Work Text:
The scent of pine wafts through the open windows. Shadows splay across the grass, and blanket the thick, dense foliage. Fireflies and June bugs flutter through the breeze with moonlight as their humble guide. The woven huts are nestled together without stirring activity. To Sally’s relief, the woods are peaceful, a sharp contrast to the wrought, rampant pollution of Robotropolis.
She stays by the open window, resting her elbows. Her gaze falls to the north where she last saw Sonic. He had grinned, wearing his backpack stored with a ring, and promised he’d return no later than midnight.
A glance at the clock affirms the approaching due date. In mere minutes, it will be tomorrow. She’ll need to mark off the calendar, but her boots tether her to the floorboards. She cannot bring herself away from the forest, listening to the gentle hum of the breeze.
“Where are you, Sonic Hedgehog?” she whispers, biting her lip.
Bedsprings faintly squeak. Heavy footsteps plod toward her. A cool, metal hand rests on her shoulder, as soft as silk.
Bunnie tilts her head, an ear swaying with the motion. “I’m tellin’ ya, Sally. Ya gotta have yer rest. I don’t think you’ve blinked in the last hour.”
She tries to turn, but her knees lock. She grips the windowpane, fingers tapping along the oak. “I should’ve gone,” she insists, shaking her head. “He has a team and Nicole, and yes, he knows how to use her, and yes, Sonic’s escaped time and time again, but this time-”
Bunnie’s smaller hand rests upon Sally’s trembling fist, and silences her growing freneticism. Her delicate thumb strokes along faintly bruised knuckles. As Sally’s throat trembles with swallowed words, Bunnie tugs, and guides her to the bed.
“-this time’s gonna be no diff’rent from the last,” she concludes, nodding with a sense of finality. “They’ll blow up that nasty power plant, just you wait ‘n’ see.”
Her brows knit. “It'd be easier if I assisted them, though. Sonic could take on the role of a distraction, and I’d set the charges with Nicole. Antoine and Rotor-”
She allows herself a reprieve when Bunnie sets her down. The long, loose blanket shifts underneath them, and the bed does not bow. Bunnie settles next to Sally, kicking out her legs. She lifts her hands, fingers flexing inward, and a welcoming smile graces her lovely complexion.
“C’mon, Sally girl, rest yer weary, li’l head. You need it more than me.”
Sally sighs, releasing the air trapped in her heavy lungs. She lowers herself, resisting the urge to defy gravity. She has a mind to keep guard, but Bunnie holds her shoulder, and slips a pillow over her lap. Its cool side greets Sally’s warm cheek, and she succumbs, relishing the blissful moment. She permits herself to curl, her knees pulling to her chest, her hands folding neatly on Bunnie’s knees, and right then, she could permit herself to sleep.
But she cannot, and Bunnie is always generous. Sally rolls on her back, cheek grazing against her roboticized waist. The metallic glint catches Sally’s attention, forcing her to acknowledge the hints of rings underneath her eyes.
“When’s the last time ya slept?” Bunnie asks, cutting to the chase.
Sally offers a grim grin. “I promise, Bunnie, I had six hours of sleep last night.”
At Bunnie’s frown, Sally reaches, and runs her fingers along the smooth fur of Bunnie’s limp ear. The ginger blonde fur is better than any cashmere. She wishes she could rest against Bunnie’s neck, feeling it shadow her face, but she stays put, another sigh wounding her.
“Oh, Bunnie, the thing is-” Sally clicks her tongue. “-I know you’re right.”
“I think yer where ya meant t’ be,” Bunnie murmurs, caressing through her slightly matted hair. “And if Sonic says he’ll be back, well, gosh darn it, that hedgehog’s never broken a promise. He’s all lickety-split speedy, y’know?”
When Sally is ever rattled, she believes those open words stated with unshakeable conviction. They did not fail to alleviate the compounding stress upon her heart and mind. If Bunnie invokes it, then the sentiments are undeniably accurate. While Sally trusts Nicole’s examination and Sonic’s vow, Bunnie’s gaze soothes Sally, her rich aquamarine eyes so deep that Sally can fall through them.
Her fingers trace from Bunnie’s ear, tickles along her neck, and as Bunnie snickers, Sally holds her powerful forearm.
“You’re always so wonderful to me, Bunnie. I feel like I don’t do enough for you.”
But her mournful attitude is meant with a wrinkled nose and a chortle. Bunnie cups her hand, energy rippling through her roboticized palm, as Mobian as ever. She bends, her ears draping over her shoulders, and speaks the earnest truth.
“Well, I reckon you do 'nuff for everyone.”
She couldn’t ask for anyone more lovely than Bunnie. And as Bunnie dips, smelling faintly of lavender, Sally welcomes to kiss pressed upon her brow.
Then, the wind becomes a gale. The force of a hurricane barrels through Knothole. Within the moment of Bunnie’s kiss, further reassurance halts in front of a door that swings wide open. As heat spreads from Sally’s brow down the sides of her face, she can’t stop her jaw from slacking.
“Hey, ladies! We're back!” Sonic exclaims, holding Nicole in the air and dropping his bag. He pauses, his toothy grin losing two molars. He addresses Nicole, hitching his thumb at the wide-eyed girls. “Am I interruptin’ somethin’ private, or should I swing back to Buttnik to give ‘im another butt-kickin’? Let these gals finish up whatever this is.”
Sally’s heart swells, relief coursing through her. Their combined presence is all she needs, the weight of despair sliding off her back as she hurries to her feet. She calls his name, unable to withhold her composure. He’s returned, safe, sound, exactly as Bunnie promised.
Before she goes to Sonic, however, she smiles at Bunnie. “You were right all along.”
And Bunnie beams, whispering, “Go get ‘im, Sally girl.”