Today was supposed to have been a perfect day... for meditating.

Quietly Espio sits in the grass of the backyard, legs crossed and eyes closed and hands folded in his lap and his whole body unmoving... and not even the incessant droning of the lawnmower two yards over enough to make his perfectly blank face twist in disdain.

Mostly.

Darn it, the chameleon allows himself to mutter inwardly. They don't live in the most considerate of neighbourhoods sometimes, and the families inhabiting the houses besides theirs have a remarkable tendency to be noisy at the most inopportune of moment. Sure, Espio himself figures that they say the exact same about the family living in this house, what with its loud detectives, shrill six-year-olds, hollering psychics, and a ninja happily whacking away at training equipment outside at the regular. But somehow the people living two houses over always turns on their accursed grass clipper whenever Espio decides to actually be quiet and calm his thoughts for a change...

The sound of the door to the kitchen flinging open and whacking against the house's wall behind makes his inward groaning only more.

"WHERE'S EGGMAN?!" Silver indeed hollers, as entirely expected. The few birds around who hadn't yet jumped ship at the lawnmower certainly do so with that, and Espio sighs deeply at the laughter that follows from the backyards beside theirs.

"Not here, tenshi. We are safe," he responds as calmly as he can manage still, eyes closed and hands stopped from digging into his knees. Peace, quiet, the ninja does not get distracted by menial noises around him-

No, the ninja gets distracted by footsteps rushing towards him and cool psychokinesis flitting over the grass, deep growls rumbling in Silver's chest.

"If he dares show up here-!"

One hand moving up before he can help it Espio rubs his temples. "Tenshi, it is a lawnmower. Eggman doesn't mow any lawns, he lives in an airship."

"Oh." The growling stops for a moment, though it picks up again just as quickly. "It sounds exactly like one of his robots, though!"

"Hm hm."

"So he could be attacking us, and you're just sitting there."

"Hm."

With a deep sigh following Silver huffs, and Espio can just feel him shake his head. "Well, that's okay. I'll protect you here while you do your meditate-y stuff. Vector and Charmy are out in the city, so they'll handle it," the hedgehog adds. Which Espio would consider sweet on any other day... but Silver's prowling and huffing and hissing only serve to be even more distracting in an already-distracting backdrop of a neighbour who is apparently planning to leave not a single blade of grass in their yard, just to spite him.

And thus Espio groans in full and opens his eyes, and his head hits the ground behind him as he sprawls himself out like a displeased starfish.

"Espio!" Silver yelps, shooting over. "Are you okay?!"

His tail giving the ground an angry slap Espio glares a hole into the blue heavens above. "I just want to meditate."

Hovering over him the hedgehog scrutinises him all over. "Then why don't you?"

"Because I can't focus," the chameleon stops himself from grunting. Silver means well, Espio knows his beloved is just worried about things and wants nothing more than to protect everyone with Espio most of all... But there are some things the time traveller stubbornly refuses to wrap his head around, such as not every noise meaning an imminent attack that will come and ruin everything. And in a neighbourhood as inconsiderate as theirs, that makes for the occasional death sentence for Espio's concentration, unfortunate as that may be.

"Oh." Legs crossing in the air Silver studies him up and down, a more awkward look sent over the fence. "Because of Eggman?"

"Partially," the chameleon sourly notes back. And Silver, even if he will never say so to his beloved. As it stands the hedgehog flicks his ears... and finally, mercifully, the lawnmower gets turned off and blissful silence takes its place.

"...I guess Vector took care of it," Silver pipes up, slowly. "Or not, because I didn't hear him..."

Deciding that blessing that with a response is going to fray his nerves even further Espio stifles a deep sigh. Of course, the moments where he needs meditation most are moments where he is least likely to get it... Though Silver's eyes burn into him some more, the hedgehog studying him silently. "You're tired, huh?" follows as the other sinks down onto the backyard's ground as well.

"Hm."

"Come here." Snuggling towards Espio Silver wraps his arms around the chameleon's body and clutches him close, Espio raising an eyebrow. It's not uncomfortable in the grass, but to just lay here for a while...?

Tender lips press against the side of his head, and then very soft rumbles follow.

"...Are you purring to make me feel better," Espio inquires, a soft laugh beside him telling him all he needs to know. Though, he has to admit that the purrs sound a lot better than the lawnmower, and also a lot better than Silver's prancing around to 'protect' him. And thus Espio merely smiles and turns his head around until it's firmly pressed against Silver's chest and fluff, where the rumbles resound loudest. They reverberate through his whole body, his muscles relaxing ever so slowly but pleasantly as Silver's hands move up and begin to draw little figures and tender touches into his crest. "I should have asked you immediately," the chameleon adds with a more content sigh, another laugh rumbling in Silver's chest.

"Of course you should have, silly. I'd have purred as much as I can to help you be calmer."

And it's working, Espio murmuring back an agreement at the tease. Working much better than meditating usually does for him, even; with the sun warming his scales and Silver purring beside him, it's far easier to focus on the here and now and what is happening around him and clearing his mind of any unwanted thoughts until all that is left is blissful peace.

That, and Silver, holding him close and doing far more to protect Espio like this than his prowling for the suspected danger did.

"Thank you, tenshi," the chameleon whispers, smiling at the kiss pressed against his forehead before he fully lets himself sink into the calm of his mind, silent and comfortable.

With Silver to hold him like this, today is a perfect day for meditating after all.

Author's notes:

Hi all! ^-^ Poor Espio: he strikes me as quite the introverted person who prefers having much time for himself, and yet he is cursed to live in the noisiest household of the noisiest neighbourhood possible. At least Silver is there to help him out and make him feel better <3 This chapter is comparatively short, but I have little idea what else I can add. Thus I hope you enjoyed! Have a great weekend and stay safe, everyone🍀