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Once upon a time, Silver’s daily life had been, well, hectic.
It hadn’t even really been daily, simply Silver was constantly out of place and out of time. Don’t get it twisted, Silver is still both of those things, one does not simply rewrite nearly a hundred timelines before it starts to have an effect on you or some shit.
But now… well, there weren’t many reasons to rewrite the timeline, it didn’t end in disaster as much anymore. Or maybe Silver stopped caring and so stopped checking. Silver can’t really remember.
But, in his teens, he’d been frantic, chaotic, desperate to fix everything he could with his own two hands.
He’d been a mess.
Silver still had his moments, still had his days, but he was twenty three now. That’s a long way off from being fourteen, just spat out of time’s very mouth and dedicating himself to saving the entire world, one potential world ending disaster at a time.
It’s surprising what a bit of time and therapy can do for you, ya know?
“Morning, Dove,” Sonic said, interrupting Silver’s inner inflection. He tucked his chin right on Silver’s shoulder, clearly trying to steal a bite of Silver’s bagel.
“Good morning, Baby Blue,” Silver said back, moving his bagel into Sonic’s reach. “You’re up early.”
“Mm,” Sonic hummed, taking away half of Silver’s bagel in one bite. “Got asked to help with some clean up today. It’s at six.”
“Six? Whoa, it must be quite a mess,” Silver muttered, chowing down on the rest of his bagel.
Now, Silver’s life was calm, simple, pleasant. He woke up with the sun and stood out on the porch of the seaside home Blaze had bought for the couple when they’d started dating about, hm, six years ago.
It had its own problems and struggles, like any life does but… well, Silver wouldn’t trade it for the world.
“Hm, well, yeah, that’s why they asked for my help,” Sonic shrugged. “They’re still convinced I can’t do it myself.”
“Seriously? I think they’re just messing with you at this point,” Silver chuckled. “Is that all on the agenda today?”
“I was thinking of visiting Tails,” Sonic admitted. “But that’s really it. You?”
“Work today,” Silver chuckled, laughing at Sonic’s groan at his words. “Don’t give me that, it’s good work!”
“Good work is the garden,” Sonic grumbled, tightening his hold on Silver as if the threat of the oh so hated work will appear and whisk Silver away from him right that instant. “Not Amy’s cake sweatshop.”
“Hey, you say that again, I’ll tell her you said that,” Silver scolded, booping Sonic on the nose.
“No, don’t do that!” Sonic whines, burrowing his face deeper into Silver’s neck, into the fluff that surrounds Silver’s neck. “She won’t give me any more chili dog cupcakes then.”
“Then don’t be a big baby,” Silver kissed Sonic on his cheek, pulling away. “Now, don’t you have to go get ready?”
“You’re just saying that so you can go and get more bagels without me stealing them,” Sonic said, releasing his partner. “But fine.”
“Ah, you know me so well, Baby Blue,” Silver teased.
The two stepped back into the house, Silver walking into the kitchen while Sonic beelined for the bedroom.
“And don’t fall back asleep!” Silver called out to Sonic.
Sonic’s response was an emotion filled cry of agony.
Silver rolled his eyes as he shoved five whole bagels into the microwave.
Whoever said Sonic didn’t show emotions clearly never lived with him.
Sonic, as always, was Silver’s ever reliable transport. Amy liked to joke that the only reason Silver proposed to Sonic was because it was cheaper than learning to drive or getting a car.
While this was completely and wholly false to the utmost degree, it was noted Silver had yet to be late for the five years of dating and one year of marriage to any event.
Sonic released Silver from his princess carry, Silver floating forward.
“I’ll see you after work, right?” Sonic asked Silver.
“You always do, don’t you?” Silver said in response, landing on the ground. “Be safe. Be careful.”
I always am, aren’t I?” Sonic said in response with a cheeky grin. Giving no time to reply, he was off, a blue blur in the distance.
Silver shook his head affectionately and headed inside, the doorbell ringing as he stepped in.
“Welcome to Amy’s Pastiere, how can I-” Amy started robotically before recognizing Silver. “Oh, Silver, thank Gaia, I need someone to take over the storefront.”
“Huh?” Silver startled. “What for?”
