Author's note: I hereby bring you another one-shot filled with some brotherly fluff in the midst of a thunderstorm. Have I done this before? Yes I have, twice in fact. Though my excuse is that this time it's in Sonic's POV and I've hopefully improved on the grammar as well!

Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy :D

You are my hero

Water rushed around him, his socks and shoes getting soaked to the bone, crimson sneakers turning brown through the terrain, splattering his dark blue legs.

He didn't enjoy this weather, preferred the sun shining bright in the sky, no clouds visible with disgustingly hot temperatures, lounging around in a beach chair, on a tree branch, or simply laying in the grass, hands behind his quills and letting out a satisfied sigh.

This, however, was not it. Never mind the fact that the weather complimented his mood nicely.

Speeding through the muddy terrain, he let out an annoyed sigh once he reached the jungle, knowing there was still quite a way until he reached it. The sky above him raged, rain coming down in fast intervals, fat raindrops continuing on and on like a shower which hadn't been turned off.

It was cold and wet, soaking every jungle tree around him, the smell of mud lingering in the air. It had rained nonstop once he had reached the zone, having enjoyed the dry weather in Westopolis beforehand.

Well, it had generally been a good time in Westopolis until the ol' Egghead had shown up.

Ordinarily, it was favored, making the fastest thing alive smirk, adrenaline kicking in from the pure prospect of getting to beat the old man's toys. He had been there as the egg ship had approached, the notorious Doctor Eggman announcing the city as his own, demanding everyone to surrender to him or face the consequences.

As usual, nobody had any time to think or act since Egg pawns had been falling from the sky, bigger robots and buzz bombers flying around in the air. People had been screaming, fathers picking up their children and running away, cars driving away in a panicked frenzy, humans running for their very lives.

The hero of Mobius had already targeted the first egg pawn the moment he had seen it land on the street, curling together into his spiked ball and hurling himself at the mech. It had splintered and broken upon impact, electrical charges phasing through his body, as metal shrapnel was thrown around his ears. With trained legs he had uncurled at the right time, emerald, green eyes calculating and analyzing, heading to the next one.

Egg pawns tended to explode upon impact, something he was both mindful of and grinned at, getting away just in the nick of time before the fire could lick his sneakers. His priority was the same, the people who had a harder time getting away or were cornered by an egg pawn with a missile launcher, had been erased from existence once the blue blur passed them.

The robots were cost-efficient, lacked all kinds of robotic intellect, though when they appeared in numbers, they could be as strong as an Egg Dragoon.

Like any battle, the hedgehog simply hadn't been able to control every event which occurred, and despite his efforts, shop buildings had broken glass, bricks had flown everywhere, and the ground had crumbled under his very feet. Because the Egg pawns lacked the intellect, they didn't know their actions would bring consequences, and therefore didn't care if their missile hit a store front and fell on top of them. The issues were when people were buried underneath everything with them.

It had turned from a normal street into a battlefront in the matter of seconds.

Despite this, Sonic had been running, destroying one robot after the next, chasing the buzz bombers, utilizing his momentum, and exploding bigger robots in his way, making sure no larger building fell on his watch.

After what had seemed like months later, G.U.N had finally arrived, having helicopters and fighter jets attacking the egg ship. He concentrated on spin dashing the walls of bricks which were seconds away from crushing the high school student with the broken ankle, pulling out a toddler from a broken building and helping the old lady move out of the way from the rain of glass. He prioritized people's safety above anything else.

Once he had heard the explosions in the air, he had looked up to observe as the fighter jets had made plenty of damage to the egg ship, forcing the flying fortress to flee. An angry Doctor Eggman had declared this wasn't the last they had seen of him, and he would be back. The robots had disappeared, and the last thing the hero did was to kick a buzz bomber into a wall, making it break upon impact.

The dust had settled, asphalt and bricks rolling and remaining, glass glinting in the sun as small plumes of smoke appeared from deceased robots. He had been lightly panting, looking around the battlefield, previous commercial buildings and streetlights had been destroyed, but people had been saved.

Smirking and cleaning his hands off dirt, he had taken a quick dash around to make sure nobody was trapped under or behind something before he had wanted to be on his way.

However, that's not what had happened.

Sonic growled and shook his head, a frown appearing on his brow as he danced around the jungle trees, quickening his steps to the best of his ability. The trees grew irregularly with no pattern, making his path wavering as twists and turns appeared at every minute, which decreased his speed considerably.

