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Something was wrong.
Tails didn't quite know what it was, but definitely something was going on with Sonic. At first, he just seemed distracted. Two weeks ago, when Tails asked Sonic to put some rags and cloths from his workshop into the washing machine, he did it without a problem. But it was only when it was time to take them out and fold them that he realized Sonic hadn't even turned the machine on! Last week, Sonic tripped at least four times over the same corner of the living room sofa while humming something random around the house.
Tails' house wasn't messy—well, not as messy as his workshop, which was where the garage of typical houses would be. But come on, Sonic spent more time in his house than Tails did, he even had a room (which was initially just a guest room) all to himself. So, it made no sense to trip so much over a piece of furniture that had never moved.
Tails saw all this merely as a moment of inattention from the blue hedgehog, since he knew his brother had more distracted periods due to his ADHD. But things started getting really strange when he began coming home very late, or when he refused his beloved chili dogs that Tails offered for dinner, saying he had already eaten out, and even, at times, not coming home at all.
He understood that Sonic was a free spirit and that it was common for him not to sleep at home sometimes or to go off on adventures and return months later. But his sixth sense told him that this wasn't what was happening in this case.
_____
Now, they were both in the comfort of each other's company, sitting on the living room sofa, watching some random movie while eating the hedgehog's favorite dish.
"Dude, is this the movie that has a sequel out in theaters now?" Tails commented, uninterested. He just felt like verbalizing an intrusive thought the TV screen gave him.
"It's that one. But I'll warn you, the movie isn't as good as the first one." Sonic replied, taking a bite of his dog afterward.
How did the older one know that?
"Wait a minute, you already went to see it?" The fox raised an eyebrow, staring at his brother.
Sonic seemed to swallow hard for a brief moment. Anyone else wouldn't have noticed, but we're talking about Tails, so of course it wouldn't slip past him.
"Oh, I... yeah, I watched it a few days ago."
"With who?" Tails didn't find him going to the movies strange; what was strange was the movie he chose to watch! The possibility of him having gone on his own was almost zero.
He expected a casual answer or something like, "Amy cornered me into seeing it with her." Which wouldn't be so unlikely. But if that’s the case, why did Sonic start stuttering?
"I-I... I went alone!"
Tails narrowed his eyes at him, then turned back to the television. The movie was a Latin romance, with protagonists named things like Juan, Carlos, Daniela, and characteristic telenovela plots. Sonic would never watch a movie like that unless he was dragged by someone else. Why was the hedgehog lying?
Could Sonic have been on a date? But, with who? Did he finally decide to give Amy a chance and just doesn't want to admit it?
"...Okay," was all Tails could manage to reply. He could have cornered his brother with more questions until he confessed, but he still wanted more proof.
A part of him even felt a little sad with this whole assumption. Why would Sonic go on a date and not want to tell his best friend??
Strange...
_____
The sky was at its greatest splendor, with its vibrant light blue and few clouds around. The sun shone softly, and the fresh breeze made for perfect picnic weather. Tails was on a green lawn with Amy, sitting on a strategically placed blanket. They were going to celebrate Knuckles' birthday on that pleasant day. The echidna was standing right next to them, by a tree that cast the perfect shadow over the chosen spot for the celebration. He was mumbling something to Rouge who, facing him, was teasing him with words the fox wasn't interested in. Next to the two of them, leaning against the tree and not saying a word, was Shadow the Hedgehog.
Tails found the hedgehog's presence strange, but he just assumed that Knuckles wanted Rouge present on his big day, and she brought Shadow, seeing as they were always together. He only wanted to know what was capable of convincing the black hedgehog to come to the party, as he was definitely not a mobian who enjoyed socializing, celebrating anything, or picnics. In fact, it was very difficult to imagine him liking anything that wasn't competing against Sonic.
He laughed internally at the thought. He looked toward the horizon, expecting to find a blue blur approaching; only Sonic was missing so they could start eating.
Tails observed the environment, seeing everyone busy with their own thing, and took advantage of the moment to try and get some information he had wanted since the conversation between him and Sonic on the sofa.
"Hey, Amy."
"Hmm?"
"Do you know what's playing at the cinema? I'm thinking of seeing something this week."
The bait was cast, bite!
