🎀 Love Is A Gift 🎀 [Sonic Various x Reader | Oneshots and Headcanons]

🎀 Shadow | Moonlight Reminiscence 🎀

I GOT CARRIED AWAY WITH THIS ONE IT'S SO LONG
Basically hurt/comfort followed by f l u f f .
Gender Neutral
Word Count: 1342
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Talking to Shadow can be hard. He keeps himself closed off, his mind a tightly sealed vault few have ever glimpsed the inside of, its treasures locked away. He holds his thoughts close and his emotions even closer. There's only one thing he holds closer.

His loved ones.

First, he shoves them away. He doesn't want to get attached; something always happens to them, and he always blames himself. When they finally break down his walls, he refuses to let them go. He clings to them like a lifeline, almost like he's begging them to stay. To never leave him behind.

It only makes sense, though. He's been through so much. He's almost…fragile. Yet, to treat him like a glass sculpture is an insult. Despite his pain and hidden weaknesses, he's tough as nails. He's tenacious, he's determined, and he's resilient. Nothing can take him down for long.

That's what you love about Shadow.

Despite it all, he gets back up and keeps fighting. He stands up and faces all odds to protect the world Maria loved so much. The world he himself learned to love.

That's why you fight beside him, why you'd spent so long working toward him acknowledging you.

You stood tall and proud, proving yourself worthy. Maybe then, he'd finally let you in, you'd thought. You'd worked for years, never giving up until he finally showed you a sliver of what was on the inside. You'd clung to that one thing, held it close. It was what inspired you to keep trying in the hopes he'd finally accept you.

You'd never expected it to happen all at once.

You'd been the first person he ran into after a particularly grueling mission for G.U.N. While you never worked for them, you frequently assist them as a helping hand to Team Dark. He'd collapsed right into your arms and started sobbing. You hadn't known what to do, so you stood there quietly, staring in shock.

Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform, was crying?

It was hard to see with only the silver light of the moon illuminating his downturned features, so you didn't try too hard to scrutinize him. Eventually, you'd embraced him silently, letting him weep soundlessly. After he stopped, he remained still for a long time, weakly clutching your shirt, which was soaked through with his tears.

He'd left without a word after that. For a while, you didn't get an explanation. You didn't see Shadow himself for a while, for that matter. When Rouge saw you next, she'd told you everything you knew. The enemy had been…slippery.

They'd used his memory of Maria against him and cut him deeper than any blade ever could. They tapped into every one of his insecurities and dug right into his head. They hadn't banked on him lashing out, though. No one had, actually.

He'd blown everything up with a powerful Chaos Blast in a rage. Nothing was left of the entire facility. After he reported in, he vanished, presumably finding you on accident.

Reluctantly, you told Rouge what happened, and she was quiet for a bit. She told you to go talk to Shadow, which was hard to do when you had no clue where he was. The bat helped you out and left you to it, but you didn't know where to start.

You clearly remember the grassy field he stood in, once again nearly glowing in the moonlight. It always contrasts with his fur in the most beautiful way. He'd been staring at the sky, expressionless and lost in thought.

You approached him, said Rouge told you everything. He was quiet, and he didn't look at you. You sat down and waited for him to talk, but when he didn't, you almost gave up. That is, until you recalled something he'd once mentioned to you in passing.

"You know how the stars are really far away?" He didn't respond, didn't even twitch. "You know how they sometimes seem to blink out of existence, but then they just burn brighter?" His ruby eyes had finally fixed their gaze onto you, but his head didn't turn. "You're like a star, Shadow. Except unlike stars, you'll never really die." You weren't referring to his immortality.

He'd sat down next to you after that but said nothing.

"Are you…okay?"

He finally looked at you, and you noticed the tears glistening in his eyes for the first time.

"No."

No. Such a simple word. One syllable, two letters, and a powerful, heavy meaning. It felt like a gut punch. It was the first time he'd ever admitted to weakness in your presence, and it'd meant everything. You didn't say a word, only embraced him and pulled him to your chest. He didn't resist, even when you started to run your fingers through his quills.

Once again, he was silently crying against you.

He's always been good at bottling up his suffering.

After a bit, you tipped his head up. He averted his gaze, but you wiped his tears away with your thumbs and said, "Look at me." So he did. "Shadow…no matter what happens, you're never alone."

"…I know." He finally returned the embrace, but his motions were stiff, unsure. "I know."

And so you both stayed that way until you'd fallen asleep. In the morning, he was gone, like a ghost. As if he were never there at all.

Shadow was relatively normal after that, for which Rouge thanked you for. He'd started treating you differently, however — but not in a bad way. He started noticing you more, even greeting you without prompting. That was the beginning of everything. The beginning of something more than you could ever dream of.

"(Y/n)," a gruff voice says. You jump, having not noticed a presence as you reminisced. Your gaze remains fixed on the moon through the window, surrounded by the twinkling stars and deep skies. There are no clouds, you note.

"Shadow," you greet. He moves to stand beside you, gaze on the moon just as yours, and you scoot to accommodate him. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Didn't need to," the hedgehog replies simply. "And you?"

"Thinking."

"About?" He turns to look at you instead. A small smile makes itself known on your face, and his mouth twitches. He already knows.

"About what I always think about when I look at the moon. You." Shadow can't hold back the smile anymore and allows himself a small grin.

"Why settle for thinking about me when…" His arm slithers around your waist, pulling you to him. "…You could have me?" A coy smirk plays at his lips, and you lazily draw circles in his chest fur.

"Dunno. Maybe I like the view." You're teasing him.

"Really, now?" Shadow's free hand tilts your chin up, guiding your eyes to lock with his. You hum a confirmation. "I know a better one." He sweeps you into his arms, and you laugh, draping your arms over his shoulders and touching your nose to his. He swings you around playfully, and you nuzzle him.

If only these special moments could last forever.

"Oh, Shadow," you sigh blissfully. His ruby eyes look down at you, full of love and passion. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispers, and when he tips his head to the side, you know what he wants. Cupping his cheek, you lead his lips to yours, kissing him softly, adoringly. His grip around you tightens minutely, almost as if to say you're here to stay.

You're fine with that.

When you reluctantly break apart, Shadow asks, "Bed?"

"Bed," you agree, allowing your drowsiness to slowly take over. He carries you over, slowly slipping in next to you. "So tiiired," you grumble, having not previously noticed. He chuckles, snuggling in next to you and pulling the covers up. "Sleepy time…"

He kissed your forehead. "Sleepy time." Burying your face into his chest fur, you close your eyes and let yourself drift off.

Oh, how being Shadow's is the true treasure of it all…

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I  w o n d e r  w h o  m y  f a v o r i t e  c h a r a c t e r  i s .
(I cherish my li'l skrunkly, and you should, too.)