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There was always a competition, or that’s what it seemed like anyway. Sonic tended to put his competitiveness to the side most of the time, though he could be a sore loser, but he wasn’t in it for the money or the big name labels. Best let those win who needed it, he was happy to kick back and have fun on a collaborative tour, inspiring new generations of music lovers (even if they were sadly mistaken about the obvious supremacy of rock – but Sonic had no hate for other genres really), eating the free food, the nice hotels, the other artists…
Yeah. Meeting the other artists were always a definite perk, be they groups or solo acts, and Tails even got to hang out with the other techies. Even the jerks were fun to mess with, and eventually befriend. No one could resist Sonic the Hedgehog for long.
Except this season.
There was a new face, and suddenly a new competition that didn’t seem so easily cast aside. Especially considering the potential prize to be won, value far beyond any lucrative contract Sonic was sure. Not that he’d ever sign anything over a month anyway, he always liked to be free to go with the flow of things, that’s part of what made him garner such high demand. He wasn’t willing to roll over so easily. If a brand wanted him, they had to earn it, and Shadow seemed the same. The frustrating part was that the exact thing that made him so interesting to Sonic was, in Shadow’s case, also applied to other people. The guy was a total Batman. Dark, brooding, black leather and a scowl and a wonderfully rough voice that said “I hate you” with every syllable, only amplified tenfold when he used it on stage. Oh, to damage your hearing by a voice like that.
Of course he fell for the bad boy! Didn’t he always? To be fair, it wasn’t as if the band, Deadbeat Doom, never did anything altruistic. There’d been a number of charity performances they’d appeared at, the most recent for Bare-Faced-Bunnies; a charity focused on animal rights in the make-up industry. It was admirable, they just really didn’t seem the types. Not Shadow, the brooding lone wolf who, cute as he was, acted like he’d be perfectly happy killing any number of bunnies for a good moisturiser. The extreme of not bending to anyone else’s expectations seemed to be a high horse and a big ego. Even worse was Infinite, the other half of the duo with a manner reminding Sonic not so favourably of a certain Hawk when they’d first met. Not so much a lone wolf as the leader of the pack, he had a group of friends that followed him around to every show and were obviously very supportive, which was great! Less great was they all once again shared that better-than-you attitude that was looking like a prerequisite to be involved with that band. Even the manager seemed to make it a point to live a little higher than everyone else.
Maybe getting involved was more trouble than it was worth. But then, when he saw those quills out of the corner of his eye he just couldn’t help himself. They were at the semi finals already, and Sonic was well acquainted with the usual dramas of this time, but whilst Infinite could be set off at the slightest inconvenience to him or his friends, Shadow would insult you with class. He would say what he thought and then made sure you understood, from physical threats to actually throwing punches. The way he looked at you with disgust in his eyes and ice on his tongue… he did it better than the rest of them.
The problem was the approach. So far, no one had managed to get anywhere near the guy emotionally, sometimes not even physically, he really wasn’t kidding when he said he knew taekwondo. But Sonic was desperate enough now to take drastic measures. All season, he’d been shooting his shot – or trying to at least. This time it just seemed like the classic Sonic charm wasn’t working, a feat previously unheard of. He needed new ideas, and then something simply devious crossed his mind. Delectable, even; in the way Shadow said delectable sometimes, which was a delectable thing itself. Really, it was two things. Both with the same brilliant solution. The first was pretty simple, actually: Maybe he just needed someone to match his flow. A good few bar fights to bond over. Maybe some... rough play. Not super devious, but the next idea might be the real winner, and it enthralled Sonic ever so much more than anything he’d thought of prior.
