Okay, just how long has it been since that last update? O.o Sorry, everybody - but here we go again! First of all, though, a warning:
This is the only chap in the fic where the emphasis is more on actual sonadow than the comedy, (though it has two very funny scenes) so...you might wanna only skim certain parts. I raised the rating to T for this, since there's a little bit...dodgy stuff...but not much, and only in this chapter. It's a gag story, not a lemon, so try to get through it. :P Please enjoy!
The seventh part, telling of potentially painful enquiries, princes with no manners and the necessity of popmusic.
Chapter 7: Dirty Dancing
"Yuck."
Sonic was trying to shake the sticky punch from his gloves where he had just crawled through as he was getting out from under the table. Amy and Silver were waiting just behind him to emerge from their hiding place, too.
"Guess they outlived their use…" the Prince muttered, removing the silken garments (and already knowing Rosie was likely to slap him silly with them when she found out) before he straightened.
And froze.
The soaked gloves fell out of his limp fingers while the blue hedgehog could only stare.
At the other side of the hall stood a girl…the single most beautiful he had ever seen. Her eyes burned crimson, same in hue as her dress and the streaks in those obsidian quills. Her face was a lot more angular than usual for a girl, though, which gave her a slightly tomboyish appearance — was that why his heart was racing now? Her head spikes, held together with a crimson headband, were not braided like Amy's, but tough and thicker in quality. They looked sharp…and dangerous.
And while her figure was slim, the posture spoke of strength at the same time. All this the Prince had seen in the blink of an eye, before a dancing couple soared past, breaking their eye-contact and the spell. Sonic released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Sonic? Is everything…?" Amy was just getting to her feet as well, but her brother had already started walking away as if in trance.
Shadow felt like a deer caught in the headlights. The hedgehog from the lake — it was the Prince! Did he recognize him? No, he couldn't, he was cleaned and wearing a dress after all, not even Black Doom had seen through that disguise…but he could feel the heat surging through his system, his breath shallow and now Shadow was sure that he was blushing.
His knees felt weak. He wanted to run, just like he had an eternity ago, but the voice, the voice that had pleaded with him to go back the very first time they met, was stronger now…calling out to him, urging him to stay…
Sonic was still walking forwards, carelessly bumping into others as he could only focus on the black hedgehog in front of him. He had never seen the girl before, but she did look strangely familiar…another male and female intertwined in a dance passed by and the woman suddenly bent down to him for a second.
"The name you're looking for is Shadow…" she whispered and Sonic thought he could feel small fangs brushing against his ear, but when his head whirled around, the bat and echidna had already vanished into the crowd again.
The midnight girl still hadn't moved, just staring at him with an unreadable expression. Sonic took the last few steps and closed the gap between them. They were standing so close now…
"May…may I have the next dance?"
Shadow stared at the blue hedgehog now in front of him. His green eyes were hopeful and afraid at the same time, while his lips were upturned in a small, timid smile. An ungloved, peach-furred hand was extended towards him, inviting and offering.
"Please…Mylady?"
The black hedgehog blinked.
xxx
"Well, that's not exactly going that great, is it?" Knuckles asked, watching from a distance. "All they've been doing is staring at each other. And he still thinks Shadow's a girl."
"Oh, hush," Rouge muttered, staring just like the echidna (and like half of the other guests when you got down to it) at the two hedgehogs. "You're just not a romantic, that's all."
"No, but I just stepped into a punch puddle. Does that count? I don't like this ball."
"Hush, I said."
"And they're still not doing anything."
"One more word, echidna, and I'll go tell that floating starfish that you're interested in her."
xxx
"Well, uh, if you don't want to dance, I…" the Prince's face was now starting to redden too, as Sonic felt increasingly umcomfortable in this situation. "I'm sorry, to, err..."
A soft hand suddenly seized his. Sonic looked down and realized that the black hedgehog had grasped it, the touch of the ebon fingers as gentle as it was firm. He looked up with wide eyes into the face of the other to see those crimson irises stare right back at him, the tiniest of smiles on her face.
"…I take that as a yes, huh?" he managed, and the midnight hedgehog nodded, still not saying anything. Maybe she was shy?
Slowly, so as not to scare her, Sonic pulled her carefully closer, one hand of his resting on her small back in traditional dancing pose. He raised the other arm with those black fingers still entwined in his and the other hedgehog in turn hesitatingly laid one hand upon his shoulder.