A white light lit up the sky above him, his ears flicking from the rumble which echoed, the ball of guilt in his stomach becoming larger with every boom. He had promised Tails he would be by the workshop before the storm had begun.

The plan had been changed after the battle. He thought he could have left Westopolis earlier, having just enough time to reach the Mystic Ruins before the sky would crack and explode when he had been approached by a high positioned G.U.N commander. He had expected the usual thanks and appreciative words, but instead, the man had stomped toward him, pointed an accusing finger at him and called him an impatient and mindless rascal.

The hedgehog had blinked from the nickname, knowing the G.U.N commanders tended to be rather truthful with their opinions, though this seemed to be different. He knew there were many people from the G.U.N administration who weren't fond of him, since the hedgehog had a natural habit of being annoying and sharing honest opinions, taking over their tasks when they were too slow to arrive. He always boasted he was faster than them, asking if their vehicles were from before the times of the echidnas and ran off.

The blue blur was aware it was in a joking manner, always having a grin on his lips and was ready to challenge any kind of high-speed vehicle. Though, as the G.U.N commander had talked to him, he could guess he had for one reason, or another, done something completely wrong.

And that had been trying to save people.

The frown deepened on his brow, finally reaching an area which was familiar to him, knowing which path was the quickest toward the workshop. Swirling around the trees, jumping past a branch, mud splattering past his ankles, he pushed through the rain, making his eyes sting, another lighting bolt illuminating his path.

Apparently, he had been in the way of everyone. He had been in the way of G.U.N vehicles which were supposed to evacuate the area, tend to the wounded, and trapped. But they hadn't been able to get in there because the fastest thing alive had been all over the place, running from one building to the next.

It had been unpredictable whether the hedgehog would have been safe. He had gotten in the way of G.U.N. And that was ridiculous.

He had been scolded for doing the one thing he knew was right, had been yelled at because he had pulled people out of buildings and carried wounded humans to safety. He had tried to defend himself, asking if the commander would rather have wanted him gone. When he had started to threaten him with the court the hedgehog's patience had run out and the fastest thing alive had sped away without a word.

He knew he had saved people today, and he knew he had done the right thing. What annoyed him, however, was his lingering thoughts, now doubting whether it had been the right decision.

What if he had let G.U.N through? Would more people have been saved? Less wounded or hurt? He didn't know, and he didn't want to do the calculations right now, finally seeing the jungle trees around him clear out, seeing the train station in the distance instead.

He witnessed as another lightning strike hit the ocean behind the familiar workshop, an echo of an explosion reverberating in his ears, making them ring without his consent. He knew the kind of sound would terrify the occupant inside the house.

As he scaled the first steps, he noticed the garage doors were closed within reason, the rain purling down on the metal, as Sonic steered toward the front door. He shook his quills to get some water out of them, shaking his feet to no avail before opening the door, remaining unlocked.

The second he came inside he kicked the door closed behind him, drilling a finger into his ear as he looked around. It was an eerie quietness which resided inside the house, unusual, and thick, being another world to the cacophony outside.

"Tails?" He immediately called, walking inside with wet sneakers, paying no mind to the dishes in the sink overflowing, as he walked inside the living room.

No fox was curled in the corner of the couch, the TV turned off and a blanket resting on the back of the furniture.

"Where are ya bud?" He called one more time, starting to scale the stairs, having experienced his friend trying to sleep from this kind of weather before. To the big brother's knowledge, that had never worked.

As he made it to the upper landing, he politely knocked twice before twisting the knob on the fox's bedroom door. Inside he saw no shaking fox under his blanket, on the bed, or any other place in the room. The hedgehog bit his lip as he closed the door again, concluding he must be in the workshop if not here.

"I'll be there in a sec bud," he called down the stairs, before he sped toward the bathroom, the door opening with a twist of the knob.

Pulling the nearest towel down from a rack he dried his quills to the best of his ability, a part of him not favoring dragging water everywhere around him. Throwing sneakers and socks into the shower, he thought he would clean them later, as he dried his feet and muddy ankles. As he mostly dried himself, he threw the towel at the dirtied foot attire and sped back to his bedroom.

Pulling out some fresh socks from a drawer, he sat down on the edge of his bed and pulled them on his feet, already feeling better. A small grin appeared on his lips, getting up from the bed again.

The hedgehog jumped from a sudden explosion outside, sky and gravity getting ripped apart, torn in every way possible. This storm was worse than anticipated.

