OI, OI, OI!!! you got a license for that cute face you got!! just on whose authority are you so adorable?? hey there btw, this is an MCU fic featuring a Quicksilver who never died like dude you could have just flicked the bullets out of the way like the other you did in X-Men like CMONNNN- anyways here you go, hope you enjoy!! and no its not a year late, idk what youre talking about its 2024 bestie <3333
this is a fic requested by @hexalianrebel-blackfeathers!! thank you so much for the request!! <3333
this is for TKTober using the prompt list by @jichuzip
The common room of the Avengers compound was quiet, which in itself was suspicious. Clint Barton crouched low behind the couch, bow drawn, eyes narrowed in the direction of the kitchen. He was waiting for movement. Waiting for his target. Waiting for-
"Missed me."
The blur came and went before Clint could release the arrow. The sudden draft of displaced air sent the papers on the coffee table fluttering. By the time Clint spun around, Pietro Maximoff was already on the other side of the room, arms crossed smugly.
"Would've been a direct hit if you didn't cheat," Clint grumbled, lowering his bow.
"It's not cheating if I'm faster than your reaction time," Pietro said, grinning in that cocky way that made Clint want to wipe it clean off his face. "Besides, I seem to recall you putting itching powder in my sneakers last week."
Clint smirked, leaning casually against the couch. "That was a classic. You should've seen the look on your face."
"It felt like fire ants were attacking me!" Pietro replied. "Wanda laughed so hard she cried."
"That's how you know it was good!" Clint said, clearly pleased with himself.
Their so-called "prank war" had been escalating for days now. It started small. Pietro had switched Clint's morning coffee with decaf, sending him through a half-day of sluggish misery before he realized. Clint retaliated by tying Pietro's sneakers together with a knot so tight that Pietro had to spend an hour untangling them. From there, things snowballed: salt in sugar jars, Saran Wrap over doorways, carefully rigged Nerf arrow ambushes.
It was juvenile, sure, but when you lived in a building full of people who routinely saved the world from alien invasions, you took your downtime fun when you could get it.
This time, though, Clint had landed a particularly good one. He'd set up a motion-triggered arrow trap in Pietro's room, harmless foam-tipped arrows, nothing dangerous, but timed with a loudspeaker recording of Clint's voice yelling, "GOTCHA!" Pietro had walked in at full speed, tripped the trigger, and been absolutely pelted with arrows while Clint and Natasha watched from a safe distance on the security feed.
The memory of Pietro's indignant yelp still made Clint chuckle under his breath.
Petro, however, was less amused. He narrowed his eyes now, his smile turning into something more dangerous. "You think you've won, Barton. But this war isn't over. In fact..." He leaned forward, voice dropping with theatrical menace. "You'll never see it coming. Just wait."
Clint froze.
The speedster didn't have to specify what he meant. Pietro had all the resources in the world (superhuman reflexes, endless energy, a mischievous streak a mile wide), and now he was promising something big.
Clint masked his nerves with a forced laugh. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Quickfoot."
Pietro only smirked wider, then vanished in a streak of silver and blue.
For a long moment, Clint just stood there, bow still loosely in his hand. Then he groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
"Nat!" he called.
Natasha Romanoff strolled in from the hallway, cup of tea in hand, one eyebrow raised. "What now?"
"He's planning something," Clint said immediately, gesturing wildly toward the empty space Pietro had occupied. "Something big. I can feel it."
Natasha sipped her tea calmly. "Or maybe he just wants you to think that."
Clint scowled. "No, no, no. You didn't see the look in his eyes. That wasn't a casual prank face. That was... ominous."
"Clint, you're overthinking it."
"Am not."
"Yes, you are," Natasha said flatly, turning to leave. "And that means he's already won."
Clint bristled. "Oh, I'll show him who's won," he muttered, glaring in the direction Pietro had run. But deep down, he couldn't shake the knot of dread forming in his stomach.
Because if there was one thing worse than being hit with Pietro's prank... it was waiting for it.
-
The first twenty-four hours weren't so bad.
Clint had been through worse. He'd sat through days of surveillance missions, had stared at blank walls in enemy safehouses for hours, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Patience was his specialty.
But Pietro Maximoff wasn't an enemy agent. He was a hyperactive speedster with a mean streak and way too much free time. And Clint knew in his bones that his time was coming.
So by the end of day two, Clint was twitchy.
He started seeing traps where there were none. Every time he sat down in a chair, he checked the seat for whoopee cushions. He sniffed his coffee before taking a sip, half-expecting hot sauce instead of creamer. He opened doors with his bow extended, ready for something to fall on his head.
Nothing happened.
Absolutely nothing.
The absence of retaliation was somehow worse than the prank itself.
By day three, Clint was a wreck. He walked into the training room, shoulders tight, eyes flicking to every corner like he was expecting the walls to collapse on him. Natasha, who was busy sparring with Wanda, got a look from him that could only be described as long-suffering.
"You're jumpy," she noted, ducking under Wanda's strike and flipping her to the mat with casual grace.
"I'm not jumpy," Clint said defensively.
"You were holding your bow at breakfast," Natasha replied.
"Could be an ambush! He said I'd never see it coming!"
Wanda smirked from the mat. "You know he's doing this on purpose, yes?"
Clint's jaw tightened. "That's the problem. He said something was coming. I can't just ignore that."
"He's in your head!" Natasha said simply, tugging Wanda to her feet. "And if you keep letting him live there rent-free, he doesn't need to prank you at all."
Clint muttered something under his breath disparaging about "redheaded Russian smartasses" and stalked out of the training room.
Later that day, he found Pietro lounging in the common room, casually flipping through a magazine like he didn't have a care in the world. Clint stopped in the doorway, narrowing his eyes.
"You're up to something."
Pietro didn't even look up. "Am I?"
"Yes," Clint insisted. "You said you were."
"Oh. Right." Pietro finally glanced up, the corner of his mouth curling. "Maybe I changed my mind."
Clint blinked. "Changed your mind?"
"Mhm." Pietro flipped a page lazily. "Maybe I decided you're not worth it."
Clint bristled. "Not worth it? You've been tormenting me for three days, you little-"
"I have?" Pietro tilted his head innocently, then leaned back in his chair. "Funny. I haven't done a damn thing the past three days. Seems like you've been tormenting yourself over nothing, huh?"
Clint opened his mouth to argue, but found no words. Pietro's smug grin widened.
"Relax, old man," Pietro said. "Maybe it's tomorrow, maybe it's never. That's the fun part."
Clint stormed off, but the smirk lingered in his mind for hours after.
That night, he barely slept. Every bump in the night had him sitting up, bow in hand, waiting for the ambush. But when morning came, there was still nothing.
On day four, Clint's paranoia finally boiled over.
He was checking his locker in the armory, cautiously pulling it open with the end of an arrow. He'd already "disarmed" two traps that weren't there, one in the kitchen, one in the hall. This time, he was sure Pietro had set something up.
But when the locker opened, nothing happened. No explosion of confetti, no bucket of water, no glitter bomb, just his gear, neatly in place exactly as he left it.
He slumped against the locker door, exhausted.
That was when Pietro zipped past, snatching the arrow from Clint's hand and wagging it like a scolding teacher.
"You're losing it, Barton," Pietro teased. "This is better than anything I could've come up with."
Clint snatched the arrow back, glaring. "You're not gonna win."
Pietro raised his brows, clearly amused. "Haven't I already?"
Clint ground his teeth, resisting the urge to take a swing. He knew Pietro would dodge anyway.
The rest of the day went the same. Clint sat down for lunch, eyes darting around like a hunted animal. He refused to touch the sandwich Wanda made for him until she took a bite to prove it wasn't poisoned with hot sauce. Even then, he ate slowly, waiting for the sting.
Nothing.
By the end of day five, Clint was more than paranoid. He was desperate.
Every time Pietro smirked at him from across the room, Clint's stomach dropped. Every time Pietro said something like, "Careful with that door" or "Wouldn't sit there if I were you," Clint nearly jumped out of his skin.
The anticipation was eating him alive.
And Pietro knew it.
-
By day six, Clint was done.
He'd had enough of waiting, enough of second-guessing every step he took. He could handle ambushes, firefights, and kaiju attacks, but he could not handle Pietro Maximoff lounging around like a smug cat, knowing Clint was chasing shadows.
The breaking point came in the kitchen. Clint had just brewed himself a cup of coffee after triple-checking the pot and sugar. He'd barely taken a sip when Pietro appeared in a gust of air, snagged a spoon from the counter, and started stirring his yogurt like he owned the place.
