hey man .

[cosmicc-ocean]

Fae dreamscape (811 words)

Shadow walks down the cold dark halls of the observatory. He watches the walls of the mystical building, the stars shifting within the wallpaper with each step, framed by the rich oak browns that near black in the shadows. He runs his hand along the cold wood trim, here in this dreamscape, every sensation feels so real. He takes a deep breath and feels the expansion of his body, his heartbeat within his chest. It's as fantastical as it is alarming.

He stops before a carved door, running a hand through his side quills before twisting his hand around the knob. Suddenly, the door is pulled open from the other side, Shadow stumbles a step forward towards its inhabitant.

“Oh!” The man who looks like his husband exclaims. “Is there anything I can do for you, traveler?”

Shadow runs his eyes over him, a slight scrunch to his brow. A manifestation of Sonic in some capacity, and he's here to find out exactly how deep it goes. Physically, he's slightly different, with longer, more airy quills, slightly taller, and Shadow finds his eyes lingering on the partially sheer robe he wears.

He clears his throat, meeting the overbearing green eyes of the potential fake. “I have questions. Arthur, you called yourself?”

He leans against the door frame, a small attentive smile on his face. “That’s right.”

“What do you know about me?” Shadow crosses his arms.

“Well,” Arthur hums "From the pitiful sight you were this morning, I know you're new around here. You don't seem to be the social type- having spoken only to me throughout the day as you explored our fine town.”

He hardly noticed he was attached to the image of Sonic at the hip. A small snort escapes him.

“And you're quite handsome, though that may be obvious to anyone.” He pushes his half rim glasses up, the star charms clank against the metal. “If i may be so bold-”

Shadows smirks, he can't even keep his cover.

“Who's the lucky man?”

He falters for a moment, rubbing his fingers against his wedding bands. It was more than a conscious effort on Sonic’s part to keep them on, having changed his entire outfit on arrival to this world. 

“Sonic.” He says, direct and accusatory.

“Hm, I'm not familiar,” Arthur pushes the corner of his mouth with a finger in thought. Shadow can see him holding back a smirk. “Would you care for a drink and to tell me more?”

When he gestures to the hall, Shadow catches the light of the bedroom hitting his gloves, and upon further inspection and the bump of an edge beneath. Dead to rights, it's all a game to him.

“That won't be necessary.” He says, lunging for Arthur's arm. A spark in his eye lights when he reels back, having caught on right away. Backing into the room, he dodges Shadow’s pursuits, throwing himself over furniture and not letting him close the gap. His face is vibrant, daring Shadow to win. 

After a few minutes of chasing, Shadow finally gets the drop on him, using his momentum to throw him to the floor. He only stops when he hits the side wall of the room, upside down with his back to the floor, his legs hanging pathetically over his head.

Shadow leans down next to him, reeling his arm up in a position that's hard to untangle from. pulls his glove off to the sight of Sonic's matching wedding bands.

Shadow smirks, satisfied.  “киса.”

Sonic snickers, twisting his fingers around Shadow’s hand “You got me.” 

He rights himself and bounces back onto his feet.

“So you're conscious.” Shadow deduces.

“Just like you are. Though this body may run on autopilot sometimes to check on you at home.”

“Good to know.” Shadow says, eying the ornate four poster bed.

Sonic steps over to the small nook, only large enough for two chairs and a small table set up with a tray of tea. “Offer is still open, by the way, if you have any questions.”

“Hey!” He whips around as Shadow drops onto the plush sheets “I gave you your own room, you freeloader.”

Shadow glares at him from between two pillows. “And? It's mine now.”

Sonic leans over the edge of the bed, lip pulled into a pout. Shadow hums, twisting his fingers around the edge of Sonic’s robe, suddenly yanking him down into the bed beside him.

“And so are you.” Shadow pulls him into a short kiss. 

Sonic laughs and gets settled, when he does, the lights of the room go out. Slowly, the room is relit with the ceiling fading to life, turning into a radiant display of shifting galaxies. The stars twinkle and gold accents line the floor. Under the warm blue light of the false sky, Shadow drifts off next to his partner, just like home.

[cosmicc-ocean]

Shower (830 words)

Sonic hums opening the door to the bathroom. He blinks when the room before him is cast in total darkness, though the running sound of water tips him off to the occupant.

Light on his feet, he gets closer, steps disguised by the sound of the shower water hitting the stone tile. A few steps ahead of him, Shadow stands like a stone, facing the wall and unmoving. Lost in his thoughts, the prattle of the water hitting his head. He's long absent from this world.

“You didn't tell me you had night vision.” Sonic teases. He brushes his hand over Shadow’s fingers. Shadows fingers twitch at the new sensation introduced after the monotonous feeling of water running over him, a deep breath is trapped in his chest.

