to break it. Instead, he remained silently munching his chili dog.

He couldn't help but sneak a glance at companion. Although he didn't want to talk to him, that didn't mean he wasn't curious as to what he was thinking. He'd made several guesses, but each time the blue hedgehog thought he'd figured Shadow out, he'd surprised him by doing the complete opposite of what he assumed or something along different lines. It made him both frustrating and thrilling to deal with, because he wasn't sure what he would get.

He supposed it also made him agonizing, because the other kept tip-toeing that thin line of what he can and can't do with him. One minute he'd be taking care of him, the next he'd be lecturing him. He was wondering now if the good times, the times that Shadow actually appeared to be compassionate and friendly toward him, were worth the bad, in which he felt betrayed and abused?

He wanted to make sure that Shadow didn't read anything into him staring at him from the corner of his eye, and focused on his chili dog and soda. He almost wanted to just chuck the rest of it; he really didn't feel hungry. But the nurses and Shadow himself would insist on him eating more, so he would. Enough to be satisfactory.

He shouldn't have been surprised, especially after what had happened between the two of them. The day that Sonic poured out everything he was feeling. At least, supposedly everything.

Shadow had used him that day for his own pleasure. Again, selfishness, something he beat himself up over, something that made him derisive towards his very being. He shouldn't have wanted to satisfy his curiosity. It should have been... him. Sonic being satisfied. Sonic feeling good.

That was when a daring idea struck, one that he felt that he should at least try. Why not? Either way, he knew that his respect in the other hedgehog's eyes was likely little to nothing by now.

"... Sonic," he spoke soothingly, sitting at his bedside again and leaving his chair. "I... would like to try something. For you."

Those last two words were very important.

Sonic's ears shifted at Shadow's voice, his back still turned to the black hedgehog as he silently ate. He wasn't sure whether or not he should even grace that with a response. After all, a lot had happened between them, and should he really take to trusting someone who kept changing his mind on what he wanted him for?

He supposed he was a fool again, because he set aside the soda and quickly finished up his chili dog so that he could turn his head, glancing at the other from the corner of his eye, mostly in his peripheral. He wasn't going to turn back to him, but perhaps the 'something' that Shadow wanted to try would be promising.

He was placing a lot of trust in the black hedgehog right then. He had before, but he was letting him back, after being lectured, after being used, after every harsh statement that the other hedgehog had given him. He was trusting him enough with another chance.

After all, what did it matter? If Shadow did something bad to him, he supposed it wouldn't plunge him into pain he hadn't already experienced before.

"Fine," was his curt reply, somewhat subdued. He didn't really have a lot of hope in whatever plan this was, it seemed.

At least he got that much. Shadow took a shaky breath in. He had to remember here that this is about Sonic, not him. He was tired, tired of it being about him. He went through some bad things, but Sonic, he still is, and it was a kind of suffering that he would always have to cope with now, for the rest of his life.

His ears wilted. If this elicited a bad response, he wasn't sure what else he could even do.

... but this isn't about him being hurt in the end, or being appreciated in the end. This is about Sonic and his comfort.

Slowly, he reached his hands out to gingerly touch sapphire shoulders, fingers digging softly in to reach flesh. From there, he rubbed, massaged, soothed the area, looking for something, anything pleasant.

"You," he stated, "need to relax."

... Please.

Sonic wasn't quite sure what Shadow was trying to achieve, and he was curious when he felt him massaging his shoulders. It did feel nice, he supposed, but his shoulders weren't really all that sensitive, so he wasn't getting much out of it other than some pressure in that area. He tilted his head to the side, confused. And, well, totally not relaxed, if his fidgeting hands indicated, and the fact that his back was still turned to the black hedgehog with him.

Still, he'd wait. No doubt Shadow had a plan for him, and it didn't just involve his shoulders. If this turned out to be a waste of time, he could berate him about it later. He didn't seem finished just yet.

Oh, but he did, indeed, have more plans to set into motion. Shadow's hands yet worked, just in the shoulder area at first, until he realized that his hands were fidgeting. Nothing that pleasurable yet. What if he went lower...?

