Gender neutral reader

Just finished watching Sonic 3 and it was awesome!! Haven’t seen anyone written for movie Shadow yet sooo.. 👀

Warnings?: No spoilers for the movie in this! But maybe him being out of character, I haven’t wrote anything in years lol

- I feel like his love languages would be quality time and physical touch, he wouldn’t be used to touch at first but would gradually warm up to it. Definitely wouldn’t be the type to be over the top with public affection. Maybe handholding or a hand on your waist in public, but that’s probably it

- Might would be one to get jealous, needs reassurance that you’re not leaving and that you love him, truly. He’s been through a lot and needs to know that you’re not leaving him too

- Likes looking at the stars with you!! Reminds me of that one meme

“Do u like stars?”

“Ya, they’re cool”

- Likes to watch moves with you too! Just please don’t have him watch movies that have ‘aliens’ that are considered bad guys in it :( Just watch cat videos on YouTube with him, he’d be content with that

- Try and show him video games! He’d be really confused on how the controls work, a lot has changed in fifty years

- I feel like he’d like the game Stray, cause cats!! I feel like he absolutely loves cats. Would also probably like Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing. Anything that’s a calm game where you can just do whatever

- Speaking of cats.. he’d love going to a cat cafe with his s/o, would probably want to take them all home afterwards though

- Would end up having a black cat come up to him, rubbing against him and purring. He’d just pick up the cat and ask

“..can we take him home?”

- You can’t say no to Shadow, especially when he’s holding a cat in his hands.. so needless to say, you guys have a new pet now

- But besides cafe dates, just staying at home and cuddling would be perfectly fine with him as a date, anywhere with you, he’s happy

- I feel like he’d genuinely be a really good boyfriend, just takes him time to warm up a bit and get more comfortable with romantic stuff

- And motorcycle rides!! They’d be so fun, but if you get scared if he ever goes too fast, just ask for him to slow down or go a normal speed, he’d probably listen (cause it’s you)

- Gets all blushy and flustered when it comes to physical affection and kisses, he’s not used to it but he loves it

- He’d also like music, specifically older songs. Likes to put vinyls on a record player and dance with you to the song :’)) even if you don’t know how to dance, he’ll try and guide you

Not really sure what else to add here! Hopefully this was good, sorry if it was out of character :’)

you trudged through the rain in the surprisingly still busy streets of Tokyo. you had decided to take a sightseeing trip and with the city being such a novel to so many people, you booked a flight to check it off your bucket list. today was merely your second day and it had not disappointed.

until today, that is. the rain had put a pause on your plans — which had been made in hopes of a mostly sunny day with light drizzle. the drizzle quickly turned into a downpour though. luckily you had still brought your umbrella despite the claims of sprinkles.

as you walked, staring straight ahead to make sure you wouldn’t accidentally bump into someone on the busy sidewalks, you took notice of a significantly shorter figure wandering aimlessly through the streets. cars mannered around it, honking and even splashing puddles over it, to which it would quickly shake it off and continue. the closer you got, the more the figure seemed to get clearer.

black and red fur, standing at about 3 to 4 feet, pointy ears and the only ‘clothing’ it wore was gloves and shoes. it’s little muzzle had a frown; brows scrunched up and red eyes flitting around in an almost panicked state. it clearly was confused by everything around it, and everyone was just passing him by — not even bothering to help.

it tugged at your heart. you couldn’t just leave the poor thing sopping wet and standing cluelessly in the streets. what if a car didn’t see it, and it got run over?

you slowly made your way over to it, and seemingly aware of your footsteps despite the noise surrounding it, it whipped around, glaring at you with its fists raised. It was intelligent enough to know danger it seemed.

“ I’m not gonna hurt you, “ you began, eyes flicking up to your umbrella and back down at it, “ but you’re going to get hurt if you keep walking around like that. and you’re all wet.. “ a flicker of confusion, but it seemed to be listening to you, ears twitching. you turned your umbrella towards it to block any more rain from seeping into it’s matted fur.

“ so you don’t get more wet. “ you explained softly, watching it crane it’s head back curiously to look at the umbrella, and how the rain bounced off and kept it dry. its arms lowered. it looked back up at you and parted it’s lips, and you wondered if it could speak —

tires screeched and you looked up, finding yourself now surrounded by military vehicles. the doors were quick to fly open and armored soldiers stepped out simultaneously, guns drawn and pointed to you and the creature. what had you gotten yourself into? you only had a moment to glance down at the little being — who met your eyes and took notice of the fear you had.

it was gone in the blink of an eye, and you turned around to see where it went. flashes of white and fur appeared and disappeared around you, and one by one the soldiers were taken down. you had to duck down with your umbrella forgotten beside you to cover from the gunfire, hands over your ears to muddle the loud bangs.

they stood no chance. within minutes all the soldiers were taken down, groaning in pain and some even retreating when they realized they couldn’t fight back. the creature appeared before you again, and you lowered your hands from your ears, eyes wide in shock and awe. he frowned, picking up your discarded umbrella and holding it over you. you took it with shaky hands.

“ you’re not hurt? “ it spoke, voice low and raspy, like it hadn’t spoken in some time. a boy, you decided — he sounded like a boy.

“ no. “ you murmured, slowly rising to your feet, “ are you? “

“ no. “ he responded, as if the mere thought of being touched was outlandish. laughable. you should have expected that with what you saw. you held the umbrella over you both and looked around at the fallen soldiers and overturned vehicles. it was still raining.

“ we should get out of the rain. “ you found yourself saying, and you were shocked with yourself. you were inviting this little creature, this boy alien to join you in finding shelter after witnessing the strength he had in his fists alone. they bothered him first, you found yourself reasoning, they surrounded him and made him feel he was in danger. he was protecting himself.

