Remains Undetected

Espio rolled around in his sleep. He normally didn't have any issues with sleeping, which made things even more confusing for Espio. Why wouldn't his exhaustion take over? It wasn't like he had a lot on his mind, and yet… he had no urge to fall asleep. He knew that he had work the next day and he wanted to be up and alert.

Though, that's when he started hearing the music. He looked to his left and noticed the clock: 1:36. "Why is Vector blasting music at this late hour?" Espio whispered to himself. "I thought I told him that 10 o'clock was the absolute limit." Espio slowly got out of bed and walked to the door. He sternly stammered over to Vector's door and opened it without a second thought.

Espio was about to yell for Vector to turn down the music, but then he stopped himself. The lights were off and Vector was sleeping soundly in his bed, his headphones lying next to him on the adjacent night stand.

Espio then realized his mistake. The music slowly faded, and he realized that it was all in his imagination. Auditory hallucinations, he told himself. He closed Vector's door, making sure that he didn't make a single sound. He then turned around. In front of Vector's door was the kitchen. And the living room. It was a mix of the two. The three bedrooms basically made up the back wall while the office was on the right side of the house. They had designed it specifically to act as a home and a Team Chaotix headquarters.

He walked forward and sat at the kitchen table. The table was made with care by Cream and Vanilla as a small house-warming gift.

Vector was growing very fond of Vanilla lately, and they were hanging out with each other more and more, though they weren't officially dating or anything like that. It was almost as if every second that Vector didn't spend on missions and paperwork, he was spending it with Vanilla.

Before, this didn't bother Espio much at first because he took to taking care of Charmy. Since Charmy was a kid, Espio was fond of being a father-figure for him. He felt it was good practice for when he had children of his own. It was something that he didn't think about often, but it had crossed his mind once or twice.

However, Charmy was getting older and as he reached his teen years, he no longer looked to Espio for support. In fact, he often went out to play with Cream and Tails, or he would lock himself in his room so he could play videogames or do whatever else he wanted to do.

This greatly discouraged Espio, because he soon realized that he had gained a certain social aspect while being in Team Chaotix. He actually enjoyed talking to Vector and Charmy, and now that they had lives to be preoccupied with, Espio was left with almost nobody. He didn't develop any significant relationships with anyone. At adulthood, Espio wished he had done something a bit differently when he was younger.

"Maybe that's why I can't sleep," Espio mumbled to himself, leaning his head on the table. "Perhaps I need someone to talk to. A friend… or someone I can latch onto, like Vector does with Vanilla."

"Like Vector does with Vanilla what?" someone asked from behind Espio.

Espio quickly perked up his head and turned around. He calmed down when he saw Vector in the shadows. "Oh, Vector… it's just you. It's nothing… don't worry about it."

"How am I not supposed to worry about it if you're whispering things with your head on the table at 1 in the morning? Something's clearly up and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."

Espio shook his head, standing up from the table. "I… I just couldn't sleep, Vector. Talking to myself about what's going on helps me to calm my nerves. Just go back to bed. I'll be better in the morning."

"Hm… alright," Vector said, letting out a big yawn. He went to his door and stopped himself before going back to bed. "I worry about you, Espio. You don't talk nearly as much as you normally do."

'Perhaps if I had someone to talk to, that wouldn't be such an issue,' Espio thought to himself. "No need to talk if there's nothing to say."

"True, but it's just a thought," Vector said. "Cream asks why you never come over to play."

"That's your and Charmy's time to have fun," Espio said, his voice low. "I'd rather not interfere."

"I hardly think it's interfering if she wants you to be there," Vector said. "You should come with me tomorrow. Sonic said he was planning on stopping by as well."

"Sonic the Hedgehog?" Espio asked, perking up a bit. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"It has," Vector responded. "Just think about it, alright? It can't be good for your head to be sitting in this house by yourself all-day. I need two well-minded detectives for missions. Can I count on you, Espio?"

Espio let out a faint smile. "Yeah, you can count on me, Vector. Don't worry."

"Good," Vector said. He yawned once more before saying, "Good night."

"Good night." He heard Vector close his door gently. Espio looked down at the floor, then pushed his chair back into place at the table. He looked over at his own door and slowly walked over to it. 'It's generous that Vector invited me to come along with him to Cream and Vanilla,' Espio thought to himself. 'I guess I could definitely use some friendly interaction for once.'

