Like this?
No, it still didn't look right.
Sonic glanced over at Silver, examining how the younger hedgehog had his outfit. The dark blue fabric was neatly folded over his chest and draped in a similar fashion as the example in the picture on Shadow's phone.
Maybe he was doing it wrong...?
"Okay it's been twenty minutes, I'll just help you out." Silver sighed pulling himself up from the couch.
"Dude, I don't know what I'm doing, that was clear fifteen minutes ago." The hero shrugged, trying to keep the fabric from falling onto the floor. He sighed in frustration and rolled his eyes dramatically in his friend's direction.
"I've never worn a yuka before, and you've lived in Press Garden for like, what, eight years? Cut me some slack."
"It's pronounced yukata," the white hedgehog replied, pushing Sonic's hands out of the way. He bent down low to pick up the fallen ribbon on the ground.
"and its basically like wearing a robe; Shadow seemed to do pretty well with his, so I just assumed you'd figure it out."
"Its way too cold for this thing. Where are we going again?"
"To a festival! It's awesome, you'll see once we catch up with Shadow and Blaze. As for being cold, you can always wear your jacket under the yukata. It's what everyone else does."
"Oh sweet." Sonic replied as he shrugged the fabric off and reached for his varsity on the couch. Silver waited patiently for the blue hedgehog to slip on his jacket under the yukata before tying the ribbon firmly around his waist.
"There!" Silver said triumphantly, patting Sonic's shoulder once everything was in place. He stepped back and took a moment to give the hero a quick once over.
"I'm glad I gave you this one in particular; its a little bland with only a few weird patterns on it but it works. Black looks good on you."
Sonic couldn't hide the sly grin making its way onto his muzzle.
"Yeah, I'm well aware how good black looks on me."
"Oh..." Silver blinked, seeming slightly taken aback.
"...that's good?"
"No, dude, I was making a joke because Shadow-- ah, nevermind."
"Uh...okay. So, you ready to go?"
"Oh, no not yet." The hero replied picking up Shadow's phone from the coffee table. He tapped quickly on the screen before lifting the phone high above his head and giving a flirtatious smile. A sharp click sounded shortly after and Sonic brought the phone back down, nodding in satisfaction at the photo.
"Ah, you're taking pictures for the blog thing right?"
"Yep. Well, that, and I know my audience. Oh, what do I tag this...what's the name of this festival again?"
"Its the Petal Festival," Silver tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Though I don't think most people will know what that really means, since Press Garden is a secluded place."
"What it means?"
"The Petal Festival is a very intimate Fall celebration in Press Garden. Most people, from what I've seen, usually bring their closest friends and family." Silver clapped his hands together in excitement.
"You'll love it, trust me. Amy and Blaze would come every year with me! Oh, and at the end, there's this really beautiful ceremony. Though a lot of people use it to mourn those that couldn't be with them this year at the end of the festival, so I think it would be...good...for..."
The white hedgehog trailed off, gold eyes averting the hero's gaze as the words turned to ash in his mouth. Sonic blinked, stone faced.
"Uh...Sorry."
"It's okay."
"I only said it because...I thought it would help..."
"No, no, I get it."
Silver shuffled his feet awkwardly.
"Is that something you would...want to do?"
"I don't think so. I wanna go at this at my own pace, privately." Sonic said softly.
"Right, right, that makes sense."
"Thanks for the offer though."
It was silent for a few heartbeats, the two heroes looking everywhere around the room except at each other. Sonic took the opportunity to busy himself with posting the picture, a small ding from the upload breaking the uncomfortable silence. Silver pipped up suddenly, his voice cracking a bit and higher than usual.
"...L-Let's uh...let's go catch up with Shadow and Blaze huh?"
Shadow was pleasantly surprised that a secluded, quite place could suddenly be so lively.
When he and Sonic arrived at Press Village they had hardly seen anyone besides the occasional mobian walking into their home. Though to be fair, the dark hedgehog understood Press Garden's cold weather made it less likely to see people wandering about outside.
