Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cover: DeviantArt / Instagram

For the youngest son in a generational line of fisherman, Sonic hated the ocean. It was more than the respectful fear the rest of his family had. It was a terror that ran as deep as the trenches and crashed as hard as the waves. Nobody blamed him, even if it was a bit ridiculous considering how often he and his uncle went out into open waters. The whole island had known and adored his parents, too. 

He would never admit it, though. And so he went out at least twice a week with his uncle to help cast and pull the nets, and often spent the weekends helping to careen or repair the boat, despite the lightning bolt of fear that struck his heart every time the tide pulled just a little too strong.

“Sonic!” his uncle called from the shore. “Are you coming? The tide will change soon.”

Sonic jumped a little at the sound of Uncle Chuck’s voice, but quickly shook his head and regained his composure. “Yeah, I’m coming.” He glanced back at their seaside home, the same way he did every time they went out, and sped down to the beach. As usual, it only took them a few moments to cast off, and then they were on their way, and Sonic’s nerves began to tingle. He rubbed his thumb over his silvery pendant to calm himself.

The weather had seemed pleasant as he and his uncle began their usual trip, but as soon as they left the reef and hit the open waves, the wind picked up and the sky grew dark. Sonic looked up at the sky and swallowed hard, his stomach rolling with the current. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a few deep breaths, and then adjusted the sails at Chuck’s command.

“Might have to head back early,” the older hedgehog commented halfway through the day. It wasn’t intended to cause worry, but Sonic’s heart jumped anyway, and then jumped again as the boat rocked harder.

“Maybe we should head back now,” he said nervously. “Y’know, just in case.”

Chuck just hummed softly, neither agreeing or disagreeing. “Pull the nets,” he said. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”

It began to rain as Sonic reeled in the fish nets, but the rain wasn’t what worried him. While he didn’t exactly enjoy being wet, he was used to it by now. What worried him was the steady increase of wind speed and the growing height of the waves. The nets weren't as full as they usually were after each cast. 

His uncle frowned as he saw them. “One more cast,” he decided, nearly shouting to be heard over the ocean.

Sonic obeyed, a sick terror gripping his heart. It’s fine, he told himself. Uncle Chuck’s sailed worse storms before. And it was true. If there was anyone he trusted with his life during a storm, it was him. Still, he couldn’t shake the fear, and his hand gripped his pendant again. 

The rain pounded against his face as he and his uncle pulled the nets in after their final cast. Sonic slipped and fell as he ran the few steps to check their lifelines again, just as a massive wave crashed against their humble fishing vessel, throwing him across the deck. He slammed into the railing, the air rushing from his lungs, and then the boat dipped, flipping him back onto the deck. 

“Sonic!” his uncle shouted from the helm. 

Somehow, he managed to drag himself to the mast and tug the lines. “Lifelines secure!” he hollered back just as another wave crashed over, giving him a mouthful of seawater. 

“Furl the sail!”

Sonic had never been more grateful for their small boat. He only had to step up once to reach the most of the rigging, and despite the wind threatening to tear him off the mast, he furled the sail in under a minute.

“Never had a storm worsen so fast,” Chuck muttered. The wind carried his voice further than he likely meant it to, because Sonic’s heart nearly burst right then and there. 

“Are we gonna make it?” he shouted in panic, hugging the mast.

“We’ll be fine! Just hold on!”

Their boat dipped as lightning split the dark sky in half. Sonic squeezed his eyes shut tight as wave after wave slammed into his face. His fingers were numb from the frigid wind, and they slipped loose as a massive wall of water washed over their little ship, throwing him overboard. His lifeline jerked his waist with enough force to cut into his skin, but it held, and though he submerged, he was just able to pull himself back above the waves. 

“Chuck!” he screamed.

His uncle immediately ran to reel him in. “Stay calm!” he shouted back. “I’ve got you!”

But thunder exploded through the air, followed instantly by a flash of lightning, briefly illuminating the sudden fraying rope, and one more jerk was all it took for it to snap. 

How had he missed the fray before?

Instantly, the ocean dragged him under. He didn’t even have time to take a breath before the world went dark and salt stung his eyes. He flailed helplessly as the waves sent him tumbling head over heels as he sank. Even the most experienced swimmer wouldn’t have been able to stay afloat, and Sonic could barely swim as it was. His lungs screamed for air, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t break the surface again. He was going to die.

Darkness spotted his vision after only a few moments. He couldn’t tell which direction was up. He spun around and around until panic overcame instinct and he sucked in a breath full of water. Lightning burst in the sky, and the light seemed fathoms away. Sonic reached up in desperation, catching a glimpse of shimmering blue before his vision went completely dark, all the pain fading away.

There was a voice somewhere in the fog of his mind. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, and yet nowhere at all. His chest felt crushed and inflated all at the same time. The voice called again.

“Oh, Chaos, please wake up.”

Sonic groaned softly, his eyelids fluttering as he returned to the living world. A white blur moved across his unfocused vision, reaching out to him. Everything was too bright.

“Oh, you are awake. Thank Chaos. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you died.”

“Are you an angel?” he mumbled, his words slurring slightly.

The white blur pulled back a bit. “N-no, I—I don’t think so.”

Slowly, the memories came back to him—being thrown overboard; his lifeline snapping; drowning in the darkness—and as soon as they were clear, he jerked upright. Unfortunately, his body wasn’t ready for the sudden movement, and his chest clenched as he began coughing violently, fighting to clear the water from his lungs.

He squeezed his eyes shut as he coughed, and when he opened them again, the world slowly came into focus. He turned onto his side to push himself up to his feet and realized he was on some sort of rocky outcrop, near inches from a drop back into the sea. He scrambled up in panic, only to fall to his hands and knees after a single step.

“Hey, hey, careful,” the white blur said. “You’re pretty waterlogged.”

Sonic turned to see a soaking wet hedgehog, propped up on his elbows and leaning forward onto the outcrop in concern. He had never seen a hedgehog with rings around their eyes before, or with extra quills on their elbows and back. Extra fur came out of the sides of his ears and muzzle, and the fur on his chest would have been fluffy, if it wasn't so wet. 

Then he looked down and saw it—a long fish tail instead of legs. The extra quills weren’t quills at all. They were fins.

A monster.

He yelped and jumped again, scrambling backward like a crab. “What—what are you?”

The hedgehog-fish’s ears twisted back and he seemed to shrink into his shoulders. “I...S-sea folk. Sorry, I thought you’d…”

“Sea folk,” Sonic repeated, his heart pounding a million miles an hour. “Like…from old pirate tales.”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t think there were any left.”

“Oh, well…” The creature shifted a little back into the water. “We tend to stay away from the surface. Land folk aren’t exactly…kind.”

“What do you—” Sonic broke into another coughing fit, curling in on himself as his body shook. His hand found his pendant against his chest and he gripped it tightly. Somehow, it hadn’t gotten lost in the waves. The creature reached out, his golden eyes filled with concern, and Sonic jerked away. “Get back!” he managed to shout, though it only aggravated the coughing. His throat felt like sand.

Instantly, the creature retreated, sinking into the water up to his eyes. His black ears were pressed back against his head, and the water quivered around him. Why was he afraid? He had almost every advantage in the situation. “Sorry,” he said, the sound gurgling from under the water.

Sonic climbed to his feet as soon as he could breathe again, his legs trembling. He looked up and found himself in a massive cave with an opening at the top, letting sunlight stream in. The outcrop ended a few feet behind him, and then rose into a cliff with the top rounded off. There was another opening across from the outcrop, leading into the ocean, but the waves that rolled in were gentle. They must have been in a cove. The water was crystal clear, and under any other circumstances, he would have thought it was beautiful.

“What do you want from me?” he demanded, his voice shaking. The sound echoed.

The creature tipped his head slightly, his limp quills swishing to one side. He brought his face above the surface again. “What do you mean?”

“You must want something,” Sonic pressed. “Why else would you have saved me?”

“Because…I couldn’t just let you drown. And you weren’t…” He bit his lip, and Sonic noticed his fangs were longer and his teeth were sharper than a normal hedgehog’s. “My name’s Silver,” he said, completely ignoring his unfinished sentence. “What’s yours?”

He stayed quiet for a minute, before deciding that it wouldn’t hurt. “Sonic.”

