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sugarplumkneecaps · 5 months ago

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Sips of Solace & Soft Spines

Shadow x Sonic Slow Burn

C/W: mentions of loss, brief fantasy violence Summary: Peacetime is a rarity, one Shadow never truly got to experience... until now. With no real threats at work, Shadow is urged to take advantage of this time and settle down somewhere for the time being. With much reluctance, Shadow does just that.

However, the peace and quiet gives Shadow time to reflect on his life, his loss, and the relationships he's built up (or avoided) since coming out of stasis. A/N: I figured it might be time to start posting my Sonadow fanfic here! I will be posting these chapters weekly. If you want to read more up to date chapters, I'm posting them on my AO3!

Chapter 1 (HERE) | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Chapter 1: Brewed Beginnings

☾ ⋆･ﾟ:⋆･ﾟ☆。。☆。✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

Earth’s mantle spat out fiery gushes of molten rock, threatening to consume anyone near. The way the ground had split from sheer force before Shadow’s eyes sent a wave of panic through his entire being; this might truly be the end of him and his gaggle of friends. Friends? Could he even call them that? He caught sight of Rouge, the same sense of impending doom petrifying her where she hovered.

“Rouge!” he cried out desperately.

The bat met his gaze and quickly reached his side. “It’s no use Shadow. We have to find the others! We can’t face this head on.”

Shadow’s grip on his great sword tightened before he finally relented, accepting the truth in Rouge’s plea. He gave her a curt nod before scanning the area around them to find their companions. The chaos that ensued around them made it nearly impossible to differentiate between rubble and flesh.

“Rouge! Shadow! Over here!” Tails’ voice strained over the mayhem. Much to Shadow’s relief, the small fox was accompanied by both Amy and Knuckles. Amy’s pink form was hunched over Knuckles, the magic at her fingertips working against time to save their friend. Shadow and Rouge appeared beside them, taking in the scene.

“My magic is barely doing anything,” Amy whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks, mixing with the soot they were all covered in. Shadow looked down to see the gruesome state Knuckles was in; a deep wound across his stomach gaped even against the magic Amy exerted on it.

Shadow reached out in an attempt to help, placing a hand on the echnida’s head before speaking into existence a spell of his own.

The rumble around them trembled as a lone Iblis erupted from the blazing pit, quickly taking notice of their vulnerable state. It’s long form radiated, before...

“Sonic!” Amy fumed, slamming a fist on the table. “I thought we agreed on no TPK’s?!”

The blue hedgehog’s face nearly split from the wide grin that stretched along his lips, “What? I don’t remember that! It’s a one-shot, why does it matter?”

“It matters,” Rouge offered, her tone revealing her own annoyance, “because this is Shadow’s first time playing? You know how hard it was for me to even convince him to come with me?”

Sonic shrugged, his demeanor blasé as his friends continued their verbal assault.

Shadow sat in silence as he stared at his miniature figure. Rouge had pleaded for him to come over to Amy’s house so they could all play Dungeons & Dragons with her and the Sonic Team as a way to help him integrate into “normal life”.

The game seemed a bit pointless, and once they realized who was going to be running the one-shot, the first twenty minutes or so there was spent with Sonic getting lectured on the do’s and don’ts for this particular game (all of which went out the window when Sonic led the party into a doomed fight). Still, Shadow felt he at least owed it to Rouge to accompany her as a way to help repay her for letting him crash on her couch.

It had only been about a week since Commander Tower told Shadow that GUN had noticed a lull in activity from all known threats - extraterrestrial or otherwise. He implored that Team Dark take the opportunity to settle down and enjoy the rare break. Shadow had tried to refuse at first, insisting that Eggman, Black Doom, or even GUN themselves could use this as an opportunity to attack.

“What, you’re going to tell me that the Ultimate Lifeform is going to be unable to respond if needed?” the Commander scoffed. With a blow to Shadow’s ego, the Commander knew it would be enough to cease any further discussions on the matter. This left Shadow with no other choice but to acquiesce.

Though, with the current situation at hand, maybe he would have fought back a bit harder or even caused a scene himself if he knew that he would find himself at Amy’s rubbing elbows with Tails, Knuckles, and his rival Sonic.

“How dare you dishonor me so with this,” Knuckles motioned at his downed figure, “dee kay?!”

“It’s ‘TPK’, darling,” Rouge cooed, “it means total party kill. Sonic wiped us all out.”

Sonic laughed, finding the amusement in his friends’ collective vexation. “Oh come on, I tried to make it all dark and brooding for our friend here.” He motioned his hands toward Shadow, his voice sarcastic and teasing. “You had fun, didn’t you Shads?”

Shadow’s ear twitched slightly before he let out an exasperated sigh. “Rouge, I’m ready to go.”

The group turned their attention to the dark hedgehog as he stood from his seat, various protests layering one another in an attempt to change his mind. Rouge, however, could feel Shadow’s irritation radiating from him.

“Ah, you know, Shadow’s right. It’s getting pretty late and we do have an apartment tour scheduled for tomorrow morning,” Rouge sighed, pushing Shadow toward the front door. “Thank you, Amy, for being such a wonderful host as always.”

Amy clambered out of her chair in a rushed effort to see them out, “of course Rouge! And thank you Shadow, for coming out and tolerating Sonic.”

Shadow imagined Amy clobbering Sonic with her large hammer as payback for the end result of tonight’s game and smirked, “give him a good bash on the head for me.” His response was met with a look of surprise and amusement from the pink hedgehog before she waved him and Rouge off.

Streetlights beamed down on the two friends as they walked to the edge of the small neighborhood, their breath visible in the cold, night air.

“Well, that was certainly something, wasn’t it?” Rouge prompted, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

Shadow let out a small “humph” as he kept his eyes trained on the pavement. As much as he cared for Rouge, he yearned for silence to cleanse his palette from the chaotic environment they had departed from. Rouge took the hint, smiling a bit as she looked up to the night sky.

The distance between her house and Amy’s was only a short jaunt away, which was both a relief and a discomfort to Shadow. The idea of all of them having such close proximity to one another was not only strange but downright irksome. As much as he felt he owed Rouge, he did not want to make it a habit to continue to accompany her to these outings.

Rouge’s keys jingled as she unlocked the front door of her house. Shadow’s stay with her was not the first time he had been to her place, but any extended amount of time spent with anyone that wasn’t Maria felt strange to him. He insisted on staying on her couch instead of her guest room, worried about the implications of getting too comfortable somewhere. Rouge knew Shadow’s methods were unorthodox, but chose not to push the matter too much.

“Well, I think I’m going to call it a night, handsome,” she sang, knowing the nickname would evoke at least a side eye from Shadow. She was right. “Be sure to get some rest! We’ve got a big day tomorrow and I have a good feeling about this place!”

Shadow shook his head slightly, watching the bat saunter down the hall into her own room. Once he heard the door latch shut, he let out the breath he was unaware that he was holding. While it wasn’t out of character for Rouge to put on a facade in an effort to cheer him up, he could understand why the prospect of him getting his own place would be a genuinely joyous occasion for her. They had both been working diligently to secure him not only a place to live, but also an in between job over the past week. Who would’ve thought that having no prior residences beside the ARK and no real way to measure a yearly salary as a part of Team Dark would cause so many issues in that endeavor?

“What the hell was I thinking agreeing to this?”

He rested his face in his hands, before massaging his temples in an effort to fight off the inevitable headache creeping up his skull. As much as he loathed to admit it, Rouge was right; he was going to need as much rest as he could get. Slipping his air shoes off, he made his way over to the couch before curling up under the blanket placed there for him. It was embarrassing that something as simple as viewing a potential apartment would cause such distress, alas it was impossible to ignore the effect it had on him. Shutting his eyes and letting his mind wander, he made the trivial wish that maybe Rouge’s enthusiasm would rub off on him by morning.