Now however, the small village was bursting with life, its inhabitants laughing and playing in the cool night air. Bright lanterns hung on string lights high above in the trees, giving everything around them a hazy golden glow. Colorful booths were stationed everywhere, each of them with a different game and all sorts of alluring prizes that even the grumpiest of ultimate life forms couldn't resist. Spicy scents of the local cuisine teased at Shadow's nose, causing him to linger around a few of the concession stands a bit longer than he would like to admit. Citizens were adorned with elegant yukatas ranging from simple blues to vibrant reds with elaborate patterns. Time seemed to slow down as the night went on around him and Shadow sighed deeply, drinking in the playful atmosphere of the festive village.
"Would you like one?"
He turned slightly to see Blaze walking up beside him, the princess sporting a lovely pink yukata with transparent purple roses. In her hand she held what resembled small meaty kebabs, causing Shadow's nose to twitch at the savory smell.
"What is it?"
"It's called Yakitori I believe. Its chicken. Honestly one of my favorite festival foods here." She held one out to him, prompting the dark hedgehog to have a taste. Reluctantly Shadow grabbed one, giving it a cautious sniff before quickly taking a bite. Crimson eyes lit up at the taste and the princess couldn't resist a gentle smirk at his reaction.
"Oh...this is good..." Shadow commented, talking around the mouthful of food as he went in for another piece. His ears perked slightly at Blaze's soft chuckle and he covered his mouth, fawn cheeks immediately flushed red with embarrassment.
"Forgive me," She sighed putting a hand on her hip.
"I've just never seen you so...oh, what's the word...expressive? Comfortable? It seems that Sonic is rubbing off on you. I was actually surprised you agreed to come with me while waiting for him to get dressed. You two are joined at the hip."
Shadow took his time as he chewed the second piece, swallowing before he replied.
"It would have taken him forever, and I was eager to see what the Petal Festival was about."
"Ah, it's about many, many things. The villagers believe the Fall season is about family, togetherness, loss, and love. There is even a ceremony at the end they have to symbolize those feelings. Many use it to mourn those they've lost or use it to honor those close to them."
Red eyes glanced sideways at the wistful tone in Blaze's voice.
"Which one...do you plan to do?"
Yellow met red thoughtfully.
"Which one do you?"
The reply was neither a spiteful rebuttal nor a challenge, but a simple question that held more weight than Shadow anticipated.
"The festival holds many opportunities, Shadow." the princess said carefully once she realized the ultimate life form was at a loss for words.
"Do not waste them; you may never get another chance."
Shadow nodded sagely, able to read in between the lines and take Blaze's cryptic warning into consideration. The purple feline was far more perceptive than most of Sonic's friends. Not only was she aware of the change in their relationship but also that they had not properly defined it.
"Why do you suggest I do this now?"
The princess gave a sad smile, her gaze wandering to the glowing lanterns above.
"This is not the first time I have been to Press Garden for Petal Festival, but it is the first time I have come alone. I know what it's like to wait too long and never get the chance to see your efforts come to fruition."
Shadow stiffened.
Suddenly her behavior from the night before began to make sense.
"I was unaware you..."
"I do not visit this dimension often and very few people knew the nature of my relationship with Amy beyond Sonic and Silver. Do not trouble yourself with an apology." Blaze replied as she took a delicate bite out of her meal. Her expression lit up briefly, sharp eyes focused intently over his shoulder.
"Speaking of..." the princess whispered before gesturing behind him. Shadow felt Sonic's rampant energy making it way toward them, the blue hedgehog waving through the crowd with Silver following close behind. Impatient as ever, the hero weaved quickly through the villagers and stopped short in front of his rival.
"Shads! There you ar--whoa..." Sonic breathed, taking a moment to admire Shadow in the dim lantern light. The ultimate life form was adorned in a bright white yukata with faded green leaves dappling the lower half and up the sleeves.
"This--...you look good. Heh, I'm getting flashbacks from you in a suit. You look good in everything huh?"
"I could say the same for you."
Blue eyelids lowered a fraction, the hero's voice taking on a sultry tone.
"Well, not to brag, but 've been told black looks especially good on me."
A sly smirk flashed on Shadow's muzzle.
"I know."
Blaze cleared her throat, a thin eyebrow raised as she looked down her nose at the two hedgehogs.
"If you're quite finished..."
"Right! Sorry, sorry haha. So what's on the agenda for tonight? This festival looks amazing, I can't wait to see what cool stuff these guys do here!"
