A/N: This is a collab between me and the-enigma-machine. I played Sonic while she played Metal.

Sonic sped across the forest path in a light jog, taking in the sight of the various puddles and fallen leaves. He wasn't stupid, as many of his enemies often thought, so he didn't go speeding along during a rainy day at risk of tripping.

Then again, as he leapt excitedly to a branch to swing on it, his grip slipped and he fell right onto his back. Thankfully, no one was around to see it, so of course he recovered just as fast as he had fallen.

He continued along, but stopped as he picked up on a different scent in the air. It was subtle, and he probably wouldn't have noticed it if it hadn't been for his slower speed.

Machinery. Sonic didn't know the specifics, since all tech-related scents just sort of blended together for him, but he knew it wasn't anything nature-related.

He followed the smell, eventually finding Metal Sonic. The robot was sitting on the ground, hunched over, back pressed against the trunk of a tree. While the rain was pouring outside, the leaves were thick enough to provide some makeshift cover. And Metal was just...sitting there.

Doing nothing. Sulking almost.

Sonic looked around, trying to find anything that might hint to what was going on, then shrugged. Eh, why not? He had nothing better to do.

"Hey, tall, grumpy, and metallic," he greeted smoothly, walking over. "What are you doin' all by your lonesome?"

Metal jerked his head up, and when he saw the person talking to him was Sonic, he lurched backward, smearing wet leaves across his chassis.

"You—" Metal hissed. "What are you doing here?"

Sonic blinked, then grinned and shrugged. "Having fun in the rain? What, I need a reason to stop and talk to my favorite copy?"

Metal picked up a slimy handful of leaves, crushing them in his grip. "I am not your copy. You are—"

Metal's optics began to fuzz slightly, small bits of static overtaking the ovals. He clenched his wrist with his other hand, spreading his palm as he tried to shake the wet leaves free from his hand. His voice broke into static. It sounded as if he was in pain.

Sonic frowned, his eyes moving upwards to look at the sky, then back to Metal. Metaphorical gears turned in his head.

"Oh...you can't get wet?" he guessed. Now that he thought about it, he didn't often fight Eggman's robots in the rain.

"Idiot. I 'can get wet.'" Metal turned, wiping his hand on the relatively dry tree bark. His eyes focused again, his voice sounding clearer. "The water would merely destroy my electronics."

"Eh—" Sonic shook his head, biting back a snarky retort. "Nevermind."

He honestly felt a bit bad. He had his own terrible experiences with water, so he could relate to Metal a little bit. In a way, it was almost appropriate; Sonic couldn't swim and Metal couldn't get wet.

Sonic hummed, hand stroking his chin as he watched Metal sitting helplessly beneath the tree. Then, Sonic's eyes lit up, and he took off in a burst of speed.

It wasn't like Metal was going anywhere.

Metal hunched under the tree again, bringing his arms and legs as close to his body as he could. Stupid Sonic. He knew Sonic had just come to mock him and—

Sonic returned in a blur of blue, a small smile on his face as he looked back at Metal. There was an umbrella in his hands, which he opened, the rain bouncing off the surface.

He walked closer to Metal, making sure to be close enough that the umbrella acted as a bridge between the protection of the tree and the rain itself. His free hand reached out towards Metal.

"Come on. I'll take you back to Eggman."

Metal's optics widened. He paused, then tore his gaze away, instead staring at the ground. "As if I would go with you. I will merely wait out the rain here. It cannot take so long."

"Oh, stop," Sonic chided. "It's cold, wet, and if the rain keeps up like this much longer, puddles are gonna reach you."

He gestured downwards for emphasis, puddles of water indeed starting to form around bits of grass. Some seeped uncomfortably close.

"So unless you want to start tree climbing, come on." He held his hand out again, this time more insistently. "Like I'm going to let you sit out in the rain like this."

Metal eyed the puddles. A single drop of rain dripped down from the leaves above, plopping against his forehead. Metal quickly wiped it away.

"...Fine." Without taking Sonic's hand, Metal began to stand up. His legs creaked, wobbling dangerously. He reached over, trying to grab the tree for support, but instead, his fingers grazed Sonic's hand. Before he had time to react, Sonic was already grasping his hand, steading him.

Sonic's smile widened. He gently tugged on Metal's hand, pulling him underneath the umbrella. Sonic scanned their surroundings, getting a rough idea of their location, then released Metal's hand and started walking. He made sure to go slowly, being wary of the shakiness in Metal's joints.

