Where Every Scroll is a New Adventure
They're Brothers Your Honor - Blog Posts
So even knowing the saddest motive behind Tails' revulsion for coats (you're so fucking evil) i was rereading Where Water Wears Away the Stone and HELL you're so evil. Thank you.
Something Borrowed, Something Kept
A/N: I'm still working on finishing my next chapter of "When the World Breaks," so for now, have a little drabble I wrote I while back as a little something for Tails's birthday <3 Happy Birthday, Tails! This takes place between Chemical Plant Zone and Aquatic Ruin Zone in Sonic 2.
Sonic finally found a clothing closet in the city near the chemical plant. While he’d managed to coax Tails into the now defunct factory thanks to the lack of organic persons, the city had taken a level of patience Sonic wasn’t yet equipped with. So far food seemed to motivate the kid, though Sonic had to admit he had certain feelings about convincing him to do things by promising extra snacks. Having to “be good” to justify being fed wasn’t something he was about. As long as he had the means of getting them both some food, he was going to make sure Tails had enough to eat and he didn’t want him to ever doubt that.
Tails stuck close as Sonic rummaged through the children’s selection of clothes. It was a free service, run exclusively by volunteers, so it wasn’t always as quick and easy to find things Sonic was in the market for. This clothing closet at least tried to organize the mobian clothes by animal, but it was still tedious picking through the different sizes. Sonic grabbed himself a newer pair of sneakers with decent treads first. He didn’t need a new coat this winter, he’d purposefully picked one he could grow into last year and it was just starting to fit properly, if still a little long in the torso.
Then he could focus on finding stuff for his little tagalong. He took the shoe that seemed to fit Tails’s foot better—one was clearly too small, and it was good he used his tails to keep up because Sonic could only imagine the blisters he’d get if he had to run with it—and used it as a reference to figure out what his size was. Tails padded after him in his socks, occasionally ducking under clothes racks. The first time he did it, Sonic immediately parted the garments to arch a brow at him. Tails squeaked and scampered out, immediately diving into the center of another rack. Sonic stared after him for a beat, then it clicked.
He wanted to play.
After that, he’d stroll past the racks, whistling to himself and casually scanning the donation center in search of Tails. His twin fox tails were always poking out, so he never truly lost sight of him, and they wagged happily every time Sonic got closer. He’d lull him into a false sense of security, let him think he’d escaped detection, then he’d zip back and throw open the clothes like a curtain, his devious grin making the little guy gasp with delight before scurrying off again.
It made the shopping take longer than it needed to, but it was kinda fun seeing Tails act like an actual kid.
Of course, acting like an actual kid also meant trying on the clothes was an actual nightmare. The shoes weren’t so bad, Tails wasn’t bad at trying shoes on. He found and got immediately attached to a pair of red and white sneakers that didn’t look so different from the pair Sonic picked out. They were a little big for him, but that’d be fine. He could grow into them, like the borrowed gloves Sonic was letting him wear. They’d just find a way to secure them around his ankles so they wouldn’t fall off.
Since picking out shoes had been a snap, Sonic assumed Tails would be just as agreeable when it came to his coat.
That had been a mistake.
Whenever Tails lashed out, it was clear that it came from a place of self-preservation and Sonic could understand that. But he was doing everything right here. He wasn’t moving too fast, he didn’t grab him, he didn’t get too close. They’d just been having a fun time playing around in the clothing racks until they got a dirty look from one of the volunteers and had to rein in it.
The second Sonic held out a coat to Tails though, he might as well have asked the kid to cut off a tail.
He balked; staring at the article of clothing with the same amount of disdain he'd shown Robotnik when they chased him out of the chemical plant. He backed away and shook his head when Sonic motioned for him to take it. Sonic frowned and Tails frowned right back.
Though he was fluffier than Sonic, his fur was still really patchy from months of poor nutrition and grooming. His full winter coat hadn't come in yet even though it was December, still too scraggly to offer much protection. Sonic really didn't want to have to deal with a sick fox kit as a result. One, he didn't know the first thing about caring for one, and two, it sounded like the most uncool thing ever. It definitely wasn't something he'd signed up for, and it was bound to happen if Tails got too cold. Sonic had experienced his fair share of sick days when he’d first started traveling on his own thanks to fluctuations in temperature he’d never been exposed to before. He couldn’t think of a lamer way to waste time.
Sonic pointed at the coat and tapped his foot impatiently. Tails turned his nose up at it. With a tch, Sonic rolled his eyes, then snatched Tails by the wrist. A set of sharp, baby fox teeth sank into his hand, but he ignored the pain as he wrestled one of Tails's arms through the coat. With a gasp, Tails released him to stare in horror at the fabric covering his arm. Sonic took the opportunity to slip his other arm through, then took hold of the lapels so he could zip it up.
There. Sonic stood back, hands on his hips as he looked it over in triumph. It was baggy around the shoulders, but it would give him room to grow into it. It was red, too, like his sneakers. Sonic thought he'd appreciate that since he seemed to like the shoes so much.
But tears collected in Tails's eyes, all the mutinous anger gone in the face of what Sonic could only describe as complete and utter misery. The tears tracked down his cheeks slowly, ears plastered to his head as he fidgeted and tugged at the coat like it was constricting him, both tails limp and dragging on the ground.
Aw, jeez. Sonic winced, quills bristling as he recoiled at the sight of his tears. It was only a matter of time, really, he supposed. Little kids cried for any number of reasons. Of course he hadn't been so lucky as to find and kinda befriend the only one that didn't.
Tails continued to tug at the coat, his breathing shaky as his chest rattled with each inhale. But he wasn't trying to make a scene. Wasn't throwing a fit. He was just…
Uncomfortable.
Sonic's ears and tail drooped. Of course Tails wouldn't be used to wearing clothes. The sensation of something as heavy as a winter coat was probably pretty weird. And he didn't like being trapped or confined, which Sonic could absolutely sympathize with. Coats could feel a little restrictive—all clothes did really, and Sonic preferred being as aerodynamic as possible for speed's sake. The drag of clothes on the wind was a real drag.
So it wasn't like he didn't get it. If he didn't have to wear a coat himself, he wouldn't. But there was snow on the ground and it was the practical thing to do if they were going to keep traveling in search of the Chaos Emeralds and Robotnik’s bases for the next few weeks.
Besides, how many times had Sonic been forced to do something for his own good even if he'd hated it? How often had he listened to other kids in the orphanage cry as their wants were ignored in favor of their needs? Though if the adults around them had just listened…
Sonic rubbed a fist over his chest, averting his gaze guiltily as the soft sniffles filled the silence between them. He couldn't do it. Okay, kid, I hear ya loud and clear. With a sigh, Sonic stepped back into Tails's space and unzipped the coat.
Tails sniffed again, teary eyes watching his hands as he eased the coat open and off his shoulders. Once he was free of it, he blinked up at Sonic. He hung it back up on the hanger and tucked it out of sight, then dusted his hands of it like it was a job well-done.
Tails shuffled his feet and used the back of his borrowed glove to wipe at his nose. Well, maybe not so much borrowed now. Kid could keep it. A genuine smile still curved his muzzle as he offered Tails a thumbs up. We good?
After a beat of consideration, Tails nodded and returned the gesture with his own thumbs up. Sonic heaved a huge sigh of relief, making a show of wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. It might’ve been a bit over-the-top, but it got a giggle out of Tails and that was the goal. With a wink, Sonic picked up their new shoes and led the way out of the clothing closet.
They could deal with winter clothes another day. For now, Sonic was more than ready for some piping hot chili dogs to end the day on a high note. And he needed to stock up on some more of those free mints.
—
Don’t say I told you so. Don’t say I told you so. Don’t say I told you so.
Tails sneezed.
Sonic sighed and stopped running, kicking up a light dusting of snow as he did. He hadn’t been going that fast, snow had a habit of slowing him down, but he still had to wait a minute for Tails to catch up. He shoved his paws in his coat pockets and tapped his foot in the fresh powder as he looked back over his shoulder. Tails trotted up to him, little body shivering too much to properly spin his tails to keep up.
But he was smiling. Sniffling from the cold and rubbing his arms with his gloved paws, ankle deep in the snow with his new shoes and thick socks. Complaining looked to be the farthest thing from the little guy’s mind.
