Chapter 3

Blue sighed into the water, happy to rifle soap through his hair, getting all the... questionable leftovers from Sonic's exploration of his body, leaving a huge mess behind. 

Blue didn't wanna think about it at length but- ... how rude. 

Was he a virgin or something? Sure Shadow had to be slowed down a bit when it came to preparation but the ebony agent was certain never to leave anything behind- unless he wanted to- 

Blue's eyeridge twitched...half in realization, and half in shock. 

Maybe Sonic had wanted to leave him a mess, like Shadow had first tried to do. If they were anything alike, he would have been a bit more considerate, in a lot of ways- but maybe they were less alike than he thought. 

A frustrated groan came to life in his throat, dying out as he visibly slumped, not the type to maintain any kind of real anger, instead he just went back to washing up, promising himself not to think any more about it. 

It wasn't a big deal- it was over now- or at least it better be. 

--

The sun was half way through preparations to set, as Shadow's fingertips twitched, his black shouldering a soft orange gray, reflecting the light shed upon it as he stood from his crouch. 

"Do you really think I wouldn't notice?" 

Sonic slung himself from mid roll to twist into a stand, whipping his eyes to reflect the aggravated hog across the dirt road from him. His ears twitched and perked forward- 

"Notice what?" 

He casually picked up conversation. 

You could swore they hadn't been tumbling across dirt roads and sanded beach for the last five minutes straight trying to get a take on each other. 

"You're not allowed to touch him again. He is mine." 

"Does he know?" 

Sonic's ears shot up in surprise as Shadow's own widened in reaction. 

"O-of course he knows!" 

The agent spluttered half hazardly. 

"I don't think he does~~" 

Sonic began to stretch with a catty smile, throwing his arm over his chest and then flipping it upwards showing absolutely no concern in his body language for the fuming, flustering agent who was trying to paint a narrative that just didn't seem to actually exist. 

"He didn't even mention you the whoooooole time." 

Sonic grinned, practically whistling with smug victory - a flash from his wide smile moving across the entire field between them and practically back handing Shadow who's quills immediately exploded into a puffy mess as he fluffed up in discontent. 

"He's probably distracted by the fact you smell like a peppridge farm!" 

"Who?" 

"You're in heat, and have no business being near *my*---" 

The aggrassive voice died down mid-sentence, stumbling in the interim for a word that he could throw into the mix that wouldn't completely warp his reality- and coming up with nothing was not part of the plan- so he just stopped, abruptly. 

"Your?" 

Sonic felt a browridge raising high, as he stood straight folding his arms. They were not anything, he had checked- he wouldn't have had sex with a taken version of himself, he had high standards, but seeing Shadow struggle with this was unexpected. 

"Do you have no idea what you are to him?" 

"ENOUGH!" 

Shadow threw his hand out, flickering violently and disappearing- Sonic's eyes widening- it looks like the other male had finally lost his cool and decided to work out his issues with a - kick. 

A kick that was sent into the side of Sonic's jaw, sending him abruptly into the ground, his entire side exploding as he skid and twisted to stand- his feet rapidly slamming downward, into what he assumed was dirt and grass- and digging into the dirt as he knelt low, the inertia driving him backwards as quickly as the black bundle of anger was piling forward- and another explosion of pain erupted straight through his his face, the air felt colder than normal, and what could only be assumed to once again be dirt and grass struck him hard searing through his whole body like a concrete sidewalk. 

"WHOA!" 

He yelled- Shadow flickering above him- his eyes fixated upon him- Sonic couldn't tell- but it seemed he was angry at a lot of things, not just him- but the act of his posessive tendencies and him touching things the stern alpha didn't want him to- and all that- was really causing some bad behavior to come out. 

"And why should I?!" 

Shadow snarled actively, baring his fangs as Sonic impulsively hissed in response- 

Shadow backed up, blinking. 

What the ....---

He wrinkled his nose in distaste- he had never seen HIS Sonic do anything like that- this really was a strange situation, no one had informed him of another blue hedgehog making his way into their world, but the characteristics he was displaying weren't really very much like his Blue- the two of them seemed to be the same as far as challenge went as well- and as the day unfolded, Shadow found himself actually taking hits from the feisty feral version of Blue- actually getting thrown into a rock full blown at one point- and the size difference was incredibly annoying- making it much more awkward to pin him down beneath him. 

Something that by the time he was successful at doing so- he felt ridiculous managing it.

"Who are you really?!" 

"Who do you think!?!? God why are you SO MAD!" 

Sonic twisted- trying to pin SHADOW in the middle of his aggravated yell, which was unnerving as hell. 

"YOU- need to GO BACK to where you came from!" 

Sonic's ears pinned back against his head- sure it wasn't HIS Shadow, but this territorial wannabe was really getting on his last nerve- 

"I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" 

He wasn't- he couldn't- but also now? He really wasn't. Something about this guy was driving him to want to stay- take Blue for himself, take on the challenge. Which wasn't the right way to think about the situation at all but he couldn't help it- Shadow was SO- about to punch him- he was about to get--- 

Sonic watched as Shadow's fist was captured, in the hand of none other than Blue himself- who threw the arm off, both sets of eyes falling on the freshly bathed male- who actually looked... pissed. There was a pause- because both Shadow and Sonic had not expected to see that face on Blue, it was unfamiliar and disturbing how upset the hedgehog appeared. 

"What ARE you even fighting about STILL?!" 

His voice was shaking, shaking his head as he held his hands out. 

"Are you fighting over ME? You better NOT be!" 

He threw his hands up in frustration- 

Shadow actually had the decency to close his mouth, lowering his hands as Sonic lay beneath him, both of them deflating realizing that was, in fact, exactly what they were both fighting over. 

"Quit it, right now." 

Blue frowned impressively, ridged narrowed, his entire body stiff. 

"Ok...." 

Sonic said immediately, happy to stop fighting if it meant that Blue wouldn't have that expression anymore- Shadow, realizing that he was going to be the only problem in the equation stood up quickly and turned to face Blue. 

He opened his mouth slowly- struggling for something to say- 

"We're not together, Shadow." 

Blue clarified, his hands raising carefully- palms up- gloves now covering them both. 

"Do you get that?" 

The silence in the air was defeating, Sonic didn't exactly feel good about hearing the rejection. Had he caused this problem? Had he gotten in the way of something Shadow deemed important? It was obvious he had- or had at least brought up some glaring problems Blue and Shadow had in their relationship that they wouldn't have had if it wasn't for his interactions. 

He couldn't exactly help it though- he had been careful, Blue had been single- he didn't know all this other stuff was going on, even at this point? He still didn't know what it was they even were. 

Before another word could pass- Shadow dissappeared. 

Blue slowly folded his arms, appearing vulnurable for a split second- before he looked off to the side, no words leaving him, but it was just something about the way he stood that said a lot more than he ever could. 

He wasn't happy- not with how this was going, not with how this fight had broken out- not with potentially hurting Shadow's feelings, he wasn't ok. 

He didn't want to hurt anyone. 

"Sorry about that-"

Sonic cleared his throat- stepping up to reach out to Blue, who turned to walk away before he could be touched. 

"Yeah me too." 

He kept walking, not saying another word.