Gloves

For most Mobians they were just fashion. Then there were those who actually needed them.

TAGs: established relationship, one-shot, Writing Exercise, Wordcount: 100-1000, fluff, Worldbuilding

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.

AN: So this idea essentially came from me realizing that anytime I imagine Sonic's or Shadow's hands without gloves on them I don't actually imagine the nails. So I tried imagining them but normal human nails just looked weird on Shadow (I blame his color-scheme). Then I figured 'hey, what if gloves actually have a purpose among Mobians?' and it ended up as a story. (Yes, I do overthink stuff too much.)

"What's so fascinating about my hands?" Sonic asks just as he finishes cutting up the apple, laying the knife beside the cut-up fruit.

Crimson eyes look up at him, confusion in Shadow's expression. "Huh?"

"You've been staring at my hands for like a whole minute now," Sonic explains, giving a quick rinse to said appendages in the sink to remove the sticky apple juices from his fur and then taking a dish-towel to dry them up. "What's the matter?"

Shadow looks oddly torn and confused by the question, crossing his arms as if in defense. But, eventually, the agent manages, "You have...nails."

"Um, yeah. Sure, I do," Sonic affirms not really sure how to respond to a remark like that. Why does Shadow look so surprised by this fact? He thought Mobians don't have any or something? "But it clearly surprises you for some reason."

"I thought Mobians had claws," Shadow replies and it sounds almost like an accusation—like when you are confronting a friend that has made you believe something and then let you make a fool of yourself before other people just so they could laugh at you. However, Sonic has never talked with Shadow on this topic so he doesn't take the other's tone as an attack on his person.

"Some do," he just affirms. "Cats and such. But most Mobians have simple nails like humans—ours are said to be a bit more durable though."

Shadow just looks contemplative at him for a moment, giving a small 'hmm' sound before he glances down, one of his gloves clenching slightly as a ghost of uncertainty flashes over the agent's face.

However, it's not quick enough to escape Sonic's keen eye and contrary to what might some people believe he's clever enough to put the two and two together. Because if Shadow didn't know that Mobians have nails then— "Wait, does this mean you have claws? Like actual claws?"

Red eyes snap up to him and sudden tension seizes up Shadow's body as the agent clenches his hand again reflexively as if to hide this fact from him.

Sonic does need more evidence that that. "You do have them!" he exclaims before he can stop himself. With his interest piqued, he shuffles closer to the other, clapping his hands together excitedly. "Show me, show me!"

Shadow looks hesitant but his excited reaction clearly has taken off some layer of the other's worry as it doesn't take further convincing for the agent to take off one of his gloves—even if it's done somehow reluctantly.

So to assure the other that this is not something to be self-conscious about, Sonic doesn't hesitate to gently grasp the agent's now bare hand and look it over from all angles. "Man, you could probably slice stuff with these!" he remarks aloud as he curiously traces the upper curve of the dark talon. Frankly speaking, he's never seen claws like this on a hedgehog. Then again Shadow is only like a half-Mobian so this particular feature is most probably from his evil space-dad's side. "Are they this sharp naturally?"

"...Yes. They're bothersome unless I wear gloves; I accidentally keep damaging the furniture." Sonic hums in acknowledgement as he turns the dark hand upside down again. Well, he supposes that answers his question about why Shadow's seems to prefer thicker gloves all year around. "I tried trimming them but they just grow back in a couple of hours."

"You know that's actually how the whole glove-wearing trend started among Mobians, right?" Sonic remarks, recalling how he learned about this back in elementary school. Shadow quirks a curious brow at him, so Sonic explains, "Before Mobians would generally wear only shoes as any other clothing was impractical to them but then cats found out wearing gloves kept them from accidentally scratching things so they began to wear them. Other Mobians saw it and thought it was some new fashion so they began to do the same to not miss on the trend and it kind of sticked around."

Shadow hums in acknowledgement, the agent now looking over his hands again, the tension clearly gone from the striped body now. And even though Sonic is happy Shadow's not feeling self-conscious anymore, he'll have to cut his moment of self-examination short.

"Alright, if you're done marveling over your hands this time—" Sonic lays a quick kiss onto the other's cheek, successfully drawing the agent's attention back to himself with it. He flashes the other with a playful grin. "—how about you put them to use? The apple pie is not going to make itself."

AN: Well, hope you enjoyed this short story! On similar note, what color do you think Mobians nails are? From what I've seen in the intro cut-scene in Unleashed, as Sonic's changing into the Werehog, Sonic's nails actually seem to be going from dark to white. (Then again that could be just the lighting and shadows, though to me personally they seem just a bit too dark for it just be shadows.) Does it mean Sonic's nails are normally black? Because that's an aesthetic I can get behind.