Nobody noticed the white-furred bat in the background snipping her fingers, but a lot of heads turned when suddenly the musicians started to play a Vienesse Waltz.
Sonic gripped Shadow's waist tighter and thought he could almost hear a small gasp from the black hedgehog.
"Do you like this dance?"
The other only nodded, as if in a daze. The touches of those soft hands on his body…Shadow, who after Maria's death had only ever been beaten by Black Doom, yanked around by Eyeleen, and bitten by those godawful devil Chao, had almost forgotten what it was like if a hand caressed you. If it didn't abuse, only asked, only explored, with a gentleness his bruised body had yearned for so long…
Every single tip of the tan fingers sent electric sparkles coursing through his skin as they trailed over his hip bone, and Shadow could only guess what it would feel like if there wasn't even the thin fabric of the dress separating them.
They were moving from side to side in slow change steps, rotating in a circle and shifting their weight from one foot to the other, while the music was still starting to build. Sonic was glad that he knew how to dance so well, because if his feet hadn't known the steps at this point, his head would have been of no help at all. His hands were trembling and he was sure that his back was already moist with sweat, too.
The other hedgehog, and the feel of her body so close to him, was sending shivers down his spine like he had never felt before. His nose twitched as he caught a whiff of her exotic scent…it smelled like…
…musk?
The face of the Prince showed the tiniest frown.
This girl was strange, and not only because she hadn't yet said a single word or because she seemed so inexplicably familiar- the black hedgehog also was exactly as tall as him. Sonic knew he wasn't the tallest guy in the world (Silver beat him with that ridiculous — but cute — hairstyle in that department already) but he was still used to hedgehog females being at least slightly smaller. And Shadow certainly didn't look any older than he himself was.
Yes, she was strange…but Sonic already knew that he wanted to hold her, and her only.
And then the Vienesse Waltz kicked into his second, higher gear for which it was most famous.
Shadow gasped. Suddenly, his body was pressed tightly against the Prince's, and he entire room was careening around them like a merry-go-round gone mad.
Sonic was leading and the black hedgehog was surprised just how much strength these two blue legs had to possess to whirl him across the floor like that, his own feet barely touching the ground. The azure hedgehog was taking long, powerful strides, yet his lead was incredibly careful at the same time.
Shadow, who had been forced to be a dance training dummy for his stepsister (despite the thing having no feet) vaguely knew the steps, and was just glad that there was no difference between male and female here.
The dance floor had now turned into a massive battleground, as nearly all of the other couples had started to rotate too, moving through the hall at break-neck speed. There were collisions and people stumbled, yet somehow Sonic managed to steer them through the mayhem the entire time without anybody ramming into them.
Back, and forth, and always around they moved with the rhythm of the dance and the music, both of their bodies grinding against each other while centrifugal forces tore at them, trying to rip them apart. Shadow thought he was flying.
Sonic was getting ever more confused. Shadow felt all wrong…and yet felt so right…
In any case, the black hedgehog was a marvellous dancer. Sonic could only vaguely guess at the movement of the (slightly more muscular than expected) legs beneath the billowing dress, but the other moved with the grace of an artist. Indeed, those feet didn't even seem to be touching the floor…
His hand shifted on the small back of the obsidian hedgehog and once again the Prince couldn't help but frown. What he felt beneath the dress was not soft, didn't feel soft like Amy had felt when he had always lifted her into the air while playing…
...or it was soft, but in a different way…Chaos, this was getting confusing.
While dancing in traditional pose, you didn't look your partner directly in the eyes and Sonic found he was partly grateful for that. Because his hand on the waist had now started to wander and while he wasn't sure that the other was actually aware of this, he was absolutely certain that he wouldn't be able to do it while looking into her face.
The Prince let his fingers slowly inch a little bit lower…
Shadow suddenly stiffened under his touch and Sonic flinched. His thumb pressed into the muscles of her lower abdomen and the blue hedgehog was surprised to find them to be so hard…the lithe body squirmed a little but otherwise the black hedgehog made no sound.
They were still dancing and soon Sonic wasn't sure whether the stiffening had actually been a reaction to the motions of his errant hand or maybe just because of the other couple that had only avoided them so narrowly. He started to move again, lost on the contours of the other's body as much as they had already lost themselves in the waltz.
Shadow was shivering. But not from cold or fear. He was shivering on the inside. Because he didn't know what that blue hedgehog was doing to him. The tan hand was traveling, traveling over his waist and his hip, his navel and his lower back…ever so slowly…ever so shyly…and Shadow was powerless to stop it.
