Hello everyone! Today I'm bringing you a one-shot that takes place post Sonic X inspired by the r/milesprower discord! If you haven't joined us yet, I'd highly suggest doing so! Anyways onto the story!

Workaholic

Tails sighed as he looked at his clock, his heavy eyelids squinting at the numbers on it. He knew he should be in bed, but he simply couldn't... He needed to finish... He tried to shut out the memories that came with working on this project and thinking about her, managing to do so after a few seconds. Taking another look at the small white seed on his desk, he was determined to create something, anything, to bring her back...

The fox took another sip of the coffee on his desk, the caffeine barely affecting his system with how long he'd been awake and how tired he was. His eyes closed for just a moment and suddenly he found his head on his desk, seemingly having fallen asleep for a second or two. Shaking his head, he looked back at the papers on his workspace, the moon outside acting as his only companion…

At least, that's what he thought until he heard a set of feet descending the stairs. Sonic peeked his head around the corner, looking back at the desk and seeing the orange kitsune. He sighed and made his way over, putting his arms around the sleepy kit from behind. "Go to bed…" He spoke.

"I can't…" Tails responded, feeling the reassuring warmth from the hedgehog. "I just… Need to finish this…"

"Tails, you've been up for forty-eight hours straight now… You're starting to worry me… I've never seen you stay up this long…"

"I just can't sleep…"

"Because of Cosm-"

"Don't say her name!" Tails exclaimed, the anger in his voice instantly shocking Sonic.

"Tails, I'm just concerned for you, this isn't what she would have wanted you to do…"

Tails gritted his teeth in pure uncontrolled rage, "What do you know about what Cosmo would have wanted!? I knew her, I loved her! I was just too stupid and I never told her how I felt! You didn't save her! I had to pull the trigger to kill someone I loved! Anybody else could have done it! But no! They made me do it!"

"Tails, calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down!? I'm just getting started with you!"

"Tails just let me-"

"You didn't do anything to save her! All you did was give me this stupid seed and watch as I cried! You didn't do anything! I've had it with you! Just let me work!"

The silence that followed the outburst was deafening as the kitsune sat back at his workbench to continue his project. Sonic was going to say something but found it difficult to find the words. He eventually simply hung his head in shame, Tails had a point...

As he put his foot on the stairs to leave however, the faint sound of crying reached his ears. He turned his head toward the kitsune to find him with his head resting in his arms on the desk. Quiet sobs and sniffles were an easy indication of what was happening.

Sonic slowly approached for a second time, thinking carefully in his head what to say. Eventually, he knelt next to the chair, the pulled the kitsune into a hug. Not a single word needed to be spoken for a moment as the kitsune slowly calmed down in Sonic's warm embrace.

"Tails I'm sorry," Sonic eventually spoke. "I should have been there for you. I don't know why I didn't try and help you when you were upset… But hopefully, this can start to make up for it."

"I just miss her so much…"

"I know you do, and I'm very sorry. Nobody should have had to go through that at your age."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you…" Tails responded, choking back tears. "I just want to see Cosmo again."

"I know, but this isn't the way to do it. You've been working on this thing straight for almost two days now. You're overworking yourself bud! You just need to take a break, get some sleep."

"I just... I just can't sleep..."

"Why not?"

"Every time I try to, I see her... I just can't..."

Sonic knew Tails was pretty messed up emotionally after having to kill Cosmo, but he hadn't thought it was to this extent. It however did explain why he wasn't sleeping and instead trying to power through his work and problems.

"How would you feel about sleeping with me tonight, like when we first met?"

"I'd like that... I'm really tired but just can't sleep. Maybe it'll help..."

"I'm sure it will bud, bags under your eyes don't suit you."

A small smile crossed Tails' face as he stood from his chair, yawning as he did so. As he went to walk up the stairs however, Sonic stopped him. "I'll carry you."

"You don't have to... I can..." Tails slowly responded, dozing off slightly as he did. Sonic picked up the drowsy kitsune and carried him upstairs. Heading to his bedroom. He gently set the fox down onto the bed and tucked him in. Joining him as he lightly stroked the kitsune's fur until he was fast asleep. Shortly after he had however, he started to shift lightly mumbling incoherently under his breath. But the constant stroking of his fur and the comfortable warmth from the bed quickly cleared his head and allowed him to relax enough to fall into a comfortable sleep.

Sonic smiled to himself as he watched the slow rise and fall of Tails' chest under the covers. He felt one of the kit's namesakes slowly make its way over to him and rest atop him, almost acting as an extra blanket for the hedgehog as he too fell into dreamland...

Alright everyone, short blurb today, didn't want to do anything crazy before I get back to writing The Kitsune Legacy! Let me know what you thought! Until next time!