She put her index finger to her lips, in a thoughtful gesture.
"I know there's Kill or Die, which is action, La Pasión 2, which is the sequel to a romance, and a third one, a comedy, whose name I don't remember."
Aha! So she knew the movies playing! They (she and Sonic) probably went out on a date and discussed whether to watch action or romance. He likely yielded to her wishes, and they went with the romance.
"And what did you think of La Pasión 2?" He was already certain; now he just wanted to confirm his theory one last time.
"Oh! I haven't watched it yet, but I definitely will! The story is so beautiful, and the protagonist is such a cutie!" She intertwined her hands near her face and looked dreamily at a vague point on the horizon, hoping to live her own love story someday.
Wait, what?
Amy hadn't watched it yet?
Then it couldn't have been her who went on a date with Sonic. But if it wasn't her, who was it with...?
"Are you guys talking about La Pasión 2?" Rouge, still near the tree, joined the conversation, animatedly.
"Yes! Have you seen it?" Amy replied, inviting the bat to participate.
"I have! I liked it a lot, but the person I was with was bored most of the time." She sighed in dissatisfaction. "Maybe I'll invite Shadow to see it again; he would surely enjoy the movie more, wouldn't you, Shads?"
Wait a minute...
"I told you not to call me that." The black hedgehog replied disinterestedly. His arms remained crossed over his chest, and one leg leaned against the tree, tapping lightly, indicating he was annoyed, impatient, or both. His gaze didn't even bother to fix on the bat to respond to her. His eyes remained fixed on the same point on the horizon, as if he were waiting for someone. Or perhaps hoping for a villain attack to take him out of there—that was certainly the most likely option.
But back to the main subject, Tails was using all the gears of his big, bright brain to reason.
There was no way it could be possible!
Rouge is the one dating Sonic?
No... it can't be, he must have misunderstood. Everyone knew Knuckles and Rouge had been dating for years. Well, Knuckles never admitted it out loud; he likes to keep his love life totally discreet. But it was quite obvious to everyone that they were together. Sonic wouldn't do that to his best friend... would he? Could that be why the blue hedgehog didn't want to reveal who he was dating? A whirlwind of strong questions, like a tornado, began to form in his mind.
"Ha! I doubt Shadow would want to watch that cheesy movie! He looks like he'd rather watch Kill or Die, wouldn't he, Shads?" Knuckles retorted grumpily, contradicting what Rouge had said. He threw light punches in the air when he mentioned the action movie title, hoping Shadow would agree with him.
"That is not my name!" was all the hedgehog replied, without even looking at the birthday boy. Rouge brought a hand to her mouth to stifle a short laugh.
The subject would have continued freely if it weren't for a strong wind that passed by everyone, almost carrying all the picnic food with it. They didn't worry, as they knew exactly what that gust of wind meant. Upon opening their eyes, they could see Sonic standing before them.
"What's up, everyone!" His smile was so big it was infectious to anyone or any mobian in his path.
"Late, as always." For the first time since arriving, Shadow said something on his own initiative. His tone was still monotonous and grumpy, but at least he started interacting.
"Come on, Shads! I was only five minutes past the scheduled time! I was grooming my quills to... you know, look prettier," he winked, heading toward Rouge, who was next to Shadow. The black hedgehog just rolled his eyes in displeasure and looked away from the blue blur, refusing to answer anything more.
Tails felt a chill run down his spine. Now that he paid more attention, he saw that Sonic wasn't even trying to hide it!
"Hi, Rouge!"
"Hi, big guy! Did you get lost in the curves on the way here?" She retorted with a certain malice in her voice and a smirk.
"Ha, you know I can handle curves very well!" he said boastfully as he already moved away from her to greet Knuckles.
On their side, Tails could perceive that upon hearing his brother's comment, Shadow choked on his own air for a millisecond. So subtle that no one noticed, but as always, the fox was too observant to let it pass. So Shadow probably knew about Sonic's relationship with Rouge.
Thinking about it now, the only time Shadow didn't respond to the nickname "Shads" was when Sonic called him. So they were probably spending more time together lately because of Rouge, and he had finally given up on correcting the blue hedgehog.
Tails only interrupted his train of thought because he realized Sonic had finished greeting everyone, and the party was ready to begin.