The coffee pot hissed to signal the end of its brewing cycle, stirring Shadow awake. Glancing over at the clock on the wall, he took note of the time, appreciating Rouge’s subtle effort to roust them both at a reasonable hour. As he entered the kitchen, the sweet and familiar aroma enveloped him. While he usually was not one to drink coffee, Rouge had threatened bodily harm if she found him digging into her stash the way he would with his own personal collection of coffee. He wasn’t going to test it.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” Rouge called from the living room, waltzing onto the linoleum. “Oh and good morning to you, too, Shadow.”

Shadow rolled his eyes at her jest, pulling down two coffee mugs for the both of them. “Cream and sugar?”

“You know me so well!” Rouge grinned, bumping her hip against his before sitting at the dining room table. “I figured we could grab breakfast while we are out that way we can check out that cafe I was telling you about!”

The dark coffee swirled with the cream in Rouge’s mug, mesmerizing Shadow as he made up the two cups in silence. He sat across from the bat after placing her nearly full cup in front of her gingerly, taking a slow sip from his own.

“I don’t know how you add all that nonsense in your coffee,” he muttered, appreciating the smoothness of his black coffee.

“And I don’t recall asking” Rouge teased, bringing her own cup to her lips, “were you listening?”

Shadow raised an eyebrow at her, “is this the same cafe you told me you and Amy work at?”

“What do you know, you do listen sometimes.” A playful smile tugged at Rouge’s lips before she continued, “I have no doubt they would hire you on, what with you having two glowing reviews from two of the greatest baristas that place has ever seen!”

His coffee betrayed him as he choked a bit in response to her exclamation, “what, you think Amy is going to help get me hired there? After how many times I’ve kicked her boyfriend’s ass?”

“Lucky for you, they aren’t dating. And just as lucky for you, if not more so, I already asked her to!”

The look of pride that Rouge wore on her face wasn’t convincing enough for Shadow, but still, he wasn’t going to argue with her. They finished their coffee without exchanging another word, the silence a victory for both in their own minds. Shadow pulled his jacket on, inspecting himself in the entryway mirror before slipping his shoes on and following Rouge to her car.

Shadow had to admit that Green Hills at least lived up to its name. The scenery around the small town was breathtaking, with endless seas of trees and vegetation that reached far beyond the valley. It was a stark contrast to that of the ARK, where the view featured the curvature of Earth in a blanket of endless night and stars that reached far beyond his or Maria’s imagination. A small bit of comfort Shadow found was that the town resembled that of many of the pictures Maria had shared with him.

“You tend to see that in small towns,” Rouge commented, “residents are much more likely to want to restore older buildings in order to keep their town history intact.”

Small buildings lined either side of the street, their window displays decorated with various odds and ends. Shadow read off some of the weathered signs; Barb’s Bits n’ Bobs, Made by You Ceramics, Secondhand Treasures, Rebel Ink. Each block a different assortment of shops offering anything Shadow could never imagine. After a few moments, the buildings shifted to those of a more domestic feel with several thin townhomes nestled together in between larger apartment complexes.

Rouge turned into the lot in front of a simple, modest building, parking her car in one of the spots marked for “guests”. She turned the key in her ignition, shutting off the engine before contorting herself to face the dark hedgehog.

“Well, this is it! What do you think?” she beamed.

Shadow turned from her to survey the building; it was a two story complex with only six apartments featuring a stairwell leading to the second floor to the far left hand side of the building. He noted how the outside of each living space was nearly identical, save for the few personal touches that were added by a couple of the current tenants. All things considered, it was a rather unremarkable building, which put Shadow at ease.

As they exited the car, an older gentleman called down to them from the second floor, “good morning! Are you the ones who asked about the apartment?”

“Yes! We are! I’m Rouge and this is my friend Shadow,” Rouge shouted back, her voice an octave higher than her usual tone. “He’s the one who would be renting it.”

“Wonderful to meet you both! Why don’t you join me up here and I’ll give you the grand tour.”

