Sonic pricked his ears as he slowly padded across the floor, watching for any movement in the dark room.
"I know you're in here…" he growled. "Ya can't hide forever…"
A faint creak made him freeze, his eyes narrowing. Slowly, he looked toward the couch. In the blink of an eye, he zoomed around it. His target let out a high-pitched squeal as Sonic snatched him up under an arm.
"Ha! Now I gotcha!"
The four-year-old fox kit squirmed to escape, giggling.
"Nuh uh! Y' can' make me!"
The hedgehog smirked, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
"Oh really? 'Cause I think I know just the right way…"
Tails' big blue eyes stretched wide and he began squirming even harder. Sonic chuckled evilly, then rolled Tails over and tickled his belly until he was shrieking with laughter.
"Surrender yet?" he asked, grinning.
Still laughing too hard to speak, Tails nodded desperately. Sonic laughed as he stopped tickling the cub and set him down.
"A' right, surrender accepted. Let's go, bedtime… And you're takin' a bath."
"Aw…" Tails whined, but he obediently trudged toward the stairs. Halfway up, he paused and glanced at Sonic.
"Are y' gonna tell me a story?"
Sonic raised a brow.
"Well…"
He tapped his chin thoughtfully a few times, then grinned.
"Sure."
Tails yipped happily and scurried up the rest of the stairs. Sonic chuckled.
Works every time.
…
"So the weapons factory was falling apart, robots blowing left and right of me. But as I zoomed out just ahead of the explosion, I could hear one thing above it all…"
Tails clutched Socks to his chest, his eyes shining with excitement. Sonic grinned, then took a deep breath and shouted in a gravelly voice,
"I… HATE… THAT… HEDGEHOG!"
Tails giggled and bounced a little on his bed.
"Boy, Robotnik's pretty dumb f'r a genius, huh, Sonic?"
Sonic chuckled as he stood from his seat on the edge of the bed.
"Many's the time I've thought the same thing, kiddo. C'mon, lights out."
Tails nodded and flopped against the pillow as Sonic pulled up the covers, tucking him in.
"There ya go… snug as a fuzzy orange bug."
The cub giggled again, then yawned as Sonic ruffled his hair.
"Night, Sonic."
The hedgehog smiled as he switched off the light.
"G' night, lil' bro."
