#qing for valentines bc im cheesy like that

[arts-and-drafts]

Valentine's Day (Movie!Sonic)

(In which Sonic doesn't have a Valentine, and worries that something is wrong with him. I originally wrote this with the thought of exploring how Sonic being aroace would look in the SCU and then it devolved into family fluff :,) I started this soooooooo long ago and finally decided to finish it so sorry if it's a little off from my usual style. Anyway enjoy!)

-

"How goes the crafting?" Tom asked, announcing himself as he entered the dining room with mugs of cocoa and tea. Maddie and Sonic looked up from the mess of pinks and reds and ribbons covering the table as he carefully laid their respective drinks by their arms, Maddie swiftly lifting her cocoa out of Sonic's reach as the hedgehog attempted to swipe it. "No sugar for you, mister. It's a school night."

"But Maddieeee," Sonic whined, plopping back down to his seat with a pitiful expression. "I can do school so good if I have extra energy!"

"Nice try, kiddo." Tom commented, mussing up Sonic's quills between his ears as he moved to sit at the table. The hedgehog made an offended noise and his paws blurred as he fixed his fur at light speed. "Careful with the 'do! I got a look going!"

Maddie snorted into her mug as she sipped, Sonic following her lead by grabbing his own cup and raising it to his mouth. "Careful, it's-" Tom tried to warn, but was interrupted by a muffled cry of pain as Sonic spit his tea back out.

"-hot." Tom finished flatly, wincing as Sonic panted exaggeratedly and fanned his open mouth. "Ack--wha' th' heck, Donut Lord!!" Sonic complained, tentatively laying the pads of his paws on his tongue to assess the damage.

"It's not my fault you don't listen!" Tom argued lightheartedly, leaning back to take a sip from his own tea after pointedly blowing on it.

"The decor is coming along." Maddie finally answered over Sonic's dramatics, lifting her garland of hand cut red and pink hearts.

"Oh! Oh! Look at mine, Tom!" Sonic piped up, instantly over his burned tongue performance as he lifted much more janky-looking hearts that barely resembled what they were supposed to be.

"I told him to go slow with the scissors." Maddie said with an amused smile.

"And I said they look cooler this way. Slow is a no-go for me, bro." Sonic continued. Tom felt a fond smile grow on his face.

"They both look great." He complimented. "Which one is going to Mrs. Ground's room and which one is staying here?"

"My art is going to be appreciated by my class." Sonic answered confidently, puffing out his chest.

"And I was thinking mine could ring the kitchen window, what do you think?" Maddie asked, tilting her head to eye the kitchen counter. "Sounds like a plan, boss." Tom affirmed.

Tomorrow was going to be Sonic's first official Valentine's Day in Green Hills. He'd spent an eventful couple months as Tom and Maddie's new family member, but this was going to be Sonic's first holiday he was going to share with his fellow students. As such, he enlisted Tom and Maddie's help with making it special, though Maddie was mostly the only one helping with craft duty. She was much more skilled in that area, but Sonic deemed Tom's role as Snack Runner just as important.

"So, what do you do in a Valentine's Day?" Sonic asked excitedly, looking up from his garland with bright eyes. Tom and Maddie exchanged a look before Tom took a hurried gulp of his tea that burned his throat.

"Well," Maddie started as she tried to force down a laugh. "For you, you'll probably write Valentine's cards for your classmates and give them to each other. You'd just write a nice little message on them to show the person how much you care." Maddie explained.

Sonic furrowed his brow in what looked to be deep concentration. "So...is everyone you like your Valentine? I keep hearing people ask each other that."

"Ah, right." Tom cut in, now composed. "Your Valentine is someone you're sweet on that you ask to sort of be your...date?" Tom glanced questioningly at Maddie, who nodded.

"'Sweet on'?" Sonic tilted his head quizzically. "Someone you like." Maddie offered. "But not in a friend way, in a romance way."

"Yuck." Sonic wrinkled his nose, the disdain in his voice startling a laugh out of Tom. "Do you have to?"

"No, honey, you don't have to." Maddie said warmly, scratching Sonic's ears. "It's just what the holiday is about."

"Wait 'til you learn how it started. I think you'll like that a lot better." Tom stated, taking another sip of tea. Maddie snapped a glare at her husband. "Tom."

"What? He would!" Tom defended, setting his cup down to raise his hands in surrender. "Well now you gotta tell me!" Sonic exclaimed, standing on his seat again to eagerly lean closer to Tom.

"When you're older, I will, promise." Tom compromised silently with Maddie, who backed off her stink eye only slightly. "Puh. You never tell me anything." Sonic complained, slouching back to his seat. Tom rolled his eyes.

A comfortable silence lulled over the three, Maddie continuing to carefully cut out more pink hearts for her garland with her tongue between her lips in concentration.

Sonic furrowed his brows and glared at his paws, something he did when he was deep in thought. He'd only recently started thinking in his own head; 10 years of living alone meant the hedgehog had gotten into a habit of voicing every little thing that crossed his mind just to have someone to talk to. Although it got annoying at times, at least Tom knew what Sonic was thinking when he did it.

"What's eating ya, kid?" Tom ventured.

"What if...I never want a Valentine?" Sonic asked, sounding uncharacteristically self-conscious. Tom and Maddie shared a glance.

"That's okay, bud." Tom said, easily. "You wouldn't be the first."

"But everybody wants one." Sonic pressed, looking up with the most heartbreakingly concerned eyes. "What if I'm weird?"

"You're a talking blue hedgehog alien, Sonic." Maddie deadpanned, and Tom laughed. "It's okay to not be normal."

"And even then," Maddie continued, "there are lots of humans that don't ever want a Valentine either. Some go their whole lives without one, and they're perfectly content."

"Really?" Sonic asked, brightening considerably. "Really, bud." Tom assured. "It's nothing new. It'd be the least weird thing about you."

"And what do we say about weird, anyway?" Maddie asked, raising her eyebrows. Sonic leaned back in his chair and looked away, but a shy smile still crept across his muzzle.

"'Weird saved the world.'" Sonic recounted, as he had a hundred times before. "That's right." Maddie affirmed strongly. "You couldn't have kicked that doctor's butt if you were a regular kid."

"Yep." Tom agreed, raising his mug at Sonic. "That was all you, kiddo."

"Sheesh." Sonic mumbled, his reddening face quickly hidden behind his paws. "You guys are harshing my 'cool guy' vibe."

"We can all see you smiling, bucko." Tom said, the fondest amusement in his tone. "You're not fooling anybody."

END.