Work Text:
When Silver first dissipated into the air back to the future, leaving Espio standing alone in oppressive quiet, something dripped from his head to his heart, splashing into a teacup that he had never felt within him. His phone buzzed, and Vector harranged him. He didn't notice the new sensation.
Silver reappeared in times of crisis, they learned. Whenever something or someone was making a mistake big enough to effect him, he barrelled into their lives with a mission and a target, even if it was completely wrong. He was obtuse, difficult and wound up their short-tempered friends. He was instrumental to their success, and would stop at nothing. He had to be reigned in often.
Drips and splashes filled Espio's teacup as he eavesdropped on Vector on the phone. Today was a black tea sort of day, as they were already up to their ears with an odd string of cases. He stirred an orange slice in his cup.
"That Silver's back again."
The tea he sipped seered his throat, as the pot in his mind filled the cup in his chest a little more.
"Oh, good." He gasped.
"It's not good. Something worse than we imagined must be happening."
"Of course." He managed against a blistered throat.
Now, Silver was ready to go again. They all started to wave him off, which annoyed him.
"See you soon! Remember to train for the games!" Sonic called, and Silver stomped his foot and growled.
He's childish. He's ridiculous. He doesn't want to be here.
Something dripped and splashed.
"Stop starting Chaos portals every time you want to play sports!" He snapped. His face was pink and pouty. Espio's chest ached with heavy liquid.
"Then perhaps we won't see you awhile." He asked plainly, and was scolded by his bright eyes.
"How should I know? I hope this time the future stays fixed."
"Us too." Espio said quietly. Silver nodded. He wasn't trying to be rude: he just hadn't ever been told what rude was. It swirled Espio's teacup, threatening to spill.
"I hope... you travel safe. Goodbye."
Silver looked startled, peeping into the portal, and kept his face away from Espio.
"I hope you don't-travel safely, too." He murmured, and disappeared.
Sonic laughed at that, and the small gathering of fighters dissolved. But Espio knew what he meant.
The world was fixed after months of everyone's hard work. Sonic was saved. Silver needed to go now, and Espio knew that.
He held himself in careful poise, head upright and straight. Inside him a whole ocean sat in a teacup, surface tension holding it even fuller than it ever should have been able to be. Silver was emptying his room in HQ.
"The building will still be here. You needn't throw away your things." He said quietly. Silver jumped, quills standing on end, but as quickly he relaxed, and smiled. Silver's smile was always awkward on his face, like he was bearing his teeth and consciously trying, but he did try. This was the longest he'd been in the past, and every time Espio saw his face - smile or otherwise - it flooded his chest. He had to breathe slow to keep it to a trickle that the cup could hold.
"Oh, but someone else might be able to use this space! Plus, I don't need things." He said quickly, sweeping some tat off the bedside cabinet into the bin.
"If you would like to keep it, there will certainly be space. Don't-"
He stopped as Silver picked up a blanket he had spent ages mending, under careful instruction of their more adept friends. It had sunflowers and fruits sewn over burn marks, darned inexpertly - then redarned with more skill. Silver binned it.
"I can't get attached to things in the past. This room's gonna be useful to someone who needs some help! It's good that I'll be out the way!"
He turned away from Espio and blinked hard. Silver was not good at hiding emotions - he seemed to be new to the idea. So when he realised that crying wasn't an option around his friends, he had listened well but unlike other unusual feelings he never saw it coming. He cleared his throat as he sniffed, pulling some spare gloves out of the drawers.
Espio tried not to let all the feeling rush him at once, but a tiny drop threatened the side of his cup.
"We could keep your possessions. For when you next come to the past." He spoke seriously, pulling the blanket out the bin and folding it lovingly over his arm. Silver rubbed his face, and didn't turn fully to face him.
"You don't know I'm ever coming back to the past. We should all hope I'm not."
He spoke uncharacteristically low as he tried to control his voice. The drip dribbled out an imperfection in the round rim of the teacup.
"... I hope you do."
Silver's throat ached as he swallowed a lump. Espio was lying: Everybody thought he was annoying and rude, and he knew he ruined their peacetimes by his arrival. He'd never have imagined that making a bad impression with some strangers in the past would have caused him so much heartache. He didn't realise when he committed to travelling in time that he would divorce himself from his own life, and not be wanted in the other. There wasn't anybody who remembered Silver was before, and everybody he once knew had never met him now. These were the only people who still knew who he was.
Espio held the crude blanket in his arm. He didn't emote much, and Silver tried to be like him. He tried to be cool and calm. His face was hot.
"You don't mean that. It's... nice of you to say, but you don't want me to have to keep coming back."
"I do." He said certainly, but internally he panicked as liquid dribbled out his cup, and he tried to staunch it with his fingers gripping the blanket.
