#not sure they're the parental types canonically but the idea is cute to me regardless

[cheetahsprints]

Prompt #9: Soft

Inspired by this post

• Sonadow Prompt Fills •

• Ambience Music •

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Suddenly, Sonic in his super form dropped to the ground. He started to scream and sobs occasionally wracked his body. Shadow landed next to him and scoped the area with alarm. Their foe was vanquished. What was happening?

Then, it hit him too, and he doubled over. He reached out and Sonic gripped his hand. The firm pressure as Sonic squeezed with all of his strength paled in comparison to the feeling Shadow had that his every nerve was on fire. Yet, he wished he could absorb some of Sonic’s pain to give his partner relief.

Sonic’s screaming stopped as abruptly as it began, and he whimpered. Shadow automatically shuffled closer and reached to wipe his tears away.

There was a brilliant flash of prismatic light.

When Shadow woke, there was softness beneath him instead of compact dirt. He had a fierce headache.

He prayed to Gaia and Chaos Energy that nothing would be wrong. Sonic must be fine. He groped blindly until his fingers found the fur and warmth of another.

A wail cut through the air, but it wasn’t Sonic this time. Shadow’s eyes shot open and settled on a squirming bundle in Sonic’s arms. Shadow’s heart leaped. Tears were leaking from Sonic’s eyes, but he didn’t seem to be in distress. He soothed the tiny thing until it calmed. A glance out the window told him that early evening had become dawn.

Shadow felt like the breath he didn’t know he had been holding was punched out of him when he looked back and realized what Sonic was cradling… it looked like a nearly newborn hedgehog.

“Where did this come from, Sonic?”

“Somehow, she was born from the Chaos Energy as it meshed together or something while we were in our super forms,” Sonic explained groggily. He let out an exhausted sigh. “It took a lot out of us. Tails and Knuckles picked us up while we were passed out. Apparently, she crawled into my quills, and they didn’t notice her until Tails examined us for injury.”

“She looks like you,” Shadow said. So, the Chaos Emeralds essentially… mated their essences, Shadow mused. That was incredibly bizarre.

Falling in love had taught him to occasionally trust the inexplicable.

“Yeah, but if you squint and tilt your head to the side, she also kinda looks like you,” Sonic slurred, giving Shadow a soft, goofy look. Shadow rolled his eyes and kissed Sonic’s forehead. Sonic stretched to peck his lips before he could fully retreat.

The hoglet’s wide eyes locked on Shadow’s face for the first time as her developing brain tried to take in all the brand new information getting flooded in. Shadow hoped their daughter felt as safe and comfortable in Sonic’s arms as he did every morning waking up snuggled close to him.

Shadow brushed his daughter’s cheek. She grabbed his finger and held on tight. Shadow’s heart melted. His doubts and concerns fell away at that moment, leaving behind a softness inside him of which he hadn’t known he was still capable. He found himself accepting this new reality rather quickly, he reflected.

They hadn’t planned on raising children… ever, really. The lives they led weren’t exactly conducive to being parents. He shared a look with Sonic, and despite the circumstances, he instantly knew that they would be keeping the hoglet.

Sonic passed her to him, and hardly had Shadow ever been so gentle. The hoglet fussed a bit at the change, but Shadow forced himself to relax. Coming into the world was overwhelming, he remembered from the near beginning of his own existence. Of course it didn’t mean his own offspring already disliked him, he internally reassured himself, she had no concept of that yet.

Sonic was looking at him like he’d fallen in love all over again, and Shadow’s muzzle and ears heated under his adoring gaze. He slowly rocked his little girl until she settled. 

The colors of the environment seemed brighter, as though the spectrum had perked extra just for them. Shadow wished he could stay stuck in this soft little bubble of time longer than it would last. Their friends would eventually get to hold her, but Shadow didn’t budge on allowing it until much later that day.

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#sonadow #prompts #established sonadow #kidfic #barely but in case anyone blocks that tag #not sure they're the parental types canonically but the idea is cute to me regardless