Brother of Mine

Thank you to all those who read/review/favorite/follow this story! It means a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.

Chapter 8: Insomniatic Fox

Tails shuffled his legs inwards to a more comfortable position under the heavy blanket. His eyes stared blankly ahead at the slightly glowing wall where glimmers of sunshine formed soothing patterns. Though there were no lights on, the room was well lit by the sunlight that streamed through the windows and curtains behind him, awakening the room with its early morning rays.

Beyond the closed wooden door, Tails could faintly hear the dull thudding of shoes against floorboard, which no doubt belonged to the blue hedgehog that had awoken not too long ago.

The thuds increased in both speed and proximity before suddenly stopping. Not a moment later, a gentle knock on the door alerted Tails of the hedgehog's presence, his eyes shifting towards the door in response.

"Tails, you awake?" Sonic's voice called out as the door squeaked partly open, revealing his slightly inclined form.

Tails groaned lowly at the unexpectedly loud voice that tore at his eardrums. "Yeah…just, not so loud, please." He murmured, quickly holding a hand to his ear.

"Whoops, uh, sorry about that." Sonic said in a much quieter tone. He slowly pushed the door until it was fully open and stepped into the room holding a plate and glass of water in his hand. "I thought you might like some breakfast, seeing as you didn't eat dinner last night."

Sonic sat down on the side of the bed as Tails fallibly used his arms to push himself up into a sitting position. Placing the plate on the bedside table, Sonic assisted the fox into a more comfortable position before handing him a glass of water.

"Thank you, Sonic," Tails sighed out after drinking the cup of clear liquid. He really didn't feel like eating right now. But he didn't want to turn down Sonic's offering either, especially not when their trust was as delicate as it was. So he cradled the plate in his lap, staring silently at its contents while nibbling on a chili dog, thinking that it was a good opportunity to mend his relationship with his one friend.

"You're welcome," Sonic replied, though without the usual joyous mood that went along with it. "Hey Tails, you sure you're alright?" He asked skeptically.

Tails looked up from the plate and rubbed his mouth with his hand before speaking, "I have a small headache and I feel a bit dizzy, but other than that, I'm okay."

Sonic raised an eyebrow and looked perceptively at the younger fox; as if this time he was trying to deduce whether or not Tails was lying.

The four year old twisted a bit under the elder hedgehog's stern gaze, though he had expected it. He did his best to act the same as he usually did, but on the inside, he was pretty much dead tired. And truthfully, he hoped Sonic would notice that.

"Your eyes…what's wrong with them?" Sonic suddenly asked, surprising the kitsune as he moved forwards to get a closer view. "There are dark circles under your eyes…Tails…how long ago, exactly, did you wake up?"

Tails did his best to hide the stunned expression that crept on his face, having completely forgotten about that small fact ever since he snuck back into bed. "Uh...well, I woke up about an hour ago when my head started to hurt really badly," He quickly said to mislead his friend from the truth that he suddenly didn't feel like revealing. A hand shot up to rub his temple and emphasize his point. "But…it's fine now though."

"Hmm…then, what is up with your eyes?" Sonic asked, leaning back to sit back up straight and crossing his arms. "If what you said is true, and you've been sleeping the right amount the past few days, then there shouldn't be any black circles under your eyes…unless, you're not telling me the truth…are you, Tails?"

A few beads of sweat suddenly protruded from his head as he frantically racked his brain for an excuse to say to the hedgehog. He tried to keep his eyes steady and calm, but that was made equally more difficult by Sonic's own hard stare that was evidently filled with doubts and distrust.

Tails raised a finger to feel the spot under his eye, the dirty texture of his glove suddenly giving him an idea. "Well, uh, I haven't taken a bath in a long time. Maybe I'm just a bit dirty from working on the plane yesterday," He said rather quickly with a sheepish smile.

Sonic raised his eyebrows at the unexpected reply. Well, it is possible… He thought while looking at the kitsune, unaware of just how nervous Tails was. He was certain that the fox was just going to deny the statement and proclaim that nothing was wrong, in which case Sonic would push on, knowing that Tails was lying. But now, he didn't think that calling the fox out for lying would be a good idea, especially when the argument was plausible.

