Box of Chocolates: A Sontails Story

The two-tailed fox Miles 'Tails' Prower walked beside Sonic the Hedgehog through the forest, with scattered rays of midday sunlight shining through the treetops.. His left hand held Sonic's right, their fingers interlocked.

It had all started last week, on Valentine's Day...

'Today's the day, today's the day...' Tails kept repeating to himself in his head. He was doing some routine maintenance on the Tornado, but found himself glancing over at his workbench on the far wall, where a red, heart-shaped box rested.

'I hope he doesn't feel like I'm trapping him.' Tails thought, knowing that Sonic would be arriving any moment, as he had the last two Valentine's Days. He first came two years ago looking for a place to hide from Amy's pursuit, and Tails had happily accommodated him, as well as the year after that. Both times he kept his feelings inside; it didn't quite feel right coming on to your best friend when he was already trying to get away from the sappy stuff. But since last year, Tails had a different outlook. Ever since their adventure in Eggman's Interstellar Amusement Park. He recalled that day well, how Sonic had knocked him into the space elevator before facing Nega Wisp himself.

Tails' already considerable fear and anxiety as his comm link with Sonic weakened and cut out completely only worsened as a black hole slowly engulfed the entire park, with no sign of the blue hedgehog. Had it not been for the intervention of the wisp aliens they had saved, that would have been the end of him. Not long after that, Tails also decided that it was the end of hiding his feelings.

Laying beneath his plane, Tails heard a rush of air enter his workshop as a familiar blue hedgehog rushed in and closed the door.

"Whew, made it." Sonic said, brushing himself off before turning towards the blue bi-plane, spotting his best friend hard at work under it.

"Another singles day in, right Tails?" Sonic said, walking up to the plane to greet him.

"Don't be so sure, Sonic." Tails said, rolling back out from the underside of the plane to the other side.

Sonic felt a moment of panic, Tails' choice of words making him think that perhaps Amy had beaten him here. He took a quick look around, and immediately began to calm when he realized that Tails was most likely talking about the heart-shaped box of chocolates over on the workbench.

"Ah, so you've caught the love bug, too, eh Tails?" Sonic asked as Tails got off of his creeper and went over to the workbench to grab the box.

"I guess you could say that." Tails said, grabbing the box and turning back towards Sonic, who had walked around the plane towards the workbench.

"So who's the special somebody?" Sonic asked.

"I... I... Haven't figured out the right way to tell them how I feel about them. I've felt like this for years." Tails stammered.

"Well pal, you shouldn't hold something like that in. If you feel that way about somebody, you should tell them. Who knows? They may feel the same way about you." Sonic told him, deducing that he hadn't received a gift, and that he had gotten the chocolate for someone else.

"Really?" Tails asked, beginning to wonder if Sonic had any idea.

The hedgehog gave him a thumbs up.

"Have I ever steered you wrong before? Now come on, who is she? Do I know her?" Sonic asked.

When Sonic asked him that next question, Tails heart sunk a little as he stepped up to the hedgehog. He had no clue. How in chaos was he going to do this?

Sonic noticed the change in his expression when he asked who his friend's crush was, and began to wonder if he had touched a nerve.

"Tails...?" He asked, seeing tears begin to prick the fox's eyes.

Tails swallowed the lump in his throat, nearly shoved the heart-shaped box into Sonic's hands, and then turned and ran upstairs, hot tears spilling down from his eyes. He ran into his bedroom and slammed the door, jumping onto his bed and curling up, unable to believe he had just done that. Why hadn't the words come to him?

Sonic stood in stunned silence as Tails ran upstairs to his room. After a few moments, his gaze fell to the box of chocolates that he had been given. A card had been glued to the top of the box.

TO: Sonic, with my love and affection

He got a fingertip under the bottom corner of the card, opened it, and began to read the handwriting.

Dear Sonic,

Ever since I've known you, I've felt like I can do anything when I'm with you. I hope that includes being able to tell you how I've grown to feel about you. I guess now I'm wondering if you perhaps feel the same about me, and if not, I hope our friendship isn't affected.

Love,

Tails

Sonic felt like his heart was slowly creeping up his chest as he read the card again, and then a third time.

He fought through his stupor and made his way up the stairs, to Tails' bedroom door.

It had barely been two minutes, but Tails had already begun to calm down, but the settling calm was shattered when he heard footsteps approaching his door.

Sonic knocked softly on the bedroom door twice, then turned the knob, opening the door and walking in to see Tails laying in bed, turned away from him, crying.

"What's wrong, pal?" The hedgehog asked calmly, stepping towards the bed.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Sonic." Tails said, sniffling, not turning around, too ashamed to face him.

"For what? For doing what I just said you should do?"

Having heard this, Tails slowly rolled over, sniffled, and sat up as Sonic walked up in front of him, and set the box of chocolates beside him on the bed. He smiled at the fox, and then simply leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Tails' eyes widened considerably, as his face reddened.

"Nope, didn't feel weird or anything." Sonic said, though Tails couldn't tell if he was talking to himself or at him.

"I... Wha... Huh?" Was all he managed to say, stunned at the hedgehog's gesture.

"I mean, I'll admit, you've hidden it pretty well, Tails. I had no idea. But after you ran up here, leaving me down there with these chocolates, I read your card. Then I started to think about the idea of us 'together' and... Well, I didn't turn away from it."

Tails attempted to blink some of his tears away. After noticing that Sonic had blushed just a tad after giving him that peck on the cheek, he was able to bring himself to speak.

"So... So you don't care that I'm a-a guy, who's into you?" Tails nervously stammered. Sonic smiled at him.

"I'd say how you feel about someone is a lot more important than what's in between their legs, wouldn't you?" Sonic asked him. Tails nodded.

"So when did you, well, you know, start feeling this way about me?" Sonic asked, taking a seat in between Tails and the box of chocolates he had set on the bed.

"A-A... Awhile..." Tails responded sheepishly. "If you're wondering what pushed me to tell you, well... It-It was Eggman's amusement park. Having to helplessly look up there as it was slowly consumed by that black hole... Scared that I was never going to see you again. When the wisps got you out of there, I decided that enough was enough; I was going to find a way to tell you how I really felt." Tails told him, fidgeting with his hands as he explained. Sonic smiled gently at him, then looked over to the box of chocolates, opening it up and taking a piece from the center. He popped it in his mouth and bit into it, the caramel filling pouring out of the candy mold onto his tongue. It was delicious. He popped the lid back on, and got up, turning and standing in front of his best friend again.

"Well, buddy. We've known each other for quite a long time. So if you think that the bond between us has gotten that strong, and that deep... Then I'm willing to find out with you."

Tails' heart skipped a beat as his teary eyes met Sonic's.

"Re... Really?"

Sonic smiled at him, brought his thumb up to wipe away some of the fox's tears, and leaned in to give him another kiss on the cheek.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Tails."

Tails sniffled, and with fresh tears threatening the corners of his eyes, he hopped off the bed and threw his arms around Sonic. As the hedgehog returned the hug, Tails brought his twin tails around and wrapped them around Sonic from behind.

To the hedgehog, this sign of affection was new. The fox seemed to melt into him as he cried in sweet relief, his tails having encased him in a cocoon of fur. It was the most loving embrace he had ever found himself in. He closed his eyes and basked in the warmth of Tails' hug.

The seven days that had passed since then seemed almost like a dream to Tails. As often as he tried to picture himself pouring his heart out to Sonic, he could never see that all the way through to Sonic accepting it and starting a relationship with him. At times, he was actually afraid of waking up from this amazing dream.

The two of them stopped at a clearing in the forest, where the sunlight descended to the ground unimpeded.

"So what are we doing out here?" Tails asked.

"I just thought we could talk. This past week, you haven't seemed like yourself around the others. Anything wrong, pal?" Sonic asked.

Tails winced. So he had noticed.

"I'm... I'm just... A little worried." The fox admitted, starting to fidget with his hands.

"About what? About us?" Sonic asked.

"I-In a way. Don't get me wrong, this past week has been one of the best in my life. It's just..." Tails began to trail off.

"You're worried about what our friends will think about us being together?" Sonic asked.

"One in particular." Tails answered, shuddering.

Sonic didn't respond right away, wondering who Tails could be so worried about, but then of course the pin dropped. Who else?

"Amy." Sonic said. Tails shuddered again and his eyes began to tear up as he looked away.

"Tails... Don't you know how long I've been running from her? Do you know how many times she's tried to give me gifts and Valentine's Day presents? Did I run from you when you gave me yours?"

The fox looked up at him, tears staining his white muzzle.

"That's not it, Sonic. I'm not afraid of her competing for you, I'm..." Tails voice shook, his gaze fell away from the hedgehog, and he had to pause to keep his composure as his tears began to fall. He looked back up at him.

"She's my friend, Sonic. I don't want to hurt her." He cried, voice cracking as he quivered in front of his special someone.

Sonic's expression was something akin to sympathy. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his weeping boyfriend, rubbing his back. There he went again, worrying about everyone else when he needed to be considering his own feelings first for once.

Sonic put his other hand to Tails' chin and brought it up so the fox was gazing up at him, then he leaned down, and softly pressed their lips together.

Tails' tear-filled eyes widened at his first real kiss, then relaxed, as a soothing warmth passed through his body. Though it seemed longer to him, the kiss lasted only a couple seconds, before Sonic parted and looked down at him with a loving gaze, keeping his arms around him.

"Tails, what do you think is going to hurt her more... Telling her now, on our terms, or her finding out later, realizing we kept this from her?"

The fox sniffled, blinking his tears away, quickly realizing that Sonic was right. The longer they kept this to themselves, the bigger mess it was going to create when it eventually did get out, and it would get out; it was foolish to think it wouldn't.

"Remember what you wrote in your card? You feel like you can do anything when you're with me. I'm with you right now, and I'll be right there by your side when we tell everyone. And I don't blame you for being worried, either. If she even looks at you the wrong way, I'll be the first thing in between you and her, alright?"

Tails nodded, his confidence slowly returning. Sonic was right. Their feelings for each other were more important than maintaining Amy's self-delusions about someone who had no interest in her. They had to get this over with. It was going to be nerve-racking, and in Amy's case perhaps a little awkward, but hopefully not violent. But no matter how bad things got, they would immediately start to get better.

Tails wiped away his tears, and took Sonic's hand again, as they walked back the way they came.

They had a relationship to reveal.