3 hours after his nightmare-induced outburst, Shadow sat quietly on the edge of Sonic's bed as the blue hedgehog stared at the ceiling, his bloodshot eyes unblinking and unwaivering while he fixated on a single point of the pale colored panels. The doctors had administered a mild sedative in order to help him relax and quell his erratic behavior, but he resisted allowing the medication to send him back into the land of dreams, where he would get to see the one he had grown so attached to, but eventually, have to wake up without.

"You should try to go back to sleep," the black hedgehog suggested, breaking the silence while glancing over at his partner who laid perfectly still. 

After a few moments of no answer, he tried again, slightly louder but with no ill intent, "---Sonic"

The broken hero automatically shut his eyes in a seemingly perturbed manner, refusing to acknowledge him otherwise. 
Shadow could only let out a small sigh at the famous stubborness rearing its head once again. Peering down at his seemingly sleeping visage, it allowed him to hope he'll be okay when he finished healing. He started to stand up to return to the bedside chair, but was caught off guard as Sonic immediately grabbed his hand as firmly as he could and yanked him back onto the bed. 

The black hedgehog stumbled backwards and landed across Sonic's lap, where the speedster wasted no time in grasping his face and merging their lips together. 
The kiss took the Ultimate Life form by surprise as he could feel Sonic's tongue quickly invade him, searching around, caressing his teeth, and dancing with his own tongue. Though his grip was weak, he held his hands fervently on his cheeks while he continued to explore every centimeter of his mouth as if to get reaquainted with territory he had forgotten. 

The tantilizing sensations of their oral waltz was their common foreplay, but this time, it was very different. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was subtle, hidden, like an important piece of a puzzle was missing. Whatever it was, it was no match for the emotions that overtook them as they both moaned in the enveloping passion.
Shadow slowly relaxed and succumbed to that which he had longed for, having not realized how much he truly had missed his touch. It was then that the missing piece became evident. Without warning, Sonic pierced his teeth into his bottom lip as hard as possible, the jagged edge of the broken tooth slicing through the black hedgehog's skin.

Shadow instinctively pulled away, letting them both gasp for the air they had been neglecting. In between heaves, Sonic licked the blood and saliva from his own lips as Shadow wiped the small wound his partner had created on the side of his mouth, dumbfounded by his sudden violent take on their traditionally special means of connecting. 

"---Sonic, what----"

His sentence was cut short as the blue blur wrapped his arms around his waist and buried his face into the soft white fur on his chest. In deep huffs, he breathed in the scent of lavender before redirecting a stern gaze upward to whom he had latched onto.

"I want you to fuck me."---he finally said in his most serious tone, stunning the Ultimate Life Form by his overwhelmingly uncharacteristic directness. Sonic's clasped hands tightened as he awaited for his response, staring intently with their eyes locked in each other's gaze. 

Though Shadow agonized for the warmth of Sonic's body pressed against his own again, he was hesitant. Studying the eyes staring back at him was not the Sonic he knew. It was as if the one he cared so deeply for was trapped behind a thick wall within this form that was held together by bandages and stitches. He subconsciously could feel HIS Sonic screaming, reaching out from the darkness he was buried in for the love he had been denied. 
As much as he wanted to surrender to these feelings; as badly as he wished he could just fix everything in that instant, he couldn't help but rationalize the situation and prioritize his partner's health above his own desires or either of their carnal urges. 

"You're still recovering," he replied in an almost monontenous voice as though he were reading the lines of a script against his will, "you shouldn't exacerbate your injuries".

In that moment, Sonic's arms fell limp as he removed himself from their embrace and laid back down on the bed without a sound, turning on his side to face away from the black hedgehog. 

The essence in the air felt as though he had betrayed him somehow. Though Shadow wanted to reach out to him, there were no words he could come up with to make him see things clearly, not in his current state of mind. 
There was a long road ahead. It was going to take time to heal. And neither one of them were known for their patience.