Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tails had experienced winters before on his home planet. He remembered the seasons changing as the days got shorter and the nights became longer when the lush green faded into a beautiful amber until the last leaf in the forest fell from the branches. He especially remembered when the forest around his workshop was covered in a thick white blanket. 

Often, he would watch many of the kids in his village playing in the snow, throwing snowballs, building snowmen, and making snow angels. 

It all seemed so fun.

But trudging through the cold blizzards of Siberia was not fun.

He could feel the snow getting into his eyes, making the already low visibility of the nightly environment even worse. He could vaguely make out Sonic's silhouette in front of him. 

The wind was strong, threatening to knock him over. It was freezing, even for him with his thick fur.

He glanced at the glowing screen of his Miles Electric. His device being the only shred of light in the haze of darkness. The monitor was phasing in and out of static, losing and regaining the signal from the compass.

Sonic was barely trudging ahead of him, snow sticking to the back of his quills. It was amazing that he seemingly wasn’t freezing despite having shorter fur.

They had been navigating this storm for what felt like forever now, taking occasional breaks to rest and warm up when they could. Key word being “could.”

To make things worse, Tails’ invention's navigation was leading them all over the place, with the storm constantly scrambling the signal while they tried to find a straightforward path.

In short, they had no idea where they were going.

“I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT FIND MY WAY!” He heard Sonic yell over the howling blizzard. “WE ARE COMPLETELY TOTALLY UNEQUIVOCALLY LOST!”

He shielded his forehead, checking his device again. 

The screen was totally static now, and the compass coordinates were at risk of being lost. This storm was too thick!

“SONIC!” He cried, getting the hedgehog’s attention, “IN THIS WEATHER THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE GONNA GET ANY READINGS ON THIS THING!” Right now, finding shelter and waiting out the storm seemed like their best option. “SHOULD WE GO BACK??”

“NO, NO, NO!” Sonic quickly shook his head. “THERE'S A LIGHT UP AHEAD!” He pointed towards a small wooden inn about a mile ahead of them, a dim light exuding from one of the windows. “MAYBE WE CAN TAKE SHELTER IN THERE!”

Tails reluctantly followed behind his hero, trailing behind him like a duckling until they reached a small snowbank just outside of the inn.

“So how do we get in?” Tails asked, rubbing his arms to stop them from shivering.

Sonic peeked over the snow mound, seemingly spotting something. “Ah, perfect!” He hopped down, a mischievous grin on his face. “Okay, so I spotted some clothes on the porch and as much as it sucks for whoever poor soul owns them, we can put those on and we’ll blend right in!”

Tails was not fully convinced. His past experiences with inns flashed in his mind. He could still remember all the eyes that locked onto him when he walked into those places, the usual liveliness turning into silence, all of them making him feel like he didn’t belong.

“Are you sure about this?” He asked hesitantly. “We don’t know who’s inside!”

Sonic quickly flashed him one of those trademark happy-go-lucky grins of his, “Don’t worry! On Earth, people are very welcoming and love taking complete strangers into their homes!”

Tails was tempted to doubt him, but he trusted Sonic’s judgment.

He followed the blue hedgehog over the snow bank, the two quietly creeping up to the porch.

“Alright, I’ll take that one. You take this one.” Sonic told him, tossing him a pile of clothes before slipping on a pair of snow pants and grabbing a red coat.

Tails caught the clothes, looking down at the ones in his arms. He quickly slipped on the green jacket, which fit snugly onto him.

Next came the pants, which were clearly way too big for him. But Tails wasn’t one to give up easily as he slipped them on, hopping a bit to fit his shoes through the bottom. It was a bit uncomfortable tucking his namesakes into them, but he was able to do it, wrapping them around his waist underneath the waistline.

“Hey, could you help me with this?” He asked meekly, his baggy arms now making him unable to put on the hat and scarf. 

Sonic, already decked out in his disguise, was quick to help. “Hold still.”

Tails nodded, letting Sonic kneel down and take his scarf. 

He tensed when Sonic’s hand brushed his shoulder but relaxed as he gently wound the scarf around his neck.

“Is this too tight?” Sonic asked in a surprisingly gentle tone.

“It’s fine…” He murmured shyly.

The smooth fabric on his fur actually felt nice, aside from the snow still biting at his skin. Even his fur couldn’t stop that.

Once the scarf was tied, Sonic fitted the cap over Tails’ ears.

“That okay?” He asked, his voice slightly muffled to Tails due to his ears being partially blocked.

