Chapter Text
“Boys! Dinner’s ready!”
Tom never gets tired of hearing that voice. Every day he comes home to the same routine. Ozzy barks as he turns off the headlights on his Tacoma. The outside house lights turn on automatically, lighting his path to the door. Ozzy waits at the door, fogging up the window with impatient breaths as Tom climbs up the front steps of the porch.
When he swings the door open, Ozzy bombards him with an attack of wet licks. Once he satisfies Ozzy with enough pets, Tom makes his way to the kitchen, where he meets his wife. A freshly cooked meal flushes his senses, filling him with delight.
He gives his wife a heartwarming hug, relieved to finally be in her arms again. Once his main satisfaction has been resolved, he points his attention to one last priority.
Before he can get a word in to his spouse, he typically gets raided by a certain trio of anthropomorphic aliens. He greets them one by one before dragging himself—and them along with him—to the dining table. They sit down together, as a family, and enjoy a nice, enlightening dinner.
Tonight is no different.
Tom barely gets a step in the door before Ozzy is jumping up on his uniform. He places his hands on either ear, rubbing them with cute aggression as he nuzzles his nose against Ozzy’s. “Hey, Oz,” Tom coos.
After a few more pets, Ozzy pushes off Tom and prances into the living room. Tom takes the opportunity to peek inside the kitchen, where his wife is placing plates full of food onto the dining table, announcing the meal’s arrival to the residence.
The aroma of savory meat and garlicky bread fills the air. It warms his body up as soon as the smell hits him. He also eyes mashed potatoes and broccoli on each plate. The spread is enormous and impressive.
“Is it someone’s birthday?” Tom jokes as he leans against the doorframe of the kitchen.
Maddie glances up and meets her husband’s eyes, her lips pushing up into a grin. “Hey, sweetie,” She sets the plates down and rounds the table, reaching her arms out for his. Tom brings her in, closing the space between them. They share a brief kiss before Maddie hangs around Tom’s neck, swaying side to side. “How was work?”
“Slow,” Tom replies. “Nothing but a report on the Northwest robberies.”
“What was it this time?”
“A military base near Los Angeles. The robber stole dozens of explosives. He nearly bombed the whole place.”
“Ouch,” Maddie winced. “What are they calling him again? The Yellow Bastard?”
Tom chuckles before lowering his head. “The Golden Menace.”
The pair share a laugh before Maddie runs her hands down Tom’s shoulders, patting with reassurance. “Right… the Golden Menace,” Maddie pauses. “Well, I’m sure if he ever came here, the boys would defend this town and make sure he never steps foot in Montana again.”
Tom frowned. “What about me?”
Maddie flashes a smirk his way. “I’m sure they’d be right by your side protecting this town.”
His heart swells with admiration as they lean in for another kiss. Once they part, Maddie thumps his shoulder again and slowly backs away. “Why don’t you send the boys out here? The food won’t stay warm forever.”
“I got it,” Tom grasps her elbows, his hands running down her arms as she strolls back into the kitchen. Sighing, he mentally prepares for the second wave.
He doesn’t get much time before he hears heavy footsteps thudding from behind him. A brief sound of air whipping accompanies it. Tom turns to face the foyer, where a streak of red and yellow are waiting for him.
“Tom!” Tails exclaims, darting to hover over the man before settling on his shoulders, his feet dangling from Tom’s collarbone.
Knuckles hugs Tom’s leg with surprising tenderness, squeezing his thigh carefully with his large gloves. Over the last few months since Knuckles came to live with them, Maddie has been teaching the echidna yoga. He supported the idea, often begging Maddie for daily sessions instead of spotted days throughout the week. Since then, the warrior has learned to become gentle, despite his intimidating muscular stature.
“You have returned, Lord of Donuts!” Knuckles gives the officer a toothy grin.
“Hey fellas,” Tom braces a cautious hand on Tails’ knee, preventing him from slipping off his shoulders as his other catches the echidna’s shoulder. “Do anything exciting today?”
“One of Shadow’s inhibitor rings was cracked,” Tails explained. “So he came to me for help.”
“Really? How’s he doing?” Tom asked. He tried to remember the last time he saw the edgy hedgehog.
