The message was simple: I need you to do me a favor.

Metal didn't often get sent messages from Tails, so he knew it must've been something important if he was contacting him over the one-sided communicator in his head.

You know how the world split apart and everything? I mean, of course you do, it'd be hard not to notice. Well, Sonic's been trying to fix it for a while, but I can't get him to relax!

This was news to Metal, but made sense given that he hadn't seen Sonic in a few days. In a way, Metal was relieved, because it meant that Sonic hadn't been avoiding him. Yet, he was still concerned. Sonic refusing to relax? That wasn't like him at all!

Look, can you just come over? He'll listen to you.

He would? Really? Metal felt warmed at the idea that Sonic would listen to him over Tails, so much so that he completely ignored the fact that Tails had said "listen" when that was technically inaccurate, since Metal lacked a voice chip.

As he approached Tails' lab, he could hear three voices. The first one, he didn't recognize, but the second was Tails. The third, despite the rougher tone, was definitely Sonic. Metal would know it anywhere.

He walked inside, trying to listen into the conversation.

"Sonic, I'm not saying you can't handle it! I'm saying you need a break!"

"I'm fine, Tails! I don't need a break!"

Metal immediately regretted taking an extra step forward, the two turning to him immediately. Sonic's familiar green eyes gazed into his own, but Metal took notice that the rest of his body was different than he remembered. There were claws where gloved fabric used to be, and fangs where there used to be none. He was bulkier, stronger...

and furrier. Fur. So much fur. He could bury his hand in all that fur.

Sonic must've noticed him staring, as he looked down at himself briefly, seeming embarrassed, then looked back at Tails. "You invited Mets here?"

"Well, what was I supposed to do? You won't listen to me!" Tails argued.

Sonic took another glance back at Metal. A creature Metal didn't recognize - small, burgundy, and white - flew over to Sonic, visibly saddened.

"It's okay, Sonic! I mean, I'm tired too, so why don't we both get some rest?"

Sonic shrugged. "You rest if you want to, but I have a world to put back together."

Metal, though still processing Sonic's new appearance, could tell that he wasn't in top form. His fur was ruffled in places, as if he'd been in one too many fights. His eyes showed noticeable strain. Even his ears drooped ever so slightly; Metal doubted that anyone else could tell, but he knew that Sonic's ears flopped downwards when he was tired. Simply put, all signs pointed to a tired Sonic.

Metal approached, Sonic eyeing him with a raised brow. Metal grasped his hand, taking him along to the spare bedroom in Tails' lab.

"M-Mets, really, I'm fine," Sonic insisted; not annoyed, but stubborn.

Metal sat him down on the bed, Sonic rolling his eyes as Metal fumbled through the drawers. He pulled out a spare blanket, throwing it over Sonic's shoulders to help get his point across.

Sonic managed a smile. "Thanks, but I don't have time to rest, okay? Egghead breaking the world apart is my fault, and I gotta fix it." He paused, then gestured at himself. "And fix this too while I'm at it."

Metal let out a confused beep. Fix what? Sonic had implied it to be himself, so he could've been referring to his current state, but Metal couldn't understand what needed to be fixed.

He tugged on Sonic's blanket, trying to show that he was insistent. Sonic chuckled in amusement, taking Metal's hand in his own. Metal was in awe of the size difference, and how scientifically impossible it seemed for such a large hand to be so gentle.

"I get it. You're worried about me like everyone else, but I can handle it. Come on, you've been crushing on me for a reason, right? I can do anything I put my mind to!"

Metal's optics flickered in embarrassment at Sonic mentioning his far-too-obvious crush. It was true; he'd fallen for Sonic due to his ability to do so much (and Sonic was not shy at all about teasing him for it). However, it wasn't the only reason. In fact, if Metal had been able to speak, he could've listed the exact percentages and statistics for how in love he was with each of Sonic's traits.

Maybe he'd give him a carefully structured diagram later, or a pie chart.

Sonic made another motion to get up, Metal acting on impulse and placing his hands on Sonic's chest to keep him down.

Soft. His fur was soft. Metal's mock nervous system could tell.

Sonic sighed. "Mets, come on, I—" A yawn escaped him. "...Okay, maybe I'm a little tired."

His sheepish gaze as he looked away was dangerous levels of cute. Metal tried to distract himself from it, but the only other thought in his head was the fur he still touched. His fingers curled inwards, bunching the fur into his palm.

Sonic raised a brow, watching him with confusion on his face. "What?" He grinned, Metal not missing the shine of his fangs. "Hey, I missed you too, but could we maybe hug when I don't look like a monster?"

Metal met his gaze immediately, offended. Sonic had said it like he was stating the obvious, but Metal ran on logic, and Sonic's words were anything but logical. Though Metal couldn't voice his objections, Sonic made a face as if he could.

"You don't think so?" he asked. Metal nodded, placing a hand on Sonic's shoulder; a gesture he associated with comfort from experience.

Sonic snorted. "You're weird."

He brought his hands down to Metal's sides, shifting and laying down on the bed as he lifted Metal onto his chest. Metal stared down at Sonic, who smiled lazily up at him.

"Fine. I'll sleep," he relented, hands moving away from Metal to relax on the bed. "But you're not going anywhere, got it? Otherwise, who's going to admire this apparently-handsome hunk of werehog?"

An immediate and understanding nod was his response. Sonic broke into a laughing fit.