[[AN: This was hard to write the first time, and even harder to write the second time. I'm still not entirely happy with it, to be honest. At least now, it's in a state where I'm okay with putting it up so I can move forward – sorry about the delay, but juggling three sources of income and two new sources of debt is pretty time consuming.]]

No sirens.

No alarms.

No vehicles of any kind.

So why did they run like they were being chased?

They wove through trees and stuck to the shadows. It was a skill they had from years of practice infiltrating bases and sneaking into temples of forgotten gods, but for the first time he could remember, this was the only way they could travel…well, anywhere. Something small in the back of his mind reminded him that they only lasted this long because they had gained these skills in the time before; the innocents, the ones he tried to protect, were too trusting and were among the first to fall. Normally he tried to ignore thoughts like this, but when doing nothing but following someone else, it was all too easy to get lost in thought.

His legs ached. It wasn't a purely physical sensation – even with the time off his feet, running a few miles had never been a big deal for Sonic – but something in his mind snapped into a frenzy. Shadow would lead the way, and he would follow, but that didn't mean he wasn't pushing his upper limits to try to get through the mud and muck as quickly as possible. In a weird way, it was exhilarating. In another, it was terrifying.

Though it had seemed like hours, it had only been about fifteen minutes until Shadow located their destination. The cave turned out to be one of four, all close to each other. "They're interconnected," he managed to hear Shadow say over the roar of the air and the water. "I filled them with traps. Nothing too elaborate, but enough to slow them down. You need to stay close to me, though, if you don't want to become skewered. Or burned."

He was about to ask how Shadow had been able to set up so much security in a wet hole in the rock with next to no materials, but before he could get the words out, he saw an unwanted sight near one of the outer entrances. A gator, though without the chains he was used to seeing around his neck. A chameleon, who had seemingly forgotten he could become invisible at will. A bee, depleted of its trademark energy by the unspeakable forces inside of its head. Many other faces he'd seen, he'd cared for, he'd trusted.

He'd lost.

With a sharp yank, he grabbed Shadow's arm and pulled him back, stopping him in his tracks. He redirected the other's momentum, leading the two of them into a hidden cluster of trees.

"Argh!" Shadow shouted in obvious pain. "What the hell do you think you're-"

Sonic covered the other's mouth with his hand, using the other to point at the entrance of one of the caves. Congregated outside was a large group of the Taken – the ones who had been stolen from them the night they left, along with a few other familiar faces. Aside from Vector, they had never found the other Chaotix before they had been taken; in a strange way, it was almost laughable that they were finally together again in circumstances like this. Shadow's eyes widened, and Sonic pulled his hand away.

"I see. We'll have to be smart about this," Shadow whispered. Sonic nodded in return, then put his hands on his hips.

"You know any other entrances other than these four?"

"Not right now."

"And what are the odds that the other three caves aren't heavily guarded or being searched?"

"Slim to none."

"Great. Yeah, I figured."

Shadow peered through the trees, careful to not expose his face. He knew just as well as Sonic, if not better, that stealth was very, very important when facing the Taken. After all, if one saw him, they all would. There was no way they were going to stay out of sight going through one of those caves – they'd be spotted and overwhelmed instantly.

"I have an idea." Shadow looked back at Sonic. "But it's not a good one."

Sonic blinked. "I love not-good ideas. What're you thinking?"

"In fact, it's a terrible idea. We could get ourselves killed."

"Shadow, just say it. Coming from the guy that normally has the stupid idea, it works a bazillion times better if you skip the preamble."

Shadow's gaze was intense. It almost sent a shiver down Sonic's spine. A familiar gaze – like when they were still enemies, right before Shadow sent him into space and tried to kill him. Not threatening, really, but focused and determined. "We could make our own entrance," he said plainly.

"What, you mean like blow a hole in the side?"

"Yes. I don't have an Emerald on me, but I could still do one Chaos Blast without it. That should be enough."

"Won't they know where we are immediately and come straight for us?"

"Yes, but there won't be as many of them deep inside the tunnels, especially with the traps. We can overpower them long enough to get to the Doctor, and if the emerald is still there with him-"

"You left a Chaos Emerald with the Doctor!?" Sonic balked. It felt strange to be the voice of reason for once. "As in, the mad scientist that started this whole mess? The one that's used the power for literal world domination plots multiple times? Are you-"

"I didn't have a choice, and besides, he's tied up. He couldn't do anything with it." Shadow put his fingers on the bridge of his nose, as though suppressing a headache. "Damn. And if it's still there with him, it's even more important to get there quickly."

