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“You know you’re not allowed to lurk in here all night?” Rouge asked, pulling a stack of red solo cups from their plastic packaging. “Everyone’s going to start showing up, you could at least help!”
“I’m not lurking,” Shadow retorted, his voice low with indignation. “This is my own home. I wouldn’t even be out here if you hadn’t harassed me into joining your damn party.”
Rouge made a tch noise, ignoring the glare her roommate threw her way. “Oh please, you need to have some fun, loosen up a bit! Here, I’ll make you a drink.”
The bat swiped an arm over the countertop, pushing napkins and glass bottles out of the way. She rummaged through the various mixers and liquors, trying to remember cocktail recipes.
Shadow rolled his eyes. He didn’t know why she bothered, the hybrid’s chaos energy burned through alcohol too quickly for it to take any actual effect.
“I AM HELPING. DO NOT BE CONCERNED. OPERATION PARTY-TO-THE-BREAK-OF-DAWN WILL SUCCEED.” Omega stated, his mechanical voice booming across the short distance between kitchen and living room.
He was in fact doing his best to assist after he immediately broke Rouge’s smoke machine less than an hour ago. Shadow wasn’t particularly upset that their home wouldn’t be filled with a cloudy haze like Rouge had envisioned. Now Omega was replacing their soft-white lightbulbs in the living room lamps and overhead light with pink and orange tinted bulbs.
This was meant to be a house party for the “actually fun” resistance members, (Rouge’s words), and some other allies of Team Dark. The invites had evidently spiraled a bit out of the bat’s control when the Babylon Rogues had RSVP’d.
Now the get-together was going to be a packed-full apartment and Rouge was racing to get everything ready in time.
“Okay, the seven-layer dip is done!” a pink hedgehog cheered, setting down a heavy dish on the snack table. Rouge had called in back-up earlier that day in the form of the hammer-wielding hedgehog as she was a natural-born hostess.
Amy spun through Team Dark’s kitchen with ease, moving around both Shadow and Rouge as she continued to prepare snack foods. “The pizzas should be here about an hour after everyone arrives and I made a perfect party playlist. Mostly vocaloid pop idols!”
“Thank you Pinkie, you’re seriously a life saver!” Rouge gushed as she rimmed a delicate glass in sugar and poured some fruity concoction into it before holding it out to her striped roommate.
“This is going to so much fun! Right Shadow?”
The dark hedgehog hadn’t even agreed to Rouge throwing a house party. The bat had just texted him that morning with a long shopping list and a digital transfer of rings. It wasn’t until he was unpacking a tenth bag of chips that Shadow even questioned what he was doing.
Rouge had just laughed at him while signing for kegs at their front door. Omega had picked up the barrels with ease, as excited as a combat robot could be for an ‘all-night rager’ as Rouge had put it.
Shadow had been determined to stay in his room, or he was going to head out for a long run, but Rouge was relentless. A mixture of threats and pleas finally turned into bribery and Shadow had relented. He would join the party for a few hours, mingle when absolutely necessary, and participate in exactly one party game. Then Rouge would do all his G.U.N. paperwork for a month and oil Omega’s metal joints for the next six missions.
“I’m sure it’ll be a night to remember,” the dark hedgehog grumbled, accepting the citrusy drink, nose twitching when he lifted it to sniff cautiously.
“Cheers!” Amy said with a smile, clinking her refreshed margarita glass against Shadow’s drink and then to Rouge’s solo cup.
Shadow gave a noncommittal noise before taking a tentative sip of his drink. It turned out to be almost entirely vodka and orange liqueur with only a splash of cranberry juice, a Rouge speciality.
Down the hall a doorbell rang.
“They’re here!” Amy yelped, rushing to pull a tray of pigs-in-a-blanket out of the oven.
Rouge waved one hand frantically at Shadow while swallowing the rest of her drink in a single go.
The hybrid got the message and made for the front door.
He’d barely turned the handle before guests were pushing their way in, loudly and chaotically filling the entryway.
Tangle, with Whisper tucked under her arm, gave a salute to Shadow before loping down the short hallway to find Omega. Knuckles came in next carrying an additional speaker as Rouge had asked him for. The echidna didn’t pause to greet the hybrid, too focused on his responsibilities to even throw a cursory glance at Shadow.
Amy had appeared from the kitchen to greet the guests, letting out a squeal of excitement when Blaze and Silver popped in with a flare of Sol energy.
Shadow had been closing the front door when an annoying squawk proceeded a feathery arm shoving the door back open.
“Hey!” Jet snapped, bursting inside with Wave and Storm on his tail-feathers. “The party has arrived!”
Shadow snarled, he hated that damn chicken.
Jet flicked his wrist in a dismissive greeting towards the hybrid, “Hey hedge-freak, didn’t think your hot roommate would want you around tonight. But I guess every party needs a pretentious ass to hang out in the corner.”
Wave and Storm gave mirthful laughs, pushing further into the apartment in search of drinks.
“Watch it,” Shadow warned, “We’re on the 6th floor and I will check if you can fly.”
The hawk gave a nervous scoff and brushed past the dark hedgehog without another word. Shadow was satisfied for the moment that his threat was understood.
The Babylon Rogues disappeared into the apartment and the synth-wave pop beats of Amy’s playlist were cranked up to the cheers of the partiers.