Metal paused. The umbrella was moving away from him, and he had to take a quick step to stay under it. Soon, the canopy of leaves past by them. Rain pounded against the surface of the umbrella, filling the air with the sound of a hundred, tiny drums.

Metal lurched toward Sonic, trying to grasp the umbrella handle.

"This is a trap." A single snap of static broke through Metal's voice. "You are going to close the umbrella as soon as we leave here. You are planning to leave me exposed to the rain."

Sonic raised a brow then snorted. "Okay, Knuckles."

He noticed Metal's attempts at grasping the umbrella, then took Metal's hand in his free one, allowing Metal to grasp his hand that was holding the umbrella.

"There. Better? Now you can make sure I don't try anything funny."

He paused, seeing that Metal's hand didn't have a very strong hold on him. He smirked.

"Okay, I lied. I can still try something funny. You really need to get a grip."

Metal flinched. He could feel the gross heat from Sonic's hand leaking into his metallic fingers.

"You give me the umbrella," Metal said. "I will walk back myself."

"No way," Sonic protested. "Look at you. You can barely walk. You won't make it."

He only realized after he'd said it that his words would probably only succeed in challenging Metal.

"I will too make it. It is you that will not make it," Metal snarled. He tightened his grip on Sonic's hand, trying to pry his fingers away from the umbrella with his damaged pistons.

Sonic raised a brow. Okay, that was most definitely false.

He paused, considering his options, then shrugged. "All right. Let's see then," he said, releasing his grip on the umbrella with a roll of his eyes.

"Hmph. So your feeble mind is capable of understanding reason. Impressive." Metal stood for a moment, trying to straighten his grip on the umbrella, but his palm was still covered in wet leaf fragments. His hands were still shaking too, and yet for a moment at least, everything seemed fine. Then the handle started slipping from his grip.

Sonic reacted immediately, his hand moving to steady the umbrella. He used the lightest of touches to do so, and only kept the umbrella lifted to the point where the rain would just barely not touch Metal.

Sonic gave Metal a pointed look.

Metal glared back at him. "I see how it is. You cannot walk in this rain alone, and you need me to lead you to Eggman's base. Of course I will be so generous as to assist you."

Sonic snorted. It would've been so easy to snark back: Yes, Metal, I'm a scared little hoglet who was apparently perfectly fine coming all the way here on my own, but now cowers at the very idea of being alone in the rain.

But he held his tongue, letting Metal believe whatever he wanted to. As long as it stopped Metal from arguing with him, he'd take it.

He took the umbrella back in his hand, holding it firmly.

"'Kay," he said dryly. "Let's get a move on then. You lead."

"Right," Metal said, a little too quickly. "Of course I will lead. That was the plan. I did not plan on anything else. Yes."

Metal's hand was still shaking, but he gripped Sonic's hand the best he could, steadying himself. Sonic's hand was warm.

The only reason his thermal sensors could pick up the heat in Sonic's hand was due to the unusually cold temperature. That was strictly the only reason.

Oh, how tempting it was for Sonic to ask if Metal had a delusion chip installed. Instead, he watched the rain fall, smiling with blissful innocence on his face.

Metal's legs shook as he moved. The ground was wet, and he had to be extremely careful. One slip-up, one puddle, and it would be over.

The silence inched along with them, growing moment by moment. There was nothing but the sound of rain and Sonic's stupid, mocking grin.

"Stop it," Metal finally said.

"Mm?" Sonic looked over, still smiling. "Stop what?"

His voice seemed to imply that he didn't actually understand what Metal meant, but obviously he did. He must! Clearly there was no other reason for Sonic to smile unless he was doing it to annoy Metal.

"I know what you are up to." There was a puddle up ahead, and Metal had to slowly circumvent it. Once the danger was past, he continued, "You are doing it on purpose. You are trying to distract me so I fall into the water."

Sonic frowned. "No?"

Wait, darn it, he was supposed to go with the flow.

He cleared his throat, realizing it was too late now. His smile returned as he looked upwards. "I just like the rain."

"You are too—" Loose leaves slipped under Metal's heel, and he began to trip backward, desperately clinging to the umbrella with both hands as he tried to stop his fall.

"Whoa!"

Keeping one hand on the umbrella, Sonic caught Metal with the other, preventing him from meeting a watery demise.

He chuckled, amused. "You're only allowed to meet with the grass when it's me plowing your face into it."

However, the amusement melted away into what Metal absolutely would not dare to describe as concern. "You okay?"

