Chapter Text
Shadow the hedgehog is not a party-goer. But if anyone had thought he would be then they certainly don’t know him. Still, at the very least he’s not gonna relegate himself to some corner pouting the whole time—at least not at an event like this one. Rouge’s club with its rowdy crowds, dark rooms mixed with neon, and almost bombastic party atmosphere is a far cry to the prim, proper, and elegant approach of the current party. Though “party” is probably too informal, more like a gala—or a ball, if someone’s feeling especially daring.
But that said, Shadow’s certainly already had his fill of prissy aristocrats for the night.
If G.U.N. hadn’t pushed it, he wouldn’t be here. But, alas, they needed some solid representatives to rub elbows and help establish connections with the influencers in this rather insulated sect of Mobius.
The Greater Mobotropolis area has an interesting history—made up of the repaired shambles of two former kingdoms now united in a joint effort to restore their home and provide a safehaven for their people. From what? He honestly isn’t the most certain, the records G.U.N. has are muddled at best, but at the very least it seems that the destruction of this region was one of the doctor’s very first stunts against Mobius—and a surprisingly ironclad one. Unfortunately, because of that very reason, the remaining leaders decided that their best course of action would be to raise their hackles and make vetting anything—and anyone—in or out of their home an extremely arduous process. So much so that regular contact became very limited to put it lightly.
Rouge had teased him initially that they were a people he’d get along well with—anti-social and untrusting of anyone new.
But, hey, behind the walls everything is still intact and more than impressive to say the very least. They’ve done good work ridding this place and any marring Robotnik left behind and the land not only seems to be surviving, but thriving. While they’re not exactly boasting their secrets to such success, the humble family of Acorn is the far more eager and, frankly, loose-lipped of the two families. The elusive Queen Aleena hasn’t so much as made an appearance here yet.
And G.U.N. is nosy, so of course Shadow, and Rouge were sent out with the hopes that their own independent reputations would be enough to get them into this rare gathering. Rouge is fine company, but he’d truthfully feel better about it all if Omega were here, too. But with the diligence of the guards at the gate, he probably would’ve gotten the lot of them blacklisted. According to the Acorns, the event is “an olive-branch extended” to the rest of them. Regardless of intention, Shadow couldn’t help but find himself grimacing at the self-importance that oozed from the mere idea—as if they should be honored to be graced by the presence of such royalty. Though, there are enough star-struck journalists and reporters salivating all around that he realizes he’s probably in the minority with that line of thought.
There’s more than just them though—the crowd’s a healthy mix of royalty, recognized heroes like himself and Sonic’s various cohorts, then a handful of other leaders and business moguls who are more than eager to take advantage of the event and people here to get some good press and make some new connections.
At least, that’s his initial thought. Perhaps he’s just being extra cynical. Or perhaps he simply knows how these types of people work—everyone has underlying motives on some level. Whatever it is, he can only put up with it for so long. Rouge can talk for hours upon hours and loves it—mainly because she’s great at schmoozing information out of suckers far too loose-lipped for their own good. Or undisciplined, more likely.
Regardless, he’s long since abandoned his post with her. Unfortunately for them, Shadow though can only hold his tongue for so long, and getting snappy here is the last thing he needs with the Commander breathing down his neck about it. Still, if it’s warranted, he’ll have no problem causing a scene.
If there’s one thing he is good at though, it’s eavesdropping. According to murmurings from a handful of people so far, there’s somehow less people than anticipated. Either they get caught and kicked out at the gate or they simply haven’t shown up. At one point he caught the pressed voice of the esteemed Princess Sally questioning where Aleena and her family were. She’s an interesting one, he noted. She’s very good at presenting herself and can tell she’d act well under even extreme pressure, though if she was raised in a time of disarray under Robotnik’s reign then that would only make sense for the Princess. Rouge had spoken of her almost sadly—forced to grow up too fast, she’d said. But, as stressed as it made the poor Princess, the less people the better in his book—A few less people gawking and cooing at him as he passed.
The event itself is surprisingly generous considering the people—for a whole week, people are being let inside to familiarize themselves with the kingdom and city, with the focal point being the banquets and galas hosted each night as a means to get together and discuss… Whatever the pompous bunch want to discuss. Rouge has that area of expertise covered—Shadow’s here to get a lay of the land itself. It really does feel like they want to subtly flex their strength to the outside world, but he’s had enough speculation for one day.