"Morning, grandpa," Pietro said breezily.
Clint slammed his cup down. "That's it. I'm done."
Pietro raised an eyebrow. "Done?"
"You've been stringing me along for almost a week. I can't take it anymore." Clint jabbed a finger at him. "So either you pull this big prank you've been planning, or I swear, I'll-"
"You'll what?" Pietro interrupted smoothly, leaning on the counter. "Shoot me, what, with your little arrows? Adorable."
Clint scowled. "Don't tempt me."
"Oh, I'm tempted already." Pietro's smirk widened, sharp and knowing. "But let me get this straight. You're saying you want me to prank you?"
Clint froze, realizing too late how his words sounded. "That's not-"
"No, no, don't back out now." Pietro stepped closer, voice low and taunting. "All this time, you've been pacing and glaring and losing sleep because you couldn't stand the waiting. And now..." He tilted his head, silver hair falling across his forehead. "...you're begging me to get it over with."
Clint's stomach dropped. He had, in fact, walked right into the trap.
"I'm not begging," he said quickly, but his voice lacked conviction.
Pietro circled him like a shark, too fast for Clint to track. One second, he was behind him, the next, in front, leaning close enough for Clint to feel the breeze. "Sounds like begging to me. Say the word, Barton. Admit it. You want me to get you."
Clint gritted his teeth. "You're full of it."
"Maybe," Pietro admitted with a shrug. "But here's the thing, you asked. And when someone asks me to deliver, who am I to refuse?"
Clint's eyes widened. "Wait-!"
Too late. Pietro blurred forward, and before Clint could lift his bow, Pietro plucked it neatly from his hand and leaned it against the wall a few paces away. Then he zipped around again, a dizzying streak, and Clint suddenly found himself pressed back against the counter, Pietro's arm barring his chest.
"Gotcha~," Pietro whispered, grin wide and merciless.
Clint's pulse spiked. He didn't know what the speedster was planning, but his instincts screamed it wouldn't be good.
And then Pietro leaned back slightly, eyes glinting with mischief. "You've been waiting all week, Barton! Might as well make it worth your while~!"
Clint didn't even get a chance to move before Pietro struck. One second, the speedster was grinning in his face, the next, his fingers were darting at Clint's sides in a blue too quick to track.
Clint let out a startled bark of laughter, jerking hard against the counter. "H-Hehehey!! Whahat the hehell-!"
"Ah, there it is," Pietro said smugly, zipping behind him to scribble at his ribs. "I knew you'd be ticklish. You've got that look about you."
"Whahah- stohohohohopp!! Nohoho, Ihihihi dohohohn't!" Clint sputtered, laughter bubbling up uncontrollably as Pietro exploited every gap in his defenses. His arms shot down instinctively, trying to block, but Pietro was already gone, reappearing at his stomach with a wicked grin.
"You've been waiting for this all week," Pietro teased, wiggling his fingers mercilessly against Clint's belly. "All that tension, all that dread! It would be cruel not to reward such patience~!"
Clint dissolved into wheezing laughter, twisting and thrashing but unable to land a hit. Pietro's speed made him untouchable. Every time Clint tried to shove him away, he blurred out of reach and reappeared somewhere else. Fingers skated up his ribs, under his arms, across his back.
"Oh, stop squirming, Barton, you'll hurt yourself," Pietro said in mock concern, though the wicked sparkle in his eyes betrayed him. "Unless this is you begging for mercy already?"
"LIHihiHiIke hehEHEHEHELL-!!" Clint managed before Pietro spidered his fingers over his neck, sending him into helpless cackles. His knees buckled, and he slid halfway down the counter, clutching at the countertop just to stay upright.
Every pause was worse than the tickling itself. Pietro would vanish for half a second, leaving Clint panting and waiting, and then strike again without warning, ribs, sides, knees. Each new burst hit harder because Clint could never prepare.
"Anticipation, Barton~" Pietro whispered at one point, breath ghosting his ear. "That's the real weapon~!" Then he zipped away, tickling the backs of Clint's knees until the archer nearly collapsed.
Clint tried everything: swatting, kicking, even bargaining between breathless laughs. "YouHuHuHUHU aHAHAHhHARE AHahHAH DehEHEHHEAD MAhaHAHAHAN!!!" he gasped, face red and streaked with tears of mirth.
"Promises, promises," Pietro said, grinning like the devil himself. He darted up to Clint's underarms again, sending him into another round of wheezing howls. "You know, this might be my best prank yet. No cleanup, no mess, just pure entertainment."
The laughter grew louder and louder until-
"Keep it down, children!" Natasha's dry voice echoed from the hallway.
Clint wanted to yell for help, but another scribble at his stomach stole the air from his lungs. Pietro only chuckled and redoubled his efforts, determined to wring every laugh out of him.
Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes, Pietro relented. He stepped back, letting Clint slump to the floor in a heap of breathless exhaustion, face red, chest heaving.
Clint groaned, rubbing at his ribs as though that could erase the phantom tickles. "Youuhuhuhuhu're thehehe wohohohorst," he managed between gulps of air.
Pietro crouched down in front of him, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "Correction, I am the best. Admit it, old man, I played you perfectly."
"Y-yohuhu dihidn't even prank mehe-!" Clint muttered, glaring half-heartedly.
"Oh, didn't I?" Pietro tilted his head. "What do you call making you paranoid for a week and then wrecking you with tickles?"
Clint groaned again, burying his face in his hands. "I call it cruel and unusual punishment."
"Effective, though," Pietro said with a smug grin. "Now you'll think twice before targeting me with your little arrow traps."
Clint lifted his head, his eyes narrowed despite the lingering flush of laughter. "You realize this means war."
Pietro shrugged, unbothered. "Can't wait." And with a gust of wind, he was gone again, leaving Clint sprawled on the kitchen floor, already plotting revenge through the haze of lingering giggles. The worst part was that by the time Clint had stood, he realized that his coffee was cold.
This comic has been living rent free in my mind for MONTHS now I am just trying to go through my day and then I think "tickle tickle dumbass" and immediately want to giggle. Honestly, absolute perfection <3 <3 <3 the only thing I will ever be thinking about tbh ehehehehe
"Floyd." Azul makes an attempt to move the boy clinging to him, but it's futile. "You need to get up."
Floyd mumbles out something incoherent, face nuzzled into the crook of Azul's neck. "Mmm..."
"What?" Azul tries shaking him. "Come on."
Floyd lifts his head then, looking Azul in the eyes. They're incredibly close, since Floyd has wrapped himself around Azul and Azul certainly isn't strong enough to escape. "...Gimme a kiss first."
Azul sputters, taken aback. The way Floyd is so forward with his affection is something he still hasn't managed to get used to. "No. After we both get ready, maybe."
A whine rises from Floyd's throat. "I don't wanna get up! Pleaseee?"
"No."
The eel grumbles, though says nothing in response. Azul makes another attempt to get out, when suddenly slender fingers are pinching and spidering at his sides and he barks out a laugh before he can think to hide it.
He curls up, arms moving to protect his middle. "Wh-whahat?! S-stohop thahat!"
Floyd giggles, still pressed closely against Azul as he tickles the spots he knows by heart now. "So cute how much power you think you have over me. You're so mean to me, Zuzu, all I want's a kiss~!" His fingers dance down to Azul's lower stomach and Azul can't help the snort that escapes him.
"F-fihine! I give—stohohop it!" he pleads, and for once, Floyd listens. He lays there staring for a moment as Azul catches his breath, but as soon as he's calmed, he eagerly presses their lips together.
Floyd is the first to pull away, even after all his begging. He grins as Azul glares fondly. "You're so needy," Azul mumbles.
Floyd nuzzles his face back into Azul's neck, squeezing him tighter and tighter until he thinks he's about to burst. "It's 'cause you're so cute," he sings, laughing at Azul's flustered stammering. He starts to sprinkle little kisses over Azul's neck, turning him into a laughing mess once again.
hello tkl community accounts we are getting mass hacked rn😭 if a friend dms you saying they acidently reported you n stuff do nottt DO NOT ! ty for your time i will be mourning my new acc forever smh
Welp. I suppose I've lurked for long enough. Have a little story.
Summary: Surprising a telepath is difficult, but definitely not impossible.
Warnings: Tickle fic. Skip if that's not your thing.
Lee!Charles, Ler!Erik, brief mentions of the reverse
Technically fits into FC, pre-beach divorce, if perhaps uncharacteristically fluffy.