Shadow glanced at the princess for a moment before giving his full attention to the blue hedgehog.
"We can explore the festival and see what we find...I only have one thing planned later on."
"You do?" Sonic bit his lip as gentle waves of arousal trickled from his Chaos energy, brushing against the dark hedgehog's own.
"Not like that, pervert." Shadow replied dryly.
"There is something I wish for us to do toward the end of the festival."
The hero's face fell slightly, arousal quickly replaced with concern and anxiety before Sonic's energy retreated back into himself. The reaction confused Shadow immensely, but he allowed his partner to have some space.
"Is...that alright?"
"Yeah, yeah it's fine..."
His energy told a different story and the ultimate life form was no fool. It was unlikely Sonic knew anything about his plans; this was his first time at the festival as well. However...he was with Silver for a very long time only moments ago. Did Silver tell him about the ceremony at the end of the festival? About becoming closer?
Was the hero...afraid of hearing what Shadow wanted to tell him?
"Geez, I keep forgetting how fast you are!" Silver chimed in as he arrived with the rest of the group. Relief washed over Sonic's features as he turned to the white hedgehog, seeming thankful for the distraction.
"Yeah, fastest thing alive, remember? Hey so, you're the local here out of all of us. Any suggestions on what we should do first?"
"Oh yeah! I have just the thing!" Silver exclaimed as his eyes lit up in excitement.
"There's a bottle stack game not far from here that has the biggest pink platypus plushies!"
"Oh Chaos, that's like my favorite animal dude, I have to get one! Think you can handle a toy platypus this time, babe?" Sonic jibbed as he nudged the ultimate life form in the ribs.
Shadow grimaced and rolled his eyes before giving his rival a wary glare.
"Careful hedgehog, I warned you about bringing up the platypus thing again."
Blaze tilted her head, obviously curious.
"The...'platypus thing'?"
Red eyes bore deeply into the hero, Shadow daring him to test his patience. However, the dark hedgehog was well aware Sonic was never one to back down from a challenge.
"Oh man, okay so like, Shads swore they weren't real so I showed him one and-- O-ow! Let go of my ear dude, cmon!"
Sonic hated to admit it, but as time went on he became anxious. Horribly, horribly anxious.
Throughout the night the four friends explored the festival as a group, following Silver as he showed them several different games and events. The young hedgehog seemed more excited than ever to have guests to entertain and even introduced them to many of the local residents. Sonic noticed that Blaze also seemed to be in much higher spirits since they arrived. She even agreed to be in some of the festival pictures he took for the trip.
However, as hard as he tried, the blue hedgehog couldn't shake the anxiety Shadow's intense stare was giving him. The ultimate life form obviously wanted to talk about something, his normally steady wavelength vibrating with unease. Sonic was afraid of what his rival wanted to talk about at the end of the festival. Silver had told him the locals used it to mourn the dead, and the last thing he wanted right now was to be vulnerable in front of a bunch of strangers. Surely Shadow understood that...?
Though the more Sonic thought about it, Shadow probably figured it would be good for him. He attended Amy's funeral and said a proper goodbye with millions of others, while the hero himself decided to stay away at the last minute. Perhaps the ultimate life form thought that having a traditional farewell would help ease the pain now that Sonic was accepting her passing. It definitely sounded like something Shadow would do.
However the fact he seemed to be so insistent on doing it was incredibly annoying.
"Your turn, Sonic." Blaze called handing him a small white ball. The blue hedgehog blinked in confusion for a moment before taking it from her, completely lost in his own thoughts.
"Are you sure you want to give it to him again?" Silver pipped up leaning on the table of the prize booth.
"No offense, but we've been to this platypus booth like four times and not one of us has hit all of the bottles...especially Sonic. And this is the last turn before they close."
"Trust me dude, I've got it this time! I've got the power of the platypus on my side!" The hero said casually as he wound up his swing, prepared to toss the ball. Suddenly a hand grabbed at his wrist, throwing him off balance.
"Perhaps...I can do it this time?" Shadow proposed as he lowered his partner's arm.
"I suppose it's only fair," The princess replied.
"Shadow hasn't played any of the games yet, we should let him try this one before they close."
