Chapter Text
Sonic was strolling through Central City. It was a bright, clear day with a nice breeze. He was happily eating a chili dog from his favorite stand as he went. He smiled and waved to others as he passed. He didn’t really have a destination in mind, which wasn’t unusual for the blue hedgehog. Maybe he would go for a run later.
There were a lot of people out today. Couples, families, pairs, or groups of friends. All talking and laughing peacefully, going about their day. It made Sonic smile. This is what he fought for and would continue fighting for. He scanned the crowd, taking it all in. Suddenly, he spotted a mix of red and black further ahead. His smile spread as excitement filled him. He sped up and dodged around fellow pedestrians.
“Shadow!” He called, causing a passing couple to glance his way. “Hey, Shads! Wait up!” Shadow paused and turned to face the blue blur. Finally, Sonic broke through the crowd and reached the broody agent. Still smiling, he huffed. “You could’ve met me halfway, ya know.” He put his hand on his hips in mock irritation and adjusted his expression to a playful pout. Shadow rolled his eyes.
“You are the one who chose to follow me, hedgehog. I did not even have to stop at all.” He crossed his arms and fixed Sonic with an unimpressed look.
“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, where ya headed? Alright if I tag along?” Sonic grinned at him again and felt his tail slightly wag.
Shadow huffed. “Nowhere. And I doubt you would listen if I told you not to accompany me anyway.” With that, he turned on his heel and kept walking. Sonic rushed to catch up.
He crossed his arms behind his head as he matched Shadow’s pace. “So what? You just out for a peaceful walk then?”
“I was.” The broody hedgehog mumbled under his breath. It didn’t bother the hero, he was more than used to the other’s prickly personality. He just laughed as their walk continued.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you walking around the city before. What gives? I mean, you could’ve gone anywhere for a walk.”
Shadow gave him an exasperated look. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” Sonic shook his head. With a deep sigh, Shadow gave in. “I don’t venture into the cities too often if I can help it. However, I was on a mission nearby, and it’s too crowded to run through or use chaos control. Once I reach a less populated area, I will be leaving.” He turned his head slightly towards Sonic. “Satisfied now?”
Sonic hummed and tilted his head back and forth. “For now, I guess. Unless you want to tell me about the mission at all?” At the other’s silence, he chuckled a bit. “Yeah, thought not. That’s alright, I can talk enough for both of us!”
Shadow groaned. “Don’t-”
It was too late. Sonic launched into a story about a recent team-up with the Chaotics. To his surprise, his companion actively listened and even offered commentary. That story led to another one. “And I didn’t see the wire in time. So I ended up covering myself and Tails in oil! That was not fun to clean out of fur and quills.”
“I’m surprised you know how to bathe yourself in general.” Shadow shot his way with a small smirk.
Sonic was about to send a jab back when he overheard a comment from a passing pair of rabbits. His ear flicked as he focused on their conversation.
“I don’t know why a hero would hang around someone like that!”
Their friend scoffed. “Yeah! Didn’t that freak try to, like, destroy the world? No idea why he got a second chance after that.”
“Right! And not only a second chance, but he also treats him like a friend or something! So bizarre.”
“Well, I guess Sonic’s just that kind. He would forgive just about anyone. Even someone like…him.”
The conversation faded as they got further away. Sonic frowned and looked around to see more people looking their way and whispering. He looked at Shadow and noticed his ears twitching every so often. Probably catching more conversations that the blue hero couldn’t pick up. His body was tense as red eyes darted around.
Sonic nudged him slightly. “You okay, Shads?” He got a slight nod in response. “Does this happen often?” He didn’t really think that one through before it was already out in the open. If possible, the agent’s frown deepened.
“I usually try to avoid cities for this reason.” He admitted. “I suppose I can’t blame them. I did almost destroy everything.”
The hero shook his head. “That was years ago, though. You’ve helped us save the world more than you’ve tried to destroy it by now. I didn’t realize people were still hung up on it.”
“I am aware that I’m not…the nicest to others.” He shrugged. “I can see why I don’t have everyone’s trust or forgiveness yet.”
It was Sonic’s turn to huff. “That’s dumb. I forgave you for the stuff a long time ago. I think it’s ridiculous to still hold it against you. So you’re a little closed off, that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person!” They had reached the outskirts of the city now. Both hedgehogs slowed to a stop. Shadow put a hand on his hip and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Maybe you’re too forgiving. Did you think of that?”
“Nope!” Sonic beamed at the dark hybrid.
