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“Espio! Look, look, look!”
He knew this tone. He could hear the way his buzzing approached at a rapid rate. Espio tilted his head downward as Charmy rocketed right over him, barely stopping short of the door. He lifted his head up to look at him as Charmy whipped himself around to face him. Instantly, Espio spotted a pair of rings in his hands, too large to be their currency. Easily enough that anyone could grab them. It had been a long time since either of them had used them; he was surprised Charmy remembered them at all.
“The Bound Rings,” he nodded, “I didn’t realize Vector still had them.”
“Yeah! They were kinda hidden, but--”
“--So, why were you snooping in Vector’s room?”
Charmy’s mouth hung open from his aborted sentence, his face quickly dropping into a pout. Even still, he flew over to Espio’s side.
“‘Cause I was so bored! Vector’s taking too long!”
“He’s only getting groceries, Charmy.” The two of them had been barred from going on this trip, after the last time. Loathe as he was to admit it, he got a little too heated in his argument with their youngest over one simple snack (that they couldn’t afford.) But Charmy was insistent, and he lost his patience. Foolish. He had to retrain himself considering he lost it over something so trivial, anyways. Regardless, he imagined Vector would bring them back next time; he never liked it when it was quiet during errand trips. Perhaps he found someone they knew at the store and was chatting their ear off.
“Anyways, we should totally use these again!” Charmy deposited the ring into his lap, and the moment he picked it up a string of pure energy connected them. He swore he could feel Charmy’s excitable energy thrumming through him; his tail twitched and he resisted from shifting color. Charmy settled on the couch.
“Hmm,” Espio let the ring spin around his finger, “if you’re the one suggesting it, then certainly you have ideas?”
As soon as Espio finished his inquiry, Charmy grinned. He could feel its warmth in his palm.
“Boy, do I!” He fluttered above the couch again, tugging at the ring. Espio snagged it before it could get yanked away from him. Still, he decided to stand. He knew full well what disasters could ensue with the Bound Rings; he was thrown around quite a lot by Mighty and Knuckles in particular. He doubted it was intentional, but whenever either of them would stop without warning, Espio would get yanked back, spun around, and on more than one occasion it led to him falling. It lended to the fact that they were great anchors, but not so convenient when they were trying to fight every badnik in sight. And Charmy? Well, he found being flung around fun. To each his own, he supposed. He heard Charmy laugh before he looked at him again.
“Well, Vector and I could throw you up, and then you could throw your kunai like hi-yah, and catch the bad guys by surprise! And if it gets dicey we could just pull you back!”
Charmy’s aim was still wild. But it was as good a time as any to try and get it more refined. Still, Espio imagined he would have to make quite a few emergency landings, lest he end up with a slew of bruises.
“And if I fly too far and launch you forward too?” He asked, and Charmy tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as he considered it for a few seconds longer than usual. He snapped his fingers.
“Oh, then I’ll just sting them on the way!”
“Perhaps, then, we let only Vector toss us while you refine your aim in a… more ideal setting than combat.” Espio said, both seeing Charmy’s disappointment and feeling it spark within his chest. “Like how we practiced with you carrying us.”
“That takes so long, though!” He protested, and Espio took a deep breath, trying to settle the both of them.
“We can’t be good at something immediately. Vector didn’t become a detective overnight. My training did not come to fruition that fast either. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying. Besides, you have something I certainly didn’t when I took on my training.”
Charmy stared at him, his mouth pursed and his brow furrowed. He had to hold back the urge to chuckle at him. His glare deepened.
“What?” He questioned away, his curiosity pulling at the both of them.
“You have the liberty of falling back on Vector and I. And if your proposed move doesn’t end up working out… we’ll find something better.”
“Like you guys trampolining me into the air with the energy link!?” Charms eyes sparkled, and Espio immediately loosened the tautness of the link between them.
“Let’s not test if we could come out unharmed from that…” He mumbled, glancing toward the front door as he heard Vector’s heavy footfalls approach. Charmy immediately whipped his head to the door, buzzing excitedly. Espio started thinking of snacks at the same time. As soon as Vector opened the door, their youngest flew over.
“Vector!! Did you get snacks?! Oh, look what we found!” He pulled the ring again, holding it up to Vector’s face. Espio found himself tugged forward, and Vector huffed in amusement. He scooped Charmy up in his arm, glancing at Espio on the other end.
“So which one of you was sneaking through my room?”
“Espio!”
“Charmy.”
Espio rolled his eyes as the two of them accused each other at the same time. Vector snorted, moving through the office toward their kitchen. Espio tossed the ring onto Vector’s tail, the only indication that Vector had noticed between Charmy’s excited chatter was a brief moment of side-eye. Espio chuckled behind his hand and followed him to the kitchen as Charmy stuck his entire head inside one of the bags and gasped.
“You got my snack!” He cheered, taking it right out. “Thanks, Vector!”
Espio stole a few bags from Vector’s arm, starting to put the food away. He heard Charmy’s buzzing start up again and watched as their youngest flew off, ring and snacks tucked in his hands. Vector’s head turned after him, and just as Charmy started to make distance Vector moved his tail in the opposite direction. Charmy was immediately shot backwards, Espio reaching out and catching him in his arm.
“Yee-oof!” Charmy scrunched his nose on impact, glancing up at him. “Hi, Es.”
“Hello. You still have to help us put the food away,” he nudged him out of his arms, “then we could try out one of those team moves you thought of?”
Charmy’s eyes sparkled and he shoved his snacks on the counter. “Really!?”
“Gonna drag me into this, too?” Vector asked, leaning his head over as he put a few items in their cabinets.
“Uh, duh! It's a team move!! I just gotta think of more!” Charmy buzzed at him, snatching the bag of apples from the groceries. “So hurry up already!!”