Sonic always thought the boy was admirable, surviving out in the middle of the forest at a young age, just simply abandoned by his parents. Sonic had enough time to settle down on his own, and found a place Eggman wouldn't bother him so much. Tails, on the other hand, was forced to constantly run away thanks to his mutation. The boy was as clean as the nearby lakes would let him (which wasn't that clean), and survived on left over scraps of wild animals. Despite all that, Tails still had the fire of survival roaring inside, and came pretty close to taking Sonic's head off with a metal pipe. At that point, the boy was so far gone that he assumed the entire world was out to get him. Another swing at the hedgehog, and he wrestled it out from the fox's hands.
"What the heck are you doing, crazy kid!" Sonic asked, exasperated. He examined the boy for a second before saying, "…Whoa. You have two tails?"
The fox winced a little and said, "Y-yeah…! That weird to you or something?" His tone apprehensive, with his fists clenched and arms up slightly.
"Weird? It might be the coolest thing I've ever seen! Where'd you come from, man?" The boy's eyes sharpened harshly, and didn't seem interested in conversation. If looks could kill, Sonic thought. He sighed and softly said, "Hey, kid. Why don't we just start over from the top, alright? My names Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog."
"…My name's Miles."
"Miles? No last name?"
"Well you don't seem to have one. Unless it's 'the Hedgehog'."
"You got a point, but that's just because I don't know mine."
"Oh." Miles' tone a bit forlorn, "My name's Miles Prower. I…hate it, a lot."
"You don't like your name? Why's that?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Well, that's fine. Why don't I just call you something different?"
"Like what?" Tone becoming a little apprehensive again.
"Well, how about…" The last word drawn out while he rummaged through his mind. "…Tails?"
Miles almost scorned, 'Is that the best you could come up with?' but he kind of liked the ring to it. "Tails" was a little better than "Two-Tail" or "Freak" or whatever other brilliant name people came up with.
"Tails? Sure!" Tails said, enthralled. He realized he was actually ecstatic to be having a conversation with another person. Especially since this "Sonic" didn't want to torture him until the sun came up again.
"Awesome! So, do you-" The hedgehog stopped himself, realizing the shrub he had spotted Tails in was most likely some form of a home for him. "Do you want to come back to my place?"
"Well, I mean—I, sort of, don't know about that." A hint of suspicion rose up in the boy's voice.
"Why not? There's nothing out here for you, man. Just come home with me awhile, and you can leave whenever you want. Deal?"
"N-no. I sort of like it out here, actually," Tails grumbled, irritated and obviously lying through his teeth.
"Oh, come on! You're sitting out in the middle of the forest covered in a mixture of mud, brush, and maybe something else that bears a resemblance to mud. And is that dried blood around your mouth? You're eating raw meat! Your eyes are bloodshot and you look absolutely miserable, and—"
"Well the last guy who invited me back to their place did this exact same thing! So how should I know to trust you!"
Sonic jumped a bit at the sudden outburst, "Tails…"
Tails' tone was furious at first, trying to mock the hedgehog, but started to die into uneven sobbing, "Mr. Hedgehog stumbles through the forest, comes across a fox with two tails, and suddenly wants to be best friends?! Well I don't need anyone, okay? I'm perfectly happy out here! All alone! Just look around; this place is beautiful and brimming with stuff to do and eat and…and…" After a period of silence the boy repeated, "…Alone…" before pausing for several seconds. He just started at Sonic with a dead look in his eyes. "Just go away, okay? I just don't want anything to do with anyone. Just go…"
"Tails, please, just listen. I can help. Just come with me, no one will ever hurt you again, I promise." Sonic pleaded.
The two stared in silence for what felt like ages. The hedgehog stepped forward, and the fox made no indication of retaliating or retreating, so Sonic did his best to not alarm the boy too much as he lifted him up into his arms. He was completely limp, though. He felt little chills running up and down his spine on the way home, because in his peripheral vision a pair of burning sky blue eyes were focused right on his face. Cleaning the dirt and whatever else off Tails wasn't much of a hassle either. He simply stood in the middle of the shower and burned a hole in the wall with his sight while the hedgehog scrubbed him down, doing his best to pull all the stains out as painlessly as possible. Sonic decided the boy probably wasn't feeling food right now, so he lowered him into bed and put a blanket on him. It was only a second or so before he was out cold.
Well what now, Sonic thought. I mean, it's not like I can just kick him out.
At first, Sonic felt like he had just found a stray animal and ended up adopting it, and now it was sleeping in his bed. However, it wasn't long until the boy began to show off his hidden talents, and out of nowhere the two were fighting side by side against Dr. Robotnik. It was around this time when the hedgehog began to feel a tightening in his chest whenever he spoke with Tails for any more than a couple minutes. It was a feeling that was absent, and then it was there perpetually, and it felt kind of good. In fact, he enjoyed it, and tried to prolong his conversations with Tails as much as possible to try and soak up as much of whatever invisible energy he was giving off. It made him feel like he could just jump to the moon and back. But at some point the feeling started to mutate into something terrifying.
