"I'll be gone for three days," Silver had said. "Three days, and then I will return. I promise."

Espio had hummed and smiled, assuringly, supportingly, hiding his worries and knowing he'd been hiding them poorly. "We have no reason to assume the future is too unsafe for you to stay, what with Eggman's world domination plot being foiled and all," he had spoken all the same, heart growing heavier with every word.

A timid nod had followed. "So I have to check up on it, Es. I need to know."

"I understand. And I can miss you for three days," the chameleon had lied, Silver's arms around him and face in the crook of his neck and he had already missed his beloved so much then, while still holding him in his arms.

"When I travel back I'll make my way to the beach, it's always quiet there," had been mumbled out against purple scales. "No causing any panics. And Vector And Charmy..."

"Those two can wait. And I'll be there," Espio had agreed, a final kiss shared between them and Silver's hands in his until they weren't anymore, and his beloved had faded away in a sea of sparkling cyan with a final statement of love dying out in the silence.

That had been three days ago...

Three days without Silver. Three days without his beloved waking him up early in the morning with snuggles and cuddles and purrs and silly questions that make his day brighter, three days without impromptu adventures and laughter and happiness shared together, three days without someone to tell goodnight to and hold as they fall asleep...

Silver will be back, Espio knows it with a certainty that makes his face set in a deep frown and hands ball in determination, and yet around him in the sand of the beach is a well-walked circle that deepens with every step he takes.

Who knows what the hedgehog has found in his future?

Or rather, what found him?

He cannot lose Silver again...

Nonsense, the chameleon scolds himself. If there is one thing Silver is always clear about, it is that he never, ever breaks a promise, no matter in what ways he needs to move heaven and earth to keep his word. They'd seen it with Eggman's latest attempt at world domination, robots larger than life demolishing cities like they were mere rocks to kick away on a walk and infinite seas of enemies unrelenting in their attacks. And yet despite the odds being stacked miles-high against them from the start, every time Silver had fought and every time he'd made it, sometimes injures, sometimes shell-shocked, but always returning to Espio's arms in the much-too-short times of rest between each battle.

But despite that assurance there always is that heartbeat-skipping, stomach-lurching feeling of dread that accompanies such encouragements, that whispers to Espio that even Silver is not infallible or invincible. And there are some situations wherein the hedgehog simply cannot come back, because he no longer is able to-

A flicker on the wind flutters by.

Espio's head snaps up.

Above the ocean a spark of cyan glows in the setting sun, and then two and then four and then an endlessly radiant ball of light, and Espio pays no heed to the brittle golden kernels making him stumble and sink as he rushes to the waterside. Within the glow a shape sears into being, radiant in the golden light and his silhouette a shimmer on the water, ethereal and elysian like always...!

"Silver," Espio breathes.

And he stretches out his arms and his beloved is there, hands empty until Silver's fill them, a first kiss shared before the psychic buries his face back into the crook of Espio's neck with a mutter of the chameleon's name also and Espio picks him up like a mother with her child and they do not let go of each other until after they have long settled down in their bedroom.

"What was the future like, momiji?" the ninja inquires, once he's managed to take off their shoes with his one free hand before pulling the both of them under the covers and Silver has stopped clutching him so desperately. Fingers running careful circles onto Silver's stomach Espio uses his other hand to rub behind twitching grey ears, the hedgehog all but sprawled out against him now like a purring, rumbling, chirping, clicking blanket of delight.

"It was... a bit weird. Definitely more warm and humid than now, and the weather was really extreme- there was a huge thunderstorm the second night." Pulling a face the hedgehog crawls even closer if possible, own hands playing with Espio's tail. "I curled up somewhere dry and safe and only thought of you, that helped."

"Oh, my love." Pressing a tender kiss against the psychic's brow Espio helps him listen more snugly to his heartbeat. "And people?"

His heart leaps, just a second, at the smile blossoming onto Silver's face alongside a little nod. "Definitely civilisations- they were nice. I didn't stick around long enough to really get a grasp on it all, but there were huge cities too, I could see them in the distance. And there was... lots of nature, too. Many animals, and flowers, and a blue sky. And I petted a whole lot of Chao." Slowly a breath gets drawn, the hedgehog's whole body losing what little strength it had left to keep him up until Silver lays completely limply. "It- it seems..."

"Like the world will be safe," Espio finishes for him, and his beloved is staring at the wall with such distant eyes, overjoyed and heartbroken and unbelieving and agonised and so, so, tired.

"Yes."

Tail gently giving Silver's hand a squeeze the chameleon gives the other a nudge. "After everything you have done for it."

"Everything we have done, Es," the mumbled response comes- and Silver draws a deeper breath and pulls himself together again, ready to face and overcome whatever else life throws at him, like Espio knows the other has done more times than either can count. And this time it worked, because the world is safe, and Espio can only smile with pride and delight and unbridled happiness as he helps the other shift into his comfortable position once more.

