#or the fic I’m working on

[ilovebeingaturtle]

I don’t really ship 87 Ramona (although I do love the idea of them in a QPR) but. If they did feel romantically for each other it would take forever for them to actually get together, if they even do, in sharp contrast to the 2012 “we’ve known each other two hours now we’re committed for life” speedrun. Raphael would have fallen in love years ago but would not recognise this fact once. Mona Lisa is also part of the problem. She has a layer of superficiality she always uses as protection over her true feelings, so how does she even know her flirting is sincere? How would Raphael be supposed to know? She’d overthink it. Also she’s a lesbian so falling in love with your best friend is like mandated and agonising. She’d have accepted her fate and already resigned herself that it’s never going to happen. She’s just happy they’re close to each other. Meanwhile Raphael thinks “huh, I want to marry her” then goes about his day. This realisation occurs multiple times but he never reads into it.

[givemeureyes]

day 1 without ao3: i have gone through all 5 stages of grief multiple times and have invented a 6th. i will not disclose what the 6th stage of grief is.

[catsoupki]

i think. I THINK. because bakugou is so bad at verbalising all that he feels for you, he goes above and beyond plus-ultra and everything in his actions. he knows he loves you, he thinks about it every time he sees you but he just can’t say it. so what does he do? he covers the table corners when you’re picking something up from the floor. he does your dishes for you even when you didn’t ask. he greets you at the door when you come home and he takes the time to set your bag down onto the cabinet and he bends down to take your shoes off. he prepares your lunch boxes to take to work everyday without fail. when it’s a sunday and you two are sleeping in, he’ll use his head to block the sun from shining onto your eyes so you won’t wake up. so he can cuddle you longer. his actions are always over the top because it’s the result from having all of these iloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyou bouncing inside his head with no way of escaping and this is the only way they can get out to the world and into you.

[thatskindarough]

“‘I just…I thought you might like to come back, one day,’ Crowley said very quietly. Aziraphale’s foot pressed against his again, and Crowley drew in a sudden breath, as if he hadn’t been breathing properly since Aziraphale had stopped touching him.”

This piece was a commission from the lovely @fellshish for their lovely friend, @alphacentaurinebula ‘s fic What Are You Doing Here? This fic is cute, funny, heartwarming, and incredibly spicy, and I’m very much looking forward to finishing it! Thank you Fells for being wonderful to work with, and happy (belated) birthday to you Alphacentauri, I’m very happy I could do this for you!

[noodles-and-tea]

Back at it with my enchanted merthur shenanigans

[one-real-wrimonkey]

Gravity Falls AU where instead of dimension hopping after falling through the portal, Ford becomes incorporeal and the only people who can see or hear him are the ghosts (and a few of the other magical beings in the town).

He works out pretty quickly what’s happening. He expects Stan to leave, he expects he’ll be trapped this way forever.

Instead he spends the next 30 years watching Stan try to bring him back.

[ohno-the-sun]

Hehe hoho kicking my feet like a schoolgirl over this au

@head-in-the-icloud ‘s Royal Jesters au

[fanfic-gremlin-ft-trauma]

happy birthday to one of the greatest fics of all time <3 ( @bisexuallsokka , thank you for writing this masterpiece.)

[carebeardean]

Charles has always left Edwin little notes slipped between the pages of his favorite books, in his science equipment, places he knows Edwin loves. Just silly things—post its that say “hi Edwin :)”. doodles of Edwin with his nose stuck in a book. reminders to stock up on wolfsbane. but.

Then, post canon, Edwin tentatively starts dating people. And it’s ridiculous, because Edwin’s right there, all the time, but Charles..misses him a bit. And his heads a mess, and he can’t sort out what the hell he’s feeling most of the time, and whenever he tries to say any of it out loud it comes out rubbish.

So. He writes down some of the shit he can’t say right, and because he’s a coward, hides them so he doesn’t have to see Edwin’s face when he reads them.

then Edwin starts writing back.

Neat lilac blue little envelopes appear in Charles coat pockets. In his bag. Once, in his shoe? Some nights, Edwin will clear his throat and mention something from a letter, offhand, like they’re just picking up conversation, and Charles can pretend they are. That they always have talked about the basement, the belt, the nameless fear that chokes him every time Edwin walks out the door with someone else on his arm.

Sometimes he can’t. The words get stuck in his throat. Edwin’s not mad, he’s maddeningly, stubbornly kind about it, which is worse.

Some nights they trade. A secret for a secret. Charles learns about the novels Edwin used to hide under his mattress, about all the lonely years before Charles got there. About Simon.