Erik learned quickly and efficiently that you cannot surprise a telepath, especially when the two of you are dating.
Sure, Charles had agreed and then sworn on his life that he would not meddle in Erik's head without his permission (which Erik was unsure if he could ever give). It did quickly become apparent, however, that this was not the only problem his powers could cause.
"There are some things I cannot shut off," Charles said mournfully after a conversation where he had seemingly slipped up without thinking about it. "If you think too loudly, I get a general impression of it. Feelings and images, sometimes. Words, sometimes. I’m not always fast enough to block it out.”
There was apparently a difference between "inside thoughts" and "outside thoughts" as Charles worded it. Mostly, the outside ones were impulsive, emotional ones. If Erik got excited about something, or struck with an episode of terrible memories, Charles struggled to block that sort of thing out. But it wasn't his innermost thoughts, he could remind himself. They were just instincts. If he actively contemplated something, he could focus on keeping it to himself. Charles was also eager to show him how to keep the thoughts “quiet”, as it were.
Though this might never be enough for Erik and his anxiety, it did keep it at bay most of the time. It helped that Charles was so very earnest about it, apologizing so profusely, blocking him out so deliberately when he noticed. Eventually, carefully, Erik began to relax a little on this matter. Charles knowing that his spontaneous little surprises made him happy--really, truly happy--was not a bad thing after all.
Surprising Charles in return, however, was next to impossible, and Erik found himself wanting to surprise him. If only for revenge.
It started when Charles discovered that he was ticklish. A fact that was impossible to deny, not only because of the physical reaction, but because the feeling of it rolled like waves from him straight to Charles.
He hadn’t laughed in so long before then. Actually, physically laughed. It was a light, fluttering, terrifying feeling.
Okay, so perhaps he did not hate it. That did not mean he wanted Charles to do it in front of the others. This was quickly and obviously communicated after the first innocent little poke next to where Hank was working. A look and a mental surge of discomfort was all it took for Charles to back off completely.
But that did not stop him when they were alone, to Erik's mixed embarrassment, chagrin, and delight (though he would never admit to that last part). Charles pounced when he could, looked for the smallest moments of privacy, and it was not always tickling. Sometimes it was just physical contact or the odd kiss that Erik did not want the others to see. The tickling, however, was the only thing that really warranted revenge.
But Erik was apparently a loud thinker when it came to that sort of thing. In conversations, around others, even mid-training, Charles would gracefully side-step if Erik came at him with anything more than the intention to put a hand around his waist. Erik found it infuriating. He also relished the challenge.
This required some time alone to think. At first, he solved this by taking walks around the grounds whenever he had some time left over. However, this eventually lead to Charles offering (so kindly, so innocently) to join him. This lead to some very nice walks and some interesting conversations, but it certainly did not lead to a solution to his problem. That came by accident one day.
Erik woke up early most mornings. The exceptions were after difficult missions, when he woke up aching and one or two hours later the next day. Charles often struggled with the same concept. He did not have the perfect internal clock that one gets from a lifetime of life-or-death and living on the run.
This lead to a morning where Erik had the rare chance to not only wake up in a leisurely manner, but also to do so in Charles' bed, a deeply sleeping telepath slung over his arm and his mind whirring with the possibilities of it. How had he not thought of this before? How could he have missed this?
There was no time to dwell on this, however. The early bird and the worm and all that, and if he spent too long thinking too loudly about the serendipity of this, Charles would surely be woken up from the sheer glee rolling off him in waves. So he laid closer and curled up around Charles, rolling him onto his back and slipping the hand that was buried beneath him into the fold between the shirt and pants that Charles had been to tired to shed the previous evening. It took a second, a moment of prodding and pinching, but then Charles was squirming closer and burying his head in Erik's chest.
Erik did not stop, and the feeling did not go away. It was with victory in his heart that he watched Charles’ eyes flutter open and listened to the sound of a hum of discomfort turning into a high-pitched yelp of surprise when he ventured further up to the ribs. There were no barriers, no guard to keep up. Charles was laughing immediately.
It was lovely.
“Erik!” he was squealing, squirming this way and that, but the way Erik was wrapped around him made him unable to do more than press his arms tightly to his sides to keep out the wriggling fingers. This did nothing to deter Erik, and he made sure that Charles knew it. His laughter was high and light, boyish and carefree, and Erik couldn’t get enough of it.
“Yes?” Erik asked, feeling unusually playful for being, well, him.
“Sto-“ he broke off with a shout as the hand slipped up into his armpit. The reaction was instant and practically violent, to the point where the bed frame twitched with Erik’s instinct to restrain, to protect. He quickly squashed down the feeling. This was not a fight. This was play.
Perhaps he should appreciate more just how much Charles had been teaching him to play.
“Please!”
Charles was turning red, laughing against his chest and no longer bothering to squirm away. Erik was still new to this, and he did not want to hurt him. Carefully, his fingers stilled, but there was no hope of removing them with the way Charles was still squeezing them close. He seemed unable to do anything else at this point.
“That,” Charles panted, “was rude.” He was still giggling a little bit.
Erik realized at once that he was smiling, wider than he had done in a long time. He could not imagine how he looked in that moment, but perhaps that was not so important now.
“Payback,” he muttered into Charles’ hair. He pressed a kiss to the scalp, going for soothing, but Charles was still squirming in his grasp.
“Stop it,” he muttered, amusement clear in his voice. “You’re feeling too loudly. Stop being so happy about this.”
“Make me,” Erik muttered back, for once perfectly happy that Charles was unable to shut him out. The joy was practically a feedback loop now. When Charles felt enough—joy, awe, arousal—he tended to project his feelings outwards, and suddenly Erik felt like he was the one able to read minds. It gave him some insight into why Charles loved his power so much, and certainly made it easier to deal with it on difficult days.
The idea was sudden. A surprise as much to him as to Charles, and it worked a charm. All it took was an image, the memory of wiggling his fingers, and Charles shut his eyes and let out a whining sound.
He was so sensitive. So hyper-aware. It made sense now why he did not let Erik do this anywhere else.
If Erik was a little ticklish, Charles was extremely ticklish, and Erik loved him for it.
“E-Erik!” Charles was once again giggling into his neck, squirming closer, despite the fact that Erik’s fingers remained perfectly still. “Please, this isn’t fair!”
please tell me im not the only one that was afraid of tickle me elmo dolls as a child bc i didn't understand my liking of tickling and felt super weird about it
Summary: It’s movie night for the Wachowskis. But after Sonic helps himself to some sweets before bed which results in a sugar rush, it’s nearly impossible to get him to sleep. Fortunately, Tom and Maddie know exactly how to tire out a sugar rushed hedgehog.
Lee!Sonic 🦔💙
Lers!Tom & Maddie 🍩🥨
Word count: 3.8k
A/N: My first Sonic fic that I wrote four days ago while being bedridden from being sick 🤒 Takes place after the first movie. Also, I just wanted to quickly write some Sonic fluff to take my mind off things this month and cuz my Shadow plushie was delivered today. ^^ enjoy!
Tooth-rotting family fluff ahead! May be too sweet for reader consumption!
It was movie night in the Wachowski household, something Sonic had been looking forward to all week. Just him, Tom, Maddie, and Ozzy for the whole evening binging movies and feasting on junk food. And tonight, it was Sonic’s turn to pick the movie.
The little blue hedgehog quickly skimmed through the channels before sorting through the movies catergory of their streaming service, trying to decide what movie they should watch. But there were so many options. How was he supposed to pick just one?
Tom and Maddie had already settled down on the couch, popcorn bowl wedged between them. Even their golden retriever, Ozzy, had taken a seat on the couch.
“Sonic, c’mon,” he heard Tom say. “Just pick a movie already. The longer you decide, the less time we’ll have for our movie night.”
“I’m trying!” retorted Sonic. “There’s just so many good options, it’s hard to pick one!”
Tom rolled his eyes fondly, muttering “oh, this kid” under his breath. Maddie overheard, and couldn’t help but giggle.
“Ooh! I think I finally got it!” Sonic exclaimed as the loading icon appeared on the TV screen. He zipped back to the couch, squeezing in between the couple and making himself comfy.
“So what movie did you pick?” asked Tom.
Sonic beamed. “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie!”
Tom and Maddie exchanged glances before simultaneously uttering, “Ohhh no.”
When the scene came where SpongeBob and Patrick were scarfing down triple goober berry sundaes, Sonic’s eyes widened at the sight of the cartoon depicted ice cream sundaes. “Whoaaaa! I wanna make that! Can we make that after the movie? Can we? Can we?!”
