Chapter Text
Silver was Not having a good time. Which honestly wasn't very surprising. Sonic had dragged him to this party, and then promptly proceeded to vanish; not intentionally, of course, but everybody wanted to talk to him, and Silver didn't even recognize three quarters of the people here, much less wanted to talk to any of them. Sonic, being the world's biggest extrovert, did not understand.
So, while the Blue Blur bounced around the room in a crackle of excited energy, Silver sat, moping, at the bar, staring morosely into a half-finished drink. He'd thought that drowning his sorrows in alcohol would help, but a drink and a half in he didn't feel anything—and they didn't even taste good anyways. He should just go...but that required getting up and weaving his way through the crowd, shoving through the press of bodies, and just the thought made Silver shudder. Plus, he knew Sonic would see him and be upset, even if he didn't show it. He didn't want to see that subtle hurt in those green eyes, especially after he knew that Sonic wouldn't have invited him if he thought he'd be miserable. So Silver just stewed. He wished that Blaze was here. Or Shadow (they could be miserable together). He wished that he wasn't. Silver sighed and hunched his shoulders more, ears titled back and quills puffed up in displeasure.
“Pardon me,” a voice as smooth as crushed velvet spoke at his elbow, “Is this seat taken?”
“No,” Silver said, not even bothering to look up. His ear twitched at the sound of the newcomer sliding into the seat next to him and the mumble of his voice ordering, but frankly he didn't care about some random guy (even if he had a truly mellifluous voice), and tried to tune him out. Unsuccessfully.
“You don't look like you are enjoying yourself at these festivities.”
Silver sighed again, about to just tell this guy that no he wasn't and to leave him alone so he could sulk in solitude: he looked up and the bitter words died in his throat.
The hedgehog sitting next to him was...entrancing sounded like a good word. He had sleek, dark fur, so black that it had a blue sheen in the dim lights, with distinguished gray-blue stripes: he honestly looked like a more composed, older and grayer version of Shadow. Maybe that was why Silver had a flicker of deja vu...but that was kicked out of his head when he saw his neighbor's eyes—a startling, almost neon green, shockingly bright so that they almost looked like they were glowing as they focused right on Silver. He felt like he was a butterfly, pinned down and observed through layers of magnifying glasses, every part examined with excruciating detail.
The white hedgehog realized he was staring, shook off the feeling, and finally found his voice, “No...not really.”
The dark hedgehog raised a brow ridge as he picked up the drink that had appeared for him and took a sip, “Why not? If you don't mind my asking, of course.”
Silver pondered for a moment, but the alcohol already in his system combined with how generally grumpy he was—he just wanted to rant, and here was, admittedly, a total stranger, but he'd asked so... “This sort of thing,” he gestured at the event surrounding them, “Just isn't really my thing, I guess. I don't like big parties where I don't know everybody...or anybody—and you can't even hear people talking or move without getting run over by someone.” Silver sighed, “I don't even really know why I'm still here, but my friend brought me and then kinda ditched me, and I don't want to leave him here alone...”
“How dreadful...” the dark hedgehog looked genuinely concerned, “If I had such a lovely companion as yourself, I certainly wouldn't abandon you alone at the bar...with not a friend in sight.”
Silver's ears pricked forward at the compliment, and he felt the tiniest blush raise in his cheeks, but brushed it off, “Thanks. I don't think he meant to...but this really is his scene, you know? He knows everybody and everybody knows him, and I know he wanted me to come because he thought I'd have fun...” Silver slumped lower, staring at his unfinished drink, “I can't even get drunk to feel better because all this stuff tastes terrible.” He shoved the glass back, watching the amber liquid slosh around the bottom.
“Oh?” Silver glanced at the stranger, who was giving him a once over, “How so?”
Silver wasn't sure how they got to this topic, but at least it was more safe than complaining about Sonic, “It's just not good. I guess I'm super picky with my drinks...”
“You look like you'd prefer something a lot sweeter.”
