*The latter half of this chapter involves heavy sexual content.

23 - Lust Fluff - 23

July 20th

DAY 10: Sunday

Morning, 11:00 AM

His body was strange, which was a gigantic understatement. His biology made it so that he had this strict mental internal clock, meaning he would always have a rough but mostly accurate presumption of time. He would have this unconsciously in his head, even when he went to sleep. This function was more than likely for Maria, as he needed to know her habits and schedule for all of the activities she would undergo on the Ark. He never slumbered, always on alert to make sure she was okay. But now that he didn't have to worry about her anymore, he slept more than he ever had. Sleeping wasn't rare for him, but he still didn't need it to live or function correctly. However, he'd be lying if he said sleeping in from work wasn't one of the most gratifying feelings in the world. Not only that, but he got to do it with someone he cared for immensely. He always wondered how couples did it, sleeping in the same bed together. He thought it was a stupid idea, that the supposedly love between them would be ruined with this claustrophobic space. But now that he experienced it, he completely understood. Sleeping in bed with Sonic was a privilege he'd never take for granted, and having him near him in such a vulnerable state made him happy.

That is, if he felt the hedgehog next to him.

His amber red eyes slowly opened and scanned the space in front of him. His blue, prickly, life-sized pillow was gone, and he didn't like that. The sheets had been arranged in a way that didn't disturb Shadow's sleep, and he was practically tucked in. He couldn't feel his body heat lingering in the sheets, meaning he had been gone for some time. Slowly, the biohog sat up and made a small yawn, before looking over at the nightstand on his lover's side. His bag, gloves and phone was there, so he didn't leave the apartment. He then leaned over to the nightstand on his own side of the bed and grabbed his phone. He checked his notifications to make sure Rouge didn't make any emergency calls or texts. He saw one from her, one that was sent yesterday approximately one hour after they left the bunker in Angel Island.

i see you miraculously disappeared with big blue without a word. cant blame you though cause it was a real rough day yesterday and you two did most of the fighting. tower was worried but i told him it was nothing to worry about. text me back that youre okay when you can.

She left a tiny heart emoji next to that. Laying back against the headboard, he lazily replied to her.

I apologize for leaving without saying anything. Faker and I are fine. Thank you for your concern, but you all fought as hard as you could. That didn't go unnoticed by us.

Since this was sent by her yesterday, he didn't expect her to answer very soon. He turned his phone off and placed it back on the nightstand before standing up from the bed. When he stretched, he winced a little. He had a few cricks in his back again, probably from the fighting. That Zonic character was no push over, and he hit like a wrecking ball. Both Shadow and Sonic knew that the ultimate life form was king in terms of physical strength between the both of them, but this Sonic clone was on a level far above his. It still bothered him that they basically lost that fight, and escaped with their lives only because his superior told him to back off. It bothered both him and Sonic, actually. It wasn't just because they hated losing, they hated that they lost against an enemy they couldn't understand. Even with their plan having worked, they failed in delivering any harsh blow that would keep him down. He just managed to recover from every single thing they threw at him, regardless of whether or not he could predict it. And that card he gave him, he still had it in his quills somewhere. He had half of mind to burn it, if he didn't get a bad feeling about doing so. Something told him he needed to keep it. He didn't know why, and he didn't know for what, but he couldn't get rid of it. Sonic must have felt the same way, because he never bothered Shadow about it. But then again, Sonic's had a bad feeling since before this whole thing started. His intuition was scarily accurate.

...He was getting another headache.

He walked away from the bed to exit his bedroom, only to smell a magnificent scent. Never in his life did Shadow ever think he could feel hungry in self-indulgence instead of obligation. He traveled from his room and down the hall to his living room. The kitchen was just on the right, and the smell got even stronger. He followed it helplessly, dying to know the source of such a delicious scent. When he stepped in, he saw the beautiful blue hedgehog placing down a plate of breakfast bagels on his countertop. They were made with butter-fried bagels, bacon, sunny side eggs sprinkled with pepper and melted cheese. After doing so, he went to the sink to wash his hands, which were bare. His ear perked up to Shadow's footsteps and he turned off the faucet to greet him with a warming smile. "Heya babe, sleep good?"