He couldn't say anything, couldn't do anything while they were still entwined in this hypnotizing dance. For his voice would give him away, and only a single step back to escape would mean stumbling and falling at this speed.
Which meant that he was helpless, could just hold on and hold out while those soft, exploring fingers were driving him mad…black fingers dug into the fabric of the green vest on the Prince's shoulder subtly, Shadow squeezing his eyes shut as Sonic had just brushed over an incredibly ticklish spot on his abdomen.
Sonic was confused. His hand had returned to its correct spot at Shadow's waist and while his sense of morale that Rosie had beat into him was screaming at him for his improper behaviour with this girl (although he hadn't really touched anything that counted as embarrassing, if you thought about it, right?) his mind wasn't even listening.
Because that body was a riddle… it had curves, yes, but they were so subtle and in all the wrong places…he had felt the strong muscles move underneath that fur, which was also much too thick for a female.
His hand brushed along the arc of the pronounced hip bone again and for a moment he imagined that Shadow drew a surprised gasp beside his ear. And even that gasp had sounded too deep…
Sonic sneaked another side glance at the face of the black hedgehog and felt his stomach lurch in light shock as she almost seemed to be in pain…eyes shut tight and fangs slightly bared, the other one almost wasn't aware of the surroundings anymore, it seemed.
That face — the jaw was a lot more angular than that of his sister's or his mother's, too, he noticed now. The muzzle was broader, the lips thinner and more coarse. In fact, the only even slightly female thing that could go with the dress was a light blush on the cheeks…crimson eyes opened and Sonic quickly looked on ahead again, his mind now in turmoil.
His hand had stopped moving and he had only started to subconsciously rub his thumb soothingly in circles on her waist, to calm her. It seemed to work. When the Prince looked next, the pained look had almost gone, even if the blush had remained. And it made the other one look…well, not cute exactly. Silver was cute.
This black hedgehog was entirely different and so much more exciting…
Sonic swallowed, his tight vest becoming ever more constricting for him. The dance was just beginning to fade out, the slower change-steps now setting in and he and Shadow were once again rocking from side to side, both of them now panting, even if for completely different reasons than the other, not-so-fit couples.
Sonic was still holding Shadow, black and tan entwined. And the Prince couldn't help but wonder just what exactly he had gotten himself into.
xxx
"Rouge, if you don't stop this dance soon, some of the older couples will have a heart attack. Viennesse Waltz is not supposed to last that long!" Knuckles grated, while the strong echidna was whirling the slender fairy around in his arms, who ony giggled and pressed herself tighter against him.
"But they're having such fun, Knuxy…how could I cut that short?" she asked, while the magical pair moved agilely through the jungle of dancers. Next to them, a silver and pink hedgehog whirled past, completely oblivious to any of the dangers due to a protective bubble-like shield around them. They bumped into several other pairs with that, but did neither seem to notice nor to mind.
"Love is in the air, echidna. And now kiss me or I'll put my high heel straight through your boot."
xxx
'Are you a guy?' No.
'Hey, I just happened to notice with my groping that you're really muscular and-' No.
'Hi, I'm Prince Sonic, I'm gay and I just wondered whether-' No. DEFINITELY not.
Sonic was racking his brains through the last few moments of the dance, both of them coming down slowly from the high they had been going through and the Prince was desperately trying to figure out how he could possibly ascertain just what the hell was going on here, but couldn't think of anything that wouldn't lead to a complete disaster. The Prince really wished he was any good at words. Being a hedgehog of action was fine and dandy, except when it came to certain...romantic situations.
If only there was a way he could be completely sure! Shadow's dress did have a sort of decollete, yes, but there was all of this incredibly soft, lush — concentrate, Sonic, dammit! — chest fluff spilling out of it, so it was even impossible to tell whether there were breasts or a flat chest underneath.
Maybe there was just one way to find out after all…not a very gentlemanly way, but, well — even if the Prince did his best to behave himself in order not to make life harder than necessary for poor Rosie or his mother, Sonic had never been that fond of etiquette or obeying rules.
And besides, he was the Prince, right? So what could she possibly do if he was wrong? Slap him across the cheek? That would sting, maybe, but not really hurt…his lips would have twitched at that thought had he not been so incredibly nervous at the same time.