Sonic hesitated. He wanted to win the plushie and have at least something to take home from his first time at the festival. However Blaze made a valid a point; and the hero figured that he had been invited to far more events like this than his stoic partner. Eventually, Sonic allowed the dark hedgehog to take the ball from him.
"Just don't waste it, okay?"
"I never miss; it won't be a waste."
Sonic gave a lopsided grin.
"Uh, okay? Just aim for the bot--"
The sudden shatter of glass nearly caused the hero to jump out of his skin. Blaze seemed mildly alarmed and Silver looked as if he had trouble understanding exactly what had happened. Even the booth vendor was at a loss for words, blinking rapidly at the shattered remains of the topmost stack of glass bottles.
The ultimate life form had thrown the ball so hard that it not only destroyed its targets, but left a small ball-shaped hole in the back of the cloth tent.
"...Do I win?"
"Y...yes of course!" The booth vendor sputtered. Though Sonic had the distinct feeling even if he had missed, she still would have let him win.
"Which p-prize would you like?"
"The pink platypus." Shadow replied instantly.
Without hesitation the vendor picked one of them up quickly and handed it over to him. Shadow turned to thank her, but the woman had dived behind the tent curtains, eager to close the booth.
"Geez Shads, you didn't have to scare the poor lady. There's a reason I didn't chuck the balls with all my strength, especially since I kept missing."
"If it's a stationary target, I never miss." Shadow replied dryly, a smirk teasing his lips at Sonic's irritated expression. He tapped the plush toy gently against the hero's muzzle.
"Which is why I insisted on taking the shot. Here."
"Wait, this is for me?"
"Of course. This is what you wanted right?"
Sonic blushed, shouldering the pink plush toy awkwardly.
"Well yeah! Thanks, babe."
Out of the corner of his eye, Shadow noticed many other booths shutting down for the night. Several villagers were migrating down a beaten path deeper into the forest, some carrying paper lanterns and small candles. Silver seemed to notice this as well, bringing his hands together eagerly before turning to the group.
"Oh they're getting ready for the ceremony! We should head down to the river with the rest of the crowd, guys."
"Of course. Sonic, Shadow, are you coming?" Blaze asked pointedly, her gaze landing on Shadow in particular. He nodded, catching her unspoken hint immediately.
"Yes, we--"
"No..!" Sonic interrupted.
"No...?"
"I just...I mean...I don't want to."
It was silent between them, all eyes on the hero waiting for him to explain. Instead, Sonic crossed his arms and sighed in exasperation.
"I just want to be by myself right now."
The princess seemed horribly confused but Silver nodded immediately, gently grabbing her arm and pulling her along.
"No problem Sonic, I understand. Come on, lets hurry up before they start."
"...Ah...right."
Blaze glanced back at the two hedgehogs for a moment before following slowly after her friend.
Shadow watched them leave, waiting for a few seconds until they were out of sight. Unfortunately, that's all the time Sonic needed to quickly make his way out of the village. The dark hedgehog sighed, noticing he left the pink plush toy on the empty booth. Shadow picked it up and followed after the hero, his footprints leaving a clear path through the deep snow.
He was at least thankful Sonic did not seem to be running away like he did the night before. While the blue hedgehog was still moving faster than most people, his gait was rather slow and listless as if he were on a casual run. Shadow was able to catch up with little effort and ran beside him, speeding up a fraction to cut Sonic off from the front.
"Where are you going?"
"Nowhere!" Sonic replied skidding to a halt.
"I just want to be alone right now, is that so bad?"
Shadow stared at him, bewildered.
"But...why?"
The hero sighed, kicking his feet for a moment before replying.
"I know what you're trying to do. I appreciate it, really, but I don't want to do this. I need time, I need to go at this my own pace. I'm not ready, and I have no idea when I will be...but until then...just let me be. Okay?"
Shadow stared at him completely stone faced, and the blue hedgehog waited patiently for what was to come. He was being honest with his feelings this time, and Sonic expected Shadow to either nod in understanding, or become irritated at his stubbornness.
What he did not expect, was what flared violently along their bond; the crushing feeling of rejection.
"I see." the ultimate life form responded slowly.
"I want you to know I really I appreciate it, and everything you do for me. " Sonic replied walking over to his partner. He wasn't sure why, but it was obvious Shadow took it personally. Regardless, the urge to comfort took over and the hero leaned in, attempting to give Shadow an affectionate kiss on the lips. He flinched as his rival nudged him back, turning away from Sonic entirely.