"Well, I mean, I guess that could be it…" Sonic said after a slight debate with himself on whether or not to trust the four year old. Tails silently sighed in relief as his quick diversion was a success. "But that also means, you're gonna need a bath," He continued, getting up from the bed.

"Okay Sonic," Tails complied, not wishing to draw further suspicion to himself. He gently placed the plate on the bedside table before shuffling his legs over the side of the bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sonic asked, holding an arm out to block the kitsune from hopping off the bed.

Tails turned his head towards Sonic and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I'm coming to help you," he stated as if it were obvious.

Sonic frowned as he placed his hands under the fox's armpits and gently lifted Tails back fully onto the bed despite the kitsune's childishly confused look. "Not with that head injury you're not. I'll prepare the bath for you, you just stay here and finish your breakfast." Sonic stated unquestionably, pointing at the barely eaten chili dog. "I'll tell you when the bath is ready, okay?"

Tails let out a small sigh but nonetheless leaned forward to retrieve the plate.

"Okay," He muttered as he watched Sonic grin back at him before turning towards the door and walking through it.

The room once again fell into silence. Tails nibbled lightly on the chili dog as the sound of running water made itself known in the background.

It's only been two days but I already have dark circles under my eyes? That doesn't make any sense…I used to be able to do it for way longer and not get tired! He thought while staring at the chili dog in his hand. Maybe it's because of my injuries…or I just haven't done it in a long time.

Or cause you haven't slept in days!

Tails widened his eyes at the unforeseen voice.

Who are you?

That doesn't matter. What matters is that you go to sleep.

But I can't. If I do then something bad will happen, I just know it.

He's getting suspicious of you, stay awake any longer and he'll find out what you're hiding.

But I can't just go to sleep! Well, not here anyway.

Then leave him! You will only suffer if you don't!

No! If I have to suffer to stay with him then I will!

That will not end well for either of you!

His eyes glanced up to the digital clock: 10:45, it read, meaning it was still quite early. I just need to find some time away from Sonic and take a nap, but when can I…?

"Tails, come on! The bath is ready!" Sonic's voice suddenly rang out through the house.

"Coming!" Tails laid the plate on the table before gingerly sliding off the bed. Giving his right leg a short once over, he was surprised to find that it didn't hurt as much as the previous day. With that in mind, the young fox trekked through the somewhat messy room, minding the slight dizziness in his head as he went.

Wonder if he likes kid's toys as much as machines… Sonic wondered while holding up a plastic toy boat meant for children. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of little feet causing him to turn around and watch as Tails entered the medium sized bathroom.

"Whoa, what's that smell?" The aforementioned fox asked, sniffing the air curiously.

"Hehe, that would be the bubble bath you're about to take." Sonic replied, pointing a thumb behind his shoulder and grinning.

"It smells so nice…" Tails walked past Sonic and leaned over the tub, taking in its delightful scent.

"Hold on lil' buddy, you gotta take off your shoes and gloves first, remember?" Sonic interjected before the fox could lean too far and accidentally topple into the warm water.

Tails embarrassedly smiled as he carefully removed his gloves and shoes before looking back up at the hedgehog with a questioning glance. "What about my bandages Sonic? Should I take them off too?" He asked.

"Hm? Oh yeah…that. It'll probably be fine if you took em off," Sonic watched as Tails slowly unravelled the dingy bandages on his arms and midsection, revealing the dirty yellow-white fur underneath. Sonic quickly dumped the dirtied dressings into the garbage can while keeping his eye on the kitsune. When it came time to unwrap the fox's right knee, they both did their best to look away from the heavily stained red fur, neither wanting to lose their breakfast to the messy sight. Sonic sighed just as the procedure finished.

"Ah, maybe you shouldn't take those ones off just yet," He quickly interjected, stopping Tails in mid-motion just as the fox began removing the bandages wrapped around his head. Sonic grinned as he bent down and lifted the four year old up by placing his hands underneath the fox's raised arms. Letting out a small chuckle at the fox's surprised expression; he carefully hoisted Tails over the edge of the bath tub before gently plopping the cub down into the bubbly water.

"How's it feel lil' buddy? Is it too hot?" He asked in concern while leaning over the edge of the tub.

