Chapter Text
The sound of waves hitting a tranquil beach floods the air one evening. It is an evening that has long since been lost to the sands of time, but the small pebbles gently rocked by the foamy water remember it. They remember it in the form of scattered debris that was lost after a plane crashed down on the shore, and the indent the plane left can still be found to this day. It's smaller now, almost gone, but were you to scavenge the place perhaps you would find a singular screw or a piece of leather. With enough luck, there may even be a blue quill lying somewhere beneath the sand.
There was a moment shared here, once, between a blurry silhouette the color of the sky and a little freak of nature. A quiet, outstretched arm and friendly eyes. Two words that never left a vocal chord yet were heard in the winds that passed. Come with, they said, Come with and I will protect you.
But when you've never been shown the concept of being protected, what importance do such words hold?
Perhaps the two-tailed fox didn't understand what the hedgehog meant that day. Maybe he didn't understand what taking the stranger's hand would lead to. It didn't matter in the end, in all honesty. A deep-rooted loyalty and devotion were forged, a fate was saved, and a smile found itself on the little cub's muzzle—a private one, only for the hedgehog to see.
The sand beneath the kit's feet remembers the giddy thumping of those two tails, and the reflection in the water recalls how they got to mirror a baby's face, smiling so brightly as he took the hedgehog's hand.
I will be your brother, the hedgehog would later sign down the line, long after the two had left the island. With big eyes and healthier fur, the fox would only nod in agreement, and the hedgehog would wink and ruffle the bangs on his little brother's head.
And I will be yours, The fox would respond excitedly.
That was a good word to describe it, in the fox's opinion. A simple explanation for nosy strangers, and a way to understand the comfort that the younger one would feel in the presence of his older brother. Straight-forward and easy. No time for complications. That's the sonic way.
And if your savior asks you to call them brother, well, there is never room for disagreement. Never room to explain why the word wasn't enough to justify what Sonic truly means to him.
It would have to make do.
Tails likes beaches. He has liked them for as long as he can remember. However, few people tend to understand what he means by that. They'll assume he enjoys the glaring sun heating his skin or the sand getting stuck in his fur, and they'll nod in agreement and go on a tangent about their dreams of learning to surf or drink sangrias by the water. Yes, "people" is a pseudonym for Amy Rose.
But that's not it. He has faced many tropical climates in his days; he was born amongst palms and jungles, after all. Adventuring with Sonic led them to all different corners of the world, and those corners would sometimes include sandy dunes and the faint sound of steel drums. They were always Sonic's least favorite sites considering the, well, loads and loads of water residing nearby, but Tails never minded when they stayed there for a shorter amount of time than usual. He simply made sure to be efficient with the time he was given.
Some mornings, when the fox kit would wake up long before Sonic, he would carefully untangle himself from the hedgehog's hold and walk to the shore. Humid air and the faintest chills would travel through his lungs, and the morning dew on the grassy ground where they camped would dampen his fur. But it didn't matter. Not when the colors of the morning would put the world in a lazy blue light, and the sunrise past the horizon was only peaking, barely there yet ready to wish the little fox good morning. Silence was everywhere. Tranquil waves moved back and forth by the fox's feet, and in the reflection of the water, Tails would find himself staring back. Blue eyes and two tails.
He preferred this. How the many worries of the world and its creatures seem to calm down in early dawn. Little reminders that feeling safe is a possibility, even for him. Flashing past his eyes were memories of a blue hedgehog, standing before him and ready to leave with the plane while asking through the silence, lit by the sun if Tails wanted to join.
Mornings meant he had made it through the night, and beaches meant he wasn't going to be left alone.
Now, eight years later, Tails turns his gaze to his right and finds his brother on the ground.
Sonic's head rests on his hands, one leg is thrown over the other, and the faintest of smiles tugs at Sonic's mouth as he lays there with his eyes closed, protected from the sun by the big parasol they brought. The fox huffs and fiddles with a little recording device in his hands. Yes, never has he felt so safe before.
Tails decides at that moment that he will state just how much Sonic means to him. Thus, he brings up the record close to his mouth.
"Prower log day 86," He starts as he looks out over the beach before them. He sees Sonic shift a bit in the corner of his eye, "One might assume the fastest thing alive would never let his poor brother succumb to boredom, but you'd be wrong. I am dying as we speak."
Sonic huffs and peaks an eye open to look at him, and Tails can barely hide his grin as his brother throws out an arm to jab at his side.
"Dramatic much?" The hedgehog asks as Tails fails to dodge his hand. No undignified squeal left the fox's vocal chord; Sonic would be a liar for claiming otherwise, "Carpe Diem, mon frére. You should try that."
Carpe diem his ass. They've been relaxing on this picnic blanket for the majority of the time they've spent here. What sort of twisted reality do they exist in where Tails is the one vibrating in his seat? It's a screwed-up one, that's for sure. Tails squints in offense at Sonic who is deliberately not looking at him. Every once in a while the hedgehog glances at him in the hope that Tails isn't scrutinizing. But he is. He hopes Sonic can feel his aggravation through the soul. Sonic only pouts at him when Tails isn't relenting in his ridicule.
Tails throws his head back and sighs heavily instead. Woe is he, "I'm bored, and you're making a mockery of my pain."
"Have you tried lying down and taking in the scenery?" Sonic tsk as he shifts a bit to get more comfortable, "Even someone as fast as I can admit when one needs to take it slow."
Tails deadpan at him despite the hedgehog's closed eyes, "Must you come to such revelations only when you aren't about to throw yourself at Eggman headfirst?"
"Hey, it has always worked out in the end!" Sonic defends as he turns to look at his little brother. The hedgehog uses his fist to knock at Tails' arm as he says his next words, "We're still kicking."
Still alive, not gone. Many years ago, his brother promised that Tails would never be left alone. He hadn't believed the fanatical hedgehog at the time, and not a day went by without him waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it never did. A week became two weeks which became a month, and so it would resume. Now, eight years in the making, Sonic is still willing to lie next to the fox and listen to his complaints. Love became a fact between the two at some point, Tails isn't sure when, but for every day that passes it only grows stronger. His "Savior" became his "brother", and the rest is history.
"Yeah," Tails says, a bit more quieter than he intended. He can't help looking at Sonic's relaxed form, now far away from robots and machine guns, "We are."
Sonic grins at him, and this particular smile is a knowing one, a reassuring one, and Tails tries to remember it the best he can.