"Oh, I don't know." Carefully running his fingers past Silver's sides the chameleon smiles, the little giggle that follows telling him he has his psychic's full attention once more. "I am not the one travelling back to the past to save the future, get caught in whatever idiocy Eggman was running with, and then went back again to see if the future truly is alright."

"But you're always here for me," the pouty little protest follows, Espio's cheek getting prodded by a cold wet nose- and how much he missed that too in those long three days, a nod of agreement following.

"I don't want to be anywhere else, small one." Nor does he want Silver to be anywhere else ever again, at least for this evening, though the chameleon knows Silver knows without him needing to say so.

The hedgehog shifts a bit, cuddled so snugly close Espio fears they might as well merge together any moment now. "Were you worried?"

"Worried sick, but that was more because we didn't know what you would find in your era of origin. Now that I have you at my side again, all is well," Espio assures his beloved, his fingers all over Silver's fur, and skin, his stomach and sides, his fluff and chest, his face and quills, his legs and tail... He can discern no injuries, no hurt, just Silver, finally at his side once more and snuggling against him so wonderfully perfectly.

Purrs intercepted by little giggles and squeaks Silver returns the favour to Espio's tail, the chameleon's eyes sinking half-shut in pleasure at the little kisses and snuggles getting lavished all over it before the hedgehog's attention turns to his shoulders and those get subjected to the same treatment as well. "You know," resounds in a muffled mumble, the words vibrating pleasantly into Espio's skin. "What with Eggman's plot being foiled and the world having gotten rebuilt and the future really being safe now..."

"We should celebrate," the ninja agrees, focusing his attention on Silver's ears once anew and getting rewarded with even louder rumbles of joy. "But... later, with everyone else. For now just the two of us."

A little chuckle follows from against him. "I think we have lots of time for that. Charmy and Vector can wait, remember?"

"As can everyone else. With the world saved, we are in no hurry to inform others of it," Espio hums. And they don't, at least for now; no haphazard army and battle plans need to be assembled right this instant, no cities need to be evacuated and no innocent lives will be lost. Deep in his heart, the ninja is certain this isn't the last they've seen of Eggman... but if the future is safe, then surely they will always succeed in their fight against evil from now on. And whatever the madman throws at them, he is certain too they will overcome it, he and Silver and Sonic and everyone else who loves this planet and each other so much. "Besides, I do think I would like to make up for the three days I did not have you with me," the chameleon adds, before his lips twitch up in a smirk. "It was very quiet, without you to chat my ears off."

"You don't have ears, Es," the hedgehog immediately teases back, playful fingers drawing shapes onto the chameleon's chest and Espio shaking his head fondly.

"And yet I can still hear every noise you make, and I wouldn't want it to be any other way ever again."

"Then I'll just need to make sure I'll never have to leave again."

"Well, I can be apart from you a little while, but..." Smirk turning almost sheepish Espio holds Silver close, ever closer, as if the hedgehog can slip right from his grasp and disappear again if he so much as wavers. "Not... for three days?"

"Not for three days. There's no need anymore, with the world safe," Silver agrees, quietly and understanding... before his chest hitches and a laugh rolls out of his mouth, softly at first but the next louder, followed by another and another until the hedgehog is both laughing at the top of his lungs and choking down sobs at the same time. With all the emotions battering at his own heart as well Espio lets him, murmuring gentle words of love and encouragement until Silver's voice finally dies out on a note of unbridled joy and deeper breaths take its place. The chameleon's own eyes sting too, the proximity of his beloved more soothing than ever, and with a final kiss against a grey-furred brow Espio allows his body to whisk him off to sleep as well.

The world will be safe, and Silver is back, and Espio is certain he has never, ever been happier.

Author's notes:

Hi everyone ^-^ I wanted to write and didn't know what, so I dove into my WIP folder and saw this one was basically finished! Poor Espio and Silver; I think they can do pretty well when separated in a normal situation, but not one as worry- and emotion-laden as Silver going back to the future again. But luckily the future is safe, hurray!! Just thinking about that made me happy for him; he truly deserves such a good ending, in my opinion ^-^

Also, the battle with Eggman that is mentioned at the beginning is just some vague throwaway kinda fight, but I personally like to think that in the world of New Beginnings, Silver's continued presence in the past was enough to stop the plot from Forces from happening! Since Silver went back to the future in NB and saw the ruined world there, he and Sonic and everyone else knew they'd have to keep a sharp eye on Eggman and his ploys. In that way, maybe Sonic didn't get captured and the world overrun? I would like it for the characters if the events turned out that way <3 I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and have a nice weekend and stay safe, everyone!🍀