Playing House
Vanilla checked her list one last time. She had a suitcase open on the bed, and most of her things were already folded inside. She had packed far too much for a single overnight trip, but she preferred to be over prepared than under.
Cream held a stack of folded towels while Tails handed her a travel kit from the vanity. They worked in a quiet and efficient rhythm, ensuring everything Vanilla needed was tucked away. It was a domestic scene of a family preparing for a brief departure, though Tails and Cream were sharing a silent, knowing energy.
"Do you want me to grab your other pair of shoes, Mom? Or maybe a book to read?" Cream asked.
Vanilla shook her head and smiled. "No thank you, dear. I'll only be gone one night. I don't think I'll have time for a book."
She took the travel kit from Tails and placed it carefully into the suitcase. She smoothed out a few stray items of clothing and pulled the zipper shut. The bag was full, and the preparations were complete.
The three of them moved to the front door with the suitcase. Vanilla paused, her hand resting on the door handle, and looked back at them. "I hope I've remembered everything," she said. "And if not, I'm not very far."
She looked at the two of them, then smiled softly. "Are you sure I shouldn't call Sonic or something? I'd feel better if someone was here with you, and I knew you were safe."
Cream rolled her eyes with a smile. "Mom, we're sixteen, not five. We don't need a baby sitter."
Vanilla gave them a sad smile. "Oh, I know dear. My two beautiful children... growing up so fast." She leaned down and opened her arms, pulling both of them into a hug. Tails and Cream held her on either side.
"I know you two can handle yourselves," Vanilla said, not letting go. "But if you need anything, call me or Sonic. Okay?"
Tails and Cream pulled back from the hug. Tails looked up at Vanilla and gave a small nod. "We will. Have a good trip, Vanilla! You deserve a break."
Vanilla leaned down and kissed Tails on the head, then did the same for Cream. She stepped back and opened the front door, the evening air drifting inside. "Don't forget to eat dinner, and take out the garbage later," she reminded them.
"We will, Mom. See you tomorrow! Have fun!" Cream called out as Vanilla stepped over the threshold. She gave a final wave before closing the door, the sound of the lock clicking into place echoing through the now quiet entryway.
Tails and Cream moved together toward the living room window, pulling the curtain back just enough to watch her car pull out of the driveway. They stood in silence until the taillights disappeared around the bend of the street.
The two of them looked at each other for a moment, the stillness of the house settling around them as the reality of being alone together sank in. They stayed like that for a few seconds, the distance between them feeling shorter than it had while Vanilla was still there.
Tails finally smiled at her. "Are you ready?"
Cream smiled back, looking genuinely excited. "I am."
Tails reached down and took Cream's hand in his. A blush crept across his cheeks as he looked into her eyes sheepishly. "Cream? Would you do me the honor... of being my wife?"
Cream blushed too, raising her free hand to her mouth to cover her light giggles. "I would love to be your wife, Tails. Would you like to be my husband?"
Tails raised her hand to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to the back of it. "It would be my pleasure," he said. It only took a few seconds, but the formality of the moment broke, and they both started to laugh. The whole thing felt silly, but it was a sweet kind of silly.
They spent the next half hour in the kitchen, talking and preparing their dinner. Cream took charge of the cooking, directing the process while Tails helped where he could. He spent most of the time chopping vegetables and clearing the counter, following her lead as they moved around the space. Their conversation was light, focusing on the novelty of their "marriage" and having the house all to themselves.
As the meal was nearly complete, Tails paused. "I have an idea," he said. He hurried over to the front door, opened it, and stepped outside. He closed the door behind him and waited a few seconds in the quiet of the porch. Then, he opened the door again and stepped back inside. "Honey, I'm home!" he announced.
Tails walked back into the kitchen and leaned in to give Cream a quick kiss on the cheek. Both of them blushed immediately, pulling apart with a shy sort of laughter. "How was your day at the workshop, dear?" she asked, leaning against the counter.
Tails pulled out a chair and sat down at the dining table, letting his shoulders slump to pretend he was exhausted. "It was a long day. I'm glad to be home. What has my lovely wife prepared for us this evening?"
Cream walked over to the table carrying two steaming plates. "Poulet grillé with broccolini au gratin and steamed rice," she answered. She set one plate down in front of him, then another in the spot to the side of him, and sat down.
Tails looked at the plate, then back at her. "What? The only thing I understood from that was rice. Since when did you speak French?"
Cream gave him a playful look. "It's just chicken, rice, and vegetables, dear. Now eat up! You must be hungry after working so hard."