"I am fine. It is you—" Metal tried to right himself, but his legs made a harsh, grating noise, and he slipped again, this time half-falling, half-slouching into Sonic's chest. His voice was muffled when he spoke. "This is but a minor malfunction."

Sonic looked over Metal's body, then hummed. "All right then. We'll just have to fix it with a minor adjustment."

He shifted, moving his hand downwards. He let out a soft grunt, quickly but firmly lifting Metal up in one arm. He hesitated momentarily to make sure Metal was secure then smirked.

"Comfy?" Sonic continued their walk.

"This is ridiculous, I—" A long, gangly tree root laid up head, and when Sonic jumped over it, Metal had to latch onto Sonic's shoulders for balance.

Which was problematic, because now, instead of just the heat of Sonic's hands, there was also the fur on his shoulders. Light mist coated the outside, cool, but just beneath it, Sonic's fur glowed warmer than his hands.

Sonic chuckled. "Sorry that you have to deal with my disgusting fur and disgusting skin."

"But this is, you know —" Sonic searched his mind, trying to find the word that Metal would say. "— more efficient?"

"I will tolerate your disgusting nature, but only in the name of efficiency," Metal hissed, although his voice had softened somewhat. "The faster I lead you to Eggman's lair, the sooner I no longer have to put up with you."

"Aw, I'm not so bad once you get to know me!" Sonic assured, amusement growing.

He kept smiling his stupid smile and staring at the stupid rain with his stupid eyes. Stupidly.

Metal rubbed his face, unable to do much of anything else, and at least this way, he had an excuse not to look at Sonic for a moment. "The more I get to know you, the worse you get. It is insufferable."

"Aw, that hurts, Metal." The teasing continued relentlessly. "Maybe Egghead just made it so you can't appreciate my charm and dashing good looks."

Sonic then added, "Which, I'll admit, is impressive."

Now that was a bind. Either Metal accepted the compliment, backhanded it may be, or he was admitting he found Sonic charming. There was no solution to this.

So he said nothing. Although he did have to admit, Sonic carrying him was more optimal than walking. At least this way he didn't get even more water on his legs.

Sonic almost found it funny how silent Metal suddenly became. Sonic had been so used to Metal insulting him that not having it happen was a little odd.

But not completely unwelcome.

Sonic's gaze once again went to the rain, his ears flickering very slightly at the sound of all the droplets meeting with their inevitable fate.

This was even worse. Now Metal was watching Sonic watch the rain, and Sonic wasn't even saying anything anymore. It was like Sonic wasn't even trying now. It frankly wasn't fair.

"Why are you so happy?" Metal finally blurted out. "It is wet. It is cold. I am superior. I do not feel the cold. But surely you find this tedious? Why are you still smiling?"

"Hm?" Sonic glanced over to Metal, surprised to be addressed. "Oh, you mean with the rain and everything?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's because I don't get cold that easily. I know it sucks for robots like you, but the rain's not all that bad for me."

His gaze softened, as if he was in a daze. "I like it. Egghead doesn't really attack when it rains, and not much happens when the weather is pouring down like this. Not only is it giving all these plants water, but... it's peaceful."

Metal watched Sonic. It was his eyes. They were so brilliant, so bright, that even in the dark, cloudy light they seemed as vibrant as they always were, so filled with vitality and assurance.

"I do not understand. Elaborate on 'peaceful.' Is this a positive attribute?"

"Uh, yeah?" Sonic laughed. "It sounds weird coming from me I guess, but I'm not always up for beating up Eggman's bots. Don't get me wrong, I have fun and all, but that doesn't mean I want to do it all the time."

He inhaled. "One of my favorite things is the smell after it's been raining a while. It's damp and foggy and I think it's great. The only downside is that I gotta be careful running. This'll also sound weird, but I don't mind that either."

It was the way Sonic was holding him too. He was carrying Metal in one arm with Metal's own arms wrapped around his shoulders for support. And while this pose seemed awkward for Sonic, he didn't hesitate, instead marching forward with both Metal and the umbrella.

"I cannot smell anything," Metal said. "I never have. It is not a sense I have. But—"

The sky was still dark and cloudy overhead, leaking countless raindrops over them. They splashed against everything: the ground, the umbrella, the trees with an almost rhythmic cadence.

"Slowing down every now and then isn't all bad." Sonic almost sounded disgusted hearing those words come out of his own mouth. "It gives me time to relax and not worry about anything."

Not that he worried about anything in general.

"Point is—it's nature being beautiful, like always."