“Sonic,” Silver repeated. “That’s a nice name.” He must have seen him shaking, because he added, “Why don’t you sit down?” 

Slowly, he obeyed.

They were quiet for a long time, simply sitting in each other’s presence. The only time the silence was broken was when Sonic asked about fresh water, and Silver directed him up to the top of the cliff, where he said there might be some in the cracks left from the rain. Thankfully, he was right, and Sonic felt a little better after a drink. After that, neither of them spoke, and the gentle waves and occasional gull cry were the only sounds.

After the initial shock slowly faded, Sonic noticed how elegant Silver was, though his face heated slightly at the thought. His tail started at his waist above his hips—did he even have hips? Fish didn't have hips—and blended perfectly into his fur. His fins were black, but thin enough to almost see through, and he had a pair on his elbows and down the sides of his tail in addition to the caudal fin. When he shifted, he revealed a set of black dorsal fins instead of back quills, and as he moved to rest back on the rocks, he exposed the black stripe on each of his arms, starting at a circle printed on the backs of his hands and traveling up to his shoulders. And his scales—they were some of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen. They were the color of moonlight, and they shimmered beneath the water like coins. The sunlight reflected off of them, casting specks of light across the cave. Sonic subconsciously ran his thumb over his pendant again. Silver flinched slightly as he did.

Sonic thought back to all the stories he’d heard of sea folk as he wrung out his vest and bandana. “Don’t sea folk usually live in family groups?” he suddenly asked, the question coming out of nowhere. His voice seemed so much louder when it echoed back to him.

“Pods,” Silver corrected. “And yes.”

“Where’s yours? Isn’t it dangerous to swim alone?”

His eyes flickered across the cave before focusing on the green blue water beneath the rocks. “They…they’re gone. The fishers got them. I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Fishers?” Sonic blinked. “But we only fish for food. Why would fishermen take your family?”

Instead of answering, Silver pointed at him. No, not at him. At his pendant. Sonic looked down at it again. His parents had given it to him only a few weeks before they had died, and it was one of the only things he had left of them. He had thought it was a piece of a shell with a silver-pearly coating, but as he looked back and forth between it and Silver, his heart sank to his stomach.

Oh.

“Oh, Gaia,” he whispered, clutching it in his fist to hide it. “Silver, I—I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

A deep ache settled in his chest. “And you’re all alone?”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

“No, I get it. I know what it’s like to lose your fam—”

“No, you don’t!” Silver snapped back, baring his sharp teeth. His black marks and fins lit up in cyan. “You don’t know what it’s like to watch a whole school of ships invade your home! You don’t know what it’s like to watch your family speared and dragged to the surface by trophy hunters!” 

Sonic could only stare at him in shock. The pendant around his neck—was it from one of Silver's family members? Had someone been murdered for it? "I…I'm sorry," he whispered.

Silver took a deep, frustrated breath and let it out in a long sigh. "Forget it," he said. 

"I'm sorry I freaked out earlier."

"It's fine. I should have known."

"Why did you save me?"

The sea creature's ears flicked, and he dropped his eyes to the water. "I don't know," he mumbled. 

"Well…" Sonic slowly put his vest back on, his fingers still lingering on the scale around his neck. "Thank you. Really."

"Do you think you're better enough to travel?" Silver asked suddenly. 

Sonic blinked at him in confusion. "I…guess so. Do you know a way home?"

"You have to swim to get there," he said, "but it won't be hard. You won't even have to come up for air. You just drink a few drops of my blood and let the magic do the rest."

"I— excuse me? Drink your blood?" 

Silver shrugged. "It won't hurt."

"That's disgusting!" All Sonic could do was stare at him in utter disbelief. This day literally couldn't get any weirder. 

This time, the sea creature's expression saddened. "Not really. People used to do it all the time."

"Drink people's blood?" Sonic practically shrieked. 

He shook his head, his long quills swishing again. "No, not just anyone's. Mermay blood. Our blood." Silver ran a hand through his quills and sighed. "People didn't just take us for our scales and fins. Our blood and bones have…unique magical properties."

Sonic thought about all the stories he'd heard about sea folk, and unfortunately, a few particular legends came to mind. Legends about pirates who sought immortality, drinking the blood of various creatures. Legends of corrupt kings capturing creatures and grinding their bones to dust. "You…you mean all that stuff is real?"

"Sort of. Our blood grants the user the ability to breathe underwater, and protects from the pressure for the most part. I don't know what our bones do. Strength, maybe? A transformation? Same sort of thing with harpies and gnomes and fae." Silver swished his tail a little and hugged himself around the chest. "That's why there aren't many of us left."

"Are you the last one?" Sonic whispered. 

"Around here, yeah. I don't know about other parts of the ocean. I…" He rubbed the fins on his arm between his forefinger and thumb, likely some sort of nervous habit. "I hope there's more out there. Even if I never see them." Then he shook his head wildly before Sonic could respond, and straightened up, pushing up on the rocks with his arms. "Anyway. We should get you back. Just a second." Then he put his wrist to his mouth, flashing his fangs.

"Wait!" Sonic yelped before he could bite down. "Hold on. Isn't there another way? One that doesn't require me…drinking your blood?"

Silver sunk down into the water, his muzzle growing darker in color—was he blushing? "I…guess there is something else we could try."

"Okay, what is it?"

He was definitely blushing now. Even though the color on his face wasn't red, the dark shade spreading across his cheeks was most definitely a blush. "I, uh…I could…kiss you."

Sonic's eyes went wide, and it took all the concentration he had to keep his jaw from dropping. 

"But—but it wouldn't be as effective," he said quickly. "The water-breathing effect would only last maybe fifteen minutes. So—so it's easier to just do the blood thing. That'll last a couple hours."

"Is it like…a full kiss?" Sonic heard himself ask. "Or like just a quick lip thing? I wouldn't have to make out with you or anything, right? No—no offense."

"I don't know. I've never done it before. The blood is safer—" 

"I really really don't wanna do that." Sonic subconsciously scooted backwards, away from the mermay and the edge of the outcrop. "I'm not comfortable with that. Like, at all. Especially after learning all that magic stuff is real …" He swallowed hard, rubbing his pendant. "Can we—can we just try the kiss thing? And if it doesn't work, then—then do it?"

Silver's face was a deep shade of greyish blue now. Did that mean his blood was blue instead of red? "I—I guess so." Then he straightened up again and cleared his throat, and though his face was still flushed, his voice came out steady. "But it doesn't mean anything."

"Right. It's purely transactional."

"Yeah."

Silence settled over them for a long moment. Neither of them could look at each other. It's purely transactional, Sonic repeated to himself. He'd never kissed anyone before, and didn't exactly want his first kiss to be with some magical creature he'd just met. But the other option made his stomach twist in horror.

"Okay," he finally said, his voice embarrassingly high pitched. "I…I guess I'm ready now."

"Could you come a little closer?" Silver mumbled. "I can't reach you."

Sonic complied, turning over to his hands and knees and facing the mermay. He had to lean down to let Silver avoid holding himself up so high out of the water. "Have you ever kissed anyone before?" he asked suddenly. 

Silver rubbed his nose and pinched his arm fins again. "Uh…no."

"Me neither."

Another horribly awkward pause. 

"Okay, I guess we just…" Sonic leaned forward, trying to hide his cringe as he puckered up, and then their lips touched.

Nothing happened. 

“Did it work?”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Silver backed up, giving him plenty of space to get into the water. Sonic didn’t move. “You have to put your head in,” he urged, as if instructions would ease the panic in his chest.

“So I just have to…try? And if it doesn’t work, I…” Sonic swallowed hard and tightened his grip on the rocks. What if the creature was trying to trick him? What if he thought Sonic was just as bad as the ones who had killed his family, and wanted revenge? More stories flashed through his mind—stories of mermaids dragging sailors down to the deep.

Silver turned over to float on his back. “Are you sure you don’t want some blood? It’s only a little and I’m sure that’ll work.”

“Yep,” he said without hesitation. “I’m good. Just gonna dip my face in, and if I drown, we’ll know it didn’t work.”

Silver gave him a confused sort of smile. “You’re not gonna drown. You can just pop back up if you can’t breathe.”