Sonic gripped his face, trying to hold back from every judgemental thought going through his head. "Okay. So exploding a giant hole in the side of the rock and hoping we land somewhere in the tunnel close to the Doctor and the gem capable of shifting reality, dodging traps and a hoard of mind controlled former allies who want to turn our brains into black goop factories, grabbing the two of them and Chaos Controlling out-"

"-which you'll probably have to do. It will be tiring to do a Chaos Blast with no emerald-"

"-right, I'll be Chaos Controlling us out, even though I've never moved more than just myself under literal threat of death, to a place that we're not entirely sure will actually be safe? Easy peasy, right?"

In reply, Shadow just grabbed his hand. "If we're going to find a good place to destroy, we need to start looking now. Let's move."

The plan went surprisingly well… for the most part.

The two somehow managed to scale the side of the soaking wet cliffside without attracting the attention of the Taken or falling down. The rushing of the water hadn't been as strong as it looked, but it was enough to make Sonic really, really uncomfortable. It was like an involuntary cold shower, where you also had to climb the side of the tile with the faucet at the top. Shadow didn't seem bothered, but he also couldn't really see him, so his impressions weren't necessarily reliable.

He insisted on not splitting up to search – "Don't you know that not splitting the party is, like, the first rule of anything where you don't want to die?" – but he had to admit that it was mostly for selfish that he was so concerned. After all, Shadow had been alone for months without incident, but that had never stopped Sonic from worrying about him. And now he was here – right here! – and like hell was he going to go anywhere Sonic wouldn't be able to find him now. He felt a little silly about it, but in the end, it wasn't being overprotective. It was just good sense – or so he told himself.

The explosion was a surprise, even to Sonic. It sent a spray of rubble in all directions, sounding an echoing boom out. Sonic didn't look down – typically that was a bad idea at higher altitudes unless strictly necessary – but he could picture the reaction from down below. An upward snap of dozens of heads. Those glazed over eyes, peering towards the sky. A wordless understanding instantly achieved, to… do what? Keep going through the tunnels? Start climbing themselves? Block the exits? All three? Whatever they did, it would be thought of instantaneously and would almost certainly be the best strategic step, like a computer calculating the next chess move.

He was always bad at chess.

Shadow fell inward, and Sonic came after him, tumbling down into the now exposed cavern. It was never painfully bright outside, but the darkness in here was permeating. There was more running, but this time slower to avoid the dangers that could be lurking. Shadow wobbled, exhausted from the blast just like he'd predicted. He stepped in odd sequences to avoid traps, but panted heavily like it was a strain to do so. Sonic wanted to tell him to slow down, to take a break, but he knew Shadow would never do that willingly. He let him lead the way. A few minutes later, Shadow's knees buckled underneath him. Sonic rushed forward, catching his boyfriend under the arms before he could hit the ground.

"I think that's enough," he whispered, trying not to attract any more attention. "Can you show me a good hiding spot? At least until you're steady enough to stay upright?"

Shadow had grunted, then pointed in an especially dark corner. Sonic turned around and let Shadow on his back, carrying him piggyback until they were in an especially secluded corner of the cave. "They…won't find….us here," Shadow said between pants. "This part… of the cave… nobody has been here before. They… they won't recognize it."

So there they sat, surrounded by the darkness and each other.

He knew it was twilight outside, but in here, it was cool like the morning after rain. The cave walls dripped. Unlike the outside, all the liquid here had condensed on the walls, leaving the air easy to breath and the walls shining. There was still little light, but what there was flickered and reflected back to them. At times, he didn't know whether his eyes were closed or open – it looked the same, with spots moving in his vision, barely visible in the dark. If hadn't known exactly where he was, or who he was with, or exactly how much time had passed, he would've felt disoriented. He could hear – not well, but enough – the shuffling of footsteps, far off. The patrols were searching, and while the two knew they had to find the Doctor soon, they also knew they couldn't leave…at least not yet.

Instead, they managed to find something they could do in silence in the dark.