"Don't." He growled.
r"Just don't."
"What...? I don't understand why you're taking this so..." Sonic trailed off, noticing a strange golden glow radiating behind Shadow through a thicket of bushes. Wordlessly the hero walked past him and made his way toward the light. Shadow followed close behind, curious as to what had caught his partner's attention during such an important conversation.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"I saw something...wait there! Look!" Sonic pointed to a winding river a few feet away bathed in a bright, shining light. The blue hedgehog ran over quickly and crouched low beside the water, gazing at the sparkling surface.
"Whoa dude..." He gasped, gesturing for Shadow to join him by the side of the river.
"Come here, you have to see this!"
The ultimate life form cautiously walked over and stood beside his rival, red eyes blown wide at the sight in front of him.
Hundreds of small lanterns and candles floated down the river on tiny wooden rafts. Each one was delicately handmade and unique, some with folded notes and others with ribbons or flowers tied to them. The bright lights danced over the water, leaving beautiful starry reflections along the dark surface. The snow covered riverbank sparkled softly with their glow, as the lights floated like listless fairies downstream and out of sight.
The two hedgehogs sat in silence for a long time, nothing but the tranquil sound of the river filling the air between them. Shadow sighed and spared a glance over at the blue hero.
Sonic seemed enthralled by the lanterns, Green emerald eyes illuminated by their gentle glow. The hero looked almost ethereal from this angle, the moon casting soft shadows over his lithe form. His peach muzzle was dusted with a rosey pink and his lips curved in a delicate grin. All the anger and rejection Shadow felt building up from before was washed away instantly as he gazed at his partner.
It frightened him once he realized that even though Sonic's words earlier had hurt, the ultimate life form still could not bring himself to feel anything but pure affection for his partner even now.
Carefully Shadow nudged his chaos energy in Sonic's direction, silently hoping that the hero would react. The soft gesture was returned tenfold, as the blue hedgehog's vibrant, warm energy encircled his own and pulled him in. Shadow took the response as permission to continue, and urged his body to move, making slow precise movements in Sonic's direction.
Something in his gut told him that if the hero rejected his confession, but welcomed intimacy that this was a dangerous move to play, but Shadow pushed the feeling into the deepest corners of his mind.
Once peach lips brushed against his own, the feeling dissolved altogether.
Heat enveloped the dark hedgehog's body, as he leaned into the kiss, the hero's warm tongue exploring his every inch of mouth, small canines biting into the sensitive flesh of his lips. Sonic tasted amazing, possibly more now than ever, and Shadow eagerly swallowed down every soft noise that escaped between them. He felt Sonic pull away, gasping slightly due to the lack of air and the dark hedgehog realized with slight embarrassment that he prolonged the kiss a little longer than his partner could take.
Sensing his unease, the hero pressed his forehead to Shadow's and gave him a gentle nuzzle. Their chaos energies wreathed together, soothing Shadow's nerves with endless waves of reassurance and affection so strong, they overwhelmed him body and soul.
"I love you."
It slipped.
Shadow inwardly cursed himself.
He waited there for a few heartbeats, expecting to feel a change. To hear Sonic hesitate, to sense his muscles tensed and eager to run away, to experience the cold harsh feeling of his partner's energy pulling away into himself where he would never feel its warmth ever again.
But Sonic stayed.
Even more surprising, he spoke.
"...Do you really mean that...?"
Shadow hesitated, unable to tell if giving the true answer was the correct one.
"I know you didn't want to hear it. However, I am a firm believer of telling others the truth; and I love you. More than anything in the world, more than I thought was capable for someone like myself."
Blue ears perked up slightly and Sonic lifted his head away to face the dark hedgehog. He placed both hands on either side of Shadow's head holding it in place. Green eyes glared into his own, a barely contained fire raging in his gaze.
"Who told you that I didn't want to hear it?" Sonic drawled slowly, everything about his tone telling the dark hedgehog his rival was looking to have a few words with whoever the culprit was.
Shadow's eyes narrowed.