Yeah, after taking in a breath of water. Sonic didn’t say that. He just stared at his terrified reflection in the rippling seawater. But it was either this or drinking Silver’s blood, so he took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

The moment his head was submerged, he panicked. He was still clinging to the rocks and most of his body was still dry, but he couldn’t stop himself from seeing the world spin around and around until he was too disoriented to find the surface. Everything was dark and cold and quiet. He couldn’t bring himself to take even the tiniest of breaths.

Something touched his shoulder, and he flinched hard enough to lose his balance. He tipped over into the ocean, and his eyes shot open as his hands and knees left the rocky outcrop before he had a chance to grab on. He flailed and clawed at the water, but he sank like a stone. Float. He had to float. People floated naturally. If he’d just stop panicking—

Somehow, he ended up under the rock, and when he finally managed to get himself upright, he hit his head on the stone. He was trapped.

He was nine years old again. The storm had thrown him overboard, and his head knocked against wood every time he tried to resurface. He tumbled around and around, slamming into the boat over and over again, until he sucked in a desperate breath of salt water, screaming for his parents, screaming for Chuck, for anything to save him as the world went dark—

Two hands grabbed the sides of his face, and Silver’s mouth smashed against his. Air rushed down his throat and into his lungs, and when the mermay pulled back, Sonic was left gasping for breath. Underwater. Breathing as if it was air.

“Are you okay?” Silver asked. The water distorted his voice a little, but it came out clearer than Sonic would have thought.

“I’m fine,” he managed to say. The pressure on his chest was still alarming, and his brain screamed at him to get back to the surface.

“I mean, you hit your head and then just locked up.” Silver twisted around and examined him up and down, swimming with just as much beauty and grace as a normal fish. “I don’t know much about land folk. Is the top of your head really that fragile?”

Sonic shook his head, creating an explosion of tiny bubbles. “No, I just…panicked.”

Silver faced him again, frowning with what looked like genuine concern. He had just saved him again, so Sonic tried to let go of the fear that he’d drown him on purpose. Still, he had to be wary, just in case.

“Well…” Silver swished his tail and moved backward. “We’d better get going before your breath runs out.” He rolled over and started toward the cave opening, cutting through the water like a knife. Sonic tried to follow, and, well…at least he was moving. A little. Kind of.

Okay, he wasn’t going anywhere. 

Silver looked over his shoulder when he reached the entrance, and then swam back. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Swimming,” Sonic said, though his face was already flushing red. “I can’t swim like you, you know.”

“It doesn’t look like you can swim like land folk, either.” Silver grabbed his hand before Sonic could protest, and gave him a tug as he started swimming again. “C’mon. I don’t know how long the magic lasts.”

He pulled him out of the cave and into the cove, and then further out into the open sea. Schools of little fish scattered as they swam through, and seaweed drifted lazily on the ocean floor. Thankfully, Silver stayed close to the surface, but Sonic's stomach still twisted nervously as the sand dropped farther and farther beneath them. The deeper the ocean got, the faster Silver swam, until Sonic's arm ached from the tug. 

“S-slow down,” he barely managed to say.

The mermay glanced back at him. “Sorry. I can’t. It’s dangerous to be alone out in the open.” He frowned a little as Sonic grimaced at the next tug, and paused for just a second—to let go of his hand and wrap his arm around his waist instead. “Hopefully this won’t hurt as much.”

“O-oh.” His face flushed bright red as Silver’s fingers tightened by his hip.

Was he really that touch-starved? He hadn’t thought he was. Then again, he didn’t have many friends, and was usually too busy for anything more than Chuck’s hand on his shoulder. The last hug he remembered was from his parents.

It’s purely transactional, he reminded himself. When you get home, you can ask Chuck for a hug and maybe get out and make some more friends. Because it’s stupid to get all flustered over a fish.

But he thought about the way Silver had kissed him the second time—fully and without hesitation. He could have just as easily brought him to the surface, but he hadn’t.

It’s nothing, he insisted. I just met him, anyway.

“Will the magic just stop suddenly, or will I feel it start to go away?” he asked after another few minutes.

“I don’t know,” Silver said. “I guess we’ll find out.”

That answer wasn’t reassuring at all. It made his chest tighten and his breaths shallow. “Are we almost there?” he wheezed.

“We’re almost to the island, yeah. What part do you live on?”

“The south side. By the reef.”

“Straight ahead, then.” He pointed forward. “See that dark blurry bit? That’s the drop-off; the reef’s just past that.”

“You must come out here often,” Sonic said, only to distract himself from the panic.

Silver’s grip tightened, just slightly, but his waist was already more sensitive than the rest of him. “No, not really. Like I said, it’s dangerous to be alone. Most things won’t bother you unless you bother them first, but there’s always a chance, and there’s nowhere to hide in the open.”

“Oh—” And then water rushed into his throat, to drown him rather than to give him breath. The magic had worn off, and Silver was right. It had only lasted maybe fifteen minutes.

But before Sonic even had time to panic, Silver kissed him again and filled him with breath, leaving him frazzled and confused. “Sorry,” he said, his muzzle darkening again. “We’re almost there.”

They had to resupply the magic twice before they made it to the island, but other than that, the rest of the swim went smoothly. Sonic almost enjoyed it once they reached the reef. There were fish and plants and coral everywhere, and despite living on the island his entire life, he’d never seen anything like it before.

No one was at the beach, and Chuck’s boat was docked and empty, but Silver still squirmed uncomfortably a ways out from shore. “We’re here,” he said unnecessarily. “I’ll, uh…let you go now.”

He released the grip on his waist, and Sonic’s heart jumped to his throat. “I—I can’t swim.”

Silver tipped his head, his white quills swishing lazily through the water. “Really? I thought you were just panicking earlier.”

Sonic couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. “I mean—I was, but…”

The mermay watched him sputter for a minute, and then very carefully poked his head above the waves before coming back down. “Okay, I’ll take you a little farther. But I can’t let anyone see me.” His ears shot up, but folded back a second after, and he pulled into his shoulders. Blue streaked through his fins again. “Please don’t tell anybody about me.”

“I won’t.”

Silver took his hand again and towed him closer to the beach. Sonic could feel him trembling. “Promise?”

Sonic’s feet finally touched the sand and he pushed his head out of the water, slowly making his way out of the ocean as soon as Silver let go of him. His companion’s ears and eyes poked above the surface, but he stayed where he was. 

“Promise,” Sonic said, considerably calmer now that he was in control of his movement. “You saved my life. I owe you one.”

“Okay.” Silver backed up, still watching him carefully. “And…be careful, okay?”

The comment caught him off guard. “...sure. You too.”

Another few seconds passed painfully slowly, and then Silver flipped over and darted away, his glimmering scales vanishing beneath the waves.

Chapter Text

He’d made up a story about finding some driftwood and paddling home to try and ease Chuck’s worry without revealing Silver’s involvement, and though he could tell his uncle didn’t buy it, he didn’t push it. He was just glad to have his nephew back alive. “No more sailing for a while,” he’d told him. “You need some time to recover—mentally, too.” 

Sonic was more than happy to oblige. 

Except now he was bored out of his mind.

Despite still hating the ocean, he found himself down by the beach most of the time, sitting in the sand and staring at the horizon. Sometimes if the day was especially clear, he could see the tip of the island Silver had taken him to. Was he there now? How could he handle being all alone all the time?

A few weeks after the storm, Sonic found himself at the beach again, this time, just in time to watch the sunrise to his left, partially obscured by the island. The tide was rising, and in a few hours, Chuck would come out to cast off. For now, though, he was alone.

A loud splash came from behind Chuck’s boat, and Sonic quickly looked over. It had sounded too big to be a fish, unless it was a shark, but sharks didn’t venture this close, and neither did dolphins or sea turtles. A large bird, maybe? 

Curiosity got the best of him, so he stood up and started over to the boat. He kicked his shoes off and waded into the water on the opposite side of the hull, but looked up and froze.

A white hedgehog ducked back behind the front, hiding from him.

“Silver?” he called in confusion. 

Slowly, the mermay rounded the boat again, smiling sheepishly and rubbing his arm fins between his fingers again. “Hi…”

“What are you doing here?”

His face darkened in color. “Oh, uh…I was…just making sure you’re okay.”