Tails' face relaxed almost instantly upon entering the soothingly warm bath. He sat happily in the chest high water as his arms floated to the surface, cupping the bubbles in his palm to look at like any other four year old.

"It feels so nice…" He responded with a small smile, easing the concerned expression on Sonic's features. "…I haven't had a bath like this in a long time, thank you, Sonic," He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall in tranquility.

Sonic smiled at the sight as he stood back up and turned around. "You don't have to thank me for everything, ya know?" He said simply with one final glance. "I'll be in the living room when you finish."

The door shut with a quiet thud leaving Tails alone once more.

Sonic sighed as he kicked his feet onto the table and lazily switched the TV on. In a flash, the screen lit up in a wide array of colors. He stared absentmindedly at the changing images while flicking through the channels in no particular order.

Well, at least he seems to be taking it better than I expected… He thought, leaning his head back to look at the ceiling. But I still can't help but feel like he's not telling me something…

After their discussion yesterday, Sonic was scared that he might've gone too far with his restrictions on what Tails could and could not do. That fear, however, had been alleviated this morning when he went to check on the fox, but upon doing so, another fear came to take its place. The fear that Tails actually was hiding something. And judging from the feeling he got, it was something big.

Now that he thought about it, ever since he met the cub approximately a week ago, Tails had always acted independently, never needing Sonic to do anything for him and always keeping his thoughts to himself. The few times he did ask for something, it was either for something very minimal or for permission to do something himself. The only big request he asked for was the one to never abandon him. Other than that, there wasn't really anything notable.

It's probably because he's been on his own for so long that he's like this. Sonic pondered while staring grimly out a window. He's always doing things by himself, and even helping me when I don't ask for it. He thought, remembering all the things Tails did for him.

But why does he do it? If he doesn't trust me enough to tell me what he's feeling, why does he try and help me so much? He began to wonder as he made his way into the kitchen. It doesn't make any sense…don't people usually stay away from the ones they don't trust?

His hand reached into the fridge and pulled out a can of soda. He sighed and proceeded to sip silently from the drink. Ugh, if only I didn't push away all my friends, then maybe I could understand this stuff better.

After minutes of wandering the kitchen to see what was in stock, he began to make his way back to the living room. Just as he made his way back to the couch and sat down, the sound of a door opening reminded him of what the little kitsune had been doing during his musings.

"Wow, your fur must've been really dirty, I can barely recognize you!" Sonic exclaimed with a grin as Tails appeared in the hallway.

"Yeah, I guess so!" The young fox replied, equally as happy as the blue hedgehog that he went and sat by. "I haven't felt this clean in a long time!"

The murky-yellow color that formerly adorned most of his entire body had been replaced by golden-yellow fur that was further complimented by the sun's rays. His greyish white chest and muzzle had also drastically changed and were now whiter than the very snow that surrounded the house on all sides.

"Guess you were just really muddy after all, the black circles under your eyes are completely gone!" Sonic said gladly while leaning forwards just to make sure of that. Guess he wasn't lying to me after all! He thought. "Sorry I doubted you lil' buddy."

"It's alright Sonic." Tails replied with a small smile, scratching the back of his head. "You had a good reason to not trust what I said, especially after what happened yesterday."

Sonic scooted closer to the fox and placed an arm over Tails' shoulder in a one arm hug. "Yeah, but still, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that." He said, smiling at the younger kitsune. His gaze swept over the fox's body, astounded that just one bath could bring about such a major change in appearance.

A slight frown however, broke through his smile as his view landed on the tattered gloves and shoes that stood out greatly with their worn and outdated appearance.

"We're gonna have to buy you some new clothes soon." He stated, eyeing the fox's dirtied gloves and shoes.

Tails frowned and suddenly became self-aware of the condition of his gloves. His eyes looked up at Sonic as a small smile found its way onto his features. "You don't have to do that Sonic; I can still use the ones I have."

"Don't worry about it bud, I don't mind spending a bit of money." Sonic grinned reassuringly, not letting go of the opportunity to get the little fox out of the house. "How bout we go tomorrow? That sound okay with you?"

"Uhm, I don't know if that's a good Idea…" Tails said with a sigh.

"Hm? Whaddya mean by that?" Sonic asked, although he already had a pretty good idea what this was about.