For a moment, Shadow felt like he was still dreaming. Sonic was just in his bed, now he was cooking him breakfast in his own home and greeting him like a housewife. And the way he smiled was so dreamy-No, no he didn't use words like that. Ahem. The elder hedgehog forced himself to focus and walked closer to sit at the island. "You could say that. I only woke up because I realized you weren't next to me."

Blushing a little, Sonic reached over to boop his nose with a pout. "Quit sayin' cute stuff the moment you wake up." He carried the plate of food over to the island in front of Shadow. "I hope you don't mind me using your kitchen and diggin' in your fridge. I got hungry, but I remembered how much you liked my food so I decided to make you a lil' somethin' too." After he set it down, he walked over to his coffee pot to grab a mug of steaming hot bean juice. He set it on the counter next to the plate before leaning down and kissing him on the cheek. He went to the fridge to get a carton of juice and returned to the island to sit beside the biohog.

As the GUN agent sipped his freshly made coffee, he stared down at the smooth dark wooden countertop. "Thank you. You didn't have to, though."

"It's no trouble at all, I wanted to." Sonic replied before taking a bite of sandwich. "I hope you like-" He glanced over to see Shadow nearly finished an entire sandwich in less than a few seconds. The hero sweat dropped, wasn't he just sipping his coffee? "-It..." He trailed off with a chuckle. "Shads, you are so greedy."

"Compared to you, I'm practically starving myself."

Sonic pointed a glare at him. "Oh shut up, I told you I only pig out once a week."

Oh yeah, he did tell him that. "Why," Shadow asked as he chewed. "Are you on a diet?"

"No, I just know I shouldn't make it a habit." He took a sip of orange juice before continuing. "I was kinda chubby as a kid, super round belly. I was like a straight up circle, and I wanted to change that when I got older. I mean, doctors say that's normal for young hedgehogs but I still didn't like it."

Heh, he never expected someone as prideful as him to admit that to him. It was something that Shadow not only never knew, but never thought of. It was somewhat enlightening to hear that the hero had many insecurities that he never let anyone know about, but only told Shadow. He doubted if his friends knew he was self-conscious about that point in his life, so it was flattering that he trusted Shadow enough to tell him. "I think you'd look perfect either way."

The hero playfully slapped Shadow's arm. "What'd I tell ya about bein' cute this early in the day?"

The biohog made a small chuckle. "I'm not being 'cute,' I mean it. I saw your photo in your living room—The one with you and Tails when you both were little. If anything's cute, it was you in that picture." He made a sincere smile, not looking in Sonic's direction. "I never thought someone like you could look that innocent. The idea of childhood is always foreign to me, so it was nice to see you like that." He finally turned to meet his gaze. "You were adorable." Seeing Sonic's shy, flustered expression only made him enjoy this even more. He then poked his finger against his head as a little payback for his nose-booping. "Of course, you're beyond any concept of 'innocent' now."

Sonic scoffed. "Oh yeah? Why's that, ya old man?"

"Because I know that every time we get near each other," He leaned his face closer with a suggestive stare. "That lewd mind of yours is thinking of countless ways to pull me back into bed. I can see it right in your eyes."

The blue one smirked. "'That obvious, huh?"

"Painfully so, your eyes glow when you get frisky." Shadow replied while placing his finger on his bottom lip. "But then again, I always fall for it. I can't resist you regardless of how conspicuous you are." He pressed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Plus, you taste so good...I don't mind being lured into your traps." He turned back to his food and let the younger one think about that for a moment, wanting him to stifle in that little bit of early day flirting.

Giggling but definitely feeling a little warmer than usual from that comment, Sonic let him have this one. "Okay, you went from cute to super sexy in like, five seconds." He took another bite of his sandwich before replying. "You're not the first person to say that though, about my eyes. They always say they get brighter when I get excited. But I noticed," He added casually. "Yours does too. Maybe that's because we use chaos energy."

Hmm, literal food for thought as Shadow finished his meal. "Perhaps. I like it though, it's very arousing."

Sonic almost choked on his last bit of juice. "Okay you need to stop, mister."

"Stop what?"

