Tails
Sonic has plans on Valentine’s Day.
Well it’s not the regular plans people have on that exact date; he doesn’t have a dinner reserved in a romantic restaurant or night on the town dancing to the music playing through club speakers or sitting on a hill under the stars with some special someone, no his plans seem pretty unique to him and it’s his own fault.
Or rather, the fault of another version of himself. A version that looks exactly like his younger self just with a pair of cherub wings and an archery bow decorated with heart motifs to match.
Sonic’s not quite sure what he did to piss the other version of himself off but over the last few Valentine’s the smaller has been hell bent on chasing him down while shooting more arrows than Sonic could count, so far Sonic has managed to dodge or destroy any arrows shot his way and no amount of talking, pleading, yelling or screaming had managed to get the other off his back. He’s honestly just been getting used to the routine and accepting that this will just be his life every time the holiday comes around since nothing beside letting himself get shot would appease the other and he refused to let that happen. After all, he is a hedgehog not a pin cushion. It’s not the funnest thing in the world, the smaller certainly doesn’t give him any chili dog breaks which is a major bummer, but running is his bread and butter so he typically spends the holiday running across the whole planet and, come midnight, he’s waving the other off with a cocky smirk then gorging himself on those heavenly chili dogs and taking a long nap.
The issue is Sonic had forgotten to pay attention to the dates, leading to him waking in a cold sweat, quills rustling his fur as they rise from the feeling of someone watching him.
Jolting up he dislodges Tails, the younger flopping to the side from where he had been nestled against the hedgehog’s side before groggily sitting up to rub his eyes. His eyes are still glazed a bit with sleep but immediately latch onto the other, scanning over him with concern and urgency as his mind works to wake up and find what had caused the rushed change in their arrangement. They had fallen asleep on the couch while watching movies last night, bonding time that had been long overdue after everything that had happened with the metal virus and Sonic’s involuntary trip to the Sol dimension. Nothing had been really discussed, neither being the best at picking the words they’re feeling but rather just finding solace in being back together, in being able to be close without fear of spreading deadly metal through their bodies as the comfort that they can appreciate once more. Sonic had been hesitant at first, the group hug at the celebration party before they repaired Tangle’s city had left his skin tingling with nerves he didn’t want to acknowledge, but having seemingly noticed his brother’s mood when they returned home the younger had pointedly sat as close as he could to the other, tails tucked in his lap as he curls his socked feet up and pressed his shoulder against Sonic’s arm. The movie played with no scolding for worrying them, for losing them the speed reader that could have helped them make a cure before they had gotten to that near loss (Sonic ignores how it practically wasn’t, how he had felt himself slipping before the emeralds’ warmth had sang in him and burned away the chilling metal) or for taking such a huge risk with the Warp Topaz and almost being lost to them again, only to be flung across dimensions and woken up with no memory of the ones he had left behind to deal with the fallout. Instead it had played, start to finish, without a word from either of them but their sides sharing warmth as the peace had lulled them to sleep had said more than either could ever hope to express.
“Sonic?” The fox asks, bringing Sonic’s attention back to the present. He leans forward to catch Sonic’s eye and when he does his eye ridge raises in question. “Are you ok? Was…Was it a bad dream or something?”
Right. Sonic jolts again, looking around the room for what had caused that feeling of being watched. There is nothing out of place from what he can immediately see, take-out boxes of chili dogs and the remote still sitting on the coffee table from their late night dinner, lights turned off so dim lumination comes from the tv in front of them as it shows the movies’ menu, soft instrumental music plays from it that Sonic ignores to pick up any other sounds. He doesn’t catch anything obvious like footsteps or clothes rustling through the house so turning in his seat he can see the lights still on in the kitchen behind them, the golden light clashes with the tv, brightening the doorway and casing the walls around it in deeper shadows, they cover the pictures of familiar faces that are scattered across the wall and Sonic skims over them (to remind himself he knows those faces, he knows their names and what they mean to him, he knows there’s nothing to worry about) before turning back to Tails who had waited for a response with patience the hedgehog certainly hadn’t taught him but appreciated nonetheless.