"Alright, how about this," Sonic says eventually. Tails watches, perplexed as the hedgehog sits up, "Close your eyes."
Tails blinks, "What-"
Sonic leans forward with two arms in front of him and goes to cover the fox's eyes, and the action makes Tails squeal and reel back in surprise.
"I said close them. Stop thinking so much!" Sonic laughs as the kit pushes the hands away and glares.
"Alright alright," Tails says with an eye roll. But he does comply in the end, much to Sonic's satisfaction.
It's dark, obviously. His ears flicker a little now that he can pay more attention to his hearing, and the salty air burns a bit as his sense of smell gets heightened. It makes him scrunch his nose a little. His tails thump gently against the ground as he waits patiently for whatever Sonic is about to do, and knowing his brother, it will either be really fun or really dumb. The hedgehog is rarely consistent in what sort of emotion he wishes to bring forth, he is however, good at keeping a steady stream of insanity to everything he does. Tails always admired that about him.
Tails hear Sonic flick his nose and move his head before he starts talking, "To your left out in the water, what do you see?"
The fox frowns. But he recognizes this, barely, "Sonic..."
"Come on!" Sonic laughs. Tails flinches in surprise when he feels a finger boop his nose, "Humor me."
So he does. The kit takes a deep breath and tries to focus on the sounds coming from the ocean. It's mostly waves, seagulls, and the faint splashing from Charmy and Cream. The fox is almost ready to give up as he figures Sonic is looking for something specific, but then he hears it. A disturbance in the water, just the faintest of movement that sounds like a foot or a hand moving. To keep balance maybe? Is someone floating there?
"It's a person?" Tails offer with a frown.
"Uhu?" Sonic urges with a smile in his voice.
He listens harder. A series of ripples in the water that sounds like someone kicking their feet. But it's someone they know, Tails is sure of it. He focuses with all his might on whoever might be floating in the water, until finally, he hears it. A very faint, almost soundless sigh. High pitched and satisfied that can only belong to one person who arrived with them here earlier.
"Amy?" Tails guesses.
"Correct!" Sonic cheers loudly.
The fox opens his eyes again to see his guardian staring at him with something akin to pride and wonder. Which is ridiculous because what on earth did that little test prove? That Tails has good hearing? Of course he does, he's a fox! Sometimes it feels like all he has to do is stand on two legs and Sonic will parade him around town.
The fox turns to his left and sure enough, far out in the water floats Amy with not a care in the world. In all fairness, Tails finds himself quite surprised with how far away she is, about a hundred meters, so he guesses Sonic's astonishment isn't completely biased.
Sonic sighs, intertwines his hands, and puts his chin on top of them as something odd passes by his gaze, "Your range was way shorter before."
"What?" Tails chuckles in confusion.
Sonic's smile grows softer before the hedgehog begins standing up. Tails watches from his place on the ground as his brother stretches a bit and looks out towards the ocean. With crossed arms and a forlorn look in his gaze, the hedgehog meets his little brother's confused look.
Sonic opens his mouth, closes it, and then opens it again before the hedgehog simply huffs and drags a hand through his quills. Wow, okay, serious train incoming. Watching Sonic getting sentimental and ready to talk about his feelings is always a train wreck Tails is ready to pay full attention to. The hedgehog has gotten better since their younger days, which doesn't say much, considering Sonic used to be as emotionally constipated as Eggman's trips to the therapist.
"Dear Gaia, bud, you hadn't even turned five yet," Sonic says as he shakes his head a bit, "We used to do this from time to time. I don't know, I remember reading at the library about the importance of cultivating your child's senses if they won't be growing up in their natural habitats," The hedgehog huffs at his own words. Sonic turns towards Tails fully with his hands on his hips, "I would make you look for me with your eyes covered. You were so small then, gosh."
There's a lump in Tails throat that he won't address as he stares at his brother. Every word that Sonic says helps put the pieces together, and suddenly, the fox remembers a much younger Sonic, holding his hand and asking him to close his eyes. At the time, he remembers the puzzlement, and then the terror of being left alone in the dark. For him, that exercise had been a simple test of trust. Of course, he trusted Sonic. Of course, he would find his brother. But never had it occurred to him that Sonic had put so much thought behind it. How did he even do that? He couldn't read back then!
A vague memory of a much younger Tails slowly reading out loud to his brother is enough of an answer to that statement.
"Oh," Tails says dumbly before he remembers himself and rolls his eyes. There's a lingering feeling of something in the air, however, which doesn't make sense because, of course, Sonic would have to take such measures if he was going to keep a pre-schooler by his side. There's nothing deeper to be found there. Sonic is his brother, who took on the responsibility of caring for him. It doesn't have to mean more than that.
He doesn't want it to mean more than that.
"You also roll your eyes at me a lot more nowadays," Sonic says with a glint in his eyes as the hedgehog walks up to Tails and bends forward with his hands on his hips, "You're supposed to be nice to your elders, you know."
"I'm no different from back then," Tails huffs and leans back on his hands, "I just didn't want to hurt your feelings."
The hedgehog laughs, "Oh how very thoughtful of you. What changed?"
He's safe now.
"I got tired of pretending." Tails grins.
Sonic only flicks his forehead to which the fox scrunched his nose. The hedgehog chuckles and moves to sit beside his little brother, and Tails barely has time to react before Sonic reaches for the recorder the fox had brought. Tails exclaims in protest and tries to grab it, but Sonic pushes him back with a hand to his forehead as the hedgehog holds the recorder in the air.
"Sonic!"
"Prower log day 86," Sonic says into it and dodges as Tails tries to grab the device, "Reasons why my kid should consider being nicer to me. Number one-"
The kit musters enough of an annoyed reaction, but in truth, there is little he's aggravated about. Not when they find themselves here, on a pink picnic blanket with the ocean as the background. Not when Sonic is lazily talking into a recorder made by Tails' own hands. Not when they've now gone two weeks without Eggman attacking or any other disturbances. It's been nice. He lets himself relax to the underlying hum of his brother's voice, and as a warm wind passes by and ruffles his fur, he doesn't feel so bored anymore. Just content. Carpe Diem and all that.
Tails and Sonic originally ended up here after the hedgehog had spotted the Chaotix and the rabbit family setting up camp. The fox wasn't given much time to pack his things after Sonic had woken him up and practically carried him to the beach, but at least they stopped to pick up Amy on the way. Spontaneousness always came naturally to his brother, and in the back of his mind, Tails will revel in the warm feeling of getting to be a part of that.