Castle Acorn is where they’re being hosted tonight and there’s plenty of room outside of the castle itself if he’s so inclined to take a nice, quiet, walk. However, it would run the risk of messing up his oh-so-pristine suit that Rouge frankly spent far too long on. That’s the only thing that holds him back from darting to the outskirts without a second thought.
Hands stuffed away in his pockets, Shadow carefully weighs his options as he wanders out of the main ballroom and onto the large brick patio space on the side of the castle. It’s built up with cobble in lovely patterns, old gilded lamps restored and polished lighting it up under the night sky. A mix of ivy and thorny brambles creep their way up the sides and intertwine with the elegant stone rails. The further he steps out, the quieter the incessant chattering of everyone inside gets and he finds himself absent-mindedly releasing some tension with it.
He takes an even deeper breath, rolling out the remaining tightness in his shoulders as he can finally hear himself think again. All that remains outside are the distinct sounds of crickets and the clicking of his shoes on the stone. Sweet, sweet, isolation.
Not that it lasts long once he actually takes a look around him. And of course, it had to be him out here.
Not exactly in the mood for having his ear blabbed off by the blue hero sitting on the rail not too far ahead of him, Shadow grimaces to himself and makes to turn around and sulk back inside. But, ah, too little too late and the damn hedgehog hears him before he even gets the chance. Quickly enough he’s meeting the surprised green eyes of Sonic.
“Oh! Shadow! How’s the party?” He asks with a slight grin. Shadow just huffs and rolls his eyes as he accepts his fate and meanders over to lean on the railing a few feet away. Sonic just laughs a little at his response, “That bad, huh?”
“Talkative, stuffy, and boring.” He doesn’t skip a beat on speaking his mind before flicking his eyes suspiciously over to Sonic, “I’m surprised to see you out here. You seem like the type to enjoy these sorts of things.”
Sonic lets out a curt laugh, not taking his eyes off the horizon, “Ha! I’d like it better if I didn’t have to wear all of this extra crap.” He chuckles a bit as he tugs at the red bowtie around his neck.
Shadow just hums, quietly agreeing on that point, not that he makes it clear. From there he switches his attention to the night sky and nature surrounding him while Sonic just continues fiddling and picking at his suit. The breeze is refreshing out here and a nice change of pace—a chill to the air but not enough to make it uncomfortable. Though temperature isn’t exactly something that bothers him a whole lot.
Finally seeming to get his tie undone as well as a few choking buttons popped, Sonic blows out an uncharacteristic sigh and leans forward, eyes ever focused on the distance. Shadow notes it but doesn’t say anything, not entirely interested to be frank. Sonic picks the conversation back up though regardless after a minute or two of silence.
“Lotta people in there just rub me the wrong way, I think… Lotta good people—don’t get me wrong! But you can definitely feel just…” He trails off, sparing a rare glance back towards the ballroom with an oddly mixed expression before just shrugging, “You can definitely tell who’s only in it for the press. Food’s nice, I guess, but… I dunno, something’s just off. I can’t find it in me to relax here.”
“Typically, I’d call you paranoid and a fool.”
“But?”
“... I’ll concede there, I don’t like it here.”
“Yeah, my turn for this one ‘cause I really didn’t expect you to be here.” Sonic huffs and Shadow can practically hear the grin in his voice. He only dignifies him with a grunt in response and Sonic eyes him curiously, “G.U.N. Assignment?”
“Tch.”
“Heh, figures.” Sonic shrugs, “I’m really only here for my friends. Lifestyle just doesn’t do anything for me, ya know? Honestly, I’ve got huge respect for the people who can not only stand these things for more than an hour, but actively enjoy it! Couldn’t be me.” He trails off, shaking his head. Shadow only hums again in acknowledgement.
Another stretch of silence steals in there, which is impressive given Sonic’s… Well everything. From Shadow’s extensive experience with the hedgehog, having some peace and quiet is a rarity. Additionally, hell, they’ve got something they agree on. Those are also rare, but it’s… satisfying when they do—maybe vindicating is a better word. But it’s only nice for so long, and Sonic’s presence starts becoming more uncomfortable to Shadow as it drags on. He drums his fingers on the railing almost anxiously, for lack of a better word.
“They were looking for you inside. The Princess is looking for a dance partner, even.”
Sonic grimaces at that and blows a terse sigh out through his teeth, a spare hand reaching up to smooth back his quills.
