Disclaimer- I don't own Sonic and co.

A/N- I wrote this one-shot because I miss summer and well…I wanted to try my hand at a different kind of action than I usually write. Hopefully you'll enjoy! ;)

No Running

The smell of chlorine was like a smack to the face as he entered.

Piercing ruby irises observed how the setting sun's rays filtered through the panes of glass that acted as the large room's walls, the orange reflecting off of the shifting waves he was momentarily going to be in charge over.

His bare feet smacked against the smooth wet tile as he walked, arms loosely crossed over the top part of his uniform: a red shirt with the word 'lifeguard' bolded in white on the front, somewhat crinkled. A crimson whistle was pressed against his chest. His white shorts were radiant, having been thoroughly washed the night before. There was a red cross on the right cropped leg, proving the authenticity of the person donning the outfit.

His destination was getting closer, but he hadn't taken his gaze off of the pool. The natatorium was large enough to safely hold several dozens of patrons; however, it was also small enough so that only one person had to be on duty at a time. The body of water wasn't so vast that one pair of watchful eyes weren't enough to keep order and to potentially save a life.

A subtle frown grew on his tanned muzzle as he strode purposefully toward the assigned guard chair that was situated at the edge of the pool, equidistant from the shallow and deep ends. Black ears twitched at the intense splashing, and his eyes narrowed marginally. He could tell already that his shift wasn't going to be an easy one.

It had to be some kind of party, perhaps someone's birthday. He didn't care in the slightest. What he did care about was the numerous number of preteens present, scattered everywhere in the water. He absolutely hated this age group. With small children, he knew that their parents would not let them anywhere close to the deep water. With older teens and adults – for the most part – they could either swim, or knew their limits, so they didn't have to be monitored as much either. However, this…transitional group was too old for parents to keep a sharp eye on, but they also couldn't realize when to stop endangering their damned lives.

All he hoped for was for the sizable group to leave quickly.

"You're relieved," he curtly told the person currently in the guard chair as he approached. He raked his fingers through his red striped quills, mentally preparing himself for his shift.

"It's about time!" The green crocodile who had been in charge before his arrival climbed down from his seat, stretching his back. Multiple cracks were heard. The reptile was dry, so he hadn't entered the water, but that didn't mean that his time was an easy one. The croc – Vector, if he remembered correctly – dramatically wiped his forehead. "Those kids are somethin' else, I tell ya! I swear my voice is going out because-"

He inwardly flinched when the green anthro suddenly blew his shrill whistle.

Vector pointed violently to two preteens sprinting on the opposite side of the pool. "Hey HEY! YOU TWO!" His booming voice caught the attention of everyone in the room, including the group of parents conversing at a table tucked away in a corner. The two boys being addressed looked like they've been caught trying to steal a cookie from a cookie jar. Vector redirected his index finger to a sign on the wall. "Can't you read? No RUNNING!"

When the troublesome duo drastically decreased their speed, walking over to the box of toys always kept by the poolside, the crocodile returned his attention to him, a crooked grin on his face. A heavy hand patted his shoulder. "I wish ya luck, Shadow. You'll need it." Shadow just grunted in response, pushing past the man he'd only met twice before, the shifts per day changing constantly.

The striped hedgehog climbed to the top of the guard chair and placed the neglected straight red floaty in his lap. If Vector had been affected by his near silence, he didn't show it. The croc's stare was trained on the party. "They've been here a while, so maybe they'll leave in a bit." The green anthro then mock-saluted the rodent. "Have a good night, Shadow."

Said hedgie nodded at him. "You too."

Shadow didn't watch Vector leave. He let out a breathy sigh as he sat tensely in his seat, wishing that his shift could be over already. He was grateful for this job, yes – it gave him something to do during the summer before going back to college, with pay – but it could get stressful and rather irritating at times. It was the worst when the occupants didn't listen to him, when the parents yelled at him for yelling at their defiant little demons, or when he was sexually harassed.

That last situation has happened too many times.

Of course, that only occurred with the older teens and young adults, and Shadow had learned extremely quickly how to block someone out. They – both females and males – would give up eventually. So, even though that situation had occurred often, it wasn't as bad as the kids deliberately disobeying him. That definitely worked him up the most.

Shadow wrapped his lips around the whistle and blew into it at the sight of a child no older than thirteen about to dive into three feet deep water. Was he trying to knock himself out? When the kid monkey turned his head toward him, the hedgehog shook his, whistle hanging around his neck once more. "You can't dive there. It's unsafe."

His brow twitched when the boy just stuck his tongue out at him and dived anyway. Shadow almost didn't move when he heard that muffled thud underwater – serves him right – but he knew that he had to take action. No child deserved to actually die.

Swiftly, the hedgehog left the red foam floaty in the chair since he didn't need it, and climbed down from his perch. Shadow carefully but quickly eased himself in the slightly cool water and waded as fast as he could to the boy who had yet to break surface, making shallow waves.

Alarmed shouts were filling the room, but Shadow didn't hear them. When he was close enough, he ducked under the shining surface, instinctively holding his breath as the liquid washed over him. Red orbs were wide open as they took in the monkey's ragdoll form.

