He doesn’t think there’s another feeling like it – the sun warming your face, the salty air carried around by a soft breeze – it’s almost like heaven.
Shadow relishes in the feeling of the sunlight on his fur, a warmth unlike any other; it had always felt as though it was an embrace from the sky itself.
The wind picked up as they sailed through the day, their destination unknown. The ship was fully stocked, and she had been well maintained too. The crew was happy, they’d gotten to stretch their legs on the land. It had been an opportunity for some to be alone, the others choosing to socialize with anyone that lived outside of the boat.
There was no place to go, no one awaiting their arrival. It was a moment in-between, one that was sure to leave as fast as it had come.
Sighing, Shadow signaled another crew member to take the wheel, allowing him to store himself away in his cabin.
He was glad to have a moment of rest, but his years of surviving off scraps had left his nervous system a wreck: he was unable to “relax” as it were, always needing to do something useful with his time.
As he stepped into his cabin, he tried to shake the feeling that crept bellow his stomach.
He eyed the bed.
You should lay down.
And yet his desk called to him;
You should make yourself useful. Do not waste your time, you know better than to do something foolish like that.
Huffing, the hedgehog made his way to his rather empty working surface. It wouldn’t stay like this for very long – there was always work to do, something to check off the never-ending list.
And so he started.
On everything and anything, Shadow kept himself busy. He charted courses, logged in progress, assured everything was up-to-date and stocked to its maximum capacity.
He read and wrote, turned away from the sun and the salty air, he found ways to make himself busy. To make use of his time.
He did so until there was a knock at the door. “Come in.” He grunted, that little voice in his head trying to tell him to ignore the knock, the distraction.
Behind the wooden door appeared a familiar shade of blue – trouble in the form of a hedgehog.
“Sonic.” He greeted, rather passively, as he drew up some old paperwork he’d meant to organize many moons ago.
“Captain.” The other said in return, nodding his head with a little smile. Said captain glanced at his crewmate, a little dip in his brow – curiosity.
“Out with it.” He said, though it wasn’t harsh. He knew Sonic well enough to know that he’d not come here for nothing, and the longer he stayed, the less work Shadow would get done.
“Can I ask you something?”
“I suppose.”
Taking a few steps forward, the blue hedgehog stood at the front of his captain’s desk, casting a shadow onto his paperwork. “Why’re you in here?” He tilted his head as he spoke.
“Working.” Was the simple answer, an incomplete one.
“I see that, but-“ He took a breath, pouting for a second as he thought. “Forgive my rudeness here…” Another little pause, as if he was hesitant to continue. Still, ever the risk-taker, he proceeded: “There isn’t really any work to do. You shouldn’t be working.”
“Pardon?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Well, you’ve been working hard for weeks now, and… you have to admit it, there’s nothing to do.”
“Tcht.” He had to force himself to not roll his eyes at the other. “There’s always something to do.”
“I mean, if you think that way, yeah, there’s always something to do.” He shrugged his shoulders, soft smile lining his lips. “But thinking that way’ll kill ya.”
“Oh, don’t be-“
But before he could give into his annoyance, the dark hedgehog heard his words turn to muffling as a hand came down to stop his speech.
“Shadow.” The other spoke, eyes locking with his. A crew member shouldn’t be so familiar with their captain. And a captain should never allow it, should never encourage it. And yet, Shadow seemed to do both those things. “It’s a beautiful day, there is nothing to do. You should enjoy it.” The hand was removed, allowing him to respond.
He opened his mouth to… refuse? To yell at Sonic to leave? To ask him how he dared speak to his captain in this way?
To accept?
The choice was made for him – before he knew what to do, he’d been dragged onto the deck, gloved hands linked to strong blue arms tugging him across the ship.
It wasn’t long before they were still, watching the ocean from behind the strong wooden railing of their ship.
His every instinct told him to leave.
But the life in Sonic’s eyes begged him to stay.
How could he ever refuse such a thing?
As they took in the salty air, they filled the quietness of the day with banter, their laughter lost to the horizon.
