[Hello and welcome to askthehedgehogs Wedding 2.0! If you're not familiar with the ask blog, check it out for context, or just enjoy a contextless fic + art in which Sonic and Shadow get married (again). Final part only has one drawing, I was losing steam! Pt 6/6! START | PREV]
Wedding: 2.0
Shadow’s Apartment
Secret Mission: Rest and recharge!
They laid in a tangle of limbs on their bed, Shadow with his nose nuzzling into Sonic’s soft stomach while his husband carefully untwisted tinsel from his quills. They had just switched from the opposite, with Sonic resting on Shadow’s chest until all the flowers had been plucked from his head. Neither of them spoke, just enjoyed the peace and quiet and one another’s slow and steady breaths. A pile of tinsel accumulated next to the pile of flower petals.
Sonic smiled as Shadow began to purr, clearly enjoying having Sonic’s fingers running through his quills to get every last strand.
He was tempted to leave a few, considering how much Shadow enjoyed a bit of sparkle, and how pretty he looked.
He wanted to say it. To tell him how beautiful he looked. To try to express the feelings that had overcome him as he took his place beside Shadow, falling in love all over again as he stood waiting to marry him. But he didn’t want to ruin this soft, beautiful moment, so Sonic kept it to himself.
One day, he would be able to sing Shadow’s praises between kisses. He was content to wait for such a day that it wouldn’t be met with resistance.
He itched to say something, though.
“So,” he began, putting the last of the tinsel aside and scratching behind Shadow’s ear. “Same time next year?”
Perhaps Shadow had fallen asleep, exhausted from the day’s events and completely relaxed on his pillow of a husband, because it took more than a few seconds for him to respond. “Huh..?”
“What’re we gonna do different for Wedding 3.0? Personally, I still think a solid gold statue of the two of us smooching sounds sick.”
Shadow groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. “I am never marrying you again…”
Sonic hummed, tapping his muzzle in thought. “What if I divorce ya? Then you’ve gotta marry me~”
“No,” Shadow snorted, burying his face deeper into Sonic’s fur, “Then we’d just stay divorced. Forever.” He scrunched up his nose when his pillow suddenly became uncomfortably lively as Sonic laughed.
“Aw… you don’t mean that.”
“Sonic. I mean this with every fibre of my being.” Shadow lifted his head to look his husband in the eye. His beautiful, sleepy husband, who he knew was just as emotionally drained as he was and yet somehow smiling, somehow soft and lovely and wonderful.
“Yeah? What?”
Shadow stared at him a little longer. He had forgotten what he was going to say. “... Go to sleep.”
“To… what?” Sonic laughed again, pulling Shadow into his arms. “Can’t sleep. Still buzzing about today. Besides, we’re going on an actual real honeymoon tomorrow.”
“Exactly,” Shadow snuggled in, making himself comfortable once more. “We have to get up early. So sleep.”
Sonic groaned, sinking deep into the pillows. “Fiiiiiine. I’ll try…”
“Good.”
For a while, there was nothing but the sound of their heartbeats.
“... I love you, Shadow. ‘m glad I married you again. And the first time, too…”
Sonic wondered if Shadow had fallen asleep for real this time. He was quiet for a minute or two, no reaction to Sonic’s words aside from the twitch of his ear. “I’m glad, too. But next time, can we not invite so many people?”
“Heh. Yeah. That’s fair. Maybe just the two of us, next time.”
“Mmh. Just the two of us.”
“We could get married every day.”
“Sounds exhausting.”
“Mmmaybe. We could just kiss everyday.”
“Hm.”
“We already do that though so maybe–”
“Sonic.”
“Right right right. Sleep. Sorry.” The blue hedgehog pressed his lips together. “Mmph.”
“... I love you, too.” Shadow scooted just enough so that he could stretch up and press a kiss to Sonic’s chin. “Goodnight, Sonic.”
He smiled, feeling warm and loved. “Goodnight, Shadow.”
The two hedgehogs fell asleep, breathing in harmony, and dreamt of dancing in flower fields under starry skies.
✧ ✧ ✧
MOD’S NOTES
Wow, this was quite a challenge! Having more or less one week to write and illustrate this, between work and life and everything else, I hope it doesn't come across as rushed as it felt 😅 I've really enjoyed it though, thank you to everyone for the support and for coming along on this journey with me!
I couldn’t decide for ages whether I wanted them to have wedding outfits or not. I was totally torn, especially after that one time an anon gave them suits and they actually looked lowkey cute… so I compromised; they got some time in suits, and plenty of time naked and free
I, like the Hedgehogs, had to totally wing it with the vows. I literally wrote them while I was walking the dog and tried not to give them too much thought!
I first came up with the inhibitor ring/wedding bangle with cuts from the fake Chaos Emerald FOREVER ago, back when I was certain the blog would have died out long before we reached the wedding. So glad we made it this far and I got to include it! It’s the secret project Tails and Shadow have been working on all this time hehe
On that topic, they are each wearing their wedding bangles on the same wrist as the hand with the tattoo from Wedding 1.0 (Sonic’s left hand, Shadow’s right hand)
Feel free to send in questions about the wedding! We'll hopefully be back my regular ask/art blog antics soon now that the wedding is over.
[Hello and welcome to askthehedgehogs Wedding 2.0! If you're not familiar with the ask blog, check it out for context, or just enjoy a contextless fic + art in which Sonic and Shadow get married (again). Pt 5/6! START | PREV | NEXT]
Wedding: 2.0
Chao Gardens
5th Mission: Escape your own wedding!