“Slow down, buddy,” Tom chuckled. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to eat a heaping ton of ice cream right before bed. You’ll be bouncing off the walls for hours.”
“Wait, can that really happen?” Sonic asked, immediately convinced. “Now I really wanna try it!”
Maddie quickly intervened. “Uh, Tom’s right, sweetie. We don’t want you to have a sugar rush keeping you up all night. We’ll have ice cream earlier tomorrow.”
“Awww…” Sonic’s ears dropped. Maddie ruffled his head apologetically to get him to smile again.
As their attention pivoted back to the movie, Sonic got a brilliant idea. An hour later after the movie concluded—and Sonic quit scream-singing the lyrics to “Goofy Goober Rock”—it was time to put his idea into action.
“All right, everybody, time for bed.” Maddie ushered them all off the couch before calling Ozzy to take him outside. Tom picked up the empty popcorn bowl and switched the TV off. He caught a certain little blue hedgehog trying to quietly slip into the kitchen.
“Sonic.” Said hedgehog froze in his tracks. “You heard Maddie. Upstairs to bed.”
Sonic shyly twiddled his fingers. “I-I know, I just…wanted to get a quick glass of milk before I go. Y’know, wash out all that popcorn I ate.”
“Well…okay. But make it quick.”
“Okay!” The little hedgehog internally squealed at how excellent his plan worked. “Perfect,” he whispered to himself. “Now to finally make that triple goober berry sundae. Let’s see…what do I need? Ooh, I know!”
Sonic managed to snag everything he needed to make the sundae in under two seconds. He silently thanked Tom and Maddie for having all the ingredients in the kitchen. Then, he quickly constructed his sundae based on memory in another second. When that was done, he stepped back and looked at the finished product. “Whoo! Not bad for a first timer!”
He had successfully made a screen accurate triple goober berry sunrise: three large scoops of vanilla ice cream dripping with chocolate syrup, an M&M smile, and banana limbs with cherries on the ends.
Sonic felt like he could tear up at the sight. But no, no time for that. He had to eat this fast. While also trying to savor every bite at the same time.
As soon as Maddie came back inside with Ozzy, she asked, “Did Sonic head off to bed already?”
“Not yet,” Tom answered, now changed into his pajamas. He gestured to the kitchen. “Said he wanted to get some milk before he went to bed.”
The sound of a spoon cluttering and scraping got their attention.
“That…doesn’t sound like he’s just getting milk,” Maddie said uneasily. Tom slowly shook his head, parental instincts kicking in. The couple slowly peered inside the kitchen, and their jaws dropped at the sight: Sonic sitting on the counter, his face coated with ice cream and chocolate syrup, as he attempted to lick the bottom of his bowl clean.
“Sonic?!” exclaimed the couple simultaneously.
Said hedgehog jerked his head up at the sound of his name, smiling sheepishly as he was caught. “O-Oh…heyyy guuuuys…”
“Sonic…” Tom began slowly. “What are you eating?”
“Uhhh…triple goober berry sunrise?” Sonic shrunk under the parental glares. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it! It just looked soooo good in the movie, I thought…maybe I could make one before bed?”
“After we explicitly told you no?” Maddie asked in her stern mom voice.
Sonic lowered his ears before flashing an apologetic smile. “I promise to clean up?” He zipped around the kitchen in a streak of blue light as he tidied up. “There, see? Like it never happened!”
Maddie tapped the corner of her mouth. “Except you missed a spot here.”
“Oh!” Sonic licked his lips. “Got it!” He suddenly squeaked in surprise as he was lifted off the ground.
“All right, you’re going straight to bed,” he heard Tom say. Sonic whined and tried to squirm out of the awkward hug lift. “Don’t give me that. We warned you about having ice cream before bed even though we promised you we’d have some tomorrow.”
“But I couldn’t wait! And anyway, what’s the big hap? I cleaned up, didn’t I?”
“That’s not the point. And tomorrow, we’re going to have a talk about this.”
“Awww you’re no fun, Donut Lord!” Sonic whined. He managed to squirm free and raced up the ladder stairs to his attic bedroom.
“Aw geez…” Tom sighed as he facepalmed.
“At this rate, he’s not going to get any sleep,” said Maddie.
“Unless we duct tape him down to his bed.”
“Tom!”
“I’m kidding! But that’s still an option we can use as a last resort.”
“How about this,” Maddie suggested. “Instead of…that, we’ll gently tire him out; give him soothing pets and rubs, tuck him in snugly, read him a story. That should put him to sleep quickly.”
“Hm. Okay, that works.”
It did not work. Sonic was far too hyper to settle down no matter what they tried. Not even soft scratches to his ears or under his chin pacified his sugar rush. And that always was a good remedy whenever the blue hedgehog was restless.
Tom and Maddie sat helplessly on the edge of Sonic’s race car bed, while he continued to do laps around his room and babbling gibberish. He was bouncing off the walls. Literally; curled up as a blue hedgy ball and bouncing from wall to wall, as if he were a ping pong ball.
Tom turned his attention to his wife. “Well, if we’re both in agreement with restraining the hyper hedgehog to his bed, I’ll go get the duct tape from the garage.”
“We are not duct taping him to his bed.”
“What about those calming gummies you give to Ozzy during the Fourth of July? That should do it, right?”
“Tom! I’m not giving canine calming gummies to a hedgehog!”
“NyQuil? If it’s safe for human consumption, it should be safe for him.”
“Tom, no!”
With no other options, Maddie suddenly perked up with an idea. “Hang on. I think I’ve got something. Something my sister and I used to do with Jojo when she was younger, and in a similar predicament.”
Her husband looked relieved. “Really? What is it?” She motioned for him to come closer to whisper so Sonic wouldn’t overhear. His lips slowly curled into a big grin.
As the hyper hedgehog continued to zoom across the walls, he was oblivious to the fact that his parental figures were plotting something against him. It wasn’t until he heard them call out his name that he skidded to a stop, while still bouncing in place.
“All right, Blue Devil, can you settle down now?” asked Tom.
“I can’t! I’m too hyper!” Sonic declared, still bouncing on his toes.
“Well, will you at least lay down in bed?” Maddie coaxed, patting the bed.
Sonic thought about it for a second, before getting a running start and leaping onto his bed. He landed face first with an “oomph!” before bursting out into giggles.
It was hard for the couple to stay mad at him because sometimes Sonic would be too cute for his own good. His sweet giggles and smile almost made them forget why they were displeased in the first place.
“Alright, we’re not going to tell you again, Sonic,” Maddie tried to sound stern, but the grin on her lips proved otherwise. “You better go to sleep right this instant.”
“I can’t! I’m too hyper!” Sonic repeated through breathy giggles. He giddily kicked his legs, already making a mess of bedsheets and blankets.
“Last chance, turbo toes,” Tom playfully warned. “Go to sleep now or else you’re gonna get it.”
Something in Tom’s voice sparked a fluttery feeling in Sonic’s tummy. Anticipation; and anticipating some sort of playful consequence if he didn’t abide. But there was also a streak of provocative cheekiness. He dared to defy.
“Heh, make me, Donut Lord!” Sonic challenged, sticking his tongue out.
Tom and Maddie exchanged devious grins. Oh, this kid was so asking for it!
Sonic emitted a surprised squeak as his wrists were suddenly grabbed and pinned above his head. The culprit? Tom and Maddie each took a wrist as they sat on either side of him. “Aaah! Hey, what gives? Aw, you two are no fun!”
Tom smirked like a villain. “We warned you, Sonic.” Then he glanced at his wife. “So, Maddie, looks like we’ve got a sugar-rushed hedgehog. As Green Hill’s most elite and respected veterinarian, what do you propose we do?”
Maddie hummed, pretending to think. “Well, normally it wears off on its own. But it looks like we have a severe case here. And there’s only one way to cure a severe sugar rush…”
Sonic didn’t like the way they were speaking to each other. Something in their voices seemed suspicious, like they knew something he didn’t. What were they planning on doing? And why did their cryptic conversation make even more anticipatory butterflies fill his belly? What witchcraft were they doing to him?
His questions were answered when he heard the couple say, “A visit from the Tickle Monster!”
Sonic suddenly burst out into squeaky giggles as two hands gently fluttered against his ears and neck. His ears twitched with every soft tweak, and he attempted to scrunch his shoulders. “Guhuhuys, nohohoho! This ihihis so nohot fahahahair!”