Sonic exhaled loudly and shook his head, breath clouding in front of him. Tails perked up, both tails giving jerky little wags as he opened his own mouth as wide as he could and made his own puff of air. Sonic grinned, then crouched down and beckoned Tails closer with his finger. He came, head tilted curiously. Holding open both of his hands, Sonic nodded for Tails to place his paws between them.
Hesitation crept into his eyes, though it wasn’t necessarily mistrust that he looked at him with. He was still curious, wondering just what Sonic was trying to do, so he offered his paws to him and watched as he sandwiched them between his own. Leaving a sliver of an opening between his thumbs, Sonic leaned in and blew warm air over his paws, then rubbed firmly to keep his circulation pumping. Twin tails perked straight up, his fur puffing up a bit in surprise and Sonic had to bite back a laugh. Tails relaxed though when Sonic blew again, a happy hum escaping him as he soaked up the warmth.
Sonic sat back and gave him a thumbs up. Okay?
Tails gave him a thumbs up back. Okay!
Then he sneezed again.
Sonic hung his head, then glanced up at the clouds as snow continued to drift down gently. It was gonna stick around for a while, it seemed. Tails rubbed at his nose with the back of his glove, then cupped his paws in front of his muzzle and breathed over them just like Sonic had. His gaze snapped up when he heard the pull of a zipper, eyes wide as Sonic shrugged off his jacket.
He draped it over Tails’s shoulders before he could skitter away, guiding his arms through the too-long sleeves. The dark green jacket nearly swallowed the little fox. Sonic snickered as he zipped up the jacket to Tails’s chin, then sat back and looked him over. Tails stared at the baggy sleeves, his paws hidden inside them. With a tch, Sonic rolled up the cuffs to free his hands.
Better. There were two slits in the back for his quills that would let in a draft, but it was at least something to keep him warm. Bonus was that this jacket didn’t seem to upset him like the one he’d tried on at the clothing closet had.
“You good?” Sonic signed to him properly, one of the most basic ones they’d learned so far.
Tails looked over his shoulder at the two gaps in the back, mouth parted in a stunned little “o.” Right, the breeze probably felt a little funny. Sonic tapped his chin as he considered ways to cinch the slits shut. Tape maybe? The tape they’d used for his gloves and socks seemed to be holding as temporary measures.
Sonic’s quills rose fast when the happiest yip filled the air. He blinked at Tails as he slid each tail into the holes of the jacket, the perfect size for them to fit. They wagged quickly, free to wiggle about as they pleased. Tails beamed at the sight of them, then shone that bright smile on Sonic.
“It’s good!” he signed enthusiastically. “Thank you!”
Sonic smiled back, a laugh tickling the back of his throat as he reached out to ruffle Tails’s fur atop his head. You’re welcome, the gesture was meant to say. Along with, you sure are something else, kid.
So he’d be fine with an extra big coat with room for his tails to stick out. Good to know.
Though Sonic had a feeling this coat was about to become yet another something borrowed that wound up something kept. Ah, well. In the grand scheme of things, he found he was pretty okay with that.
am i late to the 4.6 party? only fashionably.
A regular thing that happens between me and my lil bro so I decided to draw it with Sonic and Tails.
Sorry buddy I genuinely don't understand a thing you say
Duke and Jason Being Hood Kids - Part 10
Dick is dreaming. He has to be dreaming. The scene in front of him is a nightmare, but the operative verb is ‘dreaming’ and oh my fucking God.
“My brother, Roy?” He knows he’s shrieking at octaves that probably trigger dogs, but he can’t help it. “My baby brother!”
Jason throws a t-shirt at him. A shirt that he should be wearing, because who gave him permission to be half naked with anyone, much less with Roy Harper?
“You don’t know how to knock?” The younger man’s pissed, but Dick’s so far beyond caring. “Ring a doorbell? Send a text? Jesus, Dick, what if I’d been—“
“Naked?” Dick is pulling at his hair and gesturing wildly, completely ignoring the bleeding wound on his arm that led him to break into his brother’s apartment in the first place. “Or—don’t you fucking move, Roy!”
The disheveled redhead freezes. His hair’s a mess, he’s got a bruise—oh God, a hickey—blooming on his neck, and he’s holding his unzipped pants up with one hand while reaching for the front door with the other.
In retrospect, Dick absolutely could’ve knocked. Or rung the doorbell. Or texted, even. Hell, a quick ‘bullet grazed my arm on patrol, need a stitch or two and a bandaid’ wouldn’t have hurt. In fact, it likely would’ve saved him from tumbling through Jason’s living room window to find his brother pinned to the wall, held up by his thighs with legs wrapped around Roy’s waist, one hand buried in red hair and the other dipping into the other man’s—
Oh my God, Jason’s having sex. The thought rings in his head like a church bell on Sunday morning. My little brother’s been deflowered.
“How long has this been going on?” Dick’s switched to his Nightwing’s Asking The Fucking Questions Now, Asshole voice. “Who—“
Roy steps between Jason and Dick. “Dickie, that’s not—“
“How long have you been defiling my baby brother?”
“Defiling? Jesus, we’re consenting adults!”
“And we’ve been dating for over a year,” Jason interjects. “No defiling…Well, there’s been defiling, but it’s been mutual.”
Dick feels his soul leave his body momentarily. It comes back, but it’s forever scarred by this knowledge now.
“Did anyone else…” His voice is hoarse from all the shrieking. He’s barely holding it together and wants to do some more screaming very soon. “Who knows?”
Jason sighs in exasperation and grabs the shirt he threw Dick’s way. He puts it on and grabs the first aid kit by the coffee table before pushing his older brother onto the couch.
“Duke,” he answers. He pops the kit open and retrieves a set of gloves to check the wound on Dick’s arm. “He’s the only one I told. Tim knows I’m dating someone, but he doesn’t know who. Pretty sure Bruce knows via osmosis or some shit, because he’s Bruce.”
Dick’s not sure if it’s blood loss or shock, or maybe a combination of both, but he’s suddenly reeling and lightheaded.
“Duke?” Jason’s cleaned the wound already. He’s threading a needle for stitches now. “You told Duke? Why not me? Why didn’t Duke tell me?”
Roy, who’s keeping a safe distance from the brothers across the room, snorts incredulously. “Gee, I wonder why. Couldn’t be because you might overreact.”
Dick glares at his friend—possibly murder victim by the end of the night, but he hasn’t decided yet—while Jason completes the first stitch. “I just walked in on you trying to—“
“Engage in perfectly consensual adult activities?” Jason tugs at the thread with more force than is necessary and is satisfied when Dick winces in pain. “In the privacy of my own home? I’m 22, asshole. I can’t get dicked down in peace?”
Soul leaving body again. Might not come back this time.
Jason finishes a third stitch and nods, satisfied that the wound is closed. “And Duke knows that snitches get stitches. He wouldn’t blab without good reason.”
“True that.”
Dick almost jumps out of his skin when Duke, who absolutely wasn’t here a second ago, joins the conversation.
“Chill out, Big Bird,” the teen laughs as he tosses a backpack onto the couch. “Roy texted. Apparently you saw something you weren’t supposed to see and need a ride home. Civvies in the bag, change and we’ll go.”
Dick feels like he’s losing his mind. “You knew! You never said anything!”
Duke shrugs. “First rule of surviving in Gotham, my dude—snitches get stitches. Not my business, not my news. But also, fuck I look like outing people?”
Jason fist-bumps their younger brother and smirks. This is unacceptable. A travesty. A hate crime. Not actually a crime, but it feels like one and Dick hates it.
saving for when ao3 returns.
"If it helps, one of the many scenarios my brain likes to twist around is imagining Sonic's perspective of No Cracks In A Closed Loop (and I adore Tails getting to be a badass and pulling off the impossible, too- my brain just likes to spin on the angst sometimes)" - @manynerdthings
A/N: So I was inspired...
I think it's safe to say this helped a lot xD Thank you, manynerdthings!
This is a continuation of my fic "No Cracks in a Closed Loop"
No Cracks in a Closed Loop — Sonic's Side
"Sonic."
That single word—no, just the voice alone—was enough to cut through the adrenaline rush as pure chaos energy sang through his veins and ignited every nerve with its spark. In a flash of light and sound, Super Sonic punched a hole through the Starfall-titan-wanna-be by using his own body as a projectile. A cocky grin cut across his muzzle as it wobbled in place, setting its sights on him instead of the city it had been about to level; its laser cannons aimed directly at the fault line.
