Estimated Reading Time: 13 Minutes

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SNES Shorts

Ness lounged on his bed, guitar resting against his thigh, his fingers strumming a soft tune. The room felt hot, the air thick and heavy, and beads of sweat began forming on his brow. His focus wavered, the notes faltering as the heat became unbearable. With a frustrated sigh, he set the guitar down beside him and swung his legs off the bed, padding across the wooden floor to the window.

He unlatched it with a soft click, pushing it open wide. A refreshing breeze swept into the room, carrying with it the faint scent of cut grass and distant chatter from outside. He closed his eyes and leaned into the coolness, letting it wash over his flushed face.

"That's more like it," he murmured to himself, peeling off his sweater and tossing it into the dirty basket. He rummaged through a drawer, pulling out a loose, well-worn t-shirt, its fabric soft against his skin as he slipped it on.

Feeling lighter and more at ease, Ness set the guitar aside and decided to head to the bathroom to relieve himself. After finishing up, he washed his hands. As he returned to his room, he paused mid-step, his jaw dropping in disbelief.

There, sprawled comfortably on his bed, was Sonic. The blue hedgehog leaned back casually against Ness's pillows, a video game controller in his hands. His fingers moved in a blur over the buttons as digital sound effects echoed from the screen.

"Yo, Ness!" Sonic greeted with a cheeky grin, not even glancing away from the game. "What's up? Got any food?"

Ness blinked, unsure on what to do. "W-what're you doing in my room?!"

Sonic: "I saw the window open and let myself in."

Ness: "Open window doesn't mean an open invitation!"

Sonic: "Relax, dude! I wasn't gonna break in or anything. But when opportunity knocks—or, y'know, blows through a conveniently open window—ya gotta take it."

Ness: "Dude, get out!"

Sonic: "Nah, c'mon, I'm in the middle of a game here."

Ness: "Go play in your own room."

Sonic: "I don't wanna."

Ness: "Why? It's your own goddamn room!"

Sonic: "I like yours. It's cleaner than mine."

Ness: "Clean your room."

Sonic: "Too lazy."

Ness: "Sonic-

Sonic: "Holy shit! I almost died."

Ness: "Your execution of the combo is entirely incorrect."

Sonic: "No it's not."

Ness: "Move. I'll show you how it's done."

Ness plopped down beside the blue hedgehog, his expression determined as he reached over and snatched the controller from Sonic's hand. "Let me show you how it's done," he declared with confidence, his fingers immediately moving over the buttons.

The screen lit up with action as Ness attempted the combo he had in mind, but his execution failed. The character on screen stumbled mid-move, resulting in a clumsy finish. Ness's brow furrowed, and he adjusted his grip on the controller. "Hold on, that was just a warm-up."

Another attempt. Another misstep. His fingers hesitated for a split second too long, and the character failed to land the finishing blow. "Alright, one more time," he muttered, trying to mask his growing frustration.

Sonic leaned back, arms crossed, an amused smirk spreading across his face. "Take your time, champ," he teased. "I'm learning so much from this masterclass."

"Quiet," Ness shot back, determined not to let Sonic's teasing get the better of him as he went for another round.

Sonic: "Hahaha!"

Ness: "Well now that you're here, of course I can't do it."

Sonic: "It's cuz you suck."

Ness: "I do not!"

Sonic: "Here give it back."

Sonic reached out, his gloved hand darting for the controller, but Ness quickly pulled it out of his grasp, holding it out of reach. "I didn't give you permission to play my games or be here," he said, shooting the blue blur with an annoyed glare.

Sonic leaned back, unfazed, resting his hands behind his head with a cocky grin. "Technically, you didn't not give me permission, either," he replied, his tone dripping with playful defiance.

Ness's frown deepened, his grip on the controller tightening. "That's not how this works, and you know it," he snapped, his voice tinged with both exasperation and disbelief.

Sonic: "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Fine, I'll just keep watchin' your sorry ass fail over and over again. I'm entertained either way."

Ness: "Or you can get the fuck-

Sonic: "Got any food?"

Ness: "What."

Sonic's eyes darted around the room until they landed on Ness's mini fridge tucked into the corner. His grin widened with curiosity. "What's in here?" he mused aloud, zipping over before Ness could protest.

"Hey, don't—!" Ness started, but Sonic had already opened the fridge door. Inside, neatly stacked, were a few rice balls wrapped.

"Jackpot!" Sonic declared, grabbing one with lightning speed. He unwrapped it effortlessly and plopped himself back on the bed, biting into the rice ball with enthusiasm getting bits of rice everywhere.

"Sonic!" Ness groaned, standing up and throwing his arms into the air. "You're getting it all over the bed!"

"Relax, dude it's just a bed. You can clean it," Sonic replied through a mouthful of rice, giving a thumbs-up. "These are pretty good! Compliments to the chef—or, y'know, whoever made them."

Ness stared at him, half in disbelief and half in resignation. "Unbelievable," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Sonic: "You need to chillax."

Ness: "How can I CHILLAX if an annoying little shit decided to barge in my room uninvited and—are you wearing shoes on the bed?!"

Sonic: "Yeah."

Ness: "Take those off!"

Sonic: "Why?"

Ness: "You can't wear shoes on the bed! That's disgusting!"

Sonic: "Everyone wears shoes on the bed."

Ness: "Like who?!"

Sonic: "Popo does."

Ness: "Popo is disgusting then."

Sonic: "Damn, dude, you're roastin' Popo now?"

Ness: "Whoever wears shoes on the bed—no, on the carpet in general is gross."