“Again, we warned you,” Tom smirked. He moved his hand down to tase Sonic’s side, resulting in a high-pitched squeak.
“OkAHAhay! Okahahay! I’ve learned my lesson!” the giggly hedgehog squeaked out. Tom and Maddie paused for a moment.
“Hm, should we believe him?” asked Maddie.
“Mmm…nah.”
“What?!” Sonic exclaimed. “But—But, I mean it! I learned my lesson! I-I’ll never ever eat ice cream before bed again! Swear!”
“Hmm, then why don’t we believe you?” Maddie playfully asked, hovering her wiggling fingers near the hedgehog’s side.
Sonic gasped and tried arching away from her hand as far as he could. “B-Because…Because you guys are jerks, that’s why!”
Maddie pretended to be offended. “Excuuuse me?! Calling us jerks now, huh?”
Normally, Sonic would be terrified of Maddie’s reaction to his choice of words. But he was feeling too playful and cheeky at the moment. And he knew nothing serious was going to happen to him. He just enjoyed seeing the look of their faces as he got quippy with them.
“Y-Yeah! You’re not only jerks, but you’re also fun sponges!” Sonic dared to say. “You suck the fun out of everything!” Then, just to be even cheekier, he dared to stick his tongue out at them again. “Mmmh!”
“Ohh that does it! Tom, hand him over.” Maddie cradled the little blue hedgehog in her lap, who was now giggling and eyeing her with wide anticipating eyes. Awwh, he must really want this.
She wasted no time and rapidly wiggled her fingers against his sides. Immediately, Sonic arched his back with a squeal before erupting into more high-pitched giggles.
“Who is this…Maddie you speak of? I’m the Tickle Monster! And you’re mine, you sassy little hedgehog!” She empathized by tasing Sonic’s sides, making him arch with another squeal.
“AAAAAHH! Whahahahat?! No you’re nohohohot!”
“Oh yes I am! And you’re not going anywhere!” She gently pulled him back into her lap as she noticed Sonic was trying to roll out of her lap.
He yelped and made a dramatic show of reaching out for Tom. “Donut Lord! H-Hehehelp! Sahahave meheeheehee!”
“Oh, I’ll save you, all right. Hand him over, Maddie.” Sonic was passed over, and thought he was safe. But that split second of relief was only short lived as Tom suddenly dug rapid fingers against his ribs and under his arm at the same time.
“HaHAAAhaha! Nohohohoho! NAHAhahat you too!” Sonic giggled madly, rapidly shaking his head. “And quiHIHit sahahaying that! I’m too old for thahahahat!”
“Too old for the Tickle Monster? I beg to differ!” Tom switched tactics; yanking one arm up and scribbling his free hand into the exposed little underarm.
Sonic emitted a girly squeal, and shrieked with laughter. “EEEEEEEEEHEEHEEHEAAAAAAHAHAHA!! NAHAHAHAHAHO! I-I AHAHAHAHAM!! I’M TOO OHOHOLD FOR THE T—HAHAHA! THE TI—MMPHHEEEEHEEHEEHEE!!” Sonic was too flustered to even say the words. And unfortunately for him, that didn’t go unnoticed.
“Aww having a little trouble saying the words ‘Tickle Monster’, sweetie?” Maddie couldn’t help but coo.
“N-NOHOHOHO!” Sonic squeakily protested. No way in Green Hills he was going to admit that he couldn’t say the t-word. Or that just hearing the word flustered him to no end.
“Is it because you can’t actually say the word ‘tickle?’”
Uh-oh. Now they were on to him.
Sonic blushed, panting as Tom halted his attack. “N…No..? Of course I can say it! I have absolutely no problem saying—that word.”
“Ohhh, so sassy, hyper from a sugar rush, and can’t say the word ‘tickle?’” Tom pointed out. “Good to know!”
Sonic rolled his eyes and giggled. “You’re soho meheeheehean, you fun sponge!”
“Oho, still gonna call me names?”
“That’s right!” The blue hedgehog sat up, quickly recovering from the tickly onslaught mere moments ago. “You guys are not only mean, but you’re fun sponges, wazbags, and also hobknockers!” He crossed his arms with a huff before bursting out into giggles as he saw the couple’s mouths agape. “Oh my—hahaha! You…You should see your faces right now! Ahahaha!”
The couple exchanged glances again before Maddie nodded at her husband, silently giving him the green light. Tom gave a single nod back. Time to bring out the big guns.
He made a grab for the little hedgehog, securely cradling him. “All right, you little sass master. Since you clearly still have a lot of energy left to keep sassing Maddie and I, that means you can still take a lot more tickles. Lucky for you, I know just how to teach sassy little hedgehogs like you a lesson for being so snarky. Time to bring out the old Wachowski family special!”
Sonic tilted his head like a confused puppy. What the heck was that supposed to mean? He let out a soft squeak as he was lifted up closer to Tom’s face. “What are you up to, Donut L—AAAEEEEEEEEHEEHEEHEEEEEEEK!!” He didn’t have time to finish his question as Tom leaned down to press his face against Sonic’s belly, and playfully nip the soft surface. “NAAAAAHAHAHA!! NAAHEEEEHEEHAHAHA!! N-NOHOHO, WHAHAHAT ARE YOU DOIHIHIHIHING?!!”
“This Tickle Monster grows tired of your sassy comments, and has simply decided to eat you instead!” Tom spoke against the twitching tummy, chuckling as he heard Sonic shriek like a girl again.
Sonic was squirming like a leech on a salt covered sidewalk. The nibbles to his belly were unbearably tickly. Tingly currents were zipping up and down his spine, and he could feel them all the way down to the tips of his toes.
He frantically batted at Tom’s head, silently begging his father figure to have some mercy on him. Fortunately, Tom did get the message. “So, are you ready to apologize for your sass and head off to sleep? Or do we need to keep teaching you a lesson?” The couple hovered their wiggling fingers over the small hedgehog, making him squeal and curl for protection.
“Aaaah! No, no! Wahahahait! Lemme thihihink about ihihihit!”
After Sonic caught his breath, he tapped his chin and hummed in deep thought. “Hmm….I think you guys need a second opinion before calling yourselves professional Tickle Monsters! No way that’s true! I mean, look at me; I’m still hyper, and full of energy, so HA! Your sneak attacks did absolutely no—AAAAAHEHEEHEEHAHAHAHA!!”
“That’s enough sass out of you, mister,” Tom interrupted. He had scooped up the hedgehog, not wasting another second and mercilessly scribbled under his arms.
Sonic screeched and slammed his arms down to his sides, merely trapping the still wriggling fingers there. He jolted with a louder screech when he felt nails scribbling and digging into his belly. “W-WAIT, WAHAHAHAIT!! NAHAHAHAT THERE!! NOT THERE!!”
“Where? Here?” Maddie innocently asked, vibrating a clawed hand against the center of Sonic’s tummy.
Sonic squealed another octave. He frantically shook his head, kicking his legs at 300 miles per hour. “AAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!! NAHAHAHAHAHAAAAHAO!! NAHAHAHAT THEHEHEHERE!!”
Tom chuckled. “Y’know you keep saying ‘not there’, but I’m not hearing you apologize.”
Sonic may have been laughing his quills off, but he was a stubborn hedgehog. “N-NO WAHAHAHAHAY!! I’LL NEHEHEHEHEVER AP—HAHAHAHA—APOLOGIZE!!”
“Suit yourself, buddy.” Tom and Maddie paused their attacks one last time before switching spots. Maddie grabbed and held Sonic’s wrists above his head while Tom made a grab for his legs. “Just so you don’t try and kick me in the face while I do this,” he told Sonic after he shakily asked what were they going to do to him now.
“Oh, just a secret family combat tactic that’s lethal enough to paralyze a victim within seconds,” Tom stated like a villain as he wrapped an arm around the fidgeting hedgehog’s legs.
Sonic gulped. “P-Paralyze..?”
The couple had to fight the urge not to break character. Sonic just looked too cute! He actually looked like a scared puppy, wondering what they were about to do. They wanted to tell him right there that he had nothing to worry about, and explain what they were going to do, but…it was better to show rather than tell.
The fluttery anticipating tingling intensified as Sonic felt Tom slide his arm behind his back, arching his stomach. He had a bad feeling about this. “W-Wait, what are you..?”
Tom took a deep breath, dove down, pressed his lips against the center of Sonic’s belly, and blew hard.
Sonic threw his head back and screamed. “AAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHEEEEEEAAAAA!! NAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAO!! WHAHAHAT IHIHIHIS THAHAHAHAT?!!”