The day had passed like the recent times. Tranquil and light. At one point, Tails went out to join Amy for a swim, to which Charmy and Cream immediately began a game of Marco Polo that Tails excelled at until he was demoted to judge instead. He was too good at it, apparently, but was given a new chance to participate when the four of them competed to find the biggest shell. Cream was the winning champion in that one, and the little rabbit ended up parading it around for the next hour. A giant, white shell that glimmered the colors of the rainbow if you look at it right.
"I call it Shelby," The rabbit had said to Sonic after the two brothers had rejoined on their blanket. She held it up proudly in the air for the two of them to see, and Tails will admit, it was an impressive shell.
"That's awesome, kiddo," Sonic had laughed and gave her a thumbs up. Cream's eyes could compete with the stars at the comment.
Tails has also found his version of a shell. A light blue one with sharp edges that reminds him of no one in particular, no one at all. Still, though, he'll bring it back to his workshop in Mystic Ruins as a decoration. Maybe he'll draw two eyes on it with a sharpie and hide it somewhere where Sonic will find it. Maybe Tails will convince the hedgehog there's a ghost shell haunting him. The night's still young.
In the end, through all the shells and all the new ideas brewing in his head, It was a good day, Tails has a good life. Despite his reflection in the waters that seems to show him something else, despite the scar at the base of his tail trying to say otherwise. He looks at Sonic, still talking into the recorder, and all his worries are thrown out the window. Just like it has always been. Whoever he used to be is gone now and replaced with a new person, someone who is safe and happy. He has Sonic to thank for that.
"Need some help, Tails?" Amy's voice snaps the fox out of his thoughts. He looks up to find her walking towards them while running a towel through her quills, and once she spots Sonic's offended look at being interrupted, she giggles, "Don't look at me like that Sonic, you've bullied him enough today."
"He started it!" Sonic accuses, pointing the device in the fox's direction for dramatic effect, to which Tails immediately retrieves the recorder before his brother has a chance to react. Upon the hedgehog's slight exclaim and glare, the fox smirks and whistles as he puts it back in his backpack. Sonic only rolls his eyes fondly and lightly punches his shoulder, "Cheater."
"You snooze you lose," Tails grins.
"Beaten by my own principals," Sonic huffs and shakes his head.
"come on, you two," Amy rolls her eyes at the two of them as she puts her hands on her hips, "The others are ready to leave now. Unless you want to miss dinner at my place."
"We're going!" The brothers exclaim in unison as they begin scrambling to start packing.
The chaotix and the rabbits join them soon enough. Tails can't wait for the evening to drag on over at Amy's place, and he certainly can't wait to try her cooking. Unfortunately, his yearning has to pause for a moment, because as everyone grabs ahold of their things, Charmy and Cream whisper frantically with each other while simultaneously glancing at Tails.
Cream clears her throat and puts her hands behind her back as she looks at her mother, "We need to talk with Tails about something, can we do that real quick?"
Vanilla frowns, but after a few glances with the other party members, she nods.
"Don't take too long okay?" Vanilla says and turns to wink in Tails' direction.
"We won't!"
"Tails, Tails, Tails, Come on!" Charmy hyperventilates.
Charmy and Cream have gotten closer to each other recently. At some point, Vector deemed it healthy for the bee to hang out with people his age after the crocodile had caught Charmy explaining the difference between net and gross income to a kid at the playground. Vanilla had shared similar thoughts about Cream, and it was only natural for the two children to share a play date. It didn't take long for them to become best friends. Even Sonic had commented how it was good for Tails' generation to stick together like that, but the fox had only scrunched his nose after realizing he shared the same age group as Charmy and Cream.
It was hardly an insult. He enjoys playing them from time to time, and despite their young age, they're brave and useful in battle. But very once in a while, a situation pops up that makes it hard to ignore the dissonance between them. Tails never plays hide and seek with them anymore after it had taken them two hours last time to find him, he finds little enjoyment in play-pretend and while Charmy is scolded for eating too many sugars in a day, Tails stays up past four AM and builds weapons and aircraft. It's a fine arrangement. Tails doesn't believe he was ever meant to have a normal childhood, but it hasn't exactly allowed him to find comfort in the company of children compared to Sonic and their older friends.
But moments like this one where he is getting dragged away to hear kiddy gossip, well, the fox can't say he's against the concept.
They come to a halt once they're out of ear range of the adults, and Charmy and Cream share a look. It's silent for a while as their two brains do their best to analyze, assert the situation, and give an explanation. The fox waits patiently, rubbing a foot into the sand as he glances at the ocean stretching before them. Cream nods determined at Charmy once, and then the bee says it.
"I don't know what to give Vector," Charmy complains with a heart-breaking sigh. The bee slumps down on the ground in misery as Cream pats his head in pity, and Tails is even more confused than earlier, "I was thinking of drawing something for him, but I already gave made him a Beegatormelion-laser-blasting-robot last week! I can't give him another one, that's too many!"
"Charmy only draws Beegat- Beegatorme- Gatormelions right now," Cream curtly nods, "He isn't meant to change design for another two weeks."
"Yes, yes exactly!" Charmy responds frantically, "I need inspiration, Tails. What are you gonna give Sonic?"
Whatever little understanding the fox previously had of this situation is thrown out the window, and all that's left is him, quietly staring at the rabbit and the bee as if they've grown two extra heads. Which they might as well have because what in the name of Gaia are they talking about? Tails tries to wrack his brain to remember if Vector's birthday and Sonic's birthday fall on the same date, which they don't, thank you very much. Is there some national holiday coming up? The anniversary of the Crocodile and Hedgehog truce? Is that even a thing?
So instead, the fox lets out a laugh that toes the line between a voice crack and slight insanity, and he crosses his arms as the two children don't appear to understand what they just spat out in the last thirty seconds.
"I'm not giving Sonic anything," Tails responds slowly.
Really, he should have seen it coming. The expressions on Cream and Charmy's faces crumble as they look at him like he just switched sides and joined Eggman. Betrayal and horror marry their expressions, and Tails wags his namesakes nervously as they stare at each other with wild eyes and then at him as if he's the one who's grown an extra limb. Maybe a third tail, or a second head, doesn't matter. He's pretty sure he just lost the respect of these two pre-schoolers in a matter of microseconds.
"What-"
"That's so mean Tails!" Rabbit exclaims as she tugs down her ears and pouts at him.