“Yep!” Tails nodded. It amazed him how gentle and considerate Sonic had been to him. “Thanks.”

Sonic gently patted his head. “No problem!” Tails could tell he was smiling under his scarf. “Now, let’s get inside where it’s warm!”

The pair walked up to the front door, Sonic reaching up to grab the door handle.

“Now listen,” Sonic glanced over his shoulder towards him, “I’ve been in a place like this before, and things get rough really quickly. Just follow my lead and we’ll be okay. Got it?”

Tails nervously nodded. “Got it.”

He attempted to swallow the lump building up in his throat as the hedgehog opened the door and the two stepped inside.

It was a broken shack of a bar, the kind of place you avoided when going out for dinner. It was the kind of place that Tails really didn’t mesh with.

The room was silent, and he could feel all the patrons staring at him and Sonic. They were all so much bigger than him, like giants. 

Silence. 

Tails felt his fur stand on end from underneath his coat. He almost felt tempted to reach for Sonic’s hand.

Now Tails knew why Sonic had them wear these disguises. They couldn’t risk freaking out the locals, especially locals like these. Or in this case, risk these patrons discovering that they weren’t one of them.

A quartet of gamblers crowded a green-top table, one with a wicked scar across his eye.

Tails flinched back, shuffling slightly behind Sonic.

Another patron stabbed a large knife into his table. 

He gasped, Sonic also stepping back.

They looked over to the fireplace and saw a kindly old woman sitting in a rocking chair and knitting what looked like a sweater.

Tails sighed in relief, he and Sonic exchanging glances. Sonic seemed to be just as on edge as he was, what with how tense his shoulders were. At least there were some friendly folk here.

That is until the elderly woman turned, revealing the sweater with a skull and crossbones.

Sonic yelped while Tails screamed.

A loud chop drew Tails to the sight of a large man brutally slicing off the head of a fish with a meat cleaver, shoving the head off the chopping board.

And as the fish's head rolled towards him, Tails could’ve sworn he heard the fish whisper, “ Run.”

His head felt light.

They were in a room filled with a bunch of… of… he didn’t know how to describe them! Brutish? Savage? Intense?

His legs wobbled. He couldn’t feel them.

The fish’s head stared up at him with its dead eyes.

Dead.

Before he knew it, he was tipping over.

“Table for two, please!” Was the last thing he heard before everything went black.

His eyelids were heavy. He could feel it as he tried to force them open. Sounds began to register in his ears, although muffled.

“Tails…?”

Someone was shaking him. He could feel something on his shoulder.

“Tails…?”

The smooth yet warm fabric of the coat he was wearing registered next, feeling it against his fur.

“Tails!”

He gasped, his eyes now wide open.

He looked around, realizing he was sitting in a wooden chair at a small round table. The inn occupants were back to their usual business; eating, drinking, talking, shouting, etc.

Chaos, his ears would be ringing if not for the hat over his head.

“Hey, Tails? Tails!”

He snapped his head over to see Sonic shaking him by the shoulder. Underneath his mask, he could see a look of concern on the hedgehog’s face.

No one had ever been concerned for him before. He was still marveling at that.

“Huh? Sorry, what?”

“I asked if you were okay?” Sonic sat back in his chair, looking relieved. “You were out for quite a bit.”

Tails felt a bit of heat rise to his cheeks in embarrassment. Right, he fainted earlier.

“I’m fine.” 

“Good, that’s good.” Sonic nodded. “So… uh, how about we order something? I’m kinda hungry.”

Tails felt his stomach subtly growl underneath his jacket. “Y-Yeah, we should.”

“Oh! Looks like one of them’s coming!” Sonic pointed out. “Would be nice if they spoke English.” He grimaced.

“Oh, I can help with that!” Tails perked up before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his miles electric. He quickly turned on the automatic language translator. He had never tested it before, but hey, it's the first time for everything.

The waitress approached the table. She was a tall and rather big woman with the ends of her hair tied to two separate ponytails. A bit of fat on her cheeks accompanied her scowl, almost making her look like a bull.

She placed two menus down on the table before asking, “Chto by vy khoteli zakazat'?”

He glanced down at his device, the audio receivers quickly picking it up and giving him the translation, ‘What would you like to order?’

He quickly scanned the menu and ordered the first thing he saw, “Two beef stews, please!”

“Dva govyazh'ikh ragu, pozhaluysta!” The miles electric repeated in Russian. 