“Yeah, I know.” He replies, and there’s definitely an edge to his voice. It’s an odd sight. Sonic the Hedgehog, World Hero and Friend of the World actively avoiding a party where he could sneeze and they’d all cheer. All he’d have to do is stand around looking nice and people would sing his praises ‘til no tomorrow—and he’d eat it up. Free ego boost.
Though he catches himself considering even that seeming a little too shallow for Sonic.
“How many days is this whole thing happening for, again?” Sonic asks with an already tired sigh which pulls him out of his thoughts.
Shadow fiddles with his cufflinks and he scowls, “A week. Day in and day out. Plenty of time to flaunt the wealth of the kingdom.”
Sonic huffs something akin to amusement at that, a brief smile pulling at his mouth before he slowly nods. After a moment he lets out a loud, forlorn, and incredibly dramatic sigh as he drops onto his back on the railing. He rests his hands behind his head in the mix of messy quills as he stares up at the stars.
“Do you seriously think you’re going to stay here the whole time?” Shadow asks with a scoff. Sonic shoots him a rather offended look.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You tell me.”
“Ha!” Sonic lets out another curt laugh and swings himself upright and closer in a snap, now eyeing him with a smug smirk, “You think I can’t handle it here?”
“Think? Don’t flatter yourself, Hedgehog—I know you can’t. You’re barely making it through the first night.”
“Well Mr. Confident, how’s about we kick this up a notch and make things interesting, eh? Place some bets on it.” Sonic says with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Shadow scoffs.
“Pass. You don’t have anything of worth to me.”
Sonic pouts, “Oh come onnnn! You chickening out so quickly? I thought you were so sure.”
Shadow bites back quickly with that, “I am not ‘chickening out’.”
Sonic hops off the railing and begins meandering away with a shrug, “Hey, no shame in knowing when you’re beat, Shads! That kinda humility is really admirable, honestly!”
“Listen here, Hedgehog—” Shadow rushes after him, snagging Sonic by the sleeve and yanking him back around with a dig on the tip of his tongue. But he’s stalled as Sonic merely greets him with a smug and unbothered smile. It only serves to simultaneously ground him in knowing exactly what he’s doing, and also piss him off further. And as that damn hedgehog clicks his tongue to speak again, Shadow’s ears twitch in irritation.
“I’m listening.” He hums in an almost sing-song tone. Shadow grunts and shifts back a pace with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He sizes the hedgehog up, trying to parse just how much of this is real confidence and how much is him just being an annoying contrarian.
“You want to prove you can handle this place? Fine. Go ahead.”
“Easy!”
“Great. You’ve got a suffering Princess just waiting for a prince to come and sweep her off her feet in there—why not start there?” Shadow smirks, his voice dripping with sarcasm. And that gets to the hedgehog far more than he anticipated. The blue hero’s eyes widen and his ears briefly flatten back against his head as he instinctively takes a step back.
“I—! W– Well uh—! I mean—” Sonic continues to stutter over his words, each one filling Shadow with that sweet, sweet vindication. He shifts to resting his hands on his hips and staring down his nose at Sonic, which sets off some sort of indignation in the hedgehog, “Hey! I could! But all it’d manage to do is humiliate the both of us with my feet of clay in front of everyone!”
Not the response he was expecting and one that, admittedly, catches him off guard. Shadow looks at him suspiciously, asking the next question in an utter deadpan.
“Clay feet? I thought you liked to dance?”
Sonic almost seems pleasantly surprised with that but then shifts back to being awkward with a shrug.
“Ah, yeah uhh… I mean, I do, but like… Break-dancing and capoeira is different than…” He trails off and pointedly glances back at the ballroom for emphasis. Shadow just raises a brow.
“‘Than’...?”
“Ugh, you know. The… stuffy, boring, awkwardly intimate stuff.” He waves a dismissive hand as he talks, finishing off with a nervous grin and eyeroll.
“Ballroom dancing.”
Yeah. I dunno, it’s just too slow, and tense and—” He abruptly cuts himself short which catches Shadow’s attention.
“What? Don’t like that you can’t easily break into it in the line of fire like everything else?”
“Haha. No, nevermind. Like I said, too slow and tense and I just don’t like doing it!” Sonic shrugs, turning away from him now to meander the patio and look anywhere but at the striped hedgehog. Not that he can escape his gaze, especially not when his next question has an almost scandalized tone.
“Sonic the Hedgehog, you do know how to dance like that to begin with, don’t you?”
Sonic’s ear twitches and he swings around on his heel with his mouth partially hanging open in offense. Mock-offense, anyways. But no good comeback comes. Shadow was initially just taking a stab but now his brows raise. Definitely not what Sonic was aiming for and from there he quickly shifts gears with a scowl and walks over to lightly punch Shadow in the arm.
