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Sonic bid his servants goodnight and shut the door, twisting the key and hearing the satisfying click of the lock. He waited a minute or two, just to make sure they were really gone, and then smiled. “All clear,” he called.
His visitor giggled like a school boy as he climbed over the balcony and let himself in through the glass doors. “I haven’t gone sneaking in somewhere like that since I was a lad,” Silver said, smoothing his coat over his waist.
“Somehow, I find that hard to believe,” Sonic said.
The pirate captain put his hand over his heart in mock offense. “Are you questioning my honesty?” He flopped down across one of the couches by the balcony doors, his conjured leg vanishing into thin air now that he didn't need it. He put his remaining foot up on the arm rest. "Nice place you got," he teased.
"Get your boot off my couch."
Silver put his hands up in surrender. "Oi, can't an old, weary sailor rest his legs?"
Sonic shoved him aside to sit next to him. "First, you're not old. Second, you're not weary. And third, you can rest all you want, without muddying my furniture."
"Alright, fine." He leaned over and took his boot off, and then straightened up with an eyebrow raised. "Better?"
In lieu of a response, Sonic pulled him closer and kissed him softly. "It's nice to see you again, Silver," he said as he pulled back with a smile.
The white hedgehog returned the smile, his golden eyes glittering like coins. "I missed you."
"How long will you be staying?"
"A few days at most," Silver said, almost regretfully. "We've got a lead on a chaos emerald, and I don't wanna lose it."
Sonic's eyebrows shot up. "A chaos emerald?"
"It's not yours, don't worry." Silver waved his hand a little. "The signal points north."
"Signal?"
"That's right, you haven't met Tails! The lad's a genius, and I don't say that lightly. He's built us this kind of compass that points to them."
"Interesting."
"You'll love Tails. He kinda reminds me of you, just younger and…smarter."
"Hey!"
"I'm serious. The kid's smarter than anyone I've even heard of. And he's kind and hardworking, too." Silver put his hat down on the coffee table and leaned on Sonic's shoulder. "So. What should we do tonight? Slip down to the markets? Lie on the beach? Dance under the stars?"
Sonic chuckled. "Please, you and I both know you're a terrible dancer."
"Alright, fine. What do you have in mind?"
What did he want to do? He didn't get to see Silver very often or for very long, so he had to make it meaningful. "I was thinking," he started slowly, "maybe we just stay here tonight. Relax."
"Sonic the Hedgehog ignoring an adventure? That's a first." Silver yawned, the candle light glinting off his metal tooth. "Can't say I'd mind it, though."
"Alright. I'll be back in a second."
Sonic stood up, shaking his head with a smile as Silver whined childishly at his partner’s absence. He left his room and stood in the hall for a moment before a young servant girl came by, humming to herself. The little rabbit didn't seem to notice him.
"Excuse me," he said quietly.
"Oh!" She jumped, and then quickly curtsied. "I'm—I'm sorry, your Majesty, I didn't—"
"There's no need for any of that," Sonic said quickly. Though he had grown used to the formalities, he still hated them. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"That's alright," she said as she stood straight again. "What can I do for you?"
"If you're not too busy, could you send someone to draw my bath?" He would have done it himself, but the last time he'd tried, the head servant had nearly lost his mind. Apparently, it wasn’t proper for a king to do such simple things.
"Of course, sir."
"What's your name?"
"Oh." She looked startled that he'd even asked. "Oh, it's—my name is Cream."
"Thank you, Cream."
Her smile brightened the dark hallway like the sun, and then she was gone.
Sonic shut the door and turned back to Silver. “When was the last time you had a bath?” The pirate opened his mouth to answer, and Sonic quickly added, “A real one.”
Silver shrugged. “Eh, I dunno. I prefer to bathe in the sea, anyway.”
“Well, you’re getting one tonight.”
“I am?”
“Yes. You…don’t smell very good, to put it kindly.” Sonic had to chuckle at Silver’s baffled expression.
“I—it’s the ocean.”
“I know what the ocean smells like.” Sonic joined him by the couch again and pulled at the collar of his coat. “And this—this is not it. You smell like sweat and alcohol.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“I can tell. It’s easy to get used to it when you’re sailing. But here, it’s a little more noticeable.”
“Why are you so bossy today?” Silver grumbled as he unbuckled his belt and took off his coat, but the grumble was good-natured.
“I’ll have to have your clothes washed, as well,” Sonic said, “so take everything out of your pockets. And before you ask, it’s to keep our cover. If somebody notices mud from your boot or the smell of your ship, they’ll ask questions.”
“I…guess that makes sense.” Silver smirked a little as he dug out his coin purse and a few knick-knacks from his pockets. “You never seemed like the type to care about these things otherwise.”
