These Are A Few of Faith's Favorite (Fluffy) Things
1
Her Papa's Chest Fur
Apart from his ruby eyes and upward swooping quills, the thick patch of white fur on Shadow's chest caught Faith's attention the most when she first met him. It looked so soft. As if a cloud had drifted down from the sky and stuck itself onto his chest.
While Sonic carried her to his hut that night, she couldn't stop staring at the patch of fluff on the black hedgehog's chest. Her fingers twitched in yearning to reach out and pet it, but she resisted.
'You ruin everything you touch. Keep your hands to yourself, brat,' Daddy's voice hissed in her mind.
That was before Shadow cradled her in his arms and she pressed her cheek against the soft white fur while he read a book to her.
"It's fluffy as clouds…" she murmured, earning a chuckle from Sonic and a deep purr from Shadow.
"It sure is, kiddo. I don't know how Shads does it, but his chest fur always feels like a fluffy cloud to me," Sonic remarked.
"Perks of being genetically-engineered to be perfect in every physical way. And a good fur conditioner," Shadow revealed, looking down at Faith with a soft smile.
"C-can I stay like this?" Faith asked, her face half-buried in the white fluff. "It's… nice…"
"As long as you want."
With that permission, Faith sighed and buried her face in Shadow's chest fur. The silky white strands tickled her cheeks and nose, lavender filling her senses. After being denied of anything soft and comforting, this was a nice change of pace.
A few months later, Faith still thought her Papa's chest fur was fluffy as clouds. She now had a lot of safe spaces after her adoption.
And in her Papa's arms, her cheek pressed against his chest fur, was one of them.
"Papa, I think your chest fur's the fluffiest in the world," Faith mumbled as she dozed after a busy day at school.
"Really? I'm honored, sweetheart," Shadow replied, kissing her on the forehead.
2
Stuffed Animals
Before meeting the two hedgehogs that would become her Dad and Papa, Faith had nothing soft to hug. Without anything to hug, there was no comfort from the harsh words and beatings.
All that changed when she made it to Seaside Island. The soft teddy bear she'd been given was her first gift. It had big black eyes and a warm friendly smile. And its light brown fur was so fluffy that she couldn't stop hugging it.
She would name her Lulubelle after her birthday. Lulubelle became her constant bed buddy. Over time, more bed buddies joined her.
Mini Dad and Mini Papa – little knitted stuffies of her parents made by Aunt Amy as housewarming presents.
Gay Horse – a magical unicorn plushie that always smelled of lavender gifted to her on Christmas. The unicorn was her stress companion, and she always gave him a big squeeze whenever she felt overwhelmed.
Faith knew that she couldn't get all the stuffed animals she saw at the toy store. But that didn't mean she couldn't go give all those fluffy plushies hugs whenever she got the chance.
"Faith?" Sonic called out as he and Shadow walked the aisles, keeping an eye out for pink quills tipped with lavender amongst all the youngsters hanging out at the toy store.
The couple had let Faith go to the toy store in the mall while they picked up baking supplies for Amy at the baker's store next door. But, when they returned, Faith was nowhere to be found.
Which led to both hedgehogs carefully scouring the aisles, minding the other children running around as they played. When they had checked every spot, both hedgehogs went to the cashier's counter. Closing their eyes, they sensed for their daughter's Chaos Energy signature.
A few seconds later, they opened their eyes and focused their gazes on the bin filled with giant stuffed animals
Smiling, Sonic and Shadow went over to the bin. Pushing some of the stuffed animals aside, they found Faith lying on top of a giant stuffed cat, hugging a giant teddy bear's paw, fast asleep.
"There you are, kiddo," Sonic murmured and scooped her up. Noticing how Faith sleepily patted the stuffed cat's head, he got an idea.
"Careful, Blue. We don't want to spoil her too much," Shadow reminded him as they walked out of the toy store with a dozing Faith and a giant stuffed cat five minutes later.
"Just this once, Babe. Besides, her room's still got space for one more fluffy friend." Sonic winked, running his fingers through Faith's quills and making his little girl purr in her sleep.
When Faith woke up from her nap to find a giant stuffed cat with a tricolor coat and a silver bell around its neck in her bedroom, she squealed with joy.
"I will name you Mr. Meowington!" she declared, giving the plushie a hug and burying her face in its fluffy coat. Then she looked into the stuffed cat's eyes and smiled. "Did Dad and Papa get you for me?" she asked. After a moment, Mr. Meowington bobbed his head up and down.
"Thought so," Faith giggled. She gave Mr. Meowington another hug before placing him between Lulubelle and Gay Horse and running downstairs to give her parents thank you hugs.
3
Her Uncle Tails' tails
Faith always thought her Uncle Tails was super cool.
He was smart, way smarter than any 12-year-old, and he could fly a really cool plane. And his twin tails could let him fly like a helicopter. That was one of the coolest things ever!
Plus his tails were suuuuuperrrr fluffy.
She sometimes slept over at her Uncle Tails' house when her parents needed some alone time. Tails was always happy to have her around and would let her help him in tinkering around with his machines. He made mundane machinery assembling into an elaborate puzzle game, which she delighted in as she learned which parts fit together and which wires connected to what.
It was during one particular afternoon when Tails noticed Faith eyeing his twin tails. Nothing unusual. Faith always thought his tails were cool and loved it whenever he used them to lift her up when she wanted to grab something from the top shelves. But there was something different this time. He noticed out of the corner of his eye Faith's hand fidgeting in her lap. Almost as if she was trying to hold herself back from reaching out and…
Ah…
"Alright. I'm gonna take a break. Mind if I sit with you, Faith?" Tails asked.
"Sure thing, Uncle Tails!" Faith scooted over so Tails could sit next to her on the workbench. Her fingers twitched at the sight of two fluffy yellow tails tipped with white just inches from her. Oh, if she could just cuddle them!
'No! No, that will be rude! Uncle's tails aren't stuffed toys, Faith!' the little tenrec mentally scolded herself. Shaking her head, she focuses her gaze straight ahead and clasped her hands tightly to her chest.
A beat passed. And then, to Faith's surprise, Tails gently lowered his two tails onto her lap.
"It's okay. I know you've been wanting to cuddle them." Tails smiled as he gently patted Faith's head. "Go ahead, Faith. I don't mind," he reassured her.
"Thank you," Faith mumbled and gently petted the soft fur before cradling one of the golden tails to her chest and hugging it with a soft giggle. Tails chuckled and continued giving his niece head pats while she cuddled his tails and buried her face in their fluffy fur.
Before long, Faith fell asleep, using her Uncle Tails' twin tails as a pillow. Humming softly, Tails relaxed and enjoyed this treasured moment between him and his niece.
Soon, Faith would grow up. And she wouldn't want to hug his tails anymore, maybe out of respect or growing out of the habit. Might as well enjoy these moments while he still could.
4
Strawberry Snow Ice
It was no secret that Faith loved strawberries.
From the juicy red fruit itself to strawberry jam, strawberry ice cream, strawberry parfaits, and even strawberry-scented bath products.
During her first time going strawberry picking, she ate so many strawberries that her parents joked that she would turn into a strawberry at some point if she wasn't careful. Faith didn't care, too busy savoring every bite of sweet strawberry, the red juices dripping down her chin.
As she got to visit the Restoration HQ more often as she grew up, she found a little shop selling shaved ice that became her go-to spot.
The shop's name was "Sweet Snow" and sold snow ices – bowls of shaved ice so fine it felt like putting a spoon of freshly-fallen snow into one's mouth. The ice was shaved and then arranged in elegant mounds with various toppings. Served on black trays with a small cup of condensed or evaporated milk, these snow ices were a welcome treat to beat the heat of summer or just a lovely dessert to have after a hard day of work.
A kind gentlemanly polar bear named Winston was a master at crafting beautiful bowls of snow ices. He made sure all ices were made with fresh ingredients and nothing artificial. Kids, teens, adults alike all loved his snow ices and he always greeted his customers with a smile.
Faith's favorite, of course, was the strawberry snow ice. Winston always knew her order ever since she first came to his shop with Amy when she was little. After hearing that the little tenrec loved strawberries, he made her strawberry snow ice.
It was a thing of beauty. Finely shaved ice white as snow colored bright red with strawberry puree and jam. Whole and cut strawberries arranged like petals around the edges of the bowl, mixed with swirls of thick whipped cream. And a plump whole strawberry topping the entire confection.
When Faith tasted it for the first time, stars appeared in her merlot eyes and she grinned from ear to ear.
"This is so yummy! I'm gonna get this every time I come to HQ from now on," she declared.
"Glad to hear you like, lass. I'll keep your order in mind from now on," Winston chuckled with a wink.
"It's so good. And I love how fluffy the ice is when I put it in my mouth. It's like eating strawberries with fresh snow!" Faith exclaimed, going back for another spoonful.
And that is how Faith became a regular customer at Sweet Snow. Whether she was there on a visit while her parents had official duties or – in the future, when she was now a teenager and led her own special junior division of the Restoration – after a mission, she always stopped by Sweet Snow.
"Hey, Faith." Winston grinned as the young tenrec stepped into his little shop. "The usual or something new?" he asked as he prepped his ingredients.
"The usual, Winston. But maybe I'll try that new matcha one next time," Faith said, giving the menu above the counter a quick glance.
"Nice. The matcha snow ice has been something I've been working on for a while. It's got adzuki beans and chewy mochi dumplings. I think you'll enjoy it. For now, one strawberry snow ice coming right up!" Winston said and got to work.
"Thank you," Faith said with a bright grin as the treat was placed in front of her. Dipping her spoon in, she savored at the fluffy creamy shaved ice and sweet strawberry mingling in perfect harmony.
"Mmmm… so good."
5
A Blanket from Grandma
"Faith, sweetie, can you come over here for a moment?"
"Coming, Nana!" Faith excused herself from Cream's tea party and went downstairs. Her Nana Vanilla was sitting in her armchair, something pink folded on her lap.
"I have a very special present for you. I know you and your parents will be going on a trip to White Park Zone for the holidays, so I made something to keep you warm," Vanilla said and unfolded a fuzzy pink blanket before Faith.
"Oh, Nana, it's beautiful…" Faith breathed out. Her fingers brushed against the plush pink material, pressing against her finger pads like cotton candy. Throwing the blanket over her shoulders, Faith giggled at the softness.
Vanilla smiled as her granddaughter wrapped herself up. She never expected she'd be a grandmother so soon. She thought she'd have to wait years until Cream had gone and had children of her own. But then Sonic, whom she'd adopted shortly after she'd learned all the heartbreaking secret hurts of his soul, had called her and Vanilla one day. With the news that he and his boyfriend, Shadow, had adopted a child.
After learning about Faith's past as an abused, love-starved child, she immediately got to work on making the blanket.
Her granddaughter deserved plenty of gifts. From both her and Cream. But it was always a good idea for the first gift to be something practical and warm.
"I love it, Nana!" Faith hopped up and down with delight. Then she noticed the rest of the blankets pooling around her. "Oh, but it's very big," she observed and lifted the edges up so they wouldn't drag about on the floor.
"I made it big so it'll still keep you warm and cozy even when you've grown up. I think it could cover two people at most," Vanilla chuckled as she helped her granddaughter sit on her lap.
Faith smiled and hugged the mother rabbit. "Thank you, Nana… I'm really happy," she whispered.
"You're welcome, Faith," Vanilla whispered back and pressed a kiss to the little tenrec's soft pink quills.
"Faith? Do you still want to play tea party?" Cream's voice suddenly drifted down from upstairs.
"Yup! I'll be right there!" Faith called back and slid off Vanilla's lap. She looked up at her grandmother, beaming. "Thanks again for the blanket, Nana. I'll take good care of it," she promised before heading back upstairs, her blanket trailing behind her like a cape.
+1
Her Boyfriend
"Faith-chan?"
"Hmmm?" Faith, now 16-years old, opened her wine-colored eyes to meet icy blue ones shining with amusement.
"We should get back to finishing our Science project," a male husky Mobian told her. He had shiny black fur with a chestnut brown tuft growing between his ears. White fur grew on his muzzle, tipped his tail, colored his belly and chest. A particularly large patch of thick white fur grew on his chest, which Faith was currently resting her head on.
"C'mon, Sting." Faith buried her face in her boyfriend's chest fur. "Five more minutes," she said, her voice muffled through the fluff.
"You said that five minutes ago, and five minutes before that," Sting said and shifted his position so Faith was half-laying on top of him while he reclined on the beanbag. The pair were in his room and were supposed to be working on a diorama of a DNA strand.
They were halfway through assembling the diorama when Faith suggested they take a break.
Sting, ever since he and Faith met a year ago when he moved to Seaside Island, knew that a break for Faith meant cuddle time. And he had long accepted his fate as Faith's favorite fluffy thing to cuddle whenever they were together.
Not that he was complaining. Faith gave the best hugs. And her constant praises of how fluffy he was made him feel really happy.
As for Faith, she relished in these brief moments where she and Sting would get to cuddle (on her insistence). It was a nice way for them to indulge in each other's company outside of school and training to be defenders of peace.
Right now, here, in Sting's room, the weather outside a little chilly as the autumn season blew in, it was bliss to cuddle with her boyfriend. Sting's fur coat was beginning to thicken and it made him twice as fluffy. She couldn't wait for winter to come and for Sting to reach maximum fluffiness.
"Sting, I need to tell you a secret," Faith lifted her head, merlot eyes shining.
"Tell me then, Faith-chan," Sting said with a soft smile that he reserved only for her.
Gently stroking the white patch of fluff on Sting's chest, Faith leaned in and whispered, "I think your chest fur's fluffier than my Papa's. Don't tell him, okay?"
Sting laughed and Faith felt the vibration of it against her abdomen. "I definitely will not. He'll skin me alive if he ever finds out," he joked out.
Faith giggled and gently bumped her nose against Sting's, a shiver of pleasure running through her at the cold contrast of Sting's nose. Sting reached up to gently run his fingers through her quills, fingertips lightly massaging her scalp.
Purring, Faith leaned in, her lips meeting Sting's who hummed and cupped her cheek. His thumb gently stroked her muzzle as he savored the taste and feel of Faith's lips. Strawberry-flavored, thanks to the lip gloss she always applied.
When they broke the kiss, Faith flopped back down onto Sting's chest, burying her face in his chest fur.
"Five more minutes?" She looked up at him with hopeful eyes.
Sting huffed, a smile forming on his lips. "Five more minutes," he said, pressing a kiss to her temple and relaxing into the beanbag.
Sighing with contentment, Faith snuggled into her boyfriend's chest.
She loved all kinds of fluffy things. But Sting was her favorite fluffy person.
