smash_logs | THEY DID THE MASH

Shadow didn't answer him. Instead, his gaze fell, mind clearly going 90 miles an hour. Being on his own in the dark while so small and fragile... it could mean trouble. He hated to admit it, but he had to face reality here: he was smaller and weaker.

Sonic, however, was larger and more powerful. Should Eggman locate them, it could be bad, and the Werehog could easily overpower him in this state.

At the same time, though...

He felt safer with him. Always.

He huddled up to him, miffing into navy blue fur. His tail vibrated behind him, showing that he was very, very on-edge, and he was utilizing any bit of sensory he had here to protect himself. It was survival of the fittest here, and at this point in time, he no longer felt like he was the fittest.

"It would be a bad idea to part ways now."

He wasn't going to go into any more detail. His pride wasn't about to allow that.

"It'd be a bad idea not to -- "

Ah, but Shadow's demeanor said more than he'd ever allow words to convey. Even though the threat against him harming someone was incredibly likely, Sonic didn't feel right leaving him behind. It wasn't very hero-like, even if it might be for his own good. What if a hawk came flying in and scooped him up for dinner or something?

"Yeah, okay," Sonic recanted, sighing away his concerns. In place of any further frowning, he raked Shadow back into his claws and lifted him up toward his shoulder. "Hope ya still got a grip on ya."

No matter how bad that idea was, it would always serve to be a funny mental image.

Digression initiated, however, it was an actually likely threat. The idea of getting attacked by a predator and left to huddle under logs in pain was not something Shadow particularly enjoyed. That, and, well... that time he spent sleeping with Sonic in the forest was very nice. Awfully nice. He kind of wanted that again, just huddling up and snoozing with him.

He... had to wonder what a legitimate 'sleepover' with him would be like. That was what the humans called it, he was sure. Maria brought it up to him once or twice before. At any rate, he'd have to see about that sometime.

"You underestimate me," he grumbled, yet he clung tightly onto his massive fuzz. Goodness, he had so much fluff that he was sure he'd get lost in it!

Turning into the silkiest ride in town, Sonic the Werehog patiently held his ground until Shadow felt secure, then dropped to all fours to start his engines. He gazed straight ahead for only a breath's worth thereafter, in his nature to not linger for too long, after all.

A hefty snarl steamed through sharp fangs before Sonic launched himself forward. Definitely not the speed of sound, but he was still swift for a beast charging to the natural nocturnes of his beloved planet - no matter what universe it was veiled by or what choir sang its songs, it would always be his home.

Breaking the perimeter of the forest was an easy feat, just moments spent to do so and only a blink or two more to get into the belly of the woods themselves. He glanced back to ensure Shadow was still with him and he hadn't lost him to the smack of a tree branch somewhere.

"This is nothin'!" He called, clearly needing to express he was faster than this normally. As if Shadow had no idea. (Hey, this was his rival he was dealing with. He was a tad embarrassed.)

That was still a pretty powerful jog, one that Shadow had to cling on for dear life to properly enjoy. Despite the way he flailed about on his shoulder for a time, this felt far better than having to go off on his own. He couldn't place exactly why, but being with Sonic made his heart flutter. He made it grow so fond, so warm...

Ah, enough to make him start purring against him, it seemed. That was a good sign.

"Mmm... hm?" He blinked out of his stupor, only then realizing that they'd stopped, and Sonic had exclaimed... something. He couldn't recall what it was, if he'd even legibly heard it at all. He nuzzled against him, his purring still at full throttle and disrupting his normally composed speech.

"What wassss that?"

Happy hedgie, sleepy hedgie, purr, purr, purr.

Sonic's wrists remained against the ground, worried that if he stood up too quickly, Shadow would plop right off and into the dirt. From what he could gather in his peripherals, the Ultimate Hoglet was about to take a nap. A restrained chuckle punched against the back of his lips. Well, he's a kid, after all.

"Nothin'," Sonic told him, a small shiver going down his spine from the ticklish vibrations in Shadow's chest against his own skin. "Don't tell me it's your nap time already?" He continued to walk rather awkwardly on all fours now. Running this way was far easier, but walking seemed to require more concentration.

Was it really? It shouldn't have been, but the stars that hung lazily above them acted like a crib's spinning mobile, soothing his weary, tired soul and leaving him slackened. Shadow's grip was beginning to loosen a little, yet he remained comfortably placed atop his hulking body, bouncing just slightly from the movements of his shoulder blades.

"Mm... I believe..." He trailed off, yawning and stretching against him. That really served as an answer all its own, so he left it at that, trying to resist his natural urge to curl into a ball. That wouldn't really end well.

"Hey, I was kiddin'!" Ah, but he looked like he was already drifting off. Was he a babysitter now or what?

Sonic treaded carefully to where he had his blankets stashed away for safe keeping. Some squirrels were keeping an eye on them for him, so he had little to worry about. You ever tried to fight a squirrel guarding something? Go on. Give it a shot.

