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Ever since Skylar-Chilli arrived into Sonic and Shadows lives, Sonic noticed that Shadow was acting strange. He would walk around the house with this worried look in his eyes like he’s waiting for something bad to happen at any moment. He became very skittish and would jump at any loud sound.
But worst of all he’s became super overprotective with him and Skylar. He won’t allow Sonic or their newborn to leave the house without Shadow (or at all if he had it his way) accompanying him where he goes that includes to if he was visiting friends! With Skylar though it was worse. Shadow was with him 24/7. If he’s not holding Skylar he’s in the same room as him. He won’t let any of their friends hold their child and if it wasn’t for Sonic, he’s pretty sure that Shadow would not allow any of their friends over!
It was driving Sonic nuts! He would ask Shadow if everything was okay but he would shut Sonic down straight away and say “Nothing’s wrong” or “I have no idea what you’re talking about”.
Before Skylar-Chilli came along Shadow was the most excited about becoming a parent. He went to every parenting class and read every parenting book he could get his hands on eager to learn. He even decorated the nursery all by himself! He painted the wall too look like Green Hills and painted the ceiling to look like the sky with fluffy white clouds! He even put glow in the dark stars on the ceiling so it would look like the night sky.
If Shadow wasn’t prepping to be a parent or decorating the nursery he would talk about how excited he is to become a parent or their baby that hasn’t even arrived yet. It was the only thing he would talk about with anyone that would listen. It got to the point the point that Omega had told him to ‘stop talking about it’ while on a mission.
It made Sonic happy to be honest. Shadow rearly got this excited about anything. The last time Sonic saw Shadow get this excited was when they were getting married. So seeing the love of his life change drastically seemingly overnighted worried Sonic to no end.
Sonic knew he had to do something now or it would only get worse. So that night the blue hedgehog decided to have a talk to his husband.
Shadow was in the nursery getting their son ready for bed. He was holding the small hoglet over his shoulder as he gently walked around the room. It was the only way they could get him to sleep otherwise he would cry the whole night away, which Sonic and Shadow learned the hard way.
Sonic watched from the doorway. It was moments like this that made Sonic relax a little. For a while Sonic thought that the reason Shadow was acting so weird was because he regretted having the kid (in hindsight that was a stupid thought but he was sleep deprived can you blame him?) But when Sonic saw how Shadow was with Skylar, how gentle he talked to him, or how he held his son to his chest when they napped on the couch and how there was so much love in his eyes whenever he looked at Skylar.
Once the hoglet had fallen asleep Shadow laid him down in his crib kissed him goodnight and went to the rocking chair picked up his book and began reading. Shadow normally sleeps in the nursery leaving Sonic in a big empty bed most nights. Sonic wondered if Shadow is getting any sleep in here.
He snapped himself out of his thoughts here was his chance. “Hey honey, do you think you’ll be coming to bed tonight?” He didn’t want to have this conversation in their child’s room let alone with their child in the same room. Without looking up from his book and in a stern voice Shadow answered. “No, I’ll sleep in here tonight you go to bed though I’ll be fine.” He said as he flipped the page.
Sonic didn’t have a choice they were going to have this conversation here. “Shads I’m getting worried about you, what happened? And don’t say nothing or that I’m ’over reacting’ cause before Skylar-Chilli came into our lives you were happy! You were going out seeing friends. But the moment Skylar came into our lives you’ve been closed off, you never leave the house unless I do, you treat our friends like they’re your enemy even Rouge! And she’s like your best friend! It’s like you think everyone who doesn’t live in this house is out to get us! Look Shads I love you so so much that it hurts, but if you don’t at least tell me what’s going on inside that head of yours I’m… I…. Oh Giai. I’ll take Skylar-Chilli and leave.” Sonic was at tears at this point. He didn’t want to say it but he had to. For his and his child’s sake.
Shadow had stopped reading his book and just looked at Sonic in complete shock and hurt in those ruby red eyes of his. Sonic continued with a shaky breath.
“I don’t want to raise our son in a house where he can’t trust anyone and that he can’t go anywhere unless you’re with him. Please I’m begging you please tell me what’s going on or at the very least tell me you’ll go and talk to someone about this. Cause this!” Sonic pointed at Shadow. “Is not healthy and I know you’re not doing this to be an arshole or anything, you’re doing this cause you love us and that hurts. I don’t want to do this but if nothing changes I don’t think I’ll have a choice but to leave.” Sonic was now in front of Shadow holding his shoulders with tears streaming down his face like water falls.
