Chapter Text
Tails tilts his head as he looks at his plane. Surely there is a way to increase the speed without sacrificing structural integrity and remove any of its essential weaponry. But if he did a major overhaul of the hull he ran the risk of being unprepared without a plane if Dr. Eggman decides to end his quit streak. Tails rubs his head. Gah. All this time with no emeralds or plots from Eggman is starting to mess with his head. He has the urge to deconstruct and reconstruct. Chuck leans over his shoulder to look at the blueprints and starts making a few corrections to small details. Then the older man lets lose a small yawn and cracks his back.
“Im going to go take a nap. Maybe we can come up with some better ideas later.”
Tails glances up and gives a small nod. He would stay here and try to think up some new ideas. He still had that project of trying to make a more portable false emerald. As Chuck exits, the small fox shifts his papers and notes to bring back out his design for fake chaos emerald. Over half an hour passes as he sinks himself into his work. He startles as someone leans into his space again. Oh. Shadow had been reading a book in the corner, but it seems that he is done.
“These designs have merit.”
Tails blushes at the complimentary tone.
“Thanks bro.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
Shadow then nudges him in the side.
“Need something Shadow?”
“I think it is time that you take a break.”
Tails glances at the clock and realizes that he has missed lunch.
“Oh.”
He stands up and tugs on the cuffs of his gloves. He walks to the kitchen with Shadow following close behind. After grabbing something to eat, Tails feels some what restless, tails twitching in agitation. He rubs his arms and looks out at the bright blue sky.
“Want to go for a flight?”
Tails asks. Shadow tilts his head. Tails tugs on his glove as his eyes widen.
“I haven’t taken you on a flight with the X Tornado yet, have I?”
Shadow slowly shakes his head, a look of interest entering his eyes. Tails bounces on his feet moving back towards the workshop.
“Come on! Let’s go for a flight!”
Shadow follows with a half-smile, content. As Tails runs through the preflight checklist, he thinks of something.
“Sonic normally likes to ride on the wing. Do you want to sit in the cockpit or on the wing?”
Shadow takes a second to think and then climbs onto the wing. The fox nods and then starts up the engine. A few moments later they are in the air. Tails feels a surge of happiness as he deftly moves his controls. He glances out at Shadow. The black hedgehog is smiling, quills jostling in the steady wind. Tails decides to reach out through his shared comms with Shadow.
“Hey, do you mind if I do some areal maneuvers?”
He gets a nod in return. Tails grins as he tilts the X Tornado slightly. Just enough to do a swift turn. He slowly gets more complex with his movements, occasionally glazing to Shadow to make sure the other has not fallen. But it seems that Shadow is just as good as Sonic at staying steady.
“Going for a quick dive.”
Tails says as he points the plane downwards, doing some quick turns before tilting back upwards. Shadow stays on the wing, a soft smile on his face all the while. Tails shifts through a few more maneuvers, knowing the importance of keeping his skills up. He then readjusts into a smooth glide over the city. He glances back at Shadow who is watching the city below.
“It looks nice from above.”
Tails gives a soft smile at Shadow’s words. He knows that the hedgehog’s last experience inside of a city had not been the best. But there was no chance of crowds pinning him in up here. He blinks as something lands on his wing and causes the plane to tilt. He quickly looks the other way and is greeted with a wave by Sonic.
“Hey yah, Tails! Hi Shads!”
His other brother yells with a grin. Tails gives a short salute and then focus’s on keeping the plane level. Shadow merely tilts his head in greeting. The fox turns up the speed a bit, confident in Shadow’s ability to stay on, and knowing his blue brother’s preference. Sonic grins as the wind flowing through his quills becomes faster. The blue hedgehog must have been out for a run when he saw them. Shadow’s eyes slip closed as Tails takes them on another loop of the city. It is pleasant to fly with no immediate goal or danger in mind. He startles a little when Sonic taps the glass with his knuckles.
“Race?”
Tails lets out a laugh and lowers the X Tornado so that he is low enough for Sonic to jump.
“Do you want to race Shadow?”
He gets a small nod in return. Both hedgehogs jump off with challenging looks at each other. Tails shakes his head with a small grin as both take-off. He spins the X Tornado and rises back up into the air. He sails overhead, watching the two move through the winding streets back to the Thorndike residence. They all arrive around the same time. Tails beams as he listens to Sonic gently teasing Shadow for arriving a few seconds after him. Shadow huffs and gives a short argument in reply. Tails is glad that Shadow seems to be growing more comfortable.