Chapter Four: Sonic The Hedgehog and The Secret Hideout
It had been a good three weeks, since you moved back in with your father and brother. Your wounds and bruises all healed up nicely, except for a scar here an there. You hadn’t thought too much about that night since. You think you’re improving. You still haven’t slept a wink since the car ride though. Since there is only one bed (Yours you had to leave behind. It wasn’t really worth taking with you since in Mituna’s room there was only room for one bed anyway) You had to settle in with him every night. He always fell asleep rather quickly, leaving you to stare at the ceiling and ever so often the clock, to watch the hours go by. True to Mituna’s words, Simon didn’t stick around a lot. Though he stayed all day and night Saturday and Sunday, he was in and out of the house the rest of the week.
You found this to actually be nice. There wasn’t really any time for awkward moments, you would all have dinner together and crack jokes, sometimes he would ask how it’s going, and what you two have done all week. He never asked about mom. You were grateful for this. Simon had just left, saying that he had a old friend to meet up with. He made sure all the doors were locked behind him and that you guys were safe, before heading off.
And now you sat groaning on Mituna’s bed, complaining about how hot it was, and how bored you were. Summer was nice, but Spring was better to your tastes.
“Tholluxth, thut your face.”
“‘Tuna I’m going to die. I’m dying of ultimate boredom and there is nothing to do so I’m sure it shall be forever.”
“Get off the bed and play Thonic with me.”
“Which one is it.”
“I have Thonic and Knuckleth, Thonic The Hedgehog, Thonic The Hedgehog 2, and Thonic and Tails.”
“Sonic and Tails.”
“Nithe.”
You both take a controller (A/N: I don’t really play these games so I don’t know if Sonic and Tails is two player, if it isn’t I’m sorry, please don’t shoot me.) and start to play, cursing when the other couldn’t keep up with the moving screens or when you two died.
After awhile you two got in a stupid competition of who could come up with a better name than Eggman or Robotnik.
“Rolly Polly!”
“Egg muth!”
“Bowling ball!”
“Ten ton!”
“Lazy fuck!”
It was honestly a pretty pathetic thing to watch. This continued to go on for about three minutes till a large roll of thunder shook the house and Mituna froze.
Sollux’s POV
I don’t have time to think of another robuttnik pun when thunder shakes the house like mad. I give a large smile and look at ‘Tuna, who seemed frozen.
“Mituna? Whats wrong?”
“Nothin ith....ith nothin..”
“Are you afraid of storms?”
Mituna jumps up spouting out a bunch of angry gibberish before running out the room, it takes me a moment to gather what the fuck just happened before I run out of the bedroom door to try and find him, he couldn’t have gotten far, yet I look down the hallway, and he was nowhere in sight. Like magic.
“Mituna? Where did you go?”
I sigh and start to look around the house, every room but the one where I wasn’t supposed to go. I knew Mituna wasn’t allowed in there either, so it ruled the room out completely. I stopped at the attic as well. Nothing. When I was finally sure I had checked every nook and cranny in the house, I headed back down the hallway to Mituna’s room. Thunder shook the house once more and loud rain started to hit the house. I smiled fondly. Some of the best things for me came from storms. The best of memories.
A sob from under me startled me making me fall backwards. The sob grew louder along with sniffles, as I pressed my ear to the floor.
“Mituna?” I knocked on the floor and moved the rug to find a almost invisible door. One wouldn’t know it was there unless they were looking for it, clever. I remember Mituna saying something about the house having a bunch of secret places. This must be one Mituna discovered. I bring my hands around the end of it digging my fingers under the board like door and lift, moving it to one side. It was a little heavy, but not to much. I look down into the whole to find a bunch of bean bags, a lamp, a table and some books. Looks like this was one of Mituna’s hangouts after all.
And there he was, curled up in the corner like a child wiping furiously at his cheeks.
“Leave me alone!!!” pfft. As if that was going to happen. I climbed down into the whole shutting the door/ floor board above me politely and sitting next to him.
“Youre scared of storms huh?” He sniffled and looked up at you a little, his brown and blue eyes meeting my own.
“...You’re gonna make fun of me arent you?”
“No...I used to be afraid of them too. Its okay.”
I hesitantly embrace him, doing my best to comfort him. I was never quite good at this. So I copied what my mother did for me when I was scared. I shh’d him quietly and rubbed circles onto his back relaxing my embrace around him.
“Its okay... The storm won’t hurt you.” He wiped his eyes and sniffled again, seemingly to have calmed down a little.
“H-how did you stop being afraid?”
I smiled a little as the memory came back to me. Mothers gentle voice as she rocked me back and forth and sang her little song, then making me get up to march. I lose myself in the memory, forgetting where I was all together.
~~~*Flashback*
“Shh!” You and your mother freeze as the thunder echo through the house, and you both go into fits of giggles.
“See? Storms aren’t that scary. They’re a game!” Her voice like silk, combing her fingers through your hair.
“Theres nothing to be afraid of Sollux.
~~~~*End of flashback*
“ tholluxth? thooooolluxth. THOLLUXTH!” My head snaps up as I am pulled from the memory and back to the worried look Mituna was giving me.
“Sorry...I was day dreaming...” You give a big sigh and hug Mituna a little tighter before closing your eyes and humming a little.
“Theres a storm, a comin.”
“Tholluxth?”
“Theres a storm, a cominnn...”
“Thollux what are you-”
“Shhh!” My timing was perfect, as usual as thunder rings through our ears.I played this game so often with myself that I knew right when to stop. I give Mituna an encouraging smile and nod.
“Do it with me. There’s a storm, a comin.”
“Thereth a thorm, a comin” He sings it a little, the confused look on his face still remained, but his tears no longer fell. It was working!
“Shhh!” He stops abruptly, looking at you like you were insane. “What?” He says at the same time more thunder is heard. I grin and stand up pulling the bean bags into the middle of the room, and start marching in a circle around them. God, the things I would do to make people feel better, and embarrass myself. He stared at me like I was the most insane fucking person in the entire world. I continue anyway. And to my enjoyment, he still sings along. Lisp butchering every word, but somehow making it cute. At least, in my opinion.
“Thereth a thorm a comin.” He starts to get up, joining me in marching around the bean bag chairs. This time, it was him.
“THHH!!!” I stop copying him and holding a finger to my lips, but the thunder didnt come until a few moments later. After a few more chorus’ and several more off time shhing from Mituna, (I don’t think he got the point that he was supposed to shh so he could hear the thunder) and plenty of laughs, the pounding rain turned into a small drizzle, then nothing. I pushed open the hidden door and helped Mituna out before pulling myself up.
“See Mituna? There’s nothing to be afraid of. They aren’t scary! They’re a game!” You force a smile, as you copy you mothers words, and try not to drop a tear. His booming laugh cuts through my ears as he brings me into a hug, my face smushed into his chest. “Thank you Tholluxth...” I hug him back tightly taking in his scent, honey and nature-ish.
~~~~
That night as Iay in bed, Mituna snoring lightly on the other side, I think of mother again, and frown. I missed her so much, but I had dad, and Mituna to help me.I look over and scootch a little closer to Mituna, and lightly play with his hair. A small smile paints itself across my face. It was soft, and felt nice. Though I would never admit it out loud, I was grateful he was around. Mituna distracted me from unwanted memories. He turned towards me subconsciously wrapping me in a big bear hug. I couldn’t quite tell if it was because I didn’t have the energy to wiggle away, or the fact that he was extremely comfortable, but that night, I slept. I slept knowing that I was not alone. That I was safe.
At least, I thought.