"Don't make me kick you." He threatened playfully. "Hey," Sonic frowned as he looked behind Shadow. "You feelin' okay? You're hunched over again."

Shadow sighed. "I have a lingering pain back there somewhere, I figured it'd go away eventually." Then he took a moment before speaking up again, his cheeks lightly reddening. "...I'd very much like it if you gave me another massage."

The hero smiled at the request. "Sure!" He got up from the stool and picked up their empty plates of crumbs. After he placed the dirty dishes in the sink, he instructed Shadow to go in the living room and lay down on the rug. There was a lot of space in that room, so they'd do it like they did before. Shadow got in position like last time, laying flat on his stomach with his chin leaning against his arms. Sonic stretched and cracked a few bones, before getting down on top of the elder hedgehog and straddling him with his legs. "Now remember, this is gonna hurt at first." He saw Shadow nod silently. He gently glided his fingers up and down his back, feeling his muscles to detect any part of his anatomy that felt tenser than normal. He narrowed his eyes at his deltoid and dragged the pads of his thumbs across them, and he could feel Shadow flinch with a short groan of pain. "Right there, huh? Yeah, I can feel it." He then rubbed his fingers down to his spine, specifically stopping at his lumbar. "Oh man, you're super tense here." He mumbled before lightly tapping at it. The biohog had the same reaction, indicating this was another source of pain. "Your lumbar's messed up. So are your deltoids, that's what's really makin' ya hunch over...Hmm."

"How do you know this stuff so well?" Shadow suddenly asked with much curiosity. "Your knowledge of anatomy is surprisingly well versed."

"First off," Sonic abruptly jammed the points of his knuckles into Shadow's spinal region, causing him to yelp in pain. "I may not be book smart, but I ain't dumb. Don't underestimate my brains. Plus," He began to more softly rub his hands into the area of his lower back, causing the biohog to immediately moan in relief afterwards. "Sports are a big part of my life. Me winning the Olympics, being invited to sporting events, all the sports magazines I modeled in...I kinda picked up on some things after a while. And I'm not much of a reader but I do have some books stuffed under my bed. Some of them involved sports and whatnot." He made a stubborn expression as he pressed his thumb into a particularly tight spot. No, his fingers wouldn't be enough for this one. Shadow would hate this. Sonic placed his sock covered feet against his upper back before reaching down to grasp Shadow's arms, and forcefully yanked him backwards like a wheelbarrow. A loud crack echoed in the room, and Shadow shouted a curse at the hero for the sudden move. In particular, a "blue shithead." Sonic just rolled his eyes, knowing he didn't mean it. "Oh don't be such a baby, it's almost over." He let go, only for Shadow to basically faceplant right against the rug like a falling brick. "You're lucky we're not in Spagonia, they literally beat the shit outta you at their spas. I gotta admit I walked out feelin' pretty good, though." He then moved more upwards on his back, gliding his fingers over his deltoids.

If Sonic had done this every time they fought before, he would have defeated him easily. This hurt really badly, but then...It suddenly felt amazing. His muscles felt so free, almost like breezy grass blades in a greenfield. He felt Sonic's middle fingers grind themselves against his shoulder blades, meticulously uplifting blood circulation in the area. Every area he felt a tightness in, was suddenly as loose and limber as rubber. Firm enough, but malleable. He felt his deltoids make a small crack, Sonic's knuckles were deep in them at the moment. There was a slight pain, but it went away just as fast as it came. And boy did that feel so much better. Slowly, Shadow felt his eyes grow heavy. "Feels...good..." He whispered as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He could feel Sonic lean his entire body against him, with his lips close to his left ear. He felt his hands rub down his arms, using his massaging motions in his arms with one hand each. "Sonic..." He didn't even realize his other limbs were that tense. His fingers were definitely magical.

When he felt Sonic move on to his palms, rubbing his thumbs in specific areas, he felt a sense of arousal. Sonic did nothing this morning but cater to his every need. He fed him, he gave him his full attention and now he was giving him a full body massage that was truly doing wonders. It wasn't what he was physically doing that was turning him on, it's his consideration, hospitality and generosity that was making the GUN agent hot. That selfless attitude of his, it was overwhelmingly attractive and he had no idea why. Perhaps it was because Shadow had never been cared for before, as he was created to care for someone else twenty-four seven. But this...He could definitely get used to this kind of treatment. As he felt Sonic rub his fingers against the sides of his neck and collar bone, he made a small moan. He didn't mean to, but it felt really good. He appreciated that Sonic wasn't doing anything inappropriate to him, not on purpose. But feeling his crotch against his behind was doing something to Shadow. He couldn't ignore this feeling anymore.

