Sonic knew that Shadow was having a bad time.
He never needed to say it. No one needed to point it out. He just knew.
At first Sonic found his suffering kind of funny. The awkward stares and short, terse conversations showed just how little social skills the Ultimate Lifeform had. Or was willing to use. Then the night carried on, and his discomfort only grew. Even Sonic was starting to feel out of his depth amongst all the stuffy nobles and fancy decor. More than once he found himself standing on the balcony for minutes at a time, clearing his senses of the stuffy smells and hot atmosphere. A luxury he noticed Shadow could not get.
So when Sonic saw his grim rival being cornered by some very persistent ladies and looking out of his depth and ready to explode, he finally decided enough was enough.
He honestly didn't expect them to take his hand. If anything he was prepared to get a very harsh slap followed by a string of curses. He was both surprised and concerned when Shadow reached out for his hand, his face for just a brief moment looking vulnerable. With a firm but gentle grip, Sonic led Shadow away from the ladies and into the crowd.
"Hey! Get back here with our man!"
The bird stomped forward, reaching for the hedgehog's other arm when she slipped and fell on her back. The rest of the ladies shrieked as two more of them fell as well. Nearby guests gasped and murmured, with some even offering to help them up. The crowd around the five ladies quickly grew, blocking them off from the two hedgehogs.
Sonic smirked.
"Come on," he whispered, pulling his rival along.
The two weaved through the crowd, crossing the dancefloor and making their way to the door. Sonic caught a glimpse of the smaller cat trying to push her way through the others to get to them. A stray candle rolled over to her foot, tripping her up. The vixen from before tried to walk over her but abruptly fell back. A nearby gray aussie snickered behind one paw, holding a wax candle in his other one. Standing beside him was a white hedgehog casually looking away with a glowing cyan hand. With a flick of their wrist the bird screeched and fell again. The last thing either heard before they left was a stream of curses and banshee screams.
Shadow remained oddly quiet as they walked down the long decorated halls of Blaze's palace. They walked down a flight of stairs, passing by a portrait of the Sol Empire's royal family. Sonic barely paid it any mind as they turned a corner, walking down another long hallway.
"Man, this place is huge," he muttered, "shoulda asked Blaze for a map."
He turned around, noting how eerily quiet his rival was.
"...You okay back there?" Sonic asked.
Shadow didn't respond. He kept his eyes glued to the floor. The blue blur bit his lip, lowering his ears.
"T-They didn't… y'know… touch anywhere…?"
Shadow finally looked up.
"What?" he stammered, before shaking his head firmly, "no."
The hedgehog sighed in relief.
"That's good."
"Why would you even-"
"I don't know! I'm sorry, it just-... popped into my head! Don't know where that came from!" Sonic quickly sputtered, his cheeks slowly turning pink.
"B-But it's good nothing happened before I got there. Raven would never let that go otherwise."
He clamped his mouth shut before anything else could spill out. The two fell back into silence.
"...Why?"
Sonic turned his head.
"Uh, have you met our daughter?" he laughed, "she'd find a way to burn the world's oceans down if-"
"No, I mean…" Shadow trailed off briefly, "why did you… intervene when you did?"
The hedgehog stared, then gave a light smile.
"Didn't know I needed a reason to wanna help a friend."
Though he should've expected it, the response still managed to surprise Shadow. Being Sonic's "friend" even after all this time was still such a foreign concept to him.
They fell into silence again, their footsteps being the only sounds echoing throughout the halls. It was a relief to both their ears.
"...Where are we going?" Shadow finally asked, looking around.
Before Sonic could respond, he spotted a glass door. He beamed, leading his rival over and pushing it open.
"Here."
Shadow felt his breath being taken away. Stretching out before them was a vast garden, with plants of all types and shapes. Fireflies fluttered about, looking more like little dancing stars. Night flowers were in full bloom, cast in the moon's golden glow. Trees with pink and blue blossoms stood tall and proud, acting as perches for the occasional owl. Overhead was the dark purple sky dotted with twinkling stars, and the harvest moon itself. A few birdbaths stood out amongst the beautifully trimmed foliage, their nozzles carved into different animals or shapes. Stones of a cobblestone path shimmered with a silver hue.
Sonic smiled at the awestruck expression on his rival's face. With a small tug of his hand, they entered the garden, walking along the smooth stone path. Before long, they came across a grassy clearing, surrounded by colorful shrubbery bathed in the middle of the moonlight. A wooden bench sat at the edge of the clearing. Shadow gingerly sat down, letting go of Sonic's hand. The hedgehog joined him, keeping a small gap so as to give his rival space.
They sat and listened to the sounds of the night, staring up at the starry night sky. No matter what dimension they were in, the night always had a certain beauty to it. Shadow let out a deep sigh, his body fully relaxing for the first time all night.
"Feeling better?" Sonic asked.
He got a quiet hum in response.
"I was honestly surprised you lasted as long as you did."
Shadow scoffed.
"I could say the same about you."
"Gee, thanks."
Neither knew how long they stared out there, watching the stars, but it didn't matter. The atmosphere was peaceful; peaceful, quiet, and safe. Three things Shadow had been looking for all night.
Music from the ballroom floated through the balcony window, getting swept up by the night breeze. The plants almost seemed to sway along, their little petals and leaves bouncing. Sonic chuckled.
"Sounds like the kids found the instruments."