No one talked still processing what had just been said. It was a miracle that Skylar was still fast asleep during all of this.
After a minute of just staring at each other in complete silence Shadow took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll tell you what’s been going on and why I’ve been acting a bit….. off.” ‘Acting a bit off is the understatement of the century.’ Sonic thought but chose to keep that to himself. Shadow had just opened up and didn’t want to undo all that by one snarky remark.
“Where do I start? I guess the best place to start was when we had to rush Skylar to the hospital because of that high fever he got a few days after we brought him home. I was so worried, it felt like what happened with Maria when she had her really bad days and I could do nothing.” Sonic remembered that night, he remembered how scared Shadow was, pacing up and down the waiting room asking every doctor, nurse and admin for any updates on their son.
“As you know after the incident I went to get Sklyer tested for any health problems. Once the results had returned they came back negative. Which was a relief to hear. But then the doctor said they had found something they couldn’t identify. The doctor said it might have something to do with me being creates in a lab or something.” Shadow looked nervous as he talked like what he was about to say would get him in trouble. “The doctor said that doesn’t look like anything to worry about but I had this feeling that I knew what this unidentified….. thing was.”
Shadow stopped talking like he was prepping himself to what he was about to say. “So the next day I took Skylar to Gerald to take a DNA test. And yes I know I went behind your back and didn’t tell you that I got our son tested by Gerald but don’t trust any other doctor to do this test and I feared of what you might think if I told you why I was getting him tested and how you would react to the results an-
“Okay slow down honey, take a nice deep breath. It’s okay see? Im not angry.” Sonic had never in all his time knowing Shadow see him spiral that quickly or like that for that matter.
After Shadow had calmed down he continued. “Gerald came back with the results and told me that Skylar has my Black Arms DNA.” As Shadow said this he had this look of shame. Like it was his fault that he gave their son his DNA.
Sonic felt like he was missing something. While yes he did not like Shadow going to get their son tested by Gerald without consulting him first (which he is definitely going to have a talk about but now is not the time). What he didn’t understand was Shadow getting worried about Skylar having Shadows Black Arms DNA. Figured there was going to be a chance of him getting it and he thought Shadow knew that.
“Babe, I still don’t understand why our son’s DNA caused you to be this overprotective of us? You know that I and our friends and family will love him no matter what right? And that goes for you saw well.” Sonic felt saying that last bit to not only remind him that he’s not alone any more but to let Shadow know that his love ones accept him for who he is.
Shadow shook his head with a heavy sigh like he only heard the first sentence of what Sonic had said. “You don’t understand. It’s because of G.U.N! If they knew our son had Black arms in him I know for a fact that they would take him away from us and would do GIAI know what to him! Oh wait I do know what they’ll do to him because not only do I work for them but they’re one of the reasons why I was created! Do you know the types of experiments they did to me? If they did what they did to me to my little boy I wouldn’t be able to live with myself Sonic.” Shadow had long left his Chair now standing over the crib watching their child sleep oblivious to the conversation.
Sonic stood there trying to think of something to say that would comfort him or that there is a solution to all this but nothing came. Instead he did the next best thing. He went over to his husband and hugged him.
Shadow must’ve been shocked by this cause of the small jump he did (it almost made Sonic chuckle) but he instantly melted into the warm embrace. After a moment of silence between the two Sonic spoke up.
“I don’t know how to fix this but I do know that what you’re doing now isn’t the solution.”
“Then what is?” Shadow sounded so exhausted in his response. Like he knew Sonic was right but didn’t know any alternative to what to do.
Sonic chuckled a little trying to lighten the mood a little. “Well for starters let’s head to bed. We can’t come up with anything if we’re both about to crash from lack of sleep. I also think it would be a good idea to not isolate us from our friends and family. They could help us with this we’re going too need all the support we can get.”
Shadow was silent for a bit before he nodded. “Yeah that does sound like a good idea.” He murmured back softly. “And maybe you come to bed tonight and sleep in a nice comfy bed with me hugging you instead of sleeping on the hard cold floor in our child’s room?” Sonic joked lightheartedly. Which got Shadow chuckling lightly. “Okay. Okay I get your point I’ll come to bed.” And with that they both went to bed holding each other as close as they can not wanting to let go even in sleep.
A few hours later Shadow woke up to Skylar crying. As he was about to get up he heard Sonic start to stir awake. “It’s been awhile since I’ve woken up to his cries. I can go check on him if you like.” Sonic said groggily with the look that he’ll fall straight back to sleep at any moment.
“No it’s okay I can do it. To be honest with you I’m getting used to waking up at this time for him. But you can do it in the morning, I would like my morning sleep back.” He said back.
