Five Simple Words

Timeline Placement: Sometime after Sonic Heroes, probably after Sonic 06 never happened.

Rating: K

Parings: None.

Warnings: None.

Notes: I'll admit, placing Sonic and Tails in the middle of a storm and then writing about Tails' astraphobia is a very big cliché, but I decided to try my hand at it. Of course, I'm not very conventional, so this is not a fic about fears – water, thunder, or otherwise. It's about something much more personal, if you ask me. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: No own, me.

It was raining again. Sonic resisted the urge to sigh and simply leaned the side of his head against the window. The blue hedgehog was currently curled up on the largest windowsill in the workshop, with his legs pulled into his chest and his arms resting on his knees. His position should have been uncomfortable, he reflected to himself, but, then again, he had been in tighter spots before. His feet were thrumming with the need to get out, to run, but the weather simply laughed in his face by letting a flash of lighting illuminate the dark world. He scowled, blinking slowly when thunder boomed close to the house, rattling something downstairs.

His green eyes were staring out at the drenched landscape surrounding the small building, barely reflecting the frustration he was feeling. It had been raining pretty much nonstop for the past week, and he could feel the effects of being cooped up for so long starting to creep up on him. He prided himself on not getting stir-crazy easily, but knew that, eventually, he would need to get out of the house and take a serious run. He was not one to stay still for long unless he was sleeping, so the fact that the sky had decided to dump every single solitary piece of water it had on the workshop in one large dose caused the hedgehog to be aggravated at any and everything, especially the outside world.

He let out an inaudible sigh, causing the cool glass to fog. The rain ran in rivulets down the pane, each new drop racing its brethren toward the ground. Sonic felt a jab of jealousy as he watched the water dart towards the surface, but quickly fought it off, and focused his attention on the dark clouds. They rolled over one another, almost seething with the amount of precipitation they carried in their bodies. Every once in a while, they lit up from the inside as a bolt of lightning was let loose.

With a groan, the blue one sat up a bit, feeling his back pop from the mistreatment of his position. His legs practically screamed at him when he stretched them along the sill, but he still took a small satisfaction from the fact that his lower appendages were just long enough to fit inside the length of the window, the bottoms of his shoes pressed against the opposite wall off the window. He stretched his arms upwards, and felt his shoulders tense and then release as the muscles practically sighed in relief.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, its sound dramatically increased thanks to a loud thunderclap, and Sonic jumped. Thankfully, he managed to stay seated on the window, mainly because of how his feet were planted against the sill. He jerked his head toward the door, and caught sight of a foxy outline, framed by the light coming in from the hallway.

Tails calmly walked his way into the room, despite his tense posture, and stood in front of Sonic, staring at the hedgehog with wavering eyes. The blue one looked back, face unreadable, before pivoting his body and easily jumping from his seat. He crossed to the fox in two steps and placed a hand on the kit's shoulder before guiding him from the room, casting one last look at the window.

The eight-year-old allowed himself to be led into the hall, where he promptly sunk against a wall, and buried his face in his hands. "Tails…" Sonic's voice was soft, and he dropped to his knees beside his friend. He easily pulled the fox's gloved hands into his own, forcing the younger Mobian to look up at him. His eyes were red rimmed, but there was no sign of tears, something Sonic found himself thanking Chaos for.

Sonic the Hedgehog did not like tears. Something about them made him clam up and want to run in the other direction, no matter who they were coming from. Of course, he had become accustomed to them when Tails had been smaller, but that didn't mean that he liked them. Tails had been a strong child, but every four-year-old cried every once in a while, which served to make Sonic extremely uncomfortable when the instances cropped up. Thankfully, now was not one of those times.

Despite the lack of crying, Tails still looked miserable, and, with another boom of thunder, Sonic's suspicious were confirmed. Tails had always been afraid of lightning and thunder, something that even his big brother could not chase away, no matter how much he wished he could. In the past week, they had been lucky, as none of the rain showers had been thunderstorms, but it seemed that that streak of good fortune had run out.

