Chapter 43: Ablaze

Warning: This chapter is spicy, read at your own risk of heart palpations. Happy reading <3__________________________________

Sonic's POV:

Taking a step towards Shadow, not once have I ever seen the hedgehog so rattled. His calm, unfaltering composure is long gone, now replaced with a spiraling panic that I've never seen before.

They say once you back a dog into a corner with nowhere to run, the only thing they have left to do is bite. Unknowingly, Calix has backed one very protective, very dangerous dog into a metaphorical corner.

Reaching out to grab his shoulder, he yanks away from my touch.

"We still have time to figure this out, Shadow--"

Shaking his head, whatever delirium that's pacing through his has taken temporary control.

"No. We're out of time."

Listening to his words rattle around inside of my head, I begin to wonder if I'm the one who's been delirious... For thinking that we could do something that's never been done before, with a ticking time bomb looming over our heads.

Out of time.

Out out of time.

Out of time.

...

Amy's POV:

No amount of preparation could have braced me for for the feeling of this island impacting with the ocean. At the second that the terrain crashed into the waves, blood spewed from my mouth. From myy eyes, my ears, everything. It felt like my insides were being crushed in between two walls, with no where to explode but from the sides as they constricted together. I tried with every ounce of my core to hold the terrain in place, but the moment we hit the water my power flickered out like flame without oxygen. Slowly being smothered until it completely went out.

I remember the pitter patter of feet running towards me as I collapsed to the ground, lifting me from the forest floor before the tide could completely engulf the island.

...

Shadow's POV:

The familiar pitch of the monitors beeping to the gentle beat of her heart are doing little to keep me awake. If anything, they're threatening to lull me to sleep.

Brushing my thumb against hers, it makes me recall just how many times we've been in this predicament.

How many times she's been hooked up to machines monitoring her vitals as I wait for her to awake.

Wondering how many times I've thought that she may never wake up.

But just like clockwork, her long eye lashes flutter open to the familiar colored walls of her room. It's been two very long, very draining days since Angel Island fell. And out of those two days, I've been right by her bedside for both of them.

Sleep has felt like a luxury, one that's few and far between. Too restless to doze off but too exhausted to stay awake.

The lack of sleep must be apparent, because the first thing that she does is reach up to brush my face.

Letting my head fall into her outstretched palm, I relish in her gentle touch as she caresses my cheek.

"I'm sorry. I did it again, didn't I?"

...

Amy's POV:

Watching his tired, exhausted nod, there's almost a hint of defeat behind his solemn eyes.

I've put him through so much, yet he still remains unwavering in his affection. And I no longer question if he's still going to be there when I open my eyes.

Maybe I'm taking it for granted.

Or perhaps I've just grown comfortably lost in his red gaze over these past few months.

One that as of right now, looks troubled.

"Shadow? What's wrong?"

He leaves my question hanging in the air as the uncomfortable silence makes me grow more weary with every passing second.

With a tired, slow inhale, he finally says "we couldn't get enough shards".

Feeling my heart drop into my stomach, my smile falters.

"We'll figure something out."

Shaking his head, he lets out an a short, exasperated laugh. To anyone else it would sound more like an annoyed scoff, but I know better than that.

"No, Rose. We don't... We don't have enough time-- We're out of options--"

Placing my other hand against the side of his face, I pull his head forwards to look at me. I've never seen his hard outer shell broken like this. I've never seen him frightened.

Cupping his soft face in my hands, I say "we will figure something out".

Shaking his head, he looks utterly defeated as he leans into my hands.

"I can't let him hurt you again. I won't."

Lost for words, I try to string together a sentence with the letters floating around in my mind.

"I won't get hurt--" tugging at my wrists as he grabs them, he looks so tired. More tired than I've ever seen him before.

"You've already been hurt so many times. And I couldn't stop a single one of them."

His voice is quiet, deep and unmoving. I've heard his voice everyday and I could still listen to him talk for hours. The richness to his smooth voice, the gravely deepness of it when he's just woken up in the morning.

"I'm so tired... Of seeing you in pain."

Trying to stifle the pang of guilt that strikes through my chest, I have a bad habit of putting myself in danger without considering the consequences of the toll that it takes on his emotions. I'm too stubborn when he tries to talk me out of poorly thought out plans, I'm so used to only thinking about myself that sometimes I forget that I have another person who worries about me.

