"It was a gift. Sort of."
Jet's mother dressed however she wanted regardless of clothing guidelines, and this wedding was no exception. Jeans, hoodie and a flat cap replaced any semblance of formal attire. The fanciest thing she had on were a pair of golden bracelets clamping the ends of her white gloves. She had her back against the stairway's railing opposite to Jet – who was in the same pose.
"I could get you one of those. You know he's here, right?" Jet shrugged, looking down at his Sonic pin. He was surprised (and a little offended) nobody had commented on it. He thought it was cute and secretly hoped Sonic would let him keep it.
"Everyone's talking about him, yeah. You know I'm not much of a superhero fan myself. I've seen some neat replicas of his red sneakers online, though. Feel free to mail me one of those for Mother's Day."
"Sure, I can do that."
Both of them stood there in silence, glancing back at each other whenever a new small talk subject arose. Faiza wasn't a bad parent, she just wasn't there for him a lot. She'd go out of town for weeks at a time to do her own things, mostly related to her modelling career. But she mostly wanted to be as far from Jet's father as possible – which didn't justify her almost complete absence, but it was understandable in hindsight. She became much more active in Jet's life when he turned eighteen, when she finally went through with her long awaited divorce.
She couldn't resume parenting him, nor could she give him back the normal childhood he deserved, but she could continue to support him. She was the one who recommended him his current therapist, and that was working out great! The help was much appreciated, even if Jet had been quite stubborn in accepting it before his trip to Angel Island.
"The talon polish you sent me is nice. I'm wearing the deep red one under my gloves." Jet commented.
"Hey, for real? I'm glad you like it! I guess we're matching then," Faiza showed him her talons with a smile. "I was considering going for blue today, but I had a feeling you'd be using red."
"I could definitely go for blue right now, if I can get my hands on him." Jet only processed what had come out of his mouth after a few moments. "I mean, it."
"You don't have to hide it, dear. It's all over your face." She let out a chuckle. "He's gonna be busy for a little while, yeah? He's practically a superstar in here. You know how it went when Wave first brought Rouge over for the family gathering."
"I don't know how it went, ol' dickbag was busy dragging me around and scolding me for not doing the things he asked me to." Jet rolled his eyes.
"Oh, right. He's supposed to be here today, right? Gaia, I don't know why he insists on coming. Not a single person here likes him, everyone just pretends they do to be polite."
"If you ask me, he's probably already in here somewhere. Lurking in the shadows and waiting for the perfect moment where nobody can come up with an excuse not to talk to him fast enough."
"Sounds like him alright."
Both of them chuckled quietly. Their hate for the man was something they could bond over, at least. They chatted about nothing in particular for a little while longer until they decided to part ways for the time being. Faiza still had a ton of people to greet, and Jet wanted to find where all of his friends had gone to. Sonic in particular, but he wasn't opposed to hanging out by someone else while the hedgehog was getting pushed around by tiny hawks (other than himself).
Going up the stairs, it wasn't long before he heard the sound of music. Weirdly familiar music. Wave's weird taste in music that sounded more like noise than actual music, to be precise.
Jet picked up his pace and power-walked through the long hallway of suites until he reached a small lounging area. Sure enough, Wave and Rouge had set up a TV and were doing a rematch of their karaoke night dispute. They had gathered a small crowd around them too! Wave's relatives were mostly cheering for her, while everyone else cheered for Rouge.
How one could win at karaoke wasn't something Jet knew, but then again his voice sounded too much like bird for him to even attempt it.
He waited patiently until Wave passed her mic to one of her relatives and retreated into the corner to check her phone. Jet instinctively checked his own and saw a message from her asking if he was alone. He responded to that by simply walking into her field of view.
"There you are. I felt a little bad leaving you there on your own but my cousins wouldn't let me go until I showed them my singing. You know how it is." Wave stuffed her phone back in her purse.
"Eh, 's fine. Found mom." Jet shrugged.
"Oh, she came? I haven't seen her yet, but I bet she's wearing the—"
"The flat cap, yeah. She probably wants to thank you for giving it to her."
Wave snickered. "I'm glad she likes it! I'm not the biggest fan of fashion but I just had a feeling that'd go well with her usual look, y'know?"
"That's how I buy most of her birthday and Mother's Day gifts, yeah. Have you seen Sonic?"