He suddenly felt the hero's weight lessen and shift, he was no longer lying against him. "Okay, I think I got it." He then chuckled. "You look like you're ready to fall back asleep-"

The whole world flipped upside down for a moment.

Sonic found himself slammed to the rug, and he was suddenly laying on his back. Blinking, he realized Shadow had turned them both over to switch positions. He was pinning the blue hedgehog down, straddling him with irregular breaths. The ebony hedgehog's eyes were glowing ruby red, referencing the very conversation they had earlier. He immediately pressed a rough but deep kiss against the hero, who instantly moaned in pleasure when he did so. When they broke the kiss, Sonic lightly panted in shock. "H-Hey...You good...?"

"I told you," Shadow murmured hotly. "I can't get enough of you. I can't resist you no matter how much I try to fight it." He rubbed his hand against Sonic's crotch, desperate to see his erect member once more. "Let me have just one more taste..."

Moaning a little louder, Sonic seized Shadow's wrist to try and stop him. "W-Wait...Hold on-" He only rubbed harder. "O-Ooohhh fuck..." His grip on the biohog's arm weakened. "Y-You could have just asked-" He stifled a gasp when his length was suddenly unsheathed from its hiding place. "Aahh...Ahh..." He arched his back a little with a sultry smile as Shadow began to rub the base. It was semi-hard, something he was quickly trying to remedy at this very moment. "Baby, don't get me too excited...'Cause then I won't be able to resist, either..." Shadow moved down to stick out his tongue and lazily drag it over the head. The hero's body stiffened and his legs opened completely, moaning even louder as he had his way with him. "Fuck yes...That feels so good..." He slurped his tongue against the tip, before placing some of his member into his mouth and sucking down. "A-Aah...!" Sonic's feet curled. "Mmnnn~! Yes..." Now that he was fully erect, Shadow could do exactly what he envisioned. He had already revealed his own erection, stroking it impatiently as he teased Sonic. While continuing to stroke himself, he turned the blue hedgehog over onto his stomach and pulled at his legs to get him closer. He smacked his prick against his arse, causing Sonic to gasp. "...! Shadow, don't-"

"I'm not doing that, shut up." Shadow roughly hushed him as he grinded his shaft against Sonic's cheeks. He loved staring at his ass, it was probably the best part of his body. No, maybe not. There were so many parts to him that he adored touching and licking on, that he couldn't delegate that title to one place. He smacked his member against it again, earning him a needy moan from the hero. He embraced him from behind and wrapped his hand around the blue one's peach member, while he groped the other hand against his chest. His muzzle was pressed against the side of his face, feeling him breathe harder and utterly flustered. He kissed at his cheek as he began to grind himself against him from behind, using his ample ass as a source of friction. "If I can't be inside of you," Shadow whispered. "I'll just pretend that I am." Feeling a sadistic sense of déjà vu, he pressed his fingers harder into his peach chest, feeling his nipples hardening under his fur.

Gawking at what was currently being done to him, Sonic could do nothing but allow his lover to use his body as his plaything. He loved it, he loved that he was using him like an object. "Pretend you're fucking me..." He hissed in pleasure as his eyes became an illuminated neon lime. "Pretend you're fucking me so hard that I pass out..."

"Is that what you want?" Shadow asked as he thrusted against him, stroking his hand against Sonic's member vigorously.

"Fuck-Baby, you know that's what I want...I wanna feel like you're inside of me-" He felt his legs shake a little from him rubbing his fingers against his chest nubs. "A-Aahh...Fuckin' use me...Use me like your obedient little toy~" The hero licked his lips as he rubbed his backside against Shadow's shaft. He could hear him groan in pleasure at that. "Don't stop until you're satisfied...Make me yours...!" He moaned loudly as he felt him pinch his nipple.