Tails turned his head to the side and silently swished his tails around in a circular motion, confirming what Sonic had already perceived was the problem.

"Tails, I know you're scared that people will make fun of you for your extra tail, but can you please give it a try? It's a different city with different people. They're not gonna hate you when they don't even know you."

The young kitsune only shook his head, unconvinced. "You don't know that Sonic. What if they hate me even more than West Side City? Or what if they hate you for taking care of me? I don't want to ruin your life too."

Sonic took a mental note of the last words Tails said, curious as to what the kitsune meant but opted to save it for later. "They're not gonna hate you just for having an extra tail you know. Besides, they don't have any reason to hate you, especially not if your with me."

They will have a reason if I stay with you.

Tails' eyes widened at the unexpected and uninvited thought, an action which did not go unnoticed by the blue hedgehog at his side.

"Tails? Is something wrong?" Sonic quickly asked.

The small fox held a hand to his head and turned towards Sonic with a faint smile. "No, nothing's wrong, just, I have a little headache." He said, feigning discomfort.

What was that? Tails thought as Sonic eyed him with a worried glance. Why do I keep hearing voices? I heard them when I was taking a bath too, but those were good thoughts. Maybe it is because I haven't slept in a few days… He wondered, recounting all the things that had happened in the past week.

"Tails, you sure you're alright?" Sonic quietly asked once again.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I mean, we can talk about that another day if you'd like." Sonic sighed a little dejectedly and shifted most of his attention back towards the TV. "I guess I might've gotten a little too carried away with the idea…sorry about that."

Tails looked on worriedly as the hedgehog's expression dampened a bit. No…now Sonic thinks that I got a headache because of him! He berated himself for causing the current situation. I have to do something…but what?

The two friends sat silently in the little amount of comfort that the TV show brought. Neither of them said a word, fearing that whatever they wanted to say would only make the situation worse. Tails twiddled his thumbs in thought; an action he didn't ever remember doing since a very long time ago.

I really don't want to go to the city, but what if he's right? I know he wouldn't ever do anything bad to me, at least, I hope not. But all he's done so far is help…and what have I done?

I can't let him feel guilty about this, it is my fault after all. With that thought, Tails took a deep breath and turned around to face the blue hedgehog. His hand lifted off the couch and gently tapped Sonic's shoulder, earning his attention.

"Sonic, I-I…." He began nervously before taking another deep breath to steady his words. "I thought about it a little and, I think I'll at least try going to the city once and see if…what you said is true." He finished a bit unsurely.

Sonic however looked surprised to see the fox cub willingly asking to go to the quite populated city despite all the things that had happened in his past. He cocked his eyebrow up before replying, "You sure about that Tails? I don't want to force you into doing something you don't want to, especially if it involves a bunch of people surrounding us inside of a big city where-"

His questioning ramblings were brought to a stop when Tails suddenly stood up on the couch and enveloped the older hedgehog in an unexpected hug.

Sonic's mouth gaped open at the sudden move. He felt the fox's short arms wrap themselves around his torso as the kitsune's white muzzle buried itself in the soft blue fur of his shoulder. Diligently, Sonic returned the comforting hug, an indistinct feeling of happiness washing over him.

"I'm sure about this, Sonic." The sound of Tails' voice brought him back out of his temporary stasis. "After all that you've done for me, I need to do something for you too."

Sonic let out a small chuckle at the fox's ever-giving attitude. "Only if you really want to, besides, I told you already that you don't have to give me anything."

"Of course I do! You deserve more than this." Tails slowly released himself from the warming hug and let a small smile grace his features. "Besides, if you keep giving things to me, you'll run out of things to give, and I don't want to let that happen."

"Well, if you really want to, I guess we can go." Sonic happily stated as a grin appeared on his face. "So, when do ya wanna go?"

Tails' expression faltered a bit as the hedgehog once again missed his explanation's alternative implication, but nonetheless, he kept smiling and continued on. "Well…at the rate it's healing at, I think my head will stop hurting enough so we can go in about…five days?" He said, scratching his chin in thought.

"That sounds good to me." Sonic sighed contently, leaning back against the couch and looking over at Tails with a relieved grin. The fox only looked back at him with the same, small smile that always adorned his little face.