"Let's start eating!" Amy commented excitedly.
And so everyone sat down in a circle around the blanket. The seating order was: Tails, to his left Amy, Knuckles, Rouge, Sonic, and Shadow.
Tails didn't like being next to Shadow on his right. They had never exchanged a single word, and when they had interacted in the past, it involved punches and kicks. Usually, Sonic sat next to him, but today he chose to sit between Shadow and Rouge.
And his theory was proving itself more and more.
Tails took a deep breath. Today was meant to celebrate Knuckles' birthday, not to be absorbed the whole time in his thoughts, trying to decipher his brother's secret romantic life. He would worry about that another time.
_____
About half an hour had passed, and everyone was eating and chatting lively. Tails stared intently at a bowl of strawberries that was too far to reach with his own hands.
"...Do you want the strawberries?"
Shadow's deep, rough voice echoed beside him. His head turned towards the voice, and when their eyes met, he was sure the hedgehog was talking to him.
Strange.
"Oh, yes, please... Thank you..." He thanked him when Shadow reached for the bowl and handed it to Tails.
An uncomfortable silence formed between them. Tails started eating the fruit quietly, pondering why Shadow, who never wanted to socialize, was observing him closely enough to notice that he wanted something from across the picnic blanket without him having to say a word.
"What... have you been up to lately?" Shadow started an interaction again.
Okay, something was definitely weird! He briefly looked around to see if there was any threat nearby and Shadow was talking in codes, but that didn't seem to be the case. So... Shadow was just trying to... make small talk??
Strange...
"Uh, right now I'm just doing maintenance on Tornado."
"Tornado?"
"My plane."
"Oh, cool..."
"Yeah, cool..."
A bit more silence spread between them. Tails reluctantly engaged, just to avoid seeming rude.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"What have you been up to lately?"
Tails didn't understand why, but he saw Shadow's breath hitch for a brief second and his gaze dart away to another corner of the group before returning his attention to the fox. He just couldn't figure out who Shadow had looked at...
Very strange...
"Nothing..."
"Oh, cool."
"Yeah, cool..."
Definitely very strange…
_____
Tails walked out of the tool shop with a bag in his hand. He only needed a few more parts, and soon the Tornado would be ready to return to the air!
Walking through the village streets, he spotted a red echidna sitting alone on a park bench ahead. As he got closer, he noticed Knuckles had a grumpy expression, as if someone had stolen his lollipop or popped his balloon.
"Hey, Knuckles, is everything alright?" Tails stopped when he reached the echidna, standing in front of him.
"Oh, hi Tails. I'm fine." He replied in a tone that clearly said he was not fine at all.
"You look like you've eaten something you didn't like. Did something happen?" Tails sat down next to Knuckles in an attempt to comfort his friend with whatever was bothering him.
The older one sighed.
"I'm fine, really! It's just that..." he hesitated a little before continuing, "it seems like Rouge has been avoiding me lately."
Tails swallowed hard.
So Knuckles had noticed that something was wrong, just like him!
"And why do you think that?" He settled in next to the older one. He wanted more information before drawing his conclusions.
"We haven't been able to see each other as often because of our routines, so the time we have together is very scarce. This Friday, I'll be free, and she will be too, but instead of agreeing to go out with me, she said she wanted to have a 'girls' night out'," Knuckles finished the complaint, making air quotes with his hands.
Wait a minute... Friday... Friday... what was happening on Friday?
Oh.
Oh!!
Friday was the day Tails was going to do the first test flight on Tornado after the maintenance! He had mentioned it to Sonic a few days ago, and Sonic replied that he would also be out of the house on Friday! He didn't say what he was going to do, but based on the facts, he will definitely be with Rouge! Chaos, the pieces kept fitting together more and more, and he wasn't liking it at all...
Honestly, Tails didn't quite know how to comfort his friend. He isn't the best mobian to talk about love; his focus has always been more on the mind than the heart. So how could he tell Knuckles that the girl he likes is secretly dating his best friend?
Well, actually, Sonic never admitted to being with her, despite it being obvious. Maybe it would be better to hear it from his mouth first? Either way, he didn't know how to proceed.