He closed the door behind him and slid into bed. He let the thoughts slowly fade away, and he slowly let sleep take control of him until he fell into his subconscious.

The following morning, Espio woke up with the sunrise like he normally did. He still felt a little tired due to the reduced sleep, but it didn't bother him too much. He was somewhat used to the lack of sleep at that point.

He slid out of bed and made breakfast for himself: bacon, eggs, and sausage. A good heap of protein to start his day. He then slipped on his shoes and socks before going up on the roof to do his routine meditating. This helped him to relax and to jump-start his day. Though, it was cut short when he heard Vector calling for him.

He opened his eyes and quickly jumped off of the roof. He opened the door and stepped inside and asked, "Did you call me?"

"Yes, did you make a decision?" Vector asked, Charmy buzzing right by him as he chewed on a piece of bacon leftover from Espio's breakfast.

"On whether I will go with you to Cream and Vanilla's home? Yes, I have. I figure that I should probably get out of the house, so yes, I will be joining you."

"Good decision," Vector said as he munched on a couple links of sausage. "Well then, after we get our breakfast and officially wake up, we're going to get a move on. Vanilla wants us to have an early start since she wants to show me how to garden since I'm so interested in it."

"Vector, I believe I once heard you say that you would rather stomp on a whole orchard of flowers than spend the time to plant them yourself," Espio said.

Charmy snickered at the comment.

"Now, now, Espio," Vector said. "Now is not the time for the absolute truth. I have a girl, I-I mean woman, to impress and I don't need you ruining it for me."

"My lips are sealed," Espio said, a faint smile on his face. He specifically enjoyed these small talks with Vector. With Espio's intellect and Vector's wit, their little quips to each other made for a humorous conversation.

"Good, now let's get going," Vector said, swallowing some extra bacon.

Espio nodded and held the door open for Charmy and Vector. They walked out and slowly walked together as a group. The trip seemed to be a bit quiet, Charmy and Vector being a bit tired since it was early and Espio being lost in his thoughts. Thoughts like: 'Perhaps I can ask Sonic about his current standing. Maybe there is a lot of heroism that I don't know about.' Any kind of conversation starter seemed fairly useful to Espio.

They eventually saw the outline of a small house in the distance. They approached it and eventually caught sight of two bunny rabbits sitting outside of the house, tending to their garden. The younger one was patting on the dirt while the older one was laying out the seeds.

"Hello, Vanilla," Vector said as he approached.

Vanilla turned around and smiled. "Hello, Vector. I am very glad that you were able to make it today. The garden could use some tending to." She looked over at the other two and said, "It's a pleasure to see you Charmy and Espio… it has been quite a while since I have seen you."

"Busy as usual," Espio said, smiling. "It's nice to see you, Vanilla."

"Same with you," Vanilla said. "Sonic's inside the house if any of you want to say hello."

They all nodded. Vector went to Vanilla's side and Charmy's went over to say a quick 'hi' to Cream, leaving Espio to simply watch as they chat. He figured that instead of being a burden on the both of them, he would give Sonic some company.

He entered the house, with Vanilla's permission of course, and went to the kitchen where he saw Sonic munching on one of the cookies.

"Before you say anything, Vanilla said that I could have this cookie," Sonic explained to Espio.

"You don't have to explain anything to me," Espio said, waving his hand. "I doubt that you would be a dirty cookie snatcher, Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Well, I wouldn't say that, but sure." Sonic finished off the cookie and then referred his full attention to Espio. "You're Espio, right? One of the detectives in Team Chaotix?"

"That's right," Espio said with a quick nod. "I'm surprised you even remembered me. It has been a very long time."

"Our encounters have been short in the past, but I definitely can't forget the shenanigans of Team Chaotix." Sonic downed the cookie with a quick drink of water. "It is to my understanding that you are the brains of the team. Or at least you come off that way."

"I guess you can say that," Espio said, putting his hand behind his neck. "Though, Vector has slowly been surprising me. He has more intelligence than some people give him credit for."

"Yeah, but I don't think you give yourself enough credit," Sonic said, winking at Espio.

Espio hid a small blush, though he shook it away. He didn't want to seem so flustered in front of Sonic, especially since this was the first time he saw him in years. For a moment, Espio couldn't think of a witty comeback for Sonic, so he kept his mouth shut until he could think of anything to keep the conversation going. That's when his earlier thoughts came in handy. "So how has your life been? Any recent heroics?"

"Not recently, no," Sonic said. He crossed his arms. "I guess you can say Mobius has been fairly peaceful since Eggman's last attack a couple of years ago. You can imagine that I've been so bored lately."

"Bored?" Espio asked. "I can't believe that. Isn't your life so exciting with many new things to keep it going?"

"That's how it used to be, Espio," Sonic said. "But I've seen the sights, I've met the people, and I kicked a few bad guys' butts. I guess heroism doesn't last forever, and now it's just left me with watching crappy shows on TV."

Espio snickered. He could relate. "I guess I have the opposite problem. I haven't traveled far from here. Missions often are the next zone over and that's as far as we go."

"Hmm… interesting," Sonic said, putting a hand to his chin. "Then why don't we put ourselves out of our misery. Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

"Watching TV and wondering what I'm doing with my life," Espio said. "But I guess I can postpone that for later."

"Espio the Chameleon having a sense of humor?" Sonic asked. "I have to honestly say that I'm shocked."

"Things change," Espio admitted.

"I can tell. Well… why don't I stop by the Chaotix house tomorrow afternoon and I can take you around to see the sights. Gives me something to do and it gives you something to look at. Sound like a plan?"

Espio nodded, trying not to seem too excited, though he absolutely was. "Yes, that sounds like a plan."

"Great," Sonic said. "Now let's get outside before Vanilla realizes that I've been eating her cookies without her permission."

"Yeeeah," Espio said as he walked over to the front door. He then quickly turned to Sonic as he had a realization. "Wait, what?"

"I didn't say anything," Sonic said with a smirk.

Espio rolled his eyes before exiting the house with Sonic.

For the next couple of hours, there was a mixture between gardening and mild chatter. Though Espio was fairly silent for most of this, he kept a small smile on his face. He watched as everyone else interacted, though he kept most of his focus on Sonic.

He figured that Sonic would be high-paced, trying to crack a joke or two in order to keep the morale and spirit of the group high. That's the Sonic that he remembered from several years ago. However, he saw a more delicate side of Sonic. He played with Cream and Charmy a couple of times, often chuckling and having a lot of fun himself. Like Espio, Sonic had grown up to be someone a bit more mature.

Espio liked this about Sonic. It gave him the realization that people do change over time, even if it was just subtle differences.

"Lunch time," Vanilla said soon after the work was complete.

"Good, I'm starving," Vector said, essentially speaking for the entire group.

Espio wiped a bead of sweat from his brow before heading inside.

"Sandwiches and lemonade for all of your hard work," Vanilla said before she brought a platter with everyone's lunch. They each grabbed a plate and a glass and decided on a place to sit. Espio felt comfortable with simply going outside and leaning against one of the nearby trees while everyone else ate inside. It was something that he commonly did.

Sonic noticed this after a few moments and said, "I'm going to check up on Espio."

"Okay," Vanilla said before taking a sip of her lemonade.

Sonic exited the house with a slow stride. As soon as he took a step past the door, he saw Espio and asked, "Wouldn't you rather eat with us?"

"I'd rather not bother you," Espio said, taking a bite of his sandwich. He swallowed it before saying, "Besides, it is a pleasant day to be eating outside."

"Well, it isn't bothering us," Sonic reassured him. "But here, why don't I give you some company? You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not," Espio said as he scooted to the side, leaving room for Sonic to sit down against the tree.

"Thank you," Sonic said before plopping himself right next to the tree. He moved himself around as he got comfortable against the rough bark. Before taking a large bite out of his sandwich, Sonic said, "So, anything exciting happen with Team Chaotix? I tried asking Vector, but he then gave me a lecture on how much paperwork he has to do."

"That's Vector for you," Espio said, rolling his eyes. "He likes to remind everyone that he is a hard worker and that he deserves more business. We've been running low lately, especially since the need for detective work isn't what it used to be."

"The need for heroism is gone," Sonic said. "Every town has their own crime, but they also have their own security."

"Does that bother you?" Espio asked, putting his sandwich down onto his plate.

"A little," Sonic said. "Changing from one lifestyle to another because people can take care of themselves isn't something I expected to happen so quickly. I kinda wish that I could get a second chance. Maybe kick Eggman's butt one last time."

Espio smirked. "You almost sound like you're willing to provoke him just so you can stop him."

Sonic laughed. "I actually considered that once. Tails and Knuckles said I was crazy. They have their own things to work on, so beating up bad guys isn't exactly at the top of their priority list."

"Have you ever considered trying something new?"

Sonic nodded. "Yeah, nothing is sticking, but I'm happy with my life, don't get me wrong. Just gets lonely sometimes."

"Lonely?" Espio asked. "I find that hard to believe. You're Sonic the Hedgehog, and you have lots of friends from lots of different places. How can you be lonely?"

Sonic turned to Espio and said, "Well, I'm sure you're familiar with the idea of being lonely without actually being alone."

"Well… yes," Espio said. "I will admit that I experience it more than I would like, but I figured that you wouldn't succumb to the same fate. You have a… positive outlook on life."

"I do, and I always will," Sonic said. "But do you ever think that there's something missing in your life?"

"Every day," Espio said. "Some days I actually believe it to be true. And it's often not something… but someone."

"Yeah, someone," Sonic repeated, nodding his head. He laughed a little and said, "You must think I'm a sap now. Haven't seen your friend, Sonic the Hedgehog, in several years and he's become this sap."

Espio shook his head quickly. "That would seem almost hypocritical if I wasn't dealing with the same issues." Espio put his plate off to the side. "So this… someone. Do you know what you want this person to be?"

"Someone I can talk to," Sonic said. "Someone I can depend on." He chuckled. "Maybe even save me from a few baddies or something."

"Like… a romantic partner or something?"

"No!" Sonic quickly said without much of a thought. Though, when he gave it a bit of thought, he then realized it made a little bit of sense. "Actually… maybe yes."

Espio nodded. "Anyone you know of that fits that description?" Espio asked. "Metaphorically speaking, the person that is the last piece of your puzzle."

"Hm… maybe," Sonic said. "I guess I haven't given it much thought."

"Well, I do," Espio said. He was getting increasingly nervous, taking once inch away from Sonic without him noticing."

"Really, who?" Sonic asked.

Espio figured that Sonic would ask him that. Like him, he was curious. Espio figured that there was no point in waiting, nor in lying. All he did was look up and say, "You."

"Me?" Sonic asked. He was shocked at first, but he didn't show it in his voice. He wasn't exactly distraught by the response. "Why me?"

"You understand me," Espio said. "More than I thought you did. You're kind and you've developed a sense of selflessness that I can admire."

"All of that thought within just a few hours of seeing me?" Sonic asked.

"That's all I need," Espio said. He turned away from the blue hedgehog, collecting some of his thoughts.

"Why are you turned away from me?" Sonic asked. He put his hand on Espio's shoulder.

Espio shuddered at the touch. Sonic's hand was warm against the cold bark of the tree and the cool breeze. "I guess you could say I'm embarrassed. I have not relayed my feelings to anyone like this before."

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that you're doing a good job?" Sonic asked.

Espio blinked. "Maybe a little." He turned to finally face Sonic again, revealing the dark pink in his purple cheeks.

"Well… I mean it," Sonic said.

Espio looked up into Sonic's eyes, then down to his lips. Then he looked at his entire face as a whole. "Prove it," he eventually said.

Sonic smiled. He took Espio's response as a challenge. He liked challenges, and Espio knew it. Sonic leaned forward and lightly gave Espio a kiss on the cheek. He retracted and said, "Now you prove it."

Espio's cheeks were burning a deeper red now. He never expected to get this far with anyone, much less Sonic. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on Sonic's lips. He officially felt Sonic's warmth creep inside him. He had never felt this way ever before and he didn't want to give it up.

Sonic felt the same way. It was so strange to him, and yet, he had no intention of stopping anytime soon. He brought his hand to the back of Espio's head, gently pushing him deeper into the kiss.

Eventually they broke the kiss and simply stared at each other for a few moments. Their faces seemed blank, but their minds were flooded with thoughts. After a few moments, they eventually smiled. "You proved yourself," Sonic eventually said.

"You did, too," Espio said. He looked to his left, then back to Sonic. "And I think they think so, as well."

"They?" Sonic said in a strong voice. He looked to his right and noticed everyone: Vector, Charmy, Cream, and Vanilla, staring at them, clearly enjoying the show. "Do you think they saw anything?"

"I think they saw the whole thing," Espio said. "Does that bother you?"

"Not really," Sonic said. "They're just… there."

"Just ignore them," Espio said with a smile. He lightly pecked Sonic's lips.

"Yep…" Sonic said, smiling. "Definitely ignoring them now."

"Good," Espio said, smiling even brighter.