With that thought in mind, he ran down the stairs, a blue streak following in his way, as he passed the door down to the workshop.

"Tails?" He called once more, looking around at the familiar space.

The Tornado was dormant where it was, tools left on the floor, a puddle of oil and some other small mechanical scraps were situated seemingly everywhere, as if it had been the last task done for the day. His eyes roamed the small area, before he finally caught sight of the one, he had been looking for, feeling the ball of guilt grow larger in his abdomen.

If the fox had been any younger, he would've been hiding either under the plane, or under his worktable. Now though, he was merely sitting on his chair in front of his workstation, shaking, and quivering all over, his head hidden in the palms of his hands, ears plastered to his skull, his tails laying on his lap, the entirety of him screaming he was uncomfortable and scared.

If he even knew the hedgehog was there, he had no idea. Sonic had experienced this before and knew the small procedures and gestures he needed to do for Tails to feel comfortable.

A rumble made the shoulders of the younger tense up, at the same time the big brother walked toward him. As he stepped closer, he realized the fox indeed hadn't noticed him here, too far gone in a state of his own fear, trapped, and bound by the invisible forces of fright, something the older could relate to. He hated water.

Sonic kneeled by the chair, looking at the miserable form of his sidekick as he carefully left a wet glove on the yellow shoulder.

As expected, Talis gasped from the sudden touch, his head whipped around to figure out who had attacked him. Though, the older kept his calm, emerald, green eyes analyzing the expression he was met with.

A tear-stained face, sapphire eyes were wide, thick with fright, red rimmed and stared at Sonic, small quick breaths escaping his lips, close to hyperventilation.

"Hey," the big brother called softly, giving him the most encouraging smile he could muster, hoping he hadn't scared him too much. The fox didn't react, merely kept looking at him, as if he was a ghost, a foreign creature.

Sonic only looked back for a couple of seconds, before leaning forward, closing his arms around his charge's back. The moment Tails was pushed to his chest, he felt as the small arms of the younger came around the hedgehog's shoulders, squeezing him into eternity. A yellow head hid in the crook of Sonic's neck, letting out a sob, as he tried to take in a deep breath.

Sonic let him melt into the hug, merely left his chin on top of the fox's head, letting one hand run up and down the golden back, a sigh escaping his lips

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized, swallowing something in his throat, not having the mind to explain his absence right now.

Either Tails didn't hear him or didn't care, merely remained where he was, squeezing the hedgehog for dear life. Sonic noted the sporadic breathing, moving his head a little toward one large ear pinned to his golden head.

"Breathe slowly. In and out bud," the brother reminded, having experienced this before and knew his friend often found trouble breathing, completely forgetting about it.

Tails took in a deep breath upon request, slowly letting it out again, slowly inhaling and letting it escape again, giving him more air to let out a whimper, as a rumble echoed in the workshop.

Sonic had experienced this before, knew what was happening and was aware of why Tails acted this way. The hedgehog wasn't fond of physical contact, preferred bro fists and high fives alike, since he enjoyed his own personal space. However, he had learned quickly, when he was younger, when a fox was huddled together and scared in a cave because the world outside was exploding, he had needed to put that aside.

And he could endure it, letting the fox squeeze him and push his head closer to his neck, another sob escaping his lips, tensing up as a lightning strike echoed outside. He could put it aside, because this kid needed him, and he had promised he would always be there for him. Tails was smart and more mature than some adult humans he had met, but he knew in these moments, the mechanic, snarky and strategic sidekick he knew he was, was hidden away in the midst of a fear he couldn't escape, the eight-year-old interior becoming exterior.

But Sonic didn't mind, merely reminded the fox to breathe again, running his hand through his fur in a comforting gesture, holding him tight to his chest. And he knew it worked, as Tails was calming from being in Sonic's arms, the shaking having eased and his breathing back in control, the hedgehog thinking he had pulled him out of the locked mind.

He waited until the rumble disappeared, the only noises left being the pitter patter of the rain hitting the workshop roof for a moment.

"You wanna go upstairs? Watch a movie or something?" Sonic suggested, knowing distraction was the best tool he could give him besides physical comfort.

It seemed like he hadn't heard Sonic, as the fox didn't react otherwise, arms still around the hedgehog and head hidden. Though, after a bit, he leaned back a little, nodding slowly.