Meanwhile, Edwin is losing his mind, because Charles has accidentally stumbled onto what was a fucking courting ritual in his time. Love letters were something engaged couples treasured for years, kept and reread over and over. (Edwin does. keep them in a special box, will take one out and trace the words, tuck it in his breast pocket for courage).

Edwin would rather have to reattach a limb again than lose Charles trust, all the dark and beautiful things he shares with Edwin only. He knows—knows Charles doesn’t mean to make him fall more in love with him.

[stinkrat-aleks]

@jeriais sent me this picture and I had to manifest the soccer AU dadneto vision

[livelaughlovesubs]

Dom!reader x sub!Mr.Crawling

Warning: SMUT, hand job, teasing, pet names, did I make him too pure?, low-key self indulgent, dacryphilia, also kinda fluffy

Nini!rant: I did it again, I hate myself, it’s so cringe, why am I a pervert, I hate writing pls I’m going through fifteen stages of grief cuz I’m shamed and embarrassed

PROBABLY OOC, I HAVENT PLAYED THE GAME

What an annoying situation you’ve found yourself trapped in. Everyday was pretty much the same, not to mention you were a hair away from going insane and just murdering everyone. It was difficult to get along with the other creatures of this realm, since you couldn’t seem to trust them entirely. Who knows if these monsters won’t kill you once their curiosity wears off. The uncertainty regarding the language was also playing a role in all this, not the mention the filthy environment here.

You plunged back onto your small bed, the somewhat soft blanket and mattress working as your only solace. There was nothing fun here anymore, you spend your days searching for an exit, but you haven’t found a lead yet. With a loud groan, you turned and faced the wall, lying on your side. That’s when you suddenly noticed some movements behind your back and—

A shadowy figure jumped out from under the bed you were currently resting on. The figure smiled at you, he gave off a bright and enthusiastic feel, like a puppy wagging its tail. “Mr. Crawling?” You asked, slipping off the almost clean sheets to sit on the edge. It wasn’t really a question, but more a statement. He looked up at you, at least you think he did, and he nodded while saying, “yes! Me!” “What are you doing here—” You wondered but interrupted yourself, covering your mouth and giving an awkward cough, “I mean: Why you here?”

By habit you’d always talk in your original language first, only to realise they can’t understand it. “Me look for you, you okay?” The ghost asked you, his long bangs and black hair covering more than half of his face. And the parts you could see were mostly drenched in blood. “Yes, me okay.” You answered half heartedly, since you didn’t know how to explain your boredom to him. Instead of dreading that fact, you decided to focus on the more important stuff, pondering, “You here, play?”

He almost jumped as he giggled and said with an upbeat tone, “yes, yes!!” Pff, what an adorable thing, if there was one person who you trusted completely in this foreign world, it’d be him. And Mr. Chopped, mostly because he can’t hurt you. They seemed like the most harmless ones. “What shall we do?” You chuckled, mostly to yourself, reaching a hand out to pat his head. He was kneeling in front of the bed, tilting his head a little to give you easier access. “Me like pats.” He said, nuzzling into your palm with that usual smile, then he added, “me like you.”

“Me also like you.” You replied, and caressed his face, treating him like a dog. Or maybe more like a cat? Anyhow, what you said was not a lie, because he really is likeable. If he was a human you’d probably date him—

…

Huh, wait. What’s stopping you actually, its not like you are scared of him.

“Mr. Crawling, come.” You waved your hand, signalising him to come closer. He did as you asked and laid his head on your lap. “Good boy.” You praised him in return and cupped his cheeks, they were a little sticky from the almost dried blood, but also very squishy. Then you made him look up at you while simultaneously leaned down to his height, placing an almost shy kiss on his forehead.

A quick and gentle peck, just to test the waters on how he’ll react. His mouth hung agape, causing you to see the black, endless appearing inside of his mouth. Soon his surprised expression changed to his usual cheery one, and he giggled, “again! Me want again!”

You couldn’t say no to him, and seeing his rather positive response made you feel weirdly giddy. Though this time, you kissed him on his lips instead. Without opening your eyes, you still noticed how he stiffened, and it made you get even more bold. After a few seconds, you broke the kiss and whispered against his chilly skin, “me like you.” And yet another kiss, then you grabbed him by his collar and pulled him onto the mattress, asking with a pretty confident smirk, “you like me?”

His lips were slightly parted again, and his cheeks turned a little rosy. He still looked tense as he sat on the bed, one hand clenching the sheets, the other one awkwardly placed in front of his chest. Probably because he didn’t know what to do with it, so now it’s resting there. Other than that, his clothes were getting loose and slipping off his shoulders as well.

“Ah-” he gasped almost inaudibly, it seems he finally noticed, because now he was hurriedly trying to straighten his clothes out. You grabbed one of his hand to interrupt him and brought his palm to your lips, placing a gentle kiss on top, saying, “you not answer me?”