“Something came up with this order, I have to go and fix it, can you man the register, please?” Amy pleaded.
“I mean… Amy, I’m really not good with people, you know that,” Silver said anxiously. “I always get…”
Silver left the end vague and open, feeling it unnecessary to state the obvious. After all, there was a reason Silver was tucked in the back, baking day in and day out.
“I know, I know, I don’t like it either,” Amy made a face. “But this was a big order, if it goes bad, it could really cause troubles down the line.”
“...Alright,” Silver sighed, taking his coat off. He walked past Amy, hanging it up and pulling hers down for her.
“It’s early! I’m sure you won’t have many people coming in,” Amy tried to say, taking her coat from Silver. Silver leveled a blank look at her. “Okay, I know, there’s gonna be people, yes, but I think you can handle it!”
“Just be quick, please,” Silver pleaded. He tied his white quills up but didn’t bother putting his apron or baking gloves on. He didn’t exactly need them if he was just manning the register after all.
“I’ll be back in an hour, tops,” Amy said, tossing her coat and running out the door. “Good luck!”
It was moments like these where Silver wonders how he ended up marrying such a people person like Sonic. Sure, the blue hedgehog was mostly faking it half the time but he was good at faking it.
Most people assumed he was an extrovert, Silver included when they first met! Silver, however, was not.
People were not remotely in any of Silver’s strengths unless you counted tossing them at robots or something like that, which most people didn’t.
Amy’s shop wasn’t Silver’s first job. With how prevalent the job culture was, Silver had felt the need to try and get a small part time one.
It… hadn’t gone well. Silver would rather not think about it.
But Silver was older, wiser, now. Surely he could manage an hour or so manning the register.
After all, what were the chances of an army of people streaming into the shop right the minute Amy left, right?
The doorbell rang and Silver blinked to attention.
“Welcome to Amy’s Pastiere, how can I serve you today?” Silver said, his voice quickly drowned out by the eager chattering of high school age girls.
Silver, with growing dread, looked at the group.
Oh Gaia. It was a dance team. Shit. Was it that season already? Silver never takes the morning shift during any time a group of highly talented teens were in town for a special event.
The captain of the dance team and the adult supervisor stepped up, the older on her own while the younger looked as uncomfortable as Silver felt.
“Can we get, uh, a dozen donuts? Gluten free, please,” the young girl said, avoiding eye contact. Understandable, honey, Silver is right there with you.
“A dozen donuts, gluten free,” Silver repeated, typing them up on the register. “Anything else?”
The younger glanced at the adult in a panic, the older woman, probably just a year older than Silver, nudging her.
“Uh, a chocolate croissant,” she said finally. “Not gluten free. Please.”
“Mhm,” Silver nodded. “One normal chocolate croissant. That’ll be… 32 dollars.”
The adult finally looked up from her phone, reaching for her wallet. The teen sighed in relief and scurried back to the chattering cohort of teens by the shop’s door.
Silver turned and pushed the tablet towards the woman.
She tapped her card against it, choosing a 15% tip.
“That’ll be about a couple minutes,” Silver said, turning the tablet back to facing him.
The donuts were easy enough, especially when Amy’s stressed the day before. They always have extra fresh products then.
Silver placed 12 glazed gluten free donuts in a donut box, setting it on the counter. The chocolate croissants were running low but nothing Silver couldn’t fix when Amy got back, Silver already thinking of how many he could make at one time as he placed one in a paper wrapper.
Turning back to the customers, he placed the order on the counter.
“Thank you very much,” the woman said with a polite smile, taking the order. “Back to the bus, girls, we still got a two hour drive!”
The woman herded her dancers out the door, Silver collapsing with a wheeze the second the door shut.
Teens are the most terrifying thing ever and Silver had fought demons forsaken by time itself. You could get lucky, like Silver had, and get a genuinely good kid or you could get something else entirely.
Kids could be so… well, dangerous if they wanted. They could say things that stick with you for years.
One time, a teen commented on how Silver looked like he was already divorced since he never wore his ring on his finger and Silver had felt self conscious ever since.
Sonic had offered to find and beat up said child, hopefully as a joke, to make him feel better, which was kind of sweet, but Silver’s point was teenagers are either monsters or just a blip on your radar.