Shadow sighed, he could get through this. For Rouge. And for all the bribes she’d promised.
🔵⭐
Sonic was running late.
He hadn’t meant to loose track of time, but one thing had led to another and he’d been two islands away when his communicator had chirped with a new message.
From Ames @ 8:40 pm - Where are you?? Party started!!
“Well shit,” the blue blur groaned to himself before swinging around a palm tree for an immediate u-turn at 120 mph.
Sonic raced across the archipelago for Downtown. He’d have to make this up to Rouge somehow as she would definitely hold this over him. Hope she goes easy on me this time, he thought with a shudder.
🔵⭐
The party was getting into full swing and Shadow was more bored than annoyed. He supposed that was a positive thing.
Lanolin and Jewel had arrived at some point and so had Espio. The chameleon was the only member of the Chaotix that had the night free as Vector was on a date night with Vanilla and the teenagers, (Charmy with Cream and Tails), were all together at a new science symposium on the other side of the city.
Shadow had in fact found a corner to lurk in but had been joined to his slight surprise by Big when the cat had arrived.
While Big hadn’t been saying much, he was a calm presence that Shadow didn’t find out-right vexing. The two had stayed off to the side while the rest of the guests mingled.
At that moment Jet had convinced Rouge and Amy to let him do a keg stand. Wave and Storm had helped the hawk into a hand-stand over the barrel and some of the others were cheering him on.
In a rare moment of solidarity, Knuckles’ purple gaze had found Shadow’s crimson one across the party, both sharing a look of disgust over the peacocking hawk.
Shadow took another sip of his drink, hiding a contemptuous smirk when the rogue choked on the beer funneling into his beak.
The doorbell rang again, cutting through the music and the sound of gagging from the hawk.
Rouge snapped her fingers toward Shadow, “That’s probably the pizza handsome, go get ‘em please!”
Shadow grumble low in his throat but didn’t argue, it was simply easier to give into his roommate’s demands from time to time.
Weaving around everyone, the dark hedgehog left his drink on the coffee table and called over his shoulder from the entryway hall, “Rouge! Where’s your wallet?”
The guests let out an uproar of laughter in the living room, probably not in response to Shadow, and the hybrid was left ignored as he opened the door.
“How much do I owe-“ the sentence died in Shadow’s throat.
The hero of Mobius was at his front door, panting slightly, and running a hand through his wind-blown quills.
A spark crackled between the hedgehogs when crimson met emerald.
“Oh! Hey Shads,” Sonic gave a lopsided smile, “Didn’t know you were gonna be here.”
Shadow gave himself a mental shake and resisted slamming the door in the blue hedgehog’s annoying face, “You didn’t think I’d be at my own house?”
Sonic snorted, “Nah, you’re just never around for Rouge’s house parties.”
Shadow just raised a single-brow ridge, he didn’t think Sonic noticed when he was or wasn’t somewhere.
The blue blur shifted his weight so he could rapidly tap his foot on the front door mat. “So you gonna let me in? Or do I need to say some magic words?”
The corner of Shadow’s lips twitched as a cascade of things he’d want to make his rival say flashed through his mind.
Affection and desire blazed through Shadow at the just presence of his rival. More and more often it was becoming harder to not act on those palpable feelings. It would be easier if Sonic didn’t insist on hanging around Shadow with increasing frequency.
Sonic tilted his head, holding onto a sliver of patience for just the hybrid.
Before Shadow could respond though, Rouge was bursting into the hallway, voice boisterous.
“Giving the delivery guy a good tip? You know I didn’t order extra sausage!” The bat cackled, her teal eyes already glassy from drinking. The thief was great at just about everything but holding her liquor.
A blush tinged both hedgehogs muzzles as they instantly broke their intense eye contact. Shadow took a step back and pulled the door fully open, revealing the newest arrival to his roommate.
“Oh! It’s just Big Blue, finally showed up huh?”
“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that, got side-tracked, but I’m here now!”
A devilish grin spread over Rouge’s face, “Yes you are,” she said, snatching Sonic’s hand up and yanking him further into the apartment, “Now we can get the game started!”
Sonic threw a smile over his shoulder at Shadow as the hybrid closed the door with a click. A sense of foreboding settled around Shadow for whatever Rouge had planned. Time to get this over with.
🔵⭐
“Okay everyone, quiet down!” Amy hollered, motioning for Knuckles to turn down the music.
When no one paused their conversations, Omega stood from his spot by the snack table.
“SILENCE FLESH-HAVERS OR I WILL DETONATE!”
The room fell into an immediate silence, broken only by Rouge’s giggling.
“So sweet for Pinkie, Omega, thank you,” she hiccuped.
Knuckles carefully swapped the bat’s vodka shot for one of just water.
Amy clapped her hands once, finally pulling the house’s attention for a moment. “It’s party game time!”
“Oh hell yes!” Tangle cheered, “You’re all going down!”
“No way lemur!” said Jet, beak upturned so he could look down on her, “I never go down!”
“We know,” Sonic muttered under his breathe as the rest of the party called out their own pre-game taunts and boasts.
Shadow covered his gruff laugh at Sonic’s comment with a fake cough. The blue hedgehog’s ear twitched as if he’d heard Shadow but he didn’t comment, his emerald eyes were trained on the beer he was nursing.