Tails glances back at Sonic and the others to debate whether he should call for help, but he's not that desperate yet. He certainly hopes these two kids weren't offended enough to invoke physical violence, but then again, Charmy's rapidly darkening expression is telling him otherwise.
"You have to give him something!" Charmy exclaims as his wings buzz angrily, "It's the rules!"
"What rules? What are you guys talking about?" He asks bewildered.
The bee and the rabbit share another look that's less angry and more confused. It's only after Tails debates shaking the truth out of them that the bee meets his gaze once more. This time, it's filled with simple neutrality, as well as a hint of ridicule that offends him a little bit. Charmy flies up to hover as the bee moves closer to the fox, crossing his arms and staring at Tails with a knowing look.
"It's Father's Day soon," Charmy explains simply.
Tails frowns. He holds onto himself tighter, putting his weight on one leg as he waits for Charmy to explain further. But when the bee leaves those words hanging in the air, the fox wracks his brain around the conversation earlier. Only a few seconds later does he tie the threads together and realize what Charmy is implying. He almost wants to laugh at the absurdity.
On an island far away, many years ago, a tiny little fox kit could be found in the deepest of forests. He had made a home for himself in a burrow, not too far from the village that resided nearby but not close enough for him to be found. In the village lived no people different from him, it was not a place of strangers. This wasn't a story of a fish out of water, because in the village resided his kin. Foxes who walked and talked like he did. With fur as yellow and eyes as blue. But his birth defect made him ugly, it made him dangerous, so the kit was forced away to live and survive by himself. He didn't know of much else.
Not until the hedgehog came along, not until his sun passed through and swopped him up to bring him home.
He wouldn't know of rejection and loneliness ever again because of Sonic. He would be taught the existence of a warm hug and affectionate words, concepts such as love, acceptance, and morals. What was once foreign for him but a given to most other children. Sonic showed him everything and taught him everything. Sonic cleaned his wounds, kept his belly full, and made him laugh. Laugh! What an odd feeling that had been, to laugh for the first time. At some point, the two of them became one. A pair, only ever separated by Sonic's free-moving lifestyle and Tails' decision to settle down. In between the moments of every adventure, every evening spent beneath stars, and even more evenings spent beneath a wooden roof, there was a simple truth to be found there. A statement which Tails will forever be tied to.
When he met Sonic, his life began.
Tails tries his best to push down the pit that's starting to form in his stomach. Sonic and he have never celebrated such a holiday. They have always been their own thing. They forged and spelled their words in any way they wanted, and they shaped their world to their liking. Sonic is his brother, and Sonic is his best friend, his savior. That's a reality Tails himself forged in between the quiet nights in front of a fireplace as he watched the rise and fall of his brother's chest. He decided then he didn't want anyone else, he didn't want Sonic to be anyone else. Simple and easy-going. That's the Sonic way.
"Sonic's not my dad," Tails huffs and waves a dismissive hand. Despite the way his heart clenches in his chest and despite how his legs feel a lot less stable than earlier, the fox still turns around to leave this conversation and any memory of it. But Charmy and Cream don't give up so easily.
"But he must be!" Charmy whines as he flies up next to Tails. Cream follows the boys soon after and joins the fox's other side, yet neither is spared a glance, "He's older, he takes care of you, he gives you bedtimes."
"That's what defines a dad?" Tails asks and hopes it comes out as humorous and not as dry as his mouth currently feels.
"He tells you not to bite other kids, he tells you to put the milk back in the fridge, he tells you to not drink the milk that wasn't put back in the fridge," Charmy counts and holds up a finger for every new category. Cream scrunches her nose in the corner of Tails' gaze.
Tails taught Sonic how to read, Tails handled their tax report, and Tails has gone grocery shopping more times than Sonic has cleaned his room. They're not normal. They've never been normal. Whatever label people want to put on them shouldn't matter and yet, and yet-
"Sonic's just my brother," Tails declares lastly as the view of the adults gets closer.
And yet it matters for reasons the fox can't wrap his head around.
Charmy and Cream go silent after Tails' voice sharpens at the edges. Whatever, let them think what they want about him. This isn't some proof of embarrassment on his part. He knows who Sonic is to him. He does, of course, he does. He's known that blue hedgehog for the majority of his life by now. Tails knows all of Sonic's ticks, the cadence of his speech, his preferred toppings on ice cream, and how his voice seems to soften when the latest of hours strikes the clock. Tails knows of his brother's nightmares that are not to be talked about when the sun is out. He knows of Sonic's fears. He knows he's the cause of most of them. Sonic is nothing more than what he is, and he is nothing less than what he tries to be. Sonic is Tails' favorite person of all time, and never will there come a day when the fox has repaid what Sonic did for him. Besides, there's another nagging truth that lays like a buzzing reminder in the back of his mind. A simple truth he decided the day the sight of Westside Island got smaller and smaller.
He doesn't want a father.
Fathers raise their voices. Fathers will harm you if you take the wrong step. Fathers are blurry masses of faceless hurt that made sure to engrave themselves into your memory and make it impossible for you to pull them out. Fathers will throw you into the gutter and dare you to try and return to the warmth, and if you do try, they will not hesitate to attempt to snuff the light out of your eyes. Fathers are mean, as he'd describe it once. Fathers are bad.
Sonic isn't mean, or bad, or a stupid head with nuts for brains. Sonic saw his fragile figure, beaten and torn and starving and there was no disgust in his face. Just pity, an extreme amount of pity. But that pity became sympathy, and that sympathy became the simple truth of caring too much. Caring just enough as Sonic would have said.
What is Tails supposed to do with this? What does he call the person who used to play guitar for him during thunderstorms, who once held him so tightly when he caught a bad case of pneumonia, who was willing to sacrifice total freedom just to give him a roof over his head? A healthy child is supposed to have a mother and a father, but all he got was Sonic. How much has Sonic been forced to give him over the years? How much of those hugs and words were to Tails' benefit and not out of Sonic's wish to offer them?
What right does Tails have to call Sonic his "brother" in the first place?
Tails blinks as the question invades his mind. He feels like he's wading through water as the sight of Sonic and the others gets closer. Charmy and Cream are whispering amongst themselves, but their words are tuned out and replaced with static. Static that only grows louder as he sees the blue hedgehog turn towards him with a smile, a private one he only does when he meets Tails' gaze across a crowded room. The sight makes the pit in his stomach grow as he tries to find an answer to what he sees. What could he possibly have done for Sonic to warrant such a reaction? What could he have possibly done to deserve this?