He slid his hands down silky fur, running fingers over his shoulder blades, in-between them, and then finally, he settled on giving a certain curvature of his back small, circular motions with his thumb, his fingers wrapping gently around the rest of Sonic's waist as he did so.

He had no idea how accurate he was on where he may or may not have liked to be touched. He was making blind guesses, hoping that he would get a good reaction on the contrary to a bad one.

Please, be fine with this...

Lower, lower, and...

Wait. The dip. The dip.

A sudden gasp passed through Sonic's lips as he felt a shiver of heat run through him, some of it trickling down into a certain place deep down. He had to open his mouth to let some of the heat out with somewhat heavy breathing, quiet but enough to be telling. His fingers dug into the sheets for some grounding, his back arched, and somehow, the sensation and the need to be touched magnified when he remembered distantly that it was Shadow doing the touching.

This was... a new experience, but not a bad one. Pleasurable, in fact extremely. It made his body more in tune, more sensitive to his surroundings. Was Shadow's breathing always so... attractive? The sound wrapped around him like silk, and he forgot entirely that he was supposed to be angry with the black hedgehog. He wanted... He wanted to be closer to him, but how? He was turned away from him, and he... didn't want to startle him out of touching him like that.

This desire manifested itself in a noise beyond Sonic's control.

"Nn..."

Oh.

That is a much, much better reaction than he'd expected, but all the more pleasant. A wonderful surprise, he mused, heels of his hands digging into the area to sooth the muscles in that area.

Shadow's tail flipped up and down, ears wiggling and reddening at the sound of Sonic's sweet voice. The blue 'hog produced such a noise, such a promiscuous sound that he couldn't possibly ignore, something that made his heart drum and flutter within him, on and off, slam and throb...

He hitched a breath as he brought one hand and slid from the very top of his spine to the very bottom, just where his tail met his lower back, his other hand still at work on the more sensitive tissue.

"... Is it good?"

It tingled, it burned, it ignited. The provocative touch was rewarded with a provocative reaction, the blue hedgehog further arching into the touch. He twitched, he squirmed, and his desire to grab the black hedgehog causing such reactions was starting to become overwhelming. Was this why Shadow wanted him to pet his chest fur so much? Was this how he felt? If so, he really couldn't blame him.

"A-ahh," was Sonic's intelligible response at first, his fingers working into the sheets as if they were his partner himself. A shudder ran through him as that hand inched down his spine, accompanied with the constant pressure to that sensitive spot, the spot that kept firing his nerves. He felt exhilarated, a rush, and... well, he desired to feel more of it. More. More. He gasped, "I-I... I've never... been touched like thisss... before... mmmmm..." And it was true. His experience with that spot was absolutely none.

It was... almost frightening. The sensation was so new, and he could smell danger in the horizon. He knew it was delicate and he knew that he was completely vulnerable. Did he trust Shadow enough to allow that vulnerability to happen, to allow himself to sink into the heat instead of trying to fight it off so he was aware of what was happening? His vision and mind were clouded, and he wasn't sure if it was worth trying to blow those clouds away. After all, it did feel good -- and he was learning very quickly that the black hedgehog had the capability to take him to a sort of nirvana. Did he want to go there with him? Was he ready for it?

"K-keep going..."

He was ready to try it out, at least.

That was all the permission Shadow needed.

He unwrapped the fingers from his waist and brought them all onto his back, giving it gentle, yet firm strokes, obvious pressure being put into the muscle to sooth him, as well as elicit more pleasure. The way Sonic moaned and crooned for him, his back pushing into his hands, his body heat rising... it all made him feel, admittedly, very fucking aroused.

He didn't want this to be about him, though. He ignored it. He fought it. He didn't want to hurt him again. He just wanted to make him feel good, to make him happy.

He leaned his face into his shoulder, muzzle burying itself into blue fur, and he gave a soft rumble or two that delved into all-out purring as continuing, rubbing and stroking and kneading.