“SILENCE! AGAIN!” Omega commanded, metal fist punching into the hardwood flooring with crack.
“Thank you,” Amy said, trying to recover some control over the group, “Okay everyone this game is simple enough. It’s called Sticker Stalker and we’ll be playing most of the night while we do other stuff.”
Shadow turned to Rouge, “I agreed to only one game, thief.”
“Yeah I know,” she responded, throwing back her head to swallow her shot of water, “And this is that one game. You don’t have to play beer-pong or Drunk-MarioKart-Driving.”
Crimson eyes narrowed but he didn’t press the issue.
“The rules are easy,” the pink hedgehog said, pulling out a stack of sticker pages. “Each of us gets a page of stickers, the color or design will be unique so we don’t get them mixed up. The point is to secretly stick as many of your stickers to anyone else without them realizing. Whoever has successfully stuck the most stickers by the end of the night wins the prize!”
“Oh fun!” Blaze said with an encouraging smile.
Amy returned the smile and began moving around the group, handing out pre-determined sticker pages for each guest.
Blaze took her sheet of daisy design stickers while Silver pumped a fist in the air when he was handed holographic dots.
Omega had refused to participate as he wanted to play game referee and Big had just waved her off, motioning to the tray of cocktail shrimp he had taken for himself. He’d obviously be too busy with the snacks to play.
“What’s stopping me from tackling the hot cat and using up the whole page?” Jet asked, waving his highlighter green stickers around.
“Big isn’t playing,” Amy replied, handing a page of dark purple dots to Espio.
Jet opened his mouth to correct her but stopped when Silver spoke up, “If you try that with anyone here, much less a pyrokinetic princess, you’ll get your tail feathers handed to you.”
Amy smiled, passing out the last sticker pages, “Exactly! Subtlety is the best practice. Once a sticker is on you, you can’t take it off until the game ends. And if someone catches you applying a sticker they’ll probably retaliate.”
Shadow looked over the page of shimmery golden star stickers that the pink hedgehog had given him. He had to admit, it would be a good game for this competitive group. The hybrid could already see Silver, Blaze, and Espio making a silent alliance while Rouge helped Knuckles pre-peel his red dots to use.
“This’ll be fun,” Sonic grinned, running a gloved hand over the cobalt foil stickers that he’d been given, each dot was about the size of a bottle cap. “Is there a prize for getting through the night sticker-free?”
Shadow scoffed at the blue hedgehog’s over-confidence.
“What?” Sonic asked, a cheeky grin and a challenge lighting up his face as he turned to his rival, “Think you can do better?”
“I know I can do better,” Shadow smirked, flashing a fanged half smile, “You’ll be choking on stickers before long.”
Sonic took a step forward, “Oh yeah? You gonna do the chok-“
“You’re both fools,” Knuckles interrupted, “I shall be the sticker champion!”
“Sure baby,” Rouge smiled, slipping an arm around the echidna, a teal-colored gem sticker held ready in her fingers.
Sonic backed off his taunts, but not before winking at Shadow, grinning as the hybrid huffed his exasperation.
“Omega will count up the scores at the end. If anyone can survive without a single sticker on them then we’ll talk about a second prize. Everyone ready?” At the consensus of nodding heads Amy clapped her hands again, “Let the game begin!”
Without hesitation Tangle smacked her massive tail over Jet, covering the hawk’s beak in bright yellow stickers.
🔵⭐
Shadow knew he was loosing this game.
The party was well underway and he’d only succeeded in attaching one golden star sticker to the tip of Silver’s longest head quill and another to Rouge’s wing without either noticing. The bat’s wings were already covered in stickers. Primarily red, pink, and purple were speckled across the wing full wing span.
The pizza had arrived shortly after the game had started which was a good distraction for everyone but him. He barely needed to eat in order to live so he had hung back with Omega, on high alert for any stickers.
The hybrid wasn’t trying particularly hard, not like Jet and Espio apparently were. The hawk lacked tact but was shameless in his gameplay and Espio was a master of ninja-like reflexes.
Already dark purple stickers were appearing on pelts and clothing from stealthy moves and highlighter green dots were smacked heavy-handed onto shoulders and backs.
Knuckles had nearly snapped the hawk’s wrist when he’d tried unsubtly patting the echidna warrior’s upper arm.
If Shadow wanted a fighting chance at this game he’d have to really get into the party which he was sure was exactly what Rouge had intended. His roommate was always trying to get him to open up and actually befriend the people they had surrounded themselves with for the better part of a decade.
His desire to win was at war with his anti-social tendencies.
Amy and Blaze had taken on Wave and Storm at beer-pong, and the pink hedgehog and fiery princess were easily winning. (Much to Jet’s frustration as the hawk squawked smack-talk beside the other Babylon Rogues).
Silver, Espio, Tangle, and Rouge had started a Kart Tournament while Knuckles, Whisper, Lanolin, and Jewel chatted and waited for their turns with the game.
The hybrid felt the weight of eyes on him.
Looking up from the Kart Tournament Shadow had been paying vague attention to, he scanned the group quickly before catching the twinkling eyes of Sonic.
The blue hedgehog had seemingly zoned out, elbows resting back on the kitchen island, his face relaxed and emerald eyes languidly tracing along Shadow’s upturned quills. His fingers tapped along his sticker page subconsciously.