Sonic’s brows pinched together. “It’s been a couple weeks. I’m fine.”

“Sorry,” Silver mumbled, sinking into the water.

“How long have you been…watching me?”

“Almost…almost everyday.” His muzzle grew even darker. “I just—I just worry you’ll get stuck out there again. I worry no one will be able to save you.”

“You’re worried about me?” Despite the situation being…awkward at best, his comment left a sort of warm feeling in his heart.

“Well…yeah. You can’t swim, but you’re a fisher. You’re out on the ocean all the time. And…” Silver’s tail swished, brushing against the sand and making the clear water cloudy. “You were the first person to be nice to me in…years.”

“Really?” An ache settled in his chest for him, and he took a few steps closer.

“Most people never get past the sea monster part.”

“That must be lonely.”

“It is.” Silver cleared his throat. “But it’s okay. I just came to make sure you’re—”

“You need a friend,” Sonic said softly, “don’t you?”

“I…” His voice trailed off and he turned his face away. Both arms were wrapped tightly around his waist. “I can’t ask that of you.”

Sonic needed a friend, too, but he didn’t say that. “Why not? We can hang out here when no one’s around.”

“Sonic, I can’t.” His golden eyes were full of longing, but there was so much fear behind it. “If someone sees me, I—I could be really hurt.”

Sonic thought hard for a moment. Silver needed someone so desperately, but he was right. He was in serious danger here. “I think I know a place,” he said. He pointed to the right. “If you follow the coast that way, there’s a cave on a cliff by a bunch of sharp rocks. You can’t see it unless you’re in the ocean facing the sea, and nobody gets close because of the rocks. It kind of looks like a toothy mouth, actually.” He chuckled to himself, though there wasn’t much to chuckle about. “I’ve been down there a couple times. The water goes pretty far into it even when the tide’s low.”

“How will you get there?”

“There’s a hole near the top of the cliff with a tunnel that goes down into it. It’s blocked off, so no one else will come in.”

“Why is it blocked off?” Silver tipped his head to the side, and Sonic couldn’t help but smile a little. The action was kind of cute.

“I think someone drowned a while back. And the tunnel’s pretty tight, so anyone a bit bigger than me would get stuck with no way back out.”

His eyes widened. “That’s dangerous! You can’t do that for—” And then he stopped, but Sonic knew what he’d been about to say. 

You can’t do that for me.

And it was dangerous, if they didn’t pay attention to the tides. But watching Silver grasp for something just out of reach reminded him of himself when his parents had died, only Sonic had had Chuck to step up for him when he reached for people who weren’t there. Silver had nobody. He was completely alone. Sonic couldn’t just leave him like this.

So he shrugged. “It’s fine. I used to do it all the time.” He’d actually only gone down there twice, and only once all the way to the bottom, but it would be fine.

“O-okay.” Silver took a deep breath and straightened up a little. “On one condition.”

“Condition?”

“I’m gonna teach you to swim.”

His heart dropped to his stomach. “Oh. Yeah, okay,” he said anyway, because he couldn’t back down now; not after all these suggestions he’d made to be Silver’s friend. "Let's—let's go there now, to make sure you can find it."

Silver's ears perked up. "Really?"

"Well, yeah. I don't want you to get lost and think I tricked you."

A relieved and grateful smile spread across the mermay's face. "I…thank you. Thank you so much. A cave to the west that looks like a big toothy mouth," he continued before Sonic could respond. "I'll see you there!"

"It might take me an extra few minutes to get there," he said just as Silver dipped beneath the waves.

As soon as he was gone, Sonic let out a loud sigh and ran his hand through his quills. What was he doing? This was going to get one or both of them hurt. Still, he couldn't stop himself as he ran to the cliff and searched around for the small hole covered by a few wooden boards. He couldn't just leave him alone and friendless forever. 

The tunnel was tighter than he remembered, and he nearly got stuck a few times, but eventually made it to the ledge without trouble. There was a bit of a cliff he’d have to climb to get to the bottom, where there were a few rocks poking out of the water and a very small sand bar. Sonic called out as he climbed down, and couldn’t keep from smiling at the delight in Silver’s voice when he answered.

“This is perfect!” the mermay exclaimed, turning over in the water. “It’s shallow enough for you to stand, but also deep enough to swim.”

“I just have to pay attention to the tide,” Sonic said. “The cave fills up when it’s high.”

“We’ll pay attention. And if anything happens, I’ll be here to save you again.”

And he sounded so confident that Sonic didn’t even worry.

“Can I start to teach you right now?” he asked enthusiastically. “Since you’re here.”

“Uh…” Sonic instinctively took a step away from the water, dread twisting in his stomach.

“Please?” Silver gave him a smile, showing his fangs and sharp teeth.

“...fine. We can start.”

“Okay! Can you float?”

Swimming lessons with Silver became a daily occurrence, and though Sonic never exactly felt comfortable in the water, he didn’t worry too much when Silver was around, partially because he could help him breathe underwater if something dangerous were to happen, and partially because he trusted him. He even started to look forward to it. Silver was patient and energetic, and his optimism was contagious. Sonic had no idea how he could be like this after watching his family die and living alone for so long. It was truly incredible how cheerful he was.

They didn't always swim. Sometimes they just sat and talked. Silver told him about the beauty in the ocean, and Sonic told him stories of the surface. They laughed and joked, and Sonic honestly began to enjoy his company. 

Sonic had stopped wearing his pendant. He kept it on his dresser so the reminders and memories were still there, but he couldn’t bring himself to wear it around Silver now that he knew it was a mermay scale. Looking at it filled him with grief—both for his parents and Silver’s family. How had his parents come across it? They hadn’t participated in the hunt, had they? Had they known what it was?

“I’ve got a question for you,” Uncle Chuck said one morning, just before Sonic ran out the door to meet Silver.

Sonic paused as he reached for the doorknob. “Sure,” he said slowly. “What’s up?”

“First to clarify, this isn’t an accusation. Just a curiosity.” His uncle wore a strange, concerned expression. “Where have you been running off to everyday?”

His mind went blank. He couldn’t tell him the truth, not without needlessly worrying him or telling him about Silver. “Oh,” he said, trying to buy himself time to think. “Just…around. To different parts of the island.”

“That sounds like fun.” The look on his face was enough to tell Sonic he didn’t believe him. Sonic braced for a follow up question to make him prove his claim, but Chuck didn’t mention it. “I’ve also noticed you stopped wearing your pendant. Is something wrong?”

This he couldn’t easily lie about. “I…didn’t want to lose it while I ran.” It was a weak excuse, and they both knew it. He was just as likely to lose it sailing as running.

“You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” Chuck said gently. “I know I’m not your parents, but I can still help.”

“What is it?” Sonic asked, turning around. “My pendant, I mean. What’s it made out of?”

“A shell, I think. Though your mother always said it looked like a scale. She loved stories about sea folk and mystical creatures. I think that’s why she bought it.”

Internally, he let out a sigh. So they’d bought it, not made it. They were innocent when it came to the tragedy. It was just a stroke of bad luck that he had a mermay scale as a necklace. “Where did she get it?”

“I don’t know. She mentioned something about Windmill Isle shortly after they got back from their trip, so maybe she bought it there.”

“Oh. Okay.” He reached for the doorknob again.

“So who are you seeing?”

He froze again. “What?”

His uncle chuckled. "Your dad did the same thing when he was seeing your mom. Always so secretive, always running off, always coming home smiling. So who is it?"

Sonic's face flushed. Did Chuck think he had a crush on Silver? His heart beat a little faster and his stomach flipped. Did he have a crush on Silver? Sure, he was kind and friendly and fairly attractive with quills and scales to match his name…

Crap. He did have a crush on Silver. 

"Uh, his name's Silver…" Sonic started, trying to figure out how much he could say without giving him away. "He's not from around here. He's visiting for a while."

"What's he like?" Chuck asked eagerly, leaning forward on his elbows. 

"He's…really nice, and funny, and caring…"

"Is he cute?"

The flush grew hotter. "Y-yeah. A little."

“Well, don’t keep him waiting too long.” Chuck leaned back in his chair. “And tell him I’d like to meet him soon.”

Sonic swallowed hard. “Uh…yeah.”