Sonic rolled his eyes, though the assumption was true. He often hated how pristine everything in the castle was. It didn’t feel like anyone actually lived here. It felt big and empty, and it was times like that where he missed his parents the most. “Here’s a robe,” he said from the other room. “Undress now, and I’ll send your clothes down when they come up to draw the bath.”
“That eager to see me naked?” Silver teased. The robe smacked him in the face in response.
“For the love of Gaia, just do it.” He was glad for the second of distraction the robe gave him. It was just enough to turn away and hide the blush on his face before Silver saw it. He would only make fun of him again.
Thankfully, Silver finished just as the servants knocked on his suite door, and ducked behind the couch when Sonic let them in. They hurried into the washroom, all business as usual, and emerged a short time later to tell him it was ready. He thanked them and passed on Silver’s clothes, and though they exchanged a few confused glances, they didn’t ask questions, and were gone soon.
“Alright, you can get in now,” Sonic said.
Silver emerged from behind the couch in the robe, untying his quills as he lifted himself with his magic. “You should join me,” he said casually as he drifted through the air towards the washroom.
“I—what?”
“Think of it like a public bath house. Ever been to one?”
“I can’t say that I have.”
“It’s a nice place to socialize. Relaxing and friendly. Met Mister Big at one.”
Sonic followed him to the door, but hesitated as Silver shrugged the robe off. His back faced Sonic, and he winced at the sight of scars from multiple lashings. “I…don’t know.” Sonic shifted his weight a little, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t want to make you feel awkward.”
“Oh, please. I’ve been in way more awkward situations. It’s up to you.” Silver sat on the edge of the tub, but didn’t get in. Instead, he levitated one of the waist towels over to him, dipped it in the water, and scrubbed himself with it. The towel came away streaked with grime. Already, Sonic could tell a difference in coloring.
“Alright,” he finally said. “You’re going to need help with your quills, anyway.”
It took him an extra minute or two to undress, as he had on more layers than Silver. By the time his clothes were in a pile by the door, Silver had finished with the towel, leaving him quite a few shades lighter in color. He swung his leg over the edge to get into the tub, but lost his balance and fell backwards with a yelp. Sonic couldn’t keep from laughing.
“Careful,” he teased. “It’s slippery.”
“Yes, thank you.” Silver rolled his eyes as he conjured his artificial leg and picked himself up, but he was smiling just a little.
Sonic stepped into the tub, the warm water immediately sending comfortable tingles up his spine. He held out his hand for support, and Silver took it as he very cautiously joined him. His grip tightened for a second as he slipped a little again, but made it with no other incidents.
“Dunno what that was all about,” he said as they sat down. “I felt the water and suddenly had sea legs all over again.”
“You were probably expecting movement like from your ship,” Sonic said. “Now turn around and let me tame this mess.”
“My quills aren’t a mess,” he complained, but obeyed anyway.
As soon as Sonic’s fingers gently scratched his head, Silver relaxed completely. Sonic lathered his grey quills with as much soap as he could, and set to work cleaning each and every one of them. When he scratched behind his ears, Silver seemed to melt, a quick shiver running through his body.
“Aha, I found one of your weak spots,” Sonic grinned.
“No way,” he protested, but shivered again at the repeated motion, hunching over and leaning back, as if trying to prolong the touch and get away from it at the same time.
“That reminds me. I’ve always wondered if you’re…” He poked Silver’s side, just below his ribs, and Silver let out a shriek as he jerked away. Sonic’s grin turned mischievous. “So you are ticklish.”
Silver pushed himself to the opposite side of the tub, which, granted, wasn’t very far away. “Don’t you dare!” He held his hands out as Sonic moved closer. “I’m warning you, I will fight ba—” He cut off with another laughing shriek as Sonic lunged at him and gave his sides another squeeze. “Stop that!” he tried to demand, but he was laughing too hard as Sonic bombarded him with tickles, going up his ribs and then down to his stomach. He whacked at him as he squirmed, though the blows didn’t hurt, as they didn’t have any strength, and then finally, Sonic took his hands back to let him catch his breath. “I hate you,” Silver wheezed, his smile making his eyes crinkle at the edges.
“Sure.” Sonic leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss. “Here, let me finish washing your quills.”
“I dunno if I can trust you with that anymore.”
"I solemnly swear I won't tickle you again."
"Fine, but if you even try, I'm gonna throw you outta the tub." Silver's hands lit up with blue magic as a warning.
"Duly noted."
Slowly but surely, Silver's quills lightened a bit more and softened under Sonic's touch. Silver leaned his head back to let him reach the fan on his forehead, and Sonic noticed that sitting down, they were about the same height. Standing up, Silver was a few inches taller than him.