“Urgh..!” He jerked, and he blushed even more, suddenly he felt way too flustered to say the same words as before. It must be due to you acting all weird! “M-me like you…” his sentence ended on a quiet note, and he turned his head to the side. “Haha. Yes, me like you too.” You chuckled, then pinned him to the bed, getting on top of him.

Arms on either side of him and one knee placed between his legs, carefully spreading him apart. Frankly, you didn’t care that he was this big, tall and supposedly scary ghost. “Me like you so much ♡” Chu~ another kiss, this time on his cheek, then his chin, and last but not least, his neck.

With a tremble in his voice, and a hesitant body language, he wrapped his arms around your waist, mumbling, “w-wait.. what you doing…?” Subconsciously, he moved his chin to the side to grant you better access, and you left a hickey right next to his adam’s apple. “Showing my love.” You answered, knowing he wouldn’t understand what you said. It was fine, he didn’t need to understand. At least that was what you thought, but then he proved you wrong by repeating the word, “love? You— love me?”

What a surprise, he did know that word. Despite you not expecting that, you didn’t let it show and replied, “yes.” A small laugh escaped you and your hot breath tickled his skin, creating a contrast with how cold his body is. “Ah..! Me love you to-” He quickly answered, but not fast enough to not get interrupted. You caught his lips in a kiss before he could finish his sentence.

As soon as you got the opportunity, you stuck your tongue into his mouth, moving it around and listening to his soft whimpers. His moaning voice was cute as well, and he groaned so prettily, “Mhmm- hmmfff HnnGh…!” At the same time, you rubbed your knee against him, grinning to yourself at the feeling of something hardening.

Now what did he think about this whole situation? Embarrassing and simply too intense~ What to do, what to do, he’s overwhelmed! He hasn’t felt this way in centuries, no, he doesn’t even know if he’s ever felt like this before! It’s so strange, so unfamiliar and uncomfortably hot. Of course he knows he’s being greedy but he really, really wants you to touch him more.

His legs clenched around you, instinctively trying to close them, shoulder raised to his cheeks and hands meekly clawing at your arms that were firmly trapping him within your grasp. Those clothes of his were failing at covering his body, slipping off his shoulders all seductively. Not to mention how he squirmed around, eagerly returning the kiss but not knowing how to, just way too adorable.

Once you deemed him messed up enough, you pulled away, licking your lips to get rid of the last bits of saliva. His tongue was still hanging out and he was panting heavily, some water droplets could be seen on his cheeks. “Are you crying, darling?” You asked while wiping his tears away, in the process your sleeves got all bloody. “It’s alright, leave it all to me.” Even though he didn’t have a single clue what you just said, he knew by the way you talked, the tone you used that he could trust you.

That’s why he said, “me yours, do what you want.” Just as he voiced the last vocal, he hid his face in the pillow and with the back of his hand, not saying another word. You were flabbergasted, to think this cute, seemingly innocent man could say something like that. “You gave me permission, don’t take it back now.” Right after that, you slipped his kimono off, enough to creep your hand underneath it. He jerked around, not used to such intimacy.

Your touch was so warm, heating him up, making him shiver. To be honest he was a little afraid of all this, it is new for him and his heart is beating so fast. How should he put it? Once you wrapped your hand around his dick, he felt like something was coming out already, “s-slower, your h-hand, nghh..!” You stopped mid track, you haven’t done anything yet but he’s already reacting like this? God, the way you struggled to hold yourself back from fucking him up right here right now.

“Mhm, is this okay?” Gently, or as gentle as you could, you began moving your hand at a slow pace. Meanwhile, you nuzzled your face into the nook of his neck, placing small kissed everywhere. Occasionally you’d suck and nibble at his skin, leaving behind some pretty bruises on that bluish-grey skin. “Hnngh- mhm.. yes.” he nodded, shaking slightly as you kept advancing on him. What else was he supposed to do, or how else should he have reacted?

It didn’t take long until you picked up your pace again. Not only the sweet whispers of dirty nothing you loved to do but also your movements down there that was gradually speeding up. At the same time you’d mutter such perverted words into his ear, the way you said them alone got his head spinning around. He really wants to learn the human language just to understand what you are saying~

He wrapped his arms around your neck, then changed to clawing at your back instead. Back arching off of the mattress as his legs quivered and toes curled. More and more tears flowed down his cheeks, and he whined out, “too much, n-no… ah, nghh..!! ♡♥︎” you slowed down a little to ask him, “you not like?” The way your breath crept up his skin made him want to moan out again, but he instead mumbled into your neck. “MmhHfff, uh-UhmM, hmm..” yea no, you didn’t understand a thing of that.