Neither Sonic nor Shadow particularly wanted to be on the dance floor any longer than they had to be, so they humoured their friends with a quick dance each (Sonic with Amy, then Tails, then Cream; Shadow with Rouge, then Cream, then Amy) before making their move to escape the dance floor.
They wove their way through the crowds slowly, trying not to draw attention to themselves, lest anyone catch on to the fact that they weren’t partying at their own party. Trying to be casual about it meant they kept having to stop and mingle with guests they hadn’t yet had a chance to catch up with.
They made pleasant small talk with Blaze and joined her for a moment, as she watched Silver and Espio attempt to dance together without either of them wanting to lead.
They found Big and his partner, and cooed over the tiny bowtie Froggy was wearing.
They almost trampled the Classics, mini Sonic letting out a startled squeak while Classic Shadow cursed out Regular Shadow for not looking where he was going. It turned into a full blown argument between the two Shadows, only ending when their respective Sonics dragged them away. Full-sized Sonic looked back over his shoulder in time to see his pint-sized counterpart goading his reluctant Shadow to dance with him.
Rouge and Knuckles were sloppily making out (gross), but made no move to stop the two hedgehogs on their mission to escape the overwhelming crowds.
They made a quick pit stop at the cake. Sure, Amy had assured them that the caterers already set aside a few tiers for the happy couple to keep for themselves, which would be hand delivered to Shadow’s apartment by Amy the next day, but Shadow wasn’t leaving without tasting that coffee frosting.
Oh, so worth it.
Sweet cravings satisfied (and with another glass of champagne in each of them), Sonic suddenly perked up. He had a dangerous glint in his eye, a look that Shadow could never get enough of.
Sonic stood, holding his hand out to Shadow, who raised an eyebrow as he took it. “What are you planning, hedgehog?”
“We’re getting out of here.” Sonic grinned. “Up for a race?”
Shadow smiled, standing as well. “Where to?”
“Home.”
“What about Darkness?”
“Cream’s already got everything she needs to take care of her while we’re on our honeymoon, right?” He shrugged. “I’m sure she won’t mind taking her a day early.”
The hedgehog hybrid looked hesitant.
“C’moooon, Shadow!” Sonic tugged at his arm. “Don’t leave me hanging!”
“... All right. Let’s go.”
Sonic grinned, bending his knees slightly. “Think you can keep up~?”
Shadow rolled his eyes, kicking his airshoes into gear. “I think you know the answer to that by now.”
And with that, they were gone in a brilliant flash of blue and red.
[Hello and welcome to askthehedgehogs Wedding 2.0! If you're not familiar with the ask blog, check it out for context, or just enjoy a contextless fic + art in which Sonic and Shadow get married (again). Pt 4/6! START | PREV | NEXT]
Wedding: 2.0
Chao Gardens
4th Mission: Party like it’s 2001!
Eventually, the chatter began to slow down, meals and drinks finished and guests just about ready to move on. Sonic stood, dragging Shadow up with him, and tapped on his glass.
“Hey, everybody! Don’t worry, this isn’t gonna be a long speech. Just checking y’all are still awake!” He grinned lazily, the smile Shadow had come to recognise as one Sonic used to appease crowds. “Man, what a meal, huh? Let’s raise those glasses one last time to Amy for pulling together the wedding of a lifetime!”
A chorus of cheers rippled through the many tables set out for guests. Amy blushed, waving away his compliments.
“Seriously, Ames, you’ve really outdone yourself; that was S-rank catering. Not sure how anybody’s gonna move when we take this to the dance floor, but I sure ain’t complaining!”
Shadow smiled, wrapping his arm around Sonic. “He’s right. This was wonderful. Thank you, Rose.”
Amy stood, muzzle flushed as red as her namesake. “Aw, you boys… it’s been my pleasure! We've got one last thing to do before we party–Knuckles?”
Through a gap in the marquee came Knuckles, wheeling a cake large enough for all their guests to get a slice. “Finally time to crack this thing open?”
“I FORGOT ABOUT CAKE!” Sonic zipped over to the cake in a flash, Shadow following behind with a roll of his eyes. It was a beautiful tiered cake, decorated with red and blue flowers with black leaves, and a gold ribbon around each tier. Sonic was drooling, memories of the cake tastings resurfacing as he gazed at it.
The happy couple posed for photos, brandishing a comically large gold-coloured knife as they mimed making the first cut. When Amy finally gave the go ahead, Shadow took the lead, guiding Sonic’s hands on the knife as they cut a haphazard chunk of cake and plopped it onto the plate. It didn’t look anywhere near as appetising as the neat and even little squares the caterers began cutting methodically, but neither of them cared. Shadow fed Sonic the first bite, using a fork like a civilised creature, while Sonic grabbed a sizable piece in his fingers to feed to Shadow, the latter cringing internally at the idea of eating from a gloved hand.
Guests whooped and cheered, gathering around the cake to take their slices while Knuckles, Amy, Silver, and a few others made quick work of moving tables aside to make space for dancing.
The band was still setting up, tuning their instruments, just as Sonic and Shadow finished their cake (they’d cut into the blueberry tier, with sweet white chocolate frosting. Shadow couldn’t wait to sink his fangs into the dark chocolate and coffee tier later). Shadow tutted, wiping away chilli and frosting from his mess of a husband’s cheeks and chest with a pretty napkin. The first few notes of Live & Learn rang out tentatively from a freshly tuned guitar.
Shadow rolled his shoulders before offering a hand out to his beloved. “Care to dance?” He asked, voice soft.
Sonic smiled. “Well, I did just eat a whole stack of chilli dogs, but, I mean…” he placed his hand in Shadow’s, allowing his husband to lead him to the centre of the marquee. “Can’t make me a worse dancer than usual, right?”
“You never know,” Shadow smirked, placing his hand on Sonic’s waist just as Amy had taught them, “Maybe it’ll make you better.”
Friends and fans gathered around in a circle surrounding the two hedgehogs. The crowds were so dense, only the inner circles had a good view of Sonic and Shadow working through the steps of their first dance as a (twice) married couple.
The choreography took inspiration from their fighting style, both as rivals and as allies. Months spent rehearsing had clearly paid off, as they stepped together with ease–although not without a few stumbles. When Sonic stomped, predictably, on the toe of Shadow’s Airshoes, both just laughed, taking a moment to reorient themselves before picking up the dance once again.
Sonic’s eyes glittered like emeralds under the twinkling fairy lights, and Shadow couldn’t help but kiss him. He lifted Sonic easily, giving the blue hedgehog a better view of the shimmering strands of glitter woven through his quills as he turned, gently dropping Sonic back on his feet. They hardly noticed as the last few bars of the song played out, both so wrapped up in each other’s arms that everything else around them had ceased to exist. They stayed like that as the crowds began to clap, cheer, whistle, and whoop at the close of their first dance.
A gathering of Chao fluttered over the couple, placing a crown of flowers on each of their heads and finally bringing them back to reality. They stepped apart, adjusting the crowns for one another, smiling so wide their cheeks hurt.
“So. Freaking. BEAUTIFUL!!!” Amy leapt to the centre of the dance floor, bouncing up and down as she pulled Sonic and Shadow into a tight embrace. “I mean you completely messed up half the choreography but!! The love was there!”
Sonic rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks, Ames.”
“Well, come on, everybody!” Amy beckoned other members of the crowd into the centre as the band resumed playing. “Everyone on the dance floor!”
[Hello and welcome to askthehedgehogs Wedding 2.0! If you're not familiar with the ask blog, check it out for context, or just enjoy a contextless fic + art in which Sonic and Shadow get married (again). Pt 3/6! START | PREV | NEXT]
Wedding: 2.0
Chao Gardens
3rd Mission: Make it through all three dinner speeches!
Sonic was in his own personal hell.
Sure, he was still buzzing from having just married the love of his life for a second time. But now he was sitting at a table, with a platter stacked high with the most delicious looking chilli dogs he had ever seen, right across from him… and he wasn’t allowed to touch a single one.
Not until Tails, Amy, and Rouge had each delivered their speeches.
He sipped resentfully at his glass of champagne, hoping to keep the hunger at bay–or at least stop himself from drooling at the delectable aroma of spicy chilli… he glanced at the table where Cream sat with Vanilla and the Chaotix. Darkness had her own place at the table, and it was with no small amount of bitterness that Sonic realised she wasn’t being forced to wait for the speeches to finish before digging into her fancy fish dinner.
Amy was first up, tapping a spoon delicately against her champagne glass.
“Well, I’m sure everybody’s still excited after that… unconventional ceremony! As Sonic’s best girl and trusted wedding planner–” the pink hedgehog paused as guests raised their glasses to toast to her hard work, “I just wanted to say a few words for the happy couple!”
She smiled to Sonic and Shadow. “I’ve actually been planning Sonic’s wedding for… gosh, well over a decade! Granted, my original plans had me as the beautiful bride…”
A few of their closer friends laughed, recalling Amy’s past obsession with the blue hedgehog. Sonic himself just rolled his eyes with a fond smile.
“Seriously, I’ve got binders full of old plans for our big day! But… seeing the two of you together, I’m so happy I got to plan this wedding for you, Shadow.”
Shadow blushed, ducking his head.
“You’re a dear friend, and it’s clear as day how happy you make Sonic. He adores you, and you obviously adore him, too!” She let out a contented sigh. “Anyway, I don’t wanna get too emotional, so I’ll just say this… I’m so lucky to get to see two of my closest friends so happy together. Thank you for trusting me with your special day!”
“Aw, Ames…” Sonic felt a little bad for hoping she’d be brief. “There’s no one I trust more to throw the party of a lifetime! Thanks for being our number one supporter.”
Shadow smiled at Amy as she sat back down. “Thank you, Rose. I’m sorry to have caused you stress.”
“Eh. I’ve dealt with Sonic long enough; I’m used to stress. You have to live with that for the rest of your life~!”
“Hm. I’m looking forward to it.”
Tails hovered above his chair, clearing his throat. “I’m up next!”
Sonic grinned at his little brother, filling the fox with confidence as always. “Go for it, bro!” He gave a thumbs up.
“Right!” Tails cleared his throat, unfolding a piece of paper in his hands. “People here know Sonic as a lot of different things. Most of you probably know him as a hero, or a celebrity. Some of you are lucky enough to know him as a friend. But me? I’m the luckiest of all, because I know him as my big brother.”
The blue hedgehog’s smile softened. He leant his shoulder against Shadow’s.
“When he started dating Shadow, I thought he was out of his mind! I wasn’t exactly Shadow’s biggest fan–no offense–and I was worried he might hurt Sonic, maybe even break his heart.”