And Shadow thought this was better than the sea breeze and the sun - Sonic was better than the sea breeze and the sun. He was as rowdy and free as the ocean, as strong and reliable as the sails that pushed them through it. And as the captain gazed upon his crew mate he knew that this was no ordinary friendship, that this was a gem in an empty and vast sea, one that only came around once in a lifetime.
He’s be a fool not to seize the opportunity.
-
A/N
Yoooooo crimson part two ??!!;!;;!;! After almost 2 years ,??:?!. I haven’t named this but I’ll post it on ao3 :3 hope y’all enjoy I am RUSTY !
Hey sonadow fanatics..... r you ready for a pirate au??? absolutely you are!!!!
click here to read it on ao3 babey!!!
(wc; 2938)
-
It seemed as though the ship would never cease its incessant teetering. Back and forth and once more again, the ship rocked dangerously against the brute force of the waves that surrounded it. The sky roared fiercely, it’s thundering only interrupted by a vicious slash of lightening, cracking somewhere near the ship. Too close for comfort, really.
The old hammocks rocked with every movement, old wood grinding under the force of sleeping bodies. How anyone could find peace in this moment was beyond him. And yet, Sonic could hear the soft snores of his crewmates, uninterrupted, and as loud as ever. As if the world wasn’t breaking down around them.
Sonic was sick.
Like, really really, about to spill your lunch kind of sick. And there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it. Mother nature was hell-bent on disrupting his evening, never letting him get a single second of rest. With every new swing, the hedgehog felt his head spin dangerously, his insides unsettled.
“Shit-“ He whispered to himself as a particularly tall wave flung the boat sideways, the whole room going askew. Yeah, this was it. He was going to throw up. Lightning whipped somewhere near, and he fought the urge to shiver, whispering a quick prayer to no one in particular.
A sound could be heard between the thundering; the doors to the crew’s quarters had been open.
Who was insane enough to flee onto the ship’s deck when the sky was in such turmoil?
Heavy boots thudded against unreliable floorboards. A familiar sound.
Oh.
Someone hadn’t fled outside; someone had just come in, Sonic realized. The footsteps continued, heavy, regular, always the same. And they were heading towards him.
Shit.
Was it too late to pretend he was sound asleep?
“Sonic.” A voice replaced the footsteps, deep and smooth like the thunder above. There was no sense in avoiding it.
“Cap’n.” He greeted cheerily, despite the misery that plagued his stomach. If this hammock would stop moving for a moment, then perhaps he wouldn’t have to feel this way. He struggled to move his body, sitting up to eye the man before him.
The room was dark, simply lit by a single lantern. Still, the lack of light only managed to make his captain all the more terrifyingly stoic. He was drenched from head to toe, droplets of rainwater softly tumbling from his hat, falling onto the floor. He seemed unbothered by the fact that he was soaked, his eyes glowing in the low light; his features set in a usual scowl.
It was truly a sight to see.
His gaze lingered over Sonic, assessing the man before him. He observed carefully, taking not of any irregular details. The tired look in his eye, his classic grin, smaller than usual, and the way he trembled slightly - despite his efforts to conceal it.
“Hmph. You should be resting, you know?” He muttered after quite a while, the sound of his voice managing to soothe Sonic ever-so-slightly. He spoke plainly, unmoving. How he managed to stay still as the ship swung was beyond Sonic. Impressive, to say the least.
“Uh, yeah! Of course. I was just heading to bed, haha!” The awkward laugh hung in between them as Shadow took in his response. His lips were pressed together firmly, his eyes squinting lightly in a questioning manner.
There was another wave and the boat pushed Sonic, barely giving him time to react before he was nearly flung backwards, gripping his hammock for dear life. His stomach dropped, and his face lost a bit of colour.
“Sonic… are you really seasick?” The man before him mused. His captain had seen straight through him. There was the hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. The crewmate was still desperately hanging onto his bed, trying to tether himself to something solid.
“Wha- me? Psh, I would never.” Sonic dismissed, hand waving in the air. But Shadow looked unconvinced, eyeing him oddly. The blue hedgehog didn’t like being observed in this way, being portrayed in a cowardly light. It was unlike him entirely. Sonic did not do fear.