Shadow wrapped his arms around the child's midsection and held him against his own chest as he pushed up out of the water. Oxygen filled his lungs not soon after, and the anthro in his grasp began to wheeze, struggling for breath.

The striped hedgehog moved the kid over to the steps leading into the shallow end of the pool, the other occupants smart enough to get out of his way. Shadow sat him down on the first step, the water barely a couple inches deep there.

He felt his drooping head-quills on his back, the liquid weighing them down and temporarily straightening them. The hedgehog brushed a few dangling ones in front of his shoulder away before addressing the kid who had somewhat recovered. "Are you alright now?"

The young monkey meekly nodded, coughing a bit. "Y-Yeah. Thank you for rescuing me…"

I bet you won't dive there again. "It's my job," Shadow replied, refraining from saying his thoughts out loud. He then noticed the dark bruise forming on the child's forehead. It was an ugly purple color. "You might want to take care of that, kid."

"We're about to go do that right now!" A parent marched up behind the boy, and Shadow assumed that they were mother and son. The monkey grabbed the child's wrist and nearly yanked him out of the pool. "We need to ice that as soon as possible!" She glanced at all of the others around. "Party's over!"

"But moooooom…"

"You've been here long enough! And don't blame me! Who didn't listen to the lifeguard?" There was no answer for her, the boy staring at the ground guiltily. "Exactly. You'll have more birthday parties. Hopefully it won't swell too much…"

Shadow exited the water and returned to the guard chair, observing as all of the party guests left with their sulking kids. It wasn't long before he was by himself in the natatorium, the sun outside almost disappearing below the horizon. The artificial lights high above now took the job of the fading natural light, white bouncing off the water instead of orange.

He clicked his tongue as he shook his head a bit, using his hands to wring out some of the liquid trapped within his heavy quills. They had regained some of their curl.

The striped hedgehog had the urge to take a short dive just for himself, but he knew that as soon as he got out of his seat, more people would come and he would unfortunately have to return to his perch.

Shadow was glad that he hadn't jumped in, because not a minute later, he heard chatter. Many voices were coming near, and he was readying himself for round two.

The entrance doors flung open to reveal a rather muscled echidna wearing purple trunks. He seemed around the same age as Shadow, if not a bit older. "We got the pool all to ourselves? That's what I'm talking about!"

"What? Really?" A silvery haired hedgehog pushed past the other, a broad smile on his face. He pumped his fist. "Awesome!" He nudged the echidna. "I bet all make a bigger splash than you!"

The red anthro smirked. "You're on!"

The duo made a mad dash towards the deep end, and before Shadow could blow his whistle to stop them, they cannonballed into the water. The simultaneous splashes were loud and massive, droplets almost reaching to where he was sitting.

"Boys will be boys…" The lifeguard's gaze flickered over to where the feminine voice came from only to see a trio of bikini-wearing females entering now. A purple cat was shaking her head as she spoke to a white bat and a pink hedgehog. "There always has to be a size competition."

"That's true," the bat agreed, the small group heading for the steps leading towards the shallow end. There was a mischievous grin on her face. "But you have to agree that it's fun judging them. Do you think Silver's is bigger, or Knuckles'?"

Redness spread across the pinkette's cheeks while the cat rolled her eyes. "That was double entendre, and you know it."

Shadow tore his attention from them and back onto the two silhouettes underwater, waiting for them to come up for air. Those girls weren't a high priority, patrons in the deep end were, according to the handbook he had to memorize before taking the job.

"Yeah, I believe Knuckles' is bigger too."

"Rouge!" That voice was different from the others, belonging to the pink hedgie. She giggled. "We really need to get a filter for you!"

Shadow tuned out that conversation when the white rodent and echidna breached the surface of the water. He let his muscles relax a bit; he didn't need to take action, yet.

The hedgehog pushed back his bangs and turned toward the girls. "So who's splash was bigger? Mine or Knuckles'?"

"Silver's," the cat said, cutting the bat a look.

"Knuckles'." Rouge chuckled to herself.

The pinkette shrugged. "I don't know…they looked the same to me!"

Knuckles groaned as he treaded water. "Seriously?" he huffed before turning towards Shadow, his violet eyes brightening. The striped rodent inwardly sighed, knowing that he was about to be pulled into this dispute. "Yo lifeguard! You were watching right? Who won?"

Shadow ignored the side comment of 'Oh, he's a cutie' coming from a specific bat. "I don't know," he answered plainly, his deep baritone creating hushed conversation in the girl corner. "I was paying attention more to the possibility of either of you drowning." He leaned back in his chair, gaze sharp. "And if you run in here again, I'm going to have to throw you out."

"Well aren't you a ray of sunshine…" Silver muttered before diving underwater like it was natural. Shadow wouldn't have to worry about him.

Knuckles just derisively scoffed before glancing around, raising a brow. "Where's Sonic and Tails?"

"We're here!"

The doors had opened once more, a two-tailed fox and a blue hedgehog stepping through the threshold. The vulpine seemed a little younger than the rest, maybe around sixteen years of age, and the other newcomer was following behind him, a large inner tube tucked under his arm. Shadow clicked his tongue in irritation when he saw the glass bottle in the rodent's grip.