Tails took a bite of the broccolini and paused. He looked at Cream, then back at the plate. "Wow. This is really good! Your mom has taught you well."
"Thanks," she responded. "Although I'm not even close to her yet." She took a bite of the chicken and looked at Tails. "For the record, if you expect me to be the kind of wife that stays home to cook and clean, you've got another thing coming."
Tails paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. He looked at Cream, a sudden realization crossing his face. "But... I don't know how to cook," he admitted.
Cream continued eating her dinner. "Well then you better learn," she said.
Tails lowered his fork, a look of genuine worry crossing his face. "But... but... I don't want to learn! I just want to eat!"
Cream paused, her fork hovering over the plate. "Seriously?! So I'm just supposed to be your personal chef?"
Tails realized how what he had said sounded. "No no, I don't mean that," he said quickly. He reached over the table and placed his hand on top of hers. "What I mean, is that I love your cooking. Getting to eat what you make for me every day would be magical. I'm not saying it should be your job as my wife... I'm saying you're really good at it, and it would make me very happy."
Cream looked down at his hand on hers, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "Oh, in that case... I suppose I wouldn't mind it as much then," she said softly.
Tails took another bite of broccolini and chewed slowly before speaking. "I'll help how I can," he said. "But trust me, if you want to have an edible dinner, you don't want me making it."
Cream giggled and took another bite of chicken. "I'm not letting you talk your way out of cleaning, though. We're splitting laundry evenly." She paused, her expression softening as she looked at him. "Besides, I think the fun of being married would be doing everything together. Making decisions, taking care of our house... raising our kids..."
Tails had just taken a bite of chicken when Cream murmured that last part, and his eyes went wide. He started choking on the food, and his fork clattered onto the plate. He reached instinctively for his water glass, but his balance gave way. He slipped from the chair and landed hard on the floor.
Cream gasped. "Tails!" She dropped to the floor beside him, her hand patting his back with urgent thumps. Tails struggled for a moment, his face flushing, until a violent cough finally cleared his throat. He gasped for air, leaning his weight against the leg of the table as his breathing returned to normal.
She reached up to the table and grabbed his water glass, handing it to him as he sat up. "Are you okay?"
Tails took a long drink, his face still red, then stopped to catch his breath. "Are you trying to kill me, woman?!"
Cream took the water glass from him and helped him stand up. "How was I supposed to know talking about kids was lethal for you?!"
They both sat back down and waited for the tension to fade. Once everything calmed down, Tails chuckled. "Okay, from now on, that topic is off limits at the dinner table."
"Oh, grow up!" Cream retorted, leaning back in her chair. "We're gonna have to talk about it someday."
Tails shook his head. "Not for a very, very, very, very long time."
Cream looked down at her plate, her fork tracing the edge of it. "I'd like to start our family on the younger side... wouldn't you?" she asked quietly.
Tails looked at her, then thought for a moment. "I haven't thought about it," he admitted. "Just having you as my girlfriend is still so new. Having... kids... feels like a million miles away."
Cream stared at him for a moment, before she turned her attention back to her plate and picked her fork back up. "You're right. It's not something we should be worrying about just yet. We'll have an entire future together."
Tails smiled, the tension from their conversation fading as he resumed eating. They finished their meal in a comfortable silence, the only sound being the occasional clink of silverware. Once the plates were cleared, Tails stood up and gathered the dishes, carrying them over to the sink. He spent a few minutes scrubbing the plates and cutlery, focusing on the task while Cream leaned against the counter beside him.
"Do you want me to dry them?" Cream asked, stepping closer to the sink. Tails nodded and began handing over the wet dishes. He passed them to her one by one, their movements synchronized and quiet. Cream took a linen towel and carefully wiped each piece before placing it back on the rack.
Once the last dish was dry and put away, Tails looked at Cream, then looked around the room. "Now what?" he asked. "How else do married couples spend their evenings together?"
Cream thought for a moment, her gaze wandering across the kitchen toward the hallway. "We could take a bath together?" she suggested.
Tails blinked, looking at her with a confused expression. "We do that all the time already. We've always done that, even before we were dating."
Cream blushed slightly and put her hands behind her back, swaying gently on her feet. "We haven't done it as husband and wife yet…"
"And we still wouldn't have," Tails replied, his expression neutral but his voice carrying a hint of a tease.
Cream rolled her eyes. "I'm starting the water," she said, turning away from him. She walked down the hall toward the bathroom, her footsteps light.