And so, in an effort to prove himself to his captain, Sonic reluctantly left the comfort of his bed, bearing his weight on uncertain legs. To his surprise, he stood quite easily. He let his hands fall to his waist. “See, I’m fine!”
That was, until, mother nature decided to mock him, sending the ship onto its side once again. And this time, without anything to hold on to, Sonic did fall; straight into Shadow’s chest.
He collided harshly, his captain taking a few steps backwards under the weight of his employee. Strong arms circled him, and Sonic found himself buried in a wet shirt, breathing in the faint smell of rain and cologne.
Once the ship had regained some sense of normalcy, Sonic managed to stand, trying to flee his captain’s embrace. Shadow, on the other hand, didn’t let go, moving his hands to grasp at Sonic’s arms, tethering him to reality.
The blue hedgehog felt his muzzle warm abnormally, the heat stretching all the way to the tips of his ears. He felt fuzzy and flustered, and it might not have been from the nausea.
What was wrong with him tonight? First, he felt fearful of the storm above him, and now, he was beginning to feel flustered? These were two emotions that Sonic did not wear well; he had to get in control of his feelings, lest he make a fool of himself in front of the captain.
Sonic tried to make sense of the world around him, still held to the ground by the captain’s strong grip. As he lost himself, Sonic swore he saw Shadow’s lips move. The worrying roar of thunder managed to eclipse his words, and all Sonic could do was stare.
“Well?” The captain asked, looking expectantly at the man before him.
“Huh?” Sonic muttered, still trying to make the room stop spinning around him.
If you throw up on your captain, you’ll be exiled! He tried to scrutinize himself, but his thoughts didn’t make his head any less dizzy. There were too many things – too many feelings – swirling all at once, and it was bound to give him a headache.
“Do not ask me to repeat myself, hedgehog.” Shadow spoke harshly, looking unamused.
“I’m sorry- I didn’t hear you, cap’n!” He uttered softly, his body burning up beneath the grasp of the other man. He’d never been this close to his captain, and the proximity only seemed to make him more terrifying. Shadow squinted, huffing out something under his breath, but responded, nonetheless.
“Are you certain you’re not feeling ill?” His eyes glazed over his crew’s pale features, the unnatural blush that crept onto them. Perhaps he had a fever. “You don’t look too well, Sonic.” That last sentence was spoken very softly, with a look that resembled concern. It wasn’t often that Shadow spoke to his crewmates by name, often preferring to use nicknames. Sonic didn’t really have a nickname, and so he wasn’t usually addressed. Just by “hey you!” or “moron” or some other insult of the like. Hearing his name, especially from his captain, made his heart squeeze oddly.
“Yeah, I’m uh- I’m okay.” He gave a sheepish smile, in a poor attempt to appear normal. Another wave rocked the boat, and he resisted the urge to tremble, shutting his eyes firmly. This was entirely unlike him, and he had to be this way in presence of his captain. “On second thought, maybe it’d be nice to have some solid, unmoving ground, eh?” He confessed, trying to pass it off as a joke.
Shadow’s gaze was forever upon him, his arms solid by his side. Sonic couldn’t be more grateful for the strength of the man before him, feeling comfort in being semi-rooted into the ground. It would at least stop him from flailing around the crew’s quarters.
“Hm.” Was all he said, letting go of Sonic, much to the blue hedgehog’s chagrin. With a nod, he spoke confidently. “Follow me.” The captain turned on his heels, trudging wet boots back to the door.
-
“Why are we here?” Sonic asked as they made their way through the captain’s chambers.
Although the captain had his own private quarters, they weren’t very big. There was a desk in the left corner of the room, angled towards the door. At the other corner, carved into the wall, was a rather large cot, adorned with crimson sheets and pillows that matched them. Scattered along the room was a large wardrobe and a bookshelf, filled to the brim with old books, organized in a system that Sonic could not recognize or understand.