“They’re called ‘raspberries’, Sonic,” explained Maddie with a giggle.
Tom lifted his head. “But like I said, they’re a very lethal weapon that can cripple a victim! Like, for instance, sassy-mouthed hedgehogs who refuse to go to bed!” He leaned down to pepper more ticklish raspberries all over Sonic’s tummy.
And Sonic? He couldn’t stop squealing and screeching hysterics. This was way worse than the nibbles from earlier! “AAAAAAAAHEEHEEHEEHEEHAHAHAAAAAA!! NO!! NO—AAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAAA!! THIHIHIS IS SOHOHO MUCH WOHOHOHOHORSE!! AAAAAAAAHHH!!”
“Good! Maybe this’ll teach you not to be sassy to your parents!” Tom spoke against the soft tummy again.
“B-BUHUT I WAHASN’T EHEEHEEHEEHEVEN BEING SASSY!! AAAAAAAHHH!! NAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAO!!” Sonic’s protests were interrupted as another fat raspberry was blown to the center of his belly. “O-OKAHAHAY!! OKAY!! I’M SAHAHAHAHARRY!! I’LL GO TO BEHEHEHED NOW!!” He meant it; he could feel his quills starting to spark and he was starting to lose it. Plus, he didn’t want to accidentally cause a power outage if his quills continued to spark.
“You promise?” he heard Tom and Maddie ask.
He nodded frantically. “YES, YEHEHEHEHES!! PROMIHIHIHISE!!”
The couple finally ceased and released him. Sonic lay limply on his bed, panting while trying to rub away the aftershock tingles from his stomach. “That…you…you guys…are so mean..!” Tom and Maddie laughed, affectionately rubbing his ears and head.
“Well, now you know what happens when you refuse to go to bed,” shrugged Tom.
“And when you get sassy with your words,” Maddie added, booping Sonic on the nose.
Sonic sheepishly smiled. “Okay, I guess I did walk into that one. Sorry for sassing, I think it was the sugar rush.”
Maddie gave him more pets to the head. “Now do you see why we don’t want you to have sweets before bed? It’s for your own good. So you can avoid dealing with the Tickle Monsters as a result.” She playfully tased his side one last time for emphasis.
Sonic arched away with a cute squeak. “EEEP! Okay, okay! I get it! No more! Just…please stop calling yourselves that.” With one final pet to the head, Sonic yawned as his ears drooped.
“Ready for bed?”
He sleepily nodded. “Mm-hmmm…”
Maddie carefully slipped off his sneakers while Tom snugly tucked him in. Sonic was out like a light after that. Smiling, the couple each took a turn giving Sonic a good night kiss to his forehead. Their hearts swooned as they saw the little hedgehog smile in his sleep at the affectionate gesture.
“See? What did I tell you?” Maddie whispered to her husband. “A visit from the Tickle Monster works every time.”
Maddie almost fully leaped out of her spot on the bed her and her husband shared as she suddenly awoke, her eyes darting around the room before taking a deep breath, relaxing herself.
She didn’t need to use the bathroom…
And she made sure all of the kids (+ Ozzie) were in their beds…
So why did she feel so…uneasy?
Tom broke through his sleep at the sudden movement from his wife, holding her hand as he rubbed it with his thumb gently, “Everything okay, love?” He mumbled out groggily.
Maddie couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at her husband’s sleepy voice, giving his hand a quick kiss as she got up from the bed, “I’m fine, babe. I just…I-I just…” She trailed off.
The cop yawned, raising a brow, “Having those random feelings of uneasiness again?”
The woman in purple pajamas nodded.
“Gonna go check up on our kids?”
She nodded once more.
“M'kay…” The famous Donut Lord yawned, drifting back to sleep, “Just call me if you need anything…” He mumbled as he closed his eyes and snored like no tomorrow.
Maddie rolled her eyes fondly, putting on her fluffy purple robe that was hoisted on a clothing hanger as put on her house slippers, going upstairs to the attic.
The nurse quietly made her way to the attic, her heart racing with a sort of…adrenaline as she made her way to the beds…
…Although, she didn’t know why.
First, she made her way to Tails' bed, who, was soundly sleeping peacefully underneath his blankets. Maddie kissed his forehead, adjusting his noise canceling headphones on his ears as she further tucked him in as she made her way to Sonic…
And ohhhhhh, Sonic…
The kid was basically sprawled along his bed like a used up rag-doll…
…Which, Maddie didn’t know whether to mark it off as concerning or impressive.
Maybe both.
The adult wrapped the blue hedgehog in his favorite blanket, kissing his forehead and subtly giggling as she saw him smile in his sleep at the kiss.
Lastly, she made her Knuckles' bed…
…That was missing, well…Knuckles.
The woman took a deep breath, taking her phone out of her robe pocket as she tried to calm herself.
He was going to absolutely GET IT if he went out 'adventuring' again.
Maddie could not handle another week asking random people in Green Hills of the red echidna’s whereabout’s…
…Her heart just could not take that amount of stress anymore!
And if Wade was even the SLIGHTEST bit responsible he was going to GET IT too.
The brown eyed human made her way downstairs, relief washing over her as she saw the back quills of a familiar red fellow sitting at the bottom of the stairs that led to the kitchen.
“…Knuckles?” She quietly said.
The echidna swiftly turned around at the woman’s words, his pupils sharpening before softening upon realizing who was behind him.
As he met her concerned yet loving gaze, he looked away, focusing on the wooden floor as if it was the most interesting thing as of right now.
Well…at least it was just Madeline.
Or 'Pretzel Woman' as the red themed teenager liked to call her.
It honestly could have been way worse…
…The blue themed hedgehog could have awoken instead of Maddie…
…And that would have been a whole other problem Knuckles did not have the time or patience for.
The teenager forced himself to relax slightly, his shoulders still tense in case of anything or…anyonedeciding to…surprise him.
Because he was an echidna warrior! He simply just did not get sneaked up on.
“Pretzel Woman.” He hummed, “I would not have expected you to be awake at such hours…”
“I wish I could say the same for you, sweetheart…” The 'Pretzel Woman' in question chuckled lightly, coming down and sitting on the stair the small teen was stifly sitting on, “What are you doing up, love?”
“I am keeping watch.” Knuckles stated simply, his seating spot remaining on the steps but his eyes darting in every which way around the house, seeming to look for a nonexistent threat.
Or grapes. Those he will always look out for.
“Did…I wake you?” His violet eyes morphing into one of guilt, “I am sorry if that is the case…I tried to be as silent as possible whilst scouting this evening.”
“No no! Not at all.” Maddie quickly assured, “I-I just…had a certain…feeling to get up, y'know?”
But Knuckles did not know, only quietly nodding his head as he tried to make sense of what the chocolate eyed human was stating, “…I see.” He hummed once more, now looking up as he peered on the outside door, his eye ridges creasing together.
Maddie fiddled with her fingers anxiously, not appreciating the sudden silence as she tried to collect her thoughts to think of what to say next.
Because, truth be told…Knuckles has been doing this…'guarding' business ever since he came to live in Green Hills.
And it was somewhat nice the first week…
A tad bit jarring the second week…
But now it was the third week.
And Maddie cannot recall one time she has seen Knuckles shut his eyes for more than a second.
“You are distressed.” The short teenager concluded bluntly, observing Maddie’s facial expression and body language, “Are you perhaps…cold?”
The woman let a small smile strech to her features at that, “I’m not cold, sweetheart. But thank you for your concern.” She said gently, resting her hand on the teenager’s shoulder but drawing it back as the teeanger in question stifened further at the sudden contact.
“But…I am worried.” The purple cladded woman stated, well…worriedly as she put her hands on her lap.
The fifteen year old’s eye ridges knitted together in slight confusion, letting out a small: “Oh.”
He looked up at her, “Why is that?”
The nurse started, “You’ve been staying up—”
“Scouting.” Knuckles politely corrected.
“—scouting…” She corrected herself, “…for three weeks straight, Knux. Aren’t you tired?”
“No.” The violet eyed teen uttered, “An echidna warrior is only tired when they need be. Which, I am not.” He stated, ironically burying back a small yawn that was bubbling in his throat.
Which, did not go unnoticed by Maddie.
“Everyone gets tired eventually…” The human said, “It’s not healthy to just…skip sleep, hun. It’s not good for you.”
“Only I know what is good and what is not good for me, Pretzel Woman.” The red echidna huffed, completely brushing off the other’s concern, “I will sleep when my duty is done.”
“Your…'duty?'” Maddie repeated.
Knuckles nodded, putting his right fist on his chest as he spoke, “I have promised you, the Lord of the Donuts, the loud hedgehog and the anxious fox to guard the Master Emerald, yes?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“And I have also promised to protect you all.” He announced proudly and matter-of-factly, “A protector never rests.”
“Hun…I think we’ve proven we’re more than capable at protecting ourselves.” The human lightly joked as she almost immediately regretted her statement and tone as she saw the teen’s expression shift from proud to…distress.
And there it is...
…You have such a wonderful way of words, Madeline…
…SUCH a wonderful way with words…
A flash of hurt made their way through Knuckles' eyes, though, he tried to hide it as we looked away, glaring at the floor slightly he hugged himself, which made the human feel even more guilty, “…I…I am aware of that fact.”
And immediately the adult started to backtrack at the teenager’s now almost distraught and downtrodden expression, “I-It’s not that we don’t appreciate it— appreciate you, love. I just don’t want you collapsing randomly one day because you’re staying up every single night keeping watch of us and the house.”
“I do not collapse.” The kid said in an almost defensive-like tone, “And when I eventually will, I would gladly do so knowing I have protected you all to the fullest.”
And right then and there Maddie could have sworn she felt her heart stop at that, feeling the smallest twinge of lightheadedness as she curled her fingers, forming fists on her lap.
“No!” The human shouted, lowering her voice as she realized she yelled a tad bit too loudly, making Knuckles flinch slightly at the sudden exclamation, “No no no! Knuckles, where is this coming from?!”
The nurse pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stay calm but found it really difficult due to the fact one of her kids openly stated he would be fine literally DYING if it meant he would fulfill his 'duty', “I don’t want you staying up guarding, scouting— whatever you call it! I just don’t want you doing any of those things!”
The echidna’s face morphed to a frown, “But—“
“No, Knux…” Maddie said, her tone leaving no room for argument…
…The 'Mother voice' if you will…
“This is the last time you’re doing something like this. End of story.” The purple cladded human said, crossing her arms across her chest.
And then again, there was…a small silence that fell between the two.
A silence neither of them liked at all.
But the air was too thick with…all of a sudden tension that they both stayed quiet, in fear they would say the wrong thing…
…Again.
But eventually, the red echidna couldn’t take the silence; couldn’t take the tension any longer.
He looked at the figure in front of him once more, fixing his composure to appear more confident…but ultimately just appearing to be straight up panic-stricken.
“Then what can I do…?” He mumbled out meekly.
Maddie’s hands dropped to her sides, her eyebrows creasing together, “…What…do you mean?”
“To…To repay you all.” The violet eyed teenager further explained, mentally punching himself for sounding so completely and utterly…weak, “To make up for what I’ve done previously. T-To…guarntee my stay in the Wachowski clan.”
And those words alone spoke measures.
The nurse’s heart might of well dropped all the way to the floor, because all of a sudden she felt like she could not breathe.
She puts Knuckles' hand in hers, even though the echidna’s hand was obviously and ultimately TWICE her hand size…she didn’t care.
For crying out loud this was her son.
And she would never ever forgive herself if after this he would continue to think otherwise.
Then…
…Everything clicked.
“…Sweetheart…did you…d-did you think we were going to…kick you out…?” She asked as if she already knew the answer, afraid of what the other would say.
The short teenager picked up quickly that Maddie somehow knew now, guilt almost immediately hitting him like a train as he hugged himself with his free hand, looking down at his lap, “Yes.” He admitted, hugging himself more as he saw the other start to become teary eyed, “Before coming here to the Wachowski residance…I was responsible for so many casualties…” He muttered, “…I still am.”
The teenager’s tail droops, bringing his fist to his face to try and hide his also now tearing up expression, “I helped Robotnik seize control of your town and almost the entire planet…”
“…I-If I had just listened to Sonic…your house would not still be under repair. You and the Lord of Donuts would not have to call that 'Uber' you always speak of every morning to simply go to your designated jobs!” He yelled, not really caring if anyone else besides Maddie heard him at this point.
“Growing up, my Father always told me to never put my hands on someone else unless they did so to me first…” He murmured, a hint of fondness in his tone speaking of his as of late Father.
“I broke that promise when I met Sonic.” He mumbled out, ignoring the feelings of his eyes starting to become more wet, “But…B-But above all else…all my Father wanted for me was for me to be a good person…”
Knuckles let out a small sob, harshly wiping his face as his shoulder hung low…
…Out of hatred or frustration…?
Maybe a little bit of both…?
Maddie wasn’t sure.
“A-And I promised him. I swore on my life I would live by those two promises…” The small echidna hiccuped, yanking his arm away from the human as he gripped his arm with one hand until he couldn’t feel it anymore, “A-And I f-failed those two simple oaths b-by j-j-just acting so f-foolish…”
The taller figure watched the other shake with sobs, swiftly scooting closer to him as she gently held his wrists to stop him from further hurting himself.
“Oh, sweetheart…” She mumbled, her heart heavy as she saw the teenager duck his head further, “Hey…hey…” Maddie whispered, cupping the echidna’s face in her palms.
And to be completely honest? Knuckles wanted to hurt himself further as he did nothing but melt to the small but impactful form of affection…
“Can you look at me?” The nurse carefully asked.
Knuckles quietly looked at her, his face scrunched up to try and attempt to stop the tears freely flowing down his cheeks like a waterfall.
Maddie sighed sadly, wiping his tears with her thumb as she gently rubbed his cheeks, “I need you to listen to me, okay?”
He shakily nodded.
“You are a good person.” She emphasized sternly, “One mistake that you made doesn’t automatically define your worth.”
“This…” She said, gesturing to herself and Knuckles. “…is not a transaction. We are giving you a room to sleep in because we love you. We are giving you clothes to wear because we love you. We are giving you food to eat because we love you…”
“…Even though I would prefer you eat something other than grapes.” She tried to joke, which ended up finally working very effectively as she saw a small but genuine smile appear on the echidna’s face.
Knuckles couldn’t help but let out a soft snort, rolling his eyes before focusing on Maddie once again, “My grapes have nothing to do with this…”
“And I do also consume Cool Ranch Doritos from time to time…” The teen mumbled, “So saying I onlyeat grapes is inaccurate.”
The nurse gently squished his cheek playfully, “And this?” She gestured as she wiped away his tears once again, “Is because I love you. Not because I’m expecting something in return.” She explained as she now put his hands in her’s as if the size meant nothing to her…
…Because it didn’t.
“Robotnik tricked you. He tricked you into thinking he was a nice man. That isn’t your fault.” The human sternly announced once again.
The red furred echidna shook his head, “But I endangered everyone—”
“—But you also saved everyone.” The purple pajama wearing woman quickly added, “You tried to fix your mistakes…don’t think I didn’t see you punching those egg robot thingies, hun. You weren’t messing around.”
“I am not prone to be one who 'messes around…'” He said, his eyes almost jumping out of their sockets as Maddie planted a small kiss on his forehead.
“And that? That is because…” She gently urged on.
“You…Y-You love me...” Knuckles finished, almost choking on his own words, before lightly pushing her away in an attempt to get her to leave…
…Because she would eventually…
…Right?
“…Y-You hardly even know me.” The violet eyed echidna whispered, looking up at the taller figure as she gently bumped her shoulder with his.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t love you.” Maddie exclaimed as she smiled warmly, the warmness somehow making its way to the echidna warrior as his heart fluttered in his chest.
A small, subtle blush appeared on his muzzle as he looked away, trying to hide his expression.
He cleared his throat, “I…suppose that is true, Pretzel Woman…”
“Just 'Maddie' is fine, sweetie.”
The fifteen year old swallowed, wiping his eyes with his arm as he finally looked at the taller.
And if Maddie squinted…she was almost 100% sure she saw a small sparkle in the child’s eyes.
“Alright…Maddie.” The teenager announced shyly but proudly, resting his head on the other’s shoulder.
The nurse had to keep in literally every single fiber in her body to stop herself from squealing like a high-school preppy girl.
“You don’t owe us anything…okay?” The brown eyed woman stated, “You’re apart of a family, Knux. And one doesn’t protect the whole family…we all protect each other.” She rubbed Knuckles' knuckles gently and comfortingly with her thumb, “You’re a Wachowski. And the Wachowski’s stick together.”
And just like that, another silence fell among the two…although, this one was less tense which Maddie could not be more grateful for.