Tails stepped into the bathroom a few minutes later, and froze. The main lights were off, replaced by the soft glow of candles Cream had placed on the counter, toilet, and along the edge of the tub. Thick white bubbles covered the surface of the water, hiding everything beneath.
He walked closer to the tub, staring at the flickering candlelight. "Very romantic, Cream. I take it back... this is nothing like our normal baths."
Cream looked at him. "I thought this would make it more special. Give it a more... cozy feeling."
Tails met her eyes and gave a small smile. "I'd say mission accomplished." They undressed completely, leaving their clothes in a pile on the bathmat. Without needing to speak, they stepped into the tub together. The warm water enveloped them as they settled into the bubbles, sitting close enough that their sides were pressed together.
The water held them in a heavy, comforting warmth. They stayed still for a long time, listening to the soft crackle of the candles and the sound of their own breathing. Cream leaned over, resting her head on Tails' shoulder. He tilted his head back against the rim of the tub, closing his eyes as the heat seeped into his muscles.
"I'm glad this didn't become weird once we started dating," Cream said, breaking the silence.
Tails chuckled lightly. "I know. Of all the things we didn't grow out of, for us it was bathing together." It was a familiar comfort, a constant in their lives that had survived the transition from childhood playmates to something more intimate.
Cream looked up at him, her expression thoughtful. "Once we tell my mom that we're together though, we probably won't be able to do this anymore."
Tails' expression became more serious. "Most likely not. Not here, anyway. Or until we become adults. But even then..." He paused, the warmth of the water contrasting with the sudden weight of the conversation.
Cream looked down at the water, her expression turning somber. "I don't like hiding this from her, but I don't want her to treat us differently. She's always seen us as brother and sister. Telling her that we're dating... I think that would be a shock for her."
Tails nodded, his gaze fixed on the bubbles floating between them. "Yeah, I'm worried about that too. Especially because we live in the same house, and how comfortable we are around each other from growing up together. I can see her rethinking all of that, and maybe being uncomfortable with it."
He sank deeper into the water, letting the heat press against his chest. He let out a long sigh. "It feels wrong keeping our relationship a secret. But I'm scared it will change everything. With Vanilla, with our friends... it feels like we're waiting for a bomb to go off."
"I want to be able to tell everyone," Cream said, her voice echoing slightly against the bathroom tiles. "It makes me really happy to be with you, and I want to share that happiness. We're gonna have to tell everyone eventually. Maybe we should start with someone easy?"
Tails thought for a moment, considering the people in their circle. "Amy?"
Cream gave him a look. "No way. She's like the least secure vault when it comes to romance. What about Knuckles?"
Tails snorted. "He's the least secure vault, period. How about Aunt Sally?"
Cream looked at the bubbles for a moment. "I suppose she could be okay, but she's really busy. I wouldn't want to distract her." She looked back at Tails. "Why not Sonic?"
Tails turned his head towards the door, his expression cautious. "That would be too weird for me. I need some time to build up to that one." He paused, thinking through their group of friends, until his eyes widened. "Whisper! No way she'd tell anyone if we asked her not to!"
Cream's expression brightened. "Oh yeah! She's perfect! As long as she agrees not to tell Tangle or Silver."
"Then it's settled," Tails said. "Whisper will be the first person we tell. Depending on how she takes it, we'll go from there."
They lingered in the tub for a few more minutes, scrubbing the last of the soap from their fur. As the water began to lose its heat, they stood up and stepped out onto the mat. Tails grabbed a towel and handed it to Cream before reaching for another for himself.
Once they were dry, they each pulled on a thick white bathrobe. Cream leaned over the counter and blew out the candles, one by one, until the bathroom was lit only by the dim glow of the hallway. They walked back toward the kitchen together, the fabric of their robes brushing against one another.
Tails reached into the cabinet and pulled out two wine glasses, setting them carefully on the counter. Cream moved toward Vanilla’s wine rack, her gaze scanning the labels. She crouched down, hesitating for a moment, feeling overwhelmed by the variety.
"Do you even know what you're looking for?" Tails asked.
Cream didn't take her eyes off the bottles. "No idea. I just want something that Mom wouldn't notice is missing."
Tails walked over to her and looked at the rack, squinting at the labels. "Uh... maybe see if there's a duplicate of one?"
Cream shrugged and scanned the rack again. She spotted two matching bottles of red, pulled one out, and handed it to Tails. To hide the gap, she carefully slid a few other bottles over, reorganizing the row so the missing piece wouldn't be obvious to a casual glance.