Shadow was wearing a dress. And said dress had a slit cut out for a tail as was the case with almost all Mobian clothing…it exposed part of the small back, with the short black hedgehog tail poking through at the lower end, so no part of anything that came beneath the appendage would be visible. But still, the cut above the tail was almost five inches long and would maybe be wide enough to…
The dance had ended. Sonic released Shadow's hip but still continued to hold the hand of the other with his left. Both of them had not yet broken eye contact and were heaving deep breaths, probably wishing that this wasn't a fairy-tale thingy so the stupid castle would maybe have an air conditioner or something.
The Prince could tell by the way the dress fell on the hedgehog before him that even Shadow's stance was more masculine than female, secure and feet at shoulder's width, legs slightly spread apart instead of keeping them tight together. Well, that would make it easier…
The black hedgehog had his back to a buffet table against the wall. Everyone was still trying to get their breath back from the excessively long dance and Sonic was sure nobody was watching them closely right now…
Without tearing his gaze away from his obsidian look-alike, Sonic's skillfull fingers had found their way behind Shadow's back, through the slit above the tail, underneath the dress, down the curve of a not-really-peach-shaped behind and finally…they were suddenly encountering a certain bulge the Prince had both feared and hoped to be there.
Shadow's eyes widened. Sonic blushed incredibly fiercely as he suddenly realized that the ebon hedgehog, just like himself, wasn't wearing anything underneath the dress.
Not that males needed to.
The other had now frozen, just staring at Sonic who still had his hand underneath the dress and suddenly removed it with the same speed he had used to sneak in there. Shadow still stared at him and Sonic found he himself was unable to speak. I mean, what did you say in such a situation?
"Eh…you're…incredibly soft…"
And even years later, all the nobles still agreed that the Prince getting punched in the face publicly was a first.
xxx
"Well…that is awkward," Rouge commented, small fangs biting her lip, as she watched with all the other guests an enraged, dress-clad Shadow storm out of the hall. "What should we do now, Knuckles? …Knuckles?"
"The wizard you're trying to reach is currently not available. Try again next century," came the reply from underneath a nearby table.
"What the hell are you doing down there?!"
"I am playing hide-and-seek with Tails and Cream. They said they had seen the young nobles do it too, so it's perfectly normal behavior, for me, to sit underneath a buffet table at a royal ball. And now would you please go away before Cream notices where I am?"
"You blithering idiot! It's close to midnight! Do you know what then happens?!"
"Oh f-"
"Mr. Knuckles! I found you!"
"-f…fiddlesticks," the echidna finished just in time, before cursing under his breath and hurrying after the bat.
xxx
If Sonic had needed any further evidence about how exactly Shadow looked underneath that dress, this would have clinched it. No female could pack such a punch without a hammer, in his opinion. And while all the nobles still stared, the Prince had already surged to his feet and was racing after the black hedgehog, bleeding nose and all.
Shadow was stomping through the Palace gardens outside by now, the beauty and tranquility of the parks an outrageous contrast to his mood. His face was burning hotly with fury and humiliation and in his eyes almost welled tears of shame.
How dare he! As if he was merely a piece of meat to be grabbled at, not a person, that stupid Prince had treated him just like Black Doom, nothing more than an object to be used for one's pleasure…!
With an angry snarl the hedgehog ripped the dress from his frame, the thin fabric tearing easily over his sharp backspines. He was wearing nothing but his shoes now, but that didn't bother him. The dress and his headband landed in some of the rose bushes and Shadow strode past, still seething.
"No! Please wait!"
The black hedgehog froze.
"I'm so sorry!"
Because that voice reminded him instantly why he hadn't fought the touch at first…why he had actually curved his body underneath those exploring fingers…why he had suddenly wondered whether Gerald might not have told the whole truth.
"Please!"
"Leave…leave me alone!" Shadow barked, hoping his voice didn't actually tremble as much as he thought it would.
Sonic stopped, only ten yards away. The voice…it was a lot deeper than his own and sent chills down his spine, filling him with a yearning he never knew. He wanted to hear it again, just one more time…
"No! Don't go!"
Shadow refused to look back over his shoulder. Refused to look at that blue hedgehog he had thought so beautiful. What did that Prince want with him? Be his plaything? Never. If there was one thing Shadow treasured almost as much as his memories, it was his pride. And while his heart was screaming in agony, he started to walk away.
"NO! Please don't leave…Shadow…"
Sonic was almost crying now. Of course, he could have run after the other and caught up with him in a heart beat, but what use would that be if the black one didn't want to stay?
But Shadow's knees had locked. Slowly, he turned around, the light of the distant castle now bathing his obsidian body and Sonic was mesmerized by the sight of it. All the subtle curves, muscles and structures he had felt were there…oh, how he wanted to touch them again.