Sonic: "You're like the only one I know that cares."

Ness: "Are you kidding me?"

Sonic: "You're so germophobic."

Ness: "No! I refuse to believe that wearing shoes on a clean carpet and a clean bed is normal."

Sonic: "Ugh, you're one of those clean freaks. OCD much?"

Ness: "OCD or not, If you're going to stay in my room, then take off your fucking shoes."

Sonic: "Fine!"

Sonic casually kicked his shoes off, sending them tumbling onto the bed without a second thought. Ness froze, staring at the offending footwear before letting out an exasperated groan, his hand slapping against his face.

"Do I have to do everything around here?" he muttered, dragging himself off the bed. He grabbed the shoes by the soles, holding them at arm's length like they were toxic, and marched over to the shoe rack. As he bent down to place them neatly, something caught his eye—and his stomach turned.

"Is that dog shit?!" he yelped, his voice rising in horror as he recoiled from the smudged sole.

Sonic glanced over from his rice ball, raising an eyebrow. "Huh? Oh, that might've been from when I outran that pack of dogs earlier. Close call, but, y'know, gotta do what you gotta do." He shrugged like it was no big deal.

Ness glared at him, holding the shoe as far away as possible. "Pack of dogs?!"

Sonic: "It's a long story."

Ness: "This is disgusting! Do you have any boundaries?"

"Boundaries are overrated," Sonic grinned, taking another bite of his rice ball.

"You're the grossest person I've ever met," Ness said, grabbing the shoes and walking over to his bathroom.

Sonic: "Nah, that'd be Wario."

Ness: "The fact that I find you just as gross as that guy is sad."

Sonic: "I'm not THAT gross."

Ness: "Oh god, I'm going to have to wash my sheets too…"

Sonic: "It's fiiine."

Ness shook his head, muttering under his breath as he carried the offending shoes into the bathroom. The tub faucet squeaked as he turned it on, water splashing loudly against the porcelain. He grabbed a sponge and some soap, holding his nose slightly as he tackled the mess on the soles.

"Goddamn Sonic and his stupid dirty shoes," Ness grumbled, scrubbing furiously. "Why does he get to kick back and eat rice balls while I'm stuck doing this?" His shoulders sagged, and he let out a frustrated sigh. "Now my whole night is ruined."

The sound of laughter drifted from his bedroom, no doubt Sonic still having the time of his life. Ness clenched his jaw, rinsing the shoes under the water with a little more force than necessary. "Will you keep it down? Your voice is annoying!"

Sonic: "Sorry, watchin' this hilarious tiktok. Wanna see?"

Ness: "No! I'm too busy washing your shoes."

Sonic: "Aww, how nice of you~"

Ness: "You could be helping me."

Sonic: "Hey, I never told you to wash my shoes."

Ness: "How could I not?! It literally has dog shit on it."

Sonic: "Meh."

Ness: ["Absolutely disgusting piece of shit…"]

After what felt like an eternity of scrubbing, wiping, and rinsing, the shoes finally gleamed under the bathroom light. Ness stepped back to admire his handiwork, a sense of pride swelling in his chest. They looked as good as new—better, even, considering their previous state. He grinned, satisfied with the result, and grabbed the shoes.

He marched out of the bathroom, holding the freshly cleaned footwear like a trophy. "There," he announced, standing tall as he showcased the spotless shoes to the hedgehog lounging on his bed. "Brand new. You're welcome."

Sonic glanced up from his rice ball, eyes widening slightly at the transformation. "Whoa, nice work, man," he said, sitting up. "They look amazing! You could start a side hustle cleaning shoes."

Ness raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, no thanks. This was a one-time deal," he replied, but his grin lingered, unable to hide the satisfaction of turning chaos into order.

Sonic: "Oh by the way, your rank went up on Street Fighter thanks to me."

Ness: "What!"

Sonic: "I guess we both helped each other out~"

Ness: "H-how! I… *Sighs* Get out."

Sonic: "Whaaa? But I helped you."

Ness: "It's not the same. I wanted to do it."

Sonic: "Please. You could never climb."

Ness: "Yes I can! Gimme that controller!"

Ness carefully placed Sonic's shoes on the shoe rack, straightening them neatly before turning back to the blue hedgehog. He sat on the edge of his bed. Before Sonic could protest, he snatched it from his grasp with a swift motion.

"Alright, enough of this," Ness said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I haven't climbed because I've been busy. Now that I have time, I'll show you how it's done."

Sonic raised an eyebrow, lounging back with a grin. "You sure about that? You looked a little rusty earlier."

Ness shot him a quick glare. "You don't know anything about Street Fighter. Just watch and learn."

Ness's fingers moved quickly over the buttons, guiding his character through the game. He barely spared a glance at Sonic, who was lounging back on the bed, getting cozy and digging into more rice balls with an unbothered grin.

Meanwhile, Lucky, Ness's playful Espeon, hopped up onto the bed, his soft paws landing lightly on Sonic's chest. The Pokémon sat confidently, his big eyes fixed on the rice balls in Sonic's hands.

Ness remained focused on the screen, oblivious to what was happening beside him. Sonic glanced over, his eyes twinkling mischievously as he shifted the rice ball closer to the eager Espeon. "Here you go, little guy," he whispered, offering a piece of the rice ball to Lucky.

Lucky's ears perked up, his tail wagging happily as he nibbled on the treat. Ness, still absorbed in the game, didn't notice the exchange.

Ness: "Wwhat! H-how did I lose?"

Sonic: "Hahaha~! Oh this is gonna be an interestin' night."