"Prrrrrr... Prrrrrrr... Soni-... Chhhhrrrrrrrrrrrr..."

Oh, geez. It was terrible. Sonic wanted to be closer, closer, closer, and Shadow's muzzle to his shoulder increased that temptation to just snatch him up and take him. The purring drew out purring from he himself, small at first, then increasing in volume to match his partner's. Of course, it would be cut off when the blue hedgehog suddenly lurched his back into the black one's fingers, with a sharp cry of pleasure. The heat was all consuming, clouding, and he wasn't sure if he could keep up with clarity of mind. He was starting to lose it, lose it, but who said he didn't want to be lost?

"A-ahh..." His voice was so breathy, he hardly recognized it anymore. Was this what this does? "Sh-Shadow..." Sonic swallowed hard, biting on his lip as his fingers kneaded the bed below him. Even his little stumps, where his thighs would be, twitched, and for once, he didn't feel pain with it. In fact, he wanted to wrap his legs, nonexistent as they were, around Shadow, bring him in, hold him tightly, rid of any distance that may be between them. He was supposed to be angry at him? How could he be, when he felt so good? And to know he was doing this all for his sake, all for him...

Shivers, heat, world-breaking, and he finally decided he couldn't take it anymore. His body was on fire, and his mind completely dissolved into the seas of desire, desire and temptation that he allowed himself to carry out. Right now it didn't matter that the black hedgehog had hurt him in the past. Right at that moment, right there with him on the bed, he was giving him the best experience of his life -- and he wanted to bring him with him.

With that, he swiveled around in Shadow's grip, backing away from him, taking a pause as he looked him over. When the ache became too hard to bear, when his mind couldn't stop repeating Shadow, Shadow, Shadow, he lunged forward, grappled for his own back, and slammed his lips against his.

Oh dear sweet Chaos, he sounded so beautiful. Shadow wanted to just scoop him up and lap at him with his tongue like a delectable hunk of pudding, savoring sweetness and saltiness all at the same time with each and every taste. He wanted to hear him cry out for him -- ohgodyeslikethat -- and for he himself to moan his name. Sonic, Sonic, Sonic, Sonic...

...

He stopped.

Shadow stared at him, wide-eyed and appalled. Did he do something wrong? Was it not sensitive in a way he enjoyed, but rather, suffered through? Hurt and arousal could sound the same, couldn't it? If he fucked this up, if he pained him again, just like before, he didn't know what he would do. It made him want to just turn back, turn back, turn back--...!

Then those lips crashed into his, and the puzzle pieces all fell into place.

He gave a squeak (a squeak, of all things) of surprise against his flesh, mouth so tender and moist and warm and enveloping his own. He hadn't done anything wrong. He made Sonic want to- to-...

...

All of the questions began to circle through his mind.

He did enjoy him. A lot. He kept that buried deep within. He knew that much. Did he... love him, though?

Perhaps. If he didn't know any better, if he didn't know to tread carefully and to not assume, he would consider it love, but he wasn't about to dub it that just yet. Regardless...

What if this was it?

He would lose him one day. Was that a sacrifice for himself that he was willing to make?

...

Stop being so selfish.

He made his decision, and with much vigor, he pushed himself forward, swinging his arms around the blue one's shoulders, and kissed him, full and deep and passionately. His Sonic. His.

I'm going to take care of you now. I promise.

The reciprocation sent a jolt up Sonic's spine, intense electricity that flowed through his arms, through his shortened limbs. He dug his fingers sharply into Shadow's back, an indicator that he wasn't going to let him go, that the black hedgehog wasn't going anywhere. He'd just gotten him this close now and he wasn't going to part with him any time soon.

His lips shifted against Shadow's, bottom, upper, and gradually he transitioned from hard bashing to gentle open-mouth. His lips, too, were his -- just as Sonic had managed to capture the black hedgehog's body in that vice grip. He breathed into it, breathed into him, breathed him in general, diving into him and his essence. He drew his body closer, closer, if only to deepen the contact, not just with their lips but their stomachs, their chests.

