New Beginnings

Chapter 36 - Undisguised

Even despite the time traveller's worrying story, Sonic could not deny watching the two other occupants of the room busy themselves with each other brought some much-needed and rather endearing entertainment.

Espio and Silver seemed to have settled in peace again after their minor disagreement, the former's face ever so slowly revealing more of how exhausted he had to be feeling and the latter clicking and purring quietly as he laid on top of the chameleon. That wasn't what was so amusing about the two of them, though, cute as they were being. No, sometimes Silver would look up and his gaze would meet Espio's, and they would either blush and glance away immediately or first smile at each other bashfully before doing the same, their red-flushed cheeks and the way their eyes darted back to each other again mere moments after, impossible to look over. Or Espio would gently move his caressing fingers to a different part of Silver's body and the hedgehog would shiver in delight or squeak softly, the way the chameleon froze up just minutely before relaxing and continuing with his gentle pets not missed by the speedster at all. Clearly not by Vector either, the crocodile rummaging at his desk with orange eyes clearly on the two anthros on the couch and bright smirk on his face. Sonic did not get the feeling either had noticed.

Grinning himself as Vector's gaze moved to him and the crocodile beckoned him over Sonic flicked his nose in great amusement, noiselessly joining his friend at his table. "What's your hunch, lead detective?"

"My hunch is that these two should kiss, and pronto," the blunt – whispered – answer came, though neither Silver nor Espio seemed to pick up on it despite how sneaky the two others were being. The smuggest of smiles gracing his face Vector rubbed his hands together like how he had done also when making Sonic talk to the two back at the party at Cream's place, his voice kept low. "Ya remember what I told you before?"

"Yep. Crushes, acting all different around each other, marvelling and gushing, giving the ball a little push... At this rate we might need a sledgehammer for that last one, though."

"Which Espio is gonna notice immediately," Vector huffed at him. "Gotta be covert."

Rolling his eyes cheekily at the crocodile Sonic hummed. Silver and Espio were doing something he would describe as either genuine bashful interactions or really poor flirting, but they were holding themselves back for sure... Some privacy for them was in order to elicit even more of the undisguised interactions, and he knew just the thing. "Is anyone hungry here?" the speedster spoke up out loud, chuckling at Silver's flinch and surprised blink his way as the chameleon's gaze jumped up to him also. Those two were much too adept at getting lost in their attention for each other; in that regard he and Vector could have been talking normally, and he was certain neither would have noticed anyway. Cute.

"U-um... I guess? A little bit?" Shrugging a little Silver smiled at him, his red-coloured cheeks and clumsy yet delighted stutters unmistakeable. "A-ah, b-but you don't need to-!"

With a wink Sonic interrupted him, zipping over to ruffle the other's quills. "Ah, but I do need to, li'l buddy. I get hungry too, after all!" he told him, the time traveller yelping offendedly at the mishandling of his spines and ducking to safety underneath a purple arm. "What about you, Espio?"

"If you're offering," the chameleon responded absent-mindedly, shooing Sonic's hand away and smoothing out the slightly-frayed quills as if he had done it a million times before- it was not unlikely he had, Sonic grinned smugly as a soft chirp resounded and Espio's gaze softened. "We should have ingredients in the kitchen... if you like improvising with interesting combinations, that is. I'd help, but-"

"You're not going anywhere," Sonic chuckled as Silver let his head rest on Espio's chest with a purr, firmly pinning the chameleon between him and the couch and closing his eyes with a smile as if it was the most comfortable pillow in the world. The speedster was almost certain the noise rising up underneath the blanket was one of a short, wagging tail... Making sure to not bring mention to any of it he beamed at the two. "I'll make you guys some food, no problem. Do you want pancakes? I can make them out of anything; I'm the second-best pancake maker in the entirety of the Mystic Ruins!"