The waitress simply looked annoyed as she grabbed the menus and stormed off.

Well, at least now he knew that his translator worked!

“Where’d you get all these gadgets?” He heard Sonic ask curiously.

Tails hunched his shoulders bashfully, “I invented them! It’s… kinda my thing.” He looked directly at Sonic, “In fact, my inventions are how I discovered you!” 

“Remember that night at the baseball field? Your energy blast reached all the way to my home planet!” Tails would never forget that day, seeing all of his instruments light up as a shockwave of chaos energy shook the universe. “I saw you save your village from that crazy mustache guy!”

“Wait, so you’ve been watching me this whole time?” Sonic questioned, “Even in the shower?”

“Ha, that’s a trick question!” Tails grinned, “Sonic the Hedgehog prefers bubble baths.”

“Man, you're good!” Sonic sounded genuinely impressed, causing the young fox to blush sheepishly under his ski mask.

“When I learned Knuckles was on your trail, I knew I couldn’t just sit back and watch anymore! I had to come warn you!”

Sonic was silent, and Tails couldn’t help but feel anxious about what was going through the hedgehog’s head. Was he impressed with him for coming all this way to find him, or was he creeped out that he had been spying on him for the past nine months?

He felt his stomach sink slightly. Maybe he came on too strong.

Before he could say anything, he heard a faint buzz coming from Sonic’s pocket.

“Oh, what…? Hang on one sec, Donut Lord’s checking in.” Sonic quickly pulled out his phone and typed his response.

It was honestly amazing that he didn’t have any typos.

“You know… your lucky to have him.” Tails tried to swallow the meekness in his voice.

“Hmm? You mean Donut Lord?” Sonic asked, putting his phone away.

“Mm-hmm.” Tails nodded. “He lets you stay in his house, eat his food, and checks in on you. It’s clear he cares for you.”

“Oh, pssst!” Sonic laughed bashfully with a dismissive wave, “I mean obviously he does ‘cause I’m his best friend!”

“I thought he said that was his dog?”

“You saw that-? Hmm, best animal friend maybe, but not actual best friend.”

“Well, technically, we’re all animals.” Tails shrugged.

Sonic sputtered a bit before shaking his head with an amused smile, “You’re quite the kid, huh?”

Tails shrunk back a bit in his seat, “S-Sorry, I-I didn’t mean it like that…”

“No, no! It’s okay! You’re fine, dude! Totally fine!” Sonic perked up, peering over the kit’s shoulder. “Oh, and hey! Looks like our food’s here!”

Tails looked down at his lap, fiddling with his gloves. Good. He could take his mind off this awkward conversation. He was feeling pretty hungry, after all.

When a bowl filled with water and a raw piece of meat hanging out was placed in front of him, he immediately lost his appetite.

Why? Why did the universe hate him so much?

Chapter Text

The bowl was clearly dirty. It was only half-filled with water, and a raw piece of meat was hanging out from it. It didn’t even look cooked.

“Ugh! Uh…” Tails couldn’t help but feel there had to be some mistake.

Maybe his translator said something wrong? He was sure he had calculated the language adjusters accurately.

“I’m sorry,” he said politely to the grumpy waitress, “But I asked for the beef stew.”

His miles electric quickly registered his words, translating them into Russian. 

“ Tvoye dykhaniye pakhnet kozlinymi kakashkami. ”

To Tails’ surprise, the waitress frowned, placed her hands on her hips, and looked increasingly angry. “Chto vy skazali?!”

“Uh…” He winced, unsure of what else to say. She clearly did not seem happy with his response.

“Idite syuda!” She waved over the other patrons.

Everybody in the bar was now crowding around their table. All of them glaring menacingly at him and Sonic.

Tails felt the sudden instinct to curl up into a ball as his heart swan-dived into his stomach.

“Uh, what’s going on?” Sonic whispered nervously.

It’s okay. He could fix this, he could fix this. This would not be like all those other times he went into inns.

Except it totally was!

No! This couldn’t be happening! It couldn’t! Please!

It’s okay! It’s okay! You can fix this!

He quickly began fiddling with the translator. Maybe he just had to make a few adjustments. 

“Maybe they think it’s my birthday…?” 

He let out a meek whimper as the patrons came closer, practically looming over him and Sonic.

“ Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this. ” Sonic whispered. In one swift movement, he stood up on his seat. “Okay, everybody! Take it easy! I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation as to whatever my friend said or did!”