"Sonic… Oh, yeah! He told me to tell you he was waiting for you at the farthest balcony. The one with the ivy."
Waiting for him? Hmm… something about the wording of that made Jet feel nervous in a good way. It was probably nothing special, just his way of saying he was finally free from the grasp of the mighty toddlers that were making him roleplaying as an Arabian Nights character (that Jet still wasn't convinced was real). Why was he overthinking this all of a sudden?
"I don't wanna put words in his mouth, but the way he said it was pretty romantic." Wave said nonchalantly, glancing over at Rouge who was singing with one of her relatives. "I'd get ready if I were you."
"Very funny, Wave. I expected that from everyone here except you."
"I'm being serious. I'm just saying that so you can mentally prepare for if he makes any moves."
Ah, that was a good point. Not even in his gayest thoughts Jet imagined Sonic would be the one to confess to him. I mean sure, they had almost kissed and he was pretty sure they were both leaning into it, but…
Actually, Wave was right. It was kind of possible. Jet was both excited and terrified about the (somewhat slim, in his opinion) chances of something like that happening.
"…I don't wanna make a scene. It's Storm's wedding, he should be the one getting all the attention."
"It's the ivy balcony, nobody goes there. But you can take him to the roof if you're worried about it that much."
"The roof… the roof! You're a genius Wave!" Jet exclaimed.
"Yeah, what about it?" She scoffed. "Go get your man, Jet. I'm probably gonna stay here for a while until Rouge gets tired of dunking on these fools."
Jet didn't need to be told twice. He went back down those stairs as fast as he could… at least until he was in the line of sight of others, then he went back to power-walking. He got stopped by a couple people asking him about something or other but that fortunately didn't take long. Jet couldn't even recall what they asked of him or what he replied, the only permanent thing in his mind at the moment was a hedgehog.
Stepping outside, the cool night air hit him and made his feathers ruffle up a bit. The sky was partly covered by clouds, but those few stars that managed to poke through shone brighter than ever. The moon was full once again but struggling to make itself seen. On the brief moments it was uncovered, it shone its light down onto Mobius to illuminate the handsome hedgehog leaning against the balcony railing. His blue quills made him stand out against the beiges and greens of the environment around him.
"You have my phone number, idiot. You could have just messaged me instead of asking Wave and hoping I bumped into her."
Sonic shrugged. "I sure could! But it wouldn't have been nearly as dramatic, would it?"
Jet slowly walked beside him, leaning against the railing himself. He took a few glances at his face but didn't want to stare too much. His eyes ultimately settled on the sandy emptiness below.
"It's a nice scene, I'll admit it."
"Heh, I'll take that as a win. You brought me to see the moon and I wanted to return the favor. Even if it's not as beautiful as late night Never Lake."
"Don't downplay your plan too much. Whatever it is you're doing, it's sure working."
Both of them remained in silence for a while. Just being in each other's company felt nice, Jet thought. The loud music and chatter of the venue was like a distant whisper to them, drowned out by the sound of their own beating hearts and rapid-paced inner monologues. Jet couldn't know what Sonic was thinking, but he sure hoped it was as sappy as what was going on in his own head.
"So… wedding, huh?" Jet began, glancing over at Sonic. "How does it feel being here? You barely know anyone."
"Feels alright, to be honest. It's just nice to watch people have fun on their own terms sometimes, you know? It helps that they all seem to like me so much. Feels like I could get along with any of them if I wanted to."
"You probably could. I don't know why you'd want to, but it'd be easy."
"Who knows? That's one way to know you better."
Jet didn't reply to that. Mostly because the rest of his family besides his parents wasn't really close enough for him to know any juicy details Sonic might want. But if that's what the hedgehog wanted, then it was alright by him. More reasons for them to see each other on a regular basis were always appreciated.
"Is there gonna be a dance? I'll have you know, I'm the best at dancing." Sonic snickered, shooting a playful smirk towards Jet.
"Probably. But don't expect to be able to breakdance in the middle of a wedding, hedgehog." Jet scoffed back.
"That's not all I'm good at. Want a sample?"
He didn't wait for a reply before grabbing Jet's arm and trying to drag him to the center of the balcony.
Jet instead grabbed Sonic by the hand and pulled him away to the corner. "Not here. Come on."
There was a small metal ladder that led to the roof, and he went ahead and climbed it. It led them to the very top of the building, a small stone platform surrounded by railings and illuminated only by the inconsistent light of the moon. Jet stood at the center, waiting for Sonic to climb up before extending an arm towards him.
"Show me what you've got, hedgehog."
Sonic paused for a moment so he could take everything in, then answered with a grin. He took his phone out and unlocked it, alternating his gaze between Jet and the screen.
"Slow down, can't dance without music on. You have any preferences? My sim card doesn't work here in Shamar but I do have some instrumentals downloaded. Just take your pick."
"I know that's a lie and you just want to sing for me. Pick whatever you feel most confident about, I want to see you at your best."
A tint of red spread across Sonic's muzzle, but it was hard to notice under the faint moonlight. "When did you get so good at calling me out, huh? Alright, I'll show you what I'm made of."
Sonic put on what could best be described as cheesy 90s pop, but with the lyrics and vibe of a love song. He had to take a few seconds to warm up his voice before he started singing for real. Both of them went ahead and tried to grab each other by the waist on the exact same spot, causing them both to pause in realization.
"…Did you also ask Amy for dance lessons?" Sonic blinked, being the first one to speak up.
"I thought you were the best at dancing, hm?" Jet teased.
"Oh come on, give me a break. I'm trying my best."
"Why don't you show me that then, hedgehog?"
Sonic took the lead, one hand on Jet's waist and the other holding his hand. Trying to sing and lead them along the melody at the same time proved to be more difficult than he had initially expected. Jet was having fun regardless, but he couldn't help but notice the hedgehog's struggle to multitask.
"Go slower."
"Very funny, Jet."
"I'm serious. Sing slower and I'll lead us."
It took a couple seconds for Sonic to realize Jet was 100% serious and not making a "you're too slow" joke. He paused the song on his phone and resumed, with his voice being their guide this time.
He had to adjust some parts of the song to better match their slower pacing, and the mood changed completely to a proper love song, but none of them were complaining. Who said that's not what it was supposed to be, at that very moment in time?
Both of them were a little clumsy, a bit out of sync. But it didn't matter. They were having the time of their life. Giving all of their heart and energy into the dance.
As the music came to a close in Sonic's head, his voice trailed off and was replaced with quiet panting. Jet was taking a moment to catch his breath as well, still holding Sonic close. Their faces almost touching, feeling each other's warmth. Even something as slow as that could be tiring when they gave it their all.
"Not bad, you did learn well at least." Jet managed to say, his tone flickering between genuine and taunting.
Sonic let out a couple giggles of joy. "Can say the same for you. That was perfect!"
"It really wasn't. We kind of sucked."
"But we did have fun. At least I did. Did you have fun?"
"I did too."
Both of them fell into a comfortable silence, content in simply holding and looking at each other with nothing in their minds except adoration.
They were the only ones in the building – no, in the whole world at that very moment. It was their special night, even if just for a couple of minutes. They had gone through so much together. So many challenges, trials and tribulations, but also so many good and wonderful moments. It had all culminated in a single dance.
"Hey?" Sonic began.
"Yeah?"
"I can show you something else I improved at."
"Something tells me it's not your extreme gear racing."
"Oh shut up. Close your eyes."
Jet did as he was asked, but immediately opened them when Sonic gently grabbed his beak and tugged it down slightly. That made him release it and look at Jet with a small pout.
"I said close your eyes. It's not as special if you look at me while I'm at it. I haven't practiced it on actual beak, I don't know how silly I'm going to look doing that."
Jet let out a whine but ultimately complied. Sonic waited a few seconds before going for it again. One hand went on Jet's beak again while the other held onto his waist and pulled him closer. Sonic leaned forward and pressed his lips against the top of Jet's beak. The hawk immediately relaxed his stance and leaned into it as well, almost purring at the touch. Sonic moved to press a multitude of little pecks against the sides of his beak until he reached his cheek.
Sonic was about to go lower, trailing his kisses down to Jet's neck, when the hawk suddenly tensed up. Even facing away from the ladder, he knew there was a pair of eyes fixated on them.
Someone had managed to climb the ladder without making a sound and sneak up on them. And they were now glaring daggers at the lovers, sending a shiver down Jet's spine even though he hadn't actually turned to face the culprit.
Both of them opened their eyes, and Sonic was the first one to take in the shadowy sight of the mystery onlooker.
It was a hawk, his short green and dark green head feathers pointing back and slightly up much like quills. He wore a fairly standard black tuxedo, white shirt and black dress shoes. He carried a jewel-encrusted cane with him, although it was more of a decoration than a walking aid since he didn't seem to be putting any of his body weight onto it. He was taller and a fair bit bulkier than both of them, and although his beak made it hard for Sonic to distinguish his expression, he had disgust in his eyes.
Surge "Stolen the Fifth" the Hawk, former leader of the Babylon Rogues had caught Sonic ready to kiss his son on the neck.
Jet was paralyzed. All he managed to do was turn his head slightly before freezing once again as he recognized the figure. Why here, why now? He must have planned this all along, he must have been watching the two of them having the time of their lives before making his move, he…
"Are we missing anything important down there, sir?" Deep down, Sonic knew who this guy was supposed to be. But he wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. He still held Jet close in his arms.
"You are not missing anything. You shouldn't even be here." He pointed at Jet with the end of his cane. "My son is being incredibly impolite in ignoring his own flesh and blood this way. I've been looking for you this entire time, Jet. Why don't you come give your old man a hug?"
Jet knew that was a lie. He had never seen the guy once in the many hours he had been hanging out at the venue. It was something Surge was saying to try and make him feel guilty, to control him. It had always been that way, trying to implant false memories and behaviors into his head to make him feel like he didn't have control of his own life.
And as much as he hated to admit it, it was working.
Jet started to slowly turn to face his father, but Sonic held his hand and gently squeezed it before he could take any steps forward. "You don't have to do that if you don't want to, Jet. He can't make you."
Surge raised an eyebrow, resting his cane on the ground once again. "Very well, I take we are both adults now. You're right, hedgehog, the time for hugs has long passed. But that doesn't mean I don't want to spend time with my son. There is a table full of people down there waiting for our return, you see. It would be incredibly rude to keep them waiting."
Mentioning other people so Sonic wouldn't be able to question it, a classic. Jet knew about all the tricks at that point, but it was like his brain was still programmed to fall for them regardless. And Sonic was none-the-wiser to the fact that Surge's claim was probably bullshit and that he just wanted to lure Jet into the crowd to make it harder for him to escape.
Sonic eventually let go off Jet, who instinctively clung to him for a short moment before he walked towards his father. Surge let him climb down first, effectively putting himself in between him and Sonic and making communication pretty much impossible. Though he did take the lead to show Jet the table in question, granting the young hawk one last opportunity to give Sonic's hand a gentle squeeze.
After some short greetings, they took seats in a small round table. Both of Wave's and Storm's parents sat there – the latter two separated by an extra cushy baby chair holding Storm and Cloud's egg. He could see a brief glimpse of discomfort flash on the face of everyone at the table, but being quickly replaced by polite smiles.
"There he is, always a brat." Surge emitted his best attempt at a goofy chuckle. "I remember you always used to be late to your oud practices, didn't you Jet?"
Jet replied with a nervous smile, immediately receiving sympathy from the other adults on the table.
"Why it's only natural for him to be late, the night is still young and there is much to celebrate!" Wave's father cheered. Sonic was amused at just how short he was – about half his partner's height.
"What's an oud?" Sonic whispered to Jet.
"It's like a guitar for old people," He replied.
Surge had heard their exchange and chimed in, "An oud is a marvelous instrument that is used in a variety of beautiful Shamarian songs, hedgehog. It is one of the many prides of our culture and nation."
"Used to be," Storm's father corrected. "Nowadays all the kids listen to are synths and beeps and boops. Not like that's a bad thing of course, I got pretty attached to some of these newer songs! Isn't that right dear?"
"I wish you hadn't. None of these have any lyrics so you just keep grunting to try and match the computer noises." She looked unamused, but still had a clearly playful tone in her voice.
"The modernization of today's youth is quite a divisive topic, indeed. One thing I do like are these new extreme gear models coming out. Wave is doing a very good job with their designs, is she not?" Surge leaned forward towards the swallow couple. The woman shot him a half glare, but the man was oblivious to where the conversation was headed.