He chuckles, it’s a bit weak for his taste so he tries to relax back into the couch cushions with a more earnest smile to make up for it, the heels of his shoes scraping softly against the floor as he stretches. “Sorry buddy, maybe it was but I don’t remember, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Well it’s not like you did it intentionally, no need to apologize.” Tails argues back, shaking his head good naturedly before swinging himself forward to hop off the couch. He stretches, arms reaching above his head, ears flicking as his nose scrunches and tails waggle behind him to work out any kinks before relaxing to hang just above the ground. “Anyway I’m going to grab a cup of water real fast, do you want one? Oh and can you put on a new movie, we can watch something before going back to bed since it’s still late.”
“Sure, thanks.” Sonic sends him off with a thumbs up and grin. “It sounds like a plan, little bro, I’ll pick a good one!”
Tails decides not to comment on his brother’s tastes, chuckling quietly as he moves around the couch to reach the kitchen, socks thudding softly against the ground. As he bustles around the lit room his shadow shifts around the room, Sonic feeling some reassurance seeing his vague reflection in the tv as he closes out of the previous movie to find a new one, the soft instrumentals cut off and leave the soft boops and hums as Sonic scrolls through their options. As he leisurely flicks over the previews he notices something move to the side of the tv, he almost shrugs it off as Tails’ shadow but picks up the faint sound of latches and his ears perk without hesitation. His eyes snap to the window that is to the side of the tv, he feels the draft brush his muzzle and his quills are already rising in threat before he catches the black eyes lasered on him from just over the window’s ledge.
Very familiar black eyes, especially when they are attached to a head of light blue quills and similarly perked ears.
“...Classic?” He whispers dubiously, the other doesn’t even blink, eyes still pinning him to the couch with a flat expression. Sonic’s eyes flick to the tv, intending to look at the time and make a joke about how being early doesn’t make you faster but the joke dies when he notices another key point of information.
02/14
Spread right under the time, which reads three minutes after twelve, was the date. Which means this isn’t his younger self making another appearance at the call of a world ending threat or just to randomly say hi, this was…
Sonic’s eyes snap back to the window and not a moment too soon, kicking his feet against the floor he flips over the couch, landing behind it in a crouch with a soft thud that nearly muffles the thump of something hitting the cushions. Poking his head over the top, ears pinned back to keep them from being easy targets, he catches sight of the arrow lodged where he had been moments before, it’s shaft made of a sturdy light colored wood and feathers a mix of white, pink and red bonded to the wood with thin bands of gold. He’s seen, and broken, plenty before so he ignores the projectile to focus on it’s shooter, the dimensional look-alike of his younger self had quietly pulled the window open so he could rest his knee against the sill, wings fluttering behind him to keep his small form up as his arms pull his bow taut, eyes still dull even with a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
“Yea…definitely not Classic, he’d at least be polite enough to start with a hello.” Sonic chuckles nervously, slowly standing to lean against the back of the couch, he didn’t want to be caught on the ground if the other decides to actually enter the house since it would severely limit his reaction time. “No chance we can skip this year, huh? I’m sure you’d love getting on with your plans and going after someone else today, maybe go hang out with that younger Tails look-alike? He seemed nice that one time, I’m sure he’d love to have shooting competitions or something with you?”
The cherub double, maybe Sonic will just call him Cupid Sonic or something, slightly sways his bow side to side in a so-so gesture, eye ridge arching a bit mockingly before flattening down again. His grip readjusts and Sonic wants to take the chance to speed into the other room, hopefully to lure the other in so he can slip out the front door or out a window, but at that moment he hears the bustling in the kitchen stop and socked feet making their way to the doorway.
“Sonic, wha-?” Tails questions, barely turning the corner of the opening before he becomes disoriented, a blue blur fills his vision and he feels himself spun around to be pulled back into the kitchen. Feeling the vertigo fade as quickly as it appeared, he sees his brother standing in front of him, looking over the shorter’s shoulder to the doorway nervously. “Huh? What happened?”
“Nothing? Well it’s something but I don’t really have time to explain.” Sonic laughs, it’s a bit frenzied, his eyes still glued on the doorway as his hands pat Tails’ shoulders comfortingly. His muzzle is pulled into a grin but there’s a hint of canines to it that seems more threatening than happy. “I gotta head out, bud, I’ll see you later today, or tomorrow morning at the latest, ok?”
Tails stalls for a moment, mind trying to catch up with what is happening. “Huh? But why? What about our movie, why do you have to leave? It’s the middle of the night!”