“Sweetie, what you say?” You kissed the side of his head, and your free hand moved up to stroke his hair, sliding your fingers through his silky black locks. His grip around you tightened, and he was obviously unwilling to let you go again. But, he didn’t talk with you, most likely still too ashamed. “Not like?” After a while you tried again, and rubbed his tip with your fingertips, smearing his precum around. Then changing your grip with a turn of your hand, to rub his slit with your thumb, just tapping it occasionally while the rest wraps around his shaft once more.

“HnGghhh…!! N-no- me l-like, me like it.., like you ♥︎♥︎” finally he answered you, sitting up a little due to him being too excited, and you patted his back lovingly. He arched even more into your touch, whimpering whenever you made the smallest movements with your hand. “Good boy, I’ll speed up now.” You gave him a heads up, then you chomped down on his shoulder, at the same time keeping your word and going faster, pumping him up and down.

“Ahh- ahhhngn..!! You, w-wait~ ♡♥︎♡” He cried out at that, holding onto you so tight there will be bruises the next day. As if suddenly self aware of the noises he was making, he hid his face away again, finding comfort by burying himself closer to you. You felt your neck getting wet, if you had to take a guess that must have been his tears. Yet you didn’t stop, feeling him twitch in your hand, “it’s alright, I’ll take care of it.”

Another moan ripped from his throat when you did something he especially liked, he clawed and clung to your clothes for dears life, quietly sobbing next to your ear, whimpering so softly, “p-please.. co-coming out~ too much…♡♡♥︎” Luckily he couldn’t see your features neither because you were grinning from ear to ear, smiling so devilishly. Hopefully he won’t misunderstand. You stroked his lower back, fingers tracing the line down his spine, and he jerked once more. “Hnnngh~ please, pleaseeee~♡♡”

“You like that?” You wondered, even though you pretty much knew the answer. He mewled and withered, thighs still trying to close up around you. Seeing him being in such bliss and feeling so much pleasure made you want to completely ruin him, and you ended up going faster with your hand. That was the last push he needed to get over the edge. “Ah- haaaGgh…!! Ngh- please, mo-more, no-uhh..!!~♥︎♡♥︎!!”

And with that, he came all over your hand. Oh- he came a lot. You slipped your hand out from underneath him, staring at the sticky fluid spread over your fingers. Right as you planned to get up and wash up, he hugged you all tightly, not letting go while he slowly came down from his high. It seems he liked hiding his face in the nook of your neck. You drew reassuring circles on his back, cooing at him, showering him in praise, waiting a few minutes.

After a while, you nudged his head, muttering, “me go clean, you stay?” Your hand was kind of grossing you out now, you definitely didn’t want to wait any longer. He didn’t answer you though. “You wanna come with me, clean?” You changed your offer, considering the way he was acting. This time, he nodded satisfied and got off of you, quickly sorting out his clothes, “yes!!” It seems he recovered already, returning to his energetic state, that means next time you can go rougher with him.

“Let’s go.” You said, reaching out your hand to him once you got off the bed. He took your hand but pulled on it, just enough to make you stumble forwards. Without wasting that opportunity, he placed a kiss on your cheek, causing you to freeze up on the spot. “Me like you.” The ghost chirped, his bright smile returning to him. That surprised you, was it his way to get back at you for earlier? Unable to stop yourself from grinning, you chuckled, and it soon turned into a small, speechless laugh, “Hah- haha.. ah- oh fuck. What to do? You are too Cute.”

[rinnstars]

soulmates!

matching puzzle pieces: mimicking you unconsciously away from home

itoshi rin x reader: fluff, drabble, pro!player rin (after nel arc), long distance relationship, yearning/longing, not proofread + likes and reblogs are appreciated!

one thing rin has learnt whilst overseas is that you and him might really be connected by souls, by ribs, and by heart perhaps too.

strict routines he’s stuck to since he was just fourteen — wake up, open the windows, take deep breaths, stretching, yoga, mediation shifted in its own ways to accommodate you back when he had first gotten together with you: to waking up and looking at you with the light outside from the windows shining perfectly at your face that makes him gulp a little, staring hard and long whilst tracing your face as gently as possible, indulging in the sugary-sweet moment before returning back to his routine like a robot. its what he’s used to, what he’s comfortable enough, what he knows. and recently, he’s been mimicking you, he thinks: closing his eyes immediately at the bright light in his room the same way you bury your face in his face when you first wake up away from the “bright” lights in his room, drinking a cup of coffee that he swore he wouldn’t drink despite making it for you every morning like clockwork albeit with much less sugar than you would have added, and opening his phone the first thing he does right after it all the same way you open your phone and flash him essentially in his bedroom with your bright phone screen that illuminates the now matching photo of you and him beaming at the camera the day he left.