"Ah, man. That's really frustrating, I imagine." He tried to console the echidna as best his abilities allowed. "B-but, there will be plenty of opportunities for you two to see each other in the future!"
"I have to go back to the Master Emerald soon. I'll be on my island for the next few months; our routines will be even harder to cross paths."
"But Rouge always liked to visit you there! Who's to say she won't drop by to see you?"
"But why doesn't she want to be with me when I'm here?"
This last sentence was said with a certain hurt in his voice. Hurt that Tails clearly perceived and felt his heart break along with his friend's. All he could do was place one of his hands on the echidna's shoulder, in a gesture of comfort and support.
"Look, man, you're a great guy! I'm sure she sees that in you; otherwise, she wouldn't even talk to you at all. Try to meet up with her before you leave and talk about all this; maybe you guys can understand each other better and know what one expects from the other."
Tails tried his best not to reveal too much of what he knew, but he felt he did right in encouraging Knuckles to pursue a conversation with the bat. If she and Sonic are really dating, this would be the perfect time for her to be honest with the echidna and stop misleading the poor guy.
"Yeah, maybe you're right... and maybe I should try one last time!" Knuckles let out a singular, soft, somewhat melancholic laugh. He affectionately rubbed Tails' head. "When did you grow up so much, huh?"
The echidna suddenly stood up with a more determined look toward the horizon.
"Thanks for the chat, Tails! I have to go now." He smiled one last time and started heading his own way.
"Take care!" was all Tails could manage to say, and he genuinely meant for his friend to take care.
"You too, fox. Oh! And tell Sonic I'm looking forward to another race! Miss a good old challenge!"
And so Tails was left alone with his thoughts and a small bag of tool parts. He let out a heavy sigh. Knuckles has so much regard for Sonic, he genuinely likes his friend. That being the case, it was still hard to believe that his brother would be capable of doing something that would hurt the echidna so much if he ever found out.
When did things get so strange?
_____
Friday finally arrived, and Tails was about to head out for his first test flight in the Tornado. He was in the living room preparing his supply backpack while Sonic watched something, sitting on the sofa.
"I thought you were going out tonight," Tails commented to his brother. Did Knuckles manage to talk to Rouge, and did the trio's plans change?
"Oh, I still am! It's just not time yet," Sonic replied, distracted by the show he was watching.
So he was still going to see the bat tonight...
Before Tails finished his last chores in silence, the blue hedgehog interrupted his thoughts with a question.
"Do you... know how long you're going to be out tonight?"
Tails raised an eyebrow, suspicious.
"Maybe two hours, why?"
"N-nothing much! Just curious."
Strange.
"Be careful with the Tornado at night and don't come home too late, okay?" Sonic continued.
Tails rolled his eyes and replied, trying to sound mad, but couldn't hide the affectionate tone in his voice, "I'm not a kid anymore, I can take care of myself."
Sonic chuckled softly, "That's true, but I still worry about you." He got up and went to his younger brother, messing up the fur on the top of his head.
Tails laughed, a bit embarrassed, and got ready to leave. He said goodbye to Sonic one more time and finally went to his plane to start the work. Once in the pilot's seat, his first checks began.
Parts okay. Steering wheel okay. Wings okay. Reports okay. Everything okay.
Prepare.
Take off.
Fly!
And in a matter of seconds, Tails was soaring through the starry sky, enjoying that familiar, cozy feeling of being in the clouds, a feeling he knew well and loved as always. It was as if the sky was his second home, just waiting for the fox to return.
When the flight stabilized, he began his reports, check-ups, and all the other tests he needed to run in the air to make sure his plane was ready for the next adventure!
Once everything was up to expected standards, he allowed himself to enjoy the night breeze and sink into his own thoughts. He started thinking about his brother and the whole situation he was in. He loved him dearly, but he didn't agree with what he was doing. Even if it wasn't explicitly said, everyone knew that Knuckles and Rouge were an item. Why would Sonic do this to his best friend? And furthermore, when did these two start liking each other and dating? Some pieces really didn't fit in this puzzle. Tails didn't want to interfere in his brother's personal life, but he cared about him and wanted to be fully aware of the situation so he could help both him and the echidna.
With this in mind, he then decided that he would talk to Sonic and sort out all this confusion as soon as they both got home tonight.
