TW: Description of depression, depression
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You sat idly in your bed, your eyes glued to the wall you faced. Your room was lit only by the minimal sunlight peeking through the crevices of your blinds. Your phone sat, unlit, on the bedside table. The lights were off, the only sound coming from the fan hanging from the ceiling. It was comfortable, cozy, and a perfect way to take a nice nap… but it wasn’t any of those things to you.
You had been like this for a few weeks now. Your appetite had diminished, and the motivation to do anything was minimal. The only times you really left your room was to get the food you knew you needed to eat or to use the bathroom. Even though your appetite was gone, you still made yourself eat what you could. You knew if you didn’t your body would suffer… but it was still hard. Showering was hard. Being on your phone was hard. Turning over in your bed was hard. You were miserable, and you had no idea why.
You felt sluggish and sad all the time. You barely spoke to your friends because texting was tiring. You still answered the few that were close. Sonic, Knuckles, Maddie, Tails… Your parents were worried for you, unsure of what was going on. They tried talking to you, but you couldn’t explain it. You’d always end up in tears, ugly crying into your palms.
You let out a heavy sigh through your nose, closing your eyes as you tried to go to sleep. You had been doing that a lot recently. Sleeping away the hours, hoping it’d help. It didn’t. It made it worse, honestly.
You were disturbed from your pitiful attempt at a nap by a knock at your bedroom door. You didn’t move at first, but when the door slowly creaked open you turned your head to look over your shoulder. A small, yellow figure stood at the door, hand placed on the knob.
You turned your head back to face the wall for a few moments, then found the energy to sit up and look at the figure. It was your best friend, Miles, or Tails as most called him. The little genius fox that had come to earth a few months ago. You hadn’t known each other long, but he was the closest person to you.
The short, yellow fox walked up to your bedside without a word, but when you looked at his face you knew no words were needed. A look of deep concern chiseled his features, big blue eyes full of worry.
“Your mom called me and told me you’d been acting strange, but I didn’t expect this,” he said, hoisting himself up beside you on the bed. He laid beside you, the side of his head pressing gently into the pillow beside yours. His sapphire eyes wandered your face, taking in what he could and assessing the situation.
You watched him for a moment, not saying a word, then closed your eyes. A gentle, gloved hand rested on your shoulder, making you twitch at the sudden affection. You felt something heavy in your stomach and then the liquid pooling in your eyes.
Suddenly, you were crying. Salty tears rolled down your face, and you turned it into your pillow as you let out the most heart-wrenching sobs Tails had ever heard. He sat up and started gently rubbing your back, his ears drooping at the sight of you.
“H-hey, come on now! You can tell me what’s wrong!” He said, trying to ease your sadness. You sat up, pushing your messy (H/C0 locks away from your face, desperately wiping away the trails of liquid sadness. You opened your eyes and looked down at him.
His tails twitched slightly, raising his hand to wipe some of the tears away. He sat up on his knees so he could meet your gaze, holding your face in his gloved hands. “There’s no need to cry, everything will be okay,” he reassured, even though he knew not the problem. You sniffled, taking in the much-needed affection. You gently wrapped your arms around him, pressing your face against the soft fur atop his head. He instantaneously wrapped his arms around you as well, squeezing gently to let you know he was there.
It stayed like that for a while. The two of you sharing an embrace you didn’t know you needed. It was silent, but this silence didn’t hurt. It wasn’t empty and sad. It was gentle and welcoming. He wrapped his tails loosely around you, keeping you warm and cozy. After you had calmed down, you leaned against the wall, pulling away from the hug siently. Tails readjusted himself so he was sitting by your side, back against the wall. Silence enveloped the two of you once again.
Tails looked up at you, relieved to finally hear your voice.
His ears drooped slightly, then he turned to face you better. “Would you like to talk about it?” He asked gently, crossing his legs as he watched you.
Your chest heaved, a crushing weight smashing against your chest… yet no tears came. “I’ve felt like this for weeks, Tails…” you began, trying to find your words, “I don’t- I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve been so sad.” You said, tears welling up finally.
The addressed fox stroked his chin in thought, listening intently.
“Nothing’s happened. No one died, nothing traumatic has happened… and yet, there’s this..” you hesitated, looking for the words that were just out of reach. “Weight… there’s this weight that’s on me. I can’t move, I can’t think… I’m just so, so tired.” You explained, inhaling a small sob. You felt pitiful. You had no reason to be sad. No reason to be so depressed. And yet, here you are. Living on barely functioning survival instincts.
Miles sat by your side, holding your hand as he thought about how he could help.
The words made you look at him. You faltered momentarily, then admired your fluffy friend, suddenly remembering just how much you cherished his friendship. He really was an amazing person.
You started to think. The way he came over with a simple call from your parents. Silently comforting you and speaking words that eased you so. His gentle embrace and soft hand holds made you feel relief beyond what you thought possible. You felt a small smile grace your lips as you watched him.
You loved him. Truly, you did. Not in an ‘I wanna kiss you’ kind of way, but the way you love a family member. The way you love your friends. Only, he was your best friend. He had a place in your heart no one else had the pleasure of holding.
He seemed to notice your smile, and upon seeing it he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He scooted closer to you and pulled you into another hug, resting his chin on your shoulder. You returned the warm hug, placing your chin atop his head. This time it wasn’t a sad hug. It was a warm, happy embrace. Sadness still hung idly in the air, but it was outnumbered by the serotonin gently flowing through your brain.
“You always know what to say to make me feel better,” you said, sniffling with a smile.
“I know it can be hard, Y/N. You’re a strong person and I hate seeing you so sad… but I’ll always be here if you need a shoulder to cry on,” He said sweetly, pulling back as he held your hands lightly in his own. You nodded, relief washing over you now that you knew you could talk to him.