Shadow huffed, his arm coming to rest around Sonic’s shoulders as the latter laughed quietly.
Tails turned to the dark hedgehog. “But, now I know I don't have to worry. I can tell you’re good for him. Ever since I can remember, Sonic’s always put everybody else first. But you manage the impossible; you get him to think about himself sometimes!
“I’ve always looked up to my brother, but now I look up to you, too, Shadow. Even if we don’t always get along, you’re cool in your own way and have a lot of great qualities. You’re part of the family now, so you can count on me if you ever need help!”
Tails smiled, lowering himself back down onto his chair. “Just take care of my brother, okay?”
“Of course,” Shadow nodded with a proud smile, “Always.”
A hand came to rest on Shadow’s shoulder as Rouge stood behind the empty seat to his right. “Looks like I’m up, handsome~”
Shadow snorted a laugh. “No embarrassing stories, bat.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep things child-friendly~” she winked. “Actually… well, I wanted to take my role as your best man a little more seriously than that. Hope you don’t mind.”
The hedgehogs tilted their heads curiously. They had both expected Rouge’s speech to be nothing but suggestive jokes and embarrassing stories from her time living with the Ultimate Lifeform.
“I’m not just here as your best man, Shadow. I’m here as your family.” She placed her hands delicately on the empty chair in front of her. A name card had been set out, but no plate or cutlery, just a handful of paper stars and flower petals in their place. “I know I don’t fill that hole she left–not even Blue could do that–but I want you to know that you’ll always have family by your side.”
Sonic took Shadow’s hand and squeezed it tightly, watching as his husband’s expression softened.
“I may not have known the Shadow she knew and loved. But if he was anything like the hedgehog you’ve become, then Maria was lucky to have known you. I’ve been beside you, watching you grow and change and learn to live since the day I found you. Not only have you found room in your heart to love in spite of it all, but you’ve also found the courage to forgive yourself and let go of your past. Maria would be so proud of you, Shadow. I’m so proud of you.”
Rouge wrapped Shadow in a warm hug, pressing a kiss to his forehead that would undoubtedly leave a lipstick stain to match the red in his quills. But Shadow couldn’t bring himself to care, emotions threatening to spill out as he hugged her gingerly.
When Rouge pulled away, she moved to stand behind Sonic, patting him on the head so that he would look up at her. “Be good to him, Blue. I already know you will, but just know that I will ruin your life in ways you couldn’t even imagine if you hurt my boy~”
Sonic laughed with a roll of his. “You don’t have to worry about that, Rouge.”
“Good~” Rouge fluttered back to her seat next to the empty chair.
Amy raised her glass high in a toast. “To the happy hedgehogs!”
“To the happy hedgehogs!” Guests responded, lifting their glasses as well before taking a sip.
While Amy gave the go ahead for the meal to commence, Sonic pressed close to Shadow, holding Shadow’s hand to his chest to keep him grounded. “Hey. You okay?”
Shadow nodded. “Yes. Just… thinking about her. Curse Rouge for making me get emotional again…”
Sonic chuckled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Looks like that eyeliner’s waterproof. Good thing, huh?”
“Hm.”
“Hey…” he interlaced his fingers with Shadow’s. “Rouge was right. She’d be so happy for you right now.”
Shadow smiled, enjoying the steady thrum of Sonic’s heartbeat. “I know.” He let out a shaky sigh, allowing his feelings to seep into his bones. He regarded his husband. “... She’d love you, you know.”
“Heh… you think so?”
“I know so.” Shadow moved their hands to settle over Sonic’s stomach, warm and comfortable, using the quiet moment while everyone was distracted with meals and chatter to simply enjoy his husband’s presence.
They stayed like that for a moment, Sonic trying to give Shadow as long as he needed, before the former started to fidget. “... Okay I love you and all but if I have to sit here staring at this pile of chilli dogs without eating any for a single second longer I might actually lose it.”
Shadow laughed, pulling away to allow Sonic freedom of movement. “Did you not eat this morning before getting ready?”
“‘course I did, but that was hours ago!”
“Chaos, I love you.”
One chilli dog already down and chilli smeared around his face, Sonic beamed and kissed his husband (despite his protests about getting chilli all over him). “Love you too!”
“We were right to get rid of that white suit.”
Sonic glanced down at the crumbs on his chest with a sheepish grin. “Oh yeah. That was a good call.”
The marquee was lively with laughter and warmth as the wedding guests all ate their fill.
[Hello and welcome to askthehedgehogs Wedding 2.0! If you're not familiar with the ask blog, check it out for context, or just enjoy a contextless fic + art in which Sonic and Shadow get married (again). Pt 2/6! PREV | NEXT]
Wedding: 2.0
Chao Gardens
2nd Mission: Get married in front of hundreds of people!
Shadow would have waited ten lifetimes for Sonic. He was glad, though, to only have to wait ten minutes.
Wedding guests stood from white chairs adorned with red, blue, and gold ribbons. A commotion had started around the cave that marked the entrance to the Hero Chao Garden. A group of Chao chimed in with singing, trumpets, bells, and drums to signal the arrival of the wedding party.
The first to enter was Cream, stepping gracefully down the aisle holding a plush velvet cushion, atop which sat Darkness in her new collar. By her side was Charmy, who looked rather like he didn’t want to be there; but since Cream was holding the cat, someone had to accompany her and distribute flower petals along their path.