Shadow narrowed his eyes, there was no way in hell Sonic was going to beat him at this game.
He’d just have to beat the hero to the punch.
🔵⭐
Sonic’s gaze ran up and down Shadow’s lithe body, picking out all the spots the blue hedgehog wanted to press cobalt stickers to. If he was fast, and he always was, then Sonic could cover the red stripes along Shadow’s arms and legs and still have some dots leftover for the patch of silky white fluff on his rival’s chest.
It was a delectable and unlikely plan.
Sonic bit his bottom lip, he needed to focus if he actually wanted to win this. But it was hard, always hard, to focus around Shadow. The dark hedgehog was downright dangerous as a distraction.
A distraction that was getting bigger? Sonic’s brow-ridges furrowed, no he was getting closer!
“What are you looking at, Faker?”
Sonic’s eyes snapped up to Shadow’s face, “Nothing much I think,” he replied, trying to infuse his voice with a cool and collected calm. Insult him, that’s a great idea dumbass, Sonic mentally chided himself.
Shadow tilted his muzzle up, a slow look raking up and down the azure hero.
Behind them cheers and outraged cries went up as Blaze sunk the winning pingpong ball into a booze filled solo cup.
“I want a rematch!”
“Hush bird,” Rouge called over, “It’s karaoke time, Silver pause our tournament thingy!”
The Babylon Rogues meandered to the living room, Amy and Blaze right behind them, sharing in their victory. The pink hedgehog didn’t seem to notice when Blaze brushed against her arm, leaving a daisy sticker on the red dress sleeve.
Shadow and Sonic remained where they were, half listening as Rouge explained the contrived drinking rules she had come up with to go along with karaoke.
Silver finally swapped the inputs over and the TV flashed with song selections. Before he could pick something out, Tangle had snagged the microphone and a shot glass of fireball,
“I’m first - drink!” The lemur hooted, downing the liquor with practiced ease.
As Tangle launched into a warbling rendition of some indie rock song that Sonic didn’t recognized, the blue blur’s gaze slid back to Shadow.
“Are you gonna take a turn?”
“No,” Shadow deadpanned.
Sonic harrumphed, “With your voice I thought you’d be good at singing. Or at least not caterwauling like Blaze does,” he paused for a moment before rushing to add, “Don’t tell her I said that, she has no idea she can’t sing, and Silver and I made a blood oath to never say a thing otherwise.”
“I can sing, Faker,” Shadow cut off Sonic’s rambling, “I just doubt that Rose’s machine will have anything I’d recognize.”
“Oh yeah, oldies aren’t really her thing,” Sonic chuckled at Shadow’s frown.
They stood in comfortable silence as Tangle finished her song, having only messed up two lines so she only had to take the equivalent sips of her cocktail.
Blaze and Lanolin hopped up to duet next and Sonic tried to hide his grimace.
A fragment of a plan flitted through Shadow’s mind and the hybrid leaned over, bringing his muzzle close to Sonic’s ear.
“Want to skip out on the rest of their song? Or ‘caterwaul’ as you put it?” He asked before pulling back to gesture with an ear flick towards the hallway that led further into the apartment.
Sonic swallowed thickly, downed the rest of his beer, and nodded. The azure hedgehog wished his metabolism wasn’t so fast in that moment, a little liquid courage would have been nice.
As the interior lights had been replaced with soft colored bulbs, and dimmed low for the party ambiance, the two hedgehogs could move around the edge of the party unnoticed. Shadow led the way, Sonic on his heels, trying not to think about how pretty his rival’s quills looked under sunset lighting.
The racket of Blaze and Lanolin belting out lyrics wasn’t any quieter in the hallway, the noise traveling around the corner and thrashing against the pairs of hedgehog ears.
“In here,” Shadow said, giving Sonic a push towards a darkened room.
Once inside the striped hedgehog shut the door, dulling the atrocious singing to a muted hum, and turned to see Sonic lit up by the moonlight streaming in from his window.
“Is this your room?” he asked, trying to pick out as many details as he could in the low light.
It was a relatively uncluttered space, no socks or gloves littered the floor like in Sonic’s own room, and there was no art or pictures on the walls. Sonic was a bit surprised to see that Shadow’s bed was completely unmade, the slate grey comforter messed and falling onto the floor. It made sense, he contemplated, Shadow was raised in a stasis tube, how would he know how to make a bed?
The blue hedgehog’s gaze flitted over to a simple desk set against the far wall. It was framed by full bookshelves and strewn across it was various journals and sticky notes, as if Shadow had been trying to get thoughts down on paper before they disappeared. Or were taken from him, Sonic thought with a frown.
A barely-there touch ghosted across his quills which had Sonic reeling around. Shadow was less than a foot away, his hand still outstretched and his eyes going wide, as if surprised Sonic had noticed him.
The hero lifted a single brow-ridge and relaxed his shoulders. Shadow’s gently startled face, even after all the years of knowing how quick and alert Sonic could be, was incredibly endearing.
“Need something?” The blue hedgehog asked with a sly smile.
Shadow’s eyes narrowed, a debate happening just beneath the surface. Sonic really wanted to know what he was thinking.
“If you just ask I’m sure I’ll have an answer,” he pressed, leaning ever so slightly forward.
Sonic knew he was playing with fire, needling at Shadow and laying on the flirtation thick, but caution was something he threw to the wind. He liked Shadow, a lot, and now his rival had shut them in his dark room. Alone. How was he not going to try and take advantage of that?
A decision seemed to wash over Shadow then. Crimson eyes sparked with potential and he took a half-step forward, coming nose to nose with the blue blur. “I doubt they’ll be done anytime soon out there. We should find a way to occupy ourselves. Have anything in mind?”
Emerald eyes dilated, the black pupils expanding rapidly, and Sonic felt a brief wave on dizziness as pure desire raced through his veins. Fuck. Yes. It took him a few heartbeats to compose himself enough to speak.
“Oh, I can think of a few things,” Sonic purred, “But I’m not sure you know what you’re asking for.”
The dark hedgehog let out a low growl, “I know exactly what I want, Faker, do you?”
Sonic grinned at the question, the challenge, thrown at him by his favorite rival. “Yeah I do. You.” and he closed the breath of space between them, his mouth finding Shadow’s in the low-light.
The first touch was chaste, for all his bravado Sonic was a bundle of nerves that Shadow was not on board for this. Would the hybrid react badly? Maybe punch Sonic hard enough he’d crash backwards through the bedroom window.
When Sonic pulled back, he’d barely gotten a taste of his crush, but he wouldn’t push the hybrid too far. Their rivalry was one of the most treasured things in Sonic’s life, he didn’t want to completely blow it up with a single presumptive kiss.
The blue hedgehog needn’t have worried.
Sonic had barely backed off when Shadow growled hungrily, his hands going up to cradle Sonic’s head and pull them back together. The kiss was insistent and needy, the sudden heat surprising both hedgehogs and they pressed closer still.
The momentary shock of reciprocation was swallowed by lust bubbling up in Sonic. The blue hedgehog grasped at ebony hips and Shadow’s hold on him meant he could control their kiss far more. Tilting the blue blur’s head, Shadow gained better access to soft peach lips, which he devoured.
Sonic wouldn’t remain so compliant, moving his hands up from Shadow’s hips, the blue hedgehog pressed on his rival’s chest, pushing him back step by step but not breaking their kiss. Shadow let himself be guided back, far to focused on finally having the hero of Mobius in his arms.
Shadow’s back hit the bedroom door and Sonic was breaking away, eyes opening as he panted softly. “Need. Air.”
The dark hedgehog let his head thump back on the door, cushioned by his quills, and let his eyelids lull in a half-closed gaze that roamed over Sonic’s face. His peach muzzle was dusted pink and his pupils were blown wide.
“You’re gorgeous,” Shadow purred, the words falling from his gently smiling lips. His hands traced down to Sonic’s chest, around his hips, and then back up his spine to dig into cobalt back quills.
Emerald eyes sparked and the blue hedgehog positively preened at the compliment.
“Not so bad yourself,” Sonic replied, before lifting his left hand to his mouth, biting the finger tip of his glove, and pulling it off in a smooth motion. He repeated the action with the other one, eyes never leaving the heady gaze Shadow had trained on his now bare hands.
Tentatively, Sonic took hold of Shadow’s wrists and pulled them from where they had threaded into his quills. Shadow pulled one wrist free of Sonic’s loose grip and held it up to the peach muzzle. Sonic grinned, biting the glove tip and repeating the disrobing for his rival.
The clothing fell to the ground, forgotten as Sonic entwined their fingers together, pressing Shadow’s arms up and back until he was pined back against the door.
The cobalt hedgehog smiled, indulging in the way Shadow’s black claws dug into the backs of Sonic’s hands, keeping him in place as much as Sonic was him.
“Well?” The hybrid growled, gaze flicking down to Sonic’s mouth and then back up to emerald eyes.
“Just savoring this, been wanting it for a while, ya know,” Sonic said as be brought his muzzle to Shadow’s neck and pressed an open mouth kiss against the ebony fur. Shadow sucked in a breathe at the contact, back arching off the door and head lolling to the side to give the hero more room. Sonic hummed his appreciation as he nipped at Shadow’s flesh before sucking at that spot.
“Didn’t know,” Shadow said, biting at his own lower lip and trying to keep his senses about him. Sonic shifted, finding another place along the hybrid’s collar to work a bruising mark into. “You flirt with everyone. Didn’t know I was special, that it meant anything to you.”
Sonic pulled back just enough to make eye contact with his rival, “It always meant something to me,” he murmured reverently, “Let me prove it did.”
Crimson eyes searched emerald before Shadow nodded once, “Don’t disappoint.”
Sonic grinned and dove forward, lips crashing into Shadow’s, who let out a small gasp, his mouth opening just enough for Sonic to slip his tongue into.
The two fought for control, tongues and teeth clashing, and heat pooled low in Sonic’s belly.
Peach hands let go of ebony ones, moving to dig into striped quills. Shadow wound his arms around the blue torso, scratching his claws along Sonic’s chest, then sides, and down to grab onto his pert ass.
The hero let out a needy whine at the attention, his hips bucking forward, seeking friction for his hardening pouch.
“Bed,” Shadow growled the command, squeezing what he held of Sonic, and the blue hedgehog nodded enthusiastically.
The hero backed up to the bed, allowing empty space to open between the two hedgehogs as Shadow remained leaning against the door.
Cold air hit where Shadow’s hot hands had been, sending a chill racing up Sonic’s spine. The backs of his knees met the bed and Sonic sat, watching as Shadow attempted to collect himself.
Sonic wondered if the hybrid’s legs were as weak as his in that moment. The blue blur ran a hand through his own head quills, trying to regain some sense of cool. In his eagerness he’d practically run to the bed.
A papery-crinkle sounded in Sonic’s ear as his fingers brushed against the sticker page he’d hidden in his quills earlier.
Emerald eyes widen as a devilish thought flashed through his mind and Shadow finally moved forward.
Red and black striped fingers fanned out against Sonic’s chest, steadying Shadow as the hybrid moved to straddle cobalt hips. He settled on Sonic’s lap, hands coming to rest on the hero’s shoulders.
Shadow’s eyes met Sonic’s, holding his sultry gaze as the dark hedgehog deliberately rolled his hips.
“Fuck,” Sonic moaned, his head falling forward, his words muffled in white chest fluff, “You feel so good, Shads, you’re fucking perfect.”
The hybrid purred back his pleasure at the praise, and he rocked his hardened sheath against Sonic’s over and over in agonizing friction.
Sonic’s hands came up to clutch at black quills, simultaneously pulling Shadow closer and covertly sticking cobalt dots to his rival’s back.
Shadow shifted, moving his head down to latch onto the dip between Sonic’s collarbone and shoulder, lavishing the sensitive spot with nips and open mouth kisses.
The blue blur was having an incredibly difficult time concentrating on adding game stickers to an ebony back and striped quills. He competitive nature was slipping away as his attention was stolen and kissed by his rival.
When Shadow adjusted again, kissing up Sonic’s neck, back to his mouth, and biting his lip so he could push his tongue back into his mouth, the blue blur gave up on the stickers entirely.
The page dropped to the floor, the soft shush of it landing beneath the bed was lost to the heavy pants of the hero.
Sonic could feel both himself, heavy in his pouch, and Shadow’s hot and swollen mound, so close to releasing from their sheaths. He needed Shadow’s wonderful attentions down there even if he tasted so good with his tongue in Sonic’s mouth.
“Shads, please,” he whispered, voice gruff with want.
Shadow broke the kiss, nodding heavily, “Need you too.”
Sonic felt light-headed with lust, “How do you want me?”
The crimson of Shadow’s eyes was impossibly thin, his pupils blown wide, “I want you falling apart, begging me for every touch, drunk on me.” The fantasy escaped him, fully formed from many nights spent dreaming of this.
Sonic whimpered. “Yes, yes,” fell from his lips like a prayer.
Shadow smiled then, a genuine quirk of tan lips, and he pressed a far sweeter kiss to Sonic’s muzzle.
BANG BANG BANG
Both hedgehogs froze at the frantic pounding of a fist on the door.
“Need bathroom.. gon’ throw up,” slurred a voice that could only belong to Jet.
Shadow turned in Sonic’s lap, snarling at the door, “Fuck off chicken!”
“No..” Jet wailed, hands smacking across the door, “throw up here.”
In a burst of agility, Shadow was up and at the door, yanking it open and shoving the hawk across the hallway to the apartment’s bathroom.
Sonic let out a shaky breathe, trying to calm his racing heart, and dragged a hand down his face. He needed to get it together before he ran out of this room and jumped Shadow in front of their friends.
His ears pinned back against his head as Sonic heard the loud and revolting sounds of Jet vomiting up booze and pizza just across the hall. He could just make out the disgusted seething of Shadow as he berated the Babylon Rogue for nearly puking all over the floor.
After a few minutes, Sonic was calmed enough that he could stand on sure legs, his groin now longer swollen with lust, and rooted around on the floor for their discarded gloves.
He found an empty sticker sheet and a crumpled sticky note before his gloves. Sonic swiped an arm over his kiss bruised mouth, wiping away the trailing saliva there, and walked out of Shadow’s room.
The dark hedgehog was leaning on the bathroom door frame, keeping an eye on Jet to make sure the hawk didn’t slump over on the floor. Last thing he needed was the drunk idiot drowning in his own vomit.
Jet let out another wail before curling over the toilet again.
Sonic always assumed he’d be an angry drunk but the hawk was in fact a weeping mess. The blue blur’s muzzle scrunched in disgust to match Shadow’s. His night had been going so well.
“He good?” Came Rouge’s shout down the hall.
Shadow stepped forward and nudged the dry heaving hawk with his foot.
“Mmm better now,” Jet mumbled, swaying back to rest on the opposite wall, his eyes glazed from sickness.
“He’s not dead,” Shadow called back to his roommate, annoyance thick in his voice.
Sonic was heartened to know that he wasn’t the only one of them worn-thin from their moment cut short.
“Hooray!” The bat cried, and cheers went up from the other guests. The karaoke had obviously finished but Jet hadn’t know his lyrics, hence the incredibly drunken result.
“Get him a glass of water and then get your tails in here!” Rouge shouted, her voice only slurring a bit now.
Shadow turned to Sonic, cocking an eyebrow-ridge, “After you, Faker.”