maybe its rin’s way of feeling your presence in his life now that its back to before he met you — just him and football, wearing a different but similarly stuffy and claustrophobic football jersey that marks his name at the back of it. bitter coffee that still smells like the kitchen that brings him back memories of you and him attempting to fix the coffee machine whilst laughing together, your smile imprinted in his mind, phone screen that still makes him unconsciously grin even though its been months since he’s left japan of that selfie with yours and his cheeks squished against each other, beaming at the camera as though it would be the last time right before he enters the gate to somewhere else that he wonders if you too look at it a little longer before you enter your phone, or hand sanitizer that smells exactly like the one you used to use, and gave to him whenever you two were out together that reminds him of home, reminds him of you.

and he’s sure his teammates dont miss the subtle changes to him. how his diet has changed strangely — desserts that fill his meal and sweets that he munches on in the dorm room that he used to buy from the convenience store for you to eat together in class and then in his room that tastes a little less sweet now that its not from your mouth to his, hotter food that you’ve made him grown used to in contrast to his old days eating leftovers and microwaveable meals from the fridge that still burns his tongue a little, sticking out his tongue as though he’s on field at the temperature even now the same way you do too, picking at his vegetable unconsciously the same way you do before pushing it onto his plate whilst smiling, each pickled vegetable even now resembling you in his mind as he pushes it around his plate. how he’s behaving all strangely too in contrast to the rin who they met just a few weeks ago at neo egoist league — how he’s more accustomed to laughing in the same tone you do, having to cup his mouth at the realisation, looking away awkwardly before being tackled by shidou (that broke out into half a fight), how he fiddles even more with his things than before as though they were your hands that he finds comfort in interlocking and fiddling with whilst lying right beside yours, how he looks a little longer at his phone screen that almost made shidou grab his phone (to his luck, he managed to dodge the attack and not get into a fight whilst in it: messaging you that as though expecting a praise). or even just the way he talks now — the tone and accent melting and merging into yours and his own mid sentence, your catchphrases popping out of his mouth unconsciously like bubblegum that draws strange looks (they dont understand it, he thinks), references to yours and by extension his favourite games and shows that flies by everyone else’s head that he misses your laugh that should ring along with his lame jokes.

and rin’s even more sure that the media doesnt miss how he’s changed from just that few weeks. how his closet doesn’t quite fit him right — sanrio and chikawa sweaters that are both a little too tight to have belonged to him and a little uncharacteristic for him to sport on his day out, silver necklaces that they just cant see the heart of, chalking it up to a new impulsive purchase despite him never wearing any in his winning match, silly keychains on the bag he brings out that catches the camera flash just right into the newspapers. how his last interview went even: seeming more nervous whilst attempting to make eye contact with the camera (knowing youre watching him live), stuttering a little too much whilst answering a question about romantic relationship, how his glued up paper ring catches the whole internet. how his internet presence (without PR) reflects something the internet wants to dig a little more — from his instagram stories about another game win whether that be on valorant or league of legends with a duo with a censored tag (of yours), screenshots of movies and shows he’s watching with the side of facetime featuring your face censored with colour brushes from the tools section, outfit pictures that are first vetted by you and then posted with a uncharacteristically cute water bottle you bought for him as a joke that he still uses to this very day.

its now that he can’t be fully with you that rin wonders if he’s taken advantage of all these years you’ve been there for him, each memory haunts him through his own unconscious movements, speech and thoughts: as though you’ve fully melted yourself on him, your soul and his intertwined and ribs replacing each others: becoming one another. missing, longing is not a strong enough word for it all — heartache when he lies in his bed all alone yearning for your warmth hands that lingers on his body, cuddling him at night that makes him dream of days long after his career in a small apartment all decorated by whatever you want living a life with just you and him, that tightening of his heart whenever he sees you in his everyday life: those red roses that he used to buy from the school shop, any song form the playlist you and him collated that he plays everyday, every second he can, things you’ve bought for him that he’s brought along this practically eons long trip to france, the dryness in his mouth when he looks at your face through facetime: noting every single changes from the way your fringe has gotten longer, to the small leftover seaweed bites form the corner of your mouth, wondering how you were just so perfect in his eyes. its not human he feels: this hunger and craving he feels deep in his ribs, in his guts, in his very bone and blood, every second he counts, every day he strikes off from his calendar, every football match he wins just for a chance for you and him to reunite.

and this time, he’s sure of one thing, no matter what his PR agency thinks, no matter what fans thinks, no matter what the world thinks: rin wants to kiss you, melting his lips against yours as he holds up the winning world cup trophy, in front of the whole field, in front of the whole audience, in front of the whole world — because if there’s anything he knows now is that you and him are one matching puzzle piece, you and him are one soul merged together dictated by the universe, you and him are meant to be: and he’ll love you for the rest of eternity.