Suspecting tonight was going to be uneventful and likely just spent resting, Sonic approached his bark safe and waved off the little puffy guard coming out to check on the intruder in her tree. The Werehog offered her a smile to deactivate the alarm and dragged out a set of blankets, letting what Shadow had left with him tumble out onto the forest floor.

Working with just the one arm that didn't have a baby hogging it all up, Sonic spread the thick blankets thin, smoothing them out and removing branches, rocks, and other hazards from beneath it that could cause them any comfort issues. Once that was done, he finally reached back, nudging his fingertip into the little dark ball occupying his fur. He kept his claw angled up, afraid of poking him.

"Hey. Y'better not be droolin'."

Better not be drooling? Hey, he wasn't planning on it, nor did he ever drool in his sleep. That would be simply uncouth. Then again, Sonic did just nudge him out of his bleary-eyed state, leaving him having to remain awake until he could properly settle down.

Shadow found this more than worthy of payback.

"Mmph," was the only peep that came from him before he took a glob of his rival's fur and began to slobber all over it. He licked at him, purposefully making himself nice and wet for his pleasure.

Enjoy being drooled on, Sonic. You practically asked for it.

There was some playful smiling upon initially poking him. He looked a little goofy being so small and even more so when he was groggy and wobbly. Just one giant blob of hoglet ego. Sonic couldn't resist a grin!

Until he began to gush spit all over his shoulder. "What the-- H-hey!" Awww, EWWWW. Sonic rotated his shoulder a bit. "Shadow, c'mon! You're doing that on purpose!" Okay, fun and games were over. He reached back to dig and pinch the scruff of his neck, pulling him up and off his back. "You're gross," he added once he had him dangled in front of his face.

That smirk was not about to fade away any time soon. He proudly stared at him, hanging limply by his scruff, legs and arms subtly swaying to and fro. That was worth the response. That was so very worth the response and any possible consequences. It was even more immature than Shadow was known for, but for some reason, he felt that it was perfectly okay to do.

He found it okay to even keep teasing him, sticking his tongue out and trying to lean over to lick his nose. He was tempted on sucking it a little, too, but he thought that would be very much overdoing it. (Plus, how do wet hedgehog noses taste? He can't imagine that it's very palatable.)

It was easy to float him just out of reach, so problem solved. The wince said he was still disgusted, but the wibbling smile trying to conceal itself spoke many words otherwise. This was ridiculous and he wanted to laugh, but he was no babysitter. At least he didn't need diapers. Oh god.

"I don't think so, junior." With that, he placed Shadow down against the blankets, staring down upon him just for observation's sake. He hoped Shadow would never produce offspring. They'd probably act just like this.

~~sorry sonic he got pragnate with your baby and chaos controlled it into a meat grinder~~

Ah, Sonic, you're no fun. The only way Shadow did was when it was at his expense, after all! Golly.

Whatever. He found the blanket's silky smoothness to be enticing, and he was drawn in, digging his claws into its surface and kneading to make himself more comfortable, almost cat-like in his motions. One prototype of Gerald's was meant to be a cat, but it was never created, so perhaps that explained this odd behavior. ~~heh, obscure references to beta elements~~

He finally settled afterward, curling up in one corner of the sheet, looking up at Sonic with big, bright eyes, not nearly as deepened with age as they usually were. He practically had the eyes of a puppy dog here. How cute.

Well, it was still too early for Sonic himself to go to bed, but all his poor sleep and visits from others considered, he could probably stand to get an extra five hours or so of some proper rest. Laying opposite to Shadow simply to avoid crushing him, Sonic curled up like one would expect a dog would, only he made sure to face him to keep an eye out for him. The last thing he needed was the rude awakening of Shadow being carried off by the local squirrels for the winter. ~~It could happen.~~

Settling in drew the air from his chest in a deep exhale, a burden within his lungs folding his ears down to meet it. The drumming of his heart had his tail slapping in tune, Shadow's unusual condition stirring an uncertainty in the back of his mind. He was, to say the very least, amusing beyond all figurative measurements for such a thing. More amusing than the idea of Eggman's mustache being his eyebrows. Y'know, that sort of thing? Maybe a little less than if they were his eyebrows and they caught fire. He smirked.

It had him thinking, though, about all the conversations where Shadow expressed concern about Sonic's safety - about his life. He wasn't clueless to Shadow's underlying desire to take care of him, even though he didn't need it at all, thanks! He could take care of himself!

... But here it goes. He's watching him instead. Maybe it was just because he was small and weak for the time being, but he couldn't ignore the instinct that said to protect him. Shadow was his friend. They fought plenty but that'd never stop being true at this point. He began to think that even if they weren't this close, his protection would be inevitable. What if, what if... Agh, forget it. Why think this much about it?

It just simply was.

And that was that.

Unfortunately, Shadow did think about it that much. It simply was, but it would not last. He was immortal. Sonic was a frail, normal hedgehog, despite his gift of speed. Sometime in his life, he was going to die, but it was too late to save himself from the heartbreak. He'd already grown, dare he think it, attached.

He typically wished he hadn't, but as of now, he was perfectly content.

He had his warmth to protect him from the night air's cold, after all.