"You're the best friend I've ever had, y'know that?" He continued, bringing a surprised look to the kitsune's visage. That expression was quickly replaced by one of confusion as Tails stared at him in disbelief.

Seeing that the fox was once again mulling over past thoughts, Sonic ruffled the three bangs that were uncovered by bandages, which in turn, brought Tails back out of his cerebration before a bad memory could resurface.

"As long as you're with me, I ain't gonna let you keep zoning out like that, especially not if you're thinking bout the past all the time." Sonic stated with a grin. "Now, how about we do something fun after all that boring talk?"

Tails blinked a few times as he gradually refocused on the present. "Uhm…okay, what do you wanna do?" He asked curiously.

Before the kitsune could even realize what was happening, a pair of hands pulled him up and quickly placed him on his back, and, not a moment later, a soft tingly feeling began to originate from the back of his neck. His eyes widened as Sonic began to tickle the back of his neck with one hand and his belly with the other.

"SOHOHOHONHIHIC!" Tails managed to say during his intense bouts of giggling. "WHAHAHAHAHAAAHHA!"

Sonic's grin threatened to split his muzzle as the fox's laughter only propelled the speed of his fingers to go faster. "What?" He asked playfully. "I just wanna have some fun with my new little best friend!"

The little kitsune tried to use his hands to protect against the childish attack but Sonic just tickled other spots on his chest. "SOHOHOHNIHIC! STAHAHAHAHAHHOHAHP!"

"Sorry Tails, but I gotta cheer you up somehow!" Sonic said, struggling to keep his hold on the squirming kitsune as Tails twisted and turned in all directions.

"PLEHEHAHAHAHAHAHEAHESEHEHESSSSHAHA!" Tails cackled as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. Sonic grinned merrily at the happily laughing kitsune, realizing that this was the first time he'd ever seen him that happy.

The tickling went on for another minute before Sonic noticed that Tails had been laughing so much he couldn't even raise his arms to defend himself anymore. Seeing that the fox was at his limit, Sonic stopped his tickle attack and smiled as the fox gradually stopped squirming and panted heavily in the open air.

"Heh, sorry if I overdid it a bit." Sonic said sheepishly, never letting go of the smile on his face.

Tails gasped longingly for air as he lay his back against the hedgehog's chest with a happy expression. "…heehee…that…was…so…much…fun."

"Hehe, glad you liked it, best friend!" Sonic responded, happy that the fox was in a good mood. His arms wrapped comfortably around the little cub as he rested his chin on Tails' head.

"…you're the…best…best friend…I've ever had." The cub gasped as he slowly regained his breath.

"Heh…you're the best best friend I've ever had too." Sonic said, smiling longingly and nuzzling his chin against the fox's head. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

The sound of a train whistle blew calmingly in the distance. Trudging slowly through a nearby forest were the forms of a blue hedgehog and a little twin tailed fox. The two walked silently through the forest, the only sound being the crunching of snow beneath them. Sonic firmly held Tails' hand in his own, though, due to their height differences, Tails had to raise his hand slightly above his head just to reach the blue hedgehog's grasp. To anyone who saw the duo, it would look like the fox was being unwillingly pulled along by the hedgehog.

"Don't worry Tails, I'll be right beside you for everything." Sonic said reassuringly to the fox cub that trudged silently beside him. The bandages that had adorned the fox's small head five days ago had all but been removed, leaving behind a light purple bruise on his forehead. Despite Sonic constantly asking if he'd rather wear the bandages for a few more days, Tails assured that he was perfectly fine without the uncomfortable dressings.

"…I trust you Sonic." The little yellow fox responded, bringing a smile to his best friend's face. Over the course of the five days, the two best friends had stayed with each other for the entire time, partly due to Sonic's new rules, but mostly for one simple reason. After becoming accustomed to the other's presence every day since the day they met, it became difficult to separate from the other for long. Sonic because he preferred the conversations they shared to the long silence that he spent training for the past few years, and Tails because he simply liked talking to his new best friend.

"Then there's nothing to be afraid of." Sonic said with a grin.

But even with the reassurance, Tails knew that that was far from the truth. There were many things he was afraid of.