His face burned as he made his way to the cave, slower than usual to try to buy himself time for it to wear off. If Silver asked about it, he was sure he'd die of embarrassment. He climbed down the tunnel like he did almost every day, taking deep breaths and trying to calm his racing heart—and he almost succeeded, until his feet hit the sand and Silver called out excitedly. The blush immediately came back at the sound of his voice. 

"Sonic! Sonic! I made you something!"

"You—you did?"

Silver's grin lit up the cave like the sun. He swam up as close as he could, just as the sand brushed against his belly, and held out his hands. Sonic joined him in the water and sat down beside him, the water coming up to his lower chest. Silver opened his cupped hands, looking up at him with stars in his golden eyes. 

It was a necklace, made with a few multicolored shells tied together with some twine. Sonic gently lifted it up to see it better, his stomach doing nervous flips. 

"I—I know it won't replace it or—or anything," Silver said, suddenly sounding very flustered, "but I noticed you…stopped wearing your pendant. And—and thank you, by the way. I just thought maybe you'd want something else to wear? If—if you want."

Sonic couldn't remember if he'd told Silver about where the pendant came from, but somehow, the mermay had seen how important it was to him. And now he'd given him something, not to replace it, but to show his gratitude. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for him. "It's beautiful, Silver," Sonic said, holding the shell necklace reverently. "Thank you. You didn't have to do this for me."

"Oh, I know. I wanted to anyway."

Sonic put it around his neck, fumbling with the string. "Could you tie it for me?" He lowered himself further in the water so Silver could reach him easier, his blush as fiery as ever. 

"Sure." 

Silver's fingers brushed against his neck, and he shivered a little. The feeling in his stomach felt less like butterflies and more like tiny fish darting around his intestines. He could feel himself smiling like an idiot. 

"Turn around and let me see," Silver said, and pure joy bloomed through his expression when he saw the shells resting perfectly against Sonic's chest. His fins and marks reacted to his excitement with little bursts of cyan light. "You look beautiful! I—I mean you always look pretty, but now—now it's even better!"

You look beautiful. Sonic didn't know it was even possible, but somehow, his blush managed to darken even further. The fire burned across his entire face and up to the tips of his ears. "Thanks," he barely managed to whisper. 

Silver tipped his head in confusion, his wet quills drooping to one side, and frowned as his brows furrowed. "Oh no, are you okay? Your face looks all sunburnt."

The innocent concern made Sonic laugh out loud. "No, I'm good. It's just…no one's ever…told me that before."

"You're blushing?" Silver's eyes went wide in awe. "That's right, land folk blood is red! I forgot." Then it was his turn to blush, dark bluish-grey spreading across his face. He rubbed the fins down his arm with his forefinger and thumb. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you embarrassed."

"I'm not embarrassed," Sonic said honestly. "I just…have a lot of feelings."

Silver's black ears perked up and his blush darkened. "You have feelings for me?"

"No," he said quickly, and then cringed. "Uh—kind of?"

Silver looked overjoyed. He made a funny sound in what Sonic assumed to be happiness, flipped over into deeper water, and swam a few excitable circles as the light practically exploded through the black parts of his body. Sonic laughed, and then Silver resurfaced and threw his arms around him. Before Sonic's mind could catch up, Silver pressed his lips against his. A kiss. A real one, not just a transaction. It sent a warm feeling through Sonic's whole body.

Unfortunately, his mind had shut down, and he froze up. Silver noticed, and quickly pulled back, his ears falling back against his head. "I—I'm sorry," he said frantically. "I didn't mean—I just—oh, Chaos—" And then he turned and darted away, much faster than Sonic had ever seen him swim before. 

"Silver, wait!" Sonic called after him, but it was too late. "Come back!" He stood and ran deeper into the water, but Silver was already gone.

No, no, no! He didn’t mean to push him away. He just didn’t know how to react, that was all. He had to find him, but the ocean was so big and Silver was so fast. Sonic groaned, looking out through the mouth of the cave, and pushed off, his feet leaving the safety of solid ground. But maybe if Silver saw him coming out to find him, the mermay would realize that it was all just a misunderstanding.

Even with Silver’s swimming lessons, he wasn’t a confident swimmer. The best he could do was not drown —the bare minimum. The ocean was calm, but the waves still crashed against the cliffs hard enough to smash him to bits. He had to get to open water, where the waves didn’t roll over. But, like he already knew too well, the ocean was stronger, and he felt it pull him back, where the waves broke and crashed. Thanks to the kiss, Sonic would be able to breathe underwater for a few minutes, but at this rate, he wouldn’t get far enough out to even start looking for Silver. He tried to stay as close to the surface as possible, so he’d be able to breathe when the magic wore off, but the waves pushed him under and spun him around. And though it felt like a lifetime, the magic wore off far too soon.

He couldn’t drown. Not now. Not before he had a chance to explain everything. So he fought with every bit of strength he had to stay above the surface. Icy saltwater stung his eyes and throat as he clawed desperately through the waves. The ocean lifted him up to let a wave smash over his head, sending him tumbling around underwater. He flailed, but hadn’t had a chance to take a good breath before being submerged, and his lungs burned after only a moment. 

You’re such a moron, he heard himself think.

Two arms wrapped around his chest and hauled him to the surface again, letting him catch a breath of air before pulling him back into the cave, where the waves didn’t reach. Silver backed away as soon as Sonic’s feet touched the sand.

“What were you thinking?” he cried. “You were gonna drown!”

“I’m sorry,” Sonic coughed out. He hadn’t been under long enough to get more than a splash or two of water in his lungs, and though he coughed hard for a long minute or two, he managed to catch his breath fairly easily. When he did, he took a deep breath and spoke again. “I didn’t mean to chase you away. I’m sorry.”

Silver sunk deeper into the water, his muzzle barely above the surface. “No—no, I’m sorry. I didn’t…” His breath hitched in his throat, and despite being completely soaked as usual, Sonic caught the glisten of tears in his eyes. One more shaky breath, and they fell. “I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean…I didn’t…I’m sorry…”

Seeing him cry felt like daggers to his heart. Sonic stepped forward, reaching out, but Silver flinched back.

“Please don’t hate me,” he begged. “I’m sorry—”

Before the sound had faded, Sonic leapt forward with a splash, put his arms around his neck, and kissed him back. Silver’s teary eyes blinked once, twice, and then fluttered shut as he leaned into the kiss. A real, real kiss this time. Not transactional, and not impulsive. Purposeful. 

“I love you,” Sonic muttered against his lips.

“Then stop trying to drown yourself,” Silver murmured back, the lilt in his voice just enough to let Sonic know he was only partially joking. 

The mermay’s arms tightened around his shoulders, and one of his hands dug into Sonic’s quills. It was then that Sonic realized he had claws rather than fingernails, but he didn’t care, not even when the hand on his shoulder broke skin. He just kissed him with everything he had.

Sonic had jumped to meet him where he couldn’t touch the bottom, but for once in his life, he didn’t panic when the ocean swallowed him. Silver’s magic filled his lungs and let them stay pressed together even underwater.

When they finally leaned back, Sonic cupped Silver’s face in his hand and brushed his thumb across his cheek, though the tears had already mixed with the sea. “No more crying, okay?” 

Silver just nodded and pulled him in again.

Chapter Text

"I have two things for you," Sonic said one morning as he started towards the water where Silver was already waiting. 

"Really?" Silver's ears perked up—the expressiveness of his ears was as adorably charming as ever. 

"Yeah, here." Sonic held out his gift, wading into the water. 

Silver took it eagerly, his entire face lighting up. "It's so pretty! Help me put it on!"

The shell bracelet wasn't nearly as tidy as the necklace Silver had given him. The knots were tight but messy, and the shells stuck up in random directions instead of laying flat. But Sonic could tell just by watching him that Silver loved it anyway. Sonic helped him tie it around his wrist and grinned as Silver admired it. 

"The other thing," he said before Silver could get too distracted. "You won't be able to take it with you, but I wanted to show you anyway." Sonic pulled out a small candle and a lighter from his pocket. "Have you ever seen fire?"

"I mean, sorta? From far away."

The lighter flickered to life, and Silver's eyes went as wide as dinner plates as he lit the candle and brought it closer to him. 