Shadow reached his hand from his chest to his behind, spanking it before tightly groping his ass. He leaned his face into the back of Sonic's shoulder, his hips having a mind of their own as they thrusted against his arse. "It doesn't matter where I touch you...You always feel so good against me..." He stroked the blue one's member faster, feeling him shake his ass against his length with great excitement. "Fuck..." He swore heavily, gripping his fingers into his behind before swatting it again. "Move faster..." He commanded.

He did exactly as he was told, making Shadow moan a little louder. Sonic gripped his fingers into the rug as he felt precum drip down his thighs. He inhaled another gasp when he got spanked again, this time much harder. A red mark was starting to appear on his body, he could feel it sore into his skin. His tail wagged, he loved this small amount of pain for pleasure. He felt his elder lover lick against his neck before lightly biting down at his shoulder blade, grunting in anticipation at the rising pleasure. Sonic bit his own lower lip, he was so turned on right now. He loved it when Shadow took control, and he loved it even more when he lost himself in the lust and just used him like a sex-doll. Their movements in both speed and force increased, and Shadow was basically clapping Sonic's cheeks onto his weeping erection. He made sure to rub the hero's member with extra umph and care, as he could feel it was ready to bust as well.

"If...I was inside of you..." Shadow groaned as he thrusted harder against him. "Would you let me cum?" He could feel it rising even more, in just a few minutes they'd really feel it.

Sonic reached from behind and gripped the back of one of Shadow's quills. "I'd want all of your fuckin' cum inside of me...I want it running down my legs...I want it in me so bad-!" He cried out in satisfaction when he felt his climax approach. He wouldn't be able to hold on. "Ahhh...! Oh shit, fuck...!" He tossed his head back as his thighs quivered against each other. "A-Aahhh! Keep going, keep going-Ahh! Ahhh!" White spilled from his peach length, shooting all over the dark rug underneath them. Gasping, he felt that Shadow was still furiously stroking him despite climaxing already. "F-Fuuuck...!" The blue one tightened his fingers into his lover's quills, releasing a few more blows from in between his trembling legs.

Shadow suddenly wrapped his arms around his waist as he thrusted harshly. "A-Agh...!" His grip that was circling him tightened as he orgasmed onto his back. "A-Ah...Haa...Mmmn..." He thrusted a few more times before stopping, panting heavily against him as both of their bodies became stagnant.

Simultaneously, both males fell limp against the floor with a thud.

The ultimate life form was still holding the hero close to him, refusing to let go even after their orgasms died out. He pressed lazy kisses against his shoulder and neck, taking in the insatiable scent of his pleasured body. He felt his grip on his quills loosen and softly pet against his head. Shadow rubbed his hands against his arms, his tongue sucking a hickey into the side of his throat. He heard Sonic make a lengthy mewl, leaning his head against him to let him leave a mark. That was one of his most favorite things to do to him, marking him and showing everyone that he was his. Unbeknownst to everyone else however, the marks actually faded away pretty fast due to how quickly they could naturally heal with chaos energy. By the time they were in front of their friends, they were none the wiser despite all the bed-sparring they were doing the whole weekend. Otherwise, they'd be covered head to toe in bites, kisses and love marks. Sensually, Shadow rubbed his right hand back to Sonic's behind, the one he swatted mercilessly. It was no doubt sore by now, as a visible handprint was there.

Finally catching his breath, Shadow lifted Sonic up from behind and carried him bridal-style to the bathroom. Not the bathroom in his bedroom, but the bathroom that was for guests. It wasn't as big as the one connected to his bedroom, as it didn't have a tub, but it would have to do. He gently placed Sonic down on the tile floor and pulled him into the shower. After they threw their socks off, they closed the shower door and turned on the water. Once the water got hot, steam rose in the room and they began to kiss each other passionately. Sonic had the elder lover against the wall, pinning his hands against the glass surface. Shadow initiated a French kiss, loving the feeling of his tongue against his own. The hero pressed his lower body against Shadow's pelvis, and they lightly grinded against each other as they continued their lingua osculation. The shower door rattled as they went at it, roughly feeling and groping each other for several minutes.

