Chapter Text
Sonic has always been afraid of water, even since he was young and when his parents died from a shipwreck overseas, leaving him, his older sister Sonia and his younger brother Manic to live with their Uncle Chuck on Windmill Isle, helping out in his tailor shop.
“Wake up Manic! Uncle Chuck needs help stocking up!” The cobalt hedgehog dragged his brother out of his bed as he groaned in complaint as the green hedgehog yawned.
“What a wake up call…” Manic huffed as he moved to slowly slump up, Sonic rolling his eyes “You REEK of rum, were ya out drinking until late last night?” Sonic accused Manic as he quickly got changed, removing the contaminated clothing.
“What? Noooo I would NEVER!” Manic scoffed as he stretched, Sonic rolling his eyes again as he dragged his little brother downstairs, meeting Sonia and Uncle Chuck, who were already wheeling different fabrics into the shop.
“I got em’ up Uncle Chuck!” Sonic grinned as he moved to help put the fabrics away so his aging uncle didn’t have to.
“Thank you Sonic, SOME of us should learn to get up on time” Chuck poked fun as Manic looked away, moving to help.
“Well whoever that is SHOULD help” Manic added, as if they weren’t talking about him as Sonia laughed, moving to pack up a white sundress to be delivered later in the day.
“C’mon boys you three should help me open up!” Sonia grinned as she adjusted the bandana holding her quills back Sonic giving her a thumbs up, moving to start the mental checklist of opening up the shop.
1.Open the blinds.
Sonic moved to the giant display windows and opened the blinds and set up the certains, framing the store in the golden glow of the sun.
- Change the two sets in the front.
Sonic picked a nice light blue sundress with a matching hat and blue pumps for one while the other was a matching set with a light blue button up shirt and navy pants, making sure the two were perfect for the traveling merchants that would pass by and snap them up.
- Set up the other visible outfits.
The cobalt hedgehog made quick work, using his speed to set up various premade sets while making laps around Uncle Chuck and Sonia, making the two laugh as Sonic borderline single handedly set up the whole store.
- Kick open the door for patrons.
Sonic slowed down to open the door, the sea breeze filling the shop as he used the colored rock to prop the door open, taking a deep breath as he felt the wind in his quills, savoring the feeling before re-entering the shop, taking his place at the register for the custom orders.
And his day began.
Sonic spent all the morning talking with the other villagers that would walk in and browse the selection that was available, Sonic didn’t mind doing this.
He liked talking to the people that would visit, he was on a first name basis with everyone on the island, and he liked it, it brought a sense of security to Sonic as he just worked at the front.
Although Sonic did notice that there was a larger crowd at the port than usual, it made Sonic curious but he didn’t leave his family’s shop, but he didn’t need to, the reason the port was more crowded entered his shop.
A black and red hedgehog along with a human girl entered the shop, the hedgehog supporting her as she looked around with slight wonder before she moved to sit at the seating area to rest. While the hedgehog walked up to the counter, looking Sonic in the eye as Sonic himself tried to not make it obvious he just fell in love at first sight like an idiot.
“How much is the dress in the window? My sister liked it” the ebony hedgehog asked, while his voice wasn’t as deep as Sonic thought it was going to be. It was still music to his ears, Sonic’s ear flicked and a small snort left his throat before he cleared his throat to answer.
“Yep! It was made by yours truly! I made sure the dress flows well and has a more elastic feel! Perfect for sailing!” Sonic started to ramble as he moved and guided the other hedgehog to where the dress was.
“Of course the one in the window is meant for mobian proportions but I did make one for humans as well! It should take around an hour to alter once I get her measurements” Sonic smiled as he looked at the other hedgehog, who hummed and looked over at his human sister with a small smile, keen to hide it from Sonic but it didn’t escape his view.
“What do you think Maria?” The hedgehog asked the human Sonic now knew as Maria, as she smiled, shakily moving to stand up before he quickly moved in front of her to aid her. Sonic being caught off guard with how fast he was, almost as fast as Sonic himself.
“Its a wonderful dress Shadow, I wouldn’t mind staying here for an hour to get it” Maria smiled, the black hedgehogs name tickling Sonic’s ears as he watched Shadow smile and nod, making sure Maria was stable before walking up to the counter with her.
“Do you think we can start now? we are in a little bit of a hurry, our ship leaves in three hours.” Shadow added as Sonic snapped out of his day dreams before nodding and moving to open the dressing room.
“Of course! This way!” Sonic quickly guided the pair and began to work as soon as Maria was in his tailoring station, marking her measurements and noting alterations he had to make to the dress, Maria watching with sparkles in her eyes.
“How long have you been working here?” she asked, watching as Sonic kept writing down the measurements as his ear flicked, the small earring on his ear jingling as he looked up with a grin.
“My whole life basically! This is my Uncle Chuck’s shop I’m just helping out around here” He laughed as I put away his measuring tape, finishing up the total price for the adjustments with the dress, showing the tab to her “The price doesn’t go up that much so this is about it.”
Shadow moved to look at the price, slowly taking out a pouch and placing several gold coins above the price onto Sonic’s work station, making the cobalt’s eye bug out of his head.
“Sir this is WAY too much! Keep the extra coins! It’s getting more expensive out there lately!” Sonic quickly tried to give the excess coins back before Shadow put his hand up to block Sonic from doing so.
“I am just tipping you for your work, this is nothing for me” the ebony hedgehog said curtly as he gently moved to guide his sister “we’ll be back in an hour for the pick up.” he instructed Sonic as the two left, a bat just outside of the shop handing Maria a cane, most likely HER cane before departing, leaving Sonic to work on the dress and act like a hedgehog is type didn’t just enter the shop and left with his heart.
“Whose the stranger that just left the shop?” Sonia asked, poking her head into the inner part of the building as Sonic just shrugged and tried to hide the dreamy look on his face as he worked.
“Dunno, said his name was Shadow.” Sonic hummed as he worked on altering the dress, Sonia’s gasp almost making him undo the wrong stitch.
“SHADOW?! AS IN SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG? SONIC YOU JUST TOOK A PIRATE’S MONEY!” Sonia exclaimed, getting the attention of Manic and Uncle Chuck as he looked into the work area themselves.
(‘So that's why the port was crowded…’), Sonic thought to himself, he thought Shadow was just a random noble with too much money to throw around.
But that wasn’t a noble, it was the of the most infamous pirates in the whole world, and Sonic just fell head over heels for him