"Slowing down is not bad?" Metal repeated, although the words sounded stiff and unsure, even moreso with Metal's robotic voice. "This is a very unusual thing for you to say, is it not? I thought speed was your raison d'être, as it were?"

"My—nevermind."

Sonic shook his head, needing a moment to come up with the right answer.

"It is. Always will be, but if I was always moving, I wouldn't have time to enjoy what nature has to offer."

He looked around, then used the hand holding the umbrella to point to a clearing filled with flowers. The rain dripped off the petals and fell to the grass below, but the flowers seemed to be thriving in the weather, nearly glowing.

"It's why I almost never go home. Why sleep in a bed when I could be napping in a forest instead?"

"Fascinating." Metal had never really seen flowers before, not in any substantial way. Eggman was either plowing them over or Metal was in too much of a hurry. Nevertheless, he appreciated the delicate appeal they had. "I suppose it is like this: if you are always fast, then you are never fast. Speed is relative and requires moments of slowness to truly exist in a meaningful sense."

Sonic glanced over at Metal, a bit of surprise on his face. Metal had just been stating a fact, but somehow, it sounded poetic?

"Yeah...I guess you could say that," he said, his voice sounding distant.

He blinked, then focused back on the path.

"The tenor of your voice has changed. Did I say something incorrect? I am never factually incorrect I will assure you."

Sonic met Metal's gaze again, pausing for a long moment before a chuckle escaped him. "Aww, Metal, I didn't know you cared!"

Unable to wave his hand dismissively, he opted for shaking his head. "Nah, you're fine."

The stupid smile was back.

Metal's optics flickered. He looked away. "I do not care. I am simply assuring you that I am never factually incorrect. This is, in fact, a fact."

"Okay. I factually believe you then," Sonic said with playful disbelief.

How did Sonic keep doing this? His verbal traps were flawless. He would say these things, and there was simply nothing Metal could do to argue. It was infuriating.

"Just—just take me to the doctor's lair."

"That's what we're doing now, aren't we?" Sonic asked with a smirk. "Unless you'd rather go out for ice cream."

He paused. "Or, uh, oil ice cream, I guess."

"That—that does not even—that is not—" Metal rubbed his face. "There are so many logical inconsistencies with this statement I do not know where to begin."

Sonic laughed him off. "Gotta keep your mind going somehow. I'd hate to have you be bored when it's not your choice to relax."

"You are infuriating, do you know that?"

"Why yes, I do!" Sonic winked. "How else do think I keep Eggbreath from taking over?"

Metal stiffed. He could feel his processors start to click faster. Why did they keep doing that?

Sonic must've noticed his silence, because he looked Metal up and down, as if trying to gauge something.

The arm holding Metal shifted, bouncing Metal very slightly.

"Better?"

Metal nodded. Sonic was still smiling. He was still smiling even though he was talking, and he was holding Metal to his chest. Sonic's fur was pressed all against Metal's own chest and forearms and it was so warm.

When had that happened? Oh yeah, he had thought Sonic was about to drop him. But had done nothing of the sort, and now Metal was...he was—

Metal pulled back. The top of the umbrella was endlessly fascinating. It had so many wires and pieces of plastic. It really was just great to look at.

"I just figured you were uncomfortable," Sonic explained, unsure of what exactly was going on in Metal's mind due to the silence.

Sonic frowned as Metal pulled back. It had been of little surprise to him that Metal was warm. He'd fought enough robots in his time to know that they exhibited some sort of heat from their processors—or whatever robots had.

Still, Metal's was different—a sort of pleasant warmth—and Sonic was a little disappointed to have it shifted away from him.

"I am physically incapable of being uncomfortable," Metal said. "And further—why have you know just stopped smiling? Is it you who is uncomfortable?"

"Huh?" Sonic was honestly surprised that Metal seemed to care. He thought Metal hated his smile. Then again, maybe he was just making conversation. "No, I'm okay."

He glanced down at his arm holding Metal, debating with himself for a moment, wondering if he should say anything. "You just...pulled away is all."

That accursed hedgehog. He was doing it again. He was winning the conversation without even trying, and now, his lack of smile was creeping Metal out. There was no way to win with him.

Metal had to remain silent. Stay on the offensive. So he inched toward Sonic, wrapping his arm around Sonic's shoulder again.

This time, it would be Sonic who lost. Metal was sure of it.

Sonic breathed up as he felt the heat return. It wasn't that he'd been cold, but he hadn't been warm either.

Not hearing anything from Metal still, he considered mentioning something, but stopped himself once he'd felt Metal's hand against his shoulder again.