"Alright," the hedgehog agreed, as Tails pulled back completely, immediately wiping at his eyes before Sonic had a chance to, sniffing and sighed, his hands still shaking.

Sonic got up on his feet in the meantime, keeping a keen eye on his charge, as the fox got up on shaking legs, still busying himself with cleaning his muzzle from tears, as if he didn't want the hedgehog to see them. The big brother didn't know his intention, merely laid an arm across the bony shoulders of the other, leading him up the stairs to the upper landing.

As the two of them reached the kitchen, Sonic bit his lips as another rumble echoed above them, the storm getting closer and closer to the small workshop. He opened his mouth to ask if Tails wanted something to drink, a hot beverage of some kind, but the kid walked straight toward the couch, pulling off his shoes as he sat down, pushing his legs to his chest, arms curled around them and left his chin on his knees, eyes staring at the TV.

It was turned off for the moment, the fox doing nothing else but remaining where he was, still shaking as he sniffed. The hedgehog blinked, wondering for a second if maybe Tails was actually mad at him for being late.

His musings halted as he jumped when the room lit up in a flash of white, the sky getting ripped apart, torn in a thousand directions from the explosion of a thunderclap, echoing in their ears. A yelp came from the couch, the brother looking up to watch as the fox had turned his face into his kneecaps, tails curling around his legs and his ears pinned to his skull, shaking more than before.

"Hey, hey it's okay bud," Sonic was quick to soothe as he sped over and sat down next to him, slinging an arm over his shoulders, and tugged him to his side.

The quick breaths acted up again, a sob, and the quivering young child made an appearance once more. Sonic looked at his miserable façade, a small part of him cursing this weather for making his friend feel like this, wanting to chase away the storm if he could.

He let out a sigh instead, as he leaned forward and picked up the TV remote, hoping something there could distract Tails. However, as he clicked the 'on' button, the television was unresponsive, and he noticed the usual red light which indicated it was turned off wasn't visible. Of course, the storm would have taken out the power.

He put down the remote as another lighting strike exploded outside, making his ears flick and look back at his charge again. He didn't look to be any better, as he could see the fat teardrops falling from his eyes, shaking, and quivering all over, the hedgehog's own steady arm feeling the violent vibration in the young fox.

Sonic frowned, a frown scrutinizing the fear which made his little brother this unhappy. Knowing he was one of the comforts the fox was seeking in the moment, the hedgehog gently pulled the small fox into his lap instead. He whispered nonsensical reassurance, Tails sitting with his feet past the hedgehog's right thigh, his golden head immediately hid itself in his left shoulder, arms once again coming around the big brother's back.

He took the blanket, which was on the back of the couch, unwrapped it and wrapped it around both of them to the best of his ability. Sonic hugged him back then, curling around his little brother in a protective manner, placing his feet on the couch, bodily surrounding the fox, leaving his head on a golden shoulder.

The hedgehog carefully ran his hand up and down the fox's back once more, shushing softly and rocking slowly from side to side, keeping him tight to his chest. Humming and mumbling reassurances, echoing melodies and songs he remembered, he did his best to try and calm his little brother down, save him from the monster outside.

Sonic felt as two large tails curled around his back, being aware Tails was telling him thanks in his own way, being unable to say a word for the moment. The hedgehog didn't mind that he was staying quiet, as he hummed a song instead, he remembered from a long time ago. He had played it before on his guitar, remembering the notes but not the lyrics as great.

He hummed what he did remember however, hoping it somehow soothed the scared mind, the slow rocking from side to side as well as the hug, hoping he was making his charge feel better. Luckily, the protective curl was working, noticing as Tails' breathing became easier once more, the sobs and hiccups becoming further apart.

A lightning strike didn't help the cause, but he calmed down with every minute passing, the shaking remaining but he wasn't squeezing the hedgehog as tight, and his breathing had returned to normal as well. And as the song ended, he felt as Tails wiggled a bit in his hold, relaxing his tight hug on him, making the fox able to pull his head back and lean back on his dark blue shoulder.

Sonic turned his head, looking into tear filled blue eyes, still looking frightened and scared, but they weren't as thick as before.

"Thanks," Tails said in a thick low voice, turning his eyes away from him. "And sorry," he continued, blinking which made the water run down his cheeks, his eyes puffy.

The hedgehog let out a chuckle in an attempt to lift the heavy atmosphere, the hand on Tails' back moving to ruffle the bangs on his forehead.

