Sonic didn't have a permanent home.

He didn't have the need to be able to sleep in a bed every single night. He had it find with a cave, someone's roof, under a tree and in an alleyway. There was food everywhere, ranging from fruits hanging and waiting to be plucked in the forests to food stands he would visit when traversing through a city. Water was easy as well, as polluted, or contaminated water was rare on Mobius, except for zones like Oil Ocean, which was practically impossible to safe. Keeping warmth, he easily did in the hot summer air, even when the nights would become cold, he could ignore the temperature whenever he slept.

In reality whenever the hedgehog slept, he slept, there wasn't much that could wake him up, as he had been used to the nature's sounds and the sounds of the big buzzing cities that never kept quiet. The only times that he couldn't keep the temperature out was in the late autumns and during winters. He often stuck to city hotels or near the hot springs in Hill Top, whenever he liked it warm. He didn't like winter, as it was always cold and hard to run anywhere as he was slipping and sliding all over the place, just like when it was raining.

With that being said he liked from time to time to rest at Tails' Workshop, as the fox had other needs that Sonic didn't. When they were young the fox would occasionally pick up gears, tools, and pieces of metal for his own projects such as improving the Tornado and building his own small gadgets and inventions. Over time that stuff could become heavy and he couldn't take everything with him which, for the toddler at the time, was devastation, could spend hours figuring out if he should trade a new wrench for a gear they could only find in a specific badnik. Or at least, that's what it felt like.

With that and the fact that Tails had sometimes asked them where they're home was and if more times than Sonic had suggested that they could have a hotel room with a bed rather than a cave. It was rare that the fox had mentioned that, not wanting to be a hindrance on their adventure the hedgehog knew and knew that he had to think of someplace for them to stay. Not permanently but temporarily.

Until they stumbled upon Mystic Ruins, a zone filled with mysteries and large forests, a weird temperate and tropical climate as well as the ocean. There had once been a secluded spot, somewhat close to the train station that led into Station Square, where the fox had squealed and said that this was the perfect place. Apparently, the little guy had planned a house for them to live in, or at least for the fox to live in because he knew how much Sonic loved running.

And with that, Tails' Workshop was built in the outskirts of Mystic Ruins a perfect place for a young inventor to build to his heart's content and a place for the hedgehog to stay when he eventually found it too cold. A hangar for the perfect place for the Tornado and a big workshop in the back where he could have everything for himself. A staircase then led upwards to a kitchen, a small space with a fridge, stove, a few countertops, a kitchen island, and a table with two chairs.

From there they had a door that led outwards to the occasional rare visitor, and a door that led into the living room. The room was sparse, with a big self-build TV, a green couch and armchair and a staircase that led upwards. Up there was three doors, and a hallway, where one of them was a bathroom and the two last was bedrooms. One of them were used almost every single night except if he was taken out on adventures, and the last one was used whenever the hedgehog was around

In itself it was small and simplistic, but it was everything that the fox could have hoped for, and Sonic was nothing more than happy for him. He himself used the house as if it was his own – which it was, as he had been the one buying the land and making sure the rent was under control until Tails was old enough to take the responsibility himself – and ate, slept, relaxed and hung out in the small space.

He smiled brightly when he had exited the jungle, had taken a good run from whenever they came back from their plane ride, and saw the house in the distance. Behind it, the sun was setting into the ocean, red and orange waves dancing across the waves that had been created from the wind that had picked up as time had passed. He hated the ocean, no doubt, but a scenery like this was something that he wouldn't trade for anything else.

The hangar door was open, most likely because Tails was letting the outdoor air inside, as the house could become hot and stuffy in itself whenever the air conditioning wasn't working. Which it wasn't, because a blue hedgehog had wondered whether or not it was a good bounce pad. And that was it.

Skidding to a stop he looked inside the hangar, placing his hands on his hips, and grinned into the large room, seeing the Tornado parked and ready as if it were about to go on another trip. In the back he saw Tails stand in front of his worktable, a chair pushed away from him and hands busy with something he couldn't see. His tails were unusually still, as they were either wailing happily up and down or slower depending on some other emotions. Now they were limp on the ground, telling of either a thoughtful or tired fox.

He gave the answer to the former, as the fox was often concentrated with some kind of work and seeing him fiddle around with something metallic in his hands, he was pretty sure that he was doing something interesting.

"Hey Tails, eaten yet?" Sonic asked, and couldn't help but smile at the jump in his shoulders, getting startled out of his concentration. The fox turned around and looked at him, an almost annoyed expression on his features, which quickly faded away after seeing who had interrupted his thinking.

"Hey Sonic. No not yet. Thinking about chili dogs again?" –

"When aren't I?" He laughed, making his way into the hangar.

Tools, parts, and oil were scattered somewhat sporadically on the floor and the other tables he had things sitting on. Normally Tails was organized and kept his workshop somewhat clean, but whenever he had a project in mind, his thoughts seemed to be working as quickly as Sonic's feet, going from one tool to the next, not bothering to put it back as he most likely would use it again. Some sort of project was definitely undergoing right now, which meant that he knew the fox wouldn't eat out of concentration more than not wanting to.

He was about to scale the stairs when Tails stops him in a low voice that almost sounds timidly.

"Sonic? Do you know why I was-," The hedgehog turns to him in a slight bewilderment himself, hearing how much effort Tails needs to say that half-sentence

He bit his lip, fingers completely frozen in whatever they were doing, some wires scattering from the table, eyes locked on the table.

"Why I was-," He echoed and trailed off again, like whatever he was about to say was something that he shouldn't.

That he was spilling someone else's secret to him, like he was about to tell him that Knuckles had told him that he sings when he walks around the island. He waits patiently, which is incredible in itself, as Sonic is the most impatient mobian in the world. But he was patient with his friends. Patient with a best friend who seemed to be struggling with saying something to him.

"Bullied."

Sonic's eyes widened a fraction in surprise, as he had no idea where that came from alone.

Tails bit his lip again before his eyes returned to the hedgehog, tail tips whipping in some hidden emotion, as his eyes were looking around at Sonic, awaiting his answer. Maybe flying over Emerald Hill had sparked some unhappy memories, as the hedgehog was the only one who knew about his past. He had been the one dealing with and comforting a young fox filled with nightmares and using trial and error in telling him that he was not going to hurt him or ridicule him. It didn't surprise him that something had sparked up in the young inventor's mind.

Sonic shrugged and placed his hands over his chest as nonchalant as possible.

"Well, what you told me and what I saw was because of that super smart brain of yours and your awesome tails," He answered, let a smile go over his face afterwards. Tails' expression didn't change like he thought it would, as his gaze was kept on the hedgehog. But he could tell that he wasn't looking directly at him per say, he was somewhere else deep in his mind.

"Why?" He asked out of curiosity rather than snooping, which apparently ripped his sidekick out of his daze.

He shook his head almost violently, putting the metal and the wires away, and opened his toolbox on the worktable, like his fingers just needed to be distracted.

"Nothing forget I asked," He quickly said, looking around the massive amounts of tools he had in his storage box, tails now starting to whip up and down, but quicker than they would have done if it really was nothing. He had known that fox for five years, he could read him as clearly as a book, his tails being the culprits of giving him away more than once.

"You sure? You seem-" –

"Yes Sonic I'm sure it's nothing, really, leave it. Please." He said, now looked back at him with that determination again. The hedgehog took a moment to look at him again, and clearly saw that something was bothering him. Something was on his mind that he couldn't let go, and it looked like it wouldn't.

But he couldn't force him to say anything if he didn't want to, took reassurance knowing that Tails would tell him if he wanted help with something or just wanted to share. Therefore, he instead grinned, and gave him a trademark thumb's up.

"Alright, if you say so," He said, glancing back up at the stairs. "Then I'll make some dinner, and I'll crash tonight as well. Getting a bit cold out," He grinned, making the fox smile back in appreciation.

"I'll head up when it's ready, thanks," –

"Sure bud," The hedgehog answered and made his way up the stairs.

Tails meanwhile looked into the toolbox; a hand already latched around a wench but had been frozen in place by his thoughts. Standing in a moment's daze he stared at it and did nothing but that. Until he sighed and closed the lid, turned around and walked towards the Tornado.

Waking up with the sun in his face was one of the best things he knew. Even though it flashed through his eyelids and forced him to open them, only to be blinded he didn't mind. He groaned and turned around, closing his eyes again although he knew he didn't want to sleep anymore. A new day was awaiting, a new day with new adventures, and the hedgehog already knew what he wanted to do today.