But the real showstopper here was the back wall. In front of Sonic stood not wood, but glass. Stretching from one side to the other, the old windows allowed a crystal-clear view of the ocean behind them. Thick velvet curtains, the colour of the midnight sky, hung heavily above the windows. They weren’t drawn, allowing Sonic to observe the storm behind them. And just as his eyes took in the sight before them, lightning ripped the horizon in half. It was - once again - far too close to the ship, and the blue hedgehog shivered slightly, trying not to lose his footing.
If it wasn’t for the looming threat outside, Sonic would’ve been more impressed. He tore his gaze over from the imposing glass, moving to admire the room around him. It was clean, and yet it looked comfortably lived in. There were things scattered on the desk, neatly pinned down by a few paperweights. The bed was nicely made, but the sheets were crinkled. It was homey, and it sent a warm feeling through Sonic’s chest. He decided he liked it here.
“So, this is where the elusive Shadow spends all his time, huh?” Sonic mused, turning to grin at the man besides him.
(The captain was rather reclusive, spending hours locked inside his quarters doing lord knows what. Scarce were the times where others were invited inside. The only exception seemed to be the ship’s first mate, who could easily be found entering the chamber during the daylight.
Still, it was very odd for Shadow to allow Sonic in here, letting the blue hedgehog soak the pristine floors beneath his tired feet. They’d only been subjected to the rain for a few seconds, and yet that was all it took for the storm to greedily drench them.)
Once more, the captain did not answer his question. Instead, Shadow took Sonic’s wrist in his grasp, quickly tugging him towards the cot. The blue hedgehog barely had time to react, letting himself get dragged by the arm. Shadow’s grip was strong, sending shivers down his spine. (that’s a normal thing to feel, right?) “Sit.” The captain instructed once they stood by the bed, his hand still wrapped firm around Sonic’s arm.
“Wha-“ He started, but Shadow didn’t let him finish, tugging him down harshly and situating him onto the bed. Sonic quickly found himself sitting on a comfortable mattress, cotton sheets soft against his damp fur. It had been a long time since he’d felt the softness of a proper bed, and it managed to shut him up.
Shadow stepped aside for a second, igniting an oil lamp that resided on his desk. He turned to walk to another corner of the room, returning with a small stool. He placed the seat before Sonic, moving to place himself on top of it. The blue hedgehog found himself situated in front of Shadow once more.
The captain folded his arms across his chest, feet firmly planted onto the ground. Sonic found himself wondering how a person could find himself so comfortable in such chaos. There wasn’t another person capable of holding such a substantial amount of Sonic’s admiration; Shadow was the only one to do so.
“Hm?” Shadow hummed in an inquisitive manner. Sonic realized he’d missed another question.
“Uh- I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” He asked with a sheepish grin, hoping to charm his captain out of annoyance. It seemed to work well.
This time, Shadow didn’t bring attention to the fact that Sonic was making him repeat himself. “You’re really scared of that storm, huh?” He asked, tilting his head to observe the man before him. Something deep within sonic fizzled at the movement; not unlike the feeling he got when thunder roared above his head. The hedgehog pushed these feelings down, avoiding his gaze and looking behind his captain. But behind lay the storm, and that was enough to make Sonic gaze onto his captain once more.
“I wouldn’t really say scared.” He tried to play off, dismissively waving a gloved hand.
“Hm.” Shadow hummed, nodding.
A silence fell between the two as they both sat, listening to the rain aggressively batting against the windows. And Sonic couldn’t help but wonder again, why was he here?
“Hey, Shads?” He questioned, shuffling awkwardly on the mattress. The captain only looked at him, visibly displeased by the nickname. This only excited Sonic, who continued speaking. “Why am I here? I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s an honour to be allowed in here, but uhm- yeah. Why are we here?”
Shadow took a moment before answering, the same usual scowl now adorned his features.
“I thought it wise to bring you somewhere where you wouldn’t be puking all over the place.” He responded simply. The answer felt like an insult, somehow; even if the intention behind it was rather sweet. “Besides, it was you who’d said you wished for firm ground, was it not?” Shadow remarked, making Sonic blush again. “This is as stable as you’ll get, I’m afraid.”
