#sonadow fics

Based on 'Silly Hats and Party Favors' by @nebrasska-alasska

i’ve been doing a lot of fic hunting on ao3 lately in my sonadow deepdive & i’m compiling a list of My personal favorites ^_^

most of these are completed/ being actively updated!

if anyone has any other recs pls lmk =w=

au where sonic was born and raised on earth and shadow is cupid

Shadow had been making people happy since he could remember. Being Cupid had its perks. He got to see people fall in love, seeing them live their lives. But he had always been making people fall in love but never experiencing it himself. Until he saw Sonic. Oh, it was love at first sight. He was enamored with the energetic blue hedgehog. Ironic, isnt it? He wanted, no, he needed him. But he could only pitifully watch from afar as he and his friends had fun together. Oh, how he wished he could just fly down there and introduce himself. See his gorgeous quills up close. And his eyes, they looked like the emerald. They were so rich and green. After weeks of watching, Shadow had enough. He couldnt take anymore. Sonic was alone, and he was alone. He flew down and his wings folded away. They couldnt be seen when he wasnt using them, so he wasnt worried about getting caught. He bought a cup of coffee from a cafe and started walking towards Sonic. He "tripped" and fell on him.

"Oh my god, Im so sorry!” he apologizes, getting off him.

"Dont worry about it!" Sonic smiles and helps him up. "I think your coffees seen better days though," Sonic grimaces. Shadow turns to the coffee cup on the ground. "I’ll buy you another one. I’m so sorry.”

"You dont have to do that. It was my fault for not checking where I was going." In reality, Shadow was praying that Sonic would insist. And he did.

"No, please. It was my fault. I’ll buy you another cup!"

"Thank you... youre so kind." Sonic starts walking and Shadow follows him.

“So, where are you from?” Sonic asks as he orders the cup of coffee. They find a table and they both sit down as they wait for it to be made.

“Not… around here. You?” Shadow mutters and looks at the hedgehog across from him.

“I was born a few hours away from here. Lived here basically all my life. What do you do for a living?” Sonic replied as he sat down.

“I help people fall in love,” Shadow replied.

“What? Like Cupid? How?” Sonic’s eyes light up. Shadow tenses slightly but it’s gone before Sonic notices it.

“It’s complicated,” Shadow mutters and leans closer to Sonic. Sonic grins and giggles, which makes Shadow’s heart flip. The blue hedgehog just stares at him with a wonderstruck look in his eyes. As if he’s in love. The two of them continue talking for so long, they get kicked out of the cafe, and it’s dark when they walk out.

“I really enjoyed tonight,” Sonic says, leaning forwards.

“Me too,” Shadow murmurs. “This was fun. Sorry for bumping into you.”

“No! I mean-don’t be sorry…” Sonic blurts, and Shadow suppresses a smile.

“Well, I was wondering if I could get your number? If that’s okay?” Sonic murmurs.

“Yeah, just give me your number. I’ll call you?” Shadow suggests, since he doesn’t exactly have a number. He’s Cupid.

“Yeah.” Sonic grins and writes his number down quickly on a piece of paper of paper and gives it to Shadow. “Thank you for bumping into me.”

Rating: T Warning tags: Mention of past torture, experiencing a panic attack and aquaphobia.

He didn’t know why he agreed to come along. It took nearly three days' worth of constant nagging and pestering from Amy for him to crack. She had insisted that he come along with all their friends to the small community pool for some ‘fun under the sun’ as she put it. Sonic gave her a condition: he would come as long as he didn’t have to step a foot into the water. As exasperating as she thought he was being, she agreed to his terms.

Sonic let out a long dramatic sigh as he shifted a small pool tote to his other arm. He walked alongside his partner, Shadow, who carried a separate tote bag with towels and small snacks for Sonic as well as some adventure books so he wouldn’t get bored at the pool. They walked down the dirt path, getting closer to the small community pool. Supposedly Amy had rented it out for the day for all of them.

“You didn’t have to come if you didn’t want to.” Shadow stated flatly, there was no malice in his tone, he simply was stating the obvious. Sonic trudged his feet beside him, he looked at Shadow. Long slender legs wore red swim trunks and his gaze went up to see a toned stomach, trailing over soft chest fur up to piercing ruby eyes. He smiled softly to himself.

“Yeah, I know but FOMO and all that, am I right?” He quipped playfully, arms resting behind his long cobalt quills.

“FO what?” Shadow looked quizzically, slightly miffed. Sonic chuckled lightly and grabbed Shadow’s free hand, lacing fingers together. He felt Shadow squeeze his hand lightly, a comforting gesture they shared often to convey that they were present and there for each other.