The two tried to control their breathing, making it more shallow despite a raised heartbeat. After a while of leaning against each other, Sonic realized that as screwed up as this was, it had been the first time the two had really been alone in months. He gripped Shadow's hand, clasping it tightly. Shadow's breathing was hard and labored, like it took physical effort to stay here and alive.

Sonic knew he couldn't move – or at least, he shouldn't move – so he turned himself around. The grace of it would have been a dancer's envy, a gentle maneuver that may as well have been choreographed. He laid Shadow down on the cold stone floor, putting his other hand behind his head as a sort of makeshift cushion. His fingers wove through the other's spines in a light touch, and he could feel Shadow let out a long, comforted exhale. The two weren't safe, they were never safe, but at least for now they didn't have to worry about dying or running or fighting. Instead, they could take a moment to just… be.

Sonic leaned down to kiss Shadow, and the other returned the gesture gladly. His tongue came inside, lightly exploring the Sonic's mouth, and despite all their time apart it felt as natural as though they did this every day. The taste wasn't the best, which was to be expected given the circumstances, but he didn't mind it at all. The act of it was innately appealing – no, that wasn't the right word. It was hot. They were in danger, but being together like this, knowing any moment they could be caught, gave a new urgency.

He couldn't see him, but he could feel him. He let go of Shadow's hand and instead trailed it up the other's thigh, feeling individual hairs on his fingers. He squeezed slightly as it came close to the top. Shadow reached up, his own hand gripping him by the back of the head. The hold was not so gentle as Sonic's own - firm without being rough, he thought. You're staying right here, it told him. I'm not letting you go anywhere. He almost laughed to himself at this odd paradox – he didn't like to belong to anybody, to be protected by somebody else. But as he grazed his tongue over the other's teeth, leaning in to the kiss in the dark, he knew Shadow acting possessive was a turn on. He wasn't anybody's, but he was his, he was his.

His chest tightened. He could feel his blood rushing, even as he closed his eyes. The chill of the cave gave way to an unexpected heat, like their kiss welded them together. He sucked in air in the off moments, feeling dizzy from the combination of it all. He wanted to moan, but he knew he couldn't. They couldn't be discovered over something so simple, so animal. He buried his face into the other's chest, letting out what he couldn't stifle, and he felt his heartrate spike in panic. His eyes shot open, and though they still hadn't adjusted to the dark, he somehow was able to tell what expression was on Shadow's face: panic. The good, warm heat from earlier flushed away, and Sonic scrambled away embarrassed.

They sat in the corner for hours. No sound but their breathing, which they tried to keep quiet. No heat but each other, which they readily took advantage of. They took great pains not to get carried away like before, but even wrapping their arms around each other helped to fight the stagnancy of this place. When they couldn't hear anyone anymore, Sonic risked a whisper.

"Shadow?"

"Yes."

"I don't want us to get separated again." He squeezed the other's hand, as if to make up for not looking him in the eye. "I know it's supposed to be safer, but I don't care about being safe. Don't think I ever cared, really."

He heard a huff from beside him. The breath felt warm against Sonic's cheek, like steam from a furnace. "And you think I don't care about you being safe either, is that it?" The statement wasn't angry, but it was annoyed – as though Shadow were talking to a petulant child wanting to ride a roller coaster he was too short for. "We're doing this mission, but if it fails-"

"Then the world is doomed anyway." Sonic meant for the words to come out sarcastically, but it hadn't quite made it there. Instead, he felt exasperation creep into his own voice, a choking sound echoing off the walls. "I mean, it's true though, isn't it? We've been running from hiding place to hiding place, and as far as I know, this is the first we've ever gone back to. How long can it be before we run out of places to hide?"

Shadow shifted, the fur on his arms surprisingly still soft even after running and the sticking humid air. "You just healed. You're not running at full speed. You couldn't even find me without practically handing yourself to the enemy-"

"And you have a history of amnesia under the lightest provocation and alien blood from starfish invaders from space. Neither of us are exactly the prime candidates to save the planet, yaknow?"

"And of course, you're not listening to me. You never listen to me."

Sonic was about to rebut, but shut it down before it could get out.

"What I'm doing now is dangerous, and I can only do it because I'm used to running from the authorities. GUN work. My 'history of amnesia,' as you so kindly put it." Shadow pushed himself to sitting, using his regained strength to meet Sonic's eye level. Their eyes had long since adjusted; even though Sonic couldn't see the exact shade of blazing red of Shadow's eyes, he could see the intensity behind them. "Without those, I wouldn't have survived this long. You're like… you're like a firework. There's no way to hide you, and even if we did, you wouldn't be doing what you're good at."

