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The warm wisps of sunlight pool through the curtains on the window, engulfing the room in a soft yellow flame. The chirps of avian mobinis fill the surrounding air, breaking the blanket of silence the night brought. Charmy tosses in his bed, still sound asleep.
The tranquility is broken with a soft rap on the door, Espio's voice traveling through the wood, sleepy and humored. "Wake up, Charmy. You were supposed to be awake thirty minutes ago." The bee groans and rubs at his eyes, trying to grasp just five more minutes of sleep...
Espio knocks again impatiently, and Charmy groans louder. Rolling out of bed, he throws on his usual attire. "Why are you up so early?" He asks, the confusion on his face certainly evident through his tone. "Thought you weren't busy today?"
Taking a sip from the mug clutched in his hand, Espio murmurs, "Vector and I have... a case, and you have to go to Vanilla's so she can babysit you." With that, he walks away, and Charmy freezes right where he's stood in front of the dresser.
Charmy frowns. He knew cases had gotten pretty sparce lately (despite how badly Vector and Espio try to hide it as to not stress out Charmy, the facts were simple), so one, Espio was lying to him, and two, him and Vector were most likely out trying to find any job they could to make ends meet.
Charmy feels the pressure in his chest build like a bomb from one of the tv shows he used to watch as a kid–one that Vector and Espio tried to hide from him because it was too violent or something, even though the movies nowadays were worse in Charmy's opinion–and he smothers the flame before the fuse can light.
30 minutes later (they would have arrived sooner had Vector not spilt coffee all over himself and the table), the Chaotix stand at the door of the Rabbit household. Vector stands the tallest–literally, but also figuratively–arms crossed on his chest, seemingly anticipating something. If the dorky smile on his face was any indicator, Charmy would say his fat crush on Vanilla–that was still going strong after seven years–was the blame. He's just happy the two are finally together.
After the crocodile knocks, Vanilla answers sometime later, welcoming the three inside. Charmy wastes no time, setting his belongings down on the couch as the two adults chat away. He eagerly talks with Vanilla who offers him some food, which he politely declines.
A rumble from his pants pocket grabs his attention. He pulls his phone out to check the notifications, and sure enough, the name "honeydew ♡" is plastered across the top of the screen, a short message followed not long after.
'Hey Charms!' The first message read. Tails. 'I'm hanging out with you and Cream today :-) hope that's okay!'
A gentle smile forms on the bees' lips. Charmy quickly writes a response back, 'No worries! M glad to hang w/ u :) ♡'
He feels a smile start to form before another series of texts follows the first. 'Cream and I will be there soon, our date took a little longer than expected !!'
Then, Tails quickly types, ':c sorry'
Date. Right, they were dating. He stares at the lines, re-reading them over.
Tails and Charmy had been friends forever, so when Tails came up to Charmy with news about a girlfriend, Charmy was ecstatic for him. Yeah, sometimes the idea of Tails dating someone leaves his throat dry, but he was still happy for the two!
Charmy swallows the lump in his throat and replies, 'Ur okay !! Just hurry :p'
Tails doesn't reply. Charmy doesn't know if he wants him to.
Flames lick at the fuse, igniting the bomb.
A couple days later, Charmy sits a little ways away from the rest of his friends, leaning against Vanilla's couch. He was seconds away from passing out right on the floor of the living room had Shadow not interrupted Sonic just several feet over.
Exhaustion pulls at his eyelids, causing his head to droop a little every couple of seconds, but he listens intently to the conversation now, despite how hard he's trying to make it seem like he's not listening. He really shouldn't have stayed up so late last night.
The two hedgehogs speak in hushed whispers, with the black one growing more agitated as time goes on. Charmy makes out something along the lines of "lose" and "family", and suddenly he's staring at the ceiling with eyes blown wide.
Distant memories of a family circle his mind like a penny down the drain; smaller hands than his own intertwining with his, warm arms embracing him after the death of a loved one, a boisterous laugh echoing throughout the room. A family, whole and loving and alive.
Charmy has to excuse himself, quickly muttering apologies as he shoves down the tears threatening to flood the room.
The fuse erupts in flames, burning shorter.
Charmy strolls alongside the grass directly behind the rest of his friends, lost in thought. He seemed to be doing that a lot more lately.
A tap to the bee's shoulder tears him from his head. Sonic syncs right up with Charmy's speed, a lopsided grin plastered on his lips. "Hey Charles!" Giving the bee a playful nudge, he does a loop or four around him.
Charmy's stomach churns and his eyelids flutter shut. God, that'd make me nauseous. He re-opens his eyes after Sonic stops looping around him, wearing a mystified expression.
Sonic just laughs. "Charles? Charlemagne? Like your– you know what, nevermind." He slaps Charmy's back. "So, plan on going to Ames' later for the party?"
The rest of the group walks ahead, speaking amongst themselves. No turns to acknowledge the two, engrossed in their own chatters and plans.
Charmy's eyes slim. They hadn't discussed– What the hell? What party? "Huh?"
Sonic notices the puzzled look in his eye. He glances towards the group at Amy, then back to the boy. "The party? The party we've been talking about the entire way back?" A chuckle escapes the hedgehog.
Charmy feels his cheeks tint pink. Ah. Must've been lost in thought again or something.
Looking ahead at the other mobians, Charmy scans through the animals, landing on the two foxes. He watches as the two entangle themselves in a conversation, one that has Tails completely reeled in. Kit chuckles, eyes glued to the other fox, and it takes everything in Charmy to push the rising bile back down his throat and swallow it.
He whips towards Sonic and nods rapidly at the hedgehog, smile a little too tight. "Yeah, totally! 'Course, uh, wouldn't miss her parties for the world!"
He absolutely just bullshat his way through that, but Sonic seems to take the bait without another word. Credulous bastard.
Seconds tick away as the bomb threatens to blow.
Later that day. Kit pulls Charmy aside when–for the first time all evening–the bee isn't glued to the corner of the room.
"Need to talk," fuchsia eyes timidly meet golden as the fennec talks in hushed whispers. Charmy's brows furrow and his eyes dart around, but argentine blue palms on his own bring his attention back. Kit's eyes dip. "Promise you won't tell."
Charmy immediately tenses, because maybe something had gone wrong that evening, but one quick glance at Kit's interwoven hands and his flushed cheeks, Charmy realizes that something far, far worse is about to happen. He nods preemptively.
Kit scans for any peering eyes or harkening ears, and smiles like a kid in a candy store. "I like Tails." His eyes are shining and lively, smile the brightest Charmy's ever seen a smile be.
The bomb detonates.