"How do you know my name?" the black hedgehog's tone was akin to a whisper, husky and hoarse.
"…does it matter?" Sonic had tentatively walked over to the other, worried that he might flee at any second and was now looking into his eyes again, at exactly the same height as his own. Like a mirror, and yet so different…
Shadow stared into glistening emerald and remembered just how he had felt as Sonic had spoken his name.
"…no. It doesn't."
"Shadow…" Sonic had gripped the others waist again, with both hands this time and slowly inched himself closer. "I'm…so sorry about what happened…why were you even disguised as a girl, I-"
But the rest of his words were smothered when strong black hands took hold of his face and the Prince was just kissed for the first time in his life.
Somewhere from inside the castle "I Am a Believer" sounded out over the grounds, anachronistic curtesy of a certain fairy godmother.
When they finally released each other, Sonic was even more breathless than before and stared at Shadow, now quite obviously blushing, but still managing a small grin. "So that probably means that I'm forgiven, huh?"
"Only if I am allowed to explore your body a little, too…" Shadow growled playfully, and snaked his arms around the torso of the Prince, burying his face in the nape of his neck and breathing in the foreign scent while his hands trailed down the back of the blue hedgehog...their two meetings had been as strange as they could be, the circumstances leading up to their first kiss more than awkward, but still…
"Shadow…" the Prince was running a hand through the quills of the unclothed black hedgehog, "you're not a princess, but a beautiful faker…I love you…"
"No. I love you, my Prince."
…things couldn't be more perfect.
Dong.
"Shadow! It's almost midnight! We need to leave now!"
"Oh, fuck."
And while not as romantic, these words were just as heartfelt.
Dong.
"Shadow…?" Sonic was confused as the black hedgehog suddenly disentangled himself from their embrace and was turning to leave, looking panicked.
Dong.
"I have to go."
Dong.
"What?! But I thought…!"
"I love you. But I can't stay. I really don't want to pull you into the permament horror show that is my life-"
Dong.
"…because you're too precious for that."
"Shadow! We need to get you home, or else Black Doom will notice your absence! If he knows you've gone to the ball you're dead! And after midnight, we're powerless to help you!" A pair of strangers had suddenly appeared at the other side of the green, waving frantically at the black hedgehog.
Dong.
"I'm sorry!"
Dong.
"No! I can't let you leave!" Sonic took off after the black hedgehog, despair already starting to take a hold of his heart.
Dong.
"I can't stay!"
Dong.
"Why not?! I am the Prince! We will live together in the Palace!" Sonic seized Shadow around the wrist, but the other wrested it from his grasp, pain in his eyes as he shoved Sonic backwards.
Dong.
"Because you are the Prince! Forget about me! Find a bride, don't ruin your life! At least you have one!"
"But I only love you!" In a desperate last stumble, Sonic grabbed at the leg of the black hedgehog and both fell down, Shadow still trying to scramble away from him.
Dong.
"I love you, Sonic…and that's why I'm so sorry to do this." With one final effort, the dark one kicked at the hands of the Prince still holding his leg captive. Sonic cried out and his hands slid down to the ankle, then to the foot. Shadow lurched forward at he same time and reached the outstretched hand of the bat with his fingertips, the whole trio vanishing instantly.
Dong.
The twelth toll of the bell rang out over the castlegrounds, leaving one blue hedgehog kneeling alone in the dirt.
Shadow…
"…Sonic?"
The Prince looked up, surprised. "Amy?! What are you doing here?"
His sister smiled, but her face fell as she suddenly saw how bad her brother looked.
"Well, I saw into which direction you and that…other hedgehog were headed, so I told everyone I saw you going somwhere else, I thought you wanted privacy. The grounds are already swarming with nobles…but what on Mobius happened here?!"
"Shadow…is gone." Sonic's voice cracked as he forced himself to utter those words. Desolately, he turned the object he still held in his fingers. A lone tear fell onto his hand.
"And all that I have left is this single hoverskate…"
...ever felt like crying and laughing your head off at the same time? ;) Well, the mystery of the 'Glass Slipper' is solved - after all, it's only Shadow with his trademark rocket shoes.
I'm also happy for everyone who made it until here and I hope you leave a review - so that I can get straight to the next chappie:
The eighth part, telling of Queens with initiative, difficult decisions and the separation of body parts.
Hope you're not too creeped out, and please review! :D