“Mm,” he exhales, twisting his fingers between Sonic's, “I don't recall inviting you, vampire.” 

Sonic grins, slipping under the stream of warm water beside him. He throws one hand up in a clawed shape, faux baring his teeth. Shadows expression is blank.

Shadow can't see what he's doing.

Sonic's face falls, a pout smudges his face, mission failed. 

“Ah. Well. You shouldn't have left the light off.” He hums, voice lowering when he catches a groove again “monsters like to lurk in the dark, waiting for their next broody meals.” 

He walks his fingers up the length of Shadow's arm, lightly pressing his stubby claws against Shadow's neck. Shadow shudders and rolls his shoulder to swat him off. 

“Seriously. What do you want.” He huffs

“Oh, just to see you.” he says, stroking the flat of his finger against Shadow's cheek. Shadow lets out another weighted sigh, leaning into it just a bit. His eyelids are heavy, some kind of burden keeping him held in place. Sonic steps forward and wraps his arms around Shadow's back, moving from foot to foot, he rocks both of them in unison.

“Whats on your mind?” 

Shadow lets his eyes fall shut. “Old things, dwelling.”

“Well that's no good.” Sonic puffs his cheeks out a little “We're here now aren't we? We finally made it to the future. I wanna make sure we live it this time.”

Shadow nods “It just feels ridiculous, everything that's happened.” 

“Nothing you can do but laugh!” Sonic smiles, pecking a kiss to Shadow’s head.

It gets a mildly amused snort out of him, a victory as far as he's concerned. 

“Favor?” Shadow asks against his chest 

“Shoot.” 

“Do my quills for me?” 

Sonic half inhales, Shadow’s always so picky about how his quills are washed. It's going to take forever. He releases his breath.

“Yeah.” He smiles

Sonic feels a purr rumble from his chest, making it all worth it already, but it's pulled away too soon when Shadow straightens back up. Rolling his shoulders to shake himself out of his slump.

He sits down on the shower floor, crossing his legs. Sonic grabs the quill brush and soap from the wall mount before sitting on his knees behind him. The water is slightly cooler, and the cold stone feels refreshing against the warmth in the air. 

“Sections or each quill?” 

“Sections, it's been a while.”

“Right, yeah, you want a light on or anything?”

“No.”

Sonic rolls his eyes and begins to part his quills, watching the water snake between the narrow gaps of each. Once separated, he lathers up the quill brush and starts to thoroughly comb each section. Deep cleaning allows the deep residue and dirt to finally wash out, with meticulous attention paid to the base of each section, he keeps at the repetitive task until the water runs clean. Sonic can only nervously imagine how gross his deep quills are, since Shadow runs this routine far more often than he does.

“It’s easier with your help, киса.” Shadow pipes up after a while.

“No sweat.” He says, “So, what does that mean anyway? You've said it a few times now.” 

Shadow snorts, Sonic can see the tiniest smirk from the side of his face. “I'll never tell.” 

“Boo. Lame.” He pouts “it's an insult isn't it? Asshole or something.”

“Maybe.” He smiles to himself.

Sonic rolls his eyes and shoves his head forward a little. Shadow reflexively grabs a heavy sponge and lobs it at his head. Sonic laughs when the explosion of water against his forehead blasts in all directions, like a firework. Sharp shooter even in the dark.

“Wanna go somewhere after you're all done up and pretty?” Sonic resumes the task at hand, working on his back quills “Can't let it go to waste.”

“Mm.” He rests his chin in his palm, tapping his finger against his face. “Not anywhere that's a lot of commitment.”

Sonic's eyes sparkle with hope “Slushies?” 

“...sure,” he shrugs.

Sonic pumps his fist.

“Do you want a deep clean?” Shadow asks.

“Nah, this is taking enough time already. I wanna get outta here.”

He scoffs, “you can't keep pushing it off forever.”

“I think I can.”

[cosmicc-ocean]

Desert (438 words)

Long adrift in a hallway the sound of piano echoes along the walls. Though the walls seem to swallow the sound and spit it back up with a harrowed warble every time the sound teases the wood mold. Drawing closer to the noise, the piano keys are struck reverently, rapid declining notes like that of twinkling stars highlighting chords filling the entire wing of the house with melancholic strife. Mourning sorrows as expensive as space itself cast a radius around the host, daring anyone to get near to be taken whole and lost.

Trucking through the wallowing muck and reaching the core lounge room, the host of such a heavy heart reveals himself. Shadow sits at the piano bench, not a single thought of his own, lost to his own perfected motions. Beneath him swings his tail in time to the rhythm, like a precise machine. And further fashion, he gives no notion to the second presence in the room, draping herself over the red lounge couch not too far from the lifted floor the piano overlooks. 