Silver stood back up, praying that was the only customers he'd have until Amy got back-
The door swung open and the bell rang.
Son of a fucking bitch.
"Amy's Pastiere, how can I help you?" Silver asked.
The woman, probably a good ten or so years older than Silver, with a terrible haircut to foretell Silver of his oncoming doom, walked in, gabbing into a phone.
"I'm here for my order," is all she said to Silver before turning back to gossiping with whoever she was on the phone with.
Silver stood there for a moment, expecting her to… he doesn’t know, tell her what her order is? Her name? The order’s number? Something?
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Silver said, suppressing a flinch back when she turned to glare at him. “But what exactly is your order?”
“I made it last night, is it not ready yet?” the woman said, a very nonanswer. Silver stared at her and she huffed, muttering into her phone, just loud enough for Silver to hear. “One moment, Ingrid, I need to deal with some high school dropout.”
Ah. Silver kind of wished he’d been more public with his assistance in world saving right now, for all the trouble it would have no doubt also given him.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t give you an order if I don’t know which one it is,” Silver said. “You should have seen a text sent to you with the order’s number, if you would just tell me what it is-”
“Are you accusing me of lying?! How dare you!” the woman squawked and Silver wondered if he was speaking another language that made it sound like he was an idiot. “I’ll have you know, I am close friends with the owner of this establishment and she will not be pleased with this behavior! I am asking for my order and if you do not have it, I’ll demand a refund!”
Oh no. Confrontation. Silver never did well with confrontation, he always ended up making a mess of things! He felt his mouth open and braced himself for whatever garbage he spewed out in his own defense.
“Please, bitch, know the owner my ass,” Silver deadpanned. The woman’s mouth gaped open. “Close your mouth, your trash breath is gonna attract flies.”
“I-I-” she stuttered, face going red from rage.
“You- you-” Silver mocked. “Listen up, you’re either going to tell me what your order’s number is or you’re going to leave. If you don’t leave, I will kick you out and, trust me, I will not be nice about it, just like you won’t be to your husband’s mistress.”
Her face quickly reddened then paled.
“My… my husband’s…?” she said in a hushed quiet whisper.
“It’s nothing to worry about, just like how your lawyer says not to worry when he takes custody of your kids, Alan and Tina,” Silver went on. “Now, your order, ma’am?”
Silver leaned forward, waiting for her to speak.
Wordlessly, the woman turned around, beelining for her car.
Silver relaxed as her van peeled out of the parking lot, groaning.
Ugh, not again! Now Amy’s probably gonna get another review about a rude cashier who predicted the customer’s future! Silver really had to stop doing that, just because he could see the cracks in time around a person’s fate doesn’t mean he should use it to scare off Karens.
At least, it’d be a funny story to tell Sonic while the blue hedgehog prepared dinner. Sonic had promised to make pork chops tonight.
The doorbell rang and Silver steeled himself for another battle.
“Just me!” Amy called out, pulling some drying frosting out of her quills. “How did it go?”
“Never again,” was Silver’s reply.
Baking was never a hobby or job Silver expected to have. To be fair, in his original timeline and time period, baking had all but died out as an art lost and remembered only in stories.
However, as Silver folded the dark brown dough for the chocolate croissants, he had to say, this was the only future he really wanted for himself.
A decent job, a loving husband, a comfortable home. It was more than Silver ever really thought he’d get. It was more than Silver ever thought he’d deserve.
Silver folded the dough over,smoothing out an air pocket. He did wonder what Sonic was up to right now-
The group cried out as the thick but cracked log gave out, both blue hedgehog and chao screaming as they dropped into the rapid water.
Sonic surfaced once, twice, before vanishing before the current.
Silver gasped, stumbling back. Oh no, that idiot, he didn’t say he was helping out near the dam! Silver tossed his clear gloves off and into the trash, rushing out of the kitchen and towards the door.
“Silver?” Amy called, confused and worried.
“Uh, family emergency!” Silver said, not lying in the slightest. “Be back in a minute!”
Now, while Eggman had not been a problem for quite some time by now, the man having turned himself in willingly around when Silver was 17 and Sonic was 18, that didn’t mean there weren’t… less than ordinary enemies.