Tails set the bottle on the counter next to the glasses. They both stood there, staring at the dark glass for a moment. The kitchen was quiet, the only sound being the hum of the refrigerator. He looked at Cream, his expression uncertain. "Are we sure we want to do this?"
Cream took a deep breath, still staring at the bottle. "I won't lie, it makes me feel like I'm doing something bad," she admitted.
"You are," Tails said, his voice flat but playful. "This is illegal." Cream groaned and covered her face with both hands. Tails stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her arm. "But it'll be fine. I'm here with you, all the way through."
Cream lowered her hands and studied Tails' expression. The worry in his eyes was tempered by a genuine warmth that always made her feel safe. She knew he would never let anything happen to her, not even while they were breaking a few rules. She nodded slowly. "Okay."
Tails nodded back, then reached into a kitchen drawer and pulled out a corkscrew. He positioned the metal spiral over the cork and pushed it down, twisting the handle until the cork finally popped open with a sharp sound. He set the cork aside and carefully poured the red liquid into the two glasses, filling them a third of the way.
They carried their glasses into the living room, walking carefully to avoid spilling the wine. They sat close together on the couch, leaning into one another while the fire crackled in the hearth. The warmth of the flames mirrored the heat they felt as their shoulders touched.
Tails and Cream clinked their glasses together. The sound was a small, sharp chime in the quiet of the living room. They brought the glasses to their mouths, but both hesitated for a moment, staring at the dark red liquid. Then, they each took a small sip. They looked at the wine as the taste settled on their tongues, both of them blinking in surprise at the sharp, unfamiliar bite of it.
Tails made a face, his tongue curling slightly as he swallowed. "It's a lot more... dry than I was expecting," he said. He looked at the liquid in his glass with a hint of suspicion.
Cream closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. "I don't like it! It's bitter! I thought it would taste more like juice! Why do people like this?"
"Beats me," Tails responded, continuing to study his own glass. "If you don't like it, you don't have to drink it."
Cream stared at the wine in her glass for a few more seconds. She took another small sip, hoping the taste had changed, but her expression immediately tightened. She made the same face of distaste as before, her lips curling slightly.
Tails laughed, his voice light and genuinely amused. "Why did you do that?" he asked, glancing at the glass she had just sipped from.
Cream laughed a little herself. "I don't know! I don't like it, but I want to keep drinking it."
He looked at her over the rim of his glass, a small smile playing on his lips. "You might be an alcoholic," he said, before taking another sip.
Cream scowled at him, though there was no real heat in it. "I am not! I've never had anything like this before!"
Tails chuckled, leaning back into the cushions of the couch. "I'm just kidding! Maybe it's slowly growing on you then?"
Cream took another sip, her expression tightening immediately. She made that face again, before setting the glass firmly on the side table. "Yeah no. I've had enough."
Tails took one more sip, his face scrunching up. He set the glass down next to Cream’s with a muted clink. "I guess we're just not old enough for it yet."
"Is that why you have to be an adult to drink alcohol?" Cream asked him. "Because it's a taste you can only appreciate when you're more mature?"
Tails shrugged. "That would make sense, I guess. I've never given it much thought."
Cream laid her head down on Tails' lap. They stayed on the couch for a while, enjoying the warmth of the fire and each other. He rested his hand on her shoulder, his thumb tracing a slow line across the fabric of her robe.
She looked up at Tails, her head staying put in his lap. "Is this what we can expect when we get married one day?" she asked. "Dinner, baths, and wine?"
Tails thought for a moment before answering. "If that's what we want, sure. I thought tonight was perfect. Not because we did all those things, but because we were together. That's all I would want, being married to you."
Cream's eyes widened and began to shine, clearly touched by his words. She stared at him for a long moment, her expression soft, then slowly closed her eyes and smiled. "Yes. That's all I want too," she whispered.
She sat back up, moving close to Tails. A blush warmed her cheeks as she looked at him. "You know... married couples are also comfortable with a fair amount of... kissing..."
Tails blushed and sat up a little straighter, knowing where she was going with this. "I um... I suppose that m-makes sense..."
Cream leaned in a tad closer to him. "We haven't had our first kiss yet. So, if we plan to get married one day... don't you think we ought to?"
Tails swallowed hard. "Uh... that also m-makes sense..." His heart beat faster against his ribs, and he felt a sudden wave of heat climb his neck. He knew exactly what he needed to do, and the thought terrified him.
He began to shake, a tