„This is getting absurd."
„No, you know what is getting absurd? The colossal fuss you've been making for what? Over two weeks now?"
"Oh, spare me! You have it easy to talk, after all! Your boyfriend is known to never stay in the same place for more than ten minutes. Mine on the other hand… Knuckles would never leave Angel Island without telling me! Let alone for multiple weeks! So, excuse me for being understandably worried about his absence!"
A deep sigh of resignation left the time traveler's mouth, shortly followed by a faint yet quite noticeable shake of his head. Sonic didn´t know what he had walked into, having just arrived during the last segment of the other hedgehogs' conversation. But in all honesty, he didn´t exactly care either. After everything that's happened, he was just glad to be finally home again. Or, well… the one closest place to an actual home he had.
Despite what most people would assume, he didn´t announce his arrival, didn´t quip in with a sassy remark or anything akin while the other two were solely focused on each other. No, he simply watched them from the spot he decided to halt on without the loss of a single word and waited for them to eventually become aware of his presence all on their own.
Frankly, it took Shadow and Silver a couple of seconds to realize they were no longer alone, which was quite strange considering Sonic made no effort to sneak up on them in any way, shape or form. Yet, here they were. Though, when they finally did, their surprise couldn´t be more evident, their sole expressions telling more all by themselves than words ever could.
"Sonic?" both voiced simultaneously in a questioning fashion, almost as if not quite sure they were seeing correctly. Sonic, however, remained quiet. Not once opening his mouth for even something as small as a proper greeting.
Silence fell over the newly formed group afterwards, neither of the three hedgehogs speaking up again for a while. One because he still had nothing to say despite his sudden reappearance, whereas the other two were simply too dumbfounded by precisely this occurrence to react accordingly. It wasn´t until Shadow was the first to break it that said silence was shooed away once more.
"Wait… if you're back that should mean…" Red eyes went wide in realization for a mere, fleeting moment ere the dark coated hedgehog took off like a rocket without any prior warning whatsoever, instantly creating an explosion of sound that nearly hauled the youngest of the trio clean off his feet through the sheer force his launch generated. "Knuckles!"
Silver was barely able to catch himself in time when the Ultimate Lifeform had already vanished into thin air, the only remnant of his previous company being the dense dust cloud his abrupt departure stirred up. Well, that and the way Sonic's quills swayed in the strong, artificially produced current of wind.
Now usually the time traveler would be quite annoyed at such a rash move. After all, Shadow's rather rude parting nearly caused him to kiss the dirt. Shockingly enough not something the grey hedgehog was dying to do. However, in this particular instance the striped mobian was in luck, as his lack of consideration, whatever it was on purpose or otherwise, was one of the last things Silver could care about right now. Not when, after literal weeks of being in the dark about his significant other's whereabouts, he had finally returned from wherever he had been.
"Sonic…" Silver repeated softly once he regained his balance, blinking as if he still didn´t completely believe what his eyes were perceiving. While the blue hedgehog continued to show little to no reaction, the fast motion didn´t make him disappear. So, it wasn´t a trick of his sight! Sonic was back! Actually back! Right there, before his very eyes! After all this time!
Immense joy immediately erupted within the grey hedgehog, strikingly evident by the manner in which a huge smile manifested on his countenance. The overwhelming urge to embrace, pick up, twirl around and kiss the person he had missed so dearly almost powerful enough to overtake the whole of his being in that moment. He really just couldn´t believe it! Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to shower his boyfriend in nothing but affection, he didn´t. Not out of physical restraint obviously, but because Silver could tell right away that something was… off. Even through the hefty veil of happiness he was experiencing. It made a frown replace the clear delight that had been on his face a mere second earlier, as well as his euphoria over the other's homecoming short-lived. "Sonic… Are… are you alright?" he asked, cautiously stepping closer to the older hedgehog, worry now the most prominent attribute in his tone. "What happened? Where have you been?"