The fox (Tails, Shadow assumed) speed-walked to the edge of the pool and sat down, his legs feeling the temperature of the water. "Sonic wanted to get a soda on the way!" he said as he adjusted the goggles on his head.

"It was a dollar well spent!" Sonic snickered, tilting his head back and chugging the beverage. He licked his lips when he pulled the bottle away, half of the soda left in the container. He took a step forward.

Shadow immediately stopped him, voice loud and commanding. "You can't bring glass in here. Finish it off outside."

"Jeez dude!" Knuckles was lazily backstroking now, a frown marring his muzzle. "Do you have a stick stuck up your ass or something? Live a little!"

"Yeah!" The pink hedgehog agreed, still wading in the shallows. She had her hands on her hips. "It's not like Sonic's going to drop it or anything!"

Shadow didn't answer them, currently having a staring contest with the offending patron. Ruby orbs were glaring, mentally pushing the blue one back out of the door. However, his heated stare lost some of its fine when Sonic's bright emerald irises obtained a glint in them that made the lifeguard's brow furrow. The azure rodent's gaze was suddenly intense, and Shadow didn't know what to make of it until a lopsided smirk presented itself.

Then it all came together.

He'd seen that expression before. It was one of desire and determination.

One that he had taught himself to ignore.

So he did. "You're not allowed in here until you throw that away."

Sonic dropped the inflatable inner tube and rose his hands in surrender. "Alright alright, I'll take it outside." He brought the bottle up to his mouth again, but instead of taking a drink, a pink tongue poked out and leisurely traced the rim of the glass. The moist muscle then unhurriedly thrusted inside of the bottle up until Sonic decided to tip the glassware to drink.

He never broke eye contact, and Shadow couldn't get himself to look away. Sonic's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, some soda dripping out of the corner of his mouth. Before the drops could go far, the hedgehog lowered his empty bottle and lapped at the escaping liquid.

"I'll be back in a sec." Sonic winked at him as he turned on his heal, confident as he left the room.

Shadow snapped out of his daze as soon as the other was out of sight. It was only then that he noticed his pulse had increased drastically, his heart pounding against his ribcage. His fingers were tensed around the arms of the chair, and his mouth had gone dry.

What…What the hell? This had never happened to him before. He usually could disregard any advances, no matter how bold, but…

"Oh boy…" Shadow snapped out of his musings and refocused on the group in the pool, cursing how distracted he was. Something could've happened in those crucial seconds. Half of the patrons were gazing in the direction Sonic had left, and half were throwing him sympathetic glances. The one who had spoken was Tails, now floating, and he belonged in the former group.

The pink hedgehog was fanning herself. "If only he looked at me like that…!"

A strained gag came from Knuckles. "Dammit, I wish that I never saw that! Ugh!"

Rouge gracefully swam over to the edge the guard chair was closest to. Her teal orbs met his, swirling in amusement. "You're lucky. Looks like Blue's into you."

Shadow scoffed in disbelief, his voice hard. "Any sexual harassment will be reported, so I suggest that you leash your friend."

Silver had leaped into the pool once more, but the splashes drenching the bat didn't make her smirk shrink. "It's not harassment if it's mutual, hon."

The lifeguard glared at her before paying attention to everyone else, wanting this discussion to be over. "I can't have unnecessary conversations with others during my shift."

"That's a bit relative, don't you think? I for one think that this talk is very necessary. Blue gets what he wants. He's an unstoppable force, and unless you're an immovable object well…" His glare increased in intensity, and the bat winked in response. "Just a little heads up."

She swam away, and Shadow wished that he had called in sick today.


They were leaving.

Fucking finally.

It was an hour before the pool closed, and Shadow barely held in the relieved sigh when the group began to gather their things. If it weren't for a particular hedgehog, the lifeguard would have thought that his shift hadn't been so bad. However, because of that damned annoyance, he was drained.

Sonic hadn't spoken to him when he had returned from throwing the bottle away. He had placed his inflatable tube down in the shallow end and gingerly climbed onto it. Silver had dug into the toy box and passed out water guns to everyone. The natatorium turned into a warzone, and Shadow had been mildly entertained.

Until he had learned that Sonic couldn't swim.

From then on, the striped hedgie had to keep a sharp eye on the blue rodent, not fathoming why the idiot would float into the deep end without a care in the world. What made it even worse was that Sonic would always make eye contact and grin that grating grin that constantly made his breath hitch without fail. Shadow didn't know why it was happening, and it frustrated him to no end.

"Hey Tails, where'd your goggles go?"

The fox rose a brow at Sonic's question before he patted his head, eyes widening when he found that they indeed weren't where they were supposed to be. "I don't know! I thought…"

"Maybe they flew off when you were roughhousing with Knuckles?" Blaze suggested. Shadow had learned her name when Silver tried to convince her to dive with him.

Amy – he had learned hers when Sonic had accidently sprayed her right in the face – nodded in agreement. "Yeah! I thought that I saw something flying!"