So instead, he went back to smiling, knowing that Metal was likely comfortable now.

Fascinating, Metal thought, he went back to smiling after I touched him. This appears to dictate some sort of causal relationship.

Metal had only one arm wrapped around Sonic's shoulder. He still had independent variables to work with. So he took his other hand, and gently, he set it against Sonic's chest.

Sonic stiffened, letting out a small chirrup of surprise at the gesture. Clearly caught off-guard, he looked over to Metal, brow raised and his cheeks just the slightest bit pink.

So that was it—that was the strategy. If Metal didn't say anything, then Sonic couldn't win the conversation. It was flawless. Perfect.

Metal continued to hold his palm to Sonic's chest, tiling his head just slightly so he had a clear shot of Sonic's face. He needed to always keep an eye on Sonic's face. That was where he would collect the most data.

Sonic stared back at Metal, then to the hand at his chest. If he was honest, he didn't have a single idea of what Metal was up to, but Metal seemed oddly content, at least compared to before.

Plus, Metal's hands were warm. Sonic averted his gaze, which was now back on the path. His cheeks were still pink and his smile definitely showed it, his grin amused yet silly.

This is new, Metal thought, I have never seen Sonic smile like that before. It is different. Similar, yet different.

It made a certain degree of sense. If there was a causal relationship, it implied novel actions would lead to novel outcomes. Metal had never touched Sonic's chest before—their prior skirmishes would hardly lead to such contact—so this was all new data. This was the perfect setup for an experiment. Metal had a hypothesis.

He but needed the data.

Slowly, Metal drew his hand up Sonic's chest, coming to a rest at the junction between the skin of Sonic's chest and the fur of his shoulders. The texture differential was fascinating here. So smooth and yet warm.

Sonic didn't make eye contact with Metal, but the slight shift of his gaze showed that he'd felt it. Was Metal playing some sort of game with him?

The hand holding Metal shifted, Sonic's fingers making themselves more comfortable along Metal's legs, almost like they were stroking the surface.

Metal's contact was nice. Sonic hadn't known Metal could be so gentle. He'd just assumed that robots had no concept of pressure.

The rain was still pouring, and Sonic became slightly preoccupied with making sure the umbrella was positioned just right, lowering it to the point where he could still see, but the rain pushed by rushing wind wasn't at risk of hitting Metal.

Metal didn't understand why Sonic was doing these things, but the reaction was there. It was novel. Perhaps there was something to his theory after all.

Metal drew his hand up further, running his fingers across Sonic's fur. Fur really was such a versatile material. In many ways, it was a better material than anything Dr. Eggman had ever engineered. It was self-repairing, temperature regulating, and, perhaps more important than anything else—

It felt really nice.

Metal finally stopped at Sonic's neck. Sonic's fur was thinner here, so much so that Metal could feel his heart beating. He lingered there. Sonic was being physically active at the moment, with carrying Metal and all, and his heartbeat reflected the strain. It was deeper, quicker, than Metal had expected.

Sonic made a small noise at the contact to his neck, becoming unusually aware of the metallic fingers against his neck. He could feel the vibration of his own pulse.

Okay, now it was officially weird.

His blush worsened, eyes darting over to Metal. "What are you doing?"

Metal pulled his hand back immediately, returning his gaze to the inside of the umbrella. "What am I doing? That is not the real question, is it? The real question is: what are you doing?"

"What am I doing?"

Sonic blinked, shaking his head. "Wait—no. What? I'm not doing anything."

"Oh no. You are not...what is the term? You are not pulling that one on me again, as they say. You think you are so clever but I see through your plan."

"My plan?" Sonic echoed. Amusement returned to his face. "What plan?"

"Your plan." Metal's voice was lower now, bordering on a hiss. "You have been trying to trick me, trying to make me look a fool, this entire time. But I will not fall for it. I will not fall for your tricks! "

Sonic raised a brow. "Are you still on that? Come on, Metal, get serious! Or, well, not serious, I guess."

He laughed. "Even if I thought it'd be funny to make you look silly, take a look around. There's no one else here. I wouldn't do it just for me. I just want to get you back to Egghead safe and sound so you're not sitting in the rain for hours. Even I wouldn't want to sit in the rain for that long."

"But you are doing it right now! You keep setting up the conversation, you keep stacking the deck as it were, so that I inevitably say something you deem foolish. And then you mock me with your smile!"

Sonic laughed harder. "Do you really think I plan that far ahead?"