“Oh.” He uttered softly, nodding. He had said that, hadn’t he? When he’d requested somewhere stable, it had been more of a joke, not an advance to get himself into the captain’s quarters. But he was here now, wasn’t he? Sitting on the captain’s bed, across from the captain himself – (Shadow, who was staring at him in a manner that was so intense, he felt his fur growing warmer. And yet, he couldn’t find it in himself to look away.) “Thank you.” He whispered after a long silence.
Shadow simply nodded, standing up. “I’d suggest you get rest, Sonic.”
His ears drooped as he realized it was time to return to the crew’s quarters. At least it had been fun while it lasted, right? “Oh, yeah, of course, let me just-“ He made an attempt to stand, reluctantly heading back towards a shaky hammock, away from the stability of Shadow’s cot.
But before Sonic could properly stand, before he’d fully lifted himself from the comfortable mattress, a hand came in contact with his chest, firmly pushing him back down. Shadow stood close, his body shielding Sonic from anything else, effectively keeping him in his place.
“Where are you going?” His captain demanded, his touch never leaving the young man’s chest. It burnt through his damp clothes, making his head fuzzy.
“Uh- to my hammock?” Sonic muttered, perplexed.
“You’ll be sleeping here tonight.” Shadow spoke simply, removing his hand from his crew’s chest. This comment took Sonic off-guard, the blue hedgehog giving a puzzled look to the man before him.
“What? No, I’ll sleep in the crew’s quarters, it’s okay-“
“Don’t be ridiculous.” The captain spat, a usual scowl plastered in his features. It was the weirdest form of hospitality Sonic had ever received.
“I’m all wet, I’m gonna soak your bed.” Sonic tried to defend, lifting himself up, only to be pushed down once again. The ease that came with Shadow’s strength was something that Sonic admired greatly. He didn’t mind being pushed down; usually, he’d put up a fight and try to wrestle his way out of it, but he was much too tired to do so now. A yawn escaped him, a betrayal on his body’s part.
“So would I, if I were to sleep in it.” His captain observed. “What is your point, hedgehog?”
“I can’t- I can’t just sleep here, dude! Where are you gonna sleep?”
“Don’t worry yourself about me.” Shadow spoke, finally turning away from his employee. What an idiotic statement. Shadow was being the ridiculous one, Sonic thought. It would make more sense for the dark hedgehog to get proper rest, wouldn’t it? The captain had duties that were far more important than a measly sailor!
Before exiting, Shadow moved to shut the curtains, banishing the only view of the storm. This managed to ease Sonic a bit, and the hedgehog released a breath he had not realized he was holding. The lamp on the desk was quickly extinguished, basking the room in a peaceful darkness that would never be allowed in the crew’s quarters.
Sonic opened his mouth in a final attempt to protest, but as he did so, Shadow spoke abruptly, not even bothering to turn around as he did so. “Get some rest. That’s an order.”
Sonic was baffled, mouth hanging open with an unspoken sentence. He listened to the heavy thud of Shadow’s boots as he exited the room, the dark hedgehog disappearing into the storm. The door closed behind him, shutting the world off from Sonic. And then he found himself alone in the captain’s quarters.
What the fuck was happening?
Despite his unwillingness to fall asleep here, exhaustion weighed heavily upon his shoulder, and the young hedgehog soon found himself drifting off; surrounded by soft cotton sheets that smelt like the captain’s cologne.
-
A/N
> hey... guiys.... Myr finally yanked herself out of her depression to finish correcting this bad boy!! I’m feeling v creative today, nd i have the motivation to write for the first time in a while! I started the third chapter of my satbk fic and it’s lookin v good!!!!
> thank you for reading, as always any interactions r appreciated and critcism is always welcome!! have a beautiful day my loves <3
"And when I stared up into your eyes, there they were.. the stars shining back at me. Like the sun laying afloat the polar sea, I held you close to guide us through your dance with me.."
Thank you so so much @vee-skies your lines are just perfect I simply cannot resist when I see the pirate boys 😔💕
I hope you don't mind me hopping on to do my bit too! (Click for better quality~)