Shadow took his time to scan the area, wanting to help so they could just leave already. It was easy to spot. The goggles were by the deep end of the pool opposite of the lifeguard, resting on the outside tile. Shadow was about to climb down to retrieve the item, but Sonic must've seen it as well. The blue hedgehog headed towards them too quickly for Shadow's taste.

"No running!" He yelled, and that little shit had the nerve to smirk at him.

However, that smirk instantly disappeared when his foot slipped on a puddle of water.

Shit! Shadow was out of his seat before Sonic hit the water, his red foam floaty secured in his grip.

"Sonic!" the boy's friends yelled in panic.

The striped hedgehog swiftly jogged over to where the pool was deep enough before diving headfirst into it, cheeks puffing out as he went under. White bubbles clouded his sight for a split second, but when they eventually cleared, the visual of a thrashing Sonic greeted him. Shadow kicked his feet, the muscles in his thighs working overtime to reach the sinking hedgehog before the buoyancy of his floaty pulled him back up.

When his dark fingers wrapped around the flailing rodent's forearm, Shadow directed himself up toward the surface. Meeting air again, the lifeguard took a breath before lifting Sonic up as much as possible. Shadow pushed his floaty under the blue one's arms as soon as it was physically possible.

The striped hedgie treaded water as he faced the panting Sonic, the non-swimmer's torso kept afloat with the lifeguard's tool. Emerald orbs were slightly jaded as beads of water rolled off his body, unfocused as they stared at his rescuer.

Shadow gave him a second to recover. "Are you al – mmff!"

All words died off when damp lips pressed against his own. His brain instantly short circuited at the pressure, warmth spreading from his occupied mouth to his cheeks. His upper body was frozen as his feet kicked just enough to keep him from going under. He couldn't fully process what was going on until Sonic's lips began to move.

Shadow violently jerked back to abruptly end the kiss, raising one hand to wipe away any remains of the lip-lock. The hedgehog could only go so far however, for he still had to hold onto the blue boy's lifeline.

In stark contrast to the lifeguard, Sonic didn't appear to be affected by his own bold actions. Those emerald irises had darkened a shade and that same damned smug smirk reared its ugly head again. "Yeah, I'm perfectly fine now. I owe you one!"

Shadow couldn't do anything but stare at him, a whirlwind tearing through his mind and jumbling his thoughts. The lifeguard didn't remain stunned for long; his bewildered eyes morphing into a threatening glower. All concern and professionalism was thrown out of the window.

"Did you do that shit on purpose?" he growled, ignoring the way his lip tingled.

His hostile nature did nothing to phase the azure one. Sonic tilted his head, his confusion clearly faked. "What? Kiss you? Aren't all kisses done on purp-"

"That's not what I'm fucking talking about!" Shadow was this close to letting the other drown.

"Me sliding into the pool? Of course that was an accident! I'm not suicidal!"

"Yeah, horny is what you are." He definitely didn't mean to say that out loud. Being both angry and flustered was not a good combination for him.

Sonic's eyes were half-lidded now, and he licked his bottom lip. The action was not missed by Shadow. "Hm…not yet. Almost though."

Not knowing how to answer that with a proper response, the striped hedgehog scowled, wishing that the lingering warmth around his mouth would go the hell away.

"Are you two love birds done down there…?" Both hedgehogs turned their heads to see Silver bending over and picking up the discarded goggles, seeming both amused and uncomfortable at the same time. "Or do we need to leave you guys alone?"

Sonic smiled innocently at his friend. "Actually, the second option does sound nic-"

Shadow splashed water right into the other's mouth before swimming over to the shallow end, dragging the hacking occupant behind him.

When he made it to those steps, the lifeguard took back his floaty now that Sonic could safely get to dry land. Shadow left the water and noticed that the bat was snickering at her phone, Amy red as a tomato looking over her shoulder. He heard his own voice coming through the device, and he almost blew up.

They had recorded that?!

Shadow fumed as he stiffly walked in the direction of his guard chair, wanting all of them gone.

"Sonic!" Tails yelled behind him. "Are you really okay? You have to be careful next time!"

"Don't worry about me! Thanks to…" Sonic had trailed off, and the lifeguard paused in his stride to peer over his shoulder. The blue hedgie was staring at him expectantly.

He gritted his teeth. "Shadow."

"Shadow…" Said hedgehog despised the way Sonic almost purred his name, his cheeks having not returned to their natural color yet. "Well little bud, thanks to Shadow, I'm fine! Not a scratch on me!"

The striped anthro settled himself into his assigned seat, a deep frown set on his face. Hardened rubies swiveled over to Knuckles when the echidna gestured to him. "Hey man, your shift's over when the pool closes right? Wanna come hang with us lat-"

"No." Absolutely fucking not.

Blaze let out a quiet sigh. "Did you have to kiss him, Sonic? Didn't you think of his preferences and personal boundaries?"

"I mean, not at the time."

"You're hopeless, you know that?" Silver commented as he handed Tails' goggles over. "Now let's go before Shadow melts Sonic with his eyes or something."

There was a general consensus that that was a good idea, and the crew filtered out. Rouge stayed back an extra second to wave and Sonic lingered as well, saluting him and yelling out, "See you Shadow!"