Sonic didn´t answer and simply kept looking at the younger mobian as if he hadn´t spoken up in the first place. It confused Silver as much as it concerned him. Mainly because Sonic didn´t just stop and stare and refuse to acknowledge when addressed. Especially the latter was… odd to say the least. Heck, it was already weird all on its own how Sonic didn´t even do as much as flinch when Shadow dashed past him like a bullet! You'd think, the evoked force would have made him somewhat recoil at the very least. Yet, here he was. Unfazed. Unchanged. Unaffected like a pillar in the middle of a raging storm. Then again… he hadn´t paid attention to his main rival at all in the short time they had faced each other. Like Shadow hadn´t even been there to begin with. No… since Sonic returned, his emerald eyes were set on Silver and Silver alone. Under any other circumstances it was not something the one in question would have minded, but as of now it only served to unnerve him. In fact, the entire display was so out of the ordinary for the blue hero, Silver absolutely didn´t know what to make of it.
Not like Sonic was going to give him much more time to dwell on it anyways, as he was soon to find out. The older hedgehog all but pulled him from his thoughts when he suddenly began to approach him. Still without uttering as much as a single word but with determination in each and every step he took. At the sight, the frown adorning Silver's expression deepened, his confusion growing bigger. What was Sonic doing? Why was he stalking up to him like that? Was he for some reason angry at him? That would explain his lasting silence, although Silver sincerely had no idea what he'd done wrong if this truly was the case.
He was about to ask, needing to know despite fully expecting in it probably only ending in more of the same treatment. Though, before he had the chance, any attempted form of speech was abruptly cut off when Sonic, out of the blue, wrapped his arms tightly around him and drew him into the firmest, most startling hug he had ever been given.
Yellow eyes went wide in shock at the unforeseen physical contact. Even more so when he felt the blue hedgehog burry deeply into his fluff-covered neck right afterwards. Now, there were a couple things Silver anticipated to happen. Like Sonic playing up the tension and dramatics for laughs. Would undoubtedly not be the first time. This, however? Silver can say with absolute certainty that this he was not prepared for in the slightest. "S-Sonic, wha-"
"It's fine. I'm fine. I'm okay…" Sonic interrupted, his voice greatly muffled through the thick fur, yet managing to make Silver's mouth snap shut in an instant all the same. "I… I'm gonna explain everything later… I promise… But not now… Just… Just let me have this for now… Please…"
The grey hedgehog didn´t understand what was happening. What prompted his boyfriend to act the way he suddenly did. Don´t get him wrong. They have hugged before. Of course, they have! Even if Sonic wasn´t known to be the most affectionate person in the world. If anything, this quirk was exactly what made their endearments just the more special. This was different, however. Vastly different. In fact, he currently deviated so much from his usual behavior, and outward confidence for that matter, Silver was severely taken aback.
Which was precisely why more concern started to surge throughout the whole of the younger mobian's body. He wanted to ask Sonic what was going on. To question him why he was behaving so oddly. He simply had to know even if it meant to go against Sonic's recent wish. How else was he supposed to help, after all? However, each and every single word, waiting to be said out loud, was stuck in his throat when Silver realized that Sonic not only pulled him in further into his embrace but was also… shaking?
What…?
An ice-cold shiver ran down the time traveler's back, causing his fur to stand and quills to bristle in great alarm. Sonic… was shaking. Why was Sonic shaking?! Drastically increasing shock and confusion alike flooded Silver's system, his brain overloading as it desperately tried and failed to find an answer to this very question. After all, he had never witnessed the blue hedgehog display distress to this extend before! Let alone so openly! It caught Silver heavily off guard and that didn´t even begin to describe how hard he was struggling to comprehend what he was experiencing! Where in Chaos' name did it even come from?
Again, his immediate knee-jerk reaction was the need to express his bewilderment; to give voice to everything his mind threw at him in its frantic strive for clarity. However, much like a measly few seconds earlier, all words were lost when the time traveler became aware of another new sensation he had also not foreseen. One so unexpected, it made the grey hedgehog's blood run cold and the world around him cease to exist. The feeling in question? Something distinctly wet soaking into the dense coat covering the whole of his neck.
In an instance, Silver froze up, golden eyes as wide as their lids would allow. They stared into the middle distance when, for only a moment, time appeared to have stopped, disbelief the sole conductor of his senses at first. That was until the weight of reality returned and he found imagination was indeed not playing a dreadful trick on him. Sonic… was actually… …
Slowly the time traveler's gaze wandered to the shivering, silently sobbing hedgehog as well as their compromising position would permit. The very same hedgehog clinging onto him for dear life as if he was about to vanish from his arms should he accidentally let go. It was then, that Silver ultimately understood. Not only the meaning behind the other's earlier words, but his strange demeanor as well. And now that he did, the sight did nothing if not break Silver's heart.
All need to figure out the origins of this puzzling situation came to an end right then and there. Silver no longer desired to know. Not when his boyfriend was at such a devastatingly low point and obviously needed him far more urgently than any yearning for lucidity the time traveler might feel. Whatever the reason for Sonic's current turmoil may be didn´t matter anymore. At least… for now. No… there was only one thing that did and Silver finally initiated it whilst wrapping his arms around the blue hedgehog as well, pulling him close much like Sonic had done to him before, albeit in a much more gentle and careful manner. Almost as if the older hedgehog was a delicate glass figure despite knowing he would never as easily break as one. Either way, the effects of his reciprocation were immediate.
Instantly, Sonic fastened his hold and nuzzled further into the younger hedgehog, clearly indicating that he had no intention of letting him go anytime soon. Silver didn´t mind. Of course, he didn´t. Sonic needed this and couldn´t make it more apparent if he tried. Luckily, the grey mobian didn´t require a verbal request to get the picture. Those actions spoke volumes. Especially, since they were coming from this specific person. So, Silver mimicked the gesture, giving the support the other oh so desperately needed whilst simultaneously holding him even closer to himself, almost protectively in its display. At the same time, one hand ran up and down that azure coated back in another additional, soothing sign of comfort.
If it helped, Silver unfortunately couldn´t tell as the older one refused to show his face. It saddened him but ultimately understood the other's restraint. This was a rare, practically unheard-of behavior after all. As a matter of fact, while he may not outwardly show it, Sonic probably struggled a great deal in allowing himself to have this in the first place. To be seen vulnerable to this degree. To blame most likely his beacon-of-hope status. The perception that he's always smiling. Always running forward. Not only in the eyes of the general public, but for many of his friends as well. While, at their core, these characteristics weren´t untrue, the resulting pressure would mess with anyone's handling of their own emotions in the long run. Sonic, evidently, not being an exception. But that's besides the point.
What wasn´t, however, was that regardless of how he felt about showing what was truly going on inside of him, it couldn´t be denied how, in this current moment, he indeed bared his heart to Silver. Unshielded. Unmasked. Trusting he would keep it close and accept it for what it was. Even if the amount of reveal he's been given wasn't as much as the younger hedgehog would have preferred. Needless to say, but of course Silver respected those boundaries, the thought about pushing past them not once crossing his mind. Never would. His only regret over this entire situation was the fact that their first embrace, in literal weeks of being apart, sadly happened in less cheerful circumstances than he had hoped… Granted, this too didn´t matter right now.
Really, there was only one thing that did. Sonic was back. He was here. In his arms, safe and sound. Shedding tears and under enormous, unknown distress, yes. But safe and sound nonetheless. They got all the time in the world now and whatever it was that had Sonic shaken up this badly… talking about it can wait until he was feeling better. Silver didn´t mind holding off until then. He sincerely didn´t. If it meant he could help him to eventually find his calm again more effectively, he would gladly become the most patient person in the entire world. Everything to make his boyfriend smile his most beautiful smile again.