Work Text:
I Didn’t Want You to See Me Cry, I’m Fine
-Tom glanced out the window, watching the clouds slowly roll in and block the sun. He had lived in Green Hills enough to know what was coming. It was December 1st, after all. Winter had officially unofficially begun, as Wade had once dubbed it. But Tom wasn’t worried about the snow. He was worried about the cobalt hedgehog watching the clouds with a blank expression. The same blank look he’d had ever since Tom had been released from the London hospital; since the Eclipse Cannon had exploded a month before and taken one like him with it. Even though Tom had finally gotten the sling off a few days ago, it did nothing to change the hollow look in Sonic’s eyes, and Tom had started to get a bit scared. It hadn’t been the normal. During the first two weeks, Sonic had grown quiet, but between Tom, Maddie, and the boys, they slowly got him to open up. To discuss the hedgehog Sonic had met and fought against, only to talk and fight with him against a mad man whose grief had taken him too far. When Sonic had mentioned the explosion and Shadow’s sacrifice, it was clear to Tom Sonic had been blaming himself over the whole ordeal. It had taken some time, but Sonic had slowly gotten back to his old self.
-Though Tom noticed Sonic hugged him tighter than usual now.
-And now he was quiet again.
-Tom reached over and nudged Sonic in the shoulder, then waited for Sonic to glance up at him.
“You good, bud? You seem awfully quiet.” Sonic glanced away before letting his gaze drift back to the window. He didn’t utter a word for a few moments, but Tom was willing to be patient; whatever it was that was on his mind, he would say when he was ready. All Tom had to do was be ready for any response. He could be thinking about London, Shadow, the Robotniks, G.U.N.(I don’t like those people), Longclaw, wanting to be Blue Justice again…
“I was thinking about winters in the cave.”
-Well, Tom was not ready for that one, but okay.
“What about it?” Sonic gave a small shrug, his eyes never leaving the clouds that hung in the sky.
“I don’t know, it’s just what came to mind.” Tom frowned. There had to be something that had caused him to think about it; not that Tom was going to push.
“What was it that came to mind? Were winters any fun for you?” Sonic shook his head, watching as the clouds slowly began to release their yearly four-inches of snow. Tom cocked his head to the side.
“No? Not any fun?” Sonic shook his head again before he spoke.
“They were hard.” Tom glanced out the window as the snow fell. Odd. It was snowing a lot faster than usual. Were his eyes playing tricks on him?
“Hard, how? As in, hard because you were alone?” Sonic lifted his hands and put them up on the windowsill, his fingers intertwining with each-other before separating and doing it all over again.
“Partially.” Sonic’s minimal responses were starting to somewhat indicate a desire to not talk about it. But was that what the boy wanted? Or was it just that hard to talk about? No reason to not bite the bullet.
“You want to talk about it?” Sonic finally tore his gaze from the window and looked up at Tom, as if trying to gauge if he really wanted to, before he gave a small shrug. His eyes dropped from Tom and to the floor before drifting back to the window.
“I don’t know.” Tom gave a slow nod. Sonic wiped his glove hand over the window his eyes hollow as he stared out into the snow that was rapidly descending upon Green Hills. Sonic shook his head a couple of times as his hands interlocked again. Tom leaned against the window, trying to convey his willingness to wait on whatever Sonic wanted to say. It seemed to work, because Sonic lifted his head and looked Tom square in the eye.
“Have you ever gotten the feeling of…I don’t know…like, someone’s in trouble, but you don’t know where?”
-The question was no doubt connected to whatever had caused Sonic to think about winters in the cave, though Tom couldn’t help but feel startled by the question. It seemed oddly specific.
“Yea. Lots of times, pal. As a cop, it’s my job to know if someone’s in trouble and how to help them.” Tom knelt down so he was eye-to eye with Sonic as he reached over and gently held Sonic’s intertwined hands.
“But as a dad, it’s my priority.” Sonic seemed to try to smile, but it wilted before it even bloomed as Sonic looked away. Tom tried to keep from frowning as Sonic pulled his hands away, the hedgehog’s eyes focused on the window. His hands separated, and one of them dropped to his side. The other laid on top of the window sill, his fingers tapping an erratic rhythm.
“I just…I don’t know. I keep getting this feeling that someone’s out there.” Tom cocked an eyebrow as he too glanced at the falling snow.
“Like..out in the snow?” Sonic shook his head his fingers starting to tap even faster, and soon his foot joined in. His limp hand started to do the same against his side. He seemed really tense.
“N-no, I mean like out there in the world. I don’t know where, but I just…I know it.” Sonic turned to face Tom, who was still kneeling, and Tom could see a determination had lit in Sonic’s once-hollow eyes.
“I don’t know how to explain it, but I know what I’m talking about. I was standing here, and I just got this sudden feeling of loneliness…a-and desperation, and something just struck me, and I somehow knew that whoever it was, they’re alone, desperate, and living in a cave, stuck.” Sonic’s eyes brimmed with tears, and he turned away from Tom, his hands and feet going still.
“And whoever it was that I felt…they were crying.” Sonic dropped his head, his forehead bumping against the window sill as his eyes drew shut. Tom got up and rested a hand on Sonic’s shoulder. No wonder his mind had wandered to where it had. He had felt the emotions of someone, somewhere, who was feeling the same emotions that he once had. Only this person didn’t have someone to help them like Tom could for Sonic, and it clearly was bothering him. Tom lightly squeezed Sonic’s shoulder, but Sonic didn’t respond. It was only a few moments before Tom heard a small sniffle, and it hit him that all of this was hurting Sonic to the point he was crying. Tom reached over and hugged him.
“Sonic? Do you want anything?” Tom heard another sniffle before Sonic slowly pulled away, his head down as he seemed to try to blink away the tears before he wiped his eyes.
“No, no I’m okay. Nothing to worry about.” Sonic didn’t look Tom in the eye as he slowly walked down the hall. Tom couldn’t help but stare in the direction Sonic had left. The guy clearly didn’t want to talk about it, but he couldn’t help but wish he had done better in talking to Sonic. All of this seemed to be bugging him, though he didn’t want to open up about it for some reason, though as to why was anybody’s guess. Tom glanced out the window, watching as the snow began to pile up faster than he could remember. He remembered Sonic saying he didn’t know where this person was, just that they were alone in a cave, desperate and crying. Tom felt his phone buzz, and when he pulled it out, he saw a weather alert; Green Hills was officially having a blizzard, the first in 130 years. Tom bit his lip and stared at the pouring snow.
-Whoever it was that Sonic had felt, Tom could only hope that they weren’t around here.