Shadow shook his head. “Then you’re an idiot.” With that, he sped off, leaving the hero to stare after him. He frowned and tapped his foot in mild frustration. He wished Shadow would be a little easier on himself. He made mistakes, sure, but in Sonic’s opinion, he has more than made up for them and then some. He’s as much a hero as Sonic is. The blue speedster took off, too. He veered slightly to the left to ensure he wasn’t following the black hedgehog. Best to give him space for now.
A week passed, and his run-in with Shadow had been pushed to the back of his mind. He was far too busy with his friends and dealing with Eggman’s plots. He flopped back on his bed with a sigh. It was decided a while ago that Tails’ house, attached to his workshop, needed another room. He spent so much time on the couch in the past that it was honestly overdue. He still came and went as he pleased, usually for weeks at a time, but now when he returned, he was out of his brother’s way.
It wasn’t very big. Sonic didn’t need much. He had a full-sized bed with two pillows on it and red sheets. There was one window located to the right of his bed. Deep blue blackout curtains barely brushed the floor. There was a small nightstand with a drawer to the left and a five-shelf bookcase mostly full of various books on the far wall. He had some pictures of his friends on the little bit of wall space left. Some might find it cramped, but it suited the hero’s needs. It was an upgrade from the couch that was for sure.
Sonic stretched his arms and legs with a groan. His muscles protested, but he knew they would feel better in a minute. Eggman hadn’t held back this time, and he was more than a little sore. It had been a long fight lasting from the early morning to well into the afternoon. He deserved a little nap after all that. He wrapped himself up in his blanket and curled up on his side. He closed his eyes with a yawn, prepared to drift off.
“Hey Sonic! There was something by the door for you!” Tails called from down the hall. Sonic groaned again, this time in exasperation instead of pain. He stared at the wall blankly for a minute, already mourning his nap. “Sonic?”
“Coming! Give me a sec, bud!” He finally answered, knowing Tails would just start knocking on his door if he didn’t. With more effort than usually required, he dragged himself back out of bed. He stifled another yawn with his hand as he opened his bedroom door. With heavy feet, he padded down the hall and rounded the corner to the kitchen. He blinked at what he found. “Uh, Tails? What’s this for?”
Tails shrugged. “Not sure. Like I said, it was just sitting by the door. It’s addressed to you, though.” With that, his brother turned and went to his workshop to do some tinkering. Sonic’s ear flicked as the door clicked shut. Emerald eyes remained locked on the counter.
As if it was always there was a clear vase half filled with water. A string was tied around it with a card that simply read ‘for Sonic’. The hero studied the two words for a minute. That handwriting looked so familiar. Inside sat a bouquet of three different flowers of varying colors. There were about five pink flowers that were a cluster of ruffled petals, five white tulips, and about two purple flowers with petals that curved downward. Softly, he ran a finger over the purple flowers. His mind was racing with questions. Who left them? Why? Did they choose these flowers for a reason, or was it just a random selection?
He reached into his quills and pulled out the phone Tails had made for their friend group. It made video chatting easier, and they could take pictures with them. Which is exactly what Sonic did. He removed the paper to get a good shot of the vase. When he took the picture, he made sure it was clear and included all the flowers. He sent a quick text to Amy.
Me: Hey Ames! Did you drop these off earlier?
Me: Image sent
While he waited for a response, he studied the flowers again. They really were beautiful. Sonic loved nature and finding new flower fields to rest in. He wished he knew what the pink and purple flowers were. Maybe he could find a book about it or look it up online later. He checked his phone, but there was no response yet. He didn’t really expect one. Amy had helped in the fight today and was probably getting some rest herself.
Sonic pulled out a chair by the counter and sat down. He rested his left cheek on his hand. He should probably think of other candidates besides Amy, just in case. Cream, maybe she loved flowers too. It’s possible, Ms Vanilla and her dropped them off while he was dealing with Eggman. Silver was a strong possibility, too. He’s been into gardening lately. And by that logic, it could’ve been Espio too.
Honestly, they were all strong options. The only thing was that most of them would have let him know in some way that it was them. They would have signed it or texted him about it. Something. He did have another person in mind that a small part of him hoped it was. Black quills with red stripes and deep crimson eyes flashed through his brain quickly. He sat up and shook his head.
Stop that, he chided himself, you know he doesn’t like you like that. But he paused. Were these flowers even typical romantic ones? He had assumed it was one of his friends at first, after all. He was talking to someone about flowers recently. Silver maybe? They said there was a ‘flower language’. That flowers and their colors had different meanings. He wondered what these meant.