“Means fear of missing out, like you might miss out on something fun or awesome.” he said casually. His counterpart hummed in response, thinking it was a silly saying. They walked closer, arms brushing against one another, a playful nudge here and there.

When they arrived at the community pool they were greeted by friends. Tails whammed into his brother’s arm the second he had a chance, nearly knocking the hero down.

“Woah! Good to see ya too, lil bro.” Sonic laughed as he ruffled fluffy yellow bangs. Tails smiled a toothy grin as he playfully swatted the offending hands.

“Same goes for you! I can’t wait to show you what I’ve been working on next time you’re free.” He beamed.

“Ohhh, still modifying the Tornado or is it something different?” He inquired, his signature smirk written on his face. Tails flicked his namesake excitedly.

“Well both I guess, I’ll tell you later about it. I’m sure Amy and Knuckles wanna say hi too. Hi Shadow, how are you?” he waved and smiled warmly at him.

“Doing well, are the rest of my team here?” he asked calmly.

“I think only Rouge could make it, said something about Omega preferring to destroy practice dummies in the training grounds.” The fox stated. Shadow gave a curt nod and walked past the two to greet Rouge. Sonic watched him go, he couldn’t help but stare.

“I’m surprised you actually came to the pool, Sonic.” the little fox said with a hint of smugness his hands resting on his hips. The two walked over to the lawn chairs close to the fence a few feet from the pool and sat down.

“Yeah well, Amy asked and you know how she is.” He said as he leaned back in his lawn chair. He gazed at the pool and saw Cream and Cheese playing in the shallow end. He smiled and waved at the two who eagerly waved back and continued to play.

“Yeah, I get that.” Tails laughed softly. “So I know there’s no way in chaos that you’re gonna swim, so what are you doing?” He asked. Sonic shimmied in his tote for his book.

“Just gonna read for a bit before we all sit and have lunch, Shadow got me this new book about a wandering hero chao, talk about way past cool!” He proudly showed the cover to his little brother who awed at it. They chatted for a bit more until Tails decided to head to the pool. Sonic scanned the area and his gaze landed on Shadow who seemed to be very deep in discussion about something with Rouge and Knuckles. They stood in the shallow end of the pool. He wondered what they could be talking about, for all he knew it could have been about the chaos emeralds which wouldn’t be surprising. Rouge had quite an obsession with beautiful gems, Shadow was chaos-gifted and Knuckles was the guardian of the Master Emerald. He hummed to himself.

“Sitting all by yourself huh?” a soft voice spoke beside him, he turned his gaze and saw his dear friend Amy. She beamed at him, wearing a white polka-dotted red one-piece with a small frilly skirt.

“It’s cool, I was just gonna read. Blaze couldn’t make it?” he asked as she sat in the chair next to him. 

“No, she had princess duties to attend to today, but that’s okay.” She sighed wistfully. They both watched their friends, Tails, and Cream were splashing around with Cheese. Meanwhile Shadow, Rouge, and Knuckles headed farther into the pool. Slowly wading in as Rouge continued to converse with the two. 

“Being a royal must be tough, huh?” He asked, making small talk. Amy nodded but wasn’t at all melancholy about it.

“Yeah, but I’m proud of her for it. I’m going to swim with the others, I hope you enjoy your book, we’ll get you when it’s time to eat.” She smiled and waved goodbye. He waved back and settled himself on the lawn chair, resting against it as he opened to a quarterway through the book to read. The sun shone brightly and the cool July breeze swept through. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, completely relaxing in his seat.

The sun beamed high above, splashes and laughter could be heard. At some point Shadow let himself drift to the side of the pool, floating freely but his arms crossed and resting on the concrete. His eyes closed as he just soaked the warmth in from his dark fur. Rouge had left the pool some time ago but wandered towards Shadow, two drinks in hand. She sat at the edge of the pool, dipping her feet in and then her calves, next to Shadow’s head. Feeling the water ripple around him and the shifting of the bat as she sat down, he raised his head from his arms and glanced at her. She handed him a drink.

“What’s this?” he inquired, taking it from her, it had a purple mini umbrella above a colorful pink smoothie.

“Strawberry and banana smoothie, thought you might like to give it a try.” Rouge stated as she sat down with her own drink. Shadow nodded thanks and took a sip, he hummed his approval, he rested his back against the wall of the pool beside Rouge.

“So how have things been with you and Blue?” she asked casually, sipping her drink. Shadow gave off a very small smile. 

“Pretty well, actually.” he states contently.

“You’re not gonna go into detail?” She croons, he shakes his head, a notable smug smirk.

