the look of love, rush of blood
𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐱 𝐟!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫
౨ৎ 𝐈𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡.. after an encounter with eggman leaves you and shadow stranded in a forest, he shows you just how much you mean to him.
- 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝!𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰, 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐰𝐜- 𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟗, more—> bf!shadow
the forest was eerily silent, Shadow’s crimson eyes scanned the trees for threats his ears twitching at every faint sound
as night fell, the temperature dropped, and you began to shiver despite your best efforts to stay warm
“We’ll rest here” he declared, stopping in a small clearing. he set out gathering sticks and dried leaves, before long he had a small fire going. you sat close to the flames your arms wrapped around your knees. Shadow joined you, sitting just close enough that your shoulders brushed. for a while the two of you sat in silence the crackling fire providing the only comfort in the otherwise quiet forest.
“you’re trembling” Shadow muttered, his voice low and filled with concern
“It’s just the cold” you replied, though the truth was that the day’s events had left you shaken. being stranded in the middle of nowhere with no plan wasn’t exactly comforting even if you trusted Shadow completely.
shadow shifted closer, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and pulling you against him. his body was surprisingly warm and you leaned into him instinctively, your head resting against his chest. his other hand found yours, his gloved fingers intertwining with your own
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said firmly, “Not here, not ever.”
you glanced up at him, surprised because Shadow rarely expressed himself openly.
“I know” you whispered, giving his hand a gentle squeeze
despite the crackling fire, it did little to ease the ache in your body. the fight with eggman had been brutal, and the hard landing in the forest didn’t help. your muscles were sore, your head was pounding, and the shallow cuts on your arms and legs stung as the cool night air nipped at your skin.
“you’re bleeding” Shadow said suddenly his voice sharp
you followed his gaze to a thin line of red trailing down your forearm
“It’s nothing” you said quickly brushing it off. “Just a scratch.”
Shadow’s eyes narrowed “Don’t downplay it.” before you could protest, he was on his feet rummaging through the small satchel you always carried
he returned with a strip of cloth and a small bottle of alcohol. “Give me your arm” he said firmly, kneeling in front of you.
“Shadow, I don’t…”
“Don’t argue.” his tone left no room for protests, but there was a gentleness in the way he took your arm, his gloved fingers holding it carefully
you sighed, giving in as he uncapped the bottle of alcohol. “This might sting” he warned, glancing up at you briefly before dabbing the cold liquid onto your wound
you winced as the alcohol burned but Shadow’s grip remained firm, his thumb brushing small circles against your skin in what you suspected was an attempt to comfort you
“Sorry” he murmured. so softly you almost didn’t catch it
“It’s fine” you replied, watching him as he worked. his usual demeanor had softened
after cleaning the wound he carefully wrapped the cloth around your arm, tying it securely but not too tightly. he inspected it one last time before releasing your arm satisfied with his work
“there” he said simply, sitting back on his heels
“thank you” you said, smiling faintly
“didn’t know you were so good at this”
Shadow’s ears twitched and he looked away, a slight hint of pink dusting his cheeks. “i’ve had to patch myself up enough times” he muttered. “It’s… different when it’s you.”
you blinked caught off guard. “different how?”
he hesitated, his gaze fixed on the fire “You’re not like me. You shouldn’t have to deal with pain like this. If I can take care of you, I will.”
the sincerity in his voice made your chest tighten. you reached out placing a hand on his cheek, guiding his gaze back to yours. “Shadow, I don’t need you to protect me from everything. Just… stay with me. That’s all.”
his eyes softened as he leaned into your touch, his larger hand covering yours. “I’ll stay” he promised, his voice barely above a whisper
the fire crackled between you, its warmth nothing in comparison to the feeling of his hand in yours and the way his gaze was on you. for a moment the forest and the uncertainty of everything faded away, leaving just the two of you in this moment
Shadow moved closer, his free hand brushing a stray strand of hair from your face
Shadow’s gloved fingers lingered near your face after brushing the stray strand of hair away. his eyes softened as they met yours, the glow of the fire reflecting faintly in his gaze. for a moment he didn’t say anything and you wondered if he was simply lost in thought. but then he spoke quiet, low and almost hesitant
“You’re… beautiful.”
his words hung in the air, so soft and unexpected that you almost thought you imagined them. Shadow, the hedgehog who rarely let his guard down was staring at you like you were the only thing in the world that mattered
your heart skipped a beat “hm?”
his ears twitched slightly, and a faint blush tinted his cheeks, but his gaze never left yours “You’re beautiful” he repeated, his voice steadier this time
your chest tightened at your boyfriends’ sweet words. you opened your mouth to respond but no words came out.. what could you even say to that?