He really hoped not. They had to stay at the hotel the pool was housed in, but if luck was on his side, he wouldn't have any more night shifts this week. He needed to avoid them – avoid him – at all costs.


The pool was going to close in thirty minutes.

No one else had come in after that bothersome group had departed, so Shadow deemed that this was the perfect time to de-stress. Leaving the floaty in his seat and taking off the whistle, he departed his chair and headed for the stairs leading down into the pool.

The chlorinated liquid lapped at his ankles, then his stomach, and then his chest as he waded through the comforting water until he was on his tip-toes. He stopped breathing before dunking his head underwater just to revel in the coolness surrounding him. It lasted only a while though.

After breaching the surface, Shadow turned his body so that he was floating on his back. He closed his weary eyes, wanting to forget today's shift altogether.

But he couldn't.

He hated Sonic with a passion he couldn't explain, but for some damn reason…he couldn't forget that kiss.

Shadow lightly kicked, creating small waves. He simply stopped thinking because if he did it too much, he would mentally go back to that moment, replaying it over and over again…

The lifeguard growled to himself before flipping back over so he could actively swim. He needed to keep busy. Splashes echoed around the large room after he chose to swim freestyle to the far end of the pool where he couldn't touch the ground.

It felt good to stretch his muscles, having been sitting most of his time here. He breathed in tune with his strokes until he reached the wall. Instead of halting altogether, Shadow performed a front flip and forcefully pushed off the solid surface. He spent a couple of seconds underwater before reaching air again, propelling his way to the shallows.

When he reached the stairs, he planted his feet on the ground, his respiration a bit faster than normal. Shadow took a deep breath as he lazily sloshed around the water at his sides.

"Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself!"

Nearly jumping out of his skin, Shadow whirled in the direction of the unexpected voice. His surprise almost instantly morphed into annoyance at the sight of Sonic leaning against the entrance doors, arms folded over his bare chest.

"How long have you been standing there?" His tone was anything but friendly.

"Long enough." Sonic chuckled as he pushed himself off the door, approaching the pool's edge. The blue rodent crouched down and swirled his index finger around in the water. Shadow narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Sonic locked gazes with him. "I came back to ask you an important question. Can you teach me how to swim?"

He had to be kidding. "N-"

"Just hear me out for a sec!" Sonic interrupted him, and Shadow narrowed his eyes further. The grin on the other's face didn't placate him. He also refused to focus on those lips, that stubborn memory pushing its way to the front of his mind. "If you teach me, you – or any other lifeguard – wouldn't have to keep an eye on me. And plus, you can go to sleep tonight knowing that you've probably saved my life for a second time."

Shadow wasn't swayed. "It's not my job to. Ask your damn friends to do it."

Sonic made a tiny splash with the palm of his hand. "I would, but Tails isn't that strong of a swimmer himself, Knuckles and Silver both have too much of a pranking streak, Amy freaks out when she touches me, Rouge would probably rather laugh on the sidelines, and Blaze would bail as soon as water got splashed on her face."

The lifeguard's brow creased.

"Heh, yeah, I know. But anyway, it is so your job!" The grin turned into a genuine smile that Shadow couldn't trust yet. "Lifeguards protect lives, right? Well, I'll have a less chance of drowning if you teach me!"

Shadow reviewed the facts thrown his way and analyzed them for a bit. "…Fine," he forced out, mostly because Sonic probably wouldn't leave him alone until he gave in.

The blue rodent clapped. "Great!" He then eased himself down into the shallow water, eventually stepping up to Shadow's side a little too close for the striped hedgehog's comfort. "So, where do we start?"

Shadow exhaled heavily through his nose. "Do you know how to tread?"

Sonic shook his head. "Nope."

Telling himself that this would be over in less than thirty minutes, he waded in the direction of the deeper water, telling Sonic to follow him. He heard the soft splashes behind him as the blue rodent did so.

Once the water was up to Shadow's collarbone, he didn't go any farther. He faced Sonic and began instructing, voice monotone. He mentally went back in time when he first learned how to swim. It was fuzzy, since he was taught at a very young age.

"There are two things you need to know: how to move your arms, and how to kick your legs." He swung his arms out in a circular motion, Sonic watching intently. "Move your arms like this to keep yourself balanced and to help your feet keep your head above water." He then detached his feet from the concrete below, kicking them not too fast and not too slow. "Move your feet like this so you won't immediately go under. Got it?"

"Uh…maybe?" Sonic's lost expression communicated otherwise. "Let me try…" After positioning himself, the blue rodent started flailing his limbs like he was drowning all over again. Shadow shouted to simply stand back up, and Sonic did so, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "So that didn't work."

Shadow felt a headache forming. "Let's focus on one thing. Kicking your feet is easiest. Let's go to the edge so you can hold on to-"

"We don't have to!" Sonic argued, and the lifeguard frowned at him, not understanding. He did want to learn, right? Alarms went off in Shadow's mind when the other drifted into his personal space. "You're sturdy enough, yeah?" He placed his hands on Shadow's shoulders before he could move away, and the striped one's muscles tensed when those fingers stroked the short fur there. That smug smirk was back. "See!"