"It's okay bud," he explained, pulling back his hand as the fox looked at him. "I know," Sonic concluded, giving him an encouraging smile, being happy he had been able to pull him out of his thick terror, being aware enough he could talk again, not locked in a paralyzing fear.

Tails' eyes spoke differently, the big brother being able to see the disappointed look, telling the hedgehog he disagreed and wasn't okay with himself being this frightened. Another strike rippled the sky apart however, making the fox gasp and hide his head back in the hedgehog's shoulder, Sonic's hand returning to the golden back, running his hand up and down on top of the red blanket.

The fox's head slowly emerged again as the adrenaline seeped away from the quick scare, letting out a deep sigh of either annoyance or embarrassment, or both. The hedgehog let out a sigh of his own, interrupting the fox as he was about to open his mouth and most likely apologize again.

"It's alright litl' bro," he reassured once more, giving him the most encouraging smile, he could muster "You carry me out of water when I'm drowning don't you?" He asked in a teasing tone. Though Tails' critical brow made his thoughts halt, as the fox huffed annoyed.

"I don't cradle you," he deadpanned, making the hedgehog snort amused, the image in his mind being all too clear. Though, he slowly shook his head, flicking his ears as a rumble made the fox flinch, resisting the urge to hide back in the hedgehog's shoulder.

"Well, you're younger than me," Sonic reasoned, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

It only made Tails' frown deepen, before moving his head back into his big brother's neck, accepting the situation for what it was.

"You always use the same excuses," he mumbled, muffled, though snuggled as close as he could, giving in to the fear still making him shake and quiver, swallowing something in his throat to prevent himself from crying again.

Sonic didn't care, merely left his cheek on the top of the fox's head, kept rocking from side to side and tightened his grip when lightning struck repeatedly, humming a new melody in his throat.

Despite his efforts, he could still feel the quiver, the gentle vibration the fox did under his skin, a testament to the fear still being present. He resisted the urge to sigh, merely letting his little brother remain where he was, curled against the hero of Mobius himself, as the sky ravaged outside, exploding upon impact and ripped the atmosphere apart. It quieted for a bit, the hedgehog feeling as his charge wiggled a bit in his hold.

"Are you okay?" Tails suddenly asked, his ears flicking before his head pulled back once more.

Tears were falling from his cheeks as red-rimmed blue eyes looked up at his big brother, still shaking all over. Sonic blinked perplexed, looking at his scared sidekick who had asked whether or not he was okay.

"Yeah, I am," he answered confused, furrowing his brow from another rumble, noticing the wince the fox did. "Why?" Sonic continued, for the sake of distraction, though he highly doubted there was anything which was going to make Tails forget the world outside.

Rain was still pummeling down on the windowpanes in the small living room, as Sonic looked at the sapphire eyes as they blinked.

"You don't seem okay," Tails stated matter-of-factly, as if he was telling him how to turn on the microwave.

The hedgehog opened his mouth to quickly tell him he was fine, though his words got stuck in his throat, as the situation dawned on him slowly. Even in this state of mind, in this state of fear, the sidekick could read him.

The fox who had been able to read him practically ever since they first had met, had been able to tell the hedgehog hadn't felt fine the moment he had stepped inside the workshop. A couple of seconds were spent in pure amazement at how correctly his charge was at reading him, before the moment was broken by another lightning strike.

Tails' head flung back into the crook of his neck, a muffled yelp yelled into his dark blue fur, as he tried to snuggle closer to the hedgehog's body, the physical comfort being his protection. Sonic was quick to react once again, leaving his chin on top of the fox's head again, mumbling reassurance, humming, and picked up the slow rocking again.

He ignored the quick breaths, letting the fox squeeze him into oblivion as the hedgehog wondered what answer he was going to tell him. He sighed, as he assumed the truth was probably the best reply.

"You got me there," Sonic jokingly stated, as Tails started to calm down again, the pitter patter of rain being the remaining sound for now, until the next lightning strike decided to make its presence known.

The hedgehog's answer made the fox's head emerge again, somehow persuading his right hand to let go of the elder and wipe it across his face, removing the tears on his cheeks as the rocking came to a halt. The sidekick sighed, sniffing once before looking back at Sonic, his body still shaking, eyes watery.

"What happened?" He asked hoarsely, flinching as another rumble appeared outside, the sky raging as the rain came down faster, the hedgehog being glad the roof of the house was blast protected.