[wolvesandshine]

I need more jock! regulus fics like he was also an athlete okay and he’s a black so he never does things in halves. I need regulus being buff or if not at the very least having the biggest sleeper build of all time. I need him to appear all calm and collected until his favourite quidditch team/football team is on then he goes crazy - he yells and screams and has zero filter. I need him to do workouts at home cause wdym he’s going to slack in the holidays he’s a black - just jock regulus guys

[0vergrowngraveyard]

It wasn’t a very long nightmare, but it was enough to make him jolt awake, chills running down his spine and panic filling his chest.

Sonic wasn’t a stranger to having bad dreams, but they didn’t happen very often. Dreaming in general just wasn’t a very common occurrence for him. He usually just closed his eyes and woke up hours later, there was nothing in between.

But there were times after an adventure, a particularly close call, or just having a rough day that his usually peaceful sleep would be interrupted by nightmares that would force him back into the waking world. Images of what could’ve happened if he hadn’t acted in a situation that more often than not ended in death, either his own or someone else’s.

That someone else was usually Tails, which was what he was dealing with now.

Their latest encounter with Eggman had gotten a little too dicey for Sonic’s liking. Not for Sonic himself — the more danger he was in, the better — but Tails had almost gotten hurt. Really hurt. A bot nearly self-destructed right next to him when he’d gotten caught on something and it was by sheer luck that Sonic spotted it when he did.

If he’d been too late, even by a second…

The next thing he knew, he found himself standing in Tails’ room, watching over the kit’s sleeping form. Sonic didn’t remember getting out of bed at all, but whatever. He was here now and he didn’t really want to leave, not yet at least.

Tails had gone to bed at a reasonable time tonight, but that was only because he’d been awake for almost forty-eight hours beforehand. Whenever Sonic was out on a run, Tails would forget to take care of himself. He’d barely eat, sleep, and he only drank water when he felt a headache coming on. It worried Sonic to no end, yet he’d get brushed off when he brought his concerns to light.

Sonic didn’t need to question where Tails got that from.

He sat down on the kit’s bed, the mattress sinking under his weight. He simply watched the kit, observing how his ears and muzzle twitched in his sleep. Unlike his big brother, Tails always seemed to have very vivid dreams. Sometimes, he’d tell Sonic all about the story that played out for him overnight in such excruciating detail, it was like he just watched a movie. It sometimes made Sonic a little jealous if he was being completely honest.

However, vivid dreams also meant vivid nightmares and Sonic had definitely heard about a fair share of those, so maybe he wasn’t that jealous.

A sigh broke through his defense as he turned to look down at his hands. It was times like this when Sonic began wondering how life would’ve been different if he’d gone through with his original plan when he first took the kit along with him. If he’d actually found a family to look after him and love him and keep him safe; a family that would keep him away from Eggman instead of letting the kit nearly get blown up by him.

Life would’ve been much lonelier for Sonic, sure, but at the very least Tails would’ve been able to have a normal childhood, whatever that meant for a kid like him. He would’ve had two parents to look up to, maybe other siblings to play around with. He would’ve gone to a regular school, probably skipped several grades because that's just how smart he is, made friends closer to his age and who shared his interests.

He could’ve had a normal and stable life.

But things didn’t end up going in that direction. Tails’s role model and only family was a guy who threw himself at danger whenever he could. He didn’t go to school and most of his friends were much older than him and struggled to follow along with his ramblings whenever he explained something he was passionate about. His life was always at risk, whether it was working with dangerous chemicals or helping Sonic save the world from whatever ancient deity Eggman awoke that month.

With Sonic, his life was anything but stable. Chaos, they’d been homeless for years. Living off the land and whatever people gave them to survive. Sometimes they wouldn’t eat for days at a time. Sometimes one of them got sick and there were no hospitals in the immediate area, leaving the other to play doctor. There’d even been times where Sonic lost him either in a town or he didn’t notice the kid falling behind until it was too late.

Even now that they had the Mystic Ruins workshop, Tails was left alone for days at a time. No big brother to monitor him and make sure he properly took care of himself. No one home to stop him from working himself to the point of exhaustion just so he could prove himself useful.

As if his presence alone wasn’t enough to fill Sonic with the confidence that they’d get through whatever was thrown their way.

There came a point where Sonic just couldn’t let the kid go, as selfish as the choice may have been. He just couldn’t. He’d fight to keep his little brother by his side, he did fight. He went to freaking court so he could get legal guardianship over the fox. And if, for whatever Gaia forsaken reason, the system ruled that he was unfit to be Tails’s guardian, he still wouldn’t let them take him away. He made the decision long ago that this kid was his, and there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it.