Next came Amy, arm in arm with Knuckles as she guided him through the step-stop-step-stop walk down towards where Team Dark stood waiting. Knuckles winced as her sharp elbow jabbed into his side, punishment for stepping with the wrong foot first.
A hush fell over the crowds as Amy and Knuckles took their seats. Everybody turned once again towards the garden entrance, craning their necks to catch a glimpse. Somewhere, the opening notes to It Doesn’t Matter were plucked from a harp.
Shadow hadn’t realised how tense his body was, the suspense of waiting to see his husband coiling his muscles, until Rouge placed her hand delicately on his arm to ground him. He briefly tore his gaze away from the garden entrance to give her a questioning look.
“Patience, hon.” She smiled at him. “You’ll see him soon enough.”
He grumbled and turned back to the aisle. “Not with all these people in the way…”
He was soon proven wrong as the final pair stepped into the aisle. Tails was the first to come into view, dressed in nothing but a snazzy bowtie. Shadow held his breath as the figure beside Tails slowly emerged, his arm looped around the fox’s.
It was a sight to behold, and well worth the wait.
Sonic wore a cropped suit jacket, brilliant white (oh it wouldn’t stay that way for long) to contrast Shadow’s longer, ebony jacket. Whatever designer Rouge had roped into this wedding was talented. A gold button held the jacket closely fitted to Sonic’s outrageously gorgeous silhouette, and complemented the gold threads in Shadow’s own suit. His bowtie was a ruby red satin, and Shadow suddenly understood why his own was emerald green. He smiled, remembering Knuckles intently looking into his eyes a few months prior, likely committing the colour to memory in order to pass it on to his somewhat visually impaired girlfriend.
Sonic’s figure held Shadow’s attention a little too long before he thought to take in the rest of him. And oh, how cruel to keep him from seeing that face… the gold glitter around Sonic’s eyes matched his own, and a small star was painted on his temple. Fresh flowers had been braided into his quills in a way that looked almost natural, as though he had just run through a field of flowers on his way to the wedding.
Knowing Sonic, perhaps he had.
The flowers woven into Sonic’s quills connected him to the Earth: to the gardens and forests of the planet he called home; to the friends he held dear.
The tinsel threaded through his own quills tied Shadow to the stars: to the inky expanse of space; to the ARK; to twinkling fairy lights and Maria’s bright eyes.
Shadow reached up to touch the single flower Cream had tucked into the quills at his own temple. It had confused him at the time–Rouge told him his theme was stars, so a flower seemed out of place–but seeing the golden star painted above Sonic’s cheek made it all make sense.
They were connected to one another, as well.
Too transfixed by Sonic’s beauty, Shadow failed to notice just how close they now were as Sonic took the last few steps up to where Team Dark awaited. He was close enough now for Shadow to appreciate the beaming smile splitting his face, shining brighter than the mid July sun.
He could also see the shine in Sonic’s eyes, happy tears that would likely remain unshed until they were alone in each other’s arms later that night.
And just the slightest, almost imperceptible hint of nervousness, which dissipated as Tails gave his brother one last bear hug before taking a seat.
Shadow wondered why his face hurt so much as Sonic took his place beside him, until a gloved hand resting on his cheek confirmed that he was grinning like an idiot.
“Hi~” Sonic’s voice was uncharacteristically soft. He had spent the entire walk down the aisle drinking in the sight of Shadow, dressed all in black and gold. The cut of his suit accentuated his slender figure, elongating his torso, and the stark black stood out against the bright blue sky. The back of the jacket, Sonic noticed, was significantly longer than the front, almost mimicking the train of a wedding gown. He looked more beautiful than the day they met, more beautiful than when they fought side by side against the impressive backdrop of the planet they both protected.
“H… hello.” Shadow’s muzzle reddened as Sonic laughed at the falter in his voice. “You look stunning,” he whispered, too quiet for their guests to hear.
Sonic winked, and Shadow thought he might need to kiss him before this ceremony even started. “You clean up pretty good, yourself~ hey, whaddaya say; wanna give this crowd a real show?”
Shadow could only nod. If he were honest, the crowd had stopped existing the second he laid eyes on Sonic.
“ATTENTION ALL LIFEFORMS IN ATTENDANCE.” Omega’s booming, robotic voice broke the spell Sonic had over Shadow. The crowds settled into their seats, all eyes on the two hedgehogs. “ALL GUESTS ARE INVITED TO WITNESS A CONTRACTUAL DECLARATION OF ALLIANCE BETWEEN SONIC, THE HEDGEHOG, AND SHADOW, THE HEDGEHOG. OBSERVATION: THIS CONTRACT IS NOT LEGALLY BINDING. THEY ARE ALREADY MARRIED.”
Quiet laughter bubbled throughout the seated guests. “SILENCE IS REQUESTED.”
Shadow rolled his eyes, wondering why the hell he’d agreed to let Omega officiate this time. But silence fell once more, so the robot continued.
Shadow waited impatiently as Omega rolled robotically through his version of a wedding ceremony script. He looked like he was starting to wilt under the gaze of the crowds; the camera flashes were making his head hurt, and he tugged at his cuffs as though the suit made his skin crawl. Avoiding Sonic’s gaze, he looked to Omega, then to Rouge, then finally to the ground between himself and his husband. He snorted under his breath at the sight of Sonic’s already scuffed shoes.
“THERE ARE MANY POSSIBLE REASONS TO HALT THE WEDDING. NOW IS THE TIME FOR ATTENDEES TO ANNOUNCE–”
“Stop. Stop!”
A gasp rippled through the crowds. All eyes turned to the one who had spoken. If Omega had the required physiology, he would have raised one eyebrow sky high.
“SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG. YOU OBJECT TO YOUR OWN MARRIAGE?”
Amy looked about ready to blow a gasket. Everyone was at the edge of their seats, murmuring to one another, eyes wide in shock as they all wondered what was going on. The only guest who appeared unbothered was Rouge, who looked more like she was regretting not having a bottle of wine and a bucket of popcorn on her person.
“Shads..? Dude, don’t just leave us hanging, we’re kinda on a schedule–”
“Shut up,” Shadow growled through gritted teeth. “This is wrong. This is all wrong. I can’t go through with this.” His objection was uncharacteristically loud, echoing throughout the garden.
“What? Hey, newsflash, buddy; ya already did. We’re married, remember?” Sonic smirked, hands on his hips. “Can you wrap this little crisis up fast so we can move on?”
“Hah! I never would have married you looking like that.” The crowd gasped, jaws dropping.
Sonic looked down at himself as Shadow gestured to his suit. When he lifted his gaze, there was a dangerous glint in his eye and a smirk on his lips. “Oh yeah? You think I’d wanna marry you looking like that? The 80s called, they want their shoulder pads back!”
Another wave of exclamation traveled through the crowds. Amy looked like she might either faint. Rouge put a hand on her arm to steady her.
“I wasn’t awake in the 80s! I’m allowed to experience the trends I missed!”
“You sure are! But you won’t catch me marrying you like that~” Sonic flicked Shadow’s nose.
Cream held onto Darkness tightly, worried the protective cat might jump in to protect Shadow. She was, in fact, just sleeping.
“At least I don’t look like a damn marshmallow. White suit? Really? Pisses me off just looking at it.”
“Oh yeah?!” Sonic had stepped closer, pushing firmly into Shadow’s personal space, their noses almost touching. “You gonna do something about it, or do you just wanna stand here whining?”
A growl rumbled deep in Shadow’s chest. Sonic was probably pressed close enough to feel it. “Oh, I’ll do something about it, all right. You’ll regret ever showing up looking like–”
“I’ll make you eat those words!”
Before anyone could stop them, Sonic and Shadow were at each other’s throats. They zipped through the Chao Garden, faster than their guests could keep up with. They paused beneath a tree, just for long enough to catch everyone’s attention. Shadow lunged forward to grab at Sonic’s neck, but he dodged, escaping and leaving nothing but his red bowtie in Shadow’s grasp.
“Get back here, faker!!”
The chase continued, this time resulting in Sonic sitting at the top of a palm tree, swinging Shadow’s bowtie on one finger in triumph. “Who’re you callin’ a faker, faker?”
Somebody actually screamed when Sonic fell from the tree, only to be grabbed by Shadow, who tore off his jacket as he threw him across the garden. He smirked, dropping the suit jacket to the ground. “2:1. Your move.”
Sonic picked himself back up and began circling around Shadow. “That was a little rough, dude!”
“Oh? Too much for you?”
“Hah. We’ll see about that!” He picked up speed continually, trapping Shadow in a whirlwind as the helpless hedgehog shielded his eyes. When Sonic finally broke away, he had Shadow’s jacket and shirt in hand. “Looks like it’s 3:2 to me~”
Shadow looked down at himself, bewildered. He growled and took off after Sonic, weaving effortlessly through the helpless crowds on his Airshoes. They continued this dance, with Shadow ripping off Sonic’s jacket and, finally, his shirt.
They ended where they had started, stood between Omega and their stunned guests, panting now from the exertion of their fight. Shadow loosened his grip around sonic’s arms, expression instantly shifting from a snarl to a smirk as he straightened up. “There. Better.”
Sonic threw his head back in a laugh, face flushed and smile wide. A few of the flowers in his quills had loosened during the chase, but most had stayed put. “Yeah, much better.”
They both turned to gauge the reactions from their guests, grinning expectantly.
They were met with crickets.
Until Amy, who had stood up at some point during the fight, yelled at them. “You PLANNED this?!” She turned to Rouge, who was still gently holding her back. “And you were in on it?!?!”
“Sorry, sweetheart! I had to make sure the suits would tear away like that! Couldn’t have anything snagging or getting stuck, now, could we~?”
“But–why–”
“We wanted to get married as us,” Sonic chimed in, squeezing Shadow’s hand. “Hedgehogs in suits just... isn’t us.”
Amy stared at the two of them. “Then why didn’t you just say something??”
“We wanted you to have your perfect wedding moments, too.” Shadow cocked his head towards the photographer, who was frantically replacing their SD card after capturing all of that. “That’s why we waited until we were sure you had photos.”
“You’ve been planning this wedding all year, Ames! We wanted you to get your chance to see it all come together. Buuuut we also wanted to make sure we got what we wanted–a naked wedding and a little drama!”
They waited for Amy’s reaction. Shadow tensed, expecting a hammer to appear any moment. But to his surprise, Amy just laughed. Rouge slowly let go of her, sitting back with a smirk. The rest of their guests began to laugh, murmuring to one another, some appreciating the show while others complained. The pink hedgehog sat down with a shake of her head. “You boys! You’ll be the death of me, you know that?!”
Sonic smiled apologetically. “We’ll try not to be.”
If a robot could clear its throat, that’s what Omega would have done. He stepped forward, imposing his presence on the hedgehogs. “YOU ARE FINISHED.”
Shadow wasn’t sure it was a question, but he answered anyway. “Yes. Sorry.”
“THEN I WILL CONTINUE.”
“Heh. Yeah. Go ahead, Megs.”
“RESUMING WEDDING SPEECH . . . THE GROOMS HAVE PREPARED SHORT DECLARATIONS OF DEVOTION. SHADOW, YOUR VOWS–”
“Wait, can I go first?” Omega gave Sonic a Look. “Only, I didn’t write mine down, and I’m totally gonna forget every word ever if Shadow goes first.”
“. . . IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. PROCEED.”
“Phew! Okay…” Sonic rolled his shoulders and took Shadow’s hands. Shadow was looking at him expectantly. He couldn’t falter now.
“When I first met you… well, I didn’t know anything about love. Much to, uh, a certain pink hedgehog’s disappointment.” He glanced at Amy, who laughed and rolled her eyes. “It was some sappy concept other people seemed really into, but I didn’t get it. I thought maybe I never would, maybe I was like Tails and it just wasn’t my thing. But now I think, maybe it just had to be you.”
He cleared his throat, squeezing Shadow’s hands for reassurance.
Shadow nodded. “Keep going.”
Sonic took a breath. “I’d never met anybody like you. You were incredible. At first I was a little jealous; you were everything I thought I should be. Strong, devoted, fearless… all the things I faked. Heh, guess I really was the faker all along?”
Shadow smiled, running his thumbs over gloved knuckles.
“And I gotta say, you had me totally mesmerised. Obsessed. Wasn’t long before I actually couldn’t imagine a world without you. But it took a looooong time before I started falling in love with you.
“You were patient with me. You didn’t push. You didn’t ask for more than I could give. Even when we started dating and I wasn’t on the same page as you yet, you let me catch up at my own speed. You’re always like that. Waiting for me to catch on, waiting for me to figure stuff out, waiting for me to find my voice again… honestly, I don’t know how you can be so patient.”
“Takes practice.”
Sonic smiled. “You get plenty of it, with me~ and like… you never ask anything of me. Ever. Like, seriously, dude, you know you can ask for stuff, right?”
Shadow laughed. He looked down, tears beginning to gather along his lower lashes. “I know…”
Sonic lifted one hand to cup Shadow’s cheek. “Living with you for this past year, and the five years dating you before that, has been incredible. We have fun together. And you’re one hell of a cook!” His voice dropped to a murmur, for only Shadow to hear. “You’ve helped me heal from things I didn’t even know I was struggling with. Helped me love things about myself I didn’t even realise I was starting to hate. Brought me back when I lost myself, more than once. Loved all the parts of me I hide from everybody but you.”
“Of course,” Shadow whispered, voice hoarse as tears wet his muzzle. “How could I not?”
His voice rose again, “I’m not good with words, especially all this mushy stuff. But I just wanna say… I’m glad I married you. And I’m super psyched I get to marry you again.”
Shadow snorted wetly, smiling through stray tears. “Bastard. Should have known you’d naturally excel where I’ve had to work hard…”
“Yeah, that’s kinda my thing~” he winked and brushed a tear away with his thumb.
“TOUCHING. YOUR MOVE, SHADOW.”
Shadow's eyes scanned the crowds. Well, he wasn’t the only one crying. In fact, Amy and Tails seemed to be competing for the most cartoonishly huge tears shed. He took a steadying breath and squared his shoulders, closing his eyes to better shut out everything but the hedgehog holding his hands.
“Well…” Shadow began, “I did prepare vows. But the paper was in my jacket pocket, so…” a few stifled chuckles brought their weeping guests back to attention. “I will also be winging it.
“From the moment I met you, hedgehog, I knew you would be a thorn in my side.” His voice had its usual monotonous quality as he spoke, but anyone who truly knew him could hear the slight waver of emotion. “You have consumed my thoughts ever since that day, save for a few bouts of amnesia offering me some temporary relief…”
Sonic laughed, squeezing his hands.
“I knew that you would change me. That you would ruin everything I had fought to become. Ruin everything I was made to become.” His brow crumpled as he pushed down thoughts of scientists, of Black Doom, of his own hands, all moulding and shaping him into the Ultimate Lifeform. Behind closed eyes, he saw Sonic, brilliant and golden as he was when they first fought side by side. The true Ultimate Lifeform. The blueprint. Everything he should have been and never wanted to be, out of reach and yet right here in front of him, his to hold and to love and to cherish in a way that was never intended for him.
It suddenly occurred to Shadow that he probably should have been saying some of this out loud.
He opened his eyes. “Sonic. You changed me. You changed my whole world. Worst of all, you made me realise that I could have changed myself all along. That I’ve always had it in me. That I was using the things I've been through as an excuse not to let go of my past, not to move on, not to heal…
“You say you’re not good with words. But it’s always been your words that were able to reach me. To touch a part of my heart that… that I thought only Maria could reach. That I thought I had successfully burnt away after losing her.
“I never in all these years thought I could be so happy after everything. I doubted I could fulfil my promise to Maria, because happiness felt like something that could never belong to me. But now, I wake up each morning next to you, and I smile because I know I’ll get to do it again and again for the rest of our lives. I have a life worth living now, with friends at my side, a mischievous cat, and a sense of purpose without the pressures of perfection… and you, at the centre of it all. Always.
