Yooo! Guess who's back with another Tails/Sticks thing! Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed Foxes and Storms Don't Mix! So far, I've got one vote for Stails, and one for Sticktail.
I say we go for sTILES! Hehe geddit, 'cause Tails' real name is Miles and Sticks + Miles = Stiles. Like Stiles Stilinski. Who is BAE.
I'm just kiddin'.
Maybe.
"Think fast!" Sticks threw a can at Tails' head.
Tails turned around just as it hit him square in the forehead.
"Ouch! Sticks?!" he whined, clutching his head.
"Huh. For a fox, you sure are lacking in the instinct apartment."
"Well, not all of us raised themselves off of instinct." Tails glowered at her.
Sticks blushed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry."
He smiled. "'S alright. What brings you here?"
"I have no one to hang out with." Sticks huffed, sitting on a wooden box.
"So I'm your last resort, huh?"
"N-No! That's not-!"
"I'm just messin' with ya." Tails rubbed his grungy hands on a red rag before tossing it away; he had been working on the Tornado. "Actually, I'm glad ya stopped by! I don't have anyone to hang out with either." He hummed in thought before he asked her a little timidly, "...Wanna go to Station Square?"
Sticks blinked. "What's that?"
.
Sticks never liked big cities. At all. Large crowds made her extremely uncomfortable. She inched closer to Tails as they walked through the busy streets, afraid that she'll get lost in a sea full of strangers. Sensing her fear, Tails grasped her hand and laced their fingers together.
"How about we go for some ice cream?" he suggested. She nodded, looking around anxiously as he tugged her down another street.
.
The badger watched her two-tailed friend happily lick his mint chocolate chip ice cream cone; her tongue darted out to lick her chocolate cone. She never thought that ice cream would be so entertaining.
"Why are you eating old ice cream?" she questioned him.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I've never seen green ice cream."
"Ohh." He laughed. "That's the mint. Here, try it for yourself!" He held it up to her for her to taste. She stared at the cold treat, then back up at his encouraging look, before she leaned in and gave the cold desert a testing lick. "Good, right?" Tails beamed at her when he saw her eyes brighten in delight.
And hunger.
"It's great, gimme!"
"Wait, no!"
.
"Tails?"
"Yeah?"
"I can't dance."
Tails shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe dancing is not right for everybody."
"Can you?"
He slowly nodded. "I guess so. Why?"
"I don't know...I guess I'm just jealous that Amy can dance. I want her to be proud of me, yanno?"
The kitsune reached out and grabbed her arm, pausing their walking. "Hey, she is proud of you." And that's when he got an idea. "Say...you wanna learn how to dance, right?"
"Riiight?"
"Okay, how 'bout this? - You teach me about this instinct stuff, and I teach you how to dance! Deal?"
She grinned from ear to ear. "Deal!"
.
The first time they dance together, there's a lot of fumbling and blushing and stepping on toes. Tails was patient as ever, calmly assuring Sticks whenever she doubted herself or her paranoia got the best of her. Gradually, she relaxed, and followed his lead. He stepped forward, and she stepped back. He stepped to his left, she stepped to her right.
"Just pretend that there's a handkerchief on the floor!"
"...Why is there a handkerchief on the floor?"
The more they practiced, the closer they became. Literally. Once Sticks got a hang of the basics, she started to look forward to their little lessons. In fact, she got so eager that one day she just pulled him out from underneath the Tornado with the sunniest grin, pulling him in the middle of the workshop for a dance; of course he didn't resist her. His smile matched her own. He was happy that she was enjoying this as much as he was.
The space between their bodies had considerably lessened.
On sleepless nights that had Sticks crawling through his bedroom window in the wee hours of the morning, he would make her tea and comfort her the best way he could. But only when he turned on some music to fill the loud silence and he pulled her into a lazy sway did she relax and forget about her nightmares. And sometimes she stayed.
He would let her sleep in his bed. He didn't mind at all when she held his hand again. Sometimes he initiated the hand-holding. Sometimes it's just her company that he craved.
.
She's invited to a big event in city hall with Tails, Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, and many other people that Sticks had never met; they were friends of theirs. That's right...she was the new girl.
Her dress was mint green. She's reminded of his favorite ice cream, and wondered if mint green was his favorite color too. It took her a while before she realized that they were color coordinated. His tie matched her dress.
Tonight was her test. Not just for dancing. This was her chance to fit in. She stayed on the outskirts of the room mostly, lingering around the punch table. If a civilian came up to her for small talk, she combined all of her friends' personalities into one; she focused on being charming like Amy, confident like Sonic, assertive like Knuckles, and patient like Tails. So far, so good.
When couples invaded the dance floor for a slow dance, she's not surprised to see Sonic and Amy among them; they looked like they belonged on the dance floor.
She is surprised, however, when Tails walked up to her and offered her his hand.
"Can I have this dance?" he asked her with a shy grin.
Her lips pressed to keep herself from smiling, failing regardless, and placed her hand in his. She followed him to the dance floor, trying not to think too much in the fact that they were being watched.
Tails and Sticks faced each other and stepped closer, hands going to their natural position before they started to sway, blending in with the crowd. She reminded herself to not look down, but found herself getting lost in those clear blue hues of his instead. She forgot the world. She forgot about her insecurities. She forgot about her paranoia. All her undivided attention was on the two-tailed fox twirling her around in his arms.