Sweat began to form beneath his fur. He could fix this! He could fix this! Just a few calibrations here and there aaaand done!

He quickly typed in, “ Is something wrong?” Before pressing the play button on his translator. 

“Vse otoydite, ya tol'ko chto puknul.” His translator beeped.

Maybe now the patrons would calm down and leave them alone.

He was wrong. Again.

The patrons all recoiled in disgust, making Tails’ gut sink even deeper. Did he say something wrong again? 

His heart leapt into his throat when he felt someone grab him by the back of his shirt while the other patrons reached for him and Sonic. 

Please, please, please, no. Nonononononono….

A whimper escaped his throat as his coat and hat were forcefully yanked off of him. He caught a glimpse of the patrons doing the same to Sonic.

The patrons gasped as he and Sonic were now exposed to them.

“Uh… meow…?” Sonic smiled nervously.

“Brosayte etikh monstrov v ogon'!” One of the patrons yelled, causing the other patrons to cheer.

Before Tails knew it, the patrons grabbed him and Sonic and lifted him into the air. 

No, no, no, no , no, no! Please! Please no! 

He struggled to reach his free over to the one holding his miles electric, frantically typing in command after data in a desperate attempt to recalibrate his translator.

“Oh, no, no, no, no! C’mon guys, let’s talk this through! Let’s talk this through!” Sonic cried, sounding just as afraid as he was.

The patrons carried him and Sonic over to the roasting fire, preparing to toss them in.

“C’mon! C’mon! Scanning Siberian customs! There’s gotta be something in here!” Tails voiced his thoughts aloud, frantically scrolling through his data banks.

“Tails, whatever you're doing, do it fast!” Sonic squirmed, trying to get out of the human’s tight grip. All while the patrons were cheering and yelling.

Tails’ eyes scrolled through the gigabytes of information pulled up on the screen of his device before they settled on something.

“Ooh! I think I got it!” Tails quickly calibrated his device, “Pivonka!”

The patrons edged them closer to the fire.

“Pivonka!”

Closer.

He could practically feel the embers on his fur!

“Pivonkaaaaa!”

The crowd stopped.

Silence.

Tails’ eyes darted around anxiously.

Did it work? 

Well, he and Sonic weren’t immediately tossed into the fire, so he had to have done something right.

“Pivonka…?” One of the patrons whispered.

Whispers spread around the room as he and Sonic were gently let down.

The crowd cleared the way for a large man in a red robe sitting at the bar.

The man stood up, walking over to them with an unblinking stare. His fur stood on end while the man’s footsteps felt like thunder. 

The man stopped just a foot before them, still staring at him menacingly. In that moment, Tails wanted to curl into a ball.

“Da.” The man nodded. “ Pivonka!!”

The crowd cheered loudly as people began to move the tables and chairs out of the area.

“Tails,” Sonic’s eyes were wide with anticipation, “What’s a Pivonka?”

He quickly researched the word on his miles electric, “It’s… a Siberian custom to resolve disputes. If we win, they let us go. If we lose…”

The fire behind them burned brighter.

“Okay, we have to grab the map and get outta here.” Sonic looked serious, “Ugh, where’s the map??”

“Oh no!” Tails winced, “I left it on the table! Look!”

He saw the paper still on their table as it was being hauled away. The patrons were now gathering in a crowd around them, trapping them in a circle.

The man in the red robe stepped forward, removing his red robe to reveal…

… a tattoo of himself on his chest.

“What…?” Sonic muttered while Tails' jaw hung in slight disbelief.

What was even happening?

Tails’ ears twitched as music began to play, and the man (who he noticed earlier had the word “champ” in Russian on the back of his robe) began to…

… dance?

“Oh my god, it’s a dance fight.” Tails looked up at Sonic, the blue hedgehog’s face full of disbelief.

“Uh, Sonic? What do we do?”

Sonic placed a hand on his shoulder. “We dance.” He stated grimly. “And get that map.”

Tails gulped as Champ finished his dance, folding his arms and staring at them expectantly.

Now it was their turn to dance.

“Here we go…” He heard Sonic murmur. They tried mimicking some of Champ’s moves, but failed miserably.

Tails tried to mimic that one move the man did, balancing on his hand and kicking his legs. He didn’t really get the chance to do it as Sonic tripped over one of his namesakes. “Ow!”

“Okay, now let’s do — no!” They tried doing a different routine, only for Tails to feel a sharp pain as Sonic accidentally stepped on one of his tails.