Tails' astraphobia was a soft subject, something that Sonic didn't breach much, simply because the fox couldn't remember exactly when he had developed the fear. As he had gotten older, he had slowly gotten better about it, becoming more fortified when a storm hit, but he still sometimes sought out Sonic's strong presence when he was feeling particularly vulnerable. The fact that it had been raining all week and had them both on edge was reason enough for the hedgehog, and he didn't question Tails' need to be around him. Easily, he threw an arm over his little brother's shoulders, watching as Tails tensed and then, recognizing the familiar weight, relaxed.

They sat in silence for a while, both listening with raised ears as the rain pitter-pattered against the roof and the thunder came in barely controlled bursts. Eventually, Sonic steered the kitsune down the stairs and into the living room, where he told his friend to sit on the couch. With barely a glance, he pointed at the TV, the external sensors picking up his movement, and the screen flickered to life. Seeing that it was tuned to a human weather report, he swiped to the right with two fingers and the channel flipped.

Tails, seeming to have come out of his stupor, scowled at the daytime drama and took over the channel changing. Sonic chose to leave the room while his charge was occupied, stealing into the kitchen and grabbed a jug of milk and some chocolate sauce out of the refrigerator.

"Tails, I'mma make some hot cocoa. You want some?"

"Sure!"

When Sonic moseyed back into the living room, two mugs clasped firmly in his hands, he was slightly shocked to see Tails sprawled across the couch with a smug expression on his face. The television was paused on a black screen, the broadcast stopped by Tails as he waited for Sonic to return. Calmly, the hedgehog continued walking into the room, pointedly ignoring the kit's smirking face. He swiped the two-tail's golden legs off of the couch with the heel of his foot, watching with a small hint of satisfaction as the fox almost fell onto the floor, before depositing himself onto the couch next to the still-recovering eight-year-old.

"What's up with the grin, bro?" Sonic asked after he had passed the other his mug of steaming beverage. The hedgehog blew on his as a crack of thunder raced through the house, causing Tails to stiffen and tighten his grip on his cup. However, once it passed and Tails recovered, the fox started leering at him again.

Instead of answering, Tails simply rolled his hand at the television with a limp wrist and it resumed regular play. He carefully blew on his drink as he watched Sonic's expression evolve from curiosity, through confusion, and to annoyance in a matter of seconds.

"…taken you through Sonic's early years, including his first encounter with Robotnik and his first meeting with his sidekick, Tails. Next up, we'll show you his exploits on Angel Island, where he first encountered the mysterious Knuck-!"

The narrator was cut off as Sonic shoved his hand forward to pause the video. "A documentary Tails? Really?"

To his credit, Tails did try to give Sonic a puppy dog stare, though it didn't have much effect, before thunder boomed again, making him jump and slosh his drink everywhere. The resulting despondent look as he gazed at his half empty cocoa mug and the fact that Sonic knew that the fox genuinely was scared made him sigh and gesture to the TV to keep playing. The hedgehog did his best to not let on that he was aggravated, but he had to scowl at Tails' triumphant face.

They watched in silence as the female narrator spoke about "Knuckles, the mysterious and mystifying Emerald Guardian," which caused Sonic to snort. She lightly talked about Angel Island while an artist's interpretation of what the Floating Island looked like was shown, before she went on to explain how Dr. Eggman had tricked the unwitting Knuckles into thinking that Sonic and Tails were trying to steal the Master Emerald.

Sonic had no idea how they could honestly portray his time on Angel Island, as the only four people who knew how it was never talked about it to anyone. There was no way they could know about the painful hunger or the daunting trip through Hydrocity or the look on Knuckles' face when he realized that he had been duped by Eggman. But, somehow, they managed to fluff the adventure enough that it took fifteen minutes (that he would never get back) to explain. As the documentary rolled to another commercial break, he glanced sideways at Tails, and noticed that the fox was staring at him, his blue eyes calculating and serious.

