Author's Notes: Well, welcome to the Third or fourth installment of Flirting Shadows. Ups and Downs intended to be a brief collection of short domestic stories featuring Shadow and his home life. Obviously that spiraled a little bit out of control lol! I don't think there will be any villains to face in this, but it will contain larger timeskips! If you're not sure about this Shadow/OC couple, please check out Flirting Shadows and then Ups and Downs... there's an order to the stories!
As usual, Sonic, Shadow, Amy etc are © SEGA
Sara, Blitz etc. belong to moi. ;)
Shadow was asleep on the couch, one arm draped over the side. It was a lazy Saturday and he was determined to get a bit of well-earned rest. Unfortunately for him, someone else had other ideas. A toddling, one year old Maria walked over to the couch. The midnight blue hedgehog didn't think twice about wrapping her arms around Shadow's or tugging on it for attention.
"Papa!" She beamed proudly.
A crimson eye flew open and targeted the child. Any harshness evaporated when he got a good look at the bright cherry eyes of his daughter. Shadow sighed softly and rolled over on his back, hoisting the child onto his stomach. "Papa's trying to sleep, you lil' scamp," he scolded mildly.
"I love you!" She smiled and placed both hands firmly into the white tuft of fur on his chest.
Shadow sighed softly and stroked his daughter's head. "Yeah. You're a spoiled little princess." He drew his little girl closer and lay her head on his chest. "Now if you can stay there and go to sleep..." He stroked her head gently, the child complying for the time being.
Sara finished up in the kitchen and began walking around the apartment, picking up debris from the floor. A few baby toys and socks were most of the clutter, and though she didn't care much for laundry, she wasn't about to leave tripping hazards around. It wasn't long before she caught sight of Shadow and Maria on the couch, however, a smile forming on her face.
Maria seemed to sense her mother's presence and fought to sit up from under her father's embrace. "Mama! Hungry!" She waved her arms and disturbed Shadow out of his slumber with a mild groan.
"Sorry, hon." Sara set the toys and socks down on a chair before collecting the baby. "So what ya hungry for, baby?"
"Moo moo!" Maria giggled.
Sara laughed a bit. "Mmm... Okay. But you need to eat more than that too, baby." She looked down at Shadow, who didn't seem particularly amused, and lightly rubbed his forehead with her free hand. "I have lunch ready for us grown-ups too."
"Mnnn... Can I sleep a little more, Mommy?" A sarcastic smile crossed Shadow's lips as he tried to close his eyes again.
"No, you've been asleep all day." She flicked his forehead lightly. "I made sloppy joes."
Shadow rubbed his forehead lightly and sat up. He stayed quiet a minute, watching Sara head back toward the kitchenette. The food didn't smell half bad, and since his stomach was now complaining he thought he might comply with her. "I guess I'll get up." He shrugged and headed into the kitchen after her.
Shadow stood next to Sara, holding a bundled up Maria in his arms while she knocked on the door of Amy and Sonic's house. Since they now had two little ones, the apartment was a bit too small for them.
"Hey, Sonic! How's Amy doing?" Sara asked when the door was opened.
"Ahh, still tired but y'know." He shrugged and opened the door wider. There was always a visual exchange between him and Shadow. It didn't matter how friendly of terms they were on; they always had to bristle their spines as if in rival territory.
"So what'd you name the little rodent this time?" Shadow asked like he'd smelled something bad.
"Shadow!" Sara ribbed her mate.
"It's okay, Cuz." Sonic shrugged it off. "His name's Rift. Come on in." He motioned them in.
Once inside, Sara made a beeline for the new mom, who was holding the new little one on the couch. "Ohh! You got more blue in him this time," Sara commented, taking sight of her new little cousin.
Shadow took a detour to set Maria in a playpen next to Blitz. He gave the boy a similar look to his father and rolled his eyes. "Play nice."
"Hallo." Maria smiled.
"Hi!" Blitz chirped. The two of them did play well, despite any apprehension Shadow held.
