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Sonic groans, rolling over beneath his blanket as a particularly loud boom of thunder shakes the house, jolting him out of sleep.
He hates storms. The thunder always wakes him up, and the lightning is so bright… He'd hoped, at least a little, that with being in a house, storms wouldn't be an issue anymore. Sure, it made sense when he'd lived in a cave… But houses are enclosed, and safe, and built to withstand these things. Surely, they can block out annoying storms?
Well, yes, but really no. He's not being rained on, at the very least, which is an undeniable plus. But the thunder rattles him all the same, and the lightning strikes his vision in bright flashes through his eyelids, and, yes, he still can't sleep.
After a moment of laying face down in his pillow, resigned to his fate, Sonic sits up in bed and blinks around his dark room. The pouring rain pitters pleasantly along the walls, a perfect soundtrack for sleep if not for the obnoxious roaring that came with it. He's a growing boy, he needs his rest! At least, that's what he's always told himself. Or told the storm, rather, as he shook his fist at the ceiling of his cave every thunderous night. He's sure Maddie would agree with him, though, so he's not wrong.
He checks the time on the electric blue alarm clock beside his bed- 4:34am, in rigid red font. He groans, louder this time, running a tired hand down his equally fatigued eyes. He's definitely not getting back to sleep any time soon. Lightning strikes and the house trembles, as if to mock him. He leans back on his palms and considers his options for the remainder of the night.
Normally he'd go running when he had nothing to do. Which was often. But… running in storms isn't really one of his favorite pastimes. Running in rain, sure. But actual lightning and thunder and loud storms… Surprisingly, not a fan. And while he can run faster than any lightning can strike him- actually, probably not, but he hasn't been struck by any lightning yet, has he?- Tom and Maddie wouldn't like him going out in the weather, whether they're aware of him doing it or not.
Aaand there go all his options. He's stuck for the night. Clicking his tongue and tapping a leg, he does another survey around the room, aimlessly searching the dark, until-
Something squirms just above his line of sight. He looks up.
The hammock hanging down from the ceiling shifts with movement, and two twin tails flick into his vision for a moment before promptly disappearing within the cot again.
Right! His little buddy!
Miles- or, rather, Tails, as he's lovingly called- has been living with the Wachowskis for a little over a week now. It's been an adjustment- not really leaning anywhere toward terribly easy or terribly difficult, but enough of an adjustment that Sonic has to remind himself that his friend is there sometimes. He'll get used to it. Besides, it's not like it's a bad thing. In fact, upon realization, his face lights with the hope that he may not be alone in his sleeplessness. Smiling, he hops out of his bed, creaking his way over to his friend's cot.
"Tails," Sonic calls out in a whisper, grabbing the edge of the hanging sheet and pulling it ever so slightly, enough to only jostle the kit a tiny bit. "Tails, you awake? I'm bored!"
Tails, indeed, shuffles around to look at Sonic, his tails bent around him and his face half-buried in his pillow. Eyes alight with recognition- and something else Sonic can't quite parse in the moment- Tails picks himself up on both hands, giving the hedgehog a wobbly smile.
"Oh- S-Sonic…" He's terribly quiet, and his voice is so weak. Sonic strains to hear him over the rain. In fact, he looks like he's… shaking. Trembling from head to twintail, hands clasping the sheet beneath them in a vice grip, the smile on his face threatening to slip off and give way to something… scared.
Immediately, any thoughts of how to pass the time disappear. "Tails…? Dude, you okay?"
Tails bites his lip, looking down at his hands and blinking rapidly. "I-I'm-"
There's a violent crash, and Tails flinches, and suddenly Sonic is nearly thrown backward with the weight of a little fox thrusted upon him, arms wrapping around his neck and latching onto him.
"Whoa, whoa, buddy!" Sonic finds his balance quick enough. "Hey, are you…"
Tails whimpers into his shoulder, breathing out sobs, and words fail on Sonic's tongue.
"Okay…" Sonic says, when he doesn't know what else to say. "Okay, you're okay…" The hedgehog fumbles with the fox in his grasp, shifting his weight, and gently drags him out of the hammock, holding him up by his torso. Or, rather, Tails is doing most of the holding, having coiled himself around Sonic, clinging to him like a lifeline.
"Okay…" Sonic says again, rather lost. He looks around, eyes landing on the crumpled sheets of his race car bed, and he thinks on his feet. "We're, um… we're gonna go to my bed, okay, buddy? Just hang on."
Sonic carries Tails to his bed, this time minding the creak of the floorboards, and gently sets him down atop his blankets. He pulls away slightly, just to situate himself next to the fox, and Tails whines, tightening his grip and threatening to pull Sonic closer. Sonic manages to sit next to him with only minimal difficulty.
Okay. Distressed friend… He can do this. Not like he's ever comforted anybody before- not like he's ever needed to- but how hard can it be?
Sonic takes the liberty of hugging Tails to his chest, which the kit seems to appreciate, sniffling and snuggling his face into Sonic's fur. Sonic hesitates, instinctively stroking the fox's back as he thinks of what to say.
"What's wrong?" The hedgehog asks, hoping he's the only one of them who notices the uncertain quiver in his voice. "Do you not like the storm? Can you not sleep?" Welcome to the club, Sonic thinks, before quickly rattling the remark out of his head.
Tails doesn't answer right away, at least not with a nod or shake of his head. Instead he sniffs, and looks up at Sonic with shining blue eyes, brimming with tears. The hedgehog's head tilts in concern. Tails buries his head against Sonic's chest once more, finally muttering out: "S… Sorry…"
"For what? Don't be sorry! I, um, don't like storms either…" Sonic says, clinging desperately to some faith that what he's saying is helping the kit somehow. At the very least, Tails doesn't seem to not appreciate his words, as he doesn't respond for a long stretch of time wherein he merely shakes and weeps quietly into Sonic's chest. Sonic can feel his fur growing damp with tears. He decides not to comment.
He thinks to ask if he should get Tom and Maddie. Somehow, he knows the answer is no.
Lightning touches down, and Tails jumps.
"I'm… scared of the lightning."
The admission comes out a timid whisper, and the way it makes Tails sound so small strikes Sonic to his core.
"The lightning?" Sonic inquires, looking up at the skylight where clouded moonlight seeps through. There's a faraway thrum, and while the storm has certainly moved away, Tails still flinches. The fox whines again, and Sonic frowns, running a hand over his head.
"Hey, that's okay." Sonic gently assures him, the words coming easier now. "Lightning can't get you in here! And if it tries, I'll beat it up!"
Tails giggles, then, tearful and tired. And while he knows better- lightning could very easily get them here, given they're at the highest point of the house and have a skyward window (albeit not accounting for the lightning rod on the roof)- he believes Sonic anyway.
Knowing what he knows, seeing what he's seen- he truly believes that Sonic would wholeheartedly attempt to fistfight lightning for him. The thought makes him laugh again, and his heart warms with the feeling of knowing he's cared for.
"Y'know…" Sonic begins as if he's telling a secret, whispering and eyes shifting around the room. "I'm scared of water."
Tails peeks up at him, cheeks stained and eyes rimmed red, but his tears mostly gone, which is good. Even more promising, he croaks out, "Water…? Like… rainwater? Water in general?"
"Nah, y'know, like…" Sonic gestures broadly, opting not to lift a hand off of Tails's back to complete his circular motion. "Lakes. A-And pools. And oceans."
Tails hums, looking contemplative, as if he wants to ask something but is holding himself back. Sonic gets a pretty good idea of his thoughts from the look in his eyes.
"I was fishing with Da- Donut Lord," They both catch the slip, but it doesn't matter. "And I… fell in the water. I really didn't like it. I guess it doesn't help that I never really learned how to swim…" He recalls, with a bit of embarrassment, and even more dread. He tries not to think about it too hard.
"That… makes sense. That's… rational." Tails says, having reasoned the confession in his head, that telltale knot in his brow telling Sonic that he's deep in thought over it. This kid thinks deeply about everything. He's so cool like that. Sonic wants to take a daytrip inside the kit's brain, even if he knows he'd walk out of it more clueless than when he'd walked in. He'll just have to drag the fox along with him to help explain everything.
Sonic lets him think for a minute or two. "Yeah," He says, after the fox's thoughts look like they've untangled themselves. "But the point is! Even a hedgehog as cool as yours truly can be afraid of stuff. And, y'know, we have each other now! If I ever walk into a pool or something, you can fish me out. If there's a storm coming, I can… do this." Sonic runs a hand behind the kit's ear, seeming to find a sweet spot- albeit unintentionally- as Tails relaxes into him and lets out a purr.
Sonic smiles. "So there's nothin' to worry about, y'know?" He affirms, speaking in a confident murmur. "We got this."
"Yeah…" Tails sniffs. "We got this." Sonic hears rather than sees the smile on his face when he says it. "Thanks, Sonic…"
"Anytime, bro."
'Bro.' That has a nice ring to it, Sonic thinks.
The sky rumbles off in the distance. The storm has almost passed.
There's a comfortable bout of silence. Sonic continues to pet behind Tails's ears, the fox's cries having died down to the occasional trembling exhale or sniffle. The rain lets up, tapping a light pattern into the walls that relieves Sonic of his oncoming restlessness. He hates the quiet almost as much as he hates storms, but as long as he's not alone… it can't be that bad, can it?
Tails's namesakes curl around him, hugging him, and he yawns. Sonic yawns back. He looks at the time again. 4:49am. He rolls his eyes, exasperated. Definitely time for bed.
Below him, Tails's purrs quickly dissolve into snores, and there goes any chance he had of putting the kid back in his own bed.
Although… he probably wouldn't have tried to, anyway.
"'Night, bro." Sonic whispers to himself, as he's become accustomed to. But, this time, he's talking to himself to someone. His brother is right here. And it doesn't feel as lonely.
Leaning back against his headrest, Sonic's eyes flutter closed as he lets out a deep sigh. He's exhausted. He's been exhausted. Tails's fear just gave him the willpower to ignore it. He finds he can't peel his eyes back open once they're closed. That's fine by him.
He's lulled to sleep by light rain and gentle snoring, warmed by the soft and enveloping fur of a little fox cub.
Thunder booms. Sonic and Tails stay asleep.
Tom and Maddie stumble upon the scene in the morning light, their boys curled up together on the race car bed, sleeping the lazy sunshower day away. The moment quickly immortalizes itself on Maddie's home screen.