Shadow paused as well, focusing on the music. It had a different feel than the other songs of that night; less rigid, more fluent and lively. He could hear violin, and maybe a wind instrument too. Before long, he found himself swaying to the music, letting his body relax even further.
Sonic noticed this and smirked. Slowly, he got up, stretched his arms, and turned. He gave a low mock bow and held out his hand.
"May I have this dance?"
Shadow opened his eyes and simply glared, unamused.
"...Really?"
"What?"
"What makes you think I'd want to dance with you, of all people? Especially after tonight?"
Sonic shrugged. It was a dumb thought, but when the kids got their hands on music, anyone could get up and dance.
"You seemed to be in a dancing mood."
He pointed down to Shadow's foot, which was still tapping to the beat of the song. The Ultimate Lifeform forced it to stop and looked away. His ears lowered.
"...I… don't even know any ballroom dances," he admitted quietly.
Sonic shrugged again.
"Me neither. But I can teach you."
Shadow looked up and scoffed.
"Since when did you know anything about ballroom dances?"
"Since Amy forced me and Knux to take a dance class before tonight," the hedgehog retorted flatly.
He gently grabbed the other's hand and pulled them up.
"C'mon. It's easy once you get the hang of it."
Reluctantly, Shadow let himself be pulled by the blue hedgehog out into the clearing. His eyes quickly darted around, looking for anyone who may see them. The last thing he needed was Rouge finding out about this…
"Okay, just put your hand here, like this, and put your other one here."
Sonic guided Shadow's hands up to his shoulder, and down to his side. Both were doing their best not to squirm, shifting their feet and flicking their ears. Sonic took a deep breath.
"Now, move your right foot back."
Shadow stared at him, eyebrow raised.
"Just humor me."
He rolled his eyes, but complied.
"Now I bring mine forward, like so. It's like an invisible string connecting our feet," Sonic explained, "Your feet follow where mine go, and vice versa. At least, I think that's how Amy and Evie explained it."
Shadow nodded, watching Sonic's movements carefully. They went slow, one footstep at a time.
"Now what?" he asked.
Sonic paused, staring at their feet. He didn't really pick up anything fancy from the one and a half classes Amy booked last minute. All he understood was a basic foxtrot, and somehow that was still hard. Music from the castle caught his attention. The rhythm was free and smooth, weaving around the hedgehogs and garden seamlessly. After a moment, he looked back up and smiled.
"Now… we go with the flow."
Shadow tilted his head, still looking confused. Sonic sighed and shook his head.
"Here. I'll show you. Let me take the lead."
Slowly, the hedgehogs moved across the grass, following the flow of the music. They kept their pace slow, each periodically glancing down at their feet to make sure they didn't trip each other.
"You're not half bad," Sonic commented.
Shadow huffed.
"Not so bad yourself, Faker."
They carried on, feeling the breeze brush through their quills.
"Oh!" Sonic lit up, an all too familiar cheeky gleam entering his eyes.
"Here's one Amy taught me. You're gonna hate it!"
Before Shadow could ask, he felt a leg give out under him. He gasped, feeling himself fall backwards until Sonic caught him, one hand behind his back and the other holding his arm. The blue blur stared down at their surprised expression and smirked.
"Cute," Shadow deadpanned.
Sonic snickered.
"Thanks."
He pulled them back up, continuing their little dance. Bit by bit, their dance turned from a stiff foxtrot to a loose one with freeform. The golden light of the moon above bathed their fur, making it appear as though they were glowing. Little fireflies floated around them, joining in on the little dance. As the music reached its climax, the boys became bolder, speeding up their pace. They shared who was in the lead, switching back and forth with seamless ease.
As the last note played, their dance came to an end.
Shadow caught Sonic by surprise, spinning him around before tripping one of his legs. Sonic yelped, feeling himself fall back a pair of hands caught by the back and hand. He looked up at his rival, who was looking down at him with a smirk of his own.
"This mean we're even?" Sonic teased.
Shadow hummed, pulling them back up.
"Perhaps," he mused, "just don't utter a word of this. To anyone."
Now it was Sonic's turn to smirk.
"Who said I was gonna?"
They parted, giving each other a low bow.
Sonic wiped his forehead, sitting back down.
"Whew! That was… That was surprisingly fun."
Shadow nodded, sitting next to him.
"...It was… interesting."
The hedgehog smiled, letting out a light chuckle.
"You gonna be out here for a while, I'm guessing?"
Shadow stared up at the night sky, then at the open balcony where the next song was playing.
"You can go back in if you want."
Sonic turned to the palace, then back at his friend. He shook his head.
"Nah. I'm good right here."
His rival hummed, watching the fireflies dance and the stars above shine. The space between the boys had shrunk until their shoulders were barely touching.
Atop a balcony ledge overlooking the royal gardens sat a small feline with deep green eyes that shone with delight. She fluffed her wings, turned, and leapt down. She padded back into the crowded ballroom with her head and tail held high.
Winning a bet never felt so sweet.
Raven collected many winnings that night, but she never told Tails, Rouge, or the others what happened. Her siblings DEFINITELY pried about it though. She also MAY have told the harassing women that Shadow was already taken and politely told them to never approach him again if they valued all their limbs...
As for what song Sonic and Shadow are dancing to... I dunno. Pick one. I was vague so it's up to interpretation.
Is this Sonadow? Not really, but I won't stop you from thinking that way. It is my favorite ship in the fandom. This story's also up on Deviantart along with some other work I've done, so check it out if you're interested. or don't. You do you.