He gave a briefly-serious glance. "And please; my mocking smile is for Eggman only." He paused. "And the paparazzi, when I keep giving them the wrong directions to my house."

Metal folded his arms. "More misdirection. But I am on to you, Sonic. You cannot fool me. I know."

Sonic rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Okay, Metal. Whatever helps put you in sleep mode."

Metal narrowed his gaze. "I merely tell you this to warn you. You must up your game, as they say, if you mean to mock me in the future. I will be taking evasive action."

"Oh!" Sonic cooed teasingly. "Do you want a challenge? Is that it? I thought you didn't like it when I messed with you?"

"Evasive action," Metal repeated. Sonic was doing it again. Sonic was trying to trick him. But Metal would not fall for it. He was smarter than this. He had plans. He had—

At that moment, the umbrella screeched against a steel surface, and Sonic, who was certainly not paying attention, bumped right into it.

Sonic zipped back immediately, eyes wide as he stared at the roadblock.

"...Oh. We're here."

Plates of steel, riveted along their seams into great, stretching spires loomed before them. Eggman's trademark logo was stamped into each sheet, and above, a variety of spot lights dotted the sky like pepper.

Sonic squinted, not liking the sight of all this not-nature in the middle of nature, but shrugged it off, walking forward to go inside.

However, he then stopped, staring up at the structure before his gaze met with Metal.

"Are you gonna get in trouble for this? You know, Eggman needing to fix you?"

Suddenly, he wished he'd offered to take Metal to Tails instead. He flat-out admitted that he never planned ahead, and now it was coming back to bite him.

"It is likely," Metal said, entirely matter-of-factly. "The doctor will be very angry I was not able to avoid damage. But such things are unavoidable."

Sonic frowned, not liking the sound of that. He debated on suggesting that they go to Tails instead, but he knew Metal probably wouldn't comply.

"...I'll take you in myself then. It's not your fault anyway."

He approached the doors, ready to enter without waiting for Metal's response, but the keypad at the side told him it wouldn't be that easy.

And he certainly wasn't going to set Metal down.

"Hey, do you know the password? I won't look," he promised.

Metal reached over and quickly tapped the passcode. The doors shook slightly, then creaked open.

"It is dry inside," Metal said, gesturing to the corridor beyond the doors. "You may deposit me here."

Sonic walked in, looking around. Huh, that was so much easier than busting in. Not as fun though.

"Hm." He hummed to himself as he held the umbrella at a fair distance and shook it free of water, being careful not to wet Metal. "Yeah, no, I'm good. Thanks anyway."

He set the umbrella on the ground, his hand moving to the side of his mouth.

"Yo, Eggface!" he called, voice echoing.

He snickered, mumbling to himself, "Well, I guess he's gonna have egg on his face when he realizes what just happened."

The lights shut off. For a moment, they were left in utter darkness, until the lights came on again, flashing red and leaving long shadows against the walls. Alarms blarred down the hallway, and in the distance, there was a great, crashing sound, like smashed porcelain.

"You—"

Eggman careened past the corner. He was wearing a fluffy, red bathrobe, complete with slippers, and his ordinarily smooth mustache was ragged.

"How did you get in here, rodent?"

Sonic paused for a long moment, eyes trailing down before immediately shooting back up.

"I snuck in," he lied.

He bounced Metal in his arm. "By the way, I brought your robot back. Dumped water all over him too, oops. Also, nice bathrobe."

His brows raised as he gave Eggman a sly smirk.

"That is not—" Metal stopped. Sonic was lying. Why was he lying? There had to be a reason. He turned to Sonic. "He was trying to sneak in, but I stopped him by setting off the alarm. He is inferior."

"I'll give him that one," Sonic admitted. "Didn't see it coming."

He leaned over to the side holding Metal, setting him gently on the floor. Too fast for Eggman to see, although Metal saw just fine, Sonic sped out and quickly sped back inside.

He pulled out a communicator that Metal was certain Sonic hadn't had previously. Sonic typed on it for a moment, eyes widening.

"Whoops. Guess Tails needs me. We'll chat next time, 'kay, Eggy?"

He tossed the communicator up in the air, then caught it and sped away.

Metal stumbled forward, his legs still weak. He reached the wall, which he leaned against with one hand.

I did it, Metal thought. I finally won the conversation. He admitted it before he left.

"That blasted rodent." Eggman pulled his glasses off, cleaning the lenses idly on his shirt. "I swear, if I had a dollar for everytime he barged in here, I'd be...well, I'd be richer than I already am."