The striped hedgie wanted to tell Sonic to get his damned hands off, but words failed him when those fingers dug in harder, massaging the taut muscles there, relaxing them. He didn't want to admit it, but it felt…pleasant.

"Feet." Shadow finally managed to get out, inwardly sighing at the ministrations.

"Right," Sonic responded, his fingers stilling. Shadow had to bite his tongue to stop the words 'Keep going' from spilling out. That was the last thing he needed to happen.

The azure anthro began kicking his feet, some of his weight pushing down on the lifeguard's shoulders. As expected, there wasn't a threat of him going under. "Okay okay…I got this part down. So now I have to move my arms right?" Emeralds bored into rubies. "Can you hold me somehow?"

Those fingers had subtly began to move again, and his mouth answered without his consent. "I can." One part of his brain was yelling what the hell was he doing, but another part was sure that nothing bad could happen. He was teaching Sonic how to swim. That was all.

Peach lips twisted up at the edges, and Shadow's eyes flickered downward for a split second.

Controlling any latent urges, the lifeguard firmly placed his hands on the other's sides, keeping his fingers perfectly still. Sonic didn't say anything. He let Shadow's shoulders go, and he moved his arms like how it was demonstrated. It wasn't hard to steady him, buoyancy making the hedgehog lighter.

After a minute or so, Shadow let him go. Sonic began to panic. "Calm down," the lifeguard advised, "Just continue the movements like before. You'll be fine."

The azure mammal sent him an unsure glance, but he followed his orders anyway. Sonic didn't sink. "I'm doing it!" he cheered, laughing.

True, he wasn't doing it perfectly, but he was keeping himself up, and that's what counted.

"Keep practicing doing that, and you'll be able to do it longer and longer." Shadow watched as Sonic ceased treading and sunk down so his feet were flat on the floor again. "Now, to actually swim, I'm going to teach you how to doggie paddle."

Sonic scrunched his nose up at the name. "Doggie paddle? Was that what you were doing earlier?"

"No." The blue rodent opened his mouth, but Shadow cut him off. "Beggars can't be choosers. This is the easiest and fastest way."

"Fine," Sonic relented, "So what do I do for this?"

Shadow thought for a moment before holding his arms out just below the water's surface. "Lay on my arms," he said, inwardly wincing and reminding himself that this lesson was almost over.

Something in the other's green gaze brightened. "Okay!" he said without hesitation. He somewhat clumsily got into position, but he eventually managed. Shadow disregarded the rigid stomach muscles he felt against his fingers. Sonic looked up at him. "Now what?"

"Have you seen a domestic dog swim?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Do that, and you can swim."

"…Really?"

"Yes."

Sonic ran a damp hand down his face. "Are you shitting me right now? I've gone all this time, and swimming is this easy? Gah!" He returned it back to the water. "Alright, let's see…" Sonic paddled with his legs and arms, producing waves. "Is this it?" The uncertainty was obvious in his tone.

"It is." Shadow retracted his hands, and the blue one just as quickly placed his feet on the ground. The striped rodent loped back over to the shallows, putting his back against the wall. The water was now around his waist, the rim of his shorts poking out of the liquid. Shadow refocused on Sonic, who hadn't moved from where he was standing. "Swim to me."

"That's kinda far…"

"Just do it." Shadow wanted to get this over with as fast as possible, and the other hesitating wasn't beneficial in any way.

"You're really bossy, you know that?" Sonic snapped back, but leaned forward into the water anyway. "Wonder how that'll change in a bit…" he mumbled under his breath, but Shadow heard it. He didn't question the others random ramblings. He was already mentally checking out, imagining his nice warm bed.

That cozy picture melted away when splashing reached his ears. Sonic wasn't the most graceful of creatures paddling like crazy, but he was closing the distance between the two of them.

Sonic's sounds of happiness almost let a rebellious smile grow on his muzzle. Almost.

When the blue hedgie reached Shadow, he laughed boisterously before pulling the shocked lifeguard in for a hug. Shadow was extremely reluctant to return the gesture. Again, he was just doing his job.

"Thanks so much Shadow!" Sonic ended the embrace, but his hands were still gripping the employee's arms. His expression was warm and open, and Shadow just now realized how close their faces were. They must've noticed at the same time because Sonic's smile waned a bit, his sharp green orbs searching Shadow's reds.

No one said anything. A type of tension that Shadow wasn't used to was building up, and he knew that something was going to snap if he didn't intervene.

"It's close to closing," the lifeguard started, leaning to the side to escape since his back was against an immovable wall, "I should-"

"Hey wait a second…" Warm breath fanned across Shadow's muzzle, and the hands on his arms repositioned themselves back on his shoulders, slowly rubbing. Shadow's body refused to move any further, the massage something he desperately needed. Sonic chuckled, it a tone deeper than normal. "I need to pay you for this swimming lesson."

Shadow put a hand on Sonic's chest. The idea was to push him back, but his limb wasn't listening to him. "I was doing my job, nothing more, nothing less."

"My point exactly," Sonic breathed out, leaning in. "And plus, you saved my life remember? I owe you for that too."