_____
A few more minutes in the air and Tails concluded that the Tornado was in good condition. He huffed, satisfied with himself, and turned the steering wheel toward his home.
He looked at the clock on his dashboard and had been soaring for at least an hour and a half. It was even good that he was arriving home earlier; he needed a rest.
He finally arrived at his private landing strip and got out of the plane, satisfied, heading toward the entrance of his house. Upon opening the door, he noticed the light was on. He sighed, annoyed; Sonic had forgotten to turn off the light again before leaving the house.
He went to his refrigerator, got a glass of water, and started drinking it as he walked through the house, until he tripped over a pair of shoes well-known to him. He looked at the pair lying on the floor and sighed again. He knew his brother's habit of leaving his shoes scattered around the house very well. By the way, if these shoes were home, what pair of shoes did he leave with? Well, he didn't let his mind wander too much about that. He put the glass down on the sink and picked up the sneakers to put them away in Sonic's room. Actually, "put away" is a strong word; he would just throw them in a corner, and then his brother would find a spot amidst the mess in his room to store them.
With the pair in hand, he headed toward the room, but as he touched the doorknob of his brother's room, his body immediately froze upon hearing a sound coming from inside the room.
"Hn... fuck..."
In a matter of just one second, his heart was already beating so fast it felt like it would jump out of his mouth. Sonic was home! He was—
"S-Shads... ah! Shads, please..."
His eyes widened in shock, and the hand that was resting on the doorknob let go as if it had burned him. His mind buzzed while obscene sounds came from behind that door. Sonic was... no, he didn't want to believe it. It was his mind playing tricks on him, it had to be! Sonic had never even sworn! At least not near the younger one.
When Tails heard a husky, deep pant whisper his brother's name, he had the unfortunate certainty that he wasn't delusional. Shadow was there too, he really was there, in that room, with Sonic, and they were definitely not fighting!
He ran out of his house and kept running until he found a calm and safe place where he could organize his thoughts.
He was panting, both from the uncomfortable surprise and the run. He found a bench to sit on and remained there to compose himself.
Sonic and Shadow.
His brother and his rival.
The hero of Mobius and a G.U.N. agent.
This made no sense! What about Rouge? And Knuckles? And...
Oh.
Oh.
OH!!
The pieces were fitting together in his mind as if Sherlock Holmes were solving the biggest case of the century!
He still didn't understand the choice of movie, but it was with him that Sonic watched the movie at the cinema!
Shadow didn't correct Sonic when he called him Shads at Knuckles' birthday, but it wasn't because he was close to Rouge, but rather to Shadow!
Sonic didn't sit next to Rouge at the picnic; he sat next to Shadow!
Rouge didn't lie to Knuckles when she said she was having a girls' night out, because the person who had left the house that night was Shadow!
Holy Chaos! How did he not realize this before? He was so blinded by his own wrong conclusion that he didn't even consider possibilities that were staring him in the face the whole time! In fact, he would never have imagined his brother was into guys, so he never considered the idea of him dating one. And Shadow, of all people!!
They always seemed to hate each other, always with taunts, pointless competitions, circling around each other before starting a training session... Things like that and...
Wait...
OH MY CHAOS, THEY WERE FLIRTING!
Flirting openly, shamelessly, and in front of everyone! How could he have been so blind? Everything made sense now! He just couldn't understand why his brother didn't think he could trust him to tell him about his relationship with the black hedgehog.
He understands that Sonic carries a giant hero burden on his back and that he can't afford to have a normal life, but he hoped that at least with him, his brother would share his insecurities, his fears, and who he would choose as a partner. Did Sonic think Tails would treat him differently if he found out? He didn't understand why. The fox had never shown himself to be against same-sex relationships among mobians.
He sighed loud and deep. Well, at least Sonic wasn't betraying Knuckles' trust all this time, which brought him some relief. For a moment, he felt bad for doubting Sonic's integrity toward the echidna, but he still wanted to talk to the blue hedgehog. He wanted to assure his brother that no matter his life choices, he would always be there to support him.
He looked at the communicator on his wrist, checking the time. He never thought he would say this, but he would wait a little longer so his brother could... have his fun... before returning home...
Chaos, what a strange situation...