Sonic was aware his sidekick was trying to distract himself from the thunder as well as doing one of the tasks which a sidekick, in Tails' mind, should do. Making sure the hero of Mobius was alright

A grin appeared on Sonic's lips from the conclusion, leaving his chin on the golden head of the other, making Tails leave his head on the hedgehog's peach colored chest. Sonic began drawing meaningless patterns on top of the blanket on his back, as he gathered his thoughts into a coherent explanation.

"It's just G.U.N being a pain in the butt," he started, feeling the fox squeeze him as the room lit up in a flash of light, his ears flicking from the explosion. "I was in Westopolis when Eggman decided to attack the city with an egg ship, launching Egg pawns all over the place. I ran in there and kicked some robot butt you know?" he continued, observing as one of his charge's ears turned toward him.

"And then G.U.N came and chased the ship away while I ran around and saved some people, got them out and stuff like that. But when Egghead disappeared one of the G.U.N commanders came and told me I was impatient and stupid and caused too much trouble. They couldn't get their cars and stuff in there because I was hauling people away from the street. I was in the way," he further explained, before letting out a sigh, his ears flicking as the rain came down harder on the windows.

"The commander said he would meet me in court, but I ran off before I heard everything he said. That's why I was late," he frowned from the thought, blinking from the loud rumble from a stray lightning bolt, feeling as the fox's fingers dug into his fur on his back.

"Sorry bro," he apologized again, as he continued drawing patterns on the blanket, comforting him, and keeping him warm, a low rumble echoing in the sky.

Rain continued to pitter patter, as it played a symphony on the windows, water cascading down. Tails sighed deeply as the adrenaline subsided again, before turning his head slightly.

"Sonic, I hope you're not doubting whether or not it was the correct choice," he argued, Sonic facing him to watch a furrow appearing on his charge's brow. "Should you have just stood there and waited for G.U.N to come?" the sidekick continued, blinking at nothing before peering up at his older brother. Sonic chuckled low in his throat, sapphire orbs blinking at him, puffy, red, and glossy, fear still more than visible.

"I guess not," the hero argued, his ears flicking from the rumble, Tails stiffening in his hold. Though a critical expression had shown on his face, as if he was scrutinizing his own thoughts.

"Exactly. I don't know which commander you spoke to, but whoever they were clearly didn't know who you were," he criticized, shaking his head to the best of his ability against the peach-colored chest. "You're reckless and do whatever you want, I can't argue with that," Sonic scoffed, though the sidekick continued.

"But, when you're in there, you know exactly what to do and what not to do. You're experienced with the Egg pawns and know where to run to keep others safe. If anything, you're-" he was cut off from a flash of light in the room, another lightning bolt making its presence known and rippled the atmosphere apart.

Another muffled yelp into the hedgehog's chest, another bout of incoherent reassuring mumblings, the older keeping the younger protected, drawing random patterns on his back. Quick breaths returned, uneven and irregular, making the hedgehog somehow draw him closer. He shushed him gently, one hand on the fox's head, reminding him to keep breathing.

Tails took deep breaths as he recovered, bouts of oxygen making it slowly in and out of his nose. Despite still shaking in the embrace, the fox emerged his head from the hiding spot in Sonic's neck again, bit his lip to prevent the tears, which had reappeared, to fall down his cheeks, instead sighed deeply.

"If anything, you're the one who should have told G.U.N where to park their vehicles and which robots to shoot. You know what to do when you get in there," Tails continued, as if nothing had happened, swallowing something in his throat, valiantly trying to keep the tears at bay.

Sonic lifted one hand from the fox's back, gently swiping his thumb under his little brother's eyes, removing the water for him.

"You did the right thing," Tails concluded as the hand disappeared, peering once more up at his older brother. "You always do the right thing," the fox commented lastly, his eyes fastened onto green, emerald eyes.

The hedgehog had listened, hearing every word his sidekick shared, knowing well he was right. He was never wrong about anything. A smile came its way to the hedgehog's lips, as another rumble came from the ravaging sky outside, the rain still falling.

"I don't think the commander agrees," the hedgehog argued, but sighed instead, leaving his head sideways on top of his sidekick's. "But I guess heroes need to be villains once in a while," he concluded, drawing meaningless patterns on the blanket once more as he prevented the urge to yawn, a tiredness overcoming him.

He didn't have the energy to think about that now, merely concluded that at this moment he had saved people, and it had been the most important task. Then everything in between didn't matter. As long as lives were kept safe. Then if he got a phone call in the morning about a court date then he would take it from there. It wasn't the first and it wouldn't be the last.