The song changed, increasing in tempo, but that didn't stop the two. Sticks never wanted to stop.
Until, of course, she tripped over her heels and they both fell into a tangle of limbs on the floor. The best thing about Tails? He was able to laugh with her.
Sticks followed Tails and Sonic home, hopping out of her heels and crawling straight into Tails' bed without changing. Sonic didn't say anything, but maybe that was because Tails wasn't the only one who had a girl in his bed.
.
The instinct lessons.
Tails was just like Sticks in the beginning. Lost, embarrassed that he couldn't get anything right. But, also like Sticks, he was a fast learner and an eager student.
"Think fast!"
He yelped and ducked under the table. She shook her head.
But they kept practicing. She took him out into the wild; no technology, no nothing. He had to rely on his senses, and his senses alone. She would pitch in and give him helpful hints, but it still drove him nuts!
She taught him how to swing from vines, and he went as far as wearing a loincloth. Day by day, he got better and better. He swung from vines and slid from tree branch to tree branch without falling or crashing; she kept pace with him, watching him proudly. His time in the wild had altered his appearance; now the fur on his ears and muzzle were wild and untamed, and he was starting to pack on a little muscle. When they sparred, he was given no weapons. He ditched his gloves, claws that he didn't even know existed coming out when he got defensive. They hissed at each other, swiping at the other's throat, wrestling on the forest floor for domination; but it was also in fun, and playful ear tugs were common.
And this time when she threw something at him, she didn't warn him.
His eyes went wide, swiftly stepping to the side just as the rock plopped into the pond.
Sticks grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. He broke out of his feral daze and smiled back at her cheekily, returning her props with his own.
"Thank you, Sticks! You're a great teacher!"
He hugged her, and her cheeks burned.
.
"Sticks! Sticks, where are you?!" Tails looked around frantically in the darkness, back to back with Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles. Battling with Eggman wasn't out of the ordinary. Losing one of his teammates in a dangerous fall, plummeting into an abyss was. He jumped after her without thinking, without caring for the consequences. By the time he and the others reached the bottom, she was gone.
"There's no sign of her!" Amy exclaimed worriedly; her tracking device was jammed, and she hit it repeatedly in frustration.
"And Eggman's getting away..." Knuckles pounded his namesakes together.
"Looks like we're gonna have to split up." Sonic waved his flashlight. "Knuckles, you and Amy follow the pathway to the left. Tails and I will circle around from the right. That should lead us to..."
His voice trailed off when he heard his best friend growling.
"Uh, Tails? You okay there, buddy?"
No. Tails was not okay. He was visibly shaking, low growls emitting from gritted, sharpened teeth. They could have sworn his pupils turned into slits.
"Tails..."
With no warning, Tails took off into the distance on all fours, growls increasing tenfold.
"Change of plan. Follow Tails!" said Sonic.
Tails sniffed around, picking up the scent of blood. Her blood. He pushed himself to go faster, claws sinking into the cave walls as he leaped from corner to corner. There was only one thing on his mind, and one thing only. Sticks. She was close. And she was injured.
Just when he was about to lose his mind, her scent became stronger. He turned a corner and stopped dead in his tracks.
Sticks lay on the ground, arms tied behind her back. She didn't have to vocalize her pain. He could sense it.
Tails rushed to her side, falling to his knees. Tentatively, he leaned down and began sniffing her.
The badger groaned and opened her eyes, clearing her throat dryly; she closed her eyes again when a killer headache formed. She didn't know she was bleeding from a head wound. "Ow...that hurt."
The kitsune made a soft whining noise, nuzzling her in question. She nuzzled him back.
"'M okay..." she mumbled. She was proud of him for using his instincts. She could feel his claws rip the ropes off her body; his tails wrapped around her like a soft, furry cocoon, and she was curled in his lap.
"Sticks!"
Oh. Right. The others were still in the room.
"Are you alright?" Amy started for them, but Tails hissed at her, holding Sticks protectively. Taken aback, Amy froze in place before retreating a step. Sonic slowly pulled her behind him, grasping her arm to keep her there. They all looked at Tails and Sticks with curiosity and an odd fascination at what they just witnessed.
"They look just fine to me." Knuckles smirked.
"They can take care of themselves. Tails, make sure that Sticks gets home alright." Sonic nodded, his eyes twinkling suggestively. "C'mon, guys! We got an egg to crack!"
.
As soon as they got home, Tails realized what he did. He...he growled at Amy? He'll have to apologize to her later. Sticks was quiet while he wrapped her head gently in gauze tape, and the silence was once again too loud. His fingers trembled on the last wrap.
"I-I...I'm sorry," he whispered, mostly to himself. But he was looking directly into her eyes when he said it, hands lingering on her face. "I thought I l-lost you and...I don't know what came over me."
Her lips suddenly crashed into his, and he made a startled noise. The kiss itself was a tad on the sloppy side from being so rushed, but sweet and desperate at the same time. She left his eyes fluttering. Heart racing. Cheeks flaming.
"Sorry." She leaned her forehead against his and he smiled at her words, "I don't know what came over me."
Tails was rendered speechless.
Sticks bit her lip, cheeks as red as his when she looked up into his eyes. "Think fast."
Their lips meet again for a second time, and this time he kisses her back. When they go to bed, he's holding her close and their fingers would intertwine.
It was almost like they were dancing.
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