"You did. If I recall your exact words were; 'I appreciate it, really, but I don't want to do this.' "
"For the love of-- Shads, I was talking about going to mourn Amy at the ceremony!" Sonic replied, releasing him and shaking his head in disbelief.
"Why did you think I was asking you about that?"
"Silver told me that's what the end of the festival is about, all those lanterns and stuff!"
"Sonic...the ceremony is for connecting with loved ones both alive and gone. It is not a funeral. I was asking you to come with me so I could...say what I intended to say."
"So when you were acting all weird-- and I-- when I said-- oh, Chaos..." The hero groaned, dragging a hand down his face in exasperation.
"Man I'm so sorry about that, making you think I didn't want you."
"It was a misunderstanding, It's alright."
"No it's not...I really hurt you, and even then, you still kissed me. You still...loved me."
Shadow nodded and placed a hand on the hero's shoulder.
"I still do now."
The hug was forceful and unexpected, but the ultimate life form eased into it regardless, the feeling of Sonic's embrace enough to sate his frayed nerves.
"I love you too."
As long as Shadow had anticipated those words, they still shocked him to his core.
Peach fingers trembled as they gripped the white fabric desperately, a small part of Sonic fearing that Shadow would suddenly disappear if he let go of him.
Strong dark hands wrapped around the blue hedgehog's waist pulling him closer, as Shadow buried his face into the crook of Sonic's neck. The world seemed to fall silent as they held each other, both hedgehogs afraid go let go and fearing the possibility that none of it was real at all.
"...Can I tell you a secret?" the hero asked carefully.
"Of course."
"I'm scared."
"That's not a secret."
"It's a secret when it's me."
"Whatever you're afraid of, we can face it together as always." Shadow replied instantly. Sonic chuckled, rubbing the dark hedgehog's back in small gentle circles.
"Heh...that's actually what I'm afraid of. I've never done this."
"I was under the impression you've had relationships before."
"Oh, I have. I've had many. Too many..." He eased off of Shadow's shoulders, reaching up to caress a black ear.
"What I mean is, I've never done this. Being...'deep' with someone if that makes sense."
"Ah...neither have I. The only time I recall having this much affection for someone else was Maria...but this is vastly different."
"So we're both newbies then? That's a relief." Sonic whispered as he leaned in, placing a kiss on his partner's fawn muzzle.
"Don't worry though, I got you."
Shadow smirked and gave a quick nod.
"And I have you."
He glanced back at the river, noticing the small rafts were thinning out as they went by. The ceremony was probably coming to an end and Shadow figured they should head back before it got too dark. Sonic had the same idea, and stood up stretching his tired limbs.
"We should hurry back, you look tired."
"Yeah...well, wait. I want to put something in the river too."
Shadow cocked an eye ridge.
"I thought you didn't want to participate in the ceremony."
"It's different when it's just us."
"Well unfortunately we don't have candles or anything significant to put in the water."
"Not true," The hero smiled, his gaze lowering to the stuffed animal wedged under Shadow's arm. He followed Sonic's eyes ,and lifted up the toy, a breathless chuckle escaping his lips.
"You want to put the toy in the river?"
"It's a platypus; they're made for the water!"
" You don't mind? I know you really wanted this, and its your favorite animal. "
"Yeah but I really wanna put something in that I care about, and I can't chuck you in there. Plus its pink, just like her."
The dark hedgehog blushed at his answer but said nothing, lowering the toy into the water. Somehow the pink platypus seemed to fit right in among the small glowing lights, its tiny pink eyes glimmering before it slowly disappeared down the stream with the other rafts.
Sonic watched the last flickering candles float away, the once bright river now dark, save for the gentle rays of moonlight. A warm hand reached out in the night and grabbed his own, and the blue hedgehog gave it a brief reassuring squeeze.
"Ready to go, Love?"
"Yeah," the hero sighed.
"It actually felt kind of good to-- wait."
he narrowed his eyes in Shadow's direction and instantly the ultimate life form knew he made a terrible mistake.
"Did you just give me a pet name?"
"No." he tugged Sonic's arm roughly urging him to follow back to the village.
"Yes you did! Say it again! Please?"
"I swear to Chaos this is why I you're so annoying."
"Oh shut up, you know love me."
"Yes," Shadow admitted, trying his best to hide a playful smirk.
"Though for the life of me I don't know why."