The train whistle blew again, closer this time. The two hurried their pace as the station came into view. And luckily for the twin tailed fox, not many people were on it.

Tails gripped his hand tighter with Sonic's as the two boarded the spacious train compartment. A few eyes rose to look at the newcomers, lingering for a few seconds before returning to their previous actions. The train lurched forward without another thought just as Tails climbed onto one of the seats and sat down.

They won't have a reason to hate me if I don't give them one.

Powering himself with that single thought, the little yellow fox exhaled slowly as he stared at the passing scenery outside, calming him to a degree. Not a word was spoken by the passengers. But there didn't need to be. His senses were already running rampant and fabricating voices from days of not sleeping.

The train ride passed quickly, a little too quickly in fact for the nervous fox. The train dully screeched to a stop. The window-fitted doors slid open, prompting the duo to stand back up and slowly begin their trek to the bustling platform where figures could be seen going about their daily routines.

"I'll be right beside you." Sonic's voice said but it did little to soothe the anxious thoughts in his mind. Soon, the duo had passed the barrier between civilizations, allowing the full extent of the sun's rays to shower them in its light, which Tails gladly used as an excuse to shut his eyes from the malevolent sight.

But even with his eyes closed, he could feel them. The stares as they walked by. The shocked expressions on their faces. He could feel them all.

They hate you. A voice said inside his head. They hate you just like West Side Island did.

Stop saying that, you don't know if that's even true!

Of course it's true! Who wouldn't hate a defec-

"Tails!"

Another voice suddenly broke him out of his argument as his eyes snapped open.

"You alright? You sorta zoned out for a bit." He heard, seeing Sonic's concerned face looking down at him.

"Hhm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

But you're not

Shut up!

Ohoohoo, big words for a kid, don't you think?

"Alright…well, let's get going then."

His legs moved on autopilot as he gripped tightly onto Sonic's hand.

Look, they're watching you.

His head tilted upwards, an action he immediately regretted.

They're ALL watching you…

No! Tails rapidly shook his head and wiped his eyes with his free hand.

Oh…it was just my eyes again…

Sure enough, the trained eyes of the masses had been replaced by the backs of their heads. Tails sighed in relief as his eyes scanned the crowd for anyone that seemed to be looking at him.

Whew…nobody seems to have noticed me.

Yet.

"Tails, we're here!" Sonic's voice called once again. Tails refocused his eyes and found the hedgehog staring worriedly down at him. "You haven't said much today, is something wrong?"

He mumbled a few incoherent words that were drowned out by the bustling crowds.

"Look Tails, I know you're scared, but if anything goes wrong, I can get us out of here in no time." But his words did little to comfort the anxious kitsune.

"I know Sonic, and I trust you, but I can't help but feel…" He trailed off, unsure of whether to continue speaking or not. "…like I don't belong here…"

A moment later he felt himself being pulled into a hug by the hedgehog. His eyes stared blankly out at the people, seemingly not even recognizing the comforting gesture.

"…Wherever I belong, so do you, best friend." He heard him say before retracting from the warming hug. "Now come on, it's warmer in the store."

His feet shuffled lazily against the frozen snow kicking up small mounds into piles. The snow soon transformed into wood and carpet as hot air suddenly washed over him from above. The wind stopped, replaced by the distant sounds of smooth jazz.

"So, which one do ya like?" Sonic asked in an attempt to cheer up the expressionless cub. Before them was a towering wall, lined with shoes of all colors and sizes ranging from baby sneakers to Godzilla boots.

Tails stared at the wall with mild interest, having rarely seen or smelt anything like this in his lifetime. His eyes wandered to the shoes closer to his size.

He's testing you, seeing how much money you use and then kicking you out just like your 'old' caretakers!

He furrowed his brows as the voice reappeared with another outlandish thought.

Sonic wouldn't do that, we're best friends!

If he really was your 'best friend', then how come he hasn't noticed that you haven't slept for the past week?

Shut up! Sonic's my best friend! He's just a little…dense, actually, extremely dense…he just can't tell when there's something wrong, that's all.

Can't tell? Or doesn't care?

"Tails please stop zoning out like that!" Sonic said as he laid a hand on the little kitsune's shoulder. Tails looked up in surprise and quickly snapped out of his thoughts for the umpteenth time that day. "If you do that one more time, I'm gonna have to tickle ya once we get back!"

Tails shivered a bit at the thought, knowing that the hedgehog was brutally serious with the childish threat. It was one of the things he did whenever Tails started acting sad around him, albeit, the cub could barely speak afterwards, but it did the trick.

"Uhm…I'll have that one…" Tails stated while pointing at the cheapest pair of shoes available that were still his size. A pair of green and white sneakers that looked absolutely disgusting. "…if you don't mind…of course."

"Tails, I told you I don't mind spending a bit of money, now go ahead and pick one you really like…and not as hideous."

A small chuckle escaped his parted lips at the response. Leave it to Sonic to find a way to make him laugh even in his current situation.

"Okay Sonic…how aboutttt…that one?" His finger pointed towards a pair of red and white shoes that looked almost identical to Sonic's, not overly expensive, but not dirt cheap either.

"Hehe, good choice lil' buddy!"

Tails followed Sonic as the two made their way to the checkout line. Along the way, they picked up a new pair of white gloves before stopping at a line of winter jackets.

"How's this one Tails? You like it?" Sonic asked while plucking a small blue jacket off its hook.

"You don't have to buy that for me Sonic…" Tails said earnestly regarding the jacket. "My fur is enough to keep me warm in the winter."

"You've never been here during the winter have you? It gets real cold, and right now's just the beginning of it too." Sonic responded. "I already have a jacket for myself at home, and I don't care how much you argue, if you get a cold, it'll be my fault. You getting a cold especially while you're still so young would be dangerous."

Before he could even open his mouth and argue, Sonic had already rushed over to the checkout line, grinning at him enthusiastically. Tails sighed and reluctantly followed the speedster.

The sounds of the bustling store receded to the backs of his senses, allowing his eyes to look tiredly out of the large store windows. It had been far too long since he last visited the innards of a city. Usually, everybody would yell words he didn't even know at him and throw whatever junk they could find just to make him leave. Here however, it was drastically different. Though many of them still stared at his twin tails, none (as of yet) had bad mouthed or harmed him in any way.

Maybe Sonic was right, this city is different!

Don't be fooled! The moment he isn't with you, you'll be kicked out again!

Tails gnawed his teeth in slight frustration upon hearing the irritating voice again.

Why don't you just shut up and leave me alone?

I'm just looking out for you Tails!

How? By telling me that I'm just a worthless kid?

No! Well, yeah, but not exactly. Look, you're tired, you can't think straight, and you're having hallucinations! Go take a nap before you regret something.

I can't just go take a nap! Sonic's been watching me even closer ever since the accident I had in his workshop, there's no way I can leave long enough!

Just go at night!

I can't even see clearly in the day anymore! It's like I'm looking through someone else's glasses! What makes you think I'll do better at night?

Oh for crying out loud! Just run away from him! It'll do you both good!

No way! I'm not leaving him!

But I thought you cared about him! Why wouldn't you leave when you're a danger to his life?!

I'm not dangerous to him! As long as I don't fall asleep near him, things will work out!

Go to sleep! You aren't thinking straight!

I'm just fine! Sonic-

"Tails!"

"Huh?"

"Tails, what is with you today?!" His eyes blinked twice, refocusing enough to see the looming figure of a blue hedgehog looking bewilderedly at him. "You've been zoning out all day! Is there something goin on that you wanna tell me?"

"Wha…uhh…" Tails quickly looked around to find an alibi out of his situation. "Well…I am a little hungry after the trip here, and I guess that pizza shop across the street looked really good."

Sonic gave him a tough stare while Tails wondered whether the hedgehog believed him or not this time. The discerning expression was soon replaced by a smile as Sonic placed a hand over the fox's head and ruffled his hair.

He believes that?!

"Well, why didn't ya just say so lil' buddy?" Sonic said, grinning. "I was starting to feel a little hungry myself, how bout we head over and grab a bite to eat?"

"Uh, yeah, sure thing Sonic!" Tails replied, snapping out of his stupor.

The duo walked towards the exit, during which Sonic handed the newly bought clothes to Tails to put on.

"Better put those on before we go back out, the winds starting to pick up." The hedgehog reasoned, waiting for Tails to finish swapping his outfit and placing the old shoes and gloves in a bag.