Those islands had been on his mind all evening, and a part of him had agreed to figure something out about them, wanted to ask Tails to come along. Even though something had cleared stirred up something in his mind yesterday, something that he didn't want to dwell on. Therefore, he thought that brining the two-tailed along would clear his thoughts and get him distracted for a while. Distraction was a beautiful medicine as it sometimes restarts the mind, makes you think from the beginning and gives you the opportunity to think about if it's worth still spending energy on or if it's something that needs to be addressed.

Turning around in his bed again he yawned while stretching his arms into the air, making the red blanket covering his body fall down a little, while a lazy socked foot touched the floorboard. His room wasn't filled with that many items as it was mostly used for sleeping then he was on his way. He didn't spend his time on decorations, plants and things that was there just because they could be

The items that were there though, were things that he either used or was special to him. That included a nightstand next to him, with a digital clock and small lamp, often turned off and hardly ever used. A chest of drawers with socks and gloves, a few jackets, and scarfs for winter travelling. A cabinet was off to the side, with glass panes so you could see through it. Here he stored nick-knacks, things he had found on his travels that was interesting enough to bring home. Two books was secretly hidden away in the back of it one of them reading 'The Arabian Nights' and the other 'King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'.

They were good reads, maybe a little too good.

A turquoise bracelet, a pair of wind resistant green glasses, a white feather he wasn't sure why he had, but a part of him wanted to keep it, a silver bracelet with a green pearl on it and a small light blue crystal. A few things that his friends had given him was in the other side of the cabinet, the doors sealed shut with a small hook, as the hedgehog was known for running in and out of his room, rather than walking.

The very first drawing that Tails had drawn that he had gave him, a pink crystal Amy had given him, a stone that Knuckles had thrown at him but it counted and other small things that he sort of had been given. Behind the door was separately a snowboard and a skateboard, while his Extreme Gear board was hanged up on the wall instead, well-knowing that the fox downstairs would get seriously mad if he had broken it by slamming the door into it. The two other boards were made of wood and plastic and was easily replaceable – but a high-tech Extreme Gear board with air canisters, custom designed curves and rust-free metal paint were not.

Used socks were scattered on the floor, while a couple of pictures hanged on the wall, more than one of them having a couple of his friends on them, smiling at the camera. There was one which he enjoyed a lot, which was the only one where Knuckles was actually smiling. Hanging beside the cabinet, it was Team Sonic, all of them with their Extreme Gear board in hand, goggles, and glasses away from their faces smiling wide from their victory.

Pulling the blanket off of him, he rubbed his left eye with his hand, the one he had been sleeping on, and fumbled after his sneakers on the floor. Gripping them around their edges he wiggled his feet into either shoe, and got up from the bed, stretching his back and made it pop satisfyingly. Reaching down and touching the floor with his hands, he felt his calf stretch nicely and lastly, he tapped his feet into the floor before he did another yawn, walking across the room.

Opening the door, he stood for a second in the hallway stretching his arms again, smacking his lips through his sleepy daze and took his first zip down to the kitchen. He knew Tails was up, that fox was up the minute the very first spark of daylight was over the horizon of the ocean, seizing the day just as much as the hedgehog himself.

Popping some toast in the toaster, he took a small bottle of travel sized apple juice and opened the lid. The apple flavor hit his throat and the sugar made his head energized, pulling the last sleepiness out of him. He ears peaked when he heard a 'clang' from downstairs, the door left open to the workshop like Tails had done when he had walked back after eating dinner.

Well-knowing, he was working on said plane, he drank his juice, took the first steps to the stairs before he jumped the last steps, using one arm as a balance pole he stood fine on his own, smirked satisfied and looked into his sidekicks' workspace.

It was even more cluttered than yesterday, two giant tool boxes were open, tools he had no idea what were aside from the occasional wrench, scatted around them, his welding laser pushed off to the side after use, metal parts and a big compartment he had no idea what did, was leaning against one of the walls. Motor oil was splattered around the floor, mostly underneath the biplane, where the hatch was open.

"Morning Tails," He greeted, couldn't help but snort as the fox jumped and hit his head against the open latch, a pair of tails whipping annoyed from the hit and an agitated sigh left him.