Silver's ear flicked when he touched it again, and Sonic chuckled. "Don't tell me your ears are ticklish, too."
"Just a little," Silver admitted.
"You're a lot more sensitive than I would have thought."
"Is that a compliment or an insult?"
"Whatever you want it to be, love." Sonic moved down to the fur around his neck. It was fuller than the first time they'd met, and trailed down his back to settle between his spines. He ran his fingers through it, gently untangling twists and knots, and found it was longer, too, at least around back. It covered up a few of his scars, and Sonic found himself tracing them with his fingers. A light shiver ran through Silver’s body as he did. To his relief, there weren’t any new ones; just the ones from years ago. He could still hear the sound of the whip crack, and he shook his head a little to clear the thoughts.
“Just like old times, eh?” Silver said with a single chuckle, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them. He must have been thinking the same thing. Sonic felt his hand move to rub against his stump leg.
“Only this time, you aren’t half-dead.” And while Silver could apparently joke about it, Sonic couldn’t find it in him to joke back. Though it had been just over seven years, he still often dreamed of it, and could still very clearly picture him crumpled on the deck, bruised and bloody and dying. Sonic often wondered what things would have been like if Silver hadn’t nearly succumbed to fever and infection—if he’d been locked up uninjured. Would they have become close then?
And though Silver had nearly died twice on that ship, Sonic knew they wouldn’t have what they had now if things had gone differently.
“Alright, my turn,” Silver said after a long few beats of silence. “Turn around.”
Sonic obeyed. As soon as his back was turned, Silver lunged forward and gave his sides a jab. Sonic just raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder at him. “Really?”
Silver seemed to deflate, and Sonic couldn’t help but laugh at the unproportional amount of despair in his expression. “Now that’s just unfair,” he complained.
“I can’t say I’m sorry. I haven’t been ticklish since I was a toddler.”
“Might as well just say you’re favored by Gaia.”
Silver ran his fingers through Sonic’s quills with surprising gentleness. Silver was always gentle with him, and yet it surprised him every time. The pirate’s hands were rough and calloused from a hard life at sea, and yet with the way he touched him, Sonic could almost believe his hands were as soft as if he’d never worked a day in his life.
He combed through the bottom half of Sonic’s quills, and then suddenly paused, his hand just above his shoulder. If Sonic held his breath, he could feel him trembling. He looked over his shoulder at him. “Are you alright?”
Silver brushed his fingers down his back, where Sonic’s own set of scars were. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
“What? Why?”
“I caused them. It’s my fault. I—I hurt you.”
There was a sort of sadness in his voice that Sonic had never heard before. He quickly turned around to face him, and took his hands before he could clench them in his lap. “Silver,” he said gently, rubbing his thumbs over the raised psychokinetic marks. “This wasn’t your fault. I promise.”
Silver bit his lip, suddenly looking very small and vulnerable. “You shouldn’t’ve had to do that for me.”
“Here’s the thing: I didn’t have to. I chose to. And now I have twenty five reminders of how much I love you.”
“I wish I could’ve stopped it,” he mumbled.
“I know. But it’s alright.” Sonic gave his hands a squeeze, and he squeezed back.
He took a deep breath. “Turn around so I can finish.” Sonic obeyed, and Silver resumed washing his quills. “I would do anything for you, you know. If you told me to stop sailing, I’d turn my back and never look at the sea again.”
Though it was a sweet gesture, his example was alarming. “I’d never ask you to do that,” Sonic said in concern. “What made you think I would?”
“Oh, I know you wouldn’t. I’m just saying.” Silver smoothed back Sonic’s quills, and then wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him back to rest against his chest. “I’d fight off a thousand soldiers if I had to. I’d give up my treasure in a heartbeat. I’d kill Davy Jones himself just to be with you another night.”
“Well.” Sonic turned again and pressed his lips against Silver’s cheek. “It’s a good thing you don’t have to do any of those.”
“Mmm.” Silver intercepted him as he went in for another side kiss, pressing their lips together instead. They broke for a breath before Silver put his hand on the back of Sonic’s head and pulled him in again.
Like his hands, Silver’s kiss was gentle, even as it deepened. It made Sonic’s heart burn with pure joy and affection. It was passionate, but not the kind that often turned almost aggressive. While he already knew it, Silver’s kiss showed just how much he loved him. Sonic felt colder when they parted again.
Since Silver’s clothes were still being washed, Sonic gave him an extra set of nightclothes. He disregarded the shirt, mumbling something about his chest fur not drying well covered up, and just put the pants on. Apparently, his conjured leg wasn’t exactly solid, and seemed to flicker in and out of existence as the fabric shifted in the air.
“Your clothes won’t be ready until morning,” Sonic said, “so you’re trapped here until then.”
“Oh, no,” Silver responded sarcastically. “What ever will I do?”