"Ah yes, they are so slick and fast – but oh so sturdy at the same time!" He nodded and smiled. "They're coming up with new components and parts so fast! Though a lot of the innovations are just old tricks used in absolutely fantastic ways. Not even I could have imagined some of this stuff was possible, I'm so proud of my little Wave for—"
"She has done a good job, yes." Surge rudely interrupted. "You know what these newer models would be suitable for, my dear Tsunami?"
Wave's mother almost immediately got up from the table as soon as the question was raised. Though her husband managed to calm her down and make her sit once again, she was clearly disgusted by the subject being implied.
"Surge." She spoke his name like it was printed on the label of a vile poison. "We are not doing this again."
"What are we not doing again, Mag? You didn't even let me finish." Surge spoke like he was high and mighty, managing to put a disgusting smirk on his face besides having a beak.
"You do this every year," Storm's father gently placed his rather large hand on the table, "and quite frankly, we're getting really tired of it. Can't you just let it go?"
"Let go off our precious heritage? Absolutely not! How can you even suggest something like that! If it wasn't for..."
Jet quietly excused himself to go to the bathroom before they broke on a full-on discussion at the table. Sonic kept listening for a couple of minutes before he realized Jet probably wasn't actually using the bathroom. He excused himself as well (no one was paying enough attention to care) and rushed in the direction Jet had left towards. There was only one stall occupied, and Sonic could see the same shoes Jet was wearing from the gap on the door.
"Hey, Jet? Are you alright in there?" Sonic knocked on the door. No reply. "Look, I know things are bleak out there but— woah!"
The door was unlocked just enough for Sonic to be forcefully pulled inside, then locked back up. He expected Jet to be… crying, as much as he hated to think about it. But instead the hawk had anger on his face. His fists were balled up besides his body as he leaned against the wall.
"We're not going out there. Not until the ceremony." Jet said through gritted teeth.
"I mean… I was honestly going to suggest doing that, but… you don't look like you're doing too hot, dude." Sonic frowned.
"They have this conversation every time they're together. It's always my dad putting words in my mouth saying it was Wave and Storm's fault the Rogues are over. But guess what, it wasn't! I brought it up and we all agreed on it."
Jet rubbed a hand over the top of his beak. "They discuss for a while then he goes: Jet wants to reform the Rogues if they're up for it, right? And I've never said no because I can't, so they always go… we'll talk to them about it. It's so stupid you have no idea."
Sonic looked like he was trying his best but still having trouble comprehending the full weight the situation had on Jet. He pursed his lips, staring at Jet with those gorgeous green eyes. He ultimately stayed silent, prompting Jet to speak again.
"I can tell you're not getting any of this, but just… trust me about this one, okay? We can sneak back onto the roof, or get a room upstairs, or…" Jet trailed off, seeing as Sonic's face filled with more and more determination. He knew what was coming next, and he wasn't at all thrilled about it.
"Do you think you can just… say no this time?"
Jet's first thought was to tell him to fuck off, but he held the words in his mouth for long enough for his brain to rationalize the situation.
"I could…" He had almost no confidence in his tone, breaking the eye contact between them.
"I'm not going to ask why this is so difficult to you because I know it probably involves a lot of memories that are… not my business at all. And I can't ask you to let me do this for you either." Sonic grasped one of Jet's hands between both of his own. "I'm just asking you to try. I promise I'll help you deal with whatever comes out of it, but you'll have to get there on your own. Is that… okay to ask of you, Jet?"
Jet stayed silent for a long, long time. For a while he was avoiding Sonic's gaze like his life depended on it. He reflected on just how things turned out that way. Jet the Hawk? Being vulnerable in front of Sonic the Hedgehog? Sharing some of his deepest traumas and issues with him? All that because they bumped into each other by mere coincidence a couple of months back.
Sonic, the one who proved himself faster than him. The one that, despite having multiple reasons to despise him, ended up as his ally during the first two times they ran into each other. The one that put up with him enough to keep racing with him regularly for six years. Once mere rivals in a racing tracks, now turned close companions.
What would it take for you to make a simple speed transition? A stolen smoothie and a midnight race through Station Square, apparently.
"I can try. I should… get this done with eventually anyways." Jet shook his head, a chuckle somehow emerging from his throat. "You helped me start this, and now you're gonna help me finish it. Chaos, I… can't believe you're helping me with this."
"That's what friends are for, right?" Sonic offered him a thumbs up.
Friends, huh? That almost make-out session at the roof would imply otherwise, but Jet could go with friends for now.