"Whoa," the mermay whispered. "It's so tiny." He reached out and touched it, and the water dripping from his hand put the fire out with a sizzle. He immediately yanked his hand back. "Oh no! I killed it!"

"You didn't kill it," Sonic laughed before he could panic. "It's not alive." He lit the candle again, though it took a minute for the wick to dry. 

"It's the prettiest thing I've ever seen," Silver breathed. 

The comment caught Sonic off guard. Fire was such a common and mundane thing on land. And yet Silver had never experienced it before. He was completely enchanted by it. 

"How does it go?" he asked. 

"How does it go?" Sonic repeated, confused. 

"Yes. How does it do that? Make the light and get all warm?"

"Oh, it's called burning." Sonic couldn't help but smile at Silver's innocence and fascination. "It uses oxygen in the air, and that's why water puts it out—because it can't get enough air to keep burning."

"Wow," Silver whispered. "That's so cool."

"I wish I could show you all the cool stuff on land," Sonic said suddenly, a pang of sadness wiggling its way into his heart. "You can show me the ocean because of your magic, but I can't show you anything in my world."

"That's okay," Silver said. "This is still pretty special."

"Maybe I could put you in a wheelchair and cover your tail with a blanket," he joked.

Silver tipped his head, his quills flopping to the side. "What's a wheelchair?"

"A…chair with wheels? It's so that people who can't walk can still get around."

"Oh, that's pretty neat! Maybe we could do that sometime." 

Silver swam a little closer to the shore, and stopped when his belly rubbed against the sand—the perfect place for Sonic to sit beside him without the water reaching too high up his chest. Sonic plopped down with a splash, and Silver immediately nuzzled his head against his side. The action turned Sonic's face a bright shade of red. 

"Why are you always so adorable?" he teased, and it was Silver's turn to blush.

"Do you want to go explore the reef today?" the mermay asked, though his voice was muffled as he covered his face bashfully. 

"Absolutely. I love the reef."

And while that was true—the reef was the most beautiful place Sonic had ever been—he loved Silver's enthusiasm even more. He loved watching him twist and twirl in the water like he was dancing as he pointed out everything there was to see. Silver's favorite sea creature was the octopus, specifically the one that lived in the crevice beneath the cluster of three anemone. He'd named her Darla, and though he claimed he couldn't actually communicate with her, Sonic wasn't so sure. The octopus seemed to know exactly what Silver meant when he spoke to her. When Sonic had first been introduced to her, she wasn't even scared—she'd seen Silver interact with him, and so she had understood that it was safe. 

"She likes you!" Silver had said as the creature floated up to him and curled her arms around his hands. The memory replayed in his mind every time the octopus came out to greet them.

They spent almost the entire day at the reef, sharing giggles, kisses, and discoveries until Sonic became too hungry to swim. By that time, they determined it was probably a good time to say goodbye for the day, so Sonic tucked the few seashells he’d collected in his vest pocket and after a quick last kiss, climbed out of the cave to start home.

As he passed the old beachside pub, something caught his ear. An old sailor whose voice Sonic didn’t recognize was in the middle of an elaborate story—about sea folk. People like Silver. Sonic paused his walk home and wandered closer to the door, both intrigued and concerned.

“That’s a good story, Finn,” another man said, “but we all know sea folk are nothing but legends and fairytales.” The others chuckled to themselves in agreement

“They’re real alright,” the first one, Finn, insisted. “I’ve seen ‘em with my own eyes. Caught a few of ‘em, too.”

Sonic’s heart skipped a beat.

“Yeah? Then where are they?” someone else asked.

“They’re dead now,” Finn said, as if it was obvious. “Their scales‘re worth a fortune.”

“If you’re so rich, what’re you doing on our humble island?” The group laughed at the sarcasm, but Finn didn’t see the humor. 

“‘cause I found one here. Followed it from that island in the south.”

Silver.

“‘n I’m gonna catch it, too. Prove to ya they’re real.”

Sonic found himself heaving in frantic breaths and clutching at his chest—at the necklace Silver had given him. This was the type of person who had killed Silver’s entire family, and here he was again, ready to finish the job. Sonic had to warn him. Silver had to stay out of open water. Maybe if he stayed in the cave, he’d be safe.

“I’m settin’ out first thing in the mornin’ if any of ya wanna join me.”

Sonic turned and ran back to the cave entrance in a flash. “Silver!” he called as he scrambled partway down. Nothing answered but the waves crashing against the rocks as the cave filled up. He tried again, but still no answer. Silver was gone. He’d have to come back at the crack of dawn, before Finn casted off, and just pray Silver was there.

He sped home, but couldn’t sleep. Every time he looked at his parents’ pendant, nausea crashed over him like a tidal wave. As soon as the first rays of sun crept above the horizon, he was running out the door.

“Sonic!” Chuck called, and he skidded to a stop. “Where are you off to in such a hurry? Too busy to even say good morning?” his uncle asked teasingly.

“Sorry, Chuck. Good morning. Gotta go—”

“What’s the rush? You haven’t even eaten.”

Sonic sighed in frustration. “Look, I’m sorry, but this is really important.”

“Is it about Silver?”

“He’s in danger,” Sonic said before he could stop himself.

Chuck’s thick brows pinched together. “In danger? What happened?”

“It’s—it’s a long story. I’ll explain later. Right now, I really gotta go.”

“Alright,” he said, his voice full of uncertainty. “But be careful.”

Sonic ran to the cave faster than he’d ever gone before. He hoped the tide was too low for the mysterious sailor to set off, but when he looked out, he could see an unfamiliar ship headed right for Silver’s island. He scrambled down the rock as fast as he could, calling Silver’s name. 

Nothing.

He waded into the water and called again, but again, only gulls and waves answered.

Panic set in faster than he could run, and he climbed back out of the cave and shot towards the beach, where Chuck's fishing boat rested against the sand. Sonic had to find Silver first. The ocean was so vast and deep, and the odds were stacked against him, but he had to try. He had to do something. 

The tide was too low to shove off. The hull of the vessel scraped along the sand, and Sonic couldn't get it to move more than a few inches. He threw his body weight against the bow over and over, desperate to get it just a little farther into the water. "Please," he begged it. "Come on."

"Sonic?" 

He looked over his shoulder to see Chuck again, coming down the hill to the beach. "Chuck?"

"What are you doing?"

How could he lie about this and make it believable? But how could he break his promise to Silver? He glanced out to sea. Finn's ship was getting close to Silver's island. He couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

“Remember those stories my mom used to love?” Because if there was anyone who would keep Silver’s secret with him, it was his uncle. He hoped Silver would forgive him.

Chuck frowned. “The ones about mermaids and sea folk?”

“They’re real.”

And while Chuck tried so hard to look stern, Sonic could see uncertainty in his expression. “This isn’t funny, Sonic.”

“I’m serious. Remember when I told you Silver was from out of town?” Sonic pointed to the ship and the island. “He’s one of them. He lives in the cove of that island, and right now, a guy named Finn is on his way to catch him. He’s in serious danger.”

Chuck only hesitated a second before joining him by the boat. “Alright, but if this is some sort of prank—”

“It’s not, I promise.” Sonic shoved again, and again, the sand held it tight. “You have to help me get out there. Please.”

“Together,” Chuck said, and then counted off. On three, they both threw their weight into the bow, and the boat slid a bit more into the water. “Again.”

Three more shoves, and their fishing vessel was deep enough to shove off. Sonic immediately climbed aboard and unfurled the sail with a quick thanks. Surprisingly, Chuck joined him.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to catch up,” he said, “but we’re a lot smaller than their ship, and the wind is good, so there’s a chance.”

Sonic nodded and adjusted, trying desperately to keep calm enough to think clearly. And—Chuck was right. They were faster than Finn’s ship, and though it took far too long to come closer, they still managed to get in proximity. Except now Sonic had no idea what to do. He had no idea how many people were aboard the other ship, or what Finn was planning to do to catch Silver. He doubted the stranger would listen to reason, especially from someone much younger than him.

“Keep your eye out for silver scales and white quills,” Sonic called to Chuck. “He’s part hedgehog—”

“Sonic? What are you doing?”