The two mobians obliged, taking to the stairs and joining the older man at the door. He opened it, describing in detail the various features that came with it. Shadow stepped into the apartment himself, taking advantage of Rouge’s overt interest in making conversation with the man. Shadow was not surprised to find that the living space matched the exterior; simple and modest. He enjoyed the open concept of the main living areas and easy access to the kitchen with a backdoor leading to a private balcony. Down the hall were two rooms and a single bathroom. Although it would just be him there, he appreciated having options for what he could do with the space.

His stomach filled with butterflies at the thought; what was he going to do with the space?

“What do you think Shadow?” Rouge’s soft voice brought Shadow back to reality, and he looked at the bat and older gentleman with a blank expression.

“I’ll take it.”

Rouge cheered and pulled the old man into a slight hug, making the man’s face burn red before he cleared his throat. “I’ll just need some time to write up the rental agreement. I can have it ready by this afternoon. Move in day is on the tenth.”

“That’s only three days from now Shadow!” Rouge giggled, moving to grasp his hand in her own. “We’ll be back later this afternoon then!”

The car doors shut and the two friends sat together for a moment in stunned silence.

“Oh my gosh Shadow, this is wonderful! I can’t believe this worked out!” Rouge cheered as she drummed her fingers along the steering wheel.

“What happened to having a good feeling about this one?” Shadow quoted, ignoring the feeling of dread creeping up on him again.

Rouge stopped drumming for a moment to buckle herself in and start the car, “Oh, don’t get hung up on that. I explained your situation over the phone and he sounded understanding. But sometimes,” she paused, admiring herself in the rearview mirror, “things change once you’re in person.”

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest in contemplation, “Humph. Well, that answers the question of where I’m going to live. But I won’t be able to live off my savings forever.” His train of thought was cut off by the sudden closeness Rouge imposed on them. Leaning over into his space, she shot him a toothy grin. It took less than a second for Shadow to realize what was coming next. “...we’re going to the cafe-��

“Yes, we’re going to the cafe next.” Rouge grabbed Shadow’s hand to give it a squeeze before peeling out of the lot onto the main road again. “And as luck would have it, Amy is working with our manager right now!”

“Something tells me that has nothing to do with luck and more to do with your scheming,” Shadow pouted.

It took them mere minutes to arrive in front of the cafe, which by great contrast to its neighbors had a much more modern look to it. “The Mean Bean” was plastered on the windows of the glass doors and in an arch over the entrance. It sat on a corner of the main intersection, making it easily accessible for anyone strolling through town. This much was evident when they pushed open the door and was met with a long line of customers. A chime rung through the space, alerting those working behind the counter of new visitors.

“Hi! Welcome to the Mean Bean,” Amy shouted, her tone pleasant as she continued to punch in the order for the person in front of her. She barely glanced up, having to do a double take before a warm smile spread along her lips, “Rouge! Shadow! I didn’t know you were stopping by!” Her eyes shifted to Rouge, giving her a wink. The display was enough to make Shadow groan.

Rouge lead Shadow to the pickup counter on the other side of Amy, waving her arm to the tall rabbit working the expresso machine. “Hey Max, I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

The rabbit turned to the two friends, throwing the rag in their hand over their shoulder and bringing their hand up to give them a casual salute. They ambled past Amy, whispering something to her before outstretching their hand to Shadow, “heya, I’m Max. Heard you were looking for a job?”

Shadow grasped their hand in a firm handshake, “Seems like it.”

Max chuckled lightly, wiping their hands on their apron and shifting to lean their side against the wall. “Hey, I get it. I don’t want to be here either, but gotta pay the bills somehow. Rouge here tells me you’re a coffee fanatic.”

Rouge choked back a laugh as Shadow shot her a menacing glare. He swore if he could kill someone with a stare, he was putting everything he had in the idea of accomplishing that with this one. “Yeah. Something like that,” he turned his attention back to Max, “I’m hoping to start as soon as possible.”

“Woah, quite the mood shift,” Max chuckled. “Sure, yeah. Let’s get you started. Hey Rouge,” signaling to her with a single nod. “Since this guy comes so highly recommended by you, how about you train him?”