“That’s so like you to not go into specifics, well as long as you two are happy.” she chortles. 

She’s quick to cover her face with her outstretched wing from a small splash led by small giggles from the younger members of the group. 

Shadow however wasn’t as fortunate and his quills and fur became soaked, even his beautiful fluffy chest fur was flattened down by water. He whipped his head around quickly to find Tails and Cream roaring with laughter a few feet away. He even noticed that Sonic was lightly chuckling before going back to his book. Shadow huffed playfully and he splashed back, not as forceful. Cream squealed with delight as Cheese soared above her mischievously.

Tails and Cream put their arm lower in the water to create a bigger wave as they whisked their arms forward. Shadow shielded his face instinctively and splashed back in playful retaliation. This went on for a few minutes until Shadow thought of an idea. Using his chaos energy, he aimed his chaos blast at the water in front of him and it made a fifteen-foot-tall wave, Cream and Tails squealed in delight but as the wave came crashing down outside of the pool, Shadow felt a pit of dread in his stomach as he watched it crash in the direction of the beach chairs. Where Sonic sat peacefully. 

It happened so quickly, the poor cobalt hedgehog felt a harsh cold smack over his entire body. His quills puffed and sharpened and he flattened himself rigidly against the chair, eyes wide in terror as he inhaled sharply. He coughed and hacked a few times, eyes glazed over in fear.

Shadow quickly waded over to the other side of the pool, fumbling out apologies, trying to defuse the situation but Sonic couldn’t hear anything, he was shaking so violently that he scrambled to get up, dropping his soaked book in the process with a harsh splat. The blue blur sped out of the gated pool area so fast that Shadow had barely made it out of the pool. Everyone began to voice out their concerns and worry but Shadow didn’t listen, he was too focused on the speedster that left, He haphazardly put his skates on and yanked a towel off of one of the chairs that managed to avoid the wave.

“I’ll handle it, stay here.” he stated sternly and skated off. He wasn’t sure which way he took off but he wouldn’t stop until he found him. He zig-zagged through the woods, peering through the brush and foliage, it wasn’t long until he found blue at the base of a big tree.

Sonic sat down, back quills scraped against the tree as he quietly hyperventilated into his knees.

Shadow felt dreadful, he should have thought his actions through, he shouldn’t have let himself get carried away like that and now his lover was suffering the consequences of his actions. He needed to approach this carefully, Sonic wasn’t always rational when panicked. He knew of his fear of water but had never really known the extent of it, he wished that he didn’t have to see it firsthand, it was such a heart-wrenching thing to witness. 

Shadow appeared in front of him, purposefully rustling the bushes to announce his presence.

“Sonic? Can you hear me?” Shadow carefully crouched in front of the frightened hog, who still was clutching his legs tightly, breathing heavily into his knees, eyes squeezed shut tight. His ears were pinned against his head and his body was wracked with shivers. No doubt from fear and the damp quills and fur of his body chilling him to the bone in the shade of the trees. Hesitant hands reached but stalled, uncertain of how to proceed, how to comfort. 

Sonic’s breathing became more erratic, choking back, he threw his head back slightly, his own hands reaching for his throat. He was struggling to regulate his breathing and Shadow took action. With cautious handling, Shadow gently grasped Sonic’s wrists and pulled them to his chest. He smoothed his lover’s palm flat against his heart and drew him close to his body, shushing him soothingly, pulling Sonic against his chest. A blue ear flicked against a soft fluffy chest, searching for a beat he didn’t know he wanted. Shadow shuffled close to the tree, leaning his side against the bark, as Sonic curled instinctively closer to him, seeking his warmth and gentle touches. He gently stroked through cobalt quills that grew lax with each touch. His breathing began evening out slowly over time as Shadow whispered simple soothing phrases, softly peppering kisses against his forehead.

Sonic practically melted, deflating against a strong cobalt body, nuzzling his nose into downy soft chest fur. 

Shadow internally breathes a sigh of relief, glad that his instincts led him correctly. They sat like that for quite some time. Minutes had passed, maybe even half an hour.

Sonic scooched closer and began to fiddle with Shadow’s inhibitor rings, feeling rather awkward. The weight of what just transpired finally settled in. Sure they had been dating for a while but he never thought he’d embarrass himself like that in front of Shadow of all people, he felt his cheeks grow rosy.

“I-I’m sorry you had to see that…” Sonic mumbled bashfully, averting his gaze as best as he could. Shadow couldn’t help but chuff playfully.

“There is nothing to be sorry about, I’m the one who's sorry, I- I should have been more careful. I had no idea your fear of water was this bad, you shouldn’t need to feel as if you have to hide this side of you. We’re partners.” He spoke softly, leaving a small peck at the base of his ear, it twitched from the ticklish display. Sonic hummed and pressed a chaste kiss against the nape of his neck.