Sonic is still looking over his shoulder, almost entirely focused on something behind the fox that’s back in the living room, Tails doesn’t like whatever is happening. Puffing up his chest he steps further in front of the doorway and tugs the older hedgehog’s hands from his shoulders, this gets him to look down at him in surprise and Tails is about to give him a piece of his mind about keeping him out of the loop on things when several things happen at once. He sees Sonic’s eyes flick back over his shoulder and widen just as he feels a sudden jab to his back, it doesn’t hurt necessarily being more surprising than anything, but suddenly his vision blurs again as Sonic picks him up and rushes him to his room. The blue hedgehog sets him on his bed and races back to the door, shutting and locking it before rushing back to Tails’ side, taking his arm to turn him slightly and look at the fox’s back.
“Oh my Gaia Tails, are you ok? Does it hurt? I don’t see blood?” Sonic rushes out, moving from looking at Tails’ back to meeting his eyes, worried emerald meeting confused lapis.
“I’m fine? Are you talking about that jab I got in the kitchen?” Tails pushes back, looking over the other’s shoulder but he doesn’t see or hear anything from beyond the door, the Chao on his Chao in Space poster staring back at him without any new information about what was happening. Everything in his room, from his smaller project desk, his bed and the model planes hanging from the ceiling are all in their place which gives him a small sense of ease. “Sonic I really don’t get what’s happening? Is this about your nightmare, did you remember something? You can talk to me about anything!”
“I know, little bro,” Sonic sighs but he has a relieved and slightly confused smile on his muzzle. He tugs at his gloves slightly, looking between the window and the door before focusing back on Tails, going so far as to crouch in front of him. “I promise, I’ll answer your questions later but right now I gotta go handle something, I trust you to call me if you feel off or anything while I’m gone ok?”
Tails wants to argue more, to be involved in whatever is happening, but decides it must not be bad if Sonic isn’t actively asking for help. Sonic knows he can rely on his friends and Tails especially if anything is actually going wrong so he’ll just have to drag the answers out of him later, like any other time he’s been pulled into an adventure without Tails there to help. He’s about to agree and just let him leave when he feels something building in his throat, it’s not painful and he doesn’t feel sick so he opens his mouth to tell Sonic about the weird sensation when words start spilling out that he certainly hadn’t been planning to say.
“I know, you always trust me and I always trust you, that’s why we’re unstoppable as brothers! I love you Sonic, be safe because I don’t want to be afraid of losing you again!”
There’s a beat as both take in his words, Tails feels a blush building under the fur on his muzzle, he doesn’t know why he said that! Sure they see each other as brothers, and they care about each other more than anything but they don’t say ‘I love you’ very often, let alone blurting it out like that while adding on his fear of losing the older one. He reaches for his tails to wring them, a nervous habit that he’s mostly gotten out of unless he’s feeling extra stressed or embarrassed, when Sonic grabs his hands to gently squeeze them between his. His nervous energy has eased slightly, eyes softening with affection that just deepens Tails’ blush even more while also warming his insides, slowly burning away the embarrassment to return said affection with a bit of awe.
“I do, bud. I trust you because you’ll always be my little brother and you don’t have to be afraid of losing me because I’ll always be with you no matter what.” The hedgehog swears, pressing his forehead against the fox’s before pulling back to ruffle the longer fur between his ears, this earns him a sputtered laugh from Tails who swats lightly at his hands.
With a grin Sonic stands back up, salutes the other playfully before speeding over to the window that he quickly unlocks and slips out, the boy hearing a sonic boom moments later as a blue blur fades off into the dark night. Sighing the fox rubs at his muzzle, still feeling some leftover warmth, he turns back to his door and cautiously opens it. Seeing nothing in the hallway he makes his way back to the living room, he looks around but sees nothing out of place besides the window by the tv being partially open and the remote thrown onto the floor. Closing the window and relocking it he turns to the kitchen and his eye ridge raises in confusion at seeing the two cups of water he had gotten, and subsequently forgotten in all the chaos, sitting neatly on the ground, walking up to them he notices not a single drop of water had gotten on the floor.
Picking them up he decides he isn’t thirsty anymore and will leave the questions for when Sonic returns, so he dumps the water down the sink and puts the cups to the side, he walks back to his room and curls up under the blankets. They aren’t as warm as his brother but he’s satisfied knowing he’ll be back later and they can have another movie night when he does.