_____
Tails opened the door to his house after a good while, waiting for the right time to return. He made sure to jingle his set of keys, creak the door, and close it loudly, so that Sonic would be sure his brother had arrived. He didn't want to have to hear noises he would never have imagined could come out of the hedgehog's mouth again.
As he closed the door, he came across Sonic standing by the refrigerator, casually drinking a glass of water while looking at something random on his communicator with a silly little smile. When his gaze met Tails', his smile quickly shifted to a more animated and relaxed tone.
"What's up, buddy? Everything alright with the Tornado?"
"Yeah... it is..." Tails replied, a little distracted, looking around the corners of the house as if searching for someone.
"And are you alright? You look worried about something."
"M-me? I'm fine!" He tried to hide it, but knew it would be useless; he would have to start this conversation sooner or later. "Hmm, Sonic?"
"Hm?" He raised an eyebrow as a sign that he was listening to the younger one while bringing the cup with the last sip of water to his mouth.
"Were you planning to tell me at some point about you and Shadow?"
And the next second all that could be heard in that kitchen was the sound of Sonic coughing as he tried to catch his breath from his newly acquired drowning. It took a good thirty seconds, or more, for him to finally compose himself briefly. For a moment, Tails couldn't tell if his brother was still recovering or just pretending so he could think of a convincing answer.
"W-what are you talking about?" Sonic tried to pretend.
"Please don't lie to me. I..." He took a deep breath before speaking. "I came back early today. I... I heard you two in the room..." His voice got quieter the closer he got to finishing his sentence.
And well, the next moment all that could be heard in that house was the sound of the glass that was previously in the blue hedgehog's hand, shattering on the floor. Shock, horror, reluctance—everything was clearly stamped on Sonic's face. It looked like his world had ended, and for a moment, it seemed that was exactly what was happening.
"Y-you... heard?" Sonic's gaze was distant; suddenly, he didn't have the courage to look his brother in the eyes. Not after hearing what the younger one said. Chaos, this was beyond embarrassing!
Tails cleared his throat and tried to maintain serenity in his voice, hiding how nervous he was too. "I-I didn't hear... much... I left as soon as I realized what was happening."
Sonic tried to find words to say, but even though he was opening and closing his mouth several times, nothing really came out. Finally, he sighed deeply, and after a long silence, he let something resonate.
"Tails, I... I thought... it wasn't my intention..." another heavy sigh escaped, "I'm so, so sorry..."
"Is that why you asked how long I would be out?" Tails asked curiously, and the only answer he received was his older brother looking away at a random spot on the wall while blushing intensely. "And you didn't tell me you were going out tonight?" the fox continued.
"I was going to! I mean... I did go..." another deep breath escaped the hedgehog, who was having trouble finding the right words at that moment. "We went out, but then things got a little... and we..."
From the blush that only grew on Sonic's cheek, Tails clearly understood that his brother meant that things heated up between them and they came home. A shiver ran down his spine just imagining it. He shook his head, trying to ward off the thought, and refocused on Sonic's face, who looked about to melt into the floor from sheer embarrassment. His instincts screamed at him to run away and never come back.
A little more uncomfortable silence invaded the space. Both not knowing what to say or do. They didn't want to be there, having that conversation and in that way, but there was no turning back.
It was only when he heard the sound of glass shards that Tails realized he had been quiet for too long. Sonic had crouched down to pick up the pieces of the glass he had dropped. His expression seemed to be holding back something, maybe tears? Tails felt for his brother.
Tails, calm, knelt down and started helping to find the pieces on the floor without rushing. He took everything to the sink and left it there for a moment. There was something more important now than a broken glass to deal with. He wanted to find the right words to comfort his brother, to show him that he would support him no matter what.
"Sonic..." Tails began, now in a lighter tone, more brotherly, less investigative. "You know you can talk to me, right? About anything."
Sonic bit his lower lip, still staring blankly at nothing. His chest rose and fell with evident nervousness.
"I... I know, Tails. Or at least I thought I did." He finally looked up. And there, right there, Tails saw something rare: fear. Real fear. "I just... didn't know how you would react. Or anyone. I've never... never said this out loud before."
Tails took a deep breath, letting his two tails swing slowly behind him to relieve the tension.
"That you like Shadow?" the fox asked calmly, without judgment.