Silver was surprised at this call, because the stranger was 100% right: after he'd tasted his first milkshake there was no going back to the brackish water which was the staple when he was growing up in a burnt-out future, “Yeah, exactly. How'd you know?”
The dark hedgehog shrugged, “It just seemed like your type. Have you tried their Pina Coladas?”
Silver hadn't tried their anything; he didn't even know what he'd had to start with because he'd literally just asked for “Whatever you have that has alcohol,” and the bartender had rolled his eyes, but Silver was over 21 and had paid money to be here, so brought him the cheapest thing on the menu.
“No.”
“I think you'd find it much more enjoyable.” The dark hedgehog raised his hand and flagged down the bartender, Silver just kind of staring when he ordered the sweetest Pina Colada they had.
“Whipped cream on that?” The bartender asked, gruffly, and the stranger glanced at Silver, “Yes,” he answered before the white hedgehog could reply.
As the bartender vanished to get the drink, Silver finally found his voice again, “Uh...thanks. I can pay for that.”
“No worries,” his companion waved a hand, “It's not every day I get to buy a drink for such an attractive hedgehog.” He took a sip of his own drink, and his eyes glimmered at Silver over the rim.
“Oh...” Silver felt himself blushing again, but he snapped himself out of it. He most definitely was NOT here to get picked up, no matter how dashing the gentleman in front of him was, “Uh...thanks. Um...but I'm not really looking for...anyone? I am just here with my friend.” He hoped that made some kind of sense.
“Of course.” The stranger's face remained impassive, “I did not mean to appear presumptive, my apologies. If I may be allowed the courtesy to still purchase your drink for you, as a...new acquaintance. You may call me Mephiles.” He gave a little nod as he introduced himself.
Silver was a little overwhelmed by the quantity of long words that the dark hedgehog—Mephiles—used, but he got the message, and considered. It wasn't like this guy had done anything except compliment him and offer his opinion of something he thought Silver would like, and he wasn't giving off any creepy vibes or trying to pressure Silver into accepting, so he didn't see the harm in just being polite. “I guess. I'm Silver.”
“What a lovely name: it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance properly.”
The bartender brought back Silver's drink—vibrant yellow with a topping of whipped cream that was nearly as tall as Silver's own head spikes, “Wow!”
“Try it,” Mephiles encouraged, and Silver took a sip, immediately lighting up.
“Ohh it's really good!”
The dark hedgehog nodded, leaning his head on his hand, “I thought that might be more to your taste.”
Silver took another drink, and smiled brightly back at Mephiles, “Thank you.”
“But of course. I hope that, if nothing else, you at least found a new drink of choice tonight.”
“Yeah, I'll have to remember this next time I'm out somewhere—I don't normally drink, honestly, cause I really don't go out much.” Silver twirled the straw around his drink, “So I don't really know what I like or anything.”
“Hmm...” Mephiles replied, “So you've never been drunk, then?”
“Not really. Kinda the same thing always happens that happened tonight—I want to get drunk, and then about a drink in I start feeling kinda nauseous at the taste and stop,” Silver shrugged, taking another long sip. The Pina Colada was sweet and cold, but after swallowing he could feel the pleasant warmth of the alcohol in his throat, “Some of my friends keep saying they'll actually get me drunk sometime, just to see it.” That would be Blaze and Sonic, “So that I know my limits.”
“Seems reasonable.” Mephiles agreed, and Silver continued, encouraged.
“Though I think they also have a bet on what kind of drunk I would be, heh. Although everyone's pretty sure I'd just get really cuddly, since that's how I am when I get really tired.” Silver smiled down at his almost-empty drink. He was actually feeling a lot better, just having someone to talk to about random life things.
“I could imagine that.”
“Heheh yeah...” Silver bit his lip for a beat, but then tossed embarrassment to the wind: after all, it wasn't like he'd see this guy ever again and he just felt like talking, “I kinda have a thing for stuffies—I didn't have any growing up, and now my entire bed at home is like...a third full of them so I can have a big pile of cuddly things,” he laughed a little self-consciously, finishing up his drink, “Sorry, that's kinda weird I know.”
