Hello everyone, hope you are all doing okay during these trying times and are all safe and healthy. Today I'm posting a a request from TheFireSpirit who wishes for more Boom Knuckles and Sonic bonding time. This one is only short but I feel that's all it needed.

This one shot deals with subjects like mental illness, specifically Anxiety Disorder which I actually suffer from. I've tried to convey how my own anxiety feels however I understand that it feels different for everyone. If this may trigger anyone than I strongly advise you to not read it.

Now, for those of you that have decided to continue, please enjoy.

The voices rise and fall over one another, tones and pitches mixing together at odd intervals sending shivers down his spine. Normally, he could block it all out, push it to the back of his mind and focus on the here and now. Today, however, is one of his bad days where everything just feels too much. The sunlight is too bright, the noise too loud, the gentle touches of his friends too uncomfortable. And with everything feeling too much comes the rising panic and anxiety, building and growing inside his chest. Already he can feel the phantom of a rubber band constricting around his chest and throat, feel the crawling of his skin as if its stretched too tight around his bones.

Sonic sits at the table, eyes locked on the burger before him while his friends chatter around him, completely oblivious to his growing anxiety. Not that he expects them too. As far as every one of the Island is aware, he is the social butterfly who doesn't have things like sensory problems or social anxiety. But, Sonic also thinks that it's slightly ignorant of them. After all, how can they expect a young teenager who for the first ten years of his life was living in complete isolation to be free of any issues? He does love his friends, is so happy to finally have a family and be around other people, but at times he hates it and craves the loneliness of his childhood. People are hard to him, hard to read, hard to understand and get along with. They are also loud, something even five years later he is still struggling to get used too.

Right now, his ears pick up on the sizzle of frying burger patties, the overlapping conversations all around him, the distant crashing of waves on the beach and the thumping of feet walking along the wooden floorboards. All the sounds meshed together inside his head, driving the feeling of drowning up his throat and splintering through his skull. Sonic wonders if he's stopped breathing because it sure feels like his lungs are screaming for air.

"You okay Sonic?" The voice cracks and shatters across his consciousness, green eyes flicking up to gaze blankly into baby blue. Tails and Amy are staring, Knuckles and Sticks none the wiser. He wants to scream that, no, he isn't okay. His mind is running faster than he can, thoughts spiralling, skin drawn tight over his bones and feeling so constricting that its all he can do not to scratch and rip at it. He wants to them that some days he can barely manage the strength to leave his bed, the crushing fear of the unknown and of messing up pushing down on his chest. But, he also doesn't want to ruin their day with his fears and worries, doesn't wish to be a burden. So he smiles, bright and false and mutters, "I'm doing alright."

When night falls and everyone wanders off to their beds, Sonic stays awake. He sits pensively on the hardwood of the deck, fingers drumming a nervous rhythm on its surface. He's tired, mind begging for sleep after putting on a happy mask all day long. But that little voice that constantly hangs across his shoulders is whispering in his ears, dreaming up the worst-case scenario to situations that haven't even happened yet. The inside of his cheek is raw and painful from where he's bitten and worried it between his teeth. Sonic feels his mental stability wavering, leaning over the ledge he's been standing on for most of his life, the voice hissing to him that he should just jump, fall over that ledge and lose himself to the fear and worry.

He's leaning, breathing hurried and jerking, eyes unseeing and fingers digging into the wooden floorboards. He's falling, tumbling, crashing until a warm heavy hand settles itself on his shoulder halting all thoughts and movement. His breath catches in his throat, bodying going ridged and spines rising in fright. Knuckles doesn't point any of this out as he seats himself next to the blue blur, violet eyes gazing out towards the dark waves of the ocean crashing against the shoreline.

"The waves sound so peaceful." The echidna finally mumbles, still not looking at his friend.

Sonic grunts, air slowly passing back into his lungs while he eyes Knuckles tersely from the corner of his vision. He's as tense as a newly coiled spring, waiting for the moment when he'll snap and break apart, for Knuckles to say something about his obvious breakdown. But the elder male just continues to gaze out at the waves, a small smile on his face. The hand on Sonic's shoulder slowly falls, coming to hold his own hand that had been clenched tightly by his side.

"Just listen to the waves Sonic." He side eyes Knuckles for a moment longer before turning his attention to the water, ears flicking every time they hear the waves crash gently on the sand. Slowly, Sonic feels his breathing ease-out, falling into time with the waves while his body relaxes till he is leaning against his friend, eyes drifting closed and sending him to sleep before he even realizes what is happening.

Knuckles sighs, gazing down at his friend sadly. They all think him simple, but he's more perceptive than people think. He knows Sonic is struggling with inner demons, is battling a silent war no one else knows about. Knuckles can't begin to imagine what is happening inside the hedgehog's head, but he knows he can offer his silent support and comfort cause no matter what, he will never leave a friend alone to suffer. With gentle care, he lifts the slumbering hero and carries him to the couch where he can sleep in comfort till morning. And if Sonic ever wishes to talk to Knuckles about his inner demons, then the echidna will be there to listen and help in any way he can.

A big thank you to TheFireSpirit for this request, it was a fun little challenge to work on as well as strangely therapeutic for my own anxiety. Hopefully this helps people to understand how it can feel for those that suffer from an anxiety disorder and why it is such a difficult thing to live with at times.

Remember to send in your request and to stay safe during these uncertain times everyone! Until then have a wondrous day, week, month, year and life