“I know I don’t say things like this often” Shadow began, his hand brushing against your cheek now, the gesture so tender. “But… you mean more to me than I can ever put into words. And seeing you hurt- it makes me realize how much i’d do to keep you safe.”
your throat felt tight as you reached up, covering his hand with yours. “Shadow… you don’t have to say anything. I already know.”
he shook his head slightly “No, you deserve to hear it. you deserve to know how much you’ve changed me, how much you matter too me .”
the small fire cast a warm glow over his face highlighting every soft curve and sharp angle. you couldn’t help but smile a warmth filling your chest “Even when you’re trying to act all tough, you’re… so sweet with me.”
Shadow let out a quiet huff almost like a laugh his lips curving into the faintest of smiles. “You’re the only one who’s ever seen me this way” he admitted. “And I think… I like it.”
you leaned forward, your hand still resting over his “Good” you said softly. “Because I like you this way too. All of you”
his gaze lingered on you for a moment before he leaned in pressing a soft kiss to your forehead
Shadow pulled away. “I’ll set up a place for us to rest” he said, standing up and looking around the clearing
you watched as he moved, his sharp eyes scanning the surrounding area his usual seriousness had crumbled from the care he’d been showing you all night. Shadow always seemed so distant to others but when it was just the two of you he was different.. more vulnerable, more affectionate.
he gathered a few fallen branches and large leaves arranging them in a small makeshift bed on the soft ground. when he returned to you he extended his hand his eyes softening as he met yours
“Come” he said, his voice gentle now. “It’ll be more comfortable than sitting by the fire all night.”
you took his hand without hesitation. feeling the warmth of his touch as he helped you to your feet. your body was still sore and it ached. as you moved toward the makeshift bed Shadow followed. it wasn’t much but the effort he put into making it as comfortable as possible didn’t go unnoticed
Shadow lay down beside you, his usually guarded demeanor now much more relaxed in the quiet of the forest. there was a brief moment of silence between the two of you before he shifted pulling you closer, his arm wrapping around your waist to draw you into his warmth
the contact was comforting, you could feel the heat from his body seep into yours, melting away any chill in your body
you let out a soft sigh, your back resting against his chest, and the steady beat of his heart reminded you how much he adored and cared about you
“is this okay?” Shadow asked quietly his voice barely above a whisper. it was the first time he’d seemed uncertain, though the way he held you told you something else
you turned your head slightly to look at him, catching the rare softness in his eyes as he waited for your response. it was so unlike Shadow to ask for reassurance but the moment felt incredibly intimate and you could feel his hesitation.
“Yes, it’s perfect” you murmured, shifting so you could look at him fully “I feel safe with you.”
his gaze softened, and for a moment you saw something , the affection that he rarely let slip
you smiled softly, reaching up to gently touch his cheek
he leaned into your touch, his eyes softly closing shut for just a moment and when he opened them again, they were filled with warmth. “Rest” he murmured, his arm tightening slightly around you pulling you even closer “I’ll keep you safe.”
as the warmth of Shadow’s body surrounded you, you felt a sense of comfort. the quiet hum of the night and the crackling fire were the only sounds that filled the area around you but in his arms, it felt like everything was exactly as it should be
Shadow shifted slightly, his body moving closer until his breath ghosted against your neck. you felt his nose gently nudge the crook of your neck and his warm, soft fur brushed against your skin as he nuzzled in. the action so intimate and affectionate, made your heart flutter it was a rare gesture from Shadow one that you could tell he didn’t often show to anyone else.
for a long moment he was still, just resting against you. his breath steady and calm as if he found peace in the simple act of being close to you. his arm tightened around your waist pulling you even closer as though trying to keep you in place, safe and warm
you could feel the rhythm of his heartbeat against your back, and the longer you stayed pressed against him the more you felt yourself drifting. his warmth keeping you protected from the cold night air
“Goodnight” Shadow murmured softly his voice barely above a whisper. it was the gentlest you’d ever heard him sound and you could hear the affection in his words
“Goodnight, Shadow.” you replied, your voice soft, your body relaxing in his arms
as your eyelids grew heavy the gentle pressure of his body against yours made it impossible to stay awake any longer. his warmth and the l beat of his heart lulled you into a peaceful slumber, every worry slipping away as you let yourself drift into sleep
in his arms you knew you were safe, and as the night passed his hand stayed gently resting on your waist, his thumb brushing faint circles into your side. Shadow stayed awake, his gaze never leaving the darkness of the forest making sure that nothing would disturb your sleep.