Sonic had gotten attached, but sometimes he wondered if that attachment had been a mistake. He hated thinking about it because this little fox kit truly was the light of his life, his best friend, and his little brother who he loved dearly, but he couldn’t help it. The thoughts would just creep their way into his mind from the dark crevices of his room at night.

What if Tails got hurt trying to protect him? What if Sonic failed one day? What if Sonic had failed yesterday? What if this was a dream and his nightmare was what really happened? What if—

“Sonic?”

His brain screeched to a halt immediately as he looked over his shoulder and caught two sleepy eyes looking up at him. “Wha’re y’doin’?”

The hedgehog just blinked at him for a stupid second as he tried to regain his composure. “Just checking on you, bud.” He eventually responded, his voice uncharacteristically quiet as he reached over to scritch behind his ear.

Tails leaned into the touch with a hum, “Y’need somethin’?”

Sonic shook his head, “Nah. Just go back to sleep.”

Tails gave him a confused look but ultimately let it go, snuggling further into his covers. He closed his eyes and Sonic was sure he’d fallen back to sleep. With a sigh, he stood up, taking in one last look over the kit’s face.

He looked peaceful.

Sonic frowned and turned away, making his way towards the door and being careful about avoiding any creaky floorboards. He didn’t need to keep the kid awake longer than he already had.

“You can stay if you want.” Sonic jumped, not expecting to hear Tails’s voice again. “If you had a nightmare or somethin’. I don’t mind.” The kit shifted over, making room on his pillow for his big brother. He looked at Sonic over his blankets almost expectantly.

Sonic considered the offer, a small smile tugged at his mouth as he put his hands on his hips, “Are you trying to comfort me or do you just want something to latch onto?”

Tails gave him a half lidded stare—or he was just barely keeping his eyes open—before he shrugged with one shoulder and laid back down, “It’s your choice. If you wanna go back to your room and deal with your nightmare alone instead, be my guest.”

A knot formed in Sonic’s stomach. It was the same knot that formed whenever Tails tried to comfort him. He appreciated it, he really did. Sonic was so lucky to have this kid in his life. A kid who cared so much about him and who’d do anything to make sure his big brother was happy, or at least not as sad. Tails was always successful. Just being near the fox seemed to always be enough to soothe whatever negative emotions were worming around in him at the moment.

If Sonic was upset, he needed his best friend and little brother around.

But that’s where the knot came in. Tails shouldn't have to worry about his emotions. Sure, he was the smartest and greatest kid Sonic had ever met, but that didn’t change the fact that he was, well, a kid. He already had so much on his plate, way more than he should. His big brother being upset shouldn’t be added to that.

Sonic sighed, turning towards the hallway and away from any kind of comfort. The air around him felt colder as he walked out of the kit’s room, it felt heavier. He stole one last glance at Tails snuggled up in his blankets before shutting the door and making his way back to his room.

He paused in his doorway. His room was much darker than Tails’s, much emptier too. Sonic wasn’t afraid of the dark by any means, nor of what was in it, but simply walking over to his bed and laying down felt like such a daunting task. Exhaustion weighed him down and he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and wake up the next morning like nothing had happened.

Sucking in a deep breath, he forced himself to move forward, just like he always did. One foot after the other. There was no need to stop until he reached his goal, no reason to look back.

Sonic flopped down onto his bed, the mattress bouncing under his weight. He rolled over onto his back, limbs sprawled out as he stared up at the ceiling. Unlike Tails’s ceiling which had little plastic glow in the dark stars attached to it, Sonic’s was blank. Just an empty void staring back at him.

The void began whispering to him the longer he looked so he closed his eyes, determined to fall back to sleep. He wasn’t about to let a stupid nightmare of all things keep him from getting his precious sleep, even one as terrifying as the one he’d had that night.

He was Sonic the Hedgehog, for crying out loud. And Sonic the Hedgehog didn't get caught up on dumb nightmares.

He could ignore the sheer terror that flowed throughout his body, the heart shattered scream that burned into itself his memory and the thick red liquid that shouldn’t have been there. He could ignore how broken his baby brother’s body looked, the wide eyed and lifeless stare pointing directly at him, and the all too familiar laugh reverberating around him, saying that it was all his fault. That it will be his fault.

When that time comes, it will be all his fault.

He could ignore the tears threatening to slip out of his eyes as the words sunk in, but he couldn’t ignore the sudden feeling of something—or someone—landing down on his stomach hard.