Sonic and his uncle both whirled around to face the voice, and Sonic’s heart skipped a beat. Chuck swore under his breath in awe. Silver swam beside their boat, his head poking above the waves. His scales reflected the sunlight like glass.

“You have to get to our cave.” Sonic ran the three steps to the rail and leaned over, closer to him. “You have to get out of here. The men on that ship know you’re here. They’re trying to catch you.”

Silver’s eyes went wide and his ears pressed against his head. “What?”

“They’re gonna kill you if you stay here—”

A gunshot rang out through the waves. The bullet missed Silver’s head by mere inches. All three of them snapped up to realize that while they’d been distracted, Finn’s ship had turned around and now sailed right towards them. Finn, who was, ironically, a deep red alligator, stood at the edge, a shotgun pointed right at them. 

“Outta the way, boy!” he shouted. “I ain’t lettin’ a puny little fisherman steal my prize.”

“He’s a person!” Sonic yelled back, his heart pounding violently against his ribs. “Catching him is murder!”

Finn let out a bellowing laugh and aimed again. “Once it’s dead, no one’ll know.”

“Sonic?” Silver whispered, and Sonic turned back to him in panic. Why was he still here?

“You have to leave, now.”

Silver’s golden eyes flickered between Sonic and the shotgun in a painfully long second of hesitation, and then he flipped over and dove, his caudal fin surfacing as he changed direction. A second gunshot rang out, but Sonic was pretty sure Silver was deep enough to be safe—

—until he saw him twitch, and deep blue-black clouded the clear water.

“No!” Sonic screamed. Chuck swore violently as he ran to the helm, and suddenly their boat was moving away, passing over the dark blood in the ocean and continuing on. “No! No, no, we have to help him!”

“He’s gonna ram us if we don’t move!” Chuck called back, and sure enough, Finn’s ship plowed right through where they’d been only thirty seconds before. The ship’s wake rocked their little boat, pushing them farther away. The mermay beneath them writhed and twisted. Tears streamed down Sonic’s face.

“Harpoons!” Finn ordered. “Aim fer its chest—don’t damage the scales!”

“Stop!” Sonic cried. “Stop it! Chuck, turn around!”

Three harpoons shot into the water. Sonic ran to the stern, but couldn’t see clearly. He could barely hear him scream as more blood mixed with the ocean. Chuck started to turn the boat around, but Sonic couldn’t wait. They were already aiming again. 

He took a running step and jumped.

He had just enough time to hear Chuck scream for him before he submerged, and then he dove down towards Silver as best he could, barely able to see through the clouded water. Frantic glints of cyan light from Silver’s marks and fins were the only indication of where he was.

Sonic found the rope first, and then Silver’s teeth as the mermay tried desperately to chew through it and free himself. His fangs sunk into Sonic’s finger, drawing blood, but Sonic barely felt it. He unsheathed his fishing knife and sawed through the rope, snapping it before they could drag Silver any closer to the surface. His lungs began to ache, but he didn’t care. 

The harpoon had gone halfway through the lower part of Silver’s tail, tearing through scales and muscles and leaving a nasty hole on both sides. Sonic reached for it, but he had no idea if he would be able to slide it out without causing further damage. Silver twisted around and swiped at him, crying in pain at every movement, and Sonic realized he had his eyes shut tight—he didn’t know Sonic was there to help. He must have thought he was one of the hunters. Sonic took his arms as gently as he could, even as his chest screamed for air and his vision began to blur—

Blinding pain tore through his right side. He screamed, releasing what little air he had left, and after only a second, he blacked out. 

And then he found himself coughing hard—but breathing underwater. The pain in his side was unbearable, and he nearly passed out again as he tried to press his hands against the wound. Someone’s arms were around him. Silver; his claws digging into his vest.

Another splash, and Silver jerked away, trying and failing to swim with Sonic to safety. Each swish of his tail dug the harpoon deeper into his flesh. Sonic, though hacking coughs and agony still stole most of his attention, caught sight of a familiar bushy mustache. 

“Silver, it’s my uncle,” he tried to say. “It’s okay.” But nothing came out. He reached out instead, grasping for Chuck’s hand. He couldn’t quite see it through the mix of black and red blood in the water.

Strong arms wrapped around them both, and Chuck held them against his chest as he swam back to the surface. As soon as Sonic could breathe air again, his coughs became more violent as he struggled to clear the water in his lungs. Silver was sobbing into the crook of his neck. The crew of Finn’s ship was shouting.

Chuck pulled them to the ladder and moved to hold them with one arm. He couldn’t quite climb with both of them. Sonic tried to help, but moving his arms worsened the pain in his side. Chuck said something he didn’t understand. He was pried from Silver’s arms and carried to the deck, where Chuck laid him down before turning away. He tried to cry out to him, but he couldn't do anything but cough.

And then Silver was laid down next to him. On their fishing boat. Alive, but in tremendous pain. The mermay reached for Sonic’s hands and squeezed. Sonic squeezed back, grateful for something to hold onto as he heaved and vomited sea water everywhere. There were two sets of footsteps. No, three. Something heavy pressed against Sonic’s chest as he was turned onto his back, and he threw up again, but then slowly, his coughing began to ease.

Chuck was talking again, but he couldn’t hear him. All he could hear was Silver’s heart-wrenching sobs. Somebody pressed a wad of cloth against Sonic’s side, and through blurry, half-lidded eyes, he watched another set of hands do the same to Silver’s shoulder.

“Don’t hurt him,” he tried to say. 

The pressure on his wound increased, and he let out a scream before his eyes rolled back and he passed out.

Chapter Text

A harpoon had torn open Sonic’s right side, just above his hip, but only the edge had caught him, and it had passed clean through without hitting any organs. They stitched him up and kept him under painkillers, and as soon as he was completely coherent again, nearly three days later, he made Chuck take him to see Silver. The doctors wouldn’t let him walk on his own, so he sat impatiently in a wheelchair, playing with his shell necklace nervously. 

Chuck took him to a bigger room, where there was an extra long bed and an extra big bathtub-like container filled with water. A couple of nurses welcomed them in, and then one of them leaned over the side of the tub and called Silver’s name. Very slowly, the tips of Silver’s ears poked out of the water, hesitating for just a second.

“Hey, Silver,” Sonic said.

Instantly, his head popped up with a splash. “Sonic!” he cried. “You’re okay!” He reached out for him with one arm, and Chuck pushed him closer so they could attempt to embrace, though it didn’t exactly work with Sonic confined to the chair and Silver trying to reach over the edge of the container. “I thought—I thought I killed you.” Silver hiccuped, and Sonic squeezed his hand.

“Are you okay?” Sonic asked desperately. 

“Oh—oh, yeah, I guess.” Silver shifted, revealing his other arm in a makeshift sling that looked to be tied around his chest. “They sh-shot me in the shoulder. I can’t move my arm at all.” He swallowed hard, sinking lower into the water for comfort. “And my tail…should be okay in a few months. If the hole heals right.”

"I'm sorry," Sonic whispered. "This is all my fault."

"No, no, it's not your fault." Silver shook his head wildly, sending water everywhere. "I should've…been more careful."

"They're…going to release you, right?"

Silver glanced nervously at the nurse across the room, who gave him a smile. "They—they said they would. In a few days. But now everyone knows I'm here, and…" The water rippled around him as he quivered. "What's gonna stop people from trying to hurt me again?"

"I don't know," Sonic mumbled.

Silence settled over them like a heavy fog, and then Silver's ears perked up again. "But—but in the meantime, you can show me what it's like on land!" he said eagerly, though he cringed as his tail swished through the water. "With the chair you told me about!"

Some of the anxiety in Sonic's chest eased, and he smiled. "You're right. When you're discharged, we should go exploring."

"Discharged?" Silver tipped his head, his wet quills drooping to the side.

“Basically when they let you leave the hospital.”

“Hospital?”

“Where we are now,” Sonic said patiently. “It’s where doctors and nurses—” He gestured to the two. “—help take care of illness and injury.”

“Oh, like healers.”

And then it was quiet again, until Chuck awkwardly cleared his throat. “So…you’re the guy Sonic keeps sneaking off to see, huh? Silver, right?”

Silver blushed a little. “Uh, yeah. Thanks—thanks for saving me, by the way.”