Shadow had made quite the impact when they first met, literally. After risking Tom’s life and facing Sonic’s emotionally rageful wrath, Shadow was able to reflect. Enough where he saw the error of his ways and teamed up with Sonic to prevent the end of the world. In the process, he along with Doctor Eggman sacrificed themselves.
Ever since, Shadow has been missing, or at least long thought to be deceased. Lo and behold a short while later, Shadow reappeared, unfortunately with a vague memory of himself. Of course, in old Sonic-fashion, he didn’t let the problem go until it was solved.
Sonic was able to regain Shadow’s memory, and now he resides in a separate fort built for him in their backyard. However, he doesn’t show much, even for meals. In a way, he acts like the cool, fun uncle who shows up when he wants, minus the fun part.
Tom recalled seeing him about two weeks ago in the attic. Sonic had introduced the hedgehog to some “fresher music”. They had spent all day dissecting Shadow’s music taste. Sonic had even let Shadow lend his headphones. Tom knows because Sonic has been wearing a different pair since then.
“Mysterious and closed-off as always, but I think he’s doing better,” Tails recounts. “When I asked him how his inhibitor ring broke, he wouldn’t tell me why and demanded I just fix it. But, I’m glad he came to me when he did.”
“Hmm,” Tom hummed, directing his attention to Knuckles. “What about you, Knucks?”
“The wolf and I went on a quest. Pretzel Woman requested more firewood and rocks for the pit of fire.”
Tom chuckled. “And that took you all day?”
“Pretzel Woman is very persistent.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Tom sighed, swiftly sidetracking. “Where’s Sonic?”
“On the couch,” Tails says. “He’s being weird again.”
Tapping the kit’s foot gently, he picks him up before setting him down next to Knuckles, who has freed his grasp from Tom’s leg. The duo looked up at him with curious doe eyes.
“Why don’t you two go to the kitchen and help Maddie finish setting dinner. I’ll get Sonic.”
The two nodded before making their way down the foyer, leaping into the kitchen with excitement. With his back turned to the dining area, he discreetly entered the living room.
Toy Story 4 danced on the TV screen, catching Tom’s attention. The volume was somewhat low, enough that Tom could make out the character’s words from a few feet away behind the couch. The boys must’ve settled in for a movie after they returned home from their activities
Tom towered above the couch, glancing down to see a bundle of blue below him. He smiled, leaning his arms against the back cushions. “Keanu again, huh? I think you need to start branching out your taste, bud. I don’t recall Keanu ever being a genre of media. I like him too, but I think it’s time we explore some other movie genres that aren’t Keanu-centric.”
One thing about Sonic—he never stops talking. If someone addresses him, he always responds. Whether it be a snotty quip, a witty remark, or a pop-culture reference, he made it painfully clear he was acknowledging the other party. Only when he was injured or dead asleep would his mouth choose not to run.
So, when Tom was met with silence, he was naturally confused. “Sonic?” Looking down, he took another glimpse at his blue son friend.
Curled up into a mess of limbs was Sonic, peacefully sleeping. He lay on his side, his body facing the TV, suggesting he had fallen asleep watching Keanu once again. His hands sat limply in front of him, sunk deep into the cushions. He snored softly, indicating he was in a heavy sleep. One that would be hard to pull him out of.
Blissfully unaware of his presence, Tom sat himself on the arm of the couch where Sonic’s head grazed the fabric. With a large hand, he planted it between Sonic’s ears and began rubbing his head gently.
For the last week, Sonic had been acting weird, as Tails put it. But, weirder than usual.
He’s been falling asleep at odd hours. Despite waking up late and going to bed early, he seemed to be just as tired as the previous day. Sometimes, even worse. Weekly hour-long naps have now become daily that last up to as much as four hours.
From the stress of his erratic sleep schedule, it’s also made him… emotional. He’s easily aggravated if someone pries too deep. He will isolate himself for hours on end if he bubbles over the top. Just three days ago, during movie night, Sonic was seen hiding his tears while watching Zootopia.
He’d become a sleepy, sluggish, emotional mess. It was becoming increasingly clear to the Wachowski household that something was wrong with Sonic. But, for whatever reason, Sonic didn’t seem to know either.