A winded oof escaped him as he quickly tried to sit up, only for his efforts to be in vain as the weight on him refused to move. His gaze turned unimpressed as his hand settled on the culprit’s back, “So. Did you forget how to knock or something?”

The only response Sonic got was muffled by his sheets, which managed to get an amused snort out of the hedgehog, “I can’t understand a thing you’re staying, lil bud.”

Tails lifted his head up with a huff. “I said your door was wide open.” His head promptly flopped back down onto the bed.

“My door was wide open.” Sonic repeated.

“Mhm.”

“So you took that as an invitation to jump on me and wake me up?”

“Mhm.” Tails lifted his head up again, “Also you weren’t asleep.”

“Oh yeah? And how did you know that?” Sonic asked, hand moving to scritch behind the kit’s ear.

“Just did.”

Sonic just hummed. That was probably the best answer he was gonna get, no use in questioning further. If there was anything else, he’d say it on his own. With a content sigh, he closed his eyes and focused on the fox kit laying across his stomach. Whatever darkness had crept into his mind slowly disappeared as Sonic continued to pet his little brother’s head.

He could hear the faint sound of Tails’s purring, its vibrations sending an almost calming sensation throughout his system. Eventually, the kid moved so he was snuggled up against Sonic’s side, his paw curled up into a fist as it rested on his tan chest. Sonic looped an arm around him, keeping him as close as possible.

They laid there in silence for a while, Sonic gently scratching the kit’s back as his own breathing began to settle. He could feel himself finally starting to drift off to sleep and assumed Tails already had. That is, until he felt the small fist on his chest tighten.

“You sounded sad when you were in my room,” Tails finally admitted, “And I know I said I didn’t care, but I didn’t really want you to be alone. And I knew you’d tell me to go back to my room if I told you that so I just jumped on you. That way you couldn’t send me away.”

Sonic’s eyes slowly opened as he stared at his ceiling once again. The darkness that looked back wasn’t as intense as it was before, but it was still there. Before he could respond, Tails added one last thing, “And before you say you wouldn’t have, last time I checked on you when you had a bad dream, you just told me to go back to bed. You tell me that every time.”

“I wouldn’t have this time.”

Tails scoffed, “That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one.”

Sonic couldn’t bring himself to respond to that because, as much as he hated to admit it, Tails was right. He probably would’ve told him to go back to his room tonight too; would’ve sent him away for just trying to help.

“I just don’t want you to waste your time worrying about me, kiddo.” He said, “You’ve already got a lot going on, way more than someone your age ever should, and my dumb issues don’t need to be added to that list.”

“I can’t help worrying about your dumb issues, Sonic.” Tails huffed, “You’re my brother. Of course I’m gonna worry about you. ‘S what family’s for.”

“Bud—“

“No matter how many times you tell me not to worry, I always will and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

A fond smirk tugged at Sonic’s mouth, “Nothing?”

“Nothing.” Tails confirmed, “Now go to sleep. ‘M tired.”

Chaos, what was he going to do with this kid? “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Goodnight, little bro.”

“Mmm g’night…love ya”

Sonic simply hummed in response, but Tails got the message all the same. The hedgehog stayed awake as the kit’s breathing evened out almost immediately. The kid really was that tired, huh? Made sense considering he was woken up from what appeared to be a pretty deep sleep. His breaths had a little whistle to them, making it so that Sonic could hear every time Tails breathed in and out, in and out, in and out.

He’d also be able to tell if his breathing stopped.

His eyes closed tightly as the unwanted thought bounced around. Tails was fine. Sure, he’d been rudely woken up because Sonic wasn’t able to get a handle on his fears, but now he was right next to him. Sonic could keep him safe if anything happened. He would always keep him safe.

Whatever happened in his nightmare would never become a reality. Sonic wouldn’t let it.

He rolled over and curled around the little fox to the best of his ability, pressing his forehead against Tails’s. Sonic forced himself to copy the rise and fall of his chest as his quills raised instinctively, ready to protect them both from the non-existent threats in the dark as they slept.

Apparently they hadn’t stayed raised for too long considering he woke up to Tails holding onto him, arms wrapped around his middle with a grip that he wouldn’t be able to escape from without waking the kit up. Fondness squeezed his heart just as tightly as he chuckled softly, closed his eyes, and allowed himself to relax a little longer.

He could tease him about it later.

[singedsage]

in my headcannons after the events of the final chapters, the entire touden party lives longer lives than usual for their races because of the effects of Senshi’s advice and his delicious and healthy food. And they can all enjoy each other’s company a little bit longer, and Marcille and Senshi don’t have to be as lonely for as long.

this is def also totally not because I tend to ship the short lived races with the long lived ones

[your-unfriendlyghost]

can I interest y’all in some low-effort stevepop in these tryin times?