“Oh come on, don’t give me that!”
“How the hell did you even make it this far? You’re telling me Rose didn’t even try testing you on this?” He huffs, “I shouldn’t be surprised—you never look before you leap.”
“Dude! Can it, wouldja?”
“What? It’s true. You’re telling me you can’t dance mere feet away from a ballroom.”
Sonic scoffs with a roll of his eyes, “Oh puh-lease, Shadow. You’re saying that like you can do better!”
Shadow smirks, beaming with pride, “Like everything else, yes, actually.”
“Liar.” Sonic bites back, but there’s no malice to it, just a silent daring. Shadow considers him for a long minute, a new opportunity opening up as odd as it may be. It’s not something he’d normally consider, but perhaps it could be a type of leverage. Giving their surroundings a quick once-over for any prying eyes or ears, Shadow steels his confidence.
“You want me to prove it?” He asks, offering out a hand.
Sonic frowns a bit, brilliant green eyes flicking between his hand and his eyes. He’s skeptical to say the very least.
“What? You gonna try n’ teach me or somethin’?” He pushes out a laugh, completely taken aback, “If you’re that confident then why don’t you go save Sal yourself?”
It takes him a moment to connect the nickname to Princess Sally, but it doesn’t really linger in his mind—the hedgehog’s always giving people ludicrous nicknames whether they like them or not. With the topic at hand though, Shadow shrugs, starting to drop his hand.
“I could if I so choose. It’s not that hard.”
Oddly enough, Sonic considers him for a long minute. A lot more seriously than he’d anticipate, too. And hell, before he can fully drop his hand back to his side and rescind his little offer, Sonic’s snagged it between his in a flash.
The motion accidentally tugs the hedgehog a little closer and all Shadow can initially do is blink at him in surprise. Sonic hesitates a second in turn before clearing his throat awkwardly and taking a step back, though not quite letting go of the other’s hand just yet. Shadow takes a breath and does him the favor, startling Sonic a bit. He laughs awkwardly before clapping his hands together.
“Okay so… Normally, I wouldn’t take you up on an offer like that. Especially when I know you’re bluffing.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Were. But,” he waves him off, “Besides the point. What I’m uhhh… What I’m realizing though is that… If I’m gonna survive the week here with some semblance of pride intact, I at least oughta know just— I dunno, some basics?” He scratches at his quills with an awkward half shrug.
“You want me to teach you.”
“Yeah, kinda! Hey, if you can’t handle it you shouldn’t’ve offered!”
Shadow scoffs and rolls his eyes at that.
“Look, I can learn quick—I’m the fastest thing alive—I promise it’ll be short and sweet and— and, hey, look at it this way!” He bumps Shadow on the arm with a grin, “The sooner I’ve got it down, the sooner I can successfully schmooze with everyone inside, and the sooner you can come out here and, I dunno, brood in peace and quiet. Pretty sweet deal, right?”
“Hmm…” Shadow hums, unconvinced. As he tries to turn away though, Sonic zips right there in front of him.
“And—! And! You will get a front row seat to see if I totally own this or get so embarrassed I dip out with my tail between my legs! You could win our bet!”
“We didn’t finalize any bets.”
“Okay but we both know you’re gonna treat it like we did if you win.”
“Fine. And what would I win?”
Sonic hums, thoughtfully tapping his chin as he does, “Bragging rights?”
Shadow scowls.
“Look Shads, the suits I’ve got lined up this week are all rentals that Tails and Amy helped me pick out—I’m broke. You’re gonna have to work with me here.”
Blowing out a heavy sigh, Shadow concedes to that one. He crosses his arms tightly and drums his fingers on one of them as he mulls the proposition over. Grit his teeth and bear the next bit in turn for potential peace in the longrun, plus the chance for a renewed ‘I told you so’. It’s tempting. Probably moreso than it should be. Had it been a year earlier and he’d’ve punted the hedgehog into the next week for asking it. Then he’d find a way to do the same to himself for daring to suggest it. His pride flares up a little with that thought, almost embarrassed at how much he’s already changed. But the bragging rights do drive a hard bargain.
… And hell, it’s not like he’s going to spend his time doing much else here.
“... Okay.”
Sonic lights up in pleasant surprise, “Sweet! So… How do we start?”
Shadow awkwardly crosses his arms as he thinks. After a moment of glancing the hedgehog over he nods to him.