"Maybe," the hedgehog peered down at the fox in his arms, the latter yawning, his eyes still red and puffy though a tiredness had settled as well.

"But you'll always be my hero Sonic. Then I don't care what others say," Tails said, blinking owlishly.

The sentiment hadn't been expected, one so pure and innocent it made the hedgehog blink, wondering if he had actually heard those words. Though they repeated in his mind, determining they had been said and not imagined. An appreciative smile spread across his muzzle from the statement, as the fox snuggled his head closer.

"Thanks bro," Sonic said, feeling as the fox became heavier in his hold, the smashing and exploding show of electricity outside having paused for just a second.

Rain was slowly trickling on the windows, creating a symphony, small calming sounds, raindrops cascading down the glass. His sidekick didn't answer him, though Sonic knew he had heard him, as the hedgehog saw a smile appear on his lips, blinking owlishly at nothing in front of him.

A sigh left him, Sonic drawing patterns on his back again, the other hand keeping him on his lap. Silence remained in the small living room, one which welcomed the music from the rain, the occasional interrupting rumble appearing further and further apart. The wind had disappeared, leaving the zone in tranquility, the storm moving past the ocean, continuing its rage across the globe, lightning bolts hitting the water, electricity getting released. All which remained was the white light which didn't have any sound, rumbles disappearing, as a rainy night settled.

Sonic had let the silence be, feeling as the fox's shaking had slowly subsided, the quivering, sobbing and almost painful grip on his back had all but gone. The hedgehog looked down as the fox hummed thoughtfully, his arms still around the blue's back as well as his tails, though he could feel as the latter released pressure with every second.

Another yawn escaped Tails' lips, as Sonic managed to look at droopy and tired sapphire eyes, the tears gone, before they disappeared behind closed eyelids.

"Thank you," Tails managed to slur, almost in a whisper, before a deep, deep sigh left him at that, his head leaning against Sonic's chest.

The hedgehog chuckled low in his throat, leaving his chin on top of Tails' head, remaining quiet as he continued to draw. His eyes wandered over the turned off TV, the pictures on the walls, and the leftover glasses from previous visits on the coffee table, as he merely waited.

His thoughts had settled, his doubts and considerations resolved, concluding he had done everything he could in the moment. And maybe next time, he could check in with G.U.N whenever they arrived at the scene, though he wouldn't hesitate one second to run toward the screaming girl or crying toddler. He saved people no matter what. Even the ones who weren't in any physical danger.

A smile crept onto his lips, as Tails became heavy in his hold, knowing he was fast asleep. Deep breaths came from him, hands and tails losing their strong grip around him, eyelids twitching slowly. Sonic yawned himself, thinking it wasn't a bad idea.

He slowly started to uncurl the blanket around them, leaving it on the couch before settling his hands under the fox's knees and back. With a gentle lift, Tails was resting against his chest in his arms as the hero of Mobius stood, the former still resting soundlessly.

Sonic carefully advanced toward the stairs, walking up to the first door he met. Turning the knob with a trained hand, he easily opened the portal into Tails' room, steering toward the fox's bed. He kneeled slightly before carefully easing his brother onto the mattress, the latter not waking up from the action.

He draped the blanket over Tails, tucking it around him before he looked at him with a smile. In his deepest fear, in a moment where the fox was the most vulnerable, being an eight-year-old kid, he knew he had still been his sidekick. Despite the teary eyes and shaking body, the fox had asked whether or not Sonic was okay since he knew he hadn't looked the part.

The hero knew he would have solved his thoughts with time, but the soft-spoken compliment of the fox stating Sonic would always be his hero made a warmth pool in his heart. It was a sort of statement which reminded the hedgehog why he was saving the planet. Why he was making sure people were safe and sound, that Eggman would never conquer and bring everybody into slavery.

Because he wanted this, he wanted people to sleep peacefully in their beds, without a fear in the world, without wondering if they'll be attacked the next day. Whether by robots or by storm, it didn't matter.

With that thought settled in his mind, Sonic ran his hand through Tails' bangs, leaving it momentarily on his cheek, earning a smile from his little brother.

He turned around, slowly walked to the door and took hold of the knob, looking inside.

The brother would be sleeping the rest of the night away, safe and sound, without being afraid.

Sonic smiled, before he closed the door, turned the knob, and left the room in silence.