Metal kept his palm pressed against the wall as Eggman walked back. He stared at his free hand. The hand that had touched Sonic.

It was still warm.

It only took a day for Sonic to return to the lab, filled with his usual vigor as he smashed Eggman's robots left and right. He'd busted right into the lab without a single thought of doing so stealthily, mentioning something about a meeting he'd had to cut short.

Now, it seemed like he was paying back that lost time in full.

"Hey, Eggman! Got anything else? Your lamebots are boring me to tears over here!"

"Garh, Sonic! I'll have you yet! You'll see!" Eggman's voice boomed over the loudspeaker. "Metal Sonic—get in there!"

"Finally! 'Bout time!" Sonic said enthusiastically, leg moving backwards as he got into a fighting stance.

"Hedgehog located. Engaging."

Metal flung himself down the hallway, coasting to a stop as he eased his engine and trotted into the room. His heels scraped against the steel floor as he turned to face Sonic, claws outstretched.

"I have been fully repaired. This time, I will defeat you."

"Cool!" Sonic exclaimed. "That means you can hold this."

Not even a moment later, Sonic was within punching distance of Metal, yet a carefully-wrapped box was placed in Metal's hands instead.

"See ya." Sonic winked, and in the next instant, he was gone.

"Metal Sonic—quickly! Take that outside! Throw it away!" Eggman was screeching over the radio now. "It's a trap! He wants to blow us up! Hurry!"

The package wasn't heavy, but at Eggman's words, it suddenly felt so. Metal revved his engine and skidded backward, tearing through the corridor and out into the forest surrounding the lab. Leaves scattered around him as he flew, and he pressed onward, not stopping until he reached a grass hill at least a dozen kilometers from the lab. Without slowing down, he raised the box above his head, preparing to throw it.

But before he could, a blur of blue raced beside him. Sonic was at his side.

"If you hated it that much, you could've at least let me return it!" he teased, smirking.

Metal overshot the hill. He would have to turn around to get a clear shot again, though the forest surrounding the clearing proved difficult to navigate. "Sonic? But you are within the blast radius. You will be destroyed by your own explosives. This is exceedingly foolish, even by your standards."

"There you go again, Metal; overthinking everything." He shook his head disapprovingly, but smiled.

"It's not an explosive. The only thing explosive about it is how dynamite you'd look wearing it."

He winked, pointing a finger gun in Metal's general direction.

"What." Metal's processors spun. There was no logic in this statement. It did not even parse. It did not make sense. It did not—

"Is this—" Metal said slowly. "Is this...the term is metaphor, I believe. Is this a metaphor?"

Sonic chuckled. "Yeah. It's a metaphor. Basically, I'm sayin' it's safe. I'll stand right next to you while you open it if you don't believe me."

Metal slowed, gradually this time, letting his feet brush the forest floor as he came to a stop. The dirt here was moist and soggy beneath his feet.

Sonic followed suit, his stop just as quick but simply less calculated. He had on the sillier smile from the day before, and had to keep himself from bouncing in place as he watched Metal.

"So? Come on, open it!"

Metal held the package in one hand. It was wrapped in yellow paper, and while the wrapping job was neat, it had a certain amateurish quality to it.

"How do I know this is not like last time? As yesterday—when you spoke to Eggman. You told him a falsehood."

"A false... oh!" Sonic shrugged, waving the comment off. "Yeah, but I couldn't let you get in trouble. Your legs gave out because of me. I couldn't let Eggmad get on your case for it."

"You told him that...for me? I had not considered such an explanation. Huh."

Metal shook the package. It made a muffled, dense sound, not the sound explosive machinery would make at all.

Now he was curious. Metal slid his fingers between the paper, peeling up the tape on one end. "I suppose I will open this."

Sonic nodded, his smile widening the more Metal undid the wrapping.

Metal slid his hand down the seam of the paper, tearing it off in a single, continuous sheet. The paper slid off the top, revealing a small, cardboard box beneath. Metal ran his fingers against the seam of the box, still searching for anything suspicious, but when he found nothing, he lifted off the top. Inside, folded in a neat pile, was an object made of yellow fabric.

"What is this?" Metal asked. He pulled the object from the box and draped it over the palm of his hand. "I have never seen anything like this. It is soft and bunched, almost like the rags the doctor gives Orbot and Cubot to clean with, and yet it is not quite like that."

"It's a jacket for you to wear," Sonic replied, pointing to it. "It'll probably rip if you fight with it on, but it's got a hood and everything to help keep you dry in the rain."