This fight wouldn't last twenty seconds. They'd already won.
"What's up, partner?" Sonic said into the comm as he shot skyward.
The streak of gold drew the mech's cannon higher, until it cleared the tips of skyscrapers and nearby mountaintops by the time it shot at him. The laser's heat didn't even singe his fur, firing at full power into the stratosphere instead of drilling deep into the crust of the planet. It zinged past the satellite Tails was communicating from, but Super Sonic's gaze didn't linger on it for more than half a second—already more than certain it was out of the laser's range. Speeding through the air, he whirled around towards the mech for his next move. He was going to cyloop Eggman's newest addition to his junk pile right off its feet.
Swerving down in a sharp arc, Super Sonic avoided the next blast while he swung around to try and circle it. It's clawed hand swiped at him before he could complete his first circuit. He shot straight up before it could catch him, homing attacking it in the face instead.
The comm was still quiet. Tails must've swapped to their own channel. Super Sonic flew backwards, putting both the titan and the distant satellite in his line of sight. Whatever he had to say, he didn't want anyone else to hear it.
Super Sonic's brow furrowed as a barrage of bullets opened up on him. He weaved between the hundreds of projectiles glinting dangerously in the sunlight, but his chaos energy and speed worked in tandem, as fluidly as a dance, while he searched for another opening to try the cyloop again.
He could beat this thing without it, sure, but it was the fastest way to take it down.
"Tails? Still with me, bud?" Super or not, Sonic still spared a second to check in, static ringing in his ears as he burst through the center of the mech's chest plate for a shortcut.
"I'm here," Tails answered, but his voice sounded faint, like the feedback was drowning him out. "Sorry, I…" Super Sonic started his cyloop. "I just wanted to—" He was halfway around. "I'm sorry—"
Sonic closed the loop. A burst of chaos energy swelled up with a deafening boom. The air rippled with the force of it in great gusts of wind that rocked the trees and the grass of the nearby hills. Waves rose up in the bay, their white caps scraping the bottom of the golden bridge that marked the edge of the sea. The fake titan lifted into the air, sparks crackling off its metal casing as its system overloaded. Super Sonic didn't give it a second to recalibrate itself.
Faster than anyone could see, he smashed into it on all sides. A tiny mote of golden light against the towering behemoth, but it struck every weak point, fried every circuit, as the chaos energy pressed in on it from the outside. Metal crunched and caved it on itself, contorting into a twisted configuration until it no longer resembled a machine.
A cheap imitation of the ancients' attempts to defend themselves, designed only to destroy instead of protect.
Super Sonic grabbed onto mech's arm—or maybe its leg, it was hard to tell at this point—as the cyloop's effect faded, catching it before it crushed Westopolis. He swung it around and around, gritting his teeth as he built up momentum and set his sights on the ocean out ahead of them. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Super Sonic let go.
The mech's remains were flung through the air, over the coastline and beyond the bridge that cut off the bay from the sea. It crashed into the water, the ocean spray shooting up into the air in a tower of mist once it hit the surface. The waves rolled aggressively towards the coastline, but ultimately broke apart in the bay before they could do too much damage. Some millionaires might have to replace a yacht or two, but that wasn't Sonic's problem.
As he dusted his hands off, he could finally acknowledge the warning bells Tails's last words to him had set off. "Hey, what was that, bud? I didn't catch—"
Super Sonic turned towards the satellite, addressing it like he would Tails, but it was gone. Instead a cloud of smoke filled the space where the satellite had been not ten seconds ago. Metal shards and fire rained upon the bay. Everything in pieces. Everything gone.
His comm was in chaos. Unintelligible voices shouted over one another in a cacophony of white noise that was already fighting a losing battle to the ringing in his ears. But he still noticed one voice was missing. He couldn't hear it.
He hadn't heard any of it.
Over the sonic boom of his cyloop and the screeching of metal as he demolished the titan, Sonic hadn't heard the satellite explode.
The satellite his little brother was on.
He'd been trying to tell him something.
He'd been trying to tell him something before a satellite exploded with him on it.
"I'm sorry."
Tails.
Super Sonic shot off like a bullet, speeding towards the black cloud of smoke and smoldering debris like there was even a chance—
No. There had to be a chance—
"I just wanted to—I'm sorry—"
Why? What happened? What did you do, Tails?
He hadn't even properly seen him off before he left. Tails had been trying to hack into Eggman's satellite remotely while Sonic was out chasing after the faux titans. He told them all about his plan to board the satellite and everyone agreed it sounded like the right call, so long as he could do it quickly. They needed to disrupt the signal, after all, and Tails was their best shot.
That was what he'd said, wasn't it? "You're our best shot, Tails. I believe in you, partner."
Their best shot, but not the only one. Not if it meant this.
Nothing was worth this.
Sonic didn't need to breathe while super, but his lungs still burned twin holes in his chest as his own nervous system caught fire. Golden sparks flicked off his quills as he raced through the air. Fiery eyes frantically scanned each scrap of metal that fell, but they must've already been irritated from the smoke because they burned and blurred with the rest of the world around him—
"—onic, wait! Come back! Sonic!"
One voice.
Super Sonic stopped. He stopped so fast and so suddenly, it felt like his own soul completely missed the memo. Like everything inside him continued to hightails it towards where Tails had been without him, leaving him empty. Hollow. Cold.
A vacuous space in the center of himself where there'd once been something.
The chaos energy inside him didn't know what to do with that.
With so much… nothing.
Stunned, he could only float in place for a stupid second until he remembered he'd stopped for a reason. With a sharp turn, his stare locked onto a splash of orange amidst the blotchy colors of the rest of the world bleeding into one another. Like he was still moving too fast to see clearly. Like he couldn't catch up to himself.
"Sonic…" Tails's voice broke like it had on the comm, but it wasn't with pain guilt fear regret static.
Vision clearing, Sonic could see him now. At the edge of one of the hills overlooking Westopolis and the bay. Tails just rubbed at his nose with a sheepish sort of grin, like the explosion was a minor miscalculation. A hiccup. My bad, he could hear him saying, like he was standing in the middle of his workshop, covered in soot and singed fur, one hand on his hip and a fire extinguisher at his feet.
Like he was fine.
Like he hadn't been incinerated in the fiery inferno smoldering above them.
Tails lowered his hand, eyes shining as they looked up at him, reflecting the very sky Super Sonic was caught in as the satellite's remains fell all around him. He'd been on that satellite. Just seconds ago, Sonic had been so sure of it.
He'd been so sure he'd lost him…
Then Tails opened his arms to him and laughed.
All at once Sonic crashed back into himself, chest heaving with a sharp inhale as his heart lurched forward.
Faster than a blink, Super Sonic barrelled into Tails and sent them toppling down the hillside. They smacked hard against the ground, but Sonic took the brunt of the fall even with the world spinning around them. His arms encircled Tails tightly, one hand protecting the back of his head while the other braced the small of his back as they tumbled and whooped like a pair of idiots. Pure joy radiated through him, burning brighter than the chaos energy coursing through his quills. It knocked the emeralds right out of him. The seven gems fell into the grass around them as the two mobians eventually rolled to a stop.
Sonic clutched Tails to him, shaking with breathless laughter as he felt his little brother hug him back just as tightly. "I'm here," Tails was saying, and it took a minute to realize he'd been repeating the words while Sonic's hands were trembling. "I'm here. It's okay, big bro. I'm here. I’m here."
"And you say I'm the one that's gonna give you a heart attack," Sonic wheezed, not bothering to give himself room to breathe if it meant letting go for even a second.
"Can't let you have all the fun." Tails smoothed his hands over Sonic's spines to try and settle him, his touch purposeful and grounding. "Deep breaths, big bro. You're gonna pass out."
"Nuh-uh," he argued, but filled his lungs with his next inhale anyway, then let all the air ease out of him.
"That's it. There ya go," Tails encouraged, but Sonic couldn't help his snort of indignation at being coddled and pushed away from him.
Except Tails just tightened his grip; fingers curling in his fur like they'd be forced apart if he didn't. He hid his face in the crook of Sonic's neck, his breaths coming only a little too fast. But his hands were shaking, too, and his twin tails wound around them both as if they were enough to protect them from the next threat.
Sonic didn't pull away. He just sat back, the eleven-year-old practically in his lap, and rested his hand atop Tails's head.
"Gave me a real scare there, pal," he said, voice low and gentle as he smoothed out his fur, picking at the grass and brambles they were both covered in.
"…Scared me, too."
Sonic's heart clenched, the open admission like a bludgeon to his protective instincts, even if his pride assured him Tails could handle it. After all, the proof had all but climbed into his lap. But now that he was looking at him—really looking at him—he could see his fur was mussed up from more than just a tumble at supersonic speed. A streak of blood stained his fur on his shoulder and there was a lump near the center of his back that filled Sonic with an angry fire hot enough to burn through the atmosphere when he so much as brushed against it with his fingers.
Tails didn't flinch when he grazed it, but his muscles gave an involuntary spasm that rippled beneath his fur and his hold on Sonic tightened. It was enough to quell the roiling rage to a simmer. Something he could stick a lid on without worrying it would boil over if left unchecked. It wasn't what Tails needed from him right now.
But Sonic still wanted some answers.
"What happened up there?" he asked.
Tails shook his head. "Just a bit of a closer call than I thought it'd be. But I'll be okay. I am okay."
Sonic instinctively bristled, prepared to be shut out of whatever it was he'd gone through. "Tails—"
"I'll tell you someday," he promised, pressing his paw over Sonic's heart. "I mean it. But right now we've got a lot of Eggman's mess to clean up. There's still six other titans out there and I'm sure everyone else is worried."
Sonic sighed, as exasperated as he could manage when he was still just glad this kid was alive. "Gonna hold you to that," he threatened, ruffling his fur to muss it up on purpose. "You owe me. Nearly shocked the Chaos Emeralds right outta my system."
"Says Mr. Guy-Who-Loves-Adventure," Tails teased as he pushed himself up to stand. "You should be used to it by now."
Sonic snorted when he was offered a hand up, but he took it nonetheless. "When I go gray early, I'll know exactly who to blame."
"Don't worry. I'll help you dye your quills, old man," Tails snickered, but it broke off with a wince as a sharp twinge ran through his back.
Sonic was quick to lay a supportive hand at his hip to steady him. "Look who's talking. At this rate, you're gonna be right there with me setting the record for the world's youngest old timers."
Tails sent him a look, but accepted the help nonetheless as he leaned his weight against him. "Did you really have to knock us all the way down the hill like that?"
"Heh. Well, in my defense, wasn't exactly thinking straight." Sonic scratched at his nose, giving him a not-so-subtle onceover. "Didn't bang ya up too bad, did I?"
"Nah. I'll bounce back," Tails assured him, giving him a pat on the back.
"You always do," Sonic agreed warmly as they took a few steps in tandem so they could start collecting the Chaos Emeralds on their way back up the hill while Tails alerted everyone to their status on his comm and checked in on everyone else as well.
Sonic just listened, taking in the rise and fall of his voice, his steady assurances and sighs of relief to hear that the world hadn't fallen apart in his absence. Even if it very nearly did. As far as Sonic was concerned, anyway.
But he was okay now. That was what mattered. And whatever it was that happened on that satellite—whatever reason Tails had for calling him seconds before disaster—he would trust that his little brother would come to him when he was ready. Because he'd be there for him. No matter what.
Keeping his arm looped around Tails’s waist even after they made it back up the hill, Sonic looked up at the smoke still fading from the sky. He tightened his hold on him. It felt like another lifetime, like another him had first seen the explosion and feared the worst. Tails followed his gaze, quiet again with all the calls taken care of and winded from the uphill climb. Through his labored breaths, there was the slightest tremor that traveled from his chest to where he stood pressed against his brother.
"…Scared me, too."
"Hey, whatever happened up there," Sonic broke the silence, his voice drawing Tails back down beside him. "Whatever you did, I'll bet it was seriously way past cool." He glanced over at him, waiting to catch his eye before giving him a wink.
All too easily, Tails grinned up at him, the shape of his smile the spitting image of his brother's. "Way past is definitely one way to put it."
———
Five years later…
———
"You've been quiet all day, partner. Something going on in that big brain of yours?"
Everyone else had split off for the night. Team Dark vanished sometime after lunch, after Rouge once again tricked Shadow into accompanying her, and Team Chaotix had an appointment for their next case. Amy took Cream back home to Vanilla while Tangle and Whisper left to help Jewel out with some Restoration business.
Which left just Sonic and Tails lounging on the couch; the former picking up where Vector had left off in the game he'd been playing, tapping away at the controller while the latter watched.
Tails hummed in acknowledgement, so Sonic let him have a minute of quiet to collect his thoughts. He picked at one of Whisper's cinnamon muffins, crumbs scattering across the coffee table, but he didn't eat any of it. He hadn't had much of an appetite since slinking out of his lab earlier that afternoon.
It probably had something to do with the quiet and the way he'd been kinda clingy. Sonic had planned on going for a run as soon as Tails retreated back to his lab to tinker with whatever gadgets he had tucked away back there, but he seemed pretty content to stay curled up on the couch beside him. Still, Sonic could adapt. He kicked his feet up onto the coffee table and slumped back into the cushions as he wandered aimlessly around in a game he couldn't remember owning.
"Do you remember that time you went up against Eggman's seven fake titans?"
Sonic let out a low whistle. "Boy, is that a blast from the past. What about it?"
When Tails didn't immediately continue, Sonic pressed the pause button, then shifted against the cushion to sit up and face his not-so-little-anymore bro. The sixteen-year-old fox tore his gaze from the screen to watch him instead, eyes bright from television's glow. Looking at him like that, for a split second, Sonic could still see the insecure, little fox kit he used to be in the way his shoulders hunched up as if to make himself smaller. To take up less space in the world.
Sonic draped one arm along the back of the couch, leaving space for him to lean into if he wanted it. No matter how big he got, there'd always be space for him.
Tails scooted closer and rested his head against Sonic's arm. "I needed to disrupt the satellite signal powering the Chaos Emerald vaults, but Eggman locked me out of the remote connection so I had to access it directly—"
"On the actual satellite," Sonic interjected, fingers drumming against the back of the couch. "I remember."
Tails released a long exhale. "Well, he set a trap. A way to slow me down so I wouldn't be able to unlock the emeralds for you in time. The same code that would disrupt the satellite's signal would also cause it to self-destruct. Eggman banked on me having enough self-preservation that I wouldn't engage it without trying to disable that function first."
"But you set it off anyway."
"I set it off anyway," Tails confirmed with a decisive nod. "It was the outcome with the highest percentage of saving people. The fastest way to help you guys. I thought I could get out in time. I should've gotten out in time," his voice lowered, eyes distant as if he was reliving the moment right there on their couch. "But I couldn't. Not on my own. I needed… help."
Sonic tried to follow him there, even if he didn't much like to relive that day in his waking hours. "So you called me."
"Not… exactly." Tails sat up straighter so he could look him in the eye. "I knew you'd come get me if I asked, but then countless lives would've been lost if the titans had gone on unchecked, even if just for a couple of seconds. Sometimes that's all it takes…" Tails's fist clenched as he dropped his hardened gaze to his lap. "I made the call to initiate the self-destruct in order to save people. I couldn't take that back. I couldn't take you away from them. Not again."
A younger Sonic would've snapped at him—would've argued over the value of his life with him until he wasn't the only one blue in the face. But at twenty-three, Sonic had fought more of these battles than he cared to count and never once walked away a winner. So he sat back, held his tongue, and let Tails explain himself.
"I called you to say goodbye," his voice lowered to a whisper, "I wanted to give you that, at least.”
He'd had a feeling. It wasn't one he dwelled on freely, but sometimes the thought wandered in uninvited. Moreso during the first couple of months after the incident, when everything was still fresh and closer to their present.
Before Sonic could respond, Tails pressed forward. "But then an older version of myself traveled through time with two Chaos Emeralds to save me. He said it was the only way. Because at the time, only the two of us knew what transpired on the satellite. We created a temporal paradox, a loop without a proper origin, but as long as it was contained between the two versions of me, nothing could disrupt it. That's why I couldn't tell you before. I wasn't sure… I didn't know if the future version of myself had told you what happened and if that would open up possibilities in the time stream that would botch the encounter entirely." Tails lifted his gaze to seek out Sonic's again, and he could see the eleven-year-old sitting in front of him like it was that very same day. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you."