"I'm sorry if we haven't made you feel welcome." Espio added when Silver didn't move.
Silver took quick and sharp breaths to try to suppress any tears that might have ruined what he was trying to be in front of Espio.
"No, it's fine, really. I don't expect you guys to want me here. I'm bad news, huh?" He tried to laugh.
"We don't see it that way." Espio said the 'we' firmly to himself and Silver, trying to stem the flow of feelings. He knew he would be better to get out of here, but he instead crouched down at the bin, laying pieces carefully in the blanket.
An obsidian rock he'd whittled into a spear under Knuckles' instruction; a pressed flower from the ones that were saved from greenhill meadow, with some seeds Amy promised they'd save to regrow; a few printed photos Tails had made for him, one of the first day with Sonic back. He had kept a piece of shell from a Chao egg, from the one they were raising in the garden. He had one of Espio's shattered stars wrapped in the wool he used to mend his things.
"No, that's all- You don't have to keep stuff for me. Really."
He knelt down next to Espio and started taking them out of his blanket. Espio glared daggers at him, and he stopped.
"I want to keep your things. If you won't keep a room here for yourself, let me take them." He said seriously, but quickly stood up with what he'd stolen, and cast around for a box.
All Silver's possessions, including his spare gloves and boots, fit in one medium cardboard box. Espio looked around for anything else, politely letting Silver open his drawers and empty the loose ends in.
"I don't see why you want this." Silver sighed, but he'd cheered up since they'd packed his possessions away.
"Because you might want them when you come back." Espio said simply. He held the box between them, as Silver placed a few rings and bank notes on the top from his pockets.
"I don't know-"
"When I hope you come back."
"...Right."
Silver closed the box so he didn't have to look at it.
"I guess I'd better say goodbye." Silver said quietly, and looked up at Espio. He took a deep breath, then blew it out. He tried again, but Espio got their first.
"Don't you want to stay?" He verbally stumbled and jostled himself, then almost laughed as he calmed. Silver tilted his head, quills bouncing up a little.
"Want to? But how would I warn you guys of what's going wrong?"
"... Right you are. Of course."
"Is there a reason for me to stay? Do you need me here?"
Espio gulped, as his teacup heart swirled with a storm in it, splashing stupid feelings onto his words.
"I'd like you to stay. We all would, of course. But I understand if you don't want to."
Espio was usually so calm and collected; it confused Silver to see him as anything else. But it set him at ease too, and he looked over his shoulder before he leaned closer to whisper to him, stopped by the box.
"Can I be truthful?"
"Always."
"I don't want to go back. I'm going to anyway. But I don't like it."
Espio could have laughed, but he just pinched his mouth and nodded. Silver's truth was so much simpler than his.
"We have to do what feels right." Espio said soberly: "But if that ever doesn't feel like what's right anymore, rest assured we'll be right here."
He twitched the box in his hands. Silver tried to throw his arms around Espio's shoulders, over the box, crushing his stuff.
"There's a blade in here!" Espio hissed quickly, shifting it to the side as Silver sniff-laughed.
"It's rubbish. I made it."
Espio carefully placed the box on the bedside table, and even more carefully hugged Silver back. This only encouraged Silver to settle in closer, and he sighed as he put his head on Espio's shoulder.
The storm that raged in Espio threatened to burst containment of his skin, never mind the cup in his chest. Still, he breathed in the smell of soap and fur, and closed his eyes and mouth sharply to keep in control.
"I... will miss you. I always do." He said softly, against the barrage of words he wanted to say.
"I miss you too." Silver said, then prised himself from Espio; "Where do you live?"
"Huh?"
"Where do you live? Where in the world, I mean. If you're gonna keep my things, maybe if I come back I'll stop by first. Also, you've seen my home!" he gestured to the blank walls.
"We're still rebuilding our home. Central City needs a lot of work."
"Oh... can I see where it will be? Can I help with that?"
Silver asked hopefully, standing between Espio and his box.
"You could, but wouldn't that delay your return?"
Silver slumped smaller, guiltily.
"Oh. Yeah. It would. You pointed it out."
"But, I'm sure your powers would be most useful. Game changing, in fact. If you could spare a few days." Espio said quickly. Silver perked right up, but pretended to sigh.
"Oh fine, since you twist my arm."
He physically took Espio's arm and lead them out of his room.
"Don't tell anyone, okay? I don't want them not to believe in me." He whispered as they left. The arm around his, and his lips close to Espio's cheek as he spoke, all splashed more liquid into the cup that had just been part emptied. It frustrated Espio; just as he'd managed to navigate letting some feeling out, Silver filled him with more affection, and more guilt that came along with that.
"I assure you, I can be trusted with secrets." He whispered back, and hoped it was true.