No matter what they tried, Champ seemed to do it better. Gracefully twirling and dancing in perfect sync with his backup dancers while Tails and Sonic kept bumping and tripping over each other.

“Okay, this is not going well,” Sonic admitted. He and Tails were now shoulder to shoulder as they tried dancing together. “Channing Tatum makes it look so easy!”

Tails could feel himself sweating beneath his fur. How was this somehow worse than being thrown into a fire?

Something else then caught his attention. Out of the corner of his eye. Was it? Yes, it was!

“Wait, Sonic! Look!” He was quick to point it out, an excited smile forming on his lips.

The map!

The map, which was now somehow attached to Champ’s foot while he danced.

“The map!” Sonic exclaimed in equal jubilation. “C’mon! Let’s grab it!”

But before they could, Champ noticed the slip of paper attached to his boot, peeling it off.

Uh oh.

The man held the map in his hands before shifting his gaze towards them. He had a hunger in his eyes that Tails recognized and feared.

“You want?” Champ spoke in fairly broken English. “Come get.”

He folded up the map and tucked it into his pants.

“ Freaks!”

Tails froze on the spot.

Freaks.

The word made him seize up, his fur poofing up. He could feel his heartbeat increasing. Eyes wide and ears perked up.

“ Freaks! Freaks! Freaks!” The crowd began chanting over and over.

Suddenly, he wasn’t here on Earth. But back in his village. The people there pointing and laughing, sometimes throwing things at him.

Freaks! Freaks! Freaks!

He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t cry. He couldn’t scream.

Freaks! Freaks! Freaks!

Kids his age holding him back while smashing his inventions right in front of him.

Freaks! Freaks! Freaks!

Rocky and Cobby pulling on his tails, laughing cruelly as they tried to rip them out.

Freaks! Freaks! Freaks!

The people in his village throwing rotten food and even rocks at him. Some even carrying torches and pitchforks as they chanted the word.

Freaks! Freaks! Freaks!

The scowling faces of his parents before they threw him out into the cold.

Freaksfreaksfreaksfreaksfreaksfreaksfreaks freaksfreaksfreaksfreaks!!!

He couldn’t breathe!!

Why couldn’t he breathe?!?

Someone touched his shoulder.

He gasped, finally sucking some air into his lungs. The lights came back on. Sonic was here. His hand was on his shoulder. His emerald green eyes filled with concern.

“What’s wrong, Tails? C’mon! I need you!” 

He couldn’t do this. No, he couldn’t do this! He just couldn’t!

His heart was beating too erratically.

“I can’t do this, Sonic! I’m not brave like you! My gadget got us in this mess, I lost your map, and we’re gonna get tossed into a fire!” Tears stung in his eyes, he couldn’t stop them. 

What was he thinking letting Sonic convince him to go on this journey?

What was he thinking agreeing to this??

What was he thinking coming to this planet in the first place??

Why was he even here…?

Doh… *clap*

His ears perked up.

* Clap* doh-doh-doh, doh-doh-doh, doh-doh…

He felt a nudge on his shoulder. He looked over to see Sonic, grinning with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

“C’mon, pal, I got an idea.” Sonic danced, tapping his feet and twirling.

“They called us freaks…” he held out his hand, “So let’s get freaky! ”

He gazed at Sonic’s extended hand, looking up at the hedgehog, that same charming smile on his face. “Just follow my moves,” he said confidently, “You’ll be fine!”

Tails stared at his hand. His rapid heartbeat slowed. Could he really do this? 

Did he really deserve to be here at all?

Sonic believed in him, right?

Yes. Yes, he did.

No one had ever believed in him before. Not like Sonic did.

He could feel his heart growing lighter. He could do this. As long as Sonic was by his side, he knew he could. He believed in him. Now, it was time to believe in himself.

So with a smile, Tails reached out and took Sonic’s hand. 

Everything became a blur. Flashes of color and loud cheering blended together. All that mattered was his body's movement as he danced to the music with Sonic.

He could feel the music empowering his movements. His arms and legs swayed to the rhythm as he matched Sonic one-to-one in perfect sync.

To add dramatic flair, he even activated his Miles Electric’s hologram generator, creating several copies of himself and Sonic.

And as he grasped Sonic’s hands and lifted him into the air, he locked eyes with his hero. Those same emerald irises that gazed upon him with so much warmth and enthusiasm that wormed its way into his core as the two laughed and spun in the air…

In that moment, Tails felt something he thought he’d never feel.