A couple dozen eggman copycats, a few bounty hunters hired by said copycats, and the occasionally completely unrelated but supernatural threat, the world did indeed still have some kind of use for heroes.
Not that long ago, a month or two, really, some dude calling himself Ocean Master had rolled up, proclaiming himself Sonic’s perfect equal and opposite.
Shadow and Knuckles had joined forces to strangle the hydrokinetic individual while Sonic remained nice and dry at home, missing all the action. To be fair, the guy had it coming with that claim, he was lucky that Metal Sonic wasn’t active at the time either.
The point was, he’d used his water powers to kind of fuck up the creeks and rivers that lead to the ocean right next door. Silver had helped place a dam but it was kind of a temporary fix until they could find a place to funnel the excess water.
No doubt that was what Sonic had been helping with today. Ugh, Silver’s gonna kill him.
Silver glided through the air, telepathy was much faster than walking. Have you ever walked before? What about running? Awful. Terrible. Silver has no idea how Sonic could do it all the time.
He halts right on the edge of a giant hole, newly dug. Silver peers around, looking for the group Sonic had gone to meet with today.
Finally, he spotted them, running up to them.
“Where’s Sonic?” Silver asked, sparing no time for niceties.
They were startled at his presence.
“Just over there,” one of them, James, he thinks Sonic said his name was once, said, pointing out.
Silver followed his finger, spying Sonic on a thick but breaking branch connected to an old and crumbling tree, creeping towards a poor and small chao stuck at the end. Silver felt his heart drop, just as the branch finally broke.
Silver shoved his way forward, hand outstretched. It was simple enough to catch his husband and the poor shaking jelly baby, pulling both of them back over to the shore.
“Oh! Hey, Silvs!” Sonic greeted lightheartedly, as if Silver’s presence here was not an indicator of how close to danger he’d just been.
Silver didn’t mind much, only pulling the blue hedgehog close. The chao trapped between the two hedgehogs squeaked out in protest, attempting to wriggle free.
“I thought I told you to be more careful,” Silver growled, weaving his hand into Sonic’s quills. They were totally relaxed, almost soft in Silver’s fingers.
“You’re here to catch me when being careful isn’t enough,” Sonic replied with complete and total trust in Silver and his abilities. Silver wished he had the same level of trust in himself. “Nothing happened. I’m fine.”
“I know, I just-” Silver said, pulling back slightly. His words were caught by the chao crying out again, bapping Silver on the face.
Sonic laughed at Silver’s expression of surprise, gently petting the teardrop shaped creature. The creature huffed, crossing its little arms with a glare up at Silver.
“Uh… sorry, little guy,” Silver said awkwardly, patting it on its head. It blinked and leaned up into Silver’s touch with a coo.
“Aw, look, Silvs, they like you!” Sonic laughs. Silver smiled bashfully. “Hey, how do you feel about having a pet?”
Gluteen, Silver and Sonic’s new chao, yawned as they landed on their newly bought bed.
“Once again, my amazing, brilliant, outstanding husband,” Sonic said, flopping backwards onto the snowy white hedgehog. “Has saved me with the power of his foresight.”
“You’re lucky I even saw it when I did,” Silver huffed, complaining but clearly more relieved than upset. “A minute later and-”
“I would be swimming with the fishes?” Sonic jokes.
“Don’t, mister,” Silver snorted. “You’re already on thin ice.”
“Yeah, but you’d just catch me, wouldn’t you?” Sonic said, cuddling up against his spouse. “You’d never let me drown.”
“Sonic, please,” Silver sighed. “You don’t know if I’ll make it next time. I might not always be there.”
Well. more likely was Sonic’s not always being there. Being rejected by time and more or less in charge of preventing the apocalypse had some interesting side effects on Silver’s lifespan.
“But you’re here now,” Sonic countered. “I think that’s enough for me.”
“...I love you,” Silver said, resting his forehead against Sonic’s head.
“Love you too, Dove,” Sonic replied, turning his face to kiss Silver on his cheek. “Now, there’s an interesting new review on Amy’s shop’s page…”
“Oh, Gaia fucking damn it.”