"…what?" Sonic asked after the stare started to get unnerving, about fifteen seconds later.

Tails simply squinted at him, his head cocking to the side as he thought. "Why do you do it, Sonic?" he asked eventually, carefully choosing his words.

The speedster took the time to take a sip of his drink before responding. "Do what, bud?"

Tails floundered for a moment. "What you… ya'know," he gestured around the whole room before waving his hands towards the hedgehog's general physique, "do…"

"You're gonna have to be more specific, bro." Sonic answered, turning to face Tails.

Tails sighed and slumped back into the couch, crossing his arms and glaring at the TV. "Why are you a hero?" he finally managed, his glare softening.

Now it was Sonic's turn to stare. Of all the things that could have come out of Tails' mouth, that was the thing that he was least expecting. Outside, the rain picked up speed and a bolt of lightning struck, causing the lights to flicker for half of a second. However, the distracting weather did nothing to affect Tails' returning gaze, and Sonic felt a smile worm its way onto his face when Tails didn't jump.

"Why am I a hero?" Sonic repeated, raising an eyeridge toward his little brother. Tails, seeming to have realized what he had asked, blushed and dropped his head, embarrassed.

"Forget I asked," he mumbled, staring down at the cup resting between his legs. "It was a stupid question."

In all actuality, it wasn't. Sonic had never been asked that, ever. There were the obligatory questions, like "How do you feel, now that you've become world famous as a hero?" or "What's Robotnik up to?" or even "Will you marry me?" but never, ever had he been asked why he chose to be a hero.

So, when Tails took his silence as confirmation that his question was stupid and turned back to the television, Sonic puzzled over how he could possibly answer. Tails deserved an answer, if only because that was a very good question, and he was determined to give him one.

So, after the TV finished telling the story of how he had met Amy and saved Little Planet, he turned to Tails, which caught the fox's attention so he pivoted as well so they were facing each other.

"Why are you a hero, Tails?" He said eventually, watching as Tails' face morphed from a curious expression to a confounded one, like he couldn't believe that his big brother was throwing his stupid inquiry back into his face. However, one look at Sonic's expression and he knew that the hedgehog was being serious.

"I'm not a hero, Sonic," he finally answered, his voice feeble.

"Yes you are," the speedster argued back, flinching when a sharp gust of wind hit howled outside. "You were there for almost all of my adventures. You helped me along the way. Without you, I would have fallen from the Death Egg and died. You're my hero, Tails."

"But, you've done so much more than me… You save the planet. I haven't done anything like that."

Sonic sighed at the fox's argument before steering the conversation back on track. "Okay, for the sake of argument, you're a hero, alright?" Tails still looked dubious, but Sonic plowed forward before he could argue. "Now, answer the question. Why are you a hero?"

"Because I wanted to be like you," he answered firmly. "I heard about how you saved South Island and then I saw you running through Emerald Hill, and I wanted to be cool like you."

Sonic sent him a look. "Dig a little deeper than that, Tails. You risk your life just as much as me, and I doubt that you do it for the sake of being cool."

"Well, not anymore…" Tails sent the blue one a sheepish glance. "But, back when I first met you, that was why I followed you around."

"Like a stalker," Sonic offered helpfully, reaching out and poking the fox in the forehead. "You were a tiny, four-year-old stalker, but still…"

"Haha," Tails deadpanned. "I guess I'm a hero because I like to know that no matter where they are, everyone feels like I do right now."

Sonic's green eyes were warm and he gently prodded, "and how's that?"

"Safe," Tails answered, bringing his cup to his face and, after staring at it for a long moment, took a drink despite the fact that it was lukewarm. "Even though the weather is a mess and it's thundering and lightning, I still feel protected, just because you're here." He paused, searching Sonic's face to make sure he understood. "I like to know that, even though I'm risking my life and fighting against someone who only wants to kill me, at the end of the day, it lets everyone feel secure in their homes at night, or during a storm like this one."

"Got it in one, little bro," Sonic answered as he raised his glass toward the fox before taking a drink.

"But…" Tails began as the lights flickered again, this time long enough for the TV to shut off. Neither bothered to turn it back on. "That's why I'm a hero now, not why I was in the beginning… What about you?"

Sonic chewed over the question for a few seconds before answering. "When Dr. Robotnik first attacked Green Hill, I was devastated," he replied, gauging Tails' reactions. "My whole life fell apart, and I was the only one who could pick it back up. I was angry, so I went after the doc. I didn't mean to become a hero, but, when I saw how much I meant to people, I realized something…"

Tails cocked his head to the side, his expression openly captivated. "What?" he breathed.

"Even though Eggman destroyed my old life, I built a new one – one where I could keep anyone else from getting hurt."

They shared a few seconds of silence before thunder rumbled again, though it was further away. "I think I get it now," Tails said eventually, pointing at the television to turn it back on. The documentary was still playing, though it was now giving its viewers full biographies of Sonic and his known friends and allies. "I get why so many people look up to you."

"Well, you look up to me, so I hope you know why."

Tails mentally sighed. "Even though you give the corniest of speeches, they're heartfelt, and, you believe in what you're doing, which is more than most people can say…"

Sonic hummed thoughtfully, glancing up at the television as it droned about Knuckles and his obsession with grapes. "My speeches aren't corny," he answered eventually, a smirk on his face.

"Yes, they are."

"No," he insisted, "they're deep."

"The 'Superpower of Teamwork' is as deep as a puddle."

"Says the one who bought into it."

"I did not!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sonic grinned, placing his empty mug on the coffee table in front of them. "You're head was too busy spinning for you to understand the deepness of The Superpower of Teamwork."

"That's just –" Tails cut himself off with a growl. "You're the worst hero ever."

"Come again? I couldn't hear you over the sound of that lie."

"Heroes don't pick on their little brothers," the fox argued back, placing his fists on his hips, elbows akimbo.

"Eh, we can't all be perfect." Sonic winked at the fox.

"Some of us more than others…" Tails mumbled.

"I'll make you eat those words!" Suddenly, Sonic tackled the kit over the side of the couch and the two immediately started to wrestle, arms and legs flailing. However, Sonic had the upper hand, as he was faster, taller, heavier, and had the element of surprise on his side. The battle was lost before it started.

Tails groaned into the floor. When all was said and done, Sonic had his knee pressed firmly into the fox's back, with his right hand pushing the eight-year-old's face into the carpet to keep him from getting up again. "Uncle, uncle!" Tails gasped, throwing his hands out in front of his head and placing them flat on the floor. "You win."

"Thought so," Sonic replied smugly before letting his young friend up. Tails sent him a look that could curdle milk, and the blue Mobian simply smirked back.

As he stood, Tails cast a glance out the window. "Huh, storm's over."

"Yup," the hero replied, throwing himself across the couch. "I say we go for a run later, how about it buddy?"

"Why wait until later?" The golden Mobian answered, already heading towards the door. "It might start raining again."

"True… Let's go Tails," Sonic called, sending his little bro a thumbs up.

"Let's do it, Sonic!" The fox replied, flinging the hedgehog a thumbs up in return as he darted out the door.

Sonic followed closely on his heels, and a sonic boom rippled through the whole area seconds later. To anyone who didn't know any better, it could have just been another roll of thunder, but Tails welcomed the loud sound, because he knew that when he could hear it, he would always be safe.

Inside the house, the TV was left on, and the documentary drew to a close as the two left.

"No one knows exactly why this small blue hedgehog from Green Hill Zone decided to step up and become a hero, but we all are very glad that he did…"

Reviews are cherished.