"Nothing to apologize for, bud. I get it. I wouldn't want to mess up the time stream for that particular moment either." Sonic shifted the arm draped along the couch so he could cup the back of Tails's head, idly ruffling the fur there. "But if you're telling me all this now…" he drawled, moving to scritch behind Tails's ear. "Charmy wasn't the one who swiped Shadow's Chaos Emerald earlier, was he?"
Tails shrugged, muzzle quirking up on one side. "When he showed up with it today, I just had this feeling that it was time to make my move…" Tails explained. "I've been feeling it for a couple weeks now, to be honest. I had all the equipment I'd had on me that day and I looked close enough to how I remembered. I knew I probably had to go back soon. Just needed everything to align so no one would interfere. Today seemed good…"
Sonic tilted his head as Tails trailed off, his eyes still a little distant. "Well, you made it back in one piece, didn't you? Mission accomplished."
"Yeah. Mission accomplished," he echoed, but whatever was on his mind continued to fester. "I thought I made a mistake."
"Hm?"
"There were only three seconds left," Tails whispered. "I thought I messed it all up. I thought I killed us both—"
"You—"
"I was so sure it would work because it already had, but there was still the possibility I could've gotten it wrong. I could've caused a split in our realities. Created two timelines where I ceased to exist, except in this one no one would've known what happened to me and two of the Chaos Emeralds would be lost to time. How would any of you have known where to look?" Tails rambled, pressing his hands over his face. "I estimated the time of day with a standard deviation of a couple of seconds, but those seconds could've been what killed us—"
"Hey, hey, hey," Sonic hushed, shifting to wrap both arms around his little brother as he slumped against him. "You didn't. You're here. You're right here with me, see?" He gave him a firm squeeze, smile tugging at his muzzle as Tails hugged him back tightly. "Atta boy."
"Stupid…" he mumbled into Sonic's shoulder. "Why does this still work so well?"
"Heh. What're big brothers for?" Sonic huffed out a chuckle. "Listen, you can't live a life of what-ifs, bud. It'll drive you outta your mind. I should know. And I know you know that, too." He felt Tails's nod against his cheek. "You did exactly what you set out to do. And heck, you used the Chaos Emeralds to travel through time! When did you learn how to do that, huh? Holding out on your big bro?"
Tails snorted, but it got him to relax enough to pull back. "Figured if I could use Chaos Control, time travel was just an added boost. Like adding a supercharger to the Tornado's engine."
"Tch. You figured." Sonic rolled his eyes, but the warmth in them was nothing but fond. "Give yourself a little more credit. You did something incredible today, Tails. You defied time and space to save yourself. And not only that, you gave yourself a future to look forward to. Because who wouldn't want to turn out to be like you?"
It was Tails's turn to roll his eyes, though it was his own chuckle that betrayed him. "That's what I told me."
"And wiser words were never spoken," Sonic assured him as he gave his knee a firm pat.
"I dunno. Could make a case for the consequences of rewriting timelines and creating unsustainable permutations of past and future events." Tails grinned.
"Now you’re just being smart," Sonic snorted.
"Well, I am a genius." Tails bumped his shoulder to Sonics. "But I also learned from the best. Even eleven-year-old me picked up on that."
"Well, he's a genius, too. He knows what's up." Sonic slung his arm around Tails’s shoulder, this time his turn to watch as his brother picked up the video game controller to continue where Sonic left off.
He let him, taking his turn to be content as he watched Tails figure out the game faster than he did and go farther than Sonic could. They said nothing for a few minutes, Tails working out the rest of his pent up feelings through the game while Sonic quietly processed what he'd just been told. He wasn't a stranger to time travel, not by a long shot, but even so, it wasn't what he thought the answer to that day had been. As much faith he had in his best friend, his self-sacrificial tendencies were something he couldn't help but take notice of. After all, he'd learned from the best, hadn't he?
But it wasn't with bitterness or disdain when he set his gaze on the teen beside him. That wasn't possible; not when he saw every age at once. Not when he was in absolute awe of how far his kid had come.
"Tails."
"Sonic," Tails answered instinctively, matching his tone with the hint of a crooked smile.
"Thanks for saving him."
Tails blinked and paused the game so he could look at Sonic. In the light from the television screen, green eyes glimmered with a depth that took him back to a younger version of his big bro, who was trying to do everything in his power to be there for him. Because he wanted to be. Because he needed to be.
One tail curled around Sonic's back and draped over his lap, giving back the same reassurance he always gave so freely.
"Anytime, big bro."
saving for when ao3 returns.
A bunch of thugs kidnap the younger brother of the most powerful hero on Mobius.
They really should've known better...
LONG LIVE WHOLESOME SONIC AND TAILS WEDNESDAY!
fanon depiction of dick and tim’s relationship being either pure fluff or pure melodramatic angst is so funny when their canon relationship is 30% emotional support, 10% gossip, 10% bickering over things that don’t matter and 50% beating each other up in a denny’s parking lot for shits and giggles
Silly Game Time: WRONG ANSWERS ONLY! Why are you being cancelled?
*sigh*
I messed up.
*strums ukulele*
I’m sorry.
*stares straight into camera*
I’m a greenflame shipper.
SYLVIE AND RICK INTERACTED WE ALL CHEERED
An old sketch of Damian Wayne and Jason Todd ofc ofc. Damian has always been one of my favorite dc characters (next to Bart!! ik. drastic difference), but I never draw him (or Bart but I'll fix that dw).
I always like it when these two get along. They are like opposite sides of the same coin to me.
Drawn Nov 5, 2020 (prob the oldest art piece that I'll repost lol).
This was in my queue but I'm posting it early bc why not?
Thinking about them today
I’ve been on that Whumpay grind, and I’m back again (to no one’s shock or surprise). I dunno about you guys, but I love rescue fics. I also love the teenage mutant ninja turtles.
When I saw the prompt “Muzzled”, I knew exactly what needed to be done.
I’m pretty sure I hyperfocused so hard I blacked out lmao, but here we go
Tw: Swearing (it’s always Raph), mentions of injuries and blood
Leonardo wasn’t prepared for this.
They had been looking for weeks. Two hellish weeks. They had checked under every rock, every nook, in every cranny. They ransacked every abandoned building they came across, every tunnel in the sewers. Hell, they even broke into the Shredders lair.
They. Looked. Everywhere.
They were getting desperate, snappy. They barely slept, barely ate. Master Splinter had tried to keep the two of them inside for one day- just to rest.
He never tried that again.
It had been the beginning of the third week when they found it. Raphael had almost run straight by the building, but Leo stopped. He noticed that on the gps there was no building in this location. Not only that, but they couldn’t see an address. The structure was way too new to be off the grid, and it was easy to realize something shady was going on.
From an outside perspective it was just a storage building. Unassuming, grey brick, a blue roof made of metal, and a ten foot high chain link fence that circled the property. For a few hours they waited and watched, silently. It bustled with just enough activity that they almost left, wondering if they were making something out of nothing. That was until it hit him that the people coming in weren’t the same ones coming out a few minutes later. Leo knew it shouldn’t take hours to check your storage compartment, unless you weren’t. That’s when Raph spotted the man, an officer circling the perimeter.
“What the fuck is this? Protected storage?” He snapped, huffing with frustration. They had been up in the trees, hidden from view but still able to observe the compound.
Leo didn’t react, scanning the property for guards. It didn’t take long to realize that it was armed to the teeth with soldiers and guns.
“There’s something sketchy going on down there.” He mumbled.
Beside him, Raph snorted. “No shit, fearless.”
They fell silent once again, and Raph shifted on his tree branch. He was almost.. apprehensive. Scared.
“Do you think… Mikey and Donnie are in there?” He asked softly, looking at his older brother. Leo’s eyes hardened, his fist tightening on the branch in hand. He hoped so, he really hoped so.
“Theres only one way to find out, right?”
Raphael looked confused for a second before he smirked, cracking his knuckles with an evil looking glint in his eye.
“Tonight?”
“Tonight.”