"Right. I think we can go back now."
Both of them exited the stall (and luckily no one was there to see them doing it) and headed back towards their table. It looked like the discussion had died down. Everyone on the table looked extra uncomfortable except for Surge, who looked bored at most.
"Look who's back. I thought you two had enough of an intimate moment back at the roof, you really had to go for a round two while we were here discussing important matters?" Surge swiveled his newfound glass of wine in one hand.
"How old are you, twelve? Sonic needed help fixing his bowtie." Jet's lie was pretty convincing coupled with his newfound confidence. He didn't even get flustered about Surge telling everyone on the table and nearby about what he was doing on the roof with Sonic!
Storm's father let out a chuckle at that. "Oh, you too? Gaia, I'm just the worst at fixing those. You should have done like Jet and wore a necklace so no one notices if you don't wear one. That's what I'm doing!"
He gestured at his neck. He wore the same kind of accessory as Storm usually did – two orange pieces of string holding together three metallic chunks. They were angular and polished, but the edges were blunt, probably for the sake of safety.
"I could take a page out of your book, yeah. What kind of necklace is that, though? I've never seen anyone wearing those where I'm from." Sonic leaned in with his elbows on the table.
Surge looked furious that Jet had defied him and that no one was paying attention to him anymore. But then again, no one was paying attention to him anymore so no one noticed that.
"Oh, this? Good question! It's a Babylonian inspired piece made only in this town! It's supposed to represent—"
"The sheer military prowess of our ancestors, yes." Surge interjected. The albatross shot him an unamused look and continued talking to Sonic.
"It's supposed to represent how our ancestors had no use for weaponry, since they didn't start any wars. Here, let me show you." He tugged the pieces close to each other. Sonic let out a small oh! after a couple seconds.
"It's like the tip of a sword!" Sonic pointed out, receiving a smile and a nod in return. "You think I could get one of those for myself? I mean, I'm not really… one of you guys, and I'm hardly a pacifist after so many run-ins with Eggman robots, but..."
"Of course! You might have your hands full of oil, but it's for a good cause. You're a peacekeeper." He grinned, reaching across the table to give Sonic a pat on the back and almost spilling Surge's wine in the process.
"Storm started making some of them in his free time, you should ask him about it some other day." Storm's mother commented.
"What a waste of time." Surge muttered to himself.
Unfortunately for him, Jet heard it. And he wasn't happy. "Wanna say that again? Loud and clear so everyone can hear it."
"I just think… there are better things to do with your spare time." He looked genuinely flustered, focusing his eyes on the wine.
"Oh really? Like what? Like sitting all day inside your massive home and buzzing my phone five times a day? Go fuck yourself."
"Jet! Excuse my son, he is rather… rambunctious today." He took a sip from his glass. "Anyways, about our previous discussion, I believe that—"
"Can't you see no one wants to talk about it? Just let it go." Jet glared at him.
A couple of tables around theirs also fell into silence. Everyone had stopped whatever they were doing to look at the argument between the two hawks. As if in response to that, the DJ decreased the music volume slightly.
"You shut your damn mouth about it or I'm telling Storm to call security. I thought me blocking your number already told you what my opinion on reforming the Rogues is."
"You haven't given it enough thought. It's an invaluable part of our culture you're throwing away." Surge grabbed his cane and tapped Jet on the ankle with it. Jet yanked it away from him and handed it to Wave's mother, who broke it in half over her knee.
"No it's not! There isn't going to be any change in the world if we take some gems or steal from a museum for the sake of people that don't even exist anymore."
"What are you talking about? Of course the Babylonians still exist, look around you!"
"All I see are mobians. All of us. The Babylonians cast aside their identities so we could all live in harmony and YOU are the one disrespecting their decision!"
"Me? How dare you. How dare you HOW DARE YOU—" Before Surge could finish getting up and raise his voice any longer, a hand was firmly placed on his shoulder. Surge seemed to immediately recognize it and go quiet, even if he hadn't turned around to look at its owner.
"Honey? I think I left something in the car, would you mind helping me get there?" Faiza forcefully grabbed him out of the chair and pulled him towards the exit. Everyone in a ten table radius went silent until Storm's father let out a sigh of relief. The festivities continued shortly after that.
"Um. Hi."