Shadow was so spiky and aggressive on the outside, but that didn’t mean the inside matched. Look at Amy! She liked flowers and cupcakes and she’d chew you up and spit you out without a second thought if you insulted either of them. She’d do it well, too. It totally followed that some people must be the opposite. Best of all, this theory required the same approach. A Shadow who was soft and gooey on the inside clearly just needed someone else to take over all that other stuff for him. A little push about, but Sonic would still be nice to him of course. He’d always prided himself on his ability to be nice to people, no matter what. Probably that was why he tended to avoid the parts of him that wanted to dominate. Others, the competition, the worlds (he could totally pull it off, come on!). The two simply didn’t go hand in hand, but a guy has to catch a break sometimes, yeah? It was only fair, and it was so obvious that he had to. For Shadow. So it looped around nicely to being again! Satisfied with his self justification and quite possibly not in his right mind at all, Sonic set off in search of his unknowing target, knowing it could only go really really well, or be the worst the worst decision of his life. The bigger the risk the better the prize, right?
The current act had to have been nearing the end of their set, then it was a five minute changeover period until Deadbeat Doom were on. So his latest obsession was probably either getting ready or waiting in the wings somewhere, and there was no way he’d leave everything to the last minute like Sonic would, so off in the direction of the main stage he went, the skeleton of his deliciously tantalising plan gaining foundation in his rapidly depraving mind. After all, he barely knew him! But to think! He might only be the dark figure in the corner waiting to suck your blood and then abandon your lifeless corpse in an alley on stage. And in front of his competition. And band partner. But there could be something small and adorable in there waiting to get flustered about being scratched behind the ears. There was something about him, he had to admit. Something in his eyes that spoke of soft expression. The more he thought the more it made sense. All those charity acts! And one for rabbits! Those weren’t Infinite’s choices. All the situation needed really was – a little confidence! A little Sonic-style confidence to bring out that hidden spark!
Finally, he escaped the endless maze of corridors of backstage, and found the allegedly soundproofed door leading to the wings, through which he could hear quite clearly the Chaotix on their last song. A solid band, competition regulars, but not who he’s here for. Behind the doors though, he doesn’t have to look far for his victim. Leaning against part of his own set and watching the stage, out of the way for now, lined up to be brought out in only a matter of minutes. Always an act with a flair, he wore a pair of almost skeletal black wings, that and the gothic old-timey clothes really sold the faux vampirism. Perfect for singing about increasingly toxic relationships, but what the hedgehog wore was far from the centre of his observer’s attention, oh there were sweeter things there yet than clothes. Poised perfectly within his parted mouth, was a lollipop. Red. His pink tongue toying with it. Curling around the thing in a wet caress. The stick rested delicately on his lower lip, which is slightly sparkling in the dim lights with a mix of lip glass, saliva, and some remnants of the sticky sweet itself. The rest of his face seemed utterly serene, his piercings twinkling gently, all of his attention focused on either the act in front of him or the turning turning turning of the lollipop inside his mouth. Sonic thought the latter was probably taking the bulk of it, because his eyes had that glazed over look. It was a perfect scene, and here he was was about to ruin it. But perhaps…
He strode up to Shadow without a further nanosecond of hesitation, and then kept going until he was real close. He slammed his hand above Shadow’s head onto the admittedly sturdy set wall before the other had a chance to react to his presence. The shorter hedgehog jumped at the sound, and Sonic decided to leverage that slight height advantage more, staring down at the other from only a few inches away. For a moment both were silent, Sonic waiting for Shadow to start so he might have the pleasure of interrupting him – and of course once he remembered he was probably supposed to be angry about his present situation instead of simply staring back, eyes wide and vulnerable, he opened his mouth with fangs bared and ready to tear this intruder to shreds. Sonic shushed him with a finger to Shadow’s top lip, stunning the other to silence once again, this time a little more flustered than before. At the same time, however, he looked ready to bite that finger off, though he didn’t make a move to. It was clear no one had dared get this close to him before, just the threat of dire consequence enough for most people to lose all composure and let Shadow take the upper hand. Sonic was decided not most people, though, and he was determined to keep this moment for as long as he could.
Now, at long last, he would perform his main act.