Excitement, thrill, jubilation. True happiness.

And it was all thanks to his hero, Sonic the Hedgehog.

Even when the battle was over, as they landed soundly while Champion collapsed to the ground, his joy didn’t end there.

Hearing the people cheering as they lifted him and Sonic up above to sing their praises and congratulations, Tails had never felt happier.

“We did it!” He cried happily.

“That was amazing!” Sonic cheered, “Way to go, Tails!”

And as he looked Sonic’s way, saw the way the blue hedgehog smiled at him. That wide smile that seemed proud, not of himself, but of him.

And in that moment, Tails truly felt glad to be here.

Whoever says never meet your heroes?

Chapter Text

The partying went on for some time. Drinks were shared, lots of cheering and chattering. And even more dancing went on through the night. Through it all, Tails stuck by Sonic’s side, laughing and smiling the whole time.

After winning the Pivonka battle, the patrons had become much more welcoming, partying in their honor and also just making some friendly small talk with them.

Tails had never had so much fun in his life.

Eventually, though, the party began to wind down. People leaving or some just passing out on the floor from their alcoholism.

He and Sonic now laid on the bar, staring up at the ceiling.

The quiet breeze of the ceiling fan and the dim warm lights of the bar filled him with a sense of comfort, of laziness.

Made even better with Sonic by his side.

He felt so relaxed, more than he had been for most of his life. It was so quiet. So soothing. 

“Huh, wow!” He let out, unable to wipe the smile from his face. “Only Sonic the Hedgehog could win a dance battle that epic!”

Sonic chuckled beside him. “Well, stick with me, pal! Earth can be a scary place, but I know everything about this old pale blue dot.” 

Tails froze, still hearing Sonic’s words but repeating that one word in his head. He could feel his heart skip a beat. Pal. Did Sonic just call him his pal? As in his friend?

“Do you… really mean that?” He hesitantly asked, sitting up.

Sonic shrugged, “I mean, not everything, but I watch a lot of Discovery Channel and…”

“I meant… about… me being your pal.” Tails quickly said.

Sonic stared at him before he sat up, smiling warmly at him. “Of course, buddy.”

Buddy. Now Sonic had called him his buddy! 

He felt a warmth blooming in his heart, unlike anything he had ever felt before. Something he had felt only vaguely in memory when his mother would gently rock him to sleep. 

In a burst of energy, he wrapped his arms around Sonic’s shoulders in a tight hug. Sonic the Hedgehog called him his friend! His first real friend!

“Woah-ho-ho! Coming in hot!” Sonic laughed, gently pulling him off.

Tails made a sheepish noise as he looked away, “Growing up, I didn’t have any friends.” he admitted, “Everyone in my village thought my two tails were weird.”

“Hey, I know that feeling.” He heard Sonic whisper.

“But then I saw you! The fastest creature in the galaxy! You were weird too!” He sighed, he smiled, unable to make it go away, “But you were a legend!”

He thought back to time when he first discovered that signal. The sheer awe he felt eclipsed anything that came before in his depressing life.

“That made me think maybe being weird isn’t so bad.”

He looked up, facing Sonic once again, looking him directly in the eye. “You inspired me to leave my village. To find you and help you in your mission!”

He still remembered the power bump they shared at Wade’s garage. The first time Tails felt like he could truly trust someone. And after that incredible dance battle, he could for sure say that he felt safe around Sonic.

The hedgehog himself seemed to feel the same way as he smiled warmly, “I’m really glad you're here, Tails.” He spoke softly.

“I’m glad I’m here too, Sonic.” Tails smiled back. 

With a sigh, he slipped off the bar, his sneakers softly landing on the wooden floor.

From behind, he could hear Sonic let out a tired yawn. Hey, feelings mutual. “Well, might as well get some sleep. This looks like a good place to spend the night…” Whatever Sonic said next was drowned out by Tails’ own unrelenting exhaustion.

Shuffling over to the fireplace, Tails lay down on the rug, letting the warmth from the fire wash over him. It was so soothing.

The warmth settled around him like the soft fabric of a warm blanket. And as he fully fell asleep, he heard the soft voice of the blue hedgehog gently whisper, “ Goodnight, Tails.”

Tails drifted off into dreamland, dreaming of equations, dances, and other wonderful things.

But above all, he dreamed about the wonderful night he spent with his friend.

Sonic the Hedgehog. The fastest thing alive.

His pal.