Somehow, giving a speech in front of hundreds of people he barely knew felt way less pressuring than that one time he had to give an explanation to a handful of Sonic's friends he was vaguely acquainted with. He could discern Wave's worried look and Storm's excited face among the many in the crowd – as well as his mother, who now had her pristine white gloves stained with a bit of blood. His father was nowhere to be seen and so was Sonic.
"I wanna thank… everyone that came here today and those who couldn't make it but are still celebrating this special time wherever they are. I'm going to read some of their messages to Storm for a bit."
Wave ran him down on some basic points for a decent speech before he got up on stage. And boy did he need it, he didn't expect to have so much happen right before his time came. He was given a list of things he should and shouldn't say, and each item was slowly vanishing from his memory the longer he stood up there.
"Now, I could tell a story about Storm falling off his board. Or triggering traps by accident. There's a ton of those. But I think I'm going to cut him some slack today. And not only because Cloud could snap me in half with a single touch – though I can't deny that's a big part of it."
That got a laugh out of pretty much everyone in the audience, making Jet relax a little.
"I just want to… thank Storm for everything he's done for me over the years. We've known each other for… Ten years now? Twelve? And believe it or not, he's taught me quite a lot! Cooking, woodworking… even swordfighting! And of course, he ended up having to teach me first-aid after that one lesson."
More laughter. Good!
"I think I have to quote something now? IS THAT RIGHT WAVE?" He hadn't forgotten the steps just yet, that was a bit. Wave just facepalmed, unaware. "Pfft, always blaring down my ear except when it's actually something important. Better not want me to make a speech at her wedding."
Jet unfolded a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket as the audience was having a laugh at Wave's expense.
"Let's see here… Oh, I like this one. Pretty sure I picked it myself."
He cleared his throat.
"Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what. Storm was always like a big brother for me, and I couldn't have asked for a better one."
This time, he received a round of applause. He did a little polite bow before grabbing the microphone stand again.
"Just don't ask me who said that. There's like a hundred people on the internet all claiming to have said that and no amount of treasure hunting prepared me for finding the origin of a pinterest image."
That went pretty well overall!
"I've talked for long enough, let's keep the party going. Now's the time I would call for a toast, but I forgot to bring my glass with me."
Just like they had planned, Jet extended his arm and Sonic zipped by to put a glass full of purple liquid on his open hand.
"This better not be wine, I'm 20!"
"It's grape juice, no worries!" Sonic shouted from afar.
"Of course it is, I'm still the team's baby after all this time." Jet walked offstage while sipping from his juice while the audience exploded with all sorts of positive responses.
The rest of the wedding went without a hitch. Storm and Cloud got married, everyone had a blast at the dance floor and after that Jet and a select few stayed behind to give the finishing touches on the cleaning. Jet and Sonic had gone upstairs to tidy up the rooms where no one would be staying. Jet was sweeping the floor of a bedroom someone had accidentally shattered a glass in when Sonic appeared leaning against the doorway.
"What a party that was, huh? I can't say I've ever seen this much energy come from something like a wedding! Not that I've been in many, but still." Sonic wiped the small beads of sweat that were forming on his forehead. Nights in Shamar were cold, but a couple hours of dancing were enough to counter that.
"You know what they say, sometimes family doesn't suck." Jet smirked, putting the last of the glass shards onto a container to dispose of them properly later.
"Who says that? I've never heard that before." Sonic raised an eyebrow.
"I just said it, dumbass."
That got a cute little snort out of Sonic. The hedgehog walked closer, taking the broom off Jet's hands and holding it instead.
"You mind if I continue my… demonstration from earlier?"
Jet rolled his eyes and playfully pushed Sonic off him.
"As if. That was that, you have to earn it if you want to do it again."
Sonic looked genuinely offended for a second before his face softened into a determined grin. "Friday night then? Shadow got some time off work so we can spend the day searching for the rest of the sword, if you want. Something tells me I'm not getting anything off you if I take you on a coffee shop date."
"You know me too well, hedgehog."
Author's note: Okay, credits time!
- The song Sonic sang is Suddenly by Jun'ichi Kanemaru (Sonic's Japanese VA). Though I had the cover of it by Emi Jones in mind for the slower version Sonic sang.
- Wave's parents' names and designs were inspired by designs made by nostalgic_rogue on Twitter.
- As for the quote Jet read... I genuinely couldn't find out who the actual author of that is.