I'm not unfamiliar to the suffocating feeling of watching the hedgehog you care about sit in a hospital bed with not a single thing you can do to take away their pain. It's a worthless, gut-wrenching feeling to be absolutely useless. I would take away his pain in a heartbeat if I could.

And the fact that I ache when he's injured yet I keep forcing him to the receiving end of that pain... Is selfish.

Pulling his forehead to mine, I gently nuzzle against it.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't realize... I wont put myself in harms way again."

Feeling the tension release from his body, I allow myself to melt into him.

Pulling me in tighter, I rest my head against the firm, hardened muscles of his chest. The feeling of being truly and utterly encased in his arms is one of the safest feelings that I've ever felt, and I have to bite back a protest when he peels me off of him.

Placing his hands firmly on my waist, a spark of electricity shoots through my body at his touch.

His simple gestures of brushing his hand against mine or tucking a loose quill behind my ear throughout the day have become like a routine now that I've become his and he's become mine. But as I sit straddled on his lap, this feels nothing but intentional.

"Promise me."

Blinking from my dazed thoughts, I begin to wonder if he's driving me insane. If I just misinterpreted his movements.

"What?"

Looking up at his deep, desperate crimson eyes, I feel as if I'm beginning to come unwound.

"Promise me you won't try to take on Calix. Please."

Blinking at him, my eyes must be as big as my face. Not once has he ever begged anyone for anything. But hearing the pitch shift in his voice as he looks at me pleadingly, I don't hesitate for a second to give exactly what he wants.

"I promise."

Having to brace my hands against his broad shoulders to keep from falling as he exhales deeply, I feel my cheeks flush as I look up to see our faces mere centimeters apart.

I start to rattle off the mumbled words of an apology and attempt to move myself off of him, but stop when I feel his fingers dig into the skin on my hips.

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about what might have happened had I not broken down in front of him a few weeks ago, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel my skin aching for his touch every time he lets go.

But wanting all of his time, all of his love, all of his affection... Feels selfish.

But I deserve to be selfish.

I choose to be selfish.

Closing the distance between us, his lips are soft, accepting. Accepting of me, and all of my faults.

His hands slide up from my hips to the curve of my waist, choosing to touch my scarred and mangled body.

Arching my back into his touch as his hand drifts to the small of my back, the other slides up my neck.

Leaning me off the edge of the bed, he follows me down as he tips my head back. Opening my mouth to him, I feel another pulse of electricity shoot through my body at his touch.

Breathlessly pulling away for air, he leans down, his breath against my ear sending goosebumps running down the lengths of my body.

Deeply, huskily, he growls "I would go to the ends of the Earth for you. Anything you want, anything you wish, I would give it all to you in an instant."

Biting back a whimper as his lips brush the curve of my ear, his grip tightens on the back of my neck as he angles it even farther back.

Further trusting his hand with the weight of my head, he plants open-mouthed kisses down my neck, traveling down to my shoulder, pulling the collar of my shirt to expose even more skin. Back up to my ear, thoroughly moving to every part of my neck to ensure none of it is left untouched by his mouth.

And for the smallest, most minuscule second that his hand grazed my hip, I feel the ghost of unwanted hands. Hands that I didn't want, hands that I didn't ask for.

But I want him. I want him on every part of me. My skin is tingling with a fiery sensation in every place that our skin is touching, but it's not enough.

Cursing under his breath as he gets tangled in the strings connected from my body to the vitals monitor, I don't hesitate to yank them out.

I don't care if it sends Tails rushing to my house in a panic, I don't care about anything else besides the feeling of his hands creeping up my waist.

Lifting me back upright, I can feel the fabric of my shirt bunch around his hands. Locking eyes with him, there's a question is his eyes. A last silent ask of consent.

...

Shadow's POV:

Feeling something in my heart risk beating through my sternum as she lifts her arms above her head, I slide the thin fabric of her shirt further up her waist. Taking in every beautiful detail of her. The scars symbolizing everything she's endured, the softness of her pink fur and the vibrant smell of roses and vanilla leaking off of her.