His fingers stayed in consistent contact with him as he shifted his hands, his palms sliding from his back to his sides, stroking, stroking. He wanted Shadow to feel the ecstasy that he did, the fire that he did, and he wanted him to know, too. He wanted him to know how much he was affecting him. He wanted him to know how, in merely a few minutes, he'd made him addicted to the black hedgehog, unable to separate from him. He kept them attached like magnets, a strong pull.

And of course, how could he show how much he enjoyed him with action alone? Indeed, he let loose various vocalizations, most of which were "ahh"s and "nnn"s, but some of them could be made into... a small sliver of coherency. Such as, but his foggy mind wouldn't recall it, "Y-you fffeel good..." Because honestly, he really did. Shadow felt wonderful. Also, "Sstay..." Because somehow, with this intimacy, this closeness, the fear of breaking it was amplified. The yawning loneliness that lurked at the back of his mind was all the more real, and no, no, he had to have Shadow all to himself because then he'd never be lonely again.

He could tell himself all he'd like that it was a purely physical experience that they were having, but it wasn't. Indeed, when he drew his head away from Shadow's lips and relocated it to his shoulder, to bite down into the collar of his neck and give it tentative lips, running wild, part of the reason he'd even lowered his head in the first place was to hear the ultimate life form's heart, pounding madly much like his own. It was a reassurance that he was there and he was close and he wanted him that close, he wanted him that close because that meant that he was...

He was...

Happy, dare he say.

Shadow made him happy.

Every collision of their lips, every heated touch, every sound and noise made Shadow want to melt in his touch. Those fingertips against his sides, they seared through his fur to flesh, making his pelvis feel like it was going to fill to the brim with warmth. He made him so hot, so needy, so hungry in his desires. He wanted him, he needed him, more more more.

Their chests made friction with each other, his own hands roaming mindlessly around his partner's body, taking in the fur of his back, his stomach, his thighs, his spines... everything. Everything was so perfect, so gorgeous, so stunning. He wanted to feel him, watch him, be with him for however long he could.

Even if it meant being with him forever, something he knew he couldn't do...

... but he was tired of being selfish.

He tilted his head back as he felt those teeth and lips take him by storm. Nibbling, kissing, every lap of the tongue, every brush of the fang, every pressing of his lips... it all drove him mad.

He needed release, and his mind was spinning, spinning, twirling around like a dancer with energy to spend. He had so much energy, so much adrenaline, so much longing, and he wanted Sonic to feel it. To enjoy it. To savor it.

He gave a tentative, relaxed moan, the flats of his hands inching down Sonic's back in a tantalizingly slow stroke. He spread his legs slightly, all by instinct, and gyrated his hips against the other's, making his needs very well-known.

"S-Sonic... Sooonic..." He chanted his name, muscles twitching with lustful thirst. "More... More... Nnnhhh, Chaos..."

The name chanting was enough to drive Sonic absolutely wild. He met it with his own, lips still grazing the fur of Shadow's neck, "Sh-Shadow... ahhh, nnnnShaaadow..." and with a thick swallow, he latched his teeth deeper into his collarbone, driving, driving. He sucked on the skin, licking, nipping, kissing, actions gradually becoming more frantic as the sensations, each igniting, of the black hedgehog's fingers skittered over his fur. In turn, he simply had to return what he was giving him, his palms pressing into the other's back before his fingers dug in, anchors that kept him continually attached to him.

Close, close... With Shadow's hips moving against his own, he couldn't help but return the motion, moving in rhythm with him, matching and molding, fixing and rearranging, so there was never any opportunity for great space between them to emerge. He was crushing himself against the black hedgehog, not giving an inch, determined to be close, close, close, as if for dear life, as if Shadow was his lifeline. He even allowed his fingers to spread like spiderwebs as they grappled onto the other's tail, stroking it with intense experimentation.