Shadow turned his head away, breath hitching. The azure one was so close now that he could feel the heat radiating off of him. He shouldn't have been in this position, stuck between a rock and a hard place. He should've just said no and have been done with it. But no, he had been stupid, and now those moist lips were right there in front of him…

"C'mon…" Sonic squeezed his shoulders before gently grabbing his chin, turning it back to the front with little resistance. "You'll love my payment method, I swear." Shadow refused to respond. The proximity and the heat and the smell of chlorine was making his thought process go haywire. There was no way that he would make a smart choice in this condition.

Sonic's fingers left his chin before sliding back behind his head, carefully digging his fingers in between his striped quills. He massaged the sensitive skin there, and Shadow gritted his teeth so hard he was surprised that they didn't shatter. "I know that you've been thinking about that kiss from earlier," Sonic whispered, snickering at the slight widening of ruby eyes. "I knew it. I was too. And much more…"

"So please…" The blue anthro's mouth was a hair's width away from his. Sonic licked his bottom lip, his tongue sliding against Shadow's as well. He nearly forgot how to breathe. The hand on his shoulder left a trail of fire down his damp body before resting on his hip, finger tracing the rim of his shorts. "…let me repay you…"

Shadow couldn't…resist it any longer. He blamed unhealthy chemical exposure.

Without thinking, he closed the distance, crashing his lips onto Sonic's.

The response was immediate.

Sonic pressed himself flush against him with a chuckle that Shadow could feel. A very moist muscle forced its way into the lifeguard's awaiting mouth, thoroughly exploring every crevice. Shadow fought for dominance, but Sonic refused to leave, tongue-fucking his mouth with fervor.

Shadow had managed to withhold any potential moans, but that control dissipated when Sonic's hands wandered. They slid under his lifeguard shirt, experienced fingers tracing his quivering abs until they reached his white chest fur. Shadow moaned around Sonic's tongue as he kneaded underneath the longer fur, euphoria flooding his system.

It wasn't long before he needed precious air. Shadow pulled away harshly panting with a string of saliva connecting the two hedgehogs. Sonic was in the same condition, gaze darkened with lust, cheeks pink. The blue one's chest was heaving as he fisted Shadow's shirt and yanked it over his head, throwing it somewhere on the dry tile.

Sonic touched their foreheads together, a hand returning to caress the back of Shadow's head. The lifeguard smothered a purr that threatened to come up. He still had his dignity dammit.

"How's it so far?" Sonic questioned, voice husky and dripping with promises of particularly pleasurable things in Shadow's near future.

The striped hedgehog growled lowly at him. "Stop talking."

Sonic smirked. "I like the way you think." He grabbed a handful of his quills and jerked Shadow's head painfully to the side.

"Fuck!" he shouted.

"Getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we?" Shadow didn't get a chance to retaliate before Sonic latched onto his neck, nipping the skin under his jaw. He gasped as the other bit lower and lower until he was right over his hammering pulse. The nips turned into open-mouthed kisses determined to leave a mark.

A toe-curling moan escaped him at a particularly hard suck, it sending heat straight down to his stirring groin. He could feel his cock waking up, twitching in tune with the lewd noises and the rippling of water. It didn't help that Sonic's was already hard, pressing up against his thigh. There was no doubt that Sonic could feel his too through their swimwear.

"I didn't expect you to be so vocal…" Sonic mumbled against his bruised neck, kissing it once more before lifting his head. His stare was so intense that it made Shadow shiver in anticipation. "But then again…you are a lifeguard…"

The striped rodent sent him a weak glare. "S-Shut the hell up."

Sonic grinned. "I'll be quiet after this, promise. But first…" he reached down and squeezed Shadow's ass before massaging both cheeks. The action was encouraged when Shadow arched his back, pressing against those magical fingers. "Wrap your legs around me."

The lifeguard was ashamed at how obedient he was, wasting no time in doing so. Their cocks were lined up perfectly now, and his panting grew harsher at just the thought of what was going to happen next.

Sonic ground their bulging members together, and both of their moans were guttural and animalistic. Shadow could hardly get his lungs to work as pleasure took over his brain, heat pooling down below. The friction caused by the cloths and the slickness of the water almost made it too much.

Sonic had recaptured his mouth, swallowing every single wanton noise that involuntarily pushed past his throat. And vice versa. Sonic had gotten into a fast rhythm, the feeling of both his tongue and his dick causing something inside Shadow to constantly tighten.

The spittle dripping down his chin and the sloshing of the water around them only added to the feeling that was building up and up and up…

It was hard to disconnect from the tongue wanting to find its way down his throat. They came apart with a loud smack, but Sonic didn't pause in rocking up against him like his life depended on it. Shadow let his head fall in the crook of the azure hedgie's neck, unsteady puffs of air flowing through his swollen lips.

"I-I…I'm…" He could hardly speak as Sonic basically ground him into the wall, him clawing at the blue one's back. He was definitely leaving marks. "I'm going to…"

Then everything stopped.

Sonic stopped thrusting, the water stopped splashing, and Shadow swore that he had stopped breathing.