“Show me your stance. Or your best guess. We’ll go from there.”
Sonic lets out a quiet ‘huh’ but shifts into something a little different. It’s… uncertain, to say the very least. He moves his feet a little further apart but past that? He tends to fall apart. He fiddles with his hands, waving them around as he tries to find a decent position before just dropping them into his pockets with a shrug. Shadow walks around him with a frown and jabs him a little in the back to get him to stand straighter—it earns him more of a glare than anything.
“Shoulders back.” He says, pulling on the hedgehog’s shoulders as he does. It causes Sonic to stumble slightly but he doesn’t get a chance to dignify much before Shadow makes another correction. “Bring your feet in, you’re overextended—center of balance in your core and chest, you should at least know that.”
“Okay, okay!” Sonic quickly complies, seemingly willing to do anything to save him any more embarrassment if the redness in his cheeks is anything to go by. It’s… An improvement, but not quite there. Shadow presses his lips into a tight line, his ears flicking in frustration as he freezes at how to just get his point across. He can’t just keep repeating jerking him around if he wants it to actually stick.
“Stop, stop. Just—” He starts, earning a both confused and worried look from Sonic. “This’ll be easier. Watch me.” Shadow mumbles, briefly flicking his eyes up to meet Sonic’s own determined pair.
Stepping into Sonic’s space, Shadow takes hold of Sonic’s hands and moves them out, startling the hedgehog a little in turn. From there Shadow—albeit a bit awkwardly—readjusts himself to stand tall and proper. Sonic, in turn, quietly mimics the movement, unsure eyes flicking up and down him as he does. Shadow nods in approval.
“Okay… I see what you mean. A bit stiff though, so how do I go from being a statue here to dancing?” Sonic asks with a nervous little laugh rolling off of his tongue. Shadow takes a deep breath, the awkward air suddenly stifling as he realizes just what exactly he’s gotten himself into. Not that he can back down now—even if his pride ever managed to let him live it down, Sonic sure wouldn’t.
“It’s— It’s really simple.” He nods, looking seriously into those emerald eyes. Sonic just meets his gaze and nods back in acknowledgement and now waits for him to continue on. Tentatively, Shadow moves one hand down to Sonic’s waist while he shifts his grip on his other hand so he’s more cupping it. He takes a moment to check their stance, glancing up at Sonic briefly then doing a double-take and staring at him hard in concern.
“You still with me, hedgehog?”
“Yeah!” Sonic nods, blinking a bit too quickly as if shaken out of some train of thought. He clears his throat, “Yeah, it’s just uhhh… new, y’know? Am I uh… Am I okay here?” He laughs nervously as he looks over everything for himself.
“Yes, but we also haven’t moved an inch. So, we’ll see how long that really lasts.” Shadow says with a dull hum and shrug that leaves Sonic huffing and rolling his eyes.
“Ow!” Sonic yelps and glares at him, “Dude, come on. Your nails are sharp.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Hedgehog.” Shadow says with a smirk. Maybe that was petty, but he’s already doing a lot here—he’s not gonna deal with extra attitude on top.
“Alright, alright—Hear ya loud and clear, officer. So, how do we start?” Determination burns in those eyes of his as Sonic smirks, tightening his grip on Shadow’s hand and shoulder briefly. Sonic’s always ready for a challenge.
“It’s simple as long as you can stay in rhythm, as with every kind of dance. Knowing the stuff you do already, this’ll probably feel boringly simple in no time. Just follow my movements.” Shadow gestures for him to watch their feet as they begin, “Let’s start with a four-step pattern.”
And with that, they’re off. Or well, they begin as smoothly as possible, which is admittedly pretty jittery and stiff. Shadow wills the patience to stay slow and clear with each individual step as Sonic takes in the pattern. He’s surprisingly concentrated which, admittedly, makes mustering the patience a little easier—he’s obviously engaged with what he’s saying and doing. Though he could go without his fingers digging into his shoulder as the hedgehog nervously clenches and unclenches his hands. Shadow doesn’t say anything and just bears it, trusting he’ll knock it off on his own.
Sonic eases up as they continue, entirely focused on their steps and the sound of Shadow’s voice. As he counts each one, the rhythm becomes clearer, smoother, and slowly but surely quicker. One. Two. Three. Four. Repeat. One. Two. Three. Four. Repeat. The corners of Sonic’s mouth twitch into a smile and he sneaks a glance up at Shadow only for their eyes to briefly meet. Shadow awkwardly nods in some vague approval then shifts his gaze back downwards to their feet.