"Why are you so quiet?" He mumbled, though it was loud enough for the hedgehog to hear, as the fox's hand appeared on the edge of the hatch and closed it down.

He was slightly taken back by his face, as he seemed exhausted, dark rings forming under his eyes and his pupils slightly red, started rubbing his right eye with his hand, though he smutched oil into his fur on his face.

"Dude you look horrible, did you sleep at all last night?" He was used to the fox working on the biplane, a young workaholic who didn't let his needs get in the way of his projects, but even Tails would at some point let his head fall down and fall asleep on his workbench, or crawl up the stairs only to make it to the couch.

This time though, it looked like he hadn't closed his eyes once, and his suspicion was confirmed when he shook his head, walked away from the Tornado to one of the large toolboxes, apparently reminded that he had left tools scattered on the ground.

"No, I got too hung up in the Tornado, that's what I was thinking about yesterday," He explained, started packing away his tools, closing the lid on the first box and practically dragging himself over to the next.

Sonic had waited for the next sentence, as he knew that Tails was always excited about telling him what he had been doing to the plane, although the hedgehog had no idea what half of the technobabble he said meant. He quirked and eyebrow when it didn't, instead watched as the fox packed the last tools away, swirling his ears towards the kitchen when the toast popped

Disregarding his breakfast for now, Sonic instead crossed his arms over his chest, feeling the big-brother guardian in him swell up rather than the friend.

"Then how about you go catch some z's then? Knuckles might have a lead on Eggman being near Station Square, and we want our pilot to be in top tuned condition when flying don't we?" He smiled, and winked at the fox, who only blinked at him, before pushing the tool boxes off to the side and picked up his welding laser.

"I can't," He mumbled, placing the laser on one of the shelfs, suddenly realizing what he had said.

"Because I have been working on the turbine, trying to increase the rotation and keep the airflow steady. When the rotation in the fan is increased it might take some more energy from the fan and the compressor, but it should hopefully in the end make the plane go faster without using more ring energy."

Sonic smiled at the familiarity of it, was for once satisfied that he only understood half of what he said, and blamed the exhaustion for the shorter explanation. Though, he was pretty sure his 'can't' weren't linked to the Tornado at all, seeing the way his eyes had widened a bit after his sentence.

"Tails are you okay?" He then asked, holding in a sigh as he didn't like doing guessing games. Something was up, and he didn't like it when his friends were agitated or felt so bad that they couldn't get themselves to fall asleep.

The fox turned to Sonic after he had been standing by the table, his eyes trying to fixate on his features, but couldn't concentrate due to the lack of energy in his brain.

"Yeah, totally. I've just been working on the Tornado that's all," He reassured even nodded afterwards to be more truthful. Sonic knew that wasn't the whole truth, and didn't like being lied to either, though he knew why people lied. To hide something else.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" He almost surprised himself with his own voice, hearing the serious edge that toned it.

Normally he laughed things of, grinned and reassured whoever were having a bad time that it would go over soon. But something in him felt compelled to ask him, both because Tails was hesitant to say anything about whatever was on his mind, and both because Sonic didn't want to intrude. If he didn't want to share, then he shouldn't.

He watched as his best friend almost froze from his sentence, deep consideration lacing his face as his hand was stopped mid reach for the lid of the small toolbox on the table. His tails became completely still from previous tired wailing up and down, his eyes large and staring through the toolbox.

He saw the sigh that escaped his nostrils as his hand reached the lid of the box and closed it.

"Yeah I do. But I'm fine Sonic, I'm just really tired," He said, and if to prove a point, yawned while covering his mouth with one hand, his ears now losing the battle of standing erect and fell a little into his skull. Sonic grinned at that, accepted and trusted the answer though he knew it was a lie.

He would most likely tell him eventually.

"Then go sleep like I told you to. And take the toast on your way up, I'll head out and find something on my way," He grinned, pointing a thumb towards the stairs behind him. Tails only waved a lazy hand at him, while hiding the small toolbox under the table.

"Yes mom," He mumbled mockingly, Sonic grinning at the familiar joking, before he watched the fox's lazy movements one last time, making a mental note, and then sped off, leaving a blue veil in the hangar that within seconds disappeared once more.