A/n: This is a test one-shot, so take it with a grain of salt.
Sonic's fur was mussed and dirty, he was gaunt and pale, and the bags under the hedgehog's eyes were far too dark for Tails' liking. His usually vibrant green eyes were dull, and exhaustion riddled every movement.
Tails itched to run to his brother, to hug him as tightly as he could and curl up in the hedgehog's side on their couch at home.
But he couldn't. The gray patches of metal spreading over Sonic's body made sure of that. Tails didn't really see the hedgehog much anymore; if he wasn't rounding up the survivors, he was running, and if he wasn't running, he was hidden somewhere no one could find him.
Granted, they were on the shuttle, so there weren't many places for him to hide, but he always managed to find one.
It hurt Tails to see his hero like this. Shut out from the rest of the world, becoming the very thing he had always sought to destroy. Tails was even afraid he was beginning to hate the thing he loved the most - his speed. It was the only thing keeping the wretched Metal Virus at bay, and both were draining Sonic's energy faster than he could generate it.
"Have you seen Sonic?" Tails asked as he jogged up the shuttle ramp, slowing in front of Amy as she turned to look at him. She shook her head.
"Still out there," she said, sighing as she turned to look out at the gray, bleak world stretching beyond them. "Probably being held up by a horde. He'll show up eventually."
Tails frowned, and he was about to suggest he go looking for the hedgehog, but just as he opened his mouth, Sonic skidded to a halt in front of them, his breaths coming in short puffs. He only had two patches of metal on him; one on his arm, and one on his temple.
"Let's clear out," the hedgehog said breathlessly, trudging up the ramp and disappearing into the shuttle. Tails hurried after him as Amy signaled to close the ramp.
"Sonic, wait!" he called. The blue hedgehog glanced back at him expectantly, though he didn't slow. "Um...are you hungry? You did just run off a whole ton of energy."
"I'll eat later," Sonic said evasively.
"Well, wherever you're going, can I come?" the fox asked, refusing to be brushed off. "You know, the rest of the shuttle is kind of packed, and Amy's busy helping everyone get settled, Whisper doesn't want to talk to anyone, and Espio's a little shut down right now, so..."
"'S not so bad out here," Sonic said, wrapping his fingers around the gray patch on his arm. "Maybe Amy wants your help. You're good with math; you can help divide stuff between people."
Tails ran to get in front of Sonic, the hedgehog fumbling to catch himself before he ran into the fox. "Amy's got that handled," Tails said stubbornly, lifting his chin. "Right now, I'm worried about you." A half smile lifted Sonic's lips, the Metal Virus crawling over the left side of his mouth.
"I appreciate that, buddy." He jerked his head upwards. "I'm gonna head to the roof. Less danger of running into anyone there." Tails smiled wearily, glad the hedgehog had told him at least that much.
"Okay," he said. "I'll meet you up there."
~
Tails balanced the two mugs in his arms as he shoved through the door to the roof. He was met with a burst of cold air and he instantly shivered, scanning the roof for his brother.
He spotted Sonic sitting on the edge, head resting on his palm. He shuffled over to the hero, clearing his throat to announce his presence. Sonic startled, blinking several times as he turned to look at Tails. He smiled at the fox, rubbing beneath his right eye and leaving a smudge of gray.
"Hey," the hedgehog whispered hoarsely. Tails swallowed past the lump growing in his throat, holding out the handle of one of the mugs to Sonic. His brother lifted his hand, and Tails didn't fail to notice the visible tremble in Sonic's fingers before he secured them around the mug handle.
Tails settled next to Sonic, taking a sip of the drink in an attempt to warm himself. Sonic settled his mug in his lap, his metal covered hands clinking against the ceramic. The fox didn't dare open his mouth for fear he'd burst into tears, and he knew Sonic didn't want his sympathy.
"How are you?"
Tails glanced to the side, his gaze meeting Sonic's. He quickly looked away, taking several breaths to calm himself.
"I'm fine," he replied, his voice breaking. "Y-yeah. Everything's fine. We're still alive, so that's a win, right?" He tightened his fingers in a death grip around the mug. It was the closest he'd been allowed to Sonic in a while, and the inability to touch his brother was strangling him.
He didn't think they were touchy with each other. A high five every once in a while, partner moves in combat, the occasional hug when the situation warranted it. But Tails never really knew how much he wanted to hold or be held by his hero until he couldn't.
Sonic laughed, but the sound was broken and tired. "If you count this as living," he said, lifting the mug to his lips. Tails set his mug next to him, turning away and pressing the back of his beneath his eyes. Hold it in, hold it in, don't let him see you cry-
"Hey, Tails?"
The fox swallowed thickly, glancing at Sonic. "Yeah?"
"I think you might be able to outrun this. Keep living. Maybe our planet is doomed, but we know there are others out there. Build a ship, or modify this one, and get out of here. Start anew. No Doctor Eggman, no Metal Virus."
Tails' ears flattened against his head, a mix of horror and anger welling up inside him. "How could you?" he hissed. Sonic blinked, taken aback. "How could you even suggest giving up? Not only on yourself, but everyone else we've lost! What about Espio? You'd tell him just to abandon the rest of the Chaotix? You'd force Cream to leave her mother? And Whisper the only person she's truly comfortable around?" Tails jumped to his feet, tears streaming down his face. "And you're asking me to leave you! To give up on Sonic the Hedgehog. To abandon my brother." He wrapped his arms around himself, choking on his sobs. "No. No, I'm staying. If we're going down, we're going down together."
"Tails, please-"
"No!" the fox yelled, even as Sonic pushed to his feet, setting his mug down. "No, I refuse to give up-"
"I can't do this anymore!" Sonic shouted. Tails flinched at the volume, his ears pressing flat to his head. Sonic's ears were also pinned back, tears building in his eyes. "Do you hear me, Tails? I can't. I can't think, I can't breathe, I don't want to run anymore. I have nothing left inside me. No hope, no energy, nothing. I know it's only a matter of time before we're all doomed anyway. But you..." The hedgehog's voice broke and he stumbled backwards, his breaths coming in short, desperate gasps. "You...I...I can't watch you be consumed by this. Knowing you'll be here when I get back is the only reason I keep coming back." He shook his head, his tears spilling over his cheeks as he gripped his arms, his whole body shaking. "Do you understand, Tails?"
The fox stared at the hedgehog, silent tears falling down his face. Sonic took another step back. "I just want to know you're safe, and if that means not being around you, then...then I can live with that."
"But Sonic...what about me?" Tails whispered. "What about what I want? I don't want to leave you. Especially if I'm the reason you're coming back. I want you to keep coming back. I want to be here when you do. And-and I want you to keep going, because you're the strongest guy I know and you never give up, even when it's hard." Sonic lifted his head, a bitter smile crossing his features.