———————————————
It wasn’t hard to break in. They slipped past the guards easily, taking them out with practiced precision. They were methodical and silent, hidden within the shadows. They made their way into some sort of elevator. They’d already stolen a keycard from one of the high ranking guards, ensuring access to every level. The first floor they landed on seemed to store old and unused lab technology. They had a laugh about how Donnie would love this, before they fell silent, the weight of what was at stake resting heavily on their shoulders.
The next floor was a lab, extensive and huge. It seemed to go on forever, door after door leading to more rooms than they could count on both hands. But it wasn’t the size that worried them, it was everything else. Tazers and cattle prods, trays full of scalpels and bone saws, dissection tables, test tubes numbered from 1-578. Then there was that room, full of giant tubes containing some sort of green goo. What they held.. well, it looked like mutants. They were probably made from scratch, floating within the green liquid.
They gave each other a look then, certain they were in the right place, and yet so incredibly scared of what they might find.
The floor below that looked like a training room, one they didn’t bother exploring.
However, the floor below that one… well, it was nothing short of a prison. Cells lined the walls in every direction, and Leo’s skin crawled with disgust. It was inhumane, unsanitary and it reeked of blood. Some cells were empty, some weren’t. Even if he wanted to save every mutant captured, he knew there wasn’t any time. He was on a mission. He needed to find his brothers.
It was one of the last cells, furthest away from the elevator, practically hidden in the darkness. They would’ve walked past without a second glance if they hadn’t heard it, a high pitched whimper, the sound of chains rustling. Then, a voice.
“Leo..?”
It was scratchy, barely above a whisper, but Leo would recognize that voice anywhere. His heart had plummeted to his feet as he rushed to the bars, grabbing at them desperately.
“Donnie!?” He whisper shouted, trying to peer into the dark cell. He could make out two silhouettes, one of them sat up against the wall, his arms hanging next to him, limply. Laid out on his lap there was a second figure, presumably asleep, curled up close to the first. With what little light they had, Leo could make out green skin and shells on both of them.
Next to him, Raph had froze, staring at the scene in front of him with wide eyes. His sais hung limply in his hands, mouth parted in horror. He stepped forward and his face tightened, twisting in guilt and worry. He had stabbed his sai into the lock mechanism, twisting it roughly until he heard a click. Raph didn’t waste any time before he entered the cell, dropping to his knees next to the two figures. Leo followed soon after, first checking to make sure no one heard the commotion. Once he deemed it was safe, he joined them inside the poor excuse for a room.
Raph had pulled out his t-phone to turn the flashlight on, and almost dropped it immediately after.
Donnie was muzzled. Leo hadn’t noticed until now- how, he wasn’t sure- but he was muzzled. Like a wild animal. He gasped from his place behind Raph, his hand covering his mouth as he glanced over their bodies. He didn’t want to look too closely just yet, scared of what he might see. What he had gathered from the once over was enough. Leo wanted to throw up, but he knew he needed to keep it together. He was the leader for Christ’s sakes! But… god.
Leonardo wasn’t prepared for this.
It was quiet. They all stood there- or sat, in Donnie’s case- and stared. Raph couldn’t look away from the muzzle. Leo was scanning Mikey’s shell, mentally noting every new dent and scratch. Donnie’s eyes flicked between his two older brothers, like he couldn’t believe this was real.
They sound of a low groan snapped them out of their silent trance. Michelangelo shifted from where he was in Donnie’s lap, letting out the same whimper they heard earlier. Leo didn’t think his heart could break anymore, but here he was, his heart breaking.
“Oh god..” he mumbled, finally dropping to his knees on the other side of Donatello. He hesitantly grabbed Mikey’s shoulders, rolling him over. He almost puked at what he saw.
His little brother had bruises covering his skin and his beak looked broken, evident by the blood dripping down his face. What really pissed him off was the collar around his neck, metal and about an inch thick. It looked too tight to be comfortable, but, it did explain why the youngest didn’t have a muzzle. Leo swallowed harshly, tapping Mikey’s shoulder.
“Mikey, can you hear me?”
His brothers eyes fluttered but didn’t open, and Leo frowned. He grabbed his shoulder, careful about any bruises or scrapes, and gave him a light shake.
“Come on Mike, we need to get you out of here.”
Finally he seemed to stir, cracking his eyes open ever so slightly. Donnie immediately pushed the t-phone out of Mikey’s face, before he gingerly brought a hand to his forehead, swiping his thumb over the skin a few times. Mikey looked up at Donnie with confusion and maybe concern, before he looked around. He saw Leo first and did a double take, his eyes widening in shock. Then Mikey was sitting up, far too quickly because he nearly fell over in the process, but it was clear that he didn’t care, throwing himself into Leo’s arms. Donnie reached after him, his arm hovering in the air as he watched the two before it dropped onto his lap.
Raph had long since started looking around for the chains they’d heard earlier. Once spotted, he didn’t waste any time before breaking both of them with his sai. He let out a small puff of air, sitting back onto his heels. At least they weren’t tied down anymore, he thought bitterly.
Leo didn’t care about anything but the turtle in his arms. He held his brother tightly, the relief was finally hitting him. He could feel Mikey’s tears soaking his shoulder, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t shedding some of his own. The younger turtle was trembling, his face was tucked into Leo’s neck and his body felt cold, but Leo didn’t care. He was here. In Leo’s arms. That’s all that mattered right now.
“Not to burst your bubble or anything, but we need to get out. Like, now.” Raph snapped, already helping Donnie to his feet. Leo noticed that the muzzle was still on his face, it must’ve been too dangerous to take it off right now. Raph wouldn’t leave it unless he had too.
Leo nodded from his place on the floor, shifting Mikey into a princess carry soon after. He stood up, pulling Mikey close to his chest. His younger brother still hadn’t said anything, and that fact alone was starting to worry Leo.
“Alright, you got Donnie?” A quick nod of confirmation from Raph was all he needed before they set off. They were careful, doing their best to be quiet. Donnie stumbled a lot, clearly dizzy and weak, before Raph wordlessly offered him a piggyback.
It was smooth sailing from there on.
They made it to the elevator and hit the main level, all of them standing in silence. Raph and Leo were relieved to have their brothers back, but worried about what happened. Mikey and Donnie were still reeling from their imprisonment. They didn’t see any guards- they were all still tied up and gagged- and made it across the property within a minute.
The first step outside of the gates felt like a huge weight lifted off their shoulders. Leo let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, and Raph was quick to call their father. He let him know that they found their brothers and that they were heading home.
They made it back about an hour later to a panicked April and a concerned Splinter. They still didn’t know what happened to them, they weren’t sure they ever would, but they were home, and that was good enough for Leo.
You can also find this on Ao3 :3
https://archiveofourown.org/works/65316250
Whumpay has my going crazy, so to all the Donatello whumpee fans out there, this one’s for you.
Donnie deserved to crash out after the events of The Fourfold Trap and Leo should’ve apologized. Hence, we have this
(Uses the prompts from day 2, and day 15)
Tw: Swearing (it’s Raph), and mentions of injuries
Donnie slumps in his chair, staring at the remnants of his latest failure. The liquid was pitch black, bubbling in front of him, mockingly.
He groans, putting his face into his hands. This was the fifth failure of the night. It was supposed to work- why haven’t any of them been working?
He forces himself into an upright position, shoving the black sludge to the far side of his desk. His head is pounding but he doesn’t care, he has to find a cure to the brainworm. He forces his hands to stop shaking as he grabs a pipette, trying a different combination of chemicals. He’s meticulous, careful and calculated. Every drop feels like torture, the calm before the storm. He adds the last ingredient and waits with bated breath. For a second it looks like it’s going to work and he stands up, planting his hands on the table. He’s laughing, it’s working- he’s done it!
Of course, it didn’t work.
The mixture turns cement grey, bubbling like the last one had. He groans again, slamming his hands onto his desk. He was so close. But of course- of course it wouldn’t work. Why would it work? All he does is fail. With an angry shout he punches his desk, once, twice- he only stops when his hand starts throbbing.
His eyes burn. His head hurts. He’s so tired- he hasn’t slept since their kidnapping, too preoccupied with finding a cure to the brain worm. He wasn’t even sure he’d bandaged his burns, he just didn’t have the time. He lets out a bitter laugh, the remnants of another experiment gone wrong glaring at him. Gloating. Screaming. He’s a failure. All he’s done lately is fail- he couldn’t make the cure, he couldn’t save his brothers, he couldn’t beat the brain boggler, all he could do was fail.