"A jacket? I have never heard of such a device." Metal spread the fabric between his hands. It was a confusing mix of holes and seams, utterly beweiding. "How does it work?"

Sonic seemed excited, taking the jacket from Metal's hands and holding it up by the hood. The zipper had been sealed up, so Sonic grabbed the tab and tugged it downwards.

"Like this..." He reached for Metal's hand, stopped, then flipped his own hand over, his palm facing upwards. "May I?"

Metal hesitated. Yet, Sonic was asking permission, and Metal did genuinely want to see how this would work, so he nodded. He brought his hand up, letting it hover just above Sonic's palm.

"All right, keep your arm out like that," Sonic instructed. He opened the jacket, slipping one of the sleeves onto Metal's arm. The fabric felt strong and resistant, yet stretched obediently across an arm that it wasn't made for.

Sonic moved behind Metal, bringing the other half of the jacket with him and slipping the remaining sleeve onto Metal's other arm. He then zipped the jacket up and stretched the hood over most of Metal's head, unable to stretch it much further than past the ears.

"So? Does it feel okay?" Sonic asked, looking unusually thrilled at the sight of Metal wearing the jacket. He bundled up the torn wrappings in one arm. "It took a while to find something I figured would work for you."

Metal held out his arms, lifting them above his head, then at his sides. The fabric stretched as he moved, and while it was a little more bulky than what he was used to, it was remarkably flexible and easy to move in.

"It is very soft," Metal said. "You said it will repel water?"

"Mhm!" Sonic nodded. "I made sure it would. The lady I talked to said it was made of, uh—"

He pursed his lips, trying to remember the word.

"...Anyway, it won't get wet."

Metal held his arms in front of himself, stiffly, then shuffled his feet, turning in a small circle. Over his shoulder, he could see the back of the jacket stretched over his engine.

"It does seem very useful, although it covers my exhaust vent. I cannot fly while I wear it."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Sonic blushed. Honestly, he had realized that when looking for the jacket in the first place. He could hardly forget holding Metal's body in his arm.

"It is an acceptable trade-off. If I am not permitted to fight you in the garb, then there is not much need for flying anyway. Further—"

Metal turned his head to the sky. It was overcast, and the clouds were plastered over the sun like fog.

"You said the rain slows you down as well, so perhaps it is only natural the same be said of me."

Sonic's smile disappeared in a small bout of thought. "Uh, yeah, I guess," he said, sounding unconvinced.

Metal cocked his head. "Is this not what you told me? That it is good to slow down sometimes?"

"Oh!" Sonic nodded, his happy expression returning. "Yeah, you can't always be speeding around. Besides, you'll never really get why I love rain so much if you do!"

The jacket sleeves were long enough they brushed a part of Metal's palms. It was a unique sensation, not unpleasant, yet also unlike anything Metal had ever felt before.

It felt almost like Sonic's gloved hands against his own.

Metal turned back to the sky. "Do not mistake my intentions. Even if I cannot fight you in the rain, the weather is still clear in the majority case."

"Oh yeah, of course," Sonic said, hands on his hips. "And I'll be ready to shut you down."

Despite saying that, he had no intention of telling Metal that it wasn't currently raining.

"Well then," Metal said. "I suppose I can tell Eggman I neutralized the threat. There is no explosive."

Metal turned, facing the direction of Eggman's lab. "I suppose your assault on the doctor's property has ceased?"

"Just for now. Gotta come back later to check out the damage, after all."

Sonic smirked slyly, making it very obvious that he knew Eggman would think the gift was a bomb.

Metal nodded. "This is an acceptable outcome. I will now return to the laboratory."

"All right!" Sonic replied, giving a thumbs up. He turned to leave, but stopped and looked back.

"Am I going to see you out in the rain now?" he asked with only a hint of teasing.

Metal shuddered. "I should hope not. Even with this equipment, that seems far too dangerous, given the risks."

"Aw. Here I thought you loved me."

Sonic chuckled, stepping back as he waved. "Anyway, better go. See ya next fight, Metal, and don't forget to hide that jacket from Egghead! He'll be jealous I didn't give him one!"

And then Sonic was gone, a fading blur of blue in his place.

Metal looked at the jacket on his arms one last time. He ran his fingers to the zipper beneath his chin and drug it down, peeling off the jacket and carrying it in a bundle by his side. He leaned over, preparing to rev his engine, glancing back at the cloudy, overcast sky.

It wouldn't hurt to look, just a tiny peek, at the weather tomorrow.