“I think it's quite adorable,” Silver looked up, and realized Mephiles was watching him with what could only be described as a fond expression, and he looked right back down at his drink so that his blush wouldn't be visible.
“Heh. Thanks, again, I guess.”
“Do you want another? Or to try something else?” Silver realized that Mephiles was referring to his empty glass, and he thought for a moment. The dark hedgehog's first suggestion had been really tasty, and he didn't really want to leave at the moment...so he may as well, right? He was supposed to be here to have fun.
Silver hesitated a little smile, “Uh...if you had any more suggestions, I'd take you up on one of them I guess?”
…
It was certainly more than one more drink suggestion. Silver had actually lost count of how many drinks he'd had, or how much he'd told his companion. He knew he'd talked about his past: how he came from the future to save the present, and by doing so basically erased his own history, which is why he was here all by himself. Mephiles had made appropriate sympathetic noises, and Silver realized how nice it was to tell this story to someone who hadn't actually been there at the time, who didn't already know his entire 'deal' with time traveling. That was something Mephiles looked impressed by, when Silver bragged about being able to go back and forth through time as long as he had a Chaos Emerald.
“But it takes a lot of energy...an' so I don't do it much anymore. 'Sides,” Silver sniffed, “There's nothin' there for me anymore anyways.” He rubbed a hand across his face, “I...I spent my whole life tryin' to fix things for them, y'know? An' in the end...they all forgot about me and I jus' get dumped here.” He let his head drop to the bar, “An' now I have to be an adult and it suuuucks. Didja know that money didn't exist in the future? An' now there's stuff like TAXES.”
Silver's head felt warm and fuzzy, and he smiled more at Mephiles, even as he rambled into complaints, “'S jus—y'know life's haaard.” he gestured with his empty glass, before nearly dropping it and only succeeding in preventing it from smashing on the floor by using a wobbly telekinetic handhold. Mephiles dexterously relieved him of the glass, as the white hedgehog continued, “There's days—I don' wanna hafta worry 'bout anything—the world should jus' fix itself y'know? I don' wanna hafta do anything. I'm tired of fixin' everybody's problems an' nobody thinks 'bout me cause they don't even know who I am. So I have to worry 'bout them but...nobody worries 'bout me.” He looked pitiably up at Mephiles, who was watching him with an unreadable expression, “I jus' wish...” Silver sighed, “I know it's stupid, but I just wish I didn't hafta be a hero some days, y'know? That I could just...chill. Not worry 'bout anything.” He closed his eyes for a moment—he was tired, and felt warm all over even as his head was spinning the room around him.
“Hmm...You are very inebriated, Silver. Drink some water,” Mephiles pressed another cup into Silver's hand.
“I don' wanna,” Silver whined, but Mephiles just glared until Silver relented, sitting up, “Fiiiiine.” He downed the glass in the same way he had his last shot, and squinted at his companion, “Happy?”
“Immensely,” Mephiles replied, “Hydration is important, and will help you feel better later.”
Silver rolled his eyes, sticking out his tongue...and then nearly fell off his stool as a wave of dizziness crashed over him, “Wh—wha--?” he scrambled to gripe the edge of the bar, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Silver?” Mephiles' voice echoed, sounding distorted, like Silver's ears were full of water, “Silver, are you all right?”
“Fffeel...dizzy...” Silver leaned down, pressing his forehead to the cool bar again. A moment later, he felt a surprisingly cold hand reach under his arms, pulling him to lean on Mephiles.
“You look overheated.” The dark hedgehog's voice was laced with concern, “Let's get you some fresh air.”
“Mmm...kay...” Silver's tongue felt numb and his feet dragged as his eyelids drooped shut. Mephiles must have been some kind of wizard, because they were out on the sidewalk not a moment later, the night air cool and refreshing.
Silver took a deep breath, forcing his eyes open as his lungs absorbed the clean air, “Thanks, Mephiles,” he smiled...and then his head fell forward against his chest and he passed out.