His thoughts were interrupted by another yawn. Stretching his arms, he stood back up. Oh well. He was too tired for mysteries right now. Maybe he could figure it out after a good nap. So he tucked his phone back into his quills and retreated to his room once more. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out.
He awoke three hours later feeling much better. He checked his phone, but still no word from Amy, so with a shrug, he plugged it in and took a quick shower. Now clean, he went to the kitchen to start on dinner. He heard the workshop door open and then quickly shut.
“Hey Sonic! You look well rested.” Tails sat down at the counter.
“Yeah. Crazy what a good nap will do, huh?” He glanced back at his little brother with a smile before turning back around.
“Whatcha making?”
“Just some pasta. Nothin’ too crazy. You wanna help, bud?”
“Sure!” Tails joined him in the kitchen and started pulling out the ingredients they would need. The young inventor hovered nearby Sonic to glance in the pot he stood in front of. “What have you put in so far?”
With only a quick look, Sonic reached out and gently pushed at the fox’s shoulder. Tails lowered back to the floor. “Tails. We talked about flying in the kitchen, yeah? You’ll get fur in the food again.” He scolded lightly. He hated using his ‘big brother’ voice, as Tails called it. But sometimes it was necessary. Tails shot him a sheepish smile.
“Sorry, Sonic. I forgot.” They spent the rest of the time cooking and chatting idly to each other. Tails talked about his latest project while Sonic pondered the mysterious flowers on their counter.
“I’m just not sure who it could’ve been. If it were any of our friends, they would’ve said something, right?” Sonic asked as they carried their meal to the table.
His brother hummed in thought. “Maybe it wasn’t one of our friends. It could have been a fan, too. I mean, it’s not like we’re exactly hidden out here.”
He had a point. The location of Tails’ workshop was fairly well known at this point. No one bothered them usually, so neither of them was too concerned about it. Sure, sometimes a particularly…enthusiastic fan showed up to ask for photos or a moment of Sonic’s time. But Sonic considered himself lucky with how well people respected his and his friend’s boundaries. Of course, that could be because of how tough and intimidating his friends could be.
Sonic shrugged. “I guess I never thought of that. People tend to leave us alone, and they’ve never left gifts before.”
“Have you reached out to anyone yet?” Tails asked around a mouthful of his dinner.
“Yeah. I sent a picture to Ames asking if it was her. I’m still waiting for a response.”
“Even if it wasn’t, she might have an idea of who it might be.” The fox agreed. They ate the rest of their dinner in silence. Tails offered to clean up, and Sonic sent him a thumbs up before heading to the living room. He took a look through their video games, trying to decide what he wanted to play. He settled on a platformer he hadn’t played in a while. As he was booting it up, he heard a ding from his room.
Knowing that must be his phone and an answer from Amy, he dashed that way as quickly as possible. He was proven right when he unlocked the device.
Ames: Hey Sonic! Sorry I didn’t answer sooner but that fight took a lot out of me!
Ames: No I didn’t leave those for you. They look super pretty though! Maybe a fan?
Sonic sighed. Yeah he was expecting that. It was still a little frustrating since that meant he was farther from figuring this out.
Me: No worries Amy! I figured you were tired after today.
Me: Tails thought the same thing but a fan has never done something like this before.
Ames: It’s possible someone was feeling shy and left them instead of delivering them to you personally. I wouldn’t rule it out based on that tbh.
Me: Yeah I guess that’s true. Oh you know what the pink and purple ones are btw? I know the white ones are tulips.
Ames: The pink ones look like carnations and the purple could be iris flowers? That’s my best guess based on the picture you sent me.
Sonic considered that for a moment.
Me: I think you’re right. Thanks Ames! I think I’ll just chalk it up to a fan for now unless one of our friends says otherwise.
Ames: Makes sense to me. I gtg but talk later?
Me: Sure thing!
Sonic set the phone down slowly. He thought over his and Amy’s conversation. She had a strong point. A shy fan was certainly nothing new. But they usually wrote him letters, not left flowers on his doorstep. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. Sonic ran a hand through his quills with a sigh. He should do exactly what he told Amy he would. He should assume it was a fan and not think about it anymore.
He felt a slight pang of disappointment at that thought. He thought of a certain black and red hedgehog again, no matter how much he tried not to. Determined, he walked back out to the living room. It was just a fan, that’s all. He needed to stop reading into it.
As he picked up his controller, he glanced over his shoulder at the bouquet. His brows furrowed with thought. Maybe he should pick up a book on flower language…just in case.