I know I already sent an ask but since you've been writing could we maybe see Sonic waking up from a nightmare and being comforted by Tails post Forces? I hope you feel better soon <3
A strangled sound rips its way out of him like an injured dog and he hits the ground in a tangle of limbs— and some kind of fabric.
The fabric confines him like a straightjacket and he panics, tearing through it with a rapid spindash. It shreds it to scraps in seconds, and the moment he can move he scrambles back on all fours, his back hitting against a piece of furniture.
Furniture?
He's panting, trying to draw in air, let the oxygen clear his head. He reaches behind himself, touching the thing he bumped into. That's not a metal wall. It's a... bed. And the floor— it's not metal tiles, it's carpet. And the mangled fabric in his hands... it's not a straightjacket. It's a blanket.
"Sonic!"
Sonic jumps, and looks up. The door has swung wide open, letting in light from the corridor. A small figure stands, silhouetted by the light, ears tilted down in worry.
Tails.
"Hey...!" Sonic breathes, slightly shaky. Then he lets loose a deep sigh, and clears his throat. He tries again, this time much sturdier. "...Hey."
Tails peeks over his shoulder, concerned. There are people in the corridor, Resistance soldiers busy at work despite the late hour, so he steps into the room, and shuts the door behind him.
They're holed up in Resistance HQ, still, while the team works towards restoring livable cities, towns and villages. Tails has been a boon in their efforts, but it just means he hasn't been able to rebuild his workshop yet, so he's been hunkering down in the Resistance's dormitories.
Sonic's been here with him, too. As extra hands in the restoration, sure, but also as emotional support. The kid's been through a lot this past year.
Tails comes in and sits down on the ground, next to Sonic.
"Hey, buddy." Sonic rests an arm on the mattress behind them, not quite around Tails's shoulders. "Is everything okay?"
"How can I help?" Sonic begins, but Tails just shakes his head, fretfully.
"Sonic, no." Even as he says it, interrupting Sonic, it's a gentle worry in his tone. "It's you. You're... you're not okay."
Sonic's ears pin back.
...No. He can save this.
"Dude me? I'm fine." He gestures down at himself. The war had spat him out in pretty good shape, all things considered. "See? Not a single scratch. Silver even did his freaky x-ray vision on me— no broken bones." He sweeps his bare fingers over his head. "All my quills are back..." He rubs the fur on his legs with and against the grain. "...and I'm not shedding anymore. The war is over, and I'm right as rain."
Tails looks up at him, ears drooping. His eyes look so sad, and Sonic feels his heart climb up into his throat at just the look of him.
It's not quite accusatory, but it's somewhere near it. "I didn't think you realized. But it's been happening every night."
Sonic's heart is on his tongue at this point. "What are you talking about?"
"Your nightmares, Sonic."
"Night..." Sonic's breath catches, and then he promptly shakes his head. No, they shouldn't be having this conversation. That isn't Tails's job. Sonic's already done an entire self-help lecture for himself in his head to process everything he's been through— he's not about to rope his little brother into his solo therapy sessions.
Tails should never learn about what he suffered up there. He'd sooner take it to his grave.
The way he trailed off into silence speaks volumes for him. He starts to panic, deep in his gut. He needs to pull himself together. He doesn't want Tails to ask any more questions than—
"You don't have to talk about it." Tails tells him, and in a sudden rush of relief, Sonic's fur starts to lie back down again. "I just don't want you to pretend like nothing happened. Like it doesn't still affect you."
It doesn't still affect him. Sonic has already worked through it. A few bad dreams aren't the end of the world.
"Tails..." Sonic shakes his head again, breathes out a quiet laugh. "...I'm fine."
There's nothing left Tails can say to him. So Tails hugs him instead.
Sonic stiffens. For six months, the only touching he'd received were bouts of pain. Adjusting back to the Resistance was a... distant affair. Convincing himself they weren't all just clones ready to burst into clouds as Infinite sank his claws into him again... took longer than he cared to admit.
But he hasn't hugged his brother properly, like this, in so long. He's warm and soft and heavy against Sonic's chest, blue eyes wet against his fur. And, unseen by all, a tear slips unbidden from the corner of Sonic's eye.
Hesitantly, his arms come around Tails, and he allows himself to just... hold him, for a moment.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Tails sounds like he's four years old again, and Sonic's heart finally crumbles.
romaincrisis
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