“One. Two. Three. Four.” He mumbles, his voice quieter now than when they began. He’s pleasantly surprised with how quickly Sonic is taking to this—not that he’ll say it aloud. Still, it’ll make this whole ordeal a little more painless. Though the fact he can feel his eyes still on him for whatever reason keeps him tense.
Guess he’s not the only one though.
“Ow!” Shadow barks more out of surprise than pain as Sonic’s foot slams down on his. The blue hedgehog jumps back as Shadow looks up at him accusingly.
“Sorry, sorry! I-I guess I just couldn’t keep it up for very long!” Sonic laughs off awkwardly and Shadow almost feels vindicated in the glare he’s drilling into him. Why the hedgehog decided to suddenly throw their beat off and step on him is beyond him, but he suspects he’s not going to get a real answer out of him regardless. Especially not as the hedgehog shoots him an awkward grin and swings his arms as he aimlessly looks around them. Shadow just shakes his head and readjusts his suit, blowing out a sigh. He’s honestly relieved to have a little breathing room back.
“It’s fine. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” He pauses at that then shoots the hedgehog another look, red eyes drilling into him, “You ready enough to go back in?”
Sonic visibly hesitates as Shadow nods back at the ballroom, reminding him just why they’re there to begin with. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and walks around the slight bend to peek in through the windows. From what Shadow can spy from his spot, people are slowly starting to file out one by one. Sonic seems to catch someone’s eye from inside if the awkward little laugh and shrug he gives are anything to go by. He turns back to Shadow at that point with a nod.
“Yeah, probably should. Things look to be finishing up anyways—probably be good to be seen here at some point. Better late than never, right?”
Shadow hums in approval as he checks the time on his phone. 12:43 — and like that, Day One is practically done. He’s quickly pulled out of his thoughts though by the sound of Sonic clearing his throat.
“Hey uhhh, Shads?” He asks and Shadow just looks over at him expectantly. He’s almost timid and oozing nerves, admittedly rubbing off on himself and raising his hackles. Sonic rubs his neck, “Could we uhh… Could we try this again tomorrow night? I feel like I’m really getting the hang of this! But I wanna be sure I’ve got it nailed for the future.”
Shadow raises a brow at that, “One of the others could easily continue teaching you. I know Amy would be eager for the opportunity.”
“Yeah, but they’re not you.” Sonic says shockingly casually. Shadow must not hide his own surprise very well if the panic that rises in the hedgehog’s eyes is any indication—he quickly stumbles over his words, “A-As like a teacher! As a teacher! Plus uh… Heh, as much as I appreciate any help the others could offer, I don’t think we’d get as much done in the same time. It’d also just be… A lot. I just want something quiet and focused—that’s like, your whole M.O.” He huffs with a smile, gesturing to him as he says this.
Shadow crosses his arms over his chest, studying the hedgehog carefully.
“Look, it just— I know I’m asking a whole favor of you here. But, hey, might as well ask. So… Whaddaya say? Will you humor me?” He asks and offers out his hand this time.
Shadow quietly thinks over his words, not really taking his eyes off of him as he scans him up and down. He can tell it’s beginning to make the hedgehog nervous by the way he fidgets in place. Hell, it leaves himself feeling rather unsure. Though, hell, he supposes that at this point nothing could be more humbling than having to team up with the hedgehog in the shatterspaces. Amongst other truces.
He blows out a sigh and he almost rescinds his next words with the way Sonic lights up—he notes that he’s becoming far too readable to him.
“... Okay. We’ll meet here again tomorrow night then.”
Sonic practically beams, “Sweet! You’re a real one, Shads—seriously!”
Shadow huffs, trying to keep himself from smirking at the overzealous compliment. He begins walking off, ready to wave him and the ridiculous deal he’s just made off before he pauses to brush shoulders with Sonic.
“Keep your compliments and just be here. Don’t keep me waiting, Hedgehog.”
Sonic blinks but sucks in a breath and meets him confidently with a nod, “Should be saying the same to you.”
Shadow scoffs at that but he doesn’t have anything more to say. So, with that, he officially takes his leave with Sonic left lingering in the warm glow of the night’s lights.
What he misses, of course, is the way Sonic blows out a steadying sigh and shakes his head—practically laughing at himself. As the hedgehog regathers his suit jacket and moves to return inside, he’s asking himself the same thing—what the hell did he just agree to?