The delight on Rouge’s face annoyed Shadow to no end, “sure thing Max! First thing tomorrow.”

“Welcome to the team, rookie.” Max winked at Shadow and returned to the machine before the hedgehog had a chance to respond.

“My, my. You’ve gotten a new place and a new job all in the span of one day and it isn’t even noon yet,” Rouge said, her voice toeing the line between sultry and sarcastic. “All thanks to little ole me.”

Shadow grimaced at the idea of what came next, “what’s the catch.” The question came off as more of a statement, his tone suspicion. He had worked with Rouge for years and she was one of the very few friends he had. If there was one thing he knew, it was that she was definitely up to something.

Rouge held her hands up innocently, “I’m wounded Shadow! You think I wouldn’t help you out of the goodness of my heart?” She pulled one hand to her chest and the other lay over her forehead in a dramatic display.

Shadow stood absolute, waiting for her theatrics to cease.

“Fine. You’re really a buzzkill sometimes, aren’t you?” Rouge rolled her eyes, collecting herself and leading them to a table. “All you have to do is actually try to adjust to life here.”

Shadow paused before taking a seat, once again shooting daggers with his eyes at the bat, “what’s that supposed to mean?!”

She plopped down in front of him, her expression unamused. “You know exactly what I mean, Shadow, don’t play dumb with me. The Commander said to take the time to adjust to civilian life. That means you actually have to put in the effort to adjust.”

“I agreed to get that apartment and get this frivolous job, didn’t I?” he shot back at her, his frustration threatening to boil over.

Rouge let out a sigh before adjusting in her seat to place her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her palms. “Yes. You did. But it’s more than that. You have to work on building connections with others, finding a hobby,” Shadow raised a finger in protest, to which Rouge shot down immediately, “that doesn’t just consist of training!”

Shadow’s finger retreated and he sat back in his chair, a scowl working it’s way onto his face as he peered out the window. Once again, he was loath to admit that Rouge was right. In all the years he had spent outside of stasis, he hadn’t given himself time for recreation. All he knew was what he had done with Maria, and even then, those memories had begun to fade.

Biting at his bottom lip, he finally relented, “okay. Yeah, okay. Fine. I’ll try.”

“Great!” Rouge beamed, “because we are going to Amy’s again tonight.”

Shadow whipped his head to look at his counterpart, mouth agape, “what?! Why?!” he hissed.

As if to signal an abrupt end to any protest he could muster, Amy approached the table, balancing a tray in her hand. “Coffee with cream and sugar for Rouge! Black coffee for Shadow and some of our house special quiche!” she sang, placing the items in front of their respective recipient before slipping the serving tray under her arm.

“Well, you see Shadow,” Rouge started as she slung her arm through Amy’s, “Amy is hosting a karaoke night! Doesn’t that sound fun!”

Amy let out a strained chuckle as she looked nervously from Rouge to Shadow, “Eh-? Uh, yeah! I am! Would you, uhm, like to join us Shadow? You don’t have to be good or anything. Knuckles himself could make my ears bleed-“

Shadow glared at Rouge before replying through gritted teeth, cutting off Amy’s nervous babbling, “I’ll be there.”

“Isn’t that wonderful! We get more time to hang out and get to know one another! Won’t that be nice since we are all going to be coworkers!” Rouge sang, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Shadow got the job?” Amy gasped, “Congratulations Shadow! Even more reason to celebrate!”

“And,” Rouge added, “He got the apartment. He signs the agreement today!”

“Ah! That’s incredible! We have to plan a housewarming party for you! Oh my gosh!” The girls practically bounced with excitement in unison.

Shadow slumped down in his chair, looking at his phone as his thumb hovered over Commander Tower’s name. He swore to himself that he was going to give that man an ear full for subjecting him to this.

#shadow the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #shadow x sonic #sonadow #shadnic #fanfic #sth #ao3 #✧*̥˚ my fics *̥˚✧#domestic fluff #enemies to friends to lovers #slow burn

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