"That I like someone." Sonic corrected immediately, his voice almost a whisper. "And that someone... well... is him."
Sonic ran his hands nervously over his own quills, messing up everything he had tried to fix earlier to look nice, and for a second, Tails remembered his little joke at the picnic about grooming himself "to look prettier"... which now made much more sense.
"I didn't want you to find it weird." Sonic continued. "And I didn't want anyone to think I was... I don't know... stopping being myself. Or that I was doing something wrong. I just... like him. And that scares the hell out of me."
Tails felt his chest tighten, but this time not from worry, but from empathy.
"Sonic..." he began, taking a few steps closer until he was face to face with his brother. "You're still you. You're still my brother. You're still the hero of Mobius. You're still the guy who forgets to turn on the washing machine and trips over the couch."
Sonic let out a choked laugh, clearly embarrassed, but relieved.
"And you're still someone I trust more than anything." Tails completed. "None of that changes because you like someone. Nothing."
Tails watched Sonic let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. It was as if he was finally relieved, as if all this time he had been waiting for some validation from his younger brother. Funny, the hedgehog had faced formidable villains and planet-sized gods, yet showing this side, hidden from all eyes, to the younger one was definitely the scariest thing he had ever done.
And in the blink of an eye, Sonic wrapped his brother in a tight hug, which was immediately returned with the same intensity. It was possible to hear the hedgehog whisper a "thanks, little bro." amidst the affection before they pulled apart. As fast as the tick of a clock, it was possible to see Sonic wiping a discreet tear that insisted on escaping his eye.
"So..." Tails felt a little more comfortable talking about the elephant in the room, as it seemed it wasn't so big and scary anymore. "How long has this been going on?"
"It's something more recent," Sonic still replied, briefly looking away. "Just a few months."
"And am I the only one who knows?"
"Actually, Rouge knows too, but we didn't tell her directly. The girl is a lie-sniffing machine and figured everything out the first time Shadow arrived at their place after our first date." Sonic laughed briefly and very quietly. "I don't know if Shadow and I are lucky or unlucky to have such intelligent people by our side."
Tails puffed out his chest minimally, discreetly proud of the compliment he had just received. The triumphant pose didn't last long, as the fox immediately commented again, amused.
"Actually, all this time, I suspected you were seeing someone, but I thought it was Rouge!"
"Rouge?" Sonic burst into laughter. "That bat only has eyes for blockhead Knuckles, and I know he likes her too. I wouldn't do that to my friend."
Tails smiled back, happy to know he was right all along. His brother wasn't that kind of person, and he was very proud of him.
"But why did you imagine that?" Sonic cut into his brother's daydream with the question.
"Remember you mentioned going to the movies to see a Latin romance film but didn't like it much?" He continued as soon as Sonic nodded his head. "At Knuckles' birthday, we were commenting on the movies playing, and Rouge commented that she went to see it with someone who didn't like it. She even invited Shadow to go with her."
Sonic burst into laughter and commented amusedly.
"She went with Knuckles! He hated the movie, and she was probably provoking him and making him jealous by using Shadow." He paused for a bit before continuing, "Shadow won't admit it, but he loves Mexican telenovelas and Latin shows in general; I can't see the appeal, I confess," he shrugged. "But it was with him that I went to see the movie."
"Well, maybe all this explains why Shadow was so strange with me that day."
"Strange how?" Sonic's eyebrow arched in curiosity.
"He was observing me and tried to strike up a conversation with me."
"Wait, really?" Sonic commented, startled, and quietly said to himself, 'he didn't tell me about that.' "I was so distracted that day that I didn't notice it."
"What do you mean?"
"He and I have been talking about the way he treated you and treated my friends all these years. I just wanted you and him to… well, I just wanted you guys to get along, that’s all. When I mentioned it, he told me he didn't see the point in trying to make friends... But he didn't tell me he tried to talk to you." Sonic's smile carried a mischievous malice. "I'm totally going to tease him about this when we see each other again."
Tails found it cute to see how their dynamic hadn't changed inside and outside of a relationship. And he felt even more empathy when he saw that his brother's expression brightened every time he mentioned his rival (lover?).