He leaned down near Sonic’s ear, continuing to rub his scalp gently. “Sonic?”
The hedgehog released a heavy breath, his legs sluggishly untangling themselves from each other. As his fists clenched, he leaned into the touch, struggling to swim to the surface of consciousness.
Finally, with tremendous effort, a pair of emerald eyes opened halfway. He blearily gazed at Tom, silent for a few moments as it took a moment for his surroundings to register.
“Donut Lord?”
“Hey buddy,” Tom greeted. “Have a nice nap?”
“Ugh,” Sonic groaned, blinking unevenly. “I don’t even remember falling asleep.”
“Let’s have you sit up, kid,” Tom instructed. One hand took Sonic’s and the other wrapped around his hip, pulling upward. He leaned heavily into the back of the couch, closing his eyes. Tom rubbed his back, mindful of his quills. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Sonic yawned, rubbing his eyes. “Just tired.”
“You sure this isn’t just some sleep fluke?” Tom asked. “You're never usually this exhausted.”
“I’ve been telling you all week,” Sonic whined, dragging a hand down his face. “I don’t know what’s going on. I’m going to bed at a reasonable time, sleeping through the night, and waking up late.”
Tom doesn’t speak, leaving room for Sonic’s emotional spill. He doesn’t stop the circling motions he’s painting onto Sonic’s back.
“But, every time I wake up, it’s like I haven’t slept at all.”
Tom hummed, bringing the hedgehog closer. “Well, we’ll have Maddie take a look at you in the morning, okay? Maybe we can find you an animal-safe melatonin substitute. Sound good?”
Sonic nodded, using Tom’s hip as a pillow. “Mhm. Thanks, Tom.”
“Before you pass out, let’s get some grub in you first.”
Tom can see Sonic physically deflate before scooting to the edge of the couch and sliding off. He sways a little, his arms balancing him out. He nearly trips on his own feet twisting to face Tom. Padding past the man, he drags his feet into the kitchen, Tom loosely trailing him.
As Sonic and Tom’s silhouettes entered the dining area, Maddie’s head snapped up, abruptly ending her conversation with Tails. “Boys! Glad you could join us! We were beginning to think you were swallowed by the couch.”
Sonic and Tom took their seats, Tails shifting closer to Knuckles on the bench as he made room for the hedgehog. Tom sat across from him, settling next to his wife. “We’re just fashionably late,” Tom quips, eyeing Sonic. “Right, buddy?”
Shrugging, Sonic smiled briefly as he leaned into his upright hand, picking his food with his fork. “Time’s relative. We’re not late, they're all just early.”
The comment made Tom smile. Even sleep-deprived he could keep up with jokes. Probably thanks to his speedy nature.
“Sure,” Maddie laughed in return. “Well eat up, time doesn’t become relative for food.”
—
Everyone can tell Sonic is tired. As evident by his silence during dinner.
Being the fastest thing alive, Sonic lives his life fast. He eats fast, talks fast, runs fast—that part is obvious.
However, when something such as sleep eludes him, he becomes the opposite. Slow is the last word to describe Sonic, but it’s what everyone’s thinking during dinner as they watch him pick at his food.
Normally, Sonic downs his meal in moments and collects seconds, scarfing both plates in about ten seconds flat.
But, when everyone is done, Sonic is still getting through his food. For every three bites is his one, barely halfway done once the plates have been cleared. His eyes flutter as he stuffs the fork in his mouth, barely acknowledging what he’s digesting.
To distract from Sonic’s behavior, Knuckles dives into a treacherous story recalling one of his adventures.
“I was peacefully returning to my place of refuge when a barrage of women swarmed me. I wanted to refuse their cries and pleas for attention, but they took me in before I could stop them!”
“That’s Reno for ya,” Tom rolled his eyes.
“What did you do next?” Tails asked curiously.
“Well, as they dragged me around the casino, I realized their intentions were not harmful. For a moment, I pondered Sonic’s words about ‘relaxing’ and decided to do so. I have never had more fun in my entire life!”
“But what about that time you beat us all in baseball?”
Knuckles laughs, wrapping an arm around the kit. “That was fun, too.”