“You’ll get in bed, that’s what.” He shot him a glare as he opened his mouth, no doubt to say something snarky. “Don’t even say it.”
“Aww, you’re no fun.”
Sonic pulled the covers back a little and climbed into the large bed, patting the spot next to him as he sat against the headboard. “It’s late and I’m tired, and I know you want to cuddle.”
“How do you know?”
“You always want to cuddle.”
“Touché.” Silver got in beside him, the psychokinetic light fading as soon as he didn’t need to stand anymore, and immediately pressed up against Sonic’s side.
Sonic put an arm around his waist and leaned his head on his shoulder. “So, tell me all about your latest adventure.”
“Eh, it’s rather boring.”
“Tell me anyway.”
So he did. It was rather boring compared to some of his other stories, but Sonic didn’t mind. He just liked listening to him talk. His voice was the sweetest sound in the world. While he spoke, Sonic ran his fingers through his chest fur, combing out the tangles it had dried in. It was so full and fluffy, and he could have fallen asleep in it if given the chance.
“We ended up docking in Spagonia—are you even listening to me?”
Sonic lifted his head at the question and tried to blink the drowsiness away. “Yeah, yeah. I’m listening,” he said with a yawn.
That in turn made Silver yawn, too. “I guess I could finish in the morning.”
“I’d like that,” Sonic mumbled.
They lied down facing each other, sharing one last kiss and smile, and tucked the covers around them. Sonic fell asleep easily, holding Silver's hands.
He woke a few hours later to rustling, and felt the covers moving. Beside him, Silver turned onto his other side, and then onto his back, and then sighed very softly. Sonic didn't have to ask to know he hadn't slept at all.
“Can’t sleep?” he said, startling him.
“Oh, I…” Even in the moonlight, Sonic could see a blush creep across Silver’s face. “I haven’t slept on land in a long time. Everything is just so…still.”
“Is that it? That’s an easy fix. Come here.” Sonic gathered a very confused Silver into his arms, and then laid his head on his chest. “There. Can you feel me breathing?”
“Yes.”
“Does this help?”
Silver hummed in acknowledgement, his eyes sliding shut. He draped his arm across Sonic’s stomach, and after only a few minutes, his breathing deepened as he drifted to sleep. Sonic held him against his chest, and fell asleep smiling.
He awoke to a knock on the suite door. Probably Knuckles coming to scold him for sleeping in. For a moment, he was confused at the weight on his chest, but when he remembered, a bright smile spread across his face. He had been dreaming about this for a long time—waking up to see his lover first thing in the morning. His heart warmed as he laid there, awake but unmoving, and just listened to Silver breathe. He had tucked his head under Sonic’s chin sometime during the night, and had draped his leg over one of Sonic’s. His arm was wrapped around his waist, and his grip tightened a little as Sonic shifted.
The knock came again.
“Wake up, love,” Sonic whispered, giving him a kiss on the forehead.
Silver whined in response. “Don’t wanna,” he muttered.
“Fine, you stay here, but I have to get up.” Sonic tried to detach himself from Silver’s grip, but the white hedgehog refused to let go. “Come on, Silver, someone’s at the door.”
“Don’t care.”
Finally, he managed to pry his hands away and climb to his feet. “Come in,” he called to the visitor, donning a robe over his nightclothes as he went to the door.
It was the sweet rabbit girl from last night—Cream, she’d said her name was. She held out a bundle of clothes for him. “These have been washed as requested, your Majesty.”
“Oh, thank you very much, Cream.” Sonic took them from her and couldn’t help but smile at her grin.
“You remembered my name!” she said excitedly.
“I try my best to know everyone in the castle.”
“All the older girls said you wouldn’t remember. They said you were too busy to—” And then she cut herself off, staring wide-eyed at the bedroom door.
Sonic had forgotten to close it, and Silver had decided now was a good time to sit up. Immediately, Sonic’s face turned a bright shade of red. “Don’t—don’t tell anyone he’s here,” he said quickly. “Please. He could get in serious trouble.”
Cream’s eyes softened as the surprise faded. “My lips are sealed.”
“Thank you.”
She curtsied and slipped out of the suite, quietly shutting the door behind her.
Sonic released the breath he’d been holding. “Your timing is impeccable,” he said as he turned.
Silver was still rubbing sleep from his eyes. “Huh?”
“Never mind. Here, your clothes are ready.”
“But I wanna hold you,” he complained.
“You held me literally all night.”
“I was asleep. I couldn’t feel it.”
Sonic glanced at the parchment on his desk—his meetings and duties for the day. No doubt the first one would begin soon. “Well,” he said. “I suppose I can spare an hour.”
The joy on Silver’s face made the screaming from Knuckles more than worth it.