Disappointment threatened to overwhelm Sonic but the blue blur managed a nod, passed Shadow his gloves, and turned to walk out to the living room.
🔵⭐
The sight that greeted the hedgehogs was a picture of party-chaos.
Solo cups and paper plates littered the floor, the coffee table and dinning chairs had been overturned, and throw blankets had been unfolded to create a makeshift fort between the couch and the kitchen table.
Some vampire movie was playing muted on the TV. Jewel sat just a few inches from the screen, her eyes sparkling as she mouthed along to the movie lines she knew by heart.
Big had fallen asleep in the reclining chair, Tangle and Espio were besides themselves giggling as they piled shaving cream into the purple cat’s massive paw.
Silver, Blaze, and Lanolin were crashed out on the couch, Knuckles splayed out prone across their laps, an Uno Reverse card stuck to his red quills.
Storm and Wave slouched together on the floor, scrolling through their phones.
Only Amy and Whisper seemed to be actively awake. They were sitting crossed-legged in the middle of the living room, playing a two-person card game of Spoons. Omega crouched beside them, clutching a piece of scratch paper. The combat robot was using tally marks with a pink gel pen to keep track of who won each round.
Everyone, and everything, was covered in bright stickers.
“What happened? We weren’t gone for that long,” Sonic said, stepping around a stacked tower of empty hard seltzer cans.
Rouge gave them a sarcastic look, “You disappeared forever ago!”
Amy waved her hand at the overturned furniture, “Floor is Lava Challenge” she said without elaboration.
“You also missed out on flip cup,” Silver said from his place on the couch. Two stickers, a daisy and a dark purple dot, were stuck to each of the pale hedgehog’s cheeks. “I won!” He grinned, the stickers lifting with the corners of his lips.
“Only because I let you,” Knuckles grumbled, rolling off his friends laps to land face down on the area rug. “I will not be defeated so easily again future-hedgehog!” The echidna’s threat was muffled as his nose was scrunched into the floor.
“Shush babe,” Rouge said, patting his broad back, “we’re all out of stickers so we’re calling the game now. Time to count Omega!”
“COMMAND RECEIVED. PROCESSING NOW.”
Shadow crossed his arms over his chest, “This is a moot point, Rouge. I have made it through with no stickers on me. I don’t need to be here for this.”
The bat scoffed, her teal eyes flicking over to inspect Shadow, who faced her with a challenging stare.
Rouge’s gaze travelled up and down the dark hedgehog, taking in all the tells he hadn’t thought to hide, like his messed head quills and the slick and kinked fur on his neck. All at once, Rouge’s incredulous look shifted to one of wicked glee.
“You two,” she pointed a finger at the rivals, “turn around.”
Sonic gave her a baffled shake of his head that matched Shadow’s. “Seriously?” He asked, trying not to glance over at the hybrid beside him.
All attention was focused in on Sonic and Shadow, except for Jewel who had scooted another inch closer to the muted TV. Amy and Whisper had even paused in their game, cards laid face-down on the floor.
Omega’s scanner beeped, “THEIR HEART-RATES HAVE INCREASED. ANTICIPATE DEFELCTION TACTICS!”
Amy frowned, “You’re gonna run from a game Sonic?”
“Of course not,” the blue hedgehog replied, side-eyeing Shadow and catching the glint of a cobalt foil sticker. “But no one else has to be inspected.”
Rouge clicked her tongue, “Stop procrastinating and spin!”
Shadow rolled his eyes but did as she asked. The sooner this was over the sooner he could kick everyone out of his house. Even his annoyingly observant roommates.
Both hedgehogs turned, facing down the dim hallway, their backs displayed to their rest of the apartment. A collective gasp swept through the party, quickly followed by an uproar of laughter.
Sonic and Shadow spun to face each other before looking over their own shoulders to see what had every one in fits.
Golden star stickers covered Sonic’s blue pelt. From his head quills, down his back, and around his hips was an imitation of a starry night sky. There was even one star stuck to the tip of his tail.
Sonic thought back to all the moments in Shadow’s room. How he’d felt the hybrid stroke his back, how easily distracted he’d become over Shadow’s seduction, the empty sticker page he’d found on the floor. A sudden burst of mixed feelings rolled over in Sonic’s stomach. Had Shadow just been using him to win a game?
Next to him, Shadow was in a similar state. Cobalt foil dots were plastered up and down his back, a few even stuck as low as the backs of his ebony thighs. Right where Sonic had grabbed at him, pulling Shadow’s rolling pelvis harder against him.
The hybrid’s head snapped towards Sonic, eyes narrowing in accusation.
Oops, Sonic winced. He hadn’t exactly been without ulterior motives himself.
Rouge was nearly suffocating from her cackles, rolling from side to side across the floor, holding her ribs in pain.
“32 POINTS FOR ROOMMATE SHADOW,” Omega calculated, “35 POINTS FOR SONIC T. HEDGEHOG.”
“Ha!” Sonic shouted, startling Big awake, and throwing a smug grin at Shadow, “I won!”
The hybrid rolled his eyes, trying to appear unfazed by the turn in events.
“Maybe between the two of you,” Blaze spoke up, “We need the rest of the scores. Please continue Omega.”
The combat robot began spouting off the remaining scores, revealing that Sonic and Shadow were solidly middle of the pack, and Whisper had won by ten stickers.