Sonic paused. Technically, it was a fair point – even if he could be good at hiding when the circumstances called for it, it was never his first choice. In fact, he hated it. Nobody should have to hide – not because they don't feel safe, or they don't feel secure, or they don't want to be seen. What was the point of being alive in this world if you just put yourself away? But he could understand Shadow's thinking; as idealistic as he normally was, now was not the time to lecture about personal freedom and expression. "Then what do you suggest?" he said. "You think I should go back to the North Pole and wait to get attacked? Because you know they will find it and attack at some point. I can't do anything if I'm stuck up there."

Shadow groaned, then pushed out, exasperated. "What do you want from me, Sonic?" he asked, and it stung in his chest like barbs.

The walls dripped, and even though the cave was close to silent, every sound felt deafeningly loud. "I want…" He said, feeling his thoughts tornado about in his head before he stopped. What did he want? He hadn't felt like he could really want anything for a long time, except for the world to go back to a sense of normalcy, and to see Shadow again. But saying he wanted those things was like saying he wanted to have food and water. How could you want something that felt so basic? Was it really a want if you felt like you'd die without it? And surely Shadow knew of it too, since even when he talked about staying apart, he could feel the quiver underneath the steel gaze and the stumble beneath the smoothly said words. He knew, even if he wouldn't admit to it, that they couldn't stay apart forever. So, being together by itself? It couldn't be the answer. If he was honest, he wasn't sure what the right answer was. But if he said nothing here, then the question would ricochet forever, and they'd never get a source of peace again.

"I want you to be okay," he landed on. The words came out quietly – not a whisper, but a tired sigh. "I don't like having to be apart from you because I know you don't need me, and I don't need you, but we're better together. I don't want you to run off on your own because even though you think it'll make me safer, it'll just make me worry. And I think that now that I'm out here, I can't ignore that everyone is being caged inside themselves, and that when I go to fight them, you'll just worry too." The sentences flowed out like the waterfall outside, lots of drops coming together in a deluge. "And both of us pretend to be these strong, invincible guys. Like, beating up the robots and stopping the demi gods from destroying everything. And in a way, we were. But now the thought of you hurt or…gone… it's worse than anything else I can imagine. And maybe we're not so invincible anymore, because we have each other, and part of being together is to be vulnerable. But more than anything right now, what I don't want is for that to change, because after having that, I'd never want to be without it."

Shadow's eyes opened wide for a second. Sonic wasn't normally one for giving speeches – it was more like him to give the 'just a guy who loves adventure' level of discourse with another person – but even with all of Sonic's excitement and talking for the time he'd known him, he couldn't remember him saying anything with that much… what was it, exactly? Emotion? Drive? No, there was another word… he couldn't put his finger on it….

He opened his mouth to reply – but then his ear twitched, he grabbed Sonic, and pulled him down. A loud bang sounded from the wall near their corner, debris falling everywhere. Sonic felt the air escape his lungs. How loud had he been? Would they be found because he couldn't keep his mouth shut…again? He embraced Shadow, determined to keep tight hold of him, before he heard a familiar grumble.

"Are you two pincushions done?" it said, stopping to cough on the dust before stepping through. His coat was torn and no longer the bright red it formerly had been, and his arms and legs bore the visible remembrance of ropes holding him in place, but it was unmistakable. "I hate to break up…whatever this is," the Doctor said, "but I had to improvise an explosive device with a Chaos Emerald, cave moss, and parts of my beautiful coat in order to find you."

Shadow whipped his head to look at the Doctor and glared. "How the hell did you-"

"Oh please. You think a criminal mastermind doesn't know how to get out of rope ties? I have an IQ over 300 and a lifetime of evading prison. Now grab the emerald and get us out of here, before the others catch on to what we're doing."

He pulled said stone out of the makeshift device, which promptly fell apart around it. Sonic tried to make out what it was – he could see a buckle bent into some strange contraption – but before he could make out too many details, Shadow had grasped both of them and whirred them to a place Sonic could only assume was far, far away. It was only then that Sonic could think of the word – the word to describe his outburst, for his adventure out here, for his strange behavior over the past few months. He almost laughed out loud at himself. It was so simple!

Love. It had always been love.