"Worried he'll hurt her or somethin'?" Sonic asked, standing a couple feet behind the black and red hedgehog.
"Hmph." He shrugged and turned back toward the living room. "He touches her, it's all on your head."
"Social as ever." Sonic shrugged.
Shadow stopped to watch Sara, Amy, and the new baby. After they'd found out about Amy's second pregnancy, Sara had become infatuated with the idea of another child. Not that Shadow had held back any from her, but as of yet they still just had Maria. It didn't matter to him, but seeing the look on her face holding that baby...
"How are you feeling?" Sara asked Amy after a minute.
"Tired." Amy smiled a bit. "I was hoping for a girl this time." She sighed a bit. "Maria's so sweet."
"Thanks." Sara smiled softly, cradling Rift in her arms. "Hey, Shadow? Look! Isn't he sweet?"
"Maria's cuter," he said casually.
"Well, yeah." Sara practically cooed at the little one.
While the grown-ups chitchatted, Blitz and Maria played with building blocks and stuffed animals. Maria showed her focused nature, able to build up her part of the block tower higher than Blitz. The deep purple hedgehog proved to be action-oriented like his dad, and soon the two children were rolling on the floor in the middle of a tumbling fight. "Waaaaa!"
Shadow was the first to react to Maria's cries, easily prying the two pincushions apart. "Hey!" He partly growled at Blitz while drawing his girl in for comfort. She snuggled against his fluffy chest as usual, seeming to forget whatever happened moments before.
"Aww... Bad Blitz!" Sonic picked up his little boy, though Shadow felt the scolding was only half hearted. While only a week separated the two children, the boy had a fair amount more bulk.
"Come on, nobody's bleeding, it's okay." Sara sighed a bit. "Don't you boys go at it again!" Her warning was more for Sonic and Shadow than the children.
Sara lay Maria down to bed, tucking her in after a lullaby. She set a Care Bear plushy beside her and kissed her forehead before turning to leave. She paused at the door to her and Shadow's bedroom, seeing her dark lover already in bed and waiting for her.
"You know, it shouldn't be a fight every time we go visit them," Sara said gently before entering the room.
"I know…." Shadow lay back, having expected this course of conversation.
Sara slipped into bed next to him, her eyes a bit shy. "Come on...sometimes you guys are best friends, and other times you guys act like total enemies, which is it?"
Shadow sighed and turned toward Sara. His eyes wandered her form a bit while contemplating a satisfactory answer. "I don't know…."
"Is it because of the kids?" Sara dared to nestle a bit closer to him. Shadow nodded and nuzzled against her, wrapping his arms around Sara. "Blitz isn't Sonic."
"I know...I know...I just don't..." Shadow sighed a bit. "Now there's two of them."
"Well, if you keep thinking that way then I guess they're doomed to conflict." Sara's turn to sigh.
"I don't want that." He held her closer, but he could sense she was a bit tense tonight.
"Can you try to be a little bit more civil, then?" Sara rested her head on his tuft of fur, nestling into the soft pillow it made for her.
"Yeah." Shadow stroked her fur lightly, feeling a bit guilty about earlier that day. He also remembered her reaction to Rift. "...You really want another one?"
"Hmmm? Yeah." Sara continued to cuddle up to him.
"Why?" Shadow lightly licked behind her ears, his mate finally starting to relax.
"I like kids?" She nestled against him further.
"They eat, sleep, and poop...and let's not forget cry." Shadow said in his driest tone while still attempting to caress her.
"Well yeah, but I know you smile every time she says she loves you." A coy grin seated itself on Sara's face.
There was no denying that. He held Sara a little bit tighter. "Yeah. You think we can handle raising two?" He leaned in and gave Sara a soft kiss.
"Yeah. You're really sweet to Maria already." She returned another kiss to him. Shadow found himself lost and absorbed in her tender embrace once more. He'd give the world to her if he could, but right now her only desires were for peace and another baby. At least he could have fun trying to grant that wish.