“We’ve both grown. We’ve changed, we’ve healed, and proven time and time again that we’re both more than the expectations placed on us. I thank you for allowing me to love you. I thank you for loving me, as broken and imperfect as I may feel.”
Shadow tugged Sonic closer, dipping his head to rest his muzzle against his husband’s shoulder. “I love you, Sonic. I may not always feel like I deserve it, but I’m glad I’ll live out the rest of my life with you by my side.”
Sonic nodded, face hidden from their guests by Shadow’s quills. He wasn’t crying, but he was thankful nonetheless for the opportunity Shadow gave him to hide his vulnerability. “You do deserve it. Love you, Shads.”
“VOWS ARE COMPLETE. YOU MAY ENGAGE IN PHYSICAL AFFECTION TO SEAL THE DEAL.”
“Really?” Sonic lifted his head, blinking. “That’s it? We’re all done, time to kiss?”
“AFFIRMATIVE.”
“No ‘do you take this hedgehog, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health blah blah blah’?”
“. . . YOU ARE ALREADY MARRIED.”
“Fair enough!”
Looking out to the crowds of people waiting expectantly, some dabbing their eyes with the lacy handkerchiefs Amy had provided on each chair, Shadow reminded himself that he was amongst friends. Well… a select few friends, plus more people who knew Sonic, plus a few hundred near-strangers. He turned his full attention back to Sonic. “Well? What are you waiting for, then?”
The blue hedgehog bounced on the spot. Clearly he had been waiting all day for this moment. He sprang at Shadow, holding his face steady in both hands as he kissed him once, twice, three times all over his flushed muzzle. He finally pressed his lips to Shadow’s own, practically vibrating with excitement as their lips locked together.
Honestly, Shadow thought, you’d think we’ve never kissed before…
Their guests erupted with applause and cheers, some throwing flower petals at the happy couple. Charmy flew up above them and dumped the rest of his basket directly onto their heads, the petals raining down on them and catching in their quills. By the time they eventually parted, they were both covered in a blanket of petals.
Shadow stared at his husband, drinking in the sight of him. By the looks of his lidded eyes, Sonic was doing the same. Oh, a drained social battery was so worth it for this…
“Well, guess it’s time to eat–”
“There’s one more thing.”
Sonic blinked up at Shadow, clearly confused. Everything up until this point had been a carefully planned dialogue between the two hedgehogs, with only the actual contents of their vows a surprise.
“Cream, could you..?”
The rabbit nodded enthusiastically, jumping up from her seat and running over to Shadow with Darkness in her arms. She bobbed a curtsy and held the cat cushion out to him. “Here, Mr Shadow, I kept them safe!”
The blue hedgehog eyed Shadow curiously as he gave Darkness a kiss on the head before lifting the cat into his arms. He revealed a hidden pouch in the cushion, from which he pulled a large velvet box. He handed his cat back to Cream and nodded his thanks as she took her seat once again.
“Sonic.”
“Yeah..?”
“I know we tried rings before and it didn't work, and I know we have the tattoos now, but... I still wanted to give you something special today.” He opened the box, carefully checking the contents over to make sure they were perfect. “I figured bracelets are the easiest item of jewellery for us to wear…”
Sonic’s eyes widened as he watched Shadow pull two golden rings from the box, similar to the ones already on his wrists, only these had a band of colour running through the centre and a single, brilliant cut gemstone. “Is–is that–”
“I had Tails help me. And Rouge, of course. The stone is cut from the fake Chaos Emerald Tails synthesised all those years ago, set into a gold band. He was already working on new inhibitors for me, so I also had him set one into one of my new rings,” he fidgeted with his cuff, rotating the ring on his right wrist to remove it. “I... I hope you'll wear yours. But I understand if you'd rather–”
“No! I mean—yes. Of course I'll wear it. Everyday. I love it. I love you! But—it's really from that fake emerald?”
“Yes. So it maintains the same properties. You wouldn't be able to use Chaos Control, but you should be able to feel some... energy.” Shadow selected the ring with a blue core, taking Sonic’s left hand to clasp the bangle around his wrist, over his glove.
“Wow... Shadow, I…” Sonic carefully took the red-cored ring, gentle as he placed it on Shadow’s wrist. Shadow seemed to relax as the slight ache of Chaos overflow was neutralised. “I don't know what to say…”
“Say you love me.”
“I just did.”
“Say it again.”
Sonic laughed, pulling Shadow closer by the waist to kiss him. “I love you…”
“I love you, too.” Shadow rested his own hands on Sonic’s hips, thoroughly enjoying the proximity.
“Ahem?” Amy stood, hands on her hips, all business. “Should we leave you boys to it while we get on with the dinner?”
Sonic grinned, pulling away enough to admire his husband. “As much as I’d love to stay here and smooch, there’s a mountain of chilli dogs with my name on it waiting for me~”
Shadow scoffed, jabbing Sonic in the side. “We’d better get going, then.”
With a carefree laugh and a wave to the crowds, Sonic made his way back up the aisle with Shadow in tow, fingers intertwined like they were each the other’s lifeline. Neither one of them so much as noticed the annoying cameras and people reaching out to congratulate them, far too wrapped up in their own wonderful world.
So chapter 11 of AFWY is still in progress, but I drew up a concept of Sonic and Shadow’s wedding outfits! Obviously they’re not fully realized drawings, but this is pretty much what they would look like. So consider this a little teaser for the next chapter I suppose...