Relieved by his answer Sonic snuggled back into the blankets. “Hmmm, thanks honey you’re the best husband I ever had did you know that?” Sonic said back dreamily. Shadow laughed at this. “I’m the only husband you ever had.”
As Shadow was about to get off the bed he felt a tight grip grab his wrist. It nearly scared him with how fast and tight that grip came. He turned around and found Sonic giving him a hard cold stare and before he could even ask what’s wrong Sonic spoke. “If you’re not back in bed in 15 minutes and I find you sleeping on Skylar-Chilli floor I’m beating your ass tomorrow you got that?” Shadow forgot how scary his husband can be when he wants to be.
Not wanting to upset his husband anymore he agreed. “Okay I promise I’ll be back in 15.” Placing a kiss on his forehead. That seemed to get the hedgehog happy as he lay back down on the bed.
As he was just getting off the bed Shadow remembered something important and turned back around to Sonic. “Actually make it 25 there’s something I want to do with Skylar before I put him back to bed.” Sonic at first was confused but quickly realised what Shadow was asking him. He nodded. “Yeah that’s fine make it 30 if you really need it.” Sonic said before falling back to sleep at last. “Thanks hon.” Shadow whispered back before leaving the room.
Once Shadow had closed the door he quickly went to the nursery not wanting to keep his son in distress any longer.
“Hey there buddy.” The moment he entered that room Skylar had stopped crying and was just sniffing a little. “You woke up your dad did you know that? He wasn’t used to you crying in the middle of the night but I guess you aren’t used to waking up and not seeing me in here with ya?” He whispered softly as he started to check him over.
By the time Shadow was done there wasn’t a single tear on Skylar’s face and was now smiling happily with his arms stretched up making grabbing gestures to get his father to pick him up and cuddle.
Shadow of course did pick him up but instead of walking around the room like normal Shadow walked him out of the nursery and into the living room. He took them to wear a small table with a candle, a flower vase with two flowers in them one being a chrysanthemum and the other lavender. In between the two objects was a picture of a young girl with blonde hair, with light blue eyes wearing a blue dress. Shadow got a chair out and sat in front of the small memorial.
Shadow was quiet for a moment. He wanted to do this sooner but with everything going on he forgot. He felt quite guilty really, if he did let his paranoia get the better of him this would have been done already. ‘Better late than never Sonic would say.’ Shadow thought bitterly.
Shadow took a shaky breath and sat his son on his lap so he was facing the picture.
“Hey Maria it’s been awhile hasn’t it? A lot has been happening. I want to introduce you to someone.” Shadow lifted Skylar a little more so Maria could see. “This is my son and your nephew Skylar-Chilli. Skylar this is your Aunty Maria.” Shadow gently picked up his son’s tiny hands and did a little wave for Maria.
“I know right? I’m actually a Father now. I actually can’t believe I’m one, I always thought that would never have the opportunity to be one it kinda feels surreal.” Shadow believed that due to being a government experiment no one would want to have a kid with home or at the very least trust him to raise one. So imagine his surprise when Sonic had asked if he wanted to start a family together.
“And I know what you’re thinking. Skylar-Chilli is a silly name and you’re right but that’s why I love it. I love it cause it has what we love the most in it. Sonic being Chilli dogs and me. Well I sort of named him after you? One of the meaning for Skylar is strength. Even tho you weren’t particularly strong you kept fighting every day on the ARK not only through your disease but not make sure I was being treated right and that’s it’s own kind of strength which I hope my son grows up to have.” Shadow said proudly puffing out his chest as he says it.
“The other reason why I love the name is that it reminds me of Sonic. Cause only he would be able to come up with the idea of combining the two things we love into a name like that and I don’t know it makes me happy. I smile whenever I hear his name.” He looked down at his son as he said this, who was now yawning and starting to cuddle into his Farther’s chest fluff for warmth.
“Listen before I go and put Skylar to bed I got to ask you something important.” Shadow didn’t like asking for help much especially from Maria who he believed had done so much for him already.
“I need you to watch over him. Be his Guardian angel. I wouldn’t be asking this of you unless it was dire but with him inheriting my Black Arms DNA and if G.U.N ever found out I just. I just don’t know what I’ll do. I just need some extra eyes on him and maybe if you’re able to some protection as well please. That’s all I ask.” Shadow plead. Sonic was right he did need all the help he could get. Even if there weren’t here anymore.
Shadow sat there for a while prying that his pleas were heard and that his son would be safe no matter what.
The End