Nearing the curve of her breasts, I give her one last look to ensure this is really what she wants; To give her time to change her mind. It's taking every ounce of restraint in my body to not rip her clothes to shreds and make her scream right here and now, but I also want her to want this. I want her to want me.

The look that she gives me is enough to say she's about to strip herself if I don't hurry, and with one quick tug her shirt is laying in a rumpled pile on the floor.

Raking my eyes down the length of her body, I feel the air threaten to leave my lungs at the sheer perfection of it. I've seen her naked once, but I was too fast; I was too eager to have all of her that I forgot to truly admire her.

Memorizing the thick curve of her hips leading to the dip of her waist, up to the generous curve of her breasts, her body couldn't be more perfect. She couldn't be more perfect.

Slowly sliding my hands back down her body, I cup her thighs to lay her down on the bed and just about come unraveled as I realize that her legs are quivering. Quivering at my touch.

Fuck.

Glancing down at the very thin piece of fabric keeping her from being completely naked, I find myself struggling to breath as she reaches for the button of my pants.

Rush-idly fiddling with them, the button snaps undone as she leans back so I can shimmy out of them. Still not satisfied, she tugs at the waist band of my boxers.

...

Amy's POV:

Taking in the full, large sight of him as the last part of clothing concealing him is flung to the floor, he practically rips my shorts and the thin piece of fabric underneath them off of me. With both of us left fully exposed, we take a breathless second to stare at each other bathed in the pale moonlight.

Oggling the rippling muscles in his shoulders as he lifts me up, he rolls me to the side before sliding me underneath him. Gliding my hands over his chest and down his abdomen, I can't help but savor the way he tenses under my touch.

Lowering himself onto me, he's so, so gentle in ensuring his entire body weight isn't resting on top of me.

Biting down on my tongue as the length of him presses against me, I'm on the edge of begging him to close the distance.

When he doesn't, I look up to see some sort of realization flash across his eyes before reaching into the bedside table.

Listening to the small foil package crinkle, every inch of my body feels like it's buzzing with anticipation.

Silently urging him to slide the thin piece of rubber on faster, the wrapper is discarded onto the floor along with our clothes.

Turning his attention back on me as he lowers himself back down, for a split second I think he's asking me for that last silent bit of consent. But no, he's watching my reaction, ready to soak up every detailed expression my face is about to make.

...

Shadow's POV:

Bracing my elbows by her head, I watch her eyebrows scrunch together and her mouth clamp shut as I begin to ease my way inside of her. Even with the thin rubber, I can feel the abundance of the warm, wet liquid leaking out of her.

Leaning down next to her ear, I can hear her heart thundering in her chest.

"It's okay, let it out. I want to hear it."

Slowly, I begin to push further inside of her, wanting to savor every blissful moment of this. Watching her mouth part breathlessly as I sink the rest of the way into her, I can't help but grin as she tightly grips at the bedsheets as I begin to move.

...

Amy's POV:

Panting as his mouth finds mine, his slow, gentle, deliberate thrusts have my entire body shaking.Gradually, his gentle thrusts become faster and I can't keep a moan from escaping my mouth. Pausing at the sound, he suddenly pushes into me hard enough to send a tingling sensation spreading throughout my abdomen. With it comes another cry, which leads to another hard thrust that sends a spasm coursing throughout my body. Another thrust, and I'm digging my nails into his back as he grunts breathlessly into my ear.

Another scream and he's grabbing at my hips, picking them up off the bed to angle them where he can go harder, deeper. The pleasurable waves spreading throughout my body are getting closer and closer together, until I find myself letting out one of the most gutteral, sexual cries for him that I ever have.

...

Shadow's POV:

Listening to her mouth form into the shape of my name, I feel the walls of the inside of her clamp down around me as her legs shake. I don't mean to, I don't want to, but between the sound of her screaming my name and shaking under my grasp; I don't think I could have held back the sticky liquid spreading throughout the latex barrier even if I had wanted to.

Collapsing onto the bed beside her, we're both gasping for air, our chests heaving as we stare at each other in the moonlight.

Watching her chest rise and fall, I follow it further down the graceful dip of her silhouette. Reaching out, I gently brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear. A warm, comforting feeling spreads through my chest as she peacefully closes her eyes at my touch, and I can't help but think that I've never been so at peace next to another being than I am with her.