When they finally exited the shower, they returned to the living room with half-damp bodies. Sonic sprawled his body against the couch as Shadow bent down to roll up the rug. If the stain didn't wash away, he'd have to throw it out. The hero winked at him while sticking out his tongue. "Sorry babe~"

Shadow simply shrugged. "It's fine, I started it." As stupidly expensive as this rug was, he never really liked it anyway. A few minutes later, he returned from the laundry cubby and sat down on the couch next to Sonic's leisurely reclined position. He playfully laid his legs onto Shadow's lap and relaxed against the cushions. Smiling at his carefree expression, the biohog rubbed his palm against his knee. "Sorry about that, you know how it is."

The hero nodded. "Yeah...I don't think it's latent hormones anymore, I think you're just as horny as I am."

The GUN agent agreed but he couldn't be blamed. "I can't help it, look at you."

"Hmmm~" Sonic smirked. "I suppose you're right, I am pretty damn sexy."

"Yeah, when you're not being an arrogant dick about it."

The hero reached over to poke his muzzle with his finger. "Ohh shut up, you like it."

Shadow scoffed. "Sometimes, maybe." As he looked down at Sonic's legs, his smile faltered into a flat line. He thought about his call yesterday, and what Infinite told him. He made a large sigh and closed his eyes briefly before glancing at the hero. He didn't say anything, but Sonic could see that something was bothering him from his expression alone.

He sat up straight, albeit with a small pained wince from the spanking earlier, and gave Shadow his attention. "What's wrong?"

The ultimate life form felt guilty in asking this favor, he felt like he was using him. And not in a sexy way. "...I may need your assistance in something. That call I got yesterday, did you hear any of it?"

Sonic shook his head. "Mostly, no. I know it had to do with Infinite, but I tuned out 'cause I didn't wanna know your business. I don't like eavesdropping."

He liked that he highly respected his privacy, even if it involved an active criminal. "Yes. Somehow, Infinite not only got my number but managed to call me personally." He saw Sonic's expression turn suspicious. "He sounded so...strange. He said now that he had the Phantom Ruby, he'd 'set things right'. He asked me to meet him at Eggman's base at 6:00 AM tomorrow. But," Shadow frowned firmly. "Something feels wrong. He didn't sound like himself. To get the drop on the doctor, he agreed to let him experiment on his body with the ruby. I don't know if it was the experiments or the ruby itself, but something happened to him. I don't know what for sure, because I haven't been able to read his vitals in my office since yesterday."

For a brief moment of silence, the hero made a suggestion. "...I think that Zonic guy was the one who got Eggman arrested." He suddenly concluded as his eyes wandered off elsewhere, deep in thought. "If Eggman was experimenting on Infinite when he got in his base, he could have done something to him before he left. Remember what he said before about wiping our memories?"

"Now I'll need even more amnesiac serums to wipe all of their memories..."

"With that said, you'll be the first to have your memory of this incident wiped."

"You are never to know. By the time I'm done with all of you, none of you will even remember this. Just as usual."

Shadow nodded in confirmation. "Rouge even noticed that he must have traversed not just Mobius, but our own homes before." Remembering Eggman's condition in Prison Island, he then realized what Sonic was getting at. "You think he wiped Eggman's memories? And that he's the reason why he didn't remember being captured or arrested?"

"Yup. And if that's true, who's to say he didn't do something to Infinite's head too?"

That would be a clear-cut answer—sure, but that didn't feel correct. This Zonic person was way too rigid to leave someone like Infinite to his own devices. Shadow slowly shook his head. "No...I don't think so. That guy was extremely strict, and didn't leave any room for error until we fought. Even if he did something to his mind, I doubt he would just leave Infinite there with the ruby. I don't know it's properties and even GUN couldn't dig anything up about it, besides what Eggman already found out. But it has to have some kind of tremendous power if it was able to not only show Eggman visions of disaster, but also make it so that he would never be able to think of a way to escape Prison Island." That part really stuck with him, actually. "The doctor is a marvel in intelligence, no one can argue that. If he really wanted to, he could escape Prison Island blinded and amputated with his genius alone. Yet he can't. It won't let him think that far without causing him severe disorientation and pain, which is a hell in itself." He crossed his arms. "Imagine being a genius, never allowed to process things on your own level of intellect, being reduced to some lowly prisoner in a place you could easily escape if you were given the chance to just think."

He could tell from the guilty look on Sonic's face that, while he hated the fat man, he still didn't like the internal permanent torment he was most likely going through in his own mind. "...Yeah," He sighed. "But if it isn't that, and if Infinite's lowkey a threat with that ruby, why not get rid of him too and take the ruby with you?"

"Remember that person he was talking to." Shadow replied thoughtfully. "He has a superior, someone giving him instructions and objectives. Despite his brashness, he listens to this voice with vehemence and reluctantly does exactly what it instructs. Whatever they say goes. If this person didn't tell that soldier version of you to stand down, we wouldn't be here. If they told 'Zonic' to leave Infinite and the ruby alone, regardless of how he felt, he'd have to do so. You saw how apprehensive he was about not kidnapping us, but he still eventually caved." He then placed his hand down onto Sonic's. "This is getting bad. I don't know what Infinite's up to and his words were...Odd, to say the least. It could be the ruby itself corrupting his mind, or whatever that thing does. I want to get it away from him and have him arrested. After all, his work is done and there's no need for him to keep going like this. That is, unless he's planning something for himself. Hell, he could have been the one to corrupt Eggman's mind. And now that I think about it, that's probably the truth." Shadow sighed and looked away. "He could have went rogue...I admit, I tried to have some hope for him like you do in people. And for a moment, I thought he could be trusted. However, at the end of the day, he is still a high level criminal who now has his hands on power that doesn't belong to him—and it doesn't seem like he's willing to let it go." He tightened his hold on his hand. "I didn't want to ask, as this is my responsibility, but I need your help Sonic. I want you to have the emeralds with you, and I want you to come with me to face Infinite together. If he tries anything," He closed his eyes ruefully. "Then I'll have to cut him down myself."

Grimacing at this, Sonic was reluctant. "Are you sure about that? Transforming could be serious overkill, especially with the two of us."

"Yes, but that Zonic person made me realize that we're sorely lacking in strength." He hated admitting this, but he couldn't be too careful. "If Infinite ends up becoming stronger due to not only the experiments but the ruby as well, we'll need as much firepower as we can get. The doctor said himself he drenched Infinite's biology in liquid chaos, which could lead to a seriously daunting potential enemy. I considered doing this alone, but...Well," He smiled a little. "I know you'd be worried and even more pissed that I didn't ask you for your assistance in the first place."

Sonic smiled back. "Aww, I'm glad you know that," He leaned closer menacingly with that same smile, causing Shadow to sweat drop. "'Cause I totally would have kicked your dick into your colon if you went after him alone after what we've just been through." He softened his expression and pecked his lips. "Gotta make sure my hubby's safe and sound, ya know?" The hero nodded his head in affirmation. "Alright, I'm in. I'll help you. But," His smile waned. "Let's hope he didn't completely lose himself, yeah? You seem like you kinda respected this guy, and you look like you really don't wanna do this. I appreciate that you tried to take a page from my book. I'm sure that took a lot, 'cause you don't normally think that way. Like you said though, sometimes giving bad people a chance doesn't always work out." He kissed the right cheek of his tan muzzle, where a hickey was currently trying to heal. "I hope you're cool with that."

"I'll have to be." Shadow replied quietly as he looked away. He then patted Sonic's hand before standing up from the couch and walking to the bedroom to put on some clothes. "Come on, there's still time for me to teach you more about chaos energy. It'll be useful for tomorrow."

The hero immediately followed suit with excitement. "Ooooohh~!" He leap-frogged onto Shadow's back, who just barely caught him. "Mmmnnn, do me a favor first and dress me please."

Grunting from his weight, the biohog glared at him from the side. "You are literally my weight if not more because of your thick ass thighs. Get off."

"But baaaaabe, I want you to dress meeeeee~"

A vein throbbed on Shadow's forehead. "We wear two articles of clothing. Dress yourself, you're fucking twenty-three years old!"

"Awwww c'mon! Do me a solid!"

"Get off or I'm dropping you out of my God damned thirty-story window."

23 - END - 23