Warmth. Throbbing warmth. The desire to be filled was a thirst that couldn't be quenched as Sonic slid up and down on top of Shadow's sleeping form, his soft black fur tickling his tail when he closed the gap between them. Through the darkness of the room, he studied every curve in his face with unblinking eyes, how it contorted and shifted from the sensations permeating his unconsciousness state. 

*What was he thinking?* The blue hedgehog voicelessly said to himself. Although at this point, he wasn't sure if he was wondering what was going through his partner's mind or his own. He just knew he longed for this feeling. The urges were impossible to ignore much less silence. The injuries on his body were meaningless. The voices in his head were incomprehensible. The most important thing in that moment was tapping into the rich reserves of the one whom lay underneath him. His anus quivered with excitement as the cylinder grew harder, instinctively making him slightly quicken his pace. He clenched the bedsheets on each side of the black hedgehog as labored breaths escaped his surpressed moans. He was feeling the intensity rise, sensing the apex approaching. Going days without satisfaction was more than he could bear. He craved this more than anything! 
His piercing emerald eyes never waivered, even after they were met by the astonished gaze of a crimson pair, fully awakened and in shock. 

"S-Sonic...what are you?" Shadow stuttered, unable to gather the words to question what he was unknowingly a part of. 

"I had an itch that needed scratching," the broken hero retorted, "you don't mind, do you?" 

His mischevious smirk mirrored the Sonic of old, whom had stolen such pleasure from Shadow once or twice in the past when the Ultimate Life Form wasn't in a forthcoming mood. However, back then, such intimate moments always culminated to silly exchanges that brought him out of his shell before leading to therapuetic pillow talk, where the blue hedgehog was able to tear down the walls his insecurities constructed, sweep away his worries, and reconcile all of his woes, no matter the circumstances. 
Those were treasured times. Points where their intimacy was a gateway to a deeper connection between them that superceded primal physical contact. 

This. This was not that at all. Sonic's eyes glowed like a hungry animal in the dark room, his stance akin to a predator ready to pounce, and though his comment was of a jest nature, his tone sounded almost maniacle. There was no emotional attachment here. No substance in this exchange. Just the carnal desires of a seemingly rabid creature, the hollowed vessel of the one he knew, being fulfilled. 

"Sonic, we shouldn't be doing this. You need to heal." Shadow stated as he began to lean up on the bed, only to be pushed back down by the weight of his partner. 

"Oh? I thought you used to enjoy this. Come on, you can't tell me this doesn't feel good." Sonic's hands pressed down on Shadow's shoulders aggressively, his crazed face hovering above as he continued the motions, now with more impact on each descent. He could feel it press his insides, pulsing more and more with each stride. 

"---You're almost there..." he teased. 

He was right, the stimulation was too much to resist. "--SONIC! STOP!" Shadow protested, fearing he would hurt his partner. But it was too late. The pinnacle moment of ecstacy had arrived. Regardless of his restraint, the hot, white liquid ejected into the broken hero in a large oozing splash, engulfing them both in a unified sense of orgasmic delight that arched their backs and curled their toes with mutual moans of elation singing off the walls.
Heaving from the slowly passing arousal, Sonic laid down completely on top of the Ultimate Life Form, keeping his member inside so the draining fluid could swirl within as long as possible. They lay cheek to cheek, with the blue blur's face buried in the black hedgehog's quills. 

"Did you miss this?" he questioned seriously as he lay motionless, "was it what you expected?"

Shadow wanted to answer honestly, but was caught in the tangled web of the situation. Did he miss Sonic's touch? Of course! Did he want this more than anything? There was no denying it. Was this what he expected? The truth carried with it a venom that he feared would poison his damaged lover should he allow it to leave his lips. He wanted Sonic to be better, but pointing that out would be a slap in the face after this moment, and it was selfish of him to pressure him otherwise. 
The only course of action he could think of was to act on the instinct of his heart and hope it would do the right thing. 

He looped his arms around the blue hedgehog and squeezed him into his chest in a conforming embrace. Though he was careful to avoid the areas with bandages, he nevertheless encompassed as much of his frame as he could while he nuzzled against his neck. 

"You're here," he whispered lovingly, "that's what matters. Everything else, we'll work through later....together."

Sonic's relaxed composure transformed into a collection of barriers that skyrocketed around every possible opening in his mind as he gently pulled away from his partner. Avoiding eye contact, he removed himself from their connection and sat on the edge of the bed quietly, folding his arms around his stomach, feeling it twist and tense to the anxiety seeping in. 

"What if I don't want to?" he finally asked somberly. 

Shadow stared at his partner's scarred back in melancholic confusion. There was no understanding the question as it stood. 
Was he trying to push him away? Was he not ready to face what he went through? Or did he not want to get better at all? 
The last theory frightened him more than he cared to admit. Aside from taking unhealthy approaches to coping, the doctor had expressed her concerns of Sonic establishing emotional boundaries to circumvent the trauma. She warned that not dealing with the issues will only let them take root and stagnate his core, and should he shut down completely, he may never recover. As much as Shadow wanted to respect his wishes, allowing Sonic to drown the suffering he endured would only take himself down with it.  

"We don't have to rush it," he stated as he shuffled over by his side, "whenever you're ready to talk. I'm here to listen."

"And if I choose not to?" Sonic rebutted, still staring at nothing in particular on the floor, his hands clasping tighter around his abdomen.

"I'll still be here," Shadow assured as he rested his hand on his partner's shoulder, "whatever you need, I won't leave you."

Sonic rolled his head to the side, facing the black hedgehog with half-closed eyes and a blank expression similar to a soulless doll. 
The grip Infinite still had on Sonic's heart and mind wasn't releasing him any time soon. The machnications he utilized during their 6 months together had altered the hedgehog's perception, since he viewed Shadow's comforting words as no more than puffs of wind carrying no significance whatsoever. 

His feelings for his partner were different now. He was different. And though there was a sliver of himself that wanted desperately to find its way back, to accept the help offered, to be whole again, that part of him was a tiny voice screaming in the endless darkness, locked away beneath layers of suffering and loneliness the likes of which redefined his extistence.
With detatchment coating his words, he uttered, "Promises. Promises."