“Of course.” Chuck put out his hand for a shake. “The name’s Chuck. I’m Sonic’s uncle.”

“Nice to meet you,” Silver said, staring at the other’s hand as if it belonged to an alien. “Uh…”

“A handshake. It’s how we meet each other. Here, Sonic, show him how it’s done.”

Sonic and his uncle shook hands, and then Silver eagerly reached out. He laughed as he and Chuck did the same. “That’s kinda funny. I like it.”

Then a doctor came in and shooed Sonic and Chuck out, and guilt filled Sonic’s chest again.

That night, someone came in just before Sonic was to finally go home, and told him that Silver had asked to see him. The mermay was out of the water and laid out on the long bed, looking scared and miserable, but his face brightened when he saw Sonic. Before Sonic could even greet him, he’d blurted out, “Can you sleep with me tonight?”

The request caught him off guard, and it took him a minute to answer. “Sure, if there’s room.” Chuck pushed him up next to the bed, and Sonic reached for Silver’s hand.

“It’s just—I’m not supposed to be in the water right now. They changed my bandages, and now I’m—I’m nervous.” Silver’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I feel so exposed and dry.”

“Maybe you can get a wet blanket or something.” Sonic started to stand, but Chuck put his hand on his shoulder to stop him, and Sonic sighed loudly. The tear in his side burned with each movement, but it was still so irritating to rely on someone else simply to stand. 

"Alright," Chuck said, bending over and lifting Sonic out of the wheelchair. .

"I can do it," he insisted. "I don't want you to get hurt—"

"You calling me old?" Chuck teased, and Silver giggled as Sonic groaned. 

He laid him down carefully on his left side, unfortunately facing away from Silver. But when both of them had wounds on their right—Sonic's waist and Silver's shoulder—they couldn't exactly face any other way. Still, Silver wrapped his arms around Sonic's shoulders as best he could, and buried his face in the crook between his shoulder and jaw. Sonic could feel him shaking.

"Do you wanna switch spots?" he asked, and felt Silver shake his head. 

"I like this. I like holding you."

"If you need anything, holler," Chuck said, backing away. "And Sonic, don't even think about trying to get up by yourself."

"Fine."

“He seems nice,” Silver said as the door shut.

Sonic chuckled. “Yeah, he’s great. He’s the one who took care of me after…” And then he paused, because he couldn’t remember if he’d told Silver about his parents. If he hadn’t, he wasn’t sure now was the right time.

“After your parents died,” Silver finished for him, his voice soft. “You…said when we first met that you knew what it was like to lose family. Your parents died, and so Chuck took you in, right?”

“Yeah,” Sonic whispered. He held Silver’s hand against his chest. “They were the ones to give me the pendant—that’s why it’s so special to me. But they didn’t know where it came from. My mom bought it thinking it was a shell.”

“Oh. That’s…good. I’m glad they didn’t know.”

“I’m sorry,” Sonic said. 

Silver nuzzled his head. “We can’t change it now.”

The nurse fussed over them for a few minutes, making sure they were both keeping off their injuries, and then gave Sonic a blanket and turned the lights off. Silver declined when Sonic asked if he wanted to share the blanket, so he wrapped his legs in it to keep warm. His arms were warmed by Silver.

“Comfortable?” Sonic asked. “I mean, as much as you can be like this?”

“Mm-hmm.” Silver yawned and shifted his weight just a little. “Thanks for sleeping with me.”

“Sure. I love you, Silv.”

“Silv,” he repeated with a tired laugh. “That sounds funny.” He buried his face in Sonic’s neck. “I love you too, Sonic.”

“Silver, look what I brought!”

It had taken weeks for Sonic’s wound to heal enough for him to walk on his own, and though he still limped and moved slow, he was determined not to waste anymore time. Silver’s head popped out of the water—they’d moved him into a bigger, better tank shipped from the mainland, since he was still pretty much immobile, and though it was made of glass, they’d installed curtains he could close for privacy on the outside. They put him by a window for sunlight and tried their best to help entertain him while he was confined, and though Silver said he was glad for their kindness, Sonic knew he was desperate to get out.

When he saw the wheelchair, his entire body lit up; his face with excitement and his stripes and fins with cyan light. “Is that the chair?” he asked, practically climbing out of the tank one-armed.

“Yep. The doc said I could take you out for a bit. As long as we don’t do anything crazy.”

“Oh, wow!” Silver moved to the far edge of the tank, using one arm to push himself around rather than swimming. They’d built some sort of pulley system to get Silver in and out of the tank easier for checkups, and he situated himself eagerly. “Help me out!”

Unfortunately, Sonic had to get one of the nurses to help pull the rope, as using that much strength made his wound burn, and his face turned red as Silver teased him over it, but it was all in good nature. Once they got him in the chair, though, they had to figure out what to do with his tail without hurting him. Eventually, Silver ended up sitting on one of his fins, keeping his tail off the ground with little effort. Sonic helped him situate the blanket to hide the scales, and then Silver practically demanded they get going.

“I can’t wait to see it all!” he exclaimed. “You better show me everything!”

“That would take me all week,” Sonic laughed.

“I don’t care! I wanna know what it’s like!”

People whispered as Sonic limped down the street, pushing an ecstatic Silver in the wheelchair, but nobody bothered them. And though Sonic still worried about what they would do when Silver was discharged, right now, he was too caught up in Silver’s innocent joy to let it get to him. The mermay pointed at everything, determined to learn it all.  

“What’s that? What’s in there? How does that work?”

The bakery absolutely blew Silver’s mind. He sat with his hands pressed up against the display glass, his eyes as wide as the ocean. “Wow,” he whispered. “They’re so fluffy-looking. Can I try one?”

“Sure,” Sonic said, glad Chuck had given him some money to spend—though they split the fishing profit after the necessities were paid for, Sonic hadn’t been working for a few months now. He’d definitely have to pay him back later. “Which one do you want?”

Silver didn’t answer at first. All he could do was stare at the pastries and cakes and breads with wonder. “There’s so many,” he whispered almost reverently. “How am I supposed to pick one?”

“You can get a few. Then we can share them so you can try more stuff.”

“I still don’t know what to get! They all look so good.”

“The chocolate dome is one of our best sellers,” the man at the counter said. “And most people like the eclairs.”

“And you have to try the banana bread,” Sonic added. 

“Then those three,” Silver said. “And that.” He pointed at a sugar cookie decorated like a flower, and then the wonderful smell of cinnamon rolls drifted from the back. They must have just come out of the oven. Silver leaned back and looked up, as if he could see the smell in the air. “And one of those.” He was practically drooling, and Sonic started to laugh, though his side lit up in pain as he did.

Silver practically melted at the first bite of the eclair. “This is the best thing I’ve ever had!” he said through a mouthful. “Thanks, Sonic!”

Sonic didn’t actually get anymore than a few bites of the chocolate dome, because Silver ate all of them, but he didn’t mind. He didn’t even mind when Silver became jittery and restless only about a half hour later. 

“What’s going on?” Silver complained, fidgeting with his bracelet as he wiggled in his seat. “I feel really weird. I think I ate too much.”

“Sugar rush,” Sonic said, covering his laugh with his hand.

Later, he crashed hard, so Sonic took him to the beach to watch the waves. He helped him out of the chair, wincing at the pain in his side, and carried him a few feet to the water. Carefully, he set him in the sand and took his shoes off before joining him. Silver yawned and leaned his head against Sonic’s. It was only mid-afternoon, but Sonic wouldn’t have minded a nap. 

When the waves came in, water ran over Silver’s tail, stopping just below the thick bandages. “Oh,” Silver mumbled. “That feels good.”

“I figured you missed the ocean.”

“Yeah.” He wiggled over and laid his head down on Sonic’s lap, careful to stay away from Sonic’s healing wound. “Thank you.” His voice trembled a little, and Sonic felt a few tears drip onto his legs. “Thank you for doing all this for me. For being my friend, for saving my life, for taking me to see the island, for letting me love you.”

“Hey.” Sonic ran his hands through his white quills. “No more crying, okay?”

He laughed a little. “Oh, no, I’m not sad. I’ve been shot and have a hole through my tail, but I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”

And though there were still so many questions and worries about the future, Sonic couldn’t keep the wide grin off his face. Whatever happened, it would be okay.