His muscles were jelly, but he managed to lean back to catch Sonic's expression and ask what the hell he was thinking. If he had planned on leaving things where they were now, then Shadow was going to fabricate a believable story to why Sonic's lifeless corpse ended up at the bottom of the pool.

The striped rodent didn't know what he expected, but the weirdly elated look on the other's face was definitely not it. Sonic didn't bother to justify himself. He just grunted as he lifted Shadow full out of the water, struggling a bit.

"What…?" was all the lifeguard could get out as Sonic placed him on the edge of the pool. His clouded brain didn't have a single clue to what was going on until a skilled tongue lazily licked around his naval, causing him to loll head back in bliss. Shadow sucked in a sharp breath when those licks turned into nips, teeth grazing his furred skin and sending more heat toward this straining member. His panting became shallower and shallower as Sonic dipped lower and lower.

Shadow spread his legs further apart for the other, and in response, Sonic sloppily kissed his bulge through his shorts. His thighs shook in rapture at the incredible feeling that spread throughout his body like wildfire. He then lowly hissed when the when the bottom half of his uniform was then suddenly forced down to his knees, his cock now freed and sensing the cold air.

Shadow had to bite down on his lip to keep the lecherous shout from echoing around the room when fingers wrapped around the base of his member and squeezed.

"I want two things." Sonic pumped it a couple times before using his thumb to smear the leaking precum around his tip. Shadow couldn't swallow the gravelly moan this time. Sonic's laugh was thick. "There we go… I want to hear everything. Don't hold back, okay? And I want you to look at me the whole time. Can you do that, Shads?"

Words completely failed him, so he nodded.

Sonic smiled crookedly at him before lowering his head and licking his twitching member from base to tip. Shadow maintained eye contact as that sinful tongue swirled around and lapped up all the excess fluid. The lifeguard than produced a sound that was a mixture of a moan, a growl, a purr, and a whimper when Sonic took it fully into his mouth, bobbing his head up and down. Black fingers weaved into azure quills, wanting to ram into that warm and moist talented mouth of his, but barely refraining from doing so.

Sonic held his hips down to prevent him from bucking as he ravished him, those lust filled emerald orbs never wavering as obscene sucks and slurps joined in with the striped one's feral groans.

Shadow didn't last long at all. There was so much, too much stimulation.

His voice was raw when his orgasm ended, breathing hard and deep as he watched Sonic swallow all of it with no problem. He had milked him dry, and dammit, that was sexy as hell.

There was a remaining streak of white on the corner of his mouth. Shadow leaned down and lifted the other's chin with one hand. With one long lick, he cherished the mixed taste of himself, Sonic, and chlorine.

"So…" Peach lips parted. "Is my debt paid off?" Shadow didn't answer verbally, pressing their mouths together once more. Tongues slow-danced around each other, unrushed and controlled. Sonic broke them apart this time with a grin. He gave Shadow a chaste kiss before muttering, "I'll take that as a yes."

As Shadow's body came down from its high – the fog fading from his brain as well – he realized that the other still had to be painfully hard. "What about you?"

Sonic winked. "I'll deal with myself later. It was all about you tonight, Shads. Although…I do have an idea…"

Shadow rose a brow, wishing that he could read minds, but the blue hedgehog gave no hints until he reached around and grabbed his dark tail. He gasped, that hand close to a specific hole in danger of being discovered. Sonic stroked it before his index finger boldly slid down and rubbed the sensitive ring of muscle underneath. Shadow's whole frame trembled before the azure anthro's unoccupied hand gripped his white chest fur and yanked him down even lower.

Hot breath tickled his ear as the blue hedgie spoke. "Tomorrow, if you can teach me how to dive, then I'll take a plunge wherever or into whatever you'd like."

Shadow blinked his wide eyes, understanding what the other was promising.

But did he…did he want that? That was the question…

However, he was saved from answering it when the sound of a door opening froze both hedgehogs like a deer in headlights.

"Hey Shadow? You still in here man? I wanted to ask if you wanted to switch shifts tom-"

The striped hedgehog was petrified as Vector focused on them and their rather…compromising position. Shadow was literally caught with his pants down. He didn't know who he felt worse for: himself or the unfortunate crocodile.

"What the HELL?!" Vector shrieked, automatically covering his eyes and turning his back to them. "Shadow! What…What the FUCK man! I guess nevermind then, shit!" The hedgehog's coworker marched his way back over to the door with his other arm held out so he wouldn't run into anything, but he paused for a second once he found the handle. "Please…please don't tell me you got some…some stuff in the pool!"

Shadow had temporarily lost the ability to speak, so Sonic replied instead. "Well, there are no guarantees pal…"

"GAK! I'm taking off work for the next WEEK!"

There was a slam, and Vector was gone.

Sonic started snickering while Shadow was ready to keel over then and there.

"If you get me fired, I'm coming for your ass."

"Is that a threat or a promise? Because I don't mind switching positions~"

"A threat dammit! I will seriously strangle you if they fire me!"

"...Kinky."


That was fun to write, but what do you guys think? Was it worth the read?

If you guys like it, then maybe I can include Sonic's 'diving lesson' in another chapter? X)