He wasn't about to take to sleeping opposite of him. He slithered through to his arm, tucking himself neatly beneath it and shutting his eyes, unwilling to see the reaction he was going to be given. He could already see that cheeky grin in his head now, filled to the brim with pride. Idiot. Of course he would.

What he hated the most was the thought making him purr. He rumbled beneath his arm's weight, tail swishing through blades of grass contentedly. It displayed how easily comforted he was by his very presence alone, something he hadn't expected between the two who once wanted each other dead, as far as he was concerned. It felt... wrong, unneeded, weak.

He wasn't about to admit to one thing:

If this was wrong, he didn't want to be right.

Yeah. Yeah, he would be grinning.

As soon as he felt his arm defying gravity, he assisted in letting Shadow wiggle his way beneath it. Once tucked in, Sonic's snicker almost came off as a snarl, but he only pulled Shadow closer to his body to make sure he stayed warm... and safe. At least if they slept this way there was no chance of him being snatched up by a hungry predator, right? Right.

At this point, Sonic would kill to have something to say. For once, he's been rendered somewhat speechless. All he could do was rest his snout against his hand, get a small sniff of his companion, and close his eyes to veil everything with a coming rejuvenation.

Aw. That little whiff he sought made him seem like a precious little doggie himself. It warmed his heart, really, even further now that peace was starting to overcome his being for sleep. Shadow wanted to berate himself for giving a fond smile at the sight, but he couldn't. Besides, it wasn't as if Sonic could see it.

Maybe if he just tried something here before he dozed...

Ah, what the hell.

One affectionate swipe of the tongue against his cheek later, he curled fully into a ball, positive that his face had heated beyond comprehension. It- It was tempting, alright?

Sonic peeked an eye open as he felt a damp strip of fur sink down against his skin. This time he did give a little snarl, albeit a silent one, and took it as Shadow having the last word about the slobbering bit. Really? He wasn't getting away with that.

He was a BIG FUCKING DOG, dude, and his tongue was about half your size. Guess whose face was getting one enormous taste test?

You betcha, Shadow the Hoglet.

SLUUUURP.

~~You're welcome for this + icon~~

Oh

my

goodness.

Nope. NOPE. Shadow bit his lip, trying to hold back nausea as he shook his body, small globs of drool flying in all directions. Take that, Sonic. Take some of your slobber back.

"Filthy little...!"

Well, screw sleeping with him. Shadow squirmed out of his hold and rolled over to the other side of the blanket, glaring at him as his head laid flat and his tail thumped loudly.

Dickface.

Wasn't so gross when it belonged to him! HAH.

Sonic flinched away from the returns in any case, relaxing only when Shadow had stomped off to pout at the other end of the blanket. He was still for the moment, watching him with the utmost pride of having won that round, decorated only by a victorious smile. It wasn't long before it became a grin of arrogance and he pinched the blanket in order to drag the little hedgehog back to his arms for one hell of a bear hug.

And maybe a noogie. "Heh!!"

Shadow gave a very, very loud huff of air, ears pinning to his scalp with the unwanted gesture. Nothing bothered him more than something as intrusive and uncomfortable as a noogie. NOTHING.

"Y-You--!" He tried to yank himself away a little, enough to stay in his hug (which, on the bright side, he didn't horribly mind), but enough to keep away from his mitts. "It baffles me that I find reason to give a darn after this..."

...

Wait.

Wait a minute.

"... Darn."

No, wait! He meant to say 'damn'! No, that wasn't right!

"... Darn!!"

Oh. My.

Shadow stared at him with eyes bulging and expression bewildered. No. This curse, whatever it is, it-- it has inhibited his swearing, however rare. When he swore, it was filtered to something more child-friendly.

Why.

"What is going on there? You malfunctioning, buddy?" Sonic had ceased his noogie activities in order to just tap some clawed digits on the top of Shadow's skull. Man, this was too good. "What was that again? Damn?"

"D...!!"

You know what? No. Shadow slumped his shoulders, having given up. There was a higher power at work here that he couldn't control, and he hated to admit, but there was nothing he could do about it. Not yet.

"Do you want me to bite you again?" Because he could.

"Kitten's bite," he retorted, knowing it wouldn't hurt nearly as much. Shadow, please. "Y'can't bruise me like this."

Sonic kept him close this time, not wanting him to get away from the safe haven of strength and fur he had looped around him. He laid his head back down, gave his tail a to and fro, and sealed those emeralds away from the small flicker of moonlight that crept through the trees and illuminated them.

Fine then. Maybe he'll be close this time just to get your warmth, Sonic. Not like he wanted to be affectionate or anything.

Finally, Shadow felt that they'd exacted enough vengeance on each other. He was tired, sick and tired, and he hoped he would wake up with some semblance of normalcy on his shoulders. He gave a stretch and a yawn, huddling up to his friend and pressing into the sanctuary of fur he provided.

...

"Goodnight, pup."

Not without mouthing that, at least.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

fhjfhffkb life alert

SCREECHES TO THE SUN

NUH UHHHHH OMG SHADOW

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject