Author's Note: This is unrelated to my pairing poll, which can be found on my Author's page. :) Go and vote now for the next pairing one shot! :)

"Come on!"

"I'm not doing it. Just shut up and lay down."

"..." Pouting, Sonic laid down under the tree and gazed up with a small huff. Why did Shadow have to be this way? Couldn't he see what he wanted?

He just wanted a race! So why did the other keep thinking it was something else and kept pushing him away?!

"I thought you liked running through the marble gardens…." Sonic mumbled, picking a nearby flower and starting to play with its stem. Bouncing it between his fingers, he made a slow move to tear a petal off with his teeth and start to chew it. It tasty alright for a wild flower- he'd eaten worse.

Like cat food. That was worse!

"I already told you I'm tired." Shadow was laying down with his head on Sonic's tan stomach. While his quills were kind of spiky, it didn't really hurt him. Hedgehogs pricked each other all the time. That's just the way they were. And with such weird and large quill styles, turning your head could sometimes prick another 'hog the wrong way.

Shuffling down to get more comfortable, Sonic swallowed the rest of the flower and moved down to nip and chew lazily on Shadow's ear. Just to bug him- picking on the black and red hedgehog was his favorite hobby, after all.

Annoyed, Shadow shook his head and shot Sonic a glare. "Don't make me throw you into that puddle." He smirked and stuck his tongue out childishly, "I know you'll scream like a little girl if I do."

Sticking his tongue out in return, Sonic just flicked Shadow on the forehead and bit his ear. "Wanna get all dirty again~?"

Tensing, Shadow puffed up his quills, his ears moving down against the sides of his head. "Someone's a jerk today…."

Sonic just swivled his ears a bit over his eyes to cast some shade, grinning and closing his eyes. "Heh. As if you aren't the king of jerks already.

"Shut up."

"Shadow, why do you keep taking my tooth brush?"

It was a simple question really, and with the brush hanging just a bit out of his mouth, Shadow wasn't exactly sure how to answer. His minty toothpaste was already dripping out of his mouth and into the sink and as they, "spoke," he was fitting a night cap over his head.

Looking down- cross eyed almost, he realized that Sonic had a point. This toothbrush was blue, not red.

Cursing, he placed it down and spat out the foam before turning to the hedgehog with a small glare and a childish pout. "I told you to stick yours in the green cup, not the orange one." He sniffed and turned to rinse out his mouth. "But of course you never listen."

Furrowing his brows in annoyance, Sonic turned to Shadow now and picked up the hedgehog's toothbrush. Guess for tonight they'd trade. "Hey! I listen!" he snapped slightly, taking the orange toothpaste and drenching his brush with it and causing Shadow to roll his eyes. Of course Sonic would be wasteful- he always was.

"You put the hog in hedgehog." Shadow snarked, rinsing off the brush and placing it in the right cup this time. "And not in the right way."

"Well you put the hedge in it!" Sonic taunted with a proud look on his face, as if he had just said the world's best come back.

It caused Shadow to groan and face palm.

Once all their teeth and fangs were brushed, and they were all ready for bed though, the two settled on their bed. It wasn't the world's best bed, but it sure was soft!

Too bad Sonic took up half of it by laying all over Shadow and conking out as quick as could be. His face resting in the other's chest fur.

It made the stoic splash of ebony smile to himself and run a hand through Sonic's quills.

He was such an idiot.

But Sonic was Shadow's idiot.

"I'm not calling you down here for supper again!" Shadow yelled up the stairs, adjusting his apron with an annoyed huff. Why did his certain other have to spend his time upstairs playing guitar, and ignoring Shadow when he had dinner ready?

Further more, why did mortal hedgehogs have to eat?

Grumbling, Shadow went back over to the pot of chilly on the stove and stirred it tentively with a soft sigh. It would figure that Sonic wouldn't be able to focus and come down stairs on time-

Whoosh!

"Did you say chilly dogs?!" The blue blur chirped excitedly, licking his lips and trying to grab as many hot dogs as he could. But Shadow stopped him, and grabbed him by the scruff with a serious look.

A look that meant Sonic was in trouble.

Gulping, he turned and met the dark, iron, ruby gaze of his mate and then felt a nervous twitch course through his body. Here it comes- he was in for it now!

Narrowing his eyes into slivers, his ears pinned back in anger, Shadow swung his arm back and chucked Sonic into the living room, causing him to collide with the couch and fall over the back of it.

Having the wind knocked out of him, Sonic landed on his noggin, "Ooof!" and fell onto his back while Shadow dusted off is hands and procceded to chop up a salad for himself.

"I believe the cook gets to eat first." He commented smoothly, smirking now and starting the chop up the lettuce as he heard Sonic groan in the background.

"How come we're so different from other couples?" Sonic had asked one day, while the two had been running through the hills of hill top. Both just enjoying the breeze, and the way the wind had decided to course through their quills and tickle their bodies.

At that, Shadow couldn't be sure. But he mulled the question over with interest. Sonic had a point. They weren't like any other couples. Not all lovey dovey, not all… Feely, if that's what you were suppose to say.

Nope. They kind of laid on top of each other, and shared a house. And sometimes they'd hold hands and maybe nuzzle each other or bite one another, (like Sonic did with his ears,) but otherwise…

They were pretty boring as couples went.

Not that that was a problem.

"I think it's because if you touch me, I try and punch you." Shadow answered simply with a bored look… That molded into a mischevious smirk. "Heh. And I will."

Sonic just grinned though, and punched Shadow's arm playfully. "I can work with that I gueessssss~"

"Good, because you don't have many options."

"I think I realized that when I accepted the terms of indearment~"

Feeling his cheeks redden, Shadow gave Sonic his best glare and sped up, jumping over a puddle that Sonic managed to wipe out in with a scream.

"HEY! THAT'S NOT-"

"Fair, in your mind~"

Patching up Sonic's arm, Shadow sighed and brushed a loose quill back. This was so frustrating. Like usual, Sonic hadn't looked ahead and had ran into the sight of an Asteron.

So now he was picking spikes out of his… Love's behind and the ones in his quills. And now he was taking out a large one from his leg and disinfecting it.

"Honestly," Shadow mumbled worryingly, biting off the bandage and finishing wrapping up Sonic's leg before moving onto his back and trying to clean it out, ignoring Sonic's small cries of pain, "Why can't you watch where you're going?!" He pressed down on the bandage and rubbed some sweat from his forehead, his ears pinned back and tail drooping in worry. "Having me worried sick…" He mumbled, feeling disappointed. It was like Sonic tried to make him scared out of his skin when the blue blur got hurt like this….

It made him want to curl up into a ball and not let anyone else notice he was tearing up…

Sonic right now, was looking away, feeling unable to answer. He had worried Shadow so much, and now he didn't have any excuse for this happening.

"... I'm sorry?" He offered lowly, giving a hopeful smile… That died instantly when he saw the grim look on Shadow's face. "R-right…"

"Just stop." Shadow muttered, tightening the past bandage before scooping up the first aid kit and trudging back into the house.

Leaving Sonic to decide he had to come up with a forgiveness plan fast if he didn't want to sleep on the couch tonight.

Eyeing his surroundings, he found a patch of lilies up ahead and smiled softly. Making his way over, he picked a few from the bushel and ran back into the house, almost tackling poor Shadow onto the couch.
Which would have been the worst of ideas as of now.

If there was one thing Shadow hated when he was mad, it was being touched.

Laughing, Sonic thrusted his present into Shadow's hands, making him blink in surprise. As he held the flowers and gazed at them, he could feel his stony heart soften a little bit… And a rare, genuine smile slip onto his lips.

Along with a rare kiss to Sonic's cheek, as he turned and went to put the flowers in a vase in the kitchen.

Causing Sonic to smile himself and watch fondly.

"What will you do when I die?" Sonic had asked one day, the two hedgehogs laying in the great plains that rolled near Emerald Coast, both of them gazing up at the clouds. Sonic had decided to name each cloud and guess what each looked like, while Shadow listened and made a quip now and again, while almost falling asleep.

But that question had made him almost bolt up in a cold sweat. Death… Sonic dying…

A pit forming in his stomach, he turned to gaze down intensely at Sonic, his eyes wavering a little. "I guess I'd just kill myself….."

Sonic pouted at that though, and shook his spiky head. Bringing a hand up, he gripped Shadow's chin and pulled him close. Close enough that their noses were touching. The sun casted down on them both, and the clouds rolled above them.

It was peaceful, no wind blew.

And a small smile was flickering onto a certain hedgehog's lips.

"The world will need you when I'm gone, Shadow," Sonic pressed their noses together more and winked, before flopping back down and closing his eyes with a grin, "So you better stick around, even when I'm haunting you from the beyoooonnnddd!"

Feeling his worries melt away, Shadow buckled back down with a small smile, hiding it as he nuzzled up against Sonic's side and closed his eyes, feeling himself slowly start to drift asleep.