This whole time, Sonic had been keeping an eye on the movements of that lollipop. Worst case, Shadow dropped it when he surprised him, but luckily that scenario hadn’t transpired. Of course, Sonic thought he was probably fast enough to catch it before it hit the ground, but that might have interrupted his flow. The best case was what he was looking at right now, with the stick still poking straight out between those razor sharp teeth, the perfect place from which to craft his magnum opus.
The next time Shadow tried to speak, Sonic went for it.
“G-mmph!” said Shadow, as he was promptly cut off by another tongue in his mouth. That tongue, of course, belonging to a certain blue hedgehog who was delighted to find, after a couple of seconds, that it looked like he wouldn’t have to make a trip to A&E after all. No, his tongue remained very very in tact the whole time he was exploring the other’s mouth. The points of his canines and the flats of the few back molars. The ever so soft flesh of the walls, warm and so very wet. The tongue, apparently very happy to be danced around and toyed with. The ever present lollipop, now stuck halfway between the two of them, stick held between each of their bottom lips, a not-unwelcome obstacle that was easy to navigate around. And all of it lined with the wonderful taste of artificial cherry. Perfect. He had gotten the grouchy artist exactly where he wanted him – and, if the way he had relaxed against the wall was any indication, his breaths on the edge of wanton panting, the same was true for him of Shadow. There was a way he could really make sure of course, and opening his eye a little to check the nearby clock told him he still had a few minutes.
Half-possessed, Sonic shoved his knee forwards between the other’s legs, helping to properly hold him against the set. For this he was rewarded tenfold, as Shadow actually pressed himself onto it harder, and combined this with a very high pitched hitch in his breath that Sonic could even convince himself was a whine.
At last, he pulled back from the kiss, managing to manoeuver the lolly into his own mouth as he did so, and making sure to keep that leg firmly in place. A little saliva strand kept them connects for just a tiny bit longer, before it broke.
Shadow was a mess. Lips still parted, face flushed through his fur, and eyes a little hazy but widened and focused fully on Sonic. His breathing, too, was shaky, but not so much so it could be mistaken for distress. Sonic twirled the lolly around in his mouth a bit, keeping his lips parted enough that his onlooker could see inside clearly, as Shadow had been doing before – except now, look! No hands! The sweet’s previous owner stared at it, utterly transfixed. He watched every movement of the stick, the wet red ball getting licked to an inch within death, and of course, the red-stained tongue. Sonic put on enough of show to make sure he did, until quite suddenly he bit down and crushed the thing, eyes locked, watching for the reaction. Tasting as the lolly released all it’s flavour at once in a wonderous rush of sugar and e-numbers. At the noise of the crunch Shadow made a sound that neither present could fully categorise, except that Sonic thought it was beautiful. He was left mouth open and drooling a little, looking entirely in complete shambles. The light blush was still present, but he seemed a little more focused now. As Sonic removed the naked stick from his mouth and made a movement to leave, but now it was his turn to be surprised. Shadow reached out and grabbed Sonic by the front with his left hand, keeping a tight grip, but not seeming to have though much ahead he remained speechless. That was okay. Sonic leaned back in, this time making for an ear, and positioned his lips close enough to it that Shadow could probably feel every minute breath. In turn, stray fur and quills were brushing up gently against Sonic’s face, all totally relaxed.
“Hey, good luck out there tonight,” he whispered, barely speaking at all, then drew back again.
It was completely heartfelt, he really did hope Shadow did well. Even Infinite, if that would help him along. He put his free hand over the one keeping him in it’s hold, then gently removed it. For moment they both stared at their conjoined hands, until Sonic broke away slowly. Their fingers unravelled themselves, and The stick got tossed into a nearby bin. Unbeknownst to Sonic, Shadow was still staring after him, slack-jawed and a total mess even as the door closed, leaving him alone with his thoughts and a strange feeling in his core that refused to leave.
The free food here was pretty good, thought Sonic as he walked away, hands tucked into his quills as he used his tongue to remove the last of the lolly from around his teeth. He wondered if, after the show, he might even find a serving or two of dessert.