“Although… the reaction I saw today, there was more to it, wasn’t there?” Sonic froze, his eyes blanked and Shadow realized his misstep.

“Forgive me, you don’t need to answer that if you’re not comfortable.” He backtracked. Sonic sat up a bit and huffed softly.

“No no, it’s- it’s fine. It’s just not something I’ve ever really told anyone… but I don’t mind telling you… if that’s okay?” He couldn’t help but hesitate, unsure. Shadow gave him a nod of reassurance and Sonic exhaled shakily.

“W-well I’ve never been a fan of water, I can’t swim. Obviously.” He chuckled awkwardly as he rested his head against his white chest fur again.

“But- my time on the… Death Egg wasn’t very helpful either.” He began to fidget with the soft fluffy chest fur, anxious. Shadow furrowed his eyebrows, feeling a pit in his stomach with where this was going.

“They um… tortured me a lot and well waterboarding was…the most common.” He felt his voice begin to fizzle out, waver and his lip quivering back a small sob. He clung to Shadow, he didn’t really understand it but he felt shameful about it, afraid to look into his lover’s eyes. Afraid that he’d think less of him or that he was weak, he knew deep down he wouldn’t but the what-ifs always nagged at the back of his mind.

Shadow felt his blood turn cold. He knew that Sonic had endured a lot during those six months but seeing Sonic after those events, with his signature smirk and goofy behavior, he had just assumed he would be fine, had he been hiding all this the whole time? Would he need to suggest counseling? He wasn’t against the idea, he himself did it but would only offer if Sonic was interested. His mind swirled with worry for his boyfriend and rage towards Eggman and Infinite, all the ways he could make them pay for everything.

“Hey, I can hear you thinking from here, I’m okay now, that’s what matters.” Sonic smiled solemnly and sat up. He cupped Shadow’s face and kissed him deeply. Shadow held his hands and looked into his emerald eyes

“You know if you ever need to talk, I know that’s not something we’re very skilled at, but I’m here… if you need me. There are professionals to that I-” Shadow cleared his throat, a little embarrassed to admit he had a therapist.

“I attend therapy every now and then, if you’re interested I can help you with that.” Shadow shied a bit, holding hands as he lowered them down to their laps. Sonic squeezed them in return and smiled softly.

“We can talk more about that later, we should get back, I feel bad that the others are probably really worried, ugh I’m embarrassed.” Sonic cringed a bit, ears downcast a bit as scrunched his nose and gave an awkward smile.

“It’s alright, I’m notifying Rouge, we’re going home. She’ll swing by with the remainder of our belongings-” Shadow paused in the middle of his message. And looked up with a grimace. 

“I- apologize. I ruined your book, I promise I’ll replace it tomorrow.” 

Sonic beamed at him with a dopey grin.

“Have I told you how much I love you?” He wrapped his peach arms around broad ebony shoulders and peppered silly kisses to a tan check. Shadow’s heart fluttered giddily.

“Practically every morning and- I love you as well.” They shared a very slow and very tender kiss, Shadow leaning more into Sonic’s space. Sonic lost his balance and flopped on his back, quills splayed in the pale brown dirt. He giggled infectiously.

“When we get home, can we do snacks and a movie date?” He asked excitedly, Shadow hovered over him, striped arms boxing him in. He smiled and shook his head playfully. He sat back up, pulling Sonic along with him.

“Of course, let me finish the message.” They stood up and brushed the dirt off themselves and Shadow sent his message. 

They linked hands and began heading home. Walking through patches of shade and sunlight that beamed through the leaves. Sonic hummed a playful tune and swayed their joined hands back and forth along to the beat.

“So what are we watching?” Shadow inquires.

“Oh, obviously The Barbie movie.” He teased. Shadow looked begrudgingly at him with a scowl.

“Fine, if that’s what you want, love.” Sonic knew he was feigning disinterest. His black tail was a dead giveaway that he was excited to watch it.

“Oh definitely.” Sonic bumped his hip against Shadow’s, egging him on as he giggled.

Based on 'slow down, sit down, its new' by everbloomviolets on Ao3

I've also been staring lovingly at @prismaticfangz 's art style for a while and wanted to try my hand since I adore the volumes and shapes of it. I love how huggable these guys look in this style, especially in the live action versions 🫶

Im quite proud of the linework as well, so i'll attach that below along with the excerpt this is based on. This oneshot fic is well worth a read, its so cute

Hey

Got any Sonadow fic reccomendations?