“ follow me. “ you looked down at the creature, and he stared up at you with a look of curiosity. but he didn’t look half as dangerous as he did a moment ago, “ I’m staying someplace nearby. It’s warm and dry. “ He nodded.

you began to lead him down the street as if the chaos behind you didn’t exist, and he followed beside you. the second being to treat him as if he were just another living thing and not a weapon — not that you would know that. you jumped when he spoke again.

“ shadow. “ he looked up at you, “ my name is shadow. “ a name to your savior. you gave a small smile down at him, and his face softened at the sight.

“ it’s nice to meet you shadow. “

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.

Come Full Circle

Shadow was a weird guy. He just was. But anyone who grew up how he did would be weird, so you put a lot of his strange habits out of your mind. So, you didn't pay it much attention when Shadow's habit of pacing turned into him walking around you.

It wasn't as obvious as him obsessively grooming his quills or him checking his shoes when he was bored. Shadow moved with purpose more often than not, so as he made his way around you, tapping his foot and scanning the perimeter, it took a few laps for you to realize that he was orbiting you like a moon caught by your gravity.

"Everything alright?" You asked, futzing with your outfit to not appear put off by his behavior. The last thing you wanted was to weird him out of things he did to comfort himself. Gaia knew he hardly allowed himself these things.

"Mm." Was all Shadow gave you, his face obscured.

So you shrugged and continued on with your day.

However, when the day winded down into dinnertime, you found yourself surrounded by others, most importantly other hedgehogs. Amy and Sonic specifically stared at you and the ever-orbiting Shadow with wide eyes, which unnerved you. And when you were unnerved, Shadow was biting, so at least they weren't staring for long.

Instead, you caught them giggling to each other, Amy especially joyful.

She caught your hand when Sonic got Shadow's attention with a race.

"Shadow's been circling you, huh?" She asked, smile small but knowing.

"Yeah?" You cocked your head. "What? Don't tell me it means something."

"For a hedgehog like Shadow," Amy began, pausing so you'd huff at her, "it means he likes you."

You were not impressed. "Cool. I like him too."

Amy slugged your arm, and like a bolt of lightning, Shadow appeared before the two of you. You stumbled forward into him, but he easily caught you, giving Amy a halfhearted glare. She didn't speak, but put her hands up in faux surrender.

"Loves you." She said to you, skipping off to soothe the bruised ego of one blue hedgehog. You watched her go, eyes widening when Sonic did a series of laps around her, seemingly just happy to see her.

Loves you. Oh Gaia, ohhhhhhh. . .

Shadow's voice snapped you into reality. "What did she say? Loves you?"

You shook your head to clear it. "Guess she loves me."

Shadow huffed a little, confused but unwilling to ask more questions. Seeing him finally still for once, you carefully began to step behind him. Shadow turns with you for a moment, brows furrowed, but they widen as you begin your second lap.

You had never seen him so still. A smile tugged at your face, but you didn't tease, didn't say anything. Instead, you circled your lovely hedgehog, watching him start to squirm and blush.

But he didn't leave.

(Age- 5-10) I picked this age because I have VIVID memories of trying to befriend Anything even things i really shouldn’t

You’re my friend now!

pairings: Shadow the Hedgehog x child!reader (platonic)

warnings: none!

summary: you meet Shadow and decide he is going to be your friend, whether he wants to or not

a/n: OMGGG THIS IS SO CUTE! I imagine Shadow being so careful around reader because they’re a child and he’s just so confused why this little kid is just following him around😭

When you first saw Shadow, you thought he was some big plushie that came to life. It was magical really. Being a child and one so young, these things intrigued you. In fact you quite literally could not stay away.

Your father, Stone didn’t exactly tell you not to stay away either, he just gave you a heads up that Shadow was very powerful and to be careful around him. Which you would be, but first you needed to make him your new friend.

Summery: Basically Shadow just washes your hair and paints your nails (he's a girl's girl I swear it)

Authors note: The undertone of this is romantic but it doesn't have to be if you don't want it to be. Hope you enjoy it babes!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The warm light of the bathroom reflected off the polished tiles, casting a soft glow over the serene scene. You sat on a small stool near the sink, your head tipped back as Shadow carefully poured water over your hair.

familiar

WARNING: Illness

PAIRING: Shadow the Hedgehog x Sick! Reader

NOTE: This is such a cute request and I'm pretty proud of this! Sending you all the love, and I hope this brightens your day a little! Take care of yourself <333

SUMMARY: Shadow reluctantly delivers medicine to you at Sonic’s insistence, but upon meeting you, he’s struck by a haunting familiarity.

Picking you up.

To your knowledge Shadow didn’t have a vehicle. The mode of transportation you’ve seen him take is chaos control or running. Is he going to carry you to the restaurant? Not that you’d mind being carried but it didn’t seem like something he would do. It’s be more plausible to take you by the hand and teleport you to the entrance.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a roaring engine. Shadow pulls up on what appears to be a custom made motorcycle.

“Get on,” he commands you and so you do.

“Since when have you had this?”

“That explanation can wait until we get to our destination. For now, just hold on tight.”

Loosely, your arms wrap around his waist. A foot of space between his back and your chest is left.

“Do you want to fall off? Tighter.”

Taking a few seconds too long Shadow forces the bike to lurch forward. Brakes are immediately applied after and your body slams into his. Instinctively you shut your eyes and squeeze him.

You can feel his chest jerk as he playfully chuckles. For a moment Shadow’s gloved hand rests on top of your arms. “Better,” he states.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

During the ride, he was a tad distracted by you nuzzling into his neck and back followed by content sighs. While you’re not able to see it, it’s undeniable that a sly smile is plastered on Shadow’s face, clearly proud of himself that Rouge’s his little plan worked.