“You know, you could really use a change in tune.” Rouge says, laying the back of her hand on her forehead and swooning back “That song is so dreary, no wonder you're so down all the time.”

Shadow refuses to host her opinions, letting out a curt snort. But the acknowledgement was all she needed. He's listening.

“You know, I've been hearing some rumors up and about.” She twirls her hair, voice dropping “about those stones you were looking into.”

For a second his tail falters, missing half a beat and resituating itself in the next staff. Shadow’s third eye flicks in her direction, now anticipating something worthwhile to be said.

Rouge smiles to herself “Well, they're saying that there's some kind of festival, off in that grassy little town off the coast. That they specialize in it.”

“When?” His voice cuts through the music, sharp, flat, but deep within his hollow cracks, hopeful.

He's been waiting for some kind of good news about his pursuit of these ‘magic stones’ for ages. Rouge has her doubts they'll ever live up to what he's sized them up to be, some kind of miracle cure-all for everything he loathes about the situation he's built for himself. Though, irresistible are the stones' luster and shine. She must have them for herself.

“Only a few days out, they're making preparations now. I think it's a worthwhile trip out.” She purrs “And we can do your antsy little round-up afterwards.” 

Shadow hums in thought. It matches pitch with the end of the song.

“I expect results.”

[cosmicc-ocean]

He should be at the clurb (750 words)

Sonic stares bewildered, completely frozen in place. Shadow locks onto him, head lowered but his eyes sharp as knives, walking closer with a bit of a stagger in his steps.

“You look surprised!” Shadow yells over the music and crowd packing the room, a smug grin taking up most of his muzzle.

“Cant…say i expected to see you turned up at a place like this!” He takes a step back, scanning the flow of people and tracking Shadow’s hands.

He laughs, head rolling to one side, leaving his neck open for a few seconds. “I found something worth my time!”

“Yeah?” His eyes narrow "We can take this outside! Don't do this here.”

Sonic's arms fly up to block a strike from his claws.

“That won't be necessary!” Shadow exclaims. Sonic delays when he feels Shadow's fingers twist around his forearm; Rather than go for a second swing or arm himself, Shadow whips Sonic right into his space. 

Instinctively he strikes Shadow in the side with his knee, who fails to catch the advance and slouches forward a bit with a grunt. Only then does he notice Shadow’s hold on his wrist, thumb resting in his palm, crawling up to grip his hand fully. Once he recovers he stares Sonic down in the eye. Suddenly Shadow lets his body fall back into nothing, Sonic steadies and grounds his footwork to reel him back up, eyes wide.

“What are you doing?!” He exclaims as Shadow uses the momentum to lock his elbows with him and spin them both around

“Lighten up and work with me!” He huffs, shoving his shoulder, and there he catches the scent of alcohol on his breath. 

“Are you sure you didn't hit your head?! How bad does it have to be to make you a different dude?!”

“Just be grateful I'm not trying to kill you this time, you moron!

“Just don't kill anybody and we'll be cool!”

From there Sonic returns the motions, holding Shadows hand in return and both working off each other's propulsion to twist and fling each other around. Shadow swings his leg over Sonic's head, which is caught and used to completely flip him and land him back on his feet.

They have a few missed steps and Sonic has to be mindful of Shadows inebriated delays, but like electrons they orbit each other under the pulsing lights. For a bit Sonic doesn't even recognize the man before him as Shadow, loose and having a good time and not trying to murder him on sight. Though the more admirable side of him reemerges as they both begin to get competitive, trying to outdo each other.

Sonic pants after a while, slowing down after an unknown amount of time has passed, leaving them both sweating and worse for wear on the dancefloor. 

He laughs between breaths, lightly punching Shadows shoulder “Awesome man! I didn't know you had that in you! Call that a draw?”

“Not a chance!” Shadow throws him for one more loop when he sweeps his legs out from under him. Sonic bristles in surprise when their lips make contact. This isn't real. He doesn't believe it. It only lasts for a few seconds before Shadow pulls away, looking satisfied at the shocked state Sonic's left in.

Only when he's barely able to start processing does Shadow start to disappear into the crowd, without even a goodbye.

“Hey wait!” He tails after him, pushing past people to keep up, but he loses him in the darkness behind the strobing lights.

He speeds outside of the building, checking the door and surrounding area and he's nowhere to be seen. Sonic slows to a stop, jaw agape as he falls to sit on a slab of pavement. 

His lips tingle, his ears ring, his heart pounds.

He must have made that up. A dream he'll wake up from tomorrow night.

And that night never comes, days falling back into their regular habit; Sonic lives his life and occasionally runs into Shadow, who shows no acknowledgement of that event, trying to kill him with the same amount of rage as usual. Though now every time they encounter, Sonic feels the ghost of how his palm rested in his own.