As desire grew intense, so too did the thoughts in his mind that overwhelmed him, not entirely fogged with the heat that had also dominated his brain. He could hear those haunts, the loneliness and neediness creeping, and it made his actions, his clinging grow more desperate, and he let out a small whimper, biting his own lip. Somehow -- and he felt embarrassed about it, also -- he felt a pressure at the back of his eyes as he remembered waking up in a sweat with fear that he'd be totally alone, that Shadow would one day stop showing. He swallowed, harder this time, raspier, and he started to claw into his back, no no don't go stay with me don't go.

And the desperation hit him so powerfully that he suddenly drew Shadow into another heated kiss, completely open mouthed, tongue drawing out eagerly -- he needed a taste, another taste. He needed more, more, more, because he needed him. And he wasn't going to go without letting the black hedgehog know that. In fact, he moaned, his voice trailing up in pitch, "I-I... nnn, n-need you... Sh-Shadowww... a-ahhnn...!"

Yes. Chaos, yes. More, more, dammit, more...

Shadow's ears flopped downward, claws digging deep into toned flesh as Sonic repeated that very motion, clinging and scratching and gasping and moaning. He found coherency nigh impossible at this point, his neediness, his irresistible arousal reaching peaks he hadn't thought possible for him.

Then that hand grabbed at his tail.

With that, he lost it. His mind, whatever sliver of it still remained, was gone, slipping away as he practically became putty in his partner's hands, a shuddering gasp of air passing through his lips. Every stroke, every touch, it was all heated and filthy and full of intimacy. Love. Passion. Ecstasy.

He needed more of it.

As such, as soon as he felt those lips against his, he hungrily pushed forward, his tongue grazing sharp, healthy fangs, feeling them sting softly, yet enticingly. It was him, his everything, and he just... wanted it all.

"S-Sonic," he mewled -- mewled! -- onto his muzzle upon pulling away, lips moist from their very being intermixing. "I... I simply..."

He couldn't take it anymore.

He grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him down, hauling himself over him as he buried his face in the crook of his neck, lips grazing over warm fur and licking him with the tenderness of a puppy. His tail swished behind him, instinctively rising higher and higher as his manhood began to show through, unsheathing itself for what it was.

"I need you so... bad...!"

When the black hedgehog got up above him, licking him down, Sonic flinched, his heart racing. Indeed, he liked being close to Shadow, very very close, but he wasn't entirely certain that he was ready to be close like that. This was new for him -- he hadn't even had his first kiss before this -- and he let out a somewhat cowardly whimper. (He scolded himself internally for it, of course. Hero of Mobius? Was he ever? It was so silly.)

It took him an incredible amount of will power (because it did feel very, very pleasant and his mind was buzzing with heat that was quickly dissolving it) to gasp out, "I-I don't... I don't think I'm, ahh... ready for that," squirming beneath his partner. Anxiety flooded through him as he imagined Shadow taking advantage of him despite the fact that he couldn't -- he couldn't...

No. He convinced himself that he trusted the black hedgehog to respect his boundaries. He needed him; that's why he exposed himself to be so vulnerable. That vulnerability was creeping up on him now, all-consuming, as he recognized his inability to fight back should the more powerful hedgehog decide that he would draw him in to places he was too frightened to enter. He didn't even have any legs if he wanted to kick him off, and his hands were currently occupied digging into the other's sides.

Shadow drove him mad, but not mad enough to render him comatose to the significance of what his next act would be. He did not want to be touched there, not yet, not by any part of Shadow's body -- hell, if it was his fingers, he wouldn't be any more accepting. He was still trying to understand what the intimacy meant. He couldn't step too far within it, plunge deeper into the unknown than he already had. It was scary enough in there. He didn't need more thrill, not today.

With that, Shadow completely halted in every movement he made, flinging himself upward to have himself half-sitting on the other's torso, using his knees to keep himself propped up. He sucked in a shaky breath, feeling his blood run cold as a horrible realization hit him, struck him right where it hurt worst:

He made him uncomfortable.

Sexually, at that. Such a delicate subject made it easy for him to tread lightly, despite having nearly lost control back there. Yet once Sonic told him that he wasn't ready, he stopped.