He wants to cry, but he doesn’t. He’s not sure he can. Instead he takes a deep breath, running a hand over the top of his head. He can do this. He can do this.
He gives his hands a shake, cracks his neck, and metaphorically rolls up his sleeves. He won’t rest until he gets this right and finds a cure. He can’t. He has to do this for Leo. For Splinter.
————————————————————
It has been a few days since the kidnapping. Mikey had been shaken up for the first day or so, but bounced back quickly compared to the others. Raph still had the occasional headache (especially when he didn’t drink enough water) but it looked like he was on the road to a full recovery. Mikey had decided to spend most of his time annoying said brother, playing pranks on the older turtle whenever he could.
Currently, Mikey sat in front of the TV, cross legged and smiling at an episode of Crognard The Barbarian. Raph sat on the couch behind him, comic in hand. The two had been bickering up until a few moments ago, leaving them in a not so silent, silence.
Leo emerged from the dojo, stretching his arms above his head with a small sigh. He’d been spending most of his time with Splinter, meditating, and talking about Karai. This was the first time he’s been out since this morning.
“Has anyone seen Donnie?” He asked, and Raph snorted, shaking his head.
“Not since we got back.” He said snarkily, refusing to take his eyes off his comic. “He’s been cooped up in his lab, something about finding a cure? That ringing any bells?” Raph looked away from the comic, giving Leo a pointed look. The eldest narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. Whether or not he did this out of frustration or guilt he wasn’t sure.
“Really?” He frowned, glancing at the large doors to his side. “Did he at least grab anything to eat?”
“Nope,” Mikey said, popping the p. He leant back on his hands, still looking at the TV as he answered his brother. “I brought him some pizza earlier, he might’ve had that.”
Leo frowned harder before he let out a sigh, once again glancing at the door. “Doubt it.”
Raph snapped his comic book shut, staring at him with narrowed eyes. “Well maybe if you hadn’t yelled at him-”
“Oh- so this is my fault now?” Leo scoffed, his arms falling to his sides. “He knew how much it meant to sensei, he wasn’t trying hard enough!”
Raph stood up, glaring hard at his older brother. “Trying hard enough? Do you- do you hear how stupid you sound!? Of course he was trying, you idiot!”
Leo rolled his eyes, adjusting his feet. “He wasn’t trying enough.” He said it with finality, a hard tone that didn’t leave any room for discussion.
Raphs forehead vein made an attempt to burst out of his skin, but he did his best to stay calm.
Leo furrowed his eyebrows, taking a few steps forward. “That’s all I told him- it’s not like I told him to make it his whole life!“ Leo was getting angrier by the second- look, he knows Donnie was trying. But they didn’t have time- they needed a cure as soon as possible.
“His- are you kidding me, fearless?“ Raph marched towards him, his fists balled. “I mean seriously, how do you not see how much of an asshole you were.”
Leo stood his ground, clenching his fists. “She needs this cure. Splinter needs his daughter. I was only trying to give him motivation-“
“Motivation!?” Raph snapped, laughing loudly. “Are you that obsessed with her that you thought bitching out your brother was the best idea for motivation?”
Leo spluttered, holding his hands up in front of him. “I did not bitch-“
“You kinda did, bro.” Mikey’s voice cut in, giving Leo a dodgy side eye. “Donnie was always working on that thing. What you said was not cool, dude.”
The two older turtles stopped, staring at the youngest. Raph held a hand out, gesturing to Mikey. If he had an eyebrow to raise, he would’ve done so. “You know it’s bad when even Mikey admits it.”
Leo stood silently, staring at the ground. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, a mixture of anger and guilt swirling in his mind. He wasn’t- Donnie should know that he wasn’t trying to be harsh. He was just stressed, and he felt like Donnie could be doing better.
“Well, what do you want me to do about it?” Leo frowned, looking up at the shorter turtle. Raph crossed his arms while Mikey piped up from the floor. “Apologize, duh.”
Leo sighed, rolling his eyes. “Fine.”
“And take him some more pizza!”
————————————————————
Donnie had barely slept, the pizza Mikey brought over long since forgotten on the floor. He was hunched over his desk, his eyes drooping every so often. He was no closer to creating a cure than he had been a week ago, and he was starting to get extremely frustrated with himself.
That’s where Leo found him. Muttering quietly, shaky hands reaching for pipettes and test tubes, beakers lined up on his desk, all filled with the same orange liquid. Donnie was evidently doing multiple experiments at the same time, trying to cut his time short.
Leo sighed, glancing around the room. His eyes landed on the uneaten pizza and he frowned, his fingers twitching under the plate in his hand. He shifted awkwardly, waiting for Donnie to notice that he was there- usually, the sound of the door opening would’ve been enough. Today, the taller turtle was none the wiser, far too wrapped up in his experiments to notice. Leo very quickly got fed up with it and cleared his throat, walking a little closer with intentionally loud steps.
Donnie jolted, his hands seizing. He nearly dropped the test tube he was holding, just barely steadying himself enough to avoid a spill. Once he was calm, Donnie set the tube onto a holder, placing his hands on the desk, his head bowed forward in frustration.
Donnie was turning as he spoke, pinching the bridge of his beak as he did so. “Raph, I already told you, if you want me to get out you’re gonna have to-“ he paused, finally realizing which brother he was talking too. He locked eyes with Leo, eyes widening slightly before they hardened. “Oh. It’s you.”
Leo tried not to feel hurt, but the stab of guilt in his chest made that difficult. He walked forward a few steps, gesturing to the plate in his hand. “I brought pizza.” He tried, gently. Donnie eyed it up before he turned back to his desk, waving a hand over his shoulder. “Put it on the side.”
Leo frowned again (he seemed to be doing a lot of that-) before he set the plate down next to the one Mikey had brought him. “Are you gonna eat it?” He questioned, crossing his arms in a classic big brother move. “You haven’t even touched the stuff Mikey brought you.”
“I’ll eat later.” Donnie’s tone was dismissive and cold, hardly paying attention anymore. Leo didn’t know why that made him so mad.
“Come on Donnie, just one piece won’t hurt.” He tried bargaining, taking another step towards the turtle. He was a few feet away and still, his younger brother refused to look at him.
“Oh, but it will, right?” He snapped, narrowing his eyes at the beaker in front of him. “If I eat, I’m not working on the cure.”
Leo winced, opening his mouth before closing it. He let out a loud sigh, giving Donnie his best mom look. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?” He snapped, turning to look at Leo. “You wanted me to try harder- I’m trying harder! What, now you’re mad at me?” He scoffed, letting out a short laugh. Of course- of course, because Donnie couldn’t do anything right.
“Of course not! I’m just worried about you, you haven’t eaten, you don’t sleep-“
“You told me to try harder!”
Leo fell silent, his eyes widening with a sudden realization. Donnie paced in front of him, tugging at the skin on his head with a manic look in his eyes. The steps seemed to echo off the walls, a deafening sound to Leo’s ears.
”You want me to work on the cure, I’m working on the cure. Now you don’t want me to work on the cure? Make up your mind!” He said angrily, gesturing as he spoke. “You don’t get to say I’m not working hard enough then tell me I’m working too hard, that’s not how it works!”
Leo shook his head, firing back a response. “Yes I can! I can when you’re not taking care of yourself! I’m your older brother, and your leader!”
Donnie let out a loud laugh, one that seemed to reverberate around the room and drown out any other noise. When he finally calmed down, he refused to look at the other. He was seething, and his arms were tense at his sides.
“I can’t win with you! I’m expected to have all the answers and when I don’t, I’m told to try harder. I am trying! I’m trying my hardest! I do everything! Everything! You may be the leader but you don’t have half the responsibility I do! You act like you do, but you don’t/ you guys don’t even acknowledge 90% of what I do! And you want me to try harder!?” He whipped his head around, staring into Leo’s soul. He was sure at that moment if looks could kill, he’d be limbo dancing with the devil. Leo watched his younger brother stalk forward, jabbing a finger into his plastron. “How would you like to figure all this out? To be in charge of all the technology, all the vehicles, all the first aid? How would you like to be the first person everyone goes to for their problems, and the first person blamed when something goes wrong?”