"Hey bud," Sonic's voice snaps him out of his thoughts. He isn't prepared for the arm getting thrown around his shoulder as they arrive by the adults' side, and he flinches at the touch. Sonic immediately retracts the arm and gives him a slight frown, but it's gone as soon as it comes, replaced with a soft gaze and an assuring smile as the hedgehog instead bumps their shoulders together, "What you kiddos gossiping about? I feel left out."
The group begins walking towards the exit of the beach. A wooden trail that snakes itself through a miniature forest that has helped hide the beach a bit throughout the years. The group's chatter echoes through the trees as they walk with the Chaotix taking the lead, the rabbits and Amy in the middle as Tails and Sonic follow a bit behind. Tails gaze is locked on the creaky boards beneath his shoes as he feels Sonic's gaze burning into his side.
"That's a secret!" Charmy exclaims as he flies up to the two of them, and Tails is thankful he did. The buzzing in the fox's head only grows louder as he keeps his gaze on the ground.
"Aw, but now I'm curious," Sonic pouts. Tails can see him trying to make eye contact, but the fox can't find the courage to meet it, "Cream come on, help a hedgehog out."
"It's a surprise," Cream responds as she turns on her heel to walk backward and cross her arms.
"Shush Cream," Charmy turns his head around to complain, before he flies up to her to cover her mouth, "You'll ruin it!"
Cream glares behind the mouth covering her hand, and it is around that point that a certain chameleon decides to intervene. Espio grabs ahold of the vibrating bee and pushes him in Vector's direction to which the crocodile swoops the kid up.
"Okay, up you go," Vector interrupts a giggling Charmy and puts the bee on his shoulder, "We get it. You won't confess to anything. What do we always say Charmy?"
"Don't say anything without a lawyer!" Charmy responds gleefully, leaning down to fist-bump Espio who gives a proud nod in response.
Tails watches it all through a fog. At one point, Sonic actually manages to put an arm around his shoulders, which is a lot more welcomed this time. Despite how much heavier it feels. His nameakes whips around nervously and he knows Sonic has taken notice of it, yet the hedgehog says nothing. He simply squeezes Tails a bit closer than earlier and suddenly, the touch is too much. It's too easy to embrace it.
Sonic is not his dad. Tails has no right to turn to him for comfort like a scared child.
So he shrugs the arm off again, reluctantly, and he ignores the concerned look the hedgehog gives him. Instead, he marches onward, focusing on Charmy and Cream's banter and the sight of Amy picking up the little rabbit to carry on her shoulders. Tails is too old to do something like that now. He sees Vector and Charmy discussing their day and going through what they've learned and it's all so foreign to Tails he doesn't know what to do with it. He sees Sonic in the corner of his eyes turning to the sight before them with a smile. That satisfied and content one he likes to show when civilians cheer for their saved city or when the hedgehog spots a stray animal enjoying its freedom.
Sonic doesn't belong to him. The blue blur belongs to the world around them, and the little fox was the lucky one to get to stay by his side. But unlike Sonic, Tails isn't a child of the earth. Tails is just Sonic's, and even that's hardly a clear definition. If Tails would allow himself to dig deeper, he would find the old space that two faceless parents left behind, a space not even Sonic can fill. He doesn't dare to wonder what that emptiness has changed in him, or more accurately, who he would have been if he was whole.
Sonic has never been the answer to these empty spaces that make up Tails' being. Not like a parent would to a child, at least.
Instead, they've always been Sonic and Tails. The hero and the sidekick, the older brother and the younger, the guardian and the child, two equals, two best friends. A mess of labels that is too much yet too little all at once. The fox can't stand the simplicity of it, but he can't decide what else to describe it as. Two brothers. The savior and the freak.
Tails feel sick.
"Uhm, guys?" He makes a decision the moment they end up where the road splits into two, one leading to the train station and the other leading to Amy's home. He can't stand to be around people for another few hours, he needs to find an answer, and he's not going to get that if he has to keep listening to Vector and Charmy's banter or Vanilla and Cream's fussing. All of them stop and turn their gazes towards him at the sound of his voice, and despite the pit in his stomach, he braves the attention. A cautious look has already reached the blue hedgehog's eyes. Of course, he knows whatever Tails is going to say isn't ideal, "I- I just remembered I promised Shadow I'd be done with the upgrades on his motorcycle tonight. I'm really sorry, but I'll have to pass on the dinner."
It's only half a lie. Shadow's motorcycle is currently in pieces in Tails' garage, but the deadline isn't until another week. The fox just hopes he hasn't mentioned this to Sonic, and considering the lack of objection from the hedgehog, he's right.
"Aw what? That's too bad," Amy pouts.
"But Tails!" Charmy complains from his place on Vector's shoulder, "We were gonna introduce Cream to the new egg-blaster video game! She's been dying to try it!"
"Yeah!" Cream adds, making Amy sway a bit as the rabbit leans forward on top of her shoulders, "Come on Tails, you always work."
Of course he's guilty about it, he really had been looking forward to seeing this new game where they make you shoot balloons the shape of Eggman's head. For every ballon you hit the colder the doctor's bathwater gets until he cries for mercy. Which really, is art in its highest form. The fox has plans on buying hundreds of copies of that game just to deliberately send one to Eggman's doorstep every day of the week. Oh, the look on the doctor's face is going to be priceless.
But he'll have to postpone it. Either he disappoints his friends or he crumbles into a whirlpool of nothingness on Amy's living room floor. Most importantly, either he worries Sonic or he doesn't.
"Sorry," Tails says and scratches the back of his head. He sees Sonic staring at him in the corner of his eye, but he ignores it.
"Cut him some slack," Espio pops in, surprisingly. The chameleon has his arms crossed and gives Tails a knowing look, "I wouldn't want to break a promise to Shadow either."
At least, they can all relate to that. It's enough to make Amy consider the ninja's words for a few seconds before she sighs heavily in defeat.
"Fair enough," Amy mutters, "He's been on edge lately according to Rouge. Just don't overwork yourself, Tails."
Tails smiles at that at least, and he gives the pink hedgehog a two-fingered salute, "Cross my tails, hope to die."