“Well, I’m glad the bachelorettes didn’t drag you down under, Knucks,” Tom said.
“Yeah, I’m surprised Wade let you have as much freedom as he did,” Maddie added. “Next time I see him, he’s definitely getting a thorough talk-through about letting kids into casinos.”
“You and me both,” Tom huffed. “Alright, who’s ready for movie night?”
Tails and Knuckles cheered in excitement, raising their fists. Sonic, however, was not as ecstatic as his friends.
As Tails and Knuckles hopped off the bench and helped Tom clean up the kitchen, Sonic dragged him and his plate to the sink and placed it inside. Maddie rubbed a gentle hand on Sonic’s back as he attempted to exit the kitchen. “Sonic?”
Said hedgehog dragged a hand up and down the side of his face. “Actually, I’m gonna hit the hay early. If that’s okay… I don’t think I can even make it through a minute of anything.”
“Not even through E.T.?” Tails prompted.
“Or that plastic woman that loves pink and rides the horses?” Knuckles added.
Sonic shook his head, a petite smile plastered on his face. “Don’t worry, you’ll survive one movie night without me. I’ll be right as rain in the morning!”
Maddie smiled softly. “Alright. Sleep well, Sonic.”
“That’s all I plan on doing.”
Instead of racing up the stairs, Sonic drags his heavy feet and trudges upwards into the attic, his arms dangling at his sides. Once Maddie saw his figure disappear into the abyss of the attic, she joined her boys in the living room. Knuckles and Tails congregated on one side of the couch, where Sonic had been sleeping earlier. Maddie snuggled next to her husband, laying her head on his shoulder.
“Alright boys,” Tom says. “What's on the watchlist for tonight?”
“How to Train Your Dragon!” Tails exclaimed, clapping his hands. Knuckles swung his feet over the ground, nodding along.
“Good choice,” Tom clicked, switching the channel from Toy Story 4.
As the movie began, Tails leaned into Knuckles carefully, hugging his namesake. “Too bad Sonic isn’t here to watch this.”
Knuckles hummed, wrapping a large arm around Tails’ body, pulling him closer. Soon, their attention was lost to the movie playing ahead of them.
Maddie observed her boys cautiously, frowning. Under her breath, next to Tom’s ear, she whispered, “I’m worried about Sonic.”
Tom glanced down at his wife. “Me too.”
“You didn’t see him today, Tom. I tried sending him out with Knuckles to look for more firewood for the backyard. But he could barely focus on what I was saying. I had to repeat myself three times before he knew what I was saying.”
“Well, I’d rather have a sleep-deprived hedgehog stay home than try to keep up with Knuckles all day.”
Maddie nodded into his shoulder, following Tails and Knuckles’ example and focusing on the movie.
About an hour and a half later, just as the film was nearing its end, a ping rumbled in Tom’s pocket, signaling a notification on his phone. Tom removed his phone and glanced at the notice. He groaned softly, shaking his head. Maddie noticed his disgruntlement. “What is it?”
“The Golden Menace strikes again.”
Maddie perked up. “Where?”
“Boise.”
“At this rate, he’s going to wipe out the entire industrial supply of the Pacific Northwest.”
Tom pursed his lips, silencing his phone and shoving it back into his jean pocket.
“I hate to say this,” Maddie warned. “But I think we need to send the boys out.”
Tom turned his head. “You think so?” Glancing at said boys, they were both entranced by the movie.
“It’s obvious he’s not going to stop anytime soon. And with how fast he’s moving through the states, someone just as powerful needs to stop him before the West becomes a wasteland.”
While sending them out would be smart, the protective part of Tom argued against it, afraid for their safety. And with Sonic struggling to stay afloat, it would already be a challenge. Not that Tails and Knuckles weren’t capable of taking on their own tasks, like the echidna had done with Wade.
Since they had to take on Shadow a few months back, Sonic had taken up a leadership role for the team. He decided on the best tactics to use during a battle and made all the decisions. It was all up to him.
But, with no leader to guide them, how would they win against a guy they don’t even know?
Tom had to give them some faith. They’d survived on their own for years without Sonic’s guidance. What was a puny little mission going to do?