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Tails watched his brother as the hedgehog took notice of another hedgehog couple enjoying their date, walking and chatting as the sweet pink hedgehog cooed over a couple of ducklings waddling frantically to keep up with their mother. And the question he never wanted to ask bubbled up and popped out before he could stop it.
“Sonic, you didn’t turn Amy down because of me, right?”
Startled out of his reverie, the blue hedgehog whipped his head back towards his lunch companion. Chilli dog and the other hedgehogs, completely forgotten. “What?”
Oh Gaia, he hadn't meant to open this can of worms, but it's not like he could go back at this point. His namesakes twisted anxiously behind him. “I mean, and I don’t want to seem too self-centered or anything, but I mean, you are my big brother, and you’re basically raising me, even though I’m already 15 and, like, you could totally do your own thing now because I’m practically an adult, three years isn’t too much and you were raising me at so much younger on your own so-”
“Whoa , whoa, slow your roll, bud!” Sonic motioned with his hands to settle down. “You think I turned down Ames ‘cuz I’m still raising you?”
“Uhhhh…”
Shaking his head and chuckling quietly, Sonic leaned back on his chair, before hitting him with a guarded smile and a raised brow. “First of all 15 and 18 are wildly different ages despite being 3 only years apart. Secondly, I told you a long time ago that I was gonna be here for the long haul, so don’t go getting any ideas about early emancipation, Mr. Prower-” both a threat and a promise all rolled into one “- And thirdly, while looking back I’m not so proud of it, since when has raising you ever stopped me from doing what I wanted? At least with the big things.”
“Never?” It sounded like a question, and it almost was. Tails couldn't remember their earliest adventures, at least not fully anymore.
“Precisely. I don’t ‘slow down’ and never will. That’s just not possible for me-” he almost sounded wistful at that. “-I turned her down because that’s not conducive for a family. And that’s not kind to Ames. I’ll always have her back, and I’ll definitely kill Shadow if he ever seriously hurts her. But I’d never be there for her, Tails.”
The way he said that made Tails sad. Sonic deserved to be happy, too. “...but you’re there for me, Sonic.”
“Not as much as I should be, buddy,” his smile turned from guarded to sardonic. “Not as much as I should be, but I appreciate the vote of confidence.”
“Promise me, if you ever feel lonely, you’ll come to me at least?” It felt silly to even ask, but although he was often told not to worry about the older hero, Tails couldn't help it. He just wanted his big brother to be as happy as he made Tails.
At that though, a big smile managed to stretch itself out and a little snicker escaped, too. “ ‘course, kid. Who else can I go to other than my number one copilot?”