"And Sonic, when did you find out that... you know... you liked guys?" The curiosity was sincere. He never once saw the hedgehog show any interest in men… or women… or anyone, actually.
Sonic awkwardly ran his hand over the quills behind his head.
"Honestly, even I don't know," he smiled shyly. "I never thought about romance, love, or attraction before..." and suddenly, his expression became more nostalgic, as if he were reminiscing about his past with a certain tenderness. "Amy always showed she loved me, but I could never feel anything for her. And at some point in the past, Jet insisted a lot that I’d go out with him... but this whole love thing, I just felt like it wasn't my cup of tea, you know?"
"And... why Shadow?" Tails finally asked.
Sonic blushed again, but this time he smiled, a small, almost secret, almost silly smile.
"He... understands things about me that I didn't even know were understandable." Sonic replied, looking away in embarrassment. "And... I like the way he looks at me. Like... he always looks at you as if you're a problem he wants to solve. But when it's me..." he swallowed hard, the blush growing, "I can't explain it. It's just... different."
Tails broke into a softer smile.
"So you guys are... together?" he asked.
Sonic ran his hand over the back of his neck, embarrassed.
"Um... not exactly." He grimaced. "We're... trying. I don't know. It's... complicated."
"Complicated how?" Tails tilted his head.
"Shadow is... Shadow." Sonic replied with a sweeping gesture, as if that was enough to explain everything in the universe, and in a way, it was.
Tails let out a brief little laugh.
"But I like him." Sonic finally admitted, with a sigh. "And he likes me. I think. I mean, yes, he does. I think." He put his hand to his face. "AAAAAAAAH, CHAOS, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DATE!"
"You dated him." Tails corrected with a mischievous smile. "I heard."
Sonic practically exploded.
"TAILS!!"
The fox burst into laughter, finally releasing all the nervousness accumulated over the past few hours, and Sonic, red as a strawberry, ended up laughing too.
The older one pulled the fox closer to himself, put him in a light headlock, and playfully ruffled the fur on his head. Their laughter echoed through the house until their breath ran out. They let go of each other again, and Sonic felt the need to speak.
"And I'm sorry again, for... you know... If I had known you would come back earlier, I would never have... well..." Sonic again began to stumble over his words, not quite knowing how to say what he meant.
"Can we make a pact to never talk about that again?" Tails cut in as soon as he realized his brother's intention to apologize.
"Done!"
The mutual agreement between the two was then sealed.
"Feel like watching an action movie?" Tails offered, heading toward the living room sofa.
"I'm right behind you!"
And so Sonic followed, heading for the familiar comfort of a Friday night movie with his little brother.
_____
Life resumed its course, just as it always was and always should be.
Weeks later, the group was gathered again, this time for a moment of enjoyment at the beach. The colors of the sunset painted the sky orange and purple, and the sound of the waves mixed with Amy's laughter as she built sandcastles, while Knuckles tried, unsuccessfully, to stop Rouge from stealing the best fruits from the table.
Tails, sitting on a folding chair with a soda in his hand, watched the scene with a peaceful smile. His eyes, however, caught a movement in a corner farther away from where they were.
Away from the main chaos, near the line where the water and sand met, stood Sonic and Shadow. To any inattentive observer, they were just arguing, perhaps debating who was the fastest or the strongest—the usual stuff. Shadow’s posture was rigid, his arms crossed, while Sonic gestured animatedly.
But Tails saw.
He saw when Sonic’s hand "accidentally" brushed against Shadow's. He saw when the black hedgehog, instead of recoiling with repulsion as he would have done in the past, uncrossed his arms and allowed his gloved, discreet fingers to briefly touch Sonic’s in a delicate, almost invisible clasp. He saw the look they exchanged, not of challenge, but of a deep complicity, a silent dialogue that screamed belonging. Shadow tilted his head minimally, a gesture of agreement, and an almost imperceptible smile curved the corner of Sonic's lips.
It was a private universe, existing only in that intimate space between the two, protected from the world's gaze.
Tails took a sip of his drink, the feeling of fullness bathing his soul. The secret was safe, and love, in the most unlikely and complex way he could have imagined it happening, was flourishing right there, under everyone's nose. Sonic was happy, truly happy. And for Tails, that was all that mattered.
And right there, in that moment, everything felt right.