Sure enough, the wind instantly circled them with its frosty embrace before the two could fully make it out the doorway.

"Wow, we must've spent more time shopping than I thought! There are barely anymore people out here!" Looking around, they could see only a few people braving through the sunny winds, which was good news for the twin tailed fox if his smile gave any indication.

Even though the wind further impacted his vision, he could clearly tell where to walk and avoided the ice patches that spotted the ground, following Sonic all the while.

After trudging through a couple streets of snow, they arrived at a pizza shop and quickly stepped in, grateful for the warm air and protection from the wind.

"Anything specific you want to eat?" Sonic asked after they got seated at a cushioned booth against a wall. The waiter, who recognized Sonic, promptly gave them both a menu, albeit, Tails received a kid's menu much to his dismay. The little fox crawled under the table and popped back up on the other side, opting to sit next to his best friend.

"Nope, I'll just have whatever you have." Tails replied, though Sonic had already expected that answer.

"Sure thing bud." Sonic agreed before the waiter returned to take their order and left afterwards. "You sure there's nothing bothering you?"

Tails refocused his attention on the blue hedgehog, having zoned out again while Sonic spoke to the waiter. His hand waved sheepishly in the air as he spoke. "Don't worry Sonic, I'm fine."

No you're not.

Shut up!

I'm trying to help you!

I don't need help!

Yes you do!

Just shut up! Get out of my hea-

"Wha?!" His eyes suddenly widened as he felt a rough pair of knuckles rub painfully against the top of his head. "Sonic?! Wha-What are you doing?" He asked while struggling to pry the blue hedgehog's chokehold off his neck.

"You were spacing out again Tails!" He heard Sonic reply while giving him a painful noogie.

"Owww! You can stop now!" Tails harshly stated, his attempts to get out of the hold not working.

"Not until you promise not to do it again." Sonic said with a grin, but he at least lessened the force that went into the noogie.

"What?!"

"You heard me Tails."

The top of his head ached agonizingly now. Does he even realize how hard he's doing it?! Tails wondered.

"Say it! Unless you want me to tickle you again!"

Tails' eyes widened at the statement and strained his throat against the hold.

"I-I promise I won't do it again!" He sputtered out with a cough. Immediately, the hedgehog let go of his hold causing Tails to collapse on his back, tightly shutting his eyes while rubbing the top of his aching head.

"Good, that wasn't so hard was it?" Sonic asked with a grin. After a few moments without a reply, he looked down in slight worry at the fox. "Tails?"

The little kitsune only whimpered in reply, not even opening his eyes to look up at the hedgehog

"Tails, you okay?"

"Did you have to do it that hard?" Tails groaned while slowly sitting back up, one hand rubbing the top of his head while the other wiped his eye, and under them, Sonic could see a very small tear form before it too was wiped away.

He's crying?! He thought in confusion and disbelief. But I wasn't even using that much strength! Is it because he's still a kid that he feels more pain?

He met Tails' gaze with his own, the fox seemingly glaring at him while he didn't even know what to say. No, Tails can take hits a lot stronger than that, that's for sure. I've even seen him get beat up way worse than I've ever been injured fighting Robotnik, there's no way he can't endure a little noogie. But if that's true then…what's wrong?

Sonic sighed and pulled Tails into a loose hug, though, as expected, the fox did not return it.

"Tails, I didn't know it would hurt that much." Sonic said, finding it a tad bit ridiculous and skeptical that he was apologizing over a noogie. "…I'm sorry, okay? Do you forgive me?"

Tails let out his own sigh, not wanting to stay mad at the only person that cared about him. "…It's alright Sonic…I forgive you."

Something is wrong. Sonic realized while turning his head away as the waiter returned and gave them their food. He's been thinking a lot more than usual for the past few days, and judging by his expression, it can't be about anything good. He even sounded a little mad after the noogie I gave him…

He watched as Tails lightly bit into a slice of pizza. He said he was hungry, but he's not even eating that fast. First he was just spacing out, then the thing with the pizza shop, and now he's lost his appetite?

Sonic reached forward and grabbed his own slice of pizza, all the while keeping his eye on the fox.

…Tails…just what are you hiding from me?