Tangle threw her arms around her girlfriend, wrapping them both in her sticker covered tail.
“Well, damn,” Sonic laughed, “Guess my strategy wasn’t great, huh?”
“What strategy?” Rouge snorted, having finally calmed down. “Being a slut?”
Silver gasped at the bat while Amy stifled a laugh.
Sonic was unbothered, “It could have worked!”
“I’m sure it was working very well,” Rouge snickered as she carefully peeled cherry red sticker dots off her collarbone.
“Oh tease them later,” Tangle piped up, “What’s the prize?”
Immediately cheers of “Prize! Prize! Prize!” flew up from the crowded apartment. Amy clapped her hands in excitement and jumped up to retrieve whatever award she and Rouge had planned. Jet even returned, eyes clear and aware, as most of the alcohol had violently left his body. The hawk joined in on the cheers as he flopped to the ground beside Wave and Storm.
Shadow rolled his eyes. His patience for this party had nearly dissolved. He supposed he’d return to his spot on in the corner to wait it out beside Big but then he caught sight of Sonic ducking away from the crowd.
The hybrid tracked Sonic as the blue hedgehog made his way to the kitchen. Shadow smirked at the sight of all those dazzling golden stars flecking Sonic’s pelt and quills.
He’d thought it had been a clever plan, getting Sonic distracted so Shadow could cover him in game stickers. It was truly the hybrid’s luck that Sonic had decided on seduction as the distraction, a turn in events that Shadow had been all too keen on reciprocating.
Now Sonic stood in Shadow’s kitchen, the hero was twisted around, peeling those stickers off one-by-one.
Shadow’s heart skipped a beat, watching as his rival momentarily struggled to free one of the stars from his cobalt quills, a proud smile crossing his peach muzzle when he’d succeeded.
Overly excited, Tangle was helping Whisper to unwrap the festive box Amy had placed before them. The lemur was rapidly guessing what was inside, her noise and the prize capturing the attention of everyone else.
Shadow slipped around the edge of the living room, careful not to draw Rouge or Omega’s notice.
“Please open it faster Whisper,” Silver pleaded, “I think Tangle is going to hyperventilate.”
“Need help?” Shadow asked, coming into the kitchen and pitching his voice low so it didn’t carry.
Sonic spun around, his face lighting up when Shadow neared.
“Yeah, please,” the blue blur said, “Thought I was more flexible, but can’t really reach it.”
The hybrid nodded, stepping close enough to peel off the last sticker. This one Shadow had pressed between cobalt shoulder blades when Sonic had been sucking hickeys along his neck. The recent memory brought a faint blush to Shadow’s muzzle.
Shadow glanced at the sticker, sentimentality would surely be his downfall some day, and covertly tucked the sticker under the cuff of his glove. “There, all gone.”
“Thanks,” Sonic said, turning to face Shadow. “Need help with your stickers? Or I guess, my stickers, since I put ‘em there?”
Shadow studied Sonic for a moment, “Yes, I would appreciate that.”
Sonic started peeling away the blue dots, his fingers lingering on Shadow as long as he dared. But the hybrid never pushed him away, never flinched or snarled at the dallying touches. In fact, Sonic would swear the Shadow was leaning into them.
Too soon the stickers were all removed and Sonic was searching for the kitchen trash.
The hedgehogs lingered then, not ready to delve back into the party proper, not sure how to say what they actually wanted.
“Fight me if you dare!” Knuckles shout boomed through the apartment, the echidna was hoisting one massive foam jousting pole in the air.
Whisper’s shoulders were shaking as she silently laughed and the wolf gladly handed her own jousting pole to Blaze. The prize had been an oversized gladiator weapons set, and to Shadow’s horror, they were going to battle in his living room.
“So,” Sonic asked, coming to stand beside Shadow and watch the tourney unfold, a newly opened can of something citrusy in hand. He passed a similar drink to Shadow who took it, cautiously sniffing at the contents. It seemed less offensive than whatever Rouge had made earlier. “Enjoying the party?”
Shadow cut his eyes towards the blue hedgehog, noting the slight tension Sonic held in his shoulders, waiting on a response. The hybrid love to tease, but he wouldn’t be careless, not with him.
“Actually, yes. It’s been a surprisingly good time.”
“Oh yeah?” Sonic beamed, his apprehension falling away. “Well then, we’ll have to do it again sometime.”
“What? You want to leave something else sticky all over my back?” Shadow replied.
Sonic choked on his drink.
Shadow let out a quiet and low laugh as the hero coughed and tried to regain some composure.
Before them Blaze and Knuckles dueled, the couch and coffee table moved to make room. The princess and warrior held their giant q-tip shaped weapons with practiced ease, watching for the perfect moment to strike.
“Just whack someone already!” Jet squawked, followed by the agreeing calls of the other rogues.
Knuckles attention shifted to the green bird for just a moment, glaring at the pompous hawk, and Blaze took her moment to strike. One fierce jab to the chest had the echidna was fighting back, swinging powerfully. They looked like Arthurian knights, foam jousting poles clashing in battle around the living room as the party cheered them on.
Apart from the fray, a peach arm brushed against a striped one, emerald and crimson eyes meeting with unspoken promises, and both hedgehogs drew closer together.
🔵⭐