Every stab of his finger felt like a knife through his heart, the weight of everything he’d done settling in like a dark cloud. Choking him, suffocating in the guilt. He was cut off anytime he tried to speak, forced to listen. Something he wasn’t used too.
“You- you tell me to try harder, like I’m not telling myself that everyday.” The jabs were losing heat, barely more than a firm poke at this point. “I know I need to find the cure. I know how much this means to Sensei. I know that we’re on a time crunch. I know because I tell myself every single day.”
He stopped, choking on his words for a moment. Leo went to open his mouth but Donnie gave him a look, clearly saying ‘I’m not finished’.
“I.. give everything to this family. Everything. And what do I get back? I’m told to try harder.” His voice is quiet, barely more than a whisper. His hand has long since dropped to his side, eyes locked to the floor as he spoke. “So go. Let me try harder. Let me redeem myself. Thats what you want, right?”
Leo wasn’t sure if he should cry or punch himself in the face. The silence enveloped them like a blanket, and for the first time in a long time, he took a long look at his brother.
The first thing he noticed was the untreated burns, blistering and swollen on the side of his head. Next were his eyes. Bloodshot. Drooping. He could see the unshed tears gathering in the corners, fighting a battle they were bound to lose. He noticed the dark circles under his eyes that stretched so far you could see them below his mask. He could see how sickly he looked, pale, almost deathly so. He looked like a shell of what he’d been even a week ago- how had Leo not noticed?
He looked around at the lab next, it was a mess. There were papers thrown all over the floor, burns, dents and scrapes on every surface. Broken parts of past machines were scattered everywhere, wires were stuffed in questionable places, and there was a box on the floor overflowing with gears. The broken toaster sat on one of his shelves, next to some hand drawn blueprints of the battle shell. With every small detail Leo felt his heart breaking, his breath catching in his throat. His eyes burned with shame, how has he never noticed before?
He finally looked back at his brother, his eyes landing on the burns once again. He felt a swell of emotion in his chest, nearly choking him with the intensity, and he realized with a start that he never answered his question.
“God- no, Donnie. I’m-“ he took a breath, closing his eyes as he collected himself. When he opened them he saw Donnie’s eyes. Narrowed. Tired. Disbelieving. “I shouldn’t have said that, okay? It was stupid, I- I realize that now. I don’t ever want to see you putting work over your own well being. That’s not what I meant.”
Donnie stayed silent, his red rimmed eyes scanning over Leo. He didn’t believe him, that much was obvious, and Leo knew that somehow he had to fix that.
“I know you don’t believe me, but just- take a break. Get some sleep. Eat something. Spend some time out of your lab, this’ll all be here when you come back to it.”
Donnie shifted on his feet, glancing back at the desk, his eyes were searching- for what, he wasn’t sure. Finally, after a terrifying minute of silence, he turned back to his brother with a small sniffle, clearly trying not to cry.
“You’re not gonna let me say no, are you?” He spoke softly, like all the fight had drained out of him, leaving him exhausted.
“Nope.” Leo said, giving his brother a small smile.
Donnie let out a wet laugh, one hand coming up to cover his mouth, the other resting on his desk. He gave it one last look before he turned around, crossing his arms over his chest. He stood in front of Leo, shifting on his feet with another sniff. Before he could say anything, Leo had his arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, the unsaid words obvious between the two. I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I’d do anything to make this better.
Donnie froze, his body going stiff before he slowly relaxed, wrapping his arms around his carapace. The tears fell freely after that, soaking his mask and Leo’s shoulder. At some point they ended up on the floor, Donnie half in Leo’s lap but of course he didn’t mind. He sobbed, he knew things weren’t gonna be okay. He still had to find the cure, he was still the tech guy, but right now.. he was just Donnie. Being comforted by his older brother, like he used to when they were tots.
Right now, they were Donnie and Leo. Brothers before teammates. Brothers before ninjas. That’s all they needed to be.
You can also find this on Ao3
https://archiveofourown.org/works/65259853
Take notes Dc. Take. Notes.
Look at Wally pouting and being annoyed in the corner
I can’t get over the fact that in the recent side story Chung Myung literally called Chung Mun mean and fat. He’s such a bratty baby brother.
I think about Cheong Mun a lot.
I am fascinated with Cheongmyeong’s original childhood.
Big little brother wind🫵🤨
(I love this dynamic, Tysm for sharing yo our art with us aajjayehebebsn)
((I’m so normal about them I swear))
once a big brother, forever a big brother amiright
anyway, anon you get it and I love you, I don’t take requests but you inspired me 🤭💖
Okay, but hear me out:
Murder baby Damian, but for whatever reason, his first attempt at Tim's life is put on pause, so they never have that interaction. Instead, before Damian can come up with a new plan, Tim (who's kinda excited he now isn't the baby of the family) offers to train him in detective work for when Damian finally gets the mantle of 'Robin' as a way to bond with him.
"Why train your enemy, Drake?"
"We're brothers, not enemies. Besides, Robin has always been a mantle to pass down. I'm certainly not going to keep it in my twenties or thirties. And other than Bruce, I'm the best detective in the family."
"Very well, Drake, I shall accept your tutelage for the time being."
Damian accepts, of course. Not only can he study Drake for his weaknesses, he will also improve his own skill set. It's worth the wait for Robin. By the time Damian's done, there will be no doubt that he is the superior bat.
Unfortunately, he actually grows fond of Timothy. While he will inevitably get close with Richard, just like in canon, Timothy is a breath of fresh air for when Richard is being too overbearing, especially when it comes to things like 'socializing,' and 'making friends.'
When his father dies, and Timothy declared him actually lost to time, Richard doesn't believe him, can't believe him, because the hope is too painful. Timothy still gives Damian Robin, because, "I'm barely holding on as Batman as it is. I can't handle Robin being gone for potentially months at a time, halfway around the world."
During his partnership with Richard, truly becoming his brother-son, Richard introduces the ideas of pets to him. Damian loves animals, and having and taking care of a creature that could potentially survive on its own, but will have a much better quality of life under his care, speaks to him. He has Alfred and Titus and about half a dozen other stray animals that usually stay for about a week while he nurses them to health at any given moment, but he feels like he should officially have another pet.
Que the whole thing with his grandfather, and Timothy getting kicked out of the top of a skyscraper. He comes home with proof, and the Justice League brings his father home. And as Dick basically refuses to let anyone leave the mansion for the foreseeable future, Damian realizes several facts:
1.) Timothy is a human, and humans are animals.
2.) While Timothy has somehow survived until now, he wouldn't recognize self-care if it slapped him in the face.
3.) Timothy's quality of life will improve if someone is taking care of him because he cannot be trusted to do it for himself. (Is it a coincidence that he loses organs when he is away from the family? Damian thinks not.)
4.) Damian has gotten good at taking care of animals.
Ergo, Timothy is now Damian's pet. Tim doesn't know what to do and simply humors him. Besides, it's nice when someone actually bothers to give him a plate of foods that he likes when he gets hyper focused on work and forgets to eat. That, and while he is exasperated every time Damian tranqs him, those are still the best sleeps of his life.
Jason finds it hilarious. Damian doesn't understand Richard or his father's reactions.
"Damian, Tim can take care of himself."
"Barely. Father, now that I am in charge of his sleep schedule, there aren't as many dark circles under his eyes. Even Alfred has commented that Timothy consumes less caffeine."
"Damian, he can't be your pet."
"Why not?"
"Tim's your brother; he's family."
"So are you saying that Alfred and Titus aren't family?"
“We walked toward the sun and slipped through a copse of weeping willow. There in the middle of a field of wildflowers were two huge boulders weighing several tons and standing one atop the other like a pair of giant granite acrobats. “Are those the work of a sculptor?” I asked. “No,” [George] said, “they came from opposite ends of the property, but we moved them here and stacked them in this field. Everyone wants to know about them. In fact, when Ringo came round for a visit last summer, he asked about them, as well. I told him that Paul’s record company had sent them as a promo for his new album, Standing Stone. Ringo was really miffed that he hadn’t gotten his standing stones, but I said they’d probably only posted them to A-list people.” Liverpool accents always sound to me like a joke is coming, but Harrison’s wit was deadpan and dead-on.”
— Paul Simon, c/o Rolling Stone: Harrison: By the Editors of Rolling Stone. (2002)