Amy chuckles and shakes her head, and soon enough, all of them are bidding their farewell. He receives a hug from Cream and Charmy, as well as a kiss on his forehead by Vanilla that makes the older rabbit laugh when she sees his flustered face. It certainly doesn't help when he hears Sonic snickering, fortunately, the hedgehog doesn't quite find the courage to continue when the fox glares.
And so, he watches as they all wave goodbye, yet Sonic remains by his side for a few moments. There's no reason to stall, though, so Tails faces the music. He turns his gaze to the hedgehog and finds two worried, green eyes staring back. To his credit, the hedgehog tries to hide it by putting a hand on his hip and smiling slightly. But the comfort he tries to convey doesn't quite reach his eyes. Tails has seen this before, many times, he knows there isn't much to follow.
"Hey uhm," Sonic starts, but his mouth betrays whatever he wishes to say. The hedgehog looks towards where the group is heading, and then back at Tails. Whatever it is that crosses his gaze is gone within a second, and whatever courage the older brother could find disappears. Sonic sighs and looks down, before he reaches a hand out to bump the kit's shoulder, "Make sure to eat something yeah? A bag of mints doesn't count."
Those green pupils shine with warmth, quick and easy comfort that always came to the hedgehog more naturally than a true deep-dive into more abstract thoughts and feelings. Tails always liked that about him, it made situations like this easier.
"Two bags?" Tails responds innocently. Quick and easy.
Sonic rolls his eyes, "Keep trying and I will-"
"Ban them for a week, I know," Tails finishes for him, yet his mouth dries and every word becomes more awkward than the other.
Sonic chuckles lightly, and then that look returns, fondness adorned with something else. Something that Tails rarely sees. It feels like a secret almost, as if he wasn't supposed to see it.
"I'll stop by later," Sonic promises and ruffles the fox's bangs, "Be good. Unless Eggman comes around, in which case, I highly encourage you to use that rocket launcher you're hiding from the government."
"You're acting like you're going away for a week," Tails huffs and fixes with his bangs when the hedgehog lets go.
Sonic shrugs and smirks, before turning on his heel towards the path, "I just thought to remind you."
The hedgehog looks back and winks at him, and Tails feels like he's looking through a fog as he distantly waves a hand to bid farewell. Sonic salutes him, and then he's off. Running to catch up with the rest of the group while the fox stands on the wooden path alone.
All that's left are the sounds of the forest, as well as the breathing of a little fox who would stand there for a while, looking at the space left behind by his brother.
In the first year of the great adventure of Sonic and Tails, they stopped in a village to stack up on supplies.
Tails has to focus to not look at his reflection in the window, but the light from outside makes the image of himself more prominent than the view of the things displayed on the other side. Wooden toys, gadgets, and decorative thingamajigs call out to potential customers passing by. The antique store the little cub finds himself in front of immediately caught his gaze when he and Sonic first arrived in this village. Right now, he's staring at a moving, wooden doll doing a small, mechanical dance routine as a faint melody accompanies her movements. The sound comes from a record player displayed next to her, and the black disk moves in entrancing circles as Tails ponders the inner workings of the doll. He barely hears it when a familiar gust of wind ruffles his fur.
Sonic stops by his side. The hedgehog stands silently beside him and supposedly ponders what Tails is doing before whistling an unspoken question. Tails acknowledges it with the flickering of an ear as he stands on his tippy toes to get a better view through the glass.
"It's like a pocketwatch, Sonic," Tails says with barely contained wonder as he spots the cogs turning on the back of the doll, "You wind her up and she dances. Isn't that just so cool?"
Sonic puts a hand on the space between Tails' ears, making the fox turn towards him. The hedgehog grins and nods in agreement.
The two of them turn their gazes back to the little display. As the gentle murmur of people passing by the street behind them and the silent fall of snowflakes painting the town in a coating of white, Christmas is on its way soon. The toy shops are showing their best work, and this year will be the first Christmas Tails spends with Sonic. Better yet, the first Christmas he has ever celebrated. Just Sonic and him. Tails wouldn't have it any other way.
Sonic begins humming under his breath. A faint sound the hedgehog probably doesn't even register he's doing, but a sound that warms Tails from the inside out nonetheless. The fox flicks an ear and turns his gaze to his savior. It takes a while, but he recognizes that Sonic is copying the tune of the record player. The hedgehog seems lost in thought as the tune carries on. It's a gentle one, easy on the ears with simple notes. High-pitched bells and a piano accompany the little doll and Sonic's duet.
"You know the song?" Tails asks as he stares at his friend.
Sonic turns to look at him, and something odd passes by his gaze as his previous grin drops. The hedgehog turns back to look at the record player, and then at Tails once more, and something seems to click as an odd sense of gloom marries his features: It's gone as soon as it comes through, but the fox saw it.
The hedgehog turns to the kit fully, before holding up his hands and signs, "Nursery rhyme."
Tails frowns confused. The hedgehog has to spell each letter individually as the pair haven't made up a sign for it yet, but the fox has seen it a few times on the cover of books over by the children's section at the library. The fox hasn't found much interest in asking what it was though, but in all honesty, he hadn't expected it to be a musical term.
"How can it rhyme if it has no words?" Tails asks puzzled.
Sonic stares at him again, in that odd way he does sometimes when Tails asks a question. The fox has yet to decipher what triggers such a response, and he's certainly not getting any answers for that now.
"It does," Sonic signs simply. The hedgehog points at the doll mechanically bending down and reaching a hand forward to pet the little lamb figure standing in front of her, "Mary had a little lamb."
Tails frowns and mumbles the words out loud. That's not a rhyme, yet Sonic stated it like there's an unspoken understanding between the two of them. He feels like Sonic is waiting for something, but the fox simply tilts his head at his friend. The anticipation leaves the hedgehog's gaze, and what replaces it is the worst expression of them all: Pity. Tails confusion and slight irritation worsens, something he tries to quell by turning back to look at the doll. The doll's snappy movements do little to help Tails ignore the heavy weight of Sonic's eyes on him. They end up standing there for a lot longer than Sonic's impatient nature usually allows, a concerning thought indeed.
In the end, the hedgehog carefully grabs ahold of Tails' arm to tell the fox they need to continue moving. The fox lets his savior guide him onward, even as the melody of the record player rings in his head. Unfamiliar and heavy.
Later that evening, Tails can't sleep.