His eyes dropped down to the erection that still threatened to reveal itself. With cheeks burning and body still trembling and twitching from their previous contact, he hopped right off of the bed, eyes wild with... with worry.

"Sonic. I'm..."

Sorry. I'm sorry. Say it.

Yet his throat was dry, his blood was ice, and he couldn't bring himself to speak further.

When Shadow entirely stopped, Sonic blinked and drew himself up to his elbows, glancing over at his partner. He wasn't mad at him, and there were still small noises that were bubbling up from his throat -- but it was an intense relief that flooded through him when the black hedgehog confirmed that he wouldn't push it. So intense that any resentment that Sonic may've had for the black hedgehog (not that there was any) would've dissipated, and he gave him a shaky smile.

"It's okay," he chirped, not seeming in the least bit perturbed. After all, Shadow had just proven to him that he could trust him, that he respected him enough not to take it too far. "It's all right, man. You just... didn't know." And now he felt like explaining himself, because the guilty look in his partner's eyes made him feel a little guilty himself. "Hey, it's just... my first time doing any of these things. First kiss, too." Wow that felt awkward to say. "I mean, if you don't count Amy, anyway.

"I don't think I wanna go too far with it when I have a hard time understanding it."

His own face glowed, and he drew himself closer to him with his hands. "It felt... really good, though." That was an understatement. It had felt amazing, and he didn't even remember why he'd been angry with the black hedgehog to begin with. "Thanks." And he leaned against him, breathing still a little heavy, eyes shutting beyond witting accord.

All the while, as he simply stood there, listening to Sonic's words and seeing his beaming pleasure, Shadow could feel his body working on instinct, retracting his member to resheathe it as it should be. His ears yet folded downward, guilt still wracking his being over not wanting to go too far, but as the words continued to pour from him like a healing fountain, he felt more and more rejuvenated.

It all reached its peak when the blue one leaned in, resting his body against his own, and with that very motion, all of the guilt was swept away by the wind of their excavated love.

"That is fine," he spoke softly, bending down a little to plant a sweet, soft little peck on his forehead. His tail swished behind him, rumbling beginning to rise from his throat all over again. "I..."

I'm sorry. I want to protect you. I want to make you feel better. I want to make it okay. I *like* you.

"... I assure you that will not be the last time."

This was, in fact, only the beginning.

The blue hedgehog felt the vibrations and leaned harder against the black one. He trusted him, Sonic trusted him a lot. He snaked an arm around him, a little difficult given the height differences -- he wanted to coax Shadow back onto the bed, back with him, so they could be close. Perhaps not as close as they were, but closer, close enough that he could feel him, close enough that he could breathe in his scent.

It was a fascinating thing; Shadow had this grand effect on him that he hadn't felt from anyone before. His stomach fluttered, his heart raced, and all he wanted to do was curl up with him, curl up next to him, and allow their body heat to exchange. He wasn't sure why he felt so attached, and he wasn't sure if Shadow felt the same about him. Yes, it was enough to allow that intimacy which had consumed them, but was it enough to stay with him?

He wanted very badly for him to stay.

His finger traced along Shadow's back, as far as he could reach, drawing circles. He had the strange desire to draw a heart, but the thought that it would be too tacky banished it and he suppressed it in favor of other shapes, such as stars and triangles.

I've done this with Tails before. Not with Shadow, though. I'd always thought he was too... stiff for that.

But he clearly wasn't too stiff to share that special moment with him, so why not give it a try?

Something about that was so...

So...

... So goddamn cheesy, yet so strangely enticing.

That was enough for him. Shadow huddled back into the bed, showing extra care at not bumping into the stubs or making the other hedgehog otherwise more uncomfortable. Upon the unity, he laid on his side, facing him, as to leave his back exposed for him to do as he wanted. All the while, one gloved hand reached out, cupping at Sonic's cheek, and...

Smooch.

Yes, right there, right next to the dimple of his lip, something so soft and yet so deep. Sonic seemed to be feeling just fine. In fact, the azure one finally seemed to be... happy.

He was damn well going to keep him that way.