The feeling began to show up in…more places than just his chest. Places he was sure they weren't supposed to be, but there was nothing he could do. It wasn't just his chest now, but his heart, and then his stomach, which swam during their talks. His knees wobbled, and his hands became clammy and sweaty. The last place it reached was his crotch, which was the nail in the coffin. After cutting a conversation with Tails short, telling the boy that, "It's getting late and I want to get a run in today." And charging out the door, he sat at the base of a tree to settle himself down. However, the feelings began to culminate into maddening frustration, directed at Tails and then at himself, and he began to lash at rocks and trees at random, attempting to vent, but he eventually had to accept reality. And it hit him like a truck, as he stopped at the front door of his own home and found he was so spaced out his hands couldn't turn the knob. It was nearly pitch black outside when Tails came out to go search for the hedgehog, but was given the shock of his life when he practically fell in through the door. The boy dragged his sleeping friend into bed and cuddled up beside him for comfort.
Sonic eventually came to at about 6 in the morning, and shot up off of the pillow glaring around the room. His eyes eventually rested on Tails, and a hint of a smile came to him. Lost in space, he leaned down to the fox and pressed his lips against Tails' almost casually. After about two seconds, he registered what he was doing and swiftly lifted himself off, but it was too late. Tails burst out of the sheets and tripped onto the floor before slowly rising up to peak over the side at Sonic, eyes more confused than accusatory.
"Tails! I just- I was daydreaming and I-well…"
"What were you daydreaming about, exactly?" Tails asked with a small giggle.
"Well I… well I mean I was just… sleepwalking?" He said, rather unconvincingly.
Tails hesitantly lifted himself up and sat up on the bed cross-legged, facing his friend, "Sonic, you can tell me anything. I promise to keep any secret you throw at me."
"Secret? What secret? There's nothing to say." Sonic tensed up feeling like the boy's eyes were burning hole through his forehead. A deafening quiet overtook the room, and Tails appeared unamused.
Tails' expression slowly brightened, and he cooed soothingly, "Alright, Sonic. Just tell me when you're ready." As Tails was getting up to leave, the hedgehog suddenly lunged and pulled him down onto the bed.
"Wait! Don't go, please."
Tails oriented himself and peered down at his older brother. Sonic seemed quite satisfied with the position they were in. "I thought you didn't have any secrets to tell me."
"I don't, because it's not much of a secret anymore, is it?"
"What do you—" A look of realization slowly dawned on the boy, "Oh."
"So, are you okay with me like…this?"
"I see nothing wrong with liking the same sex, I guess."
"Don't say it like that. I don't like other men."
"Well, you seem pretty fond of me."
"Exactly. Of you!"
"I think I'm starting to see now." Tails seemed to lose his concentration then, eyes glazing over slightly.
Sonic pulled him closer and began to diligently run his hand through Tails' bangs, "Tails, I need to tell you something."
"…"
"I love you, Tails." Sonic looked up hopefully at him, searching for reassurance.
"Sonic, I'm not sure it's possible for us to be in a relationship."
"And why's that?" The hedgehog's voice was already becoming shaky.
"I'm sorry, but we just… can't. How are you going to explain to everyone that you're dating your little brother?"
"Well, we don't have to tell anyone! It'll be our secret. Just you and me and no one else." Sonic's tone became desperate, and he moved his hand to one of the fox's hands, brushing it tentatively with his thumb.
Tails contemplated for a second before responding, "We couldn't do anything together. The second you held my hand or kissed me or shot a 'suspicious looking' glance at me, people would be on us like hawks. And what about our friends? What about Amy?"
"I-I don't care about them, and especially not her!"
"Don't say that, Sonic…" Tails said, gloomily.
Sonic's lips quivered slightly, "Tails, please, just give me a chance. I'll be good. All you have to do is trust me, okay?"
Tails thought back to the day they first met, remembered the promise Sonic had made. At first, the fox realized he had only thought of it superficially. But when Sonic said he wouldn't let anyone hurt him, he meant the fox would never be stuck inside his own head ever again. He was never going to be alone in the world. He knew his brother was taking a quite the gamble admitting his feelings like this.
So Tails decided: Okay. We'll try. We'll take it slow. We won't lie to ourselves, that we really want this. Because we don't. Not yet, at least. I won't say anything, and you won't do anything stupid. Because no one can ever know. At least, not until I'm old enough. How could you be so foolish, Sonic? The Great Hero, as the news once called you, falling in love with some whiz kid who just happens to live with you. One you dragged home, and found out too late you had invited a curse upon yourself. You don't mind, you say, quite genuinely. You promised that you'd never let anyone hurt me, remember? Well, I believe you. With every fiber of my being, I believe you.
The room froze, and the two stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Suddenly, Sonic let out a small whimper, and then broke down completely. He threw up his arms to cover his face in shame, tears and everything he'd ever felt about Tails began pouring out. He flipped Tails onto his back and buried his face in the boy's chest. Tails couldn't understand all of what was said, through the muffled sobs, but he could tell it was most likely Sonic's pent up thoughts. The fox softly rubbed the back of Sonic's head, trying to abate his violent shivering. After what felt like another several hours, Sonic finally pulled himself off of Tails and took a series of deep breath.
Tails started first, "Are you okay?"
"I think so, yeah."
"Would you like some breakfast? Pancakes, maybe?"
"Yeah, pancakes would be nice," Sonic mumbled still shaking a little, timid and embarrassed.
On their way to the kitchen, Tails turned and gave Sonic a hug and a small peck on the cheek, "I love you too, Sonic."