He lies curled up next to Sonic, clutching his tails as the hedgehog plucks gently on their newly bought guitar. Well, it's Sonic's guitar, but the money they used was thanks to Tails' efforts after having helped some villagers fix their bicycles. Sonic is a quick learner, and he'll try to copy whatever little melody they hear on their journeys. The little fox can hear his attempts at replicating that nursery rhyme they stumbled upon earlier. Whenever the hedgehog makes a mistake, he'll lightly slap the wooden body of the guitar and huff a little. Tails can't help but chuckle at the sound.
The cub feels a hand dragging through his head and further down his back. Sonic tsks and hushes him, presumably displeased with Tails still being awake. The cub opens an eye and lifts his head to look at his friend, and he pouts.
"I can't sleep," He whines and buries his face in his crossed arms.
Sonic runs his hand through his bangs, over and over. It's soothing and a welcoming sensation, but Tails feels more awake than ever. He sighs heavily and clutches his tails tighter.
Sonic goes still for a few moments. The hedgehog seems to be thinking hard about something, and Tails has time to open an eye again to see what's going on. Sonic is staring at his guitar, deep in thought. He bites his lip and drums his fingers on the wood, and Tails realizes then that he's nervous. What for? Did the fox upset him somehow? Sonic doesn't get nervous about anything. It's Sonic! He's crushed badniks and kicked Dr. Eggman's butt so many times already without breaking a sweat. What could the hedgehog possibly be so nervous about?
Sonic makes a decision then. The hedgehog loops his arm around Tails body and pulls the cub closer until they're touching. Tails frowns in surprise at the ordeal, but ultimately accepts his fate and gets comfortable. Sonic begins dragging his hand through the fur on top of Tails' head, over and over. The fox's ears press backward at the action, and the kit feels his eyes growing heavier with each pet. It could have been enough, but Sonic wasn't done. The hedgehog puts the guitar away, takes a deep breath-
And then he sings.
"Mary had a little lamb..." Sonic begins quietly.
Tails can't breathe at the sound. He'd tried to imagine what Sonic would sound like based on the few grunts and cries he'd heard the hedgehog make over the past year, but he hadn't been prepared to hear it now. So soon. It's more high-pitched than he originally thought. Sonic is barely singing above a whisper, but Tails can hear the slight cadence of a long-lost dialect, the sharp edges of every word, and the rasp from the lack of use. Sonic sings a simple melody with simple words, yet it's more beautiful than the record back at the store.
Tails can't believe it. Sonic is singing, basically talking. He had accepted a life with a mute friend from the very first day they met, it had hardly been an inconvenience, and they learned to communicate through other means. He hadn't even expected Sonic to be able to talk at all. Yet here the hedgehog sits, using his voice for the first time in years just to help Tails sleep. Just for Tails to hear.
The fox jawns and scotches even closer. When Sonic's hand stills, he whines quietly and the action is immediately picked up again. The fox revels in the warmth of the fireplace and his belly. It no longer rumbles with hunger, it simply vibrates by the low hum of Sonic's voice. That's what Tails ended up falling asleep to in the end: Embraced by his savior, and lulled to sleep by his brother.
This moment would later down the line be immortalized by Sonic singing it to Tails whenever the hedgehog wanted to annoy the kit. For good humor, Sonic would start singing "Fox" instead of "lamb", and Tails would only half-heartedly pretend to be annoyed by it. It helped him remember that day in the cave, and just how much Sonic's voice has changed over the years. It helped him recall his milestones as well, specifically a particular one that he's glad Sonic got to fulfill.
At five years old, Tails got to hear his first lullaby.
Tails finds himself in his workshop later that evening. His fur is covered in spots of oil and presumably his face as well, but it's simply the natural state of himself that he prefers. He hums along to the music blasting through the speakers as his hands busy themselves with the inner workings of Shadow's motorcycle, they also itch with the need to find ways to upgrade the vehicle, but the dark hedgehog had been strict about Tails' only job is to fix it and not make it better. Which, fine, Tails will simply categorize Shadow as the most boring hedgehog the fox knows, that'll show him.
Working with the bike has proved useful against his thoughts, or maybe it's the new bass system he installed last week. It hardly matters in the end. The evening has dragged on rather uneventfully despite what happened earlier, he even found the motivation to cook a full meal for himself. Sonic would be proud.
Tails scoffs. Eight years in the making, and he's still clinging to Sonic's validation.
The kit wipes an arm over his forehead as he closes the hatch to the engine. He's not planning on going to bed any time soon, however, Sonic is going to stumble through his front door at any moment, and Tails will have to figure out a good excuse for staying up longer. The thought irks him a bit, surprisingly so, yet it begs the question: Why can Sonic tell him to go to bed anyway?
Tails can take of himself. He took care of himself long before he even met the hedgehog. Bedtimes aren't a thing when you're surviving in the woods, but it's not like he's just surviving anymore.
The fox groans and grabs the cup of coffee over by his workbench. Marshmallows float at the top of the mug, and the kit swirls the liquid around a bit and watches the movement. It brings him no answers. He's left to wallow in his contradictions. He knows how to catch a fish with his bear hands, yet he still yearns for Sonic's guiding hands when fishing with a pole. He once killed an innocent rabbit when hunger had gotten the better of him, yet he keeps wishing for Sonic's embrace during thunderstorms. There's no logical conclusion, Tails is just inconsistent, and that terrifies him.
But If you want answers, you put them to the test. He needs to state a thesis, try different solutions, and maybe then he'll get an answer. Maybe then he'll find a label worthy enough to put on Sonic.
It's Father's Day soon, he could use that.
He's snapped out of his thoughts when the music in his workshop is immediately cut off. The fox spins around on his heel, grabbing a wrench and holding it high in the air as he growls, but all he finds is the sight of a certain hedgehog grinning widely at him.
"Your security system is truly a state of the art," Sonic teases, holding a bag in his hand that he's careful with as he moves further into the room.
Tails huffs and puts the wrench down, "Once I delete your face recognition you'll see how far my security measures can go."
"You wound me, brother-of-mine," Sonic sings songs as he walks up to Tails and puts the bag down on his workbench. The fox watches it all with crossed arms as the hedgehog walks up to him and scratches the spot behind his ears. Tails only scrunch his nose a little at the action, but he makes no move to stop it, "But hey, I saw you cooked. That's good Tails."
"You're awfully easy to impress." Tails smiles lightly before he can stop himself.
Sonic winks and retracts his hand, "I'm biased, what can I say?"
Biased. Sonic believes Tails is an outlier in everything the hero preaches. The hedgehog speaks of freedom, living with no attachments, and sharing equal kindness with every living being, yet the indent in the couch in Tails' house would say otherwise. Sonic's a hypocrite for reasons the fox can't fathom.
Sonic turns around to begin rummaging through the bag he brought. Tails decides to quit his earlier act of disturbance and watches Sonic with interest as the hedgehog makes a deliberate move to hide the containments with his body. An innocent whistle escapes his brother's lips as Sonic glances back quickly, and the fox can only huff amusedly at the sight.
"You brought a gift?" Tails asks with a slight grin as leans back on his heels and clasps his hands in front of him. His namesakes wags excitedly at the prospect.
"Well, since my little bro couldn't join us," Sonic starts as he turns around to reveal what he brought. Tails' eyes sparkle when he sees a glass container with a piece of cake inside, "I figured I bring the party here."
"Aw hell yeah!" Tails whoops, and it's nice to see Sonic's pleased smile, after all, there is one truth he'll stand by despite the turmoil in his heart, "Sonic, you're my favorite."
The hedgehog chuckles and shakes his head, but some left-over tension that Tails only spots now disappears from the hero's shoulders. Sonic turns slightly to reach for the workbench behind him, and Tails only has seconds to react before the hedgehog attacks him with a towel. More specifically, attacks his face with it.
"You look like you had oil for dinner," Sonic explains with barely contained laughter in his voice as he rubs it up and down Tails' muzzle.
Tails spits and spews as he pushes his brother away. He does his past to pat down his messed up fur as he glares at his grinning brother.
"Just because you brought cake doesn't mean I forgive you," Tails retorts as he grabs the towel away from Sonic's hold.
"You're the light of my life, Tails."
Tails throws the towel in Sonic's face.
Later, the two brothers find themselves on the couch in the living room. The TV drones on about some rom-com that has a too-predictable plot for Tails' taste, and a way-too-pointless premise for Sonic's taste. Yet it's on for some reason, the fox guesses it has less to do with the show and more to do with the tranquility in the air. Sonic has thrown his legs over Tails' lap, a very useful move that the fox takes advantage of to balance the plate of cake.
The hedgehog looks like a deflated balloon as he lies limply on the couch. One arm hangs over the edge as his head is tilted to look at the screen. There is little thought happening behind those emerald irises, only a slight frown marries his face as he tries to understand what he's watching. The characters on the screen are currently trying to get dressed for a dinner party, but for increasingly stupid reasons they can't agree on what they all want to wear. Only one character is reasonable enough to stress like a normal person.
"I feel..." Sonic starts slowly. Tails only turns his head a little to show he's listening as he takes another bite of his dessert, "Distant."
Tails snorts and almost chokes on his bite, he pushes through it like a champ though, and he pats Sonic's leg sympathetically, "You wanna talk about it?"
"I don't know," Sonic lazily turns his gaze to the fox with two half-lidded eyes, "Do you?"
"Do I wanna talk about you feeling distant?" Tails recounts slowly, putting the fork down on his plate.
"Do you wanna talk about what happened earlier today?" Sonic responds, he stumbles a bit on his words.
Tails stills. His namesakes previously spread over Sonic's stomach retaliates a bit, pushing further into the back of the couch. He hadn't expected the hedgehog to bring it up, and he certainly hadn't expected his brother to bring it up here of all places. This conversation has a wait time of at least two weeks before Sonic can off-handedly ask him what was going on, and Tails can respond that he had simply been tired, and both can pretend it was too long ago for either to remember. It's a good system.
"Nothing was happening," Tails grumbles a bit too gloomy for his brother not to notice.
The tone of his voice makes the hedgehog perk his head up further, and actual concern dares to reach his features. Tails feels betrayed by this unpredictable behavior, this isn't how it's supposed to go.
"I can tell by your gleeful demeanor," Sonic retorts.
"Do you even know what those words mean?" Tails asks and rolls his eyes.
"I know a lot of words, I know all of them, actually," Sonic responds and uses his upper body strength to sit up without moving his legs. The hedgehog grabs one of the fox's tails and starts running his fingers through it. Tails only flinches a little when the hedgehog's thumb brushes over the scar at the base, "But that's not the point, you've been acting off ever since you and the kiddos had that talk. They were being nice to you, right?"
Tails realizes then why Sonic is bringing this up, and the thought sends a pang through his heart and deepens the pit in his chest. It petrified him for a moment, leaving him staring at his brother's earnest expression. It's so stupid how it makes him feel, how Sonic's relentless concern for him is just as strong eight years later, he hates how much he wants to envelop himself in the feeling. He hates how dependent he is on it.
"Yes of course," Tails says despite how uncomfortable his tongue lies in his mouth. He clears his throat and musters an ensuring smile in Sonic's direction, and the action makes the hedgehog's shoulders sag just a bit, "They were being nice as usual. I assure you, I was just tired."
The lie is easy and Sonic's response is easy. The hedgehog smiles in relief and scratches at the base behind Tails' ear. The fox lets him, happy that the hedgehog doesn't appear to want to ask more questions. Quick and easy, that's the Sonic way.
"I'm glad you're hanging out together," Sonic murmurs, "One day I'll start talking about interest rates and I fear that will be the end of my run."
Tails snorts, "If your over-consumption of chili dogs doesn't kill you first."
Sonic makes an offended expression before grabbing ahold of his head and blowing a raspberry into the kit's cheek, earning an undignified squeal and a disgusted groan from the fox. Tails pushes him away and wipes at his face, before sticking his tongue out at his brother's shit-eating grin, and just like that, they're back to normal. There are no more questions for Tails to dodge, and no more concern in the hedgehog's gaze. Just contentment, and a little bit of vanity.
The brothers stayed up a bit later to finish the episode. Not that they remembered much from it, but that was hardly the point. When Tails woke up the next morning, still on the couch, Sonic had already left for his morning run. The fox's blanket from his bedroom had been thrown over him at some point, but Tails knew it wasn't because of his own efforts. Thus, despite the slight hesitation in his limbs, he sank into the warmth of the blanket and wondered if Sonic knew how much that action meant to him.
He decides then, to test this theory- make up a thesis, put it to the test, and get an answer. He's a scientist, this should be easy. Because if Sonic is going to be acting like his dad, then Tails needs to find out if that is something he wants. It's Father's Day soon after all.
Requirements for appropriate testing:
He needs a gift.
Art by the amazing @genisflyingkites on tumblr!