But the nurse couldn’t shake the feeling that something was being left…unsaid and undone.
And if you knew her…you knew dang well those two words were just simply not apart of her dictionary.
“May I give you a hug?” She asked somewhat hesitantly, but couldn’t stop the smile spreading to her face as she saw the echidna perk up at the mention.
The red echidna collected himself, clearing his throat again as he glanced up at her, “You may.”
The human wrapped the echidna in her arms, her smile doubling in size as she felt the teen wrap his own arms around her…somewhat stifly and awkwardly.
But hey, he was trying.
“I love you, Knux.” The chocolate eyed woman hummed, “And you don’t have to say it back if you aren’t ready.”
The violet eyed echidna nodded, shyly burying his face into the other’s shoulder as they continued to embrace.
“Do you…want to go back to your room…?” Maddie asked in a tone signifying she was alright with a 'yes' or a 'no'.
The warrior only held Maddie tighter at that, shaking his head as he buried his face into her shoulder harder, “In…I-In a little bit…” He answered honestly, “I do not want to go just yet…”
“That’s fine.” The human assured, “How about…we stay on the couch for a while? I bet it’s way more comfy than these old stairs.”
The red furred echidna nodded, “…Alright.”
He followed the taller to the living room, sitting on the couch as she did, watching her as she flipped through the channels.
“You okay with watching 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S.?'” The woman asked as she flipped to the Nick-at-Nite channel, relaxing on the couch cushion.
“I am very fond of my companions, yes.” The young warrior nodded, resting his eyes on the TV as this so called….'F.R.I.E.N.D.S.' show started to play.
The two sat on the couch for a while, small chuckles and snickers being shared as they reacted to the show in front of them.
Knuckles yawned, crossing his arms as he rested his head on Maddie’s arm which the older did not pay any mind to, subconsciously scratching his quills.
The younger’s eyes widened, not moving away from the touch but seeming genuinely shocked by it, “What are you doing?”
At that, the human quickly drew her hand away.
Shit.
“O-Oh, I’m sorry, baby.” She said apologetically, cursing herself for making it seem like she was trying to rush him with anything…
“It’s just a thing I do with Sonic and Tails— they find it calming. I’m sorry, I should’ve asked. It’s just…kind of an instinct…” Maddie said to Knuckles as he looked down, fiddling with his gloved fingers as he looked anywhere but the person beside him, “You do not…have to stop if you do not wish.” He admitted quietly, “It feels nice…”
The nurse tried (and failed) to hide yet another dorky grin that spread to her face as she gently ruffled Knuckles quills once more, cooing on the inside as the echidna subtly leaned into the touch, trying his absolute best to concentrate on the television but obviously clearly enjoying the affection as his tail wagged softly against the couch.
As the TV ran, Maddie moved her hand to scratch where Knuckles' ears would be and the young warrior absolutely melted at the new touch, his tail wagging faster.
The purple cladded woman fondly smiled at the reaction, moving her fingers to gently scratch the back of the echidna’s neck but nothing would have prepared her for the loud shriek the teenager let out as she did so.
The violet eyed fifteen year old covered his mouth in shock as the human retreated her hand back, her face morphing to worry once more, “A-Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
The echidna swallowed, not even trying to hide the small blush that appeared on his muzzle now as he put his hand to the side, “I-I am…uninjured.” He said as calmly as he could muster, “I apologize for startling you…I also startled myself…”
“It’s okay, sweetheart…” The purple cladded human said, “…But what happened?”
“I am…not sure.” Knuckles explained as he rubbed the back of his neck as if to redo the feeling he just felt, “You touched the back of my neck and it felt…odd.”
“Odd?” Maddie repeated.
“Odd.” Knuckles said again.
The nurse raised a curious brow, lightly poking the red furred echidna where she was once scratching him as he burst into surprised and confused giggles.
The fifteen year old shook his head back and forth, scrunching up his shoulders as he lightly tried to pry the other’s hand away.
What…was this?
And why did it make him feel so…giddy and carefree?!
“C-Cease thihis s-sohorcery ahahat once!” The violet eyed echidna giggly demanded, hugging himself and falling down on the couch, “Ceeheease ceeheease ceeheeheeheease!!” He snickered as Maddie gently started to spider her finger nails along his sides.
“It isn’t sorcery, love. Your just ticklish.” The adult chuckled, putting one and one together.
“N-Nohohoh Ihi ahahaham nohot!” The red furred teen denied through his chorus of laughs, “Ahan ehechidna waharrior woHOULD neHEHEver hahave suhuHUCH AHA c-chihildish weeheeakness!”
“Really?” Maddie smiled, intrigued as she gently prodded the other’s lower ribs, causing the other in question to automatically jerk, throwing his head back as he buried his heels in the couches cushions, “NOHOH thIHIs ihihis CHIHIHILDIHISH!!” He desperately squealed.
The woman in purple pajamas couldn’t help the small coo she let out at the teenager’s adorable reactions…
…And Knuckles didn’t even need to look at her to know she found his once-in-a-full-moon flustered expression very amusing.
“Awe, Knux…” The nurse lightly teased as her fingers continued their ticklish torment on the echidna’s ribs.
“NOHOH— snrk! DOHOHON’T!!” The echidna in question cried as his cheeks started to match his fur color, internally cursing his natural body movements as his tail wagged happily once more.
“Don’t what~? Don’t tickle you?” Maddie sweetly asked, only receiving a small but LOUD snort from the other as she moved down to gently scratch along his stomach, “Looks like I found a bad spot, huh, bud~?”
“IHIHIT IHISN’T snrt BAHAD!!” The teen insisted, banging his fists on the couch, “IHAT JUHAH—! SNRT! JUHUST FEEHEELS OHODD!!”
“Interesting…” The adult hummed, pretending she was pondering something as he dug her hand’s into the violet eyed echidna’s underarms, wincing slightly as he let out a sharp scream before descending into loud cackles.
“THEHEHEHERE!” The teen quickly retorted, trying to gesture to his underarm but anytime he tried to the other would just simply make her touches even lighter, “MAHADDIE DAHAHON’T AHACT snrt STUPID!”
“'Stupid~?'” The nurse dramatically gasped, “And here I thought we bonded!” She huffed as she fluttered her fingers in the crooks of the teen’s neck and under his chin.
And truth be told…Knuckles was absolutely, positively embarrassed of this whole ordeal.
And to be honest…he could have gotten up anytime he wanted…
…But he didn’t.
He hadn’t thought he’d ever feel such…happiness and carefreeness ever again…
…But it’s like Sonic always said…
'Hope is a hedgehog’s greatest weapon.'
“SNRT! NOHOH!! STOHOP SNRT IHAT!!!” The echidna wheezed out, his legs frantically kicking behind Maddie.
“Guess this is your sweet spot…” The woman smiled brightly.
“NAHAHAH! SNRT! NOHAHOTHING AHABOHOUT SNRT SNRT MY NECK IHIHIS SWEEHEEHEET!!!” The young warrior cackled loudly, tears welling up in his eyes…
…And for the first time in…well, forever…they were happy ones.
“AHALRIGHT!! AHAHALRIHIGHT!!!” He relented, lightly pushing on her hands, “IHI SURRENDER! IHIHIHI SURRENDER!!”
And just like that Maddie immediately let up, sitting back as Knuckles let out a couple more aftermath giggles.
“You okay, baby?” The human asked, wiping away the rest of his happy tears.
“Y-Yehes. I aham snrt fine…” The red echidna hummed, sitting back on the couch as he layed his head on the figure’s shoulder again.
“Thank you, Mo—“ Knuckles' eyes widened, quickly catching his slip-up, “M-Maddie. Maddie. Thank you, Maddie.” He exclaimed quickly, quietly praying to his echidna ancestors that the purple pajama wearing woman did not catch his mistake.
But judging by her wide eyes and agape mouth…she most likely did.
“Uhm…I-I must go to my sleeping quarters now…g-goodnight.” Knuckles stammered under his breath quickly and quiety, not waiting for the other to give an answer as he basically sprinted to the attic, quietly closing the door to not disturb his brothers whom were soundly fast asleep.
Maddie slowly got out of her state of shock, her heart basically leaping out of her chest as she fondly smiled, shutting off all the lights in the living room and kitchen before taking one small glance at the closed attic door.
She felt…so warm and…so fuzzy…
Instead of her heart dropping…she honestly felt like it just soared to heaven.
“Goodnight, son.” She whispered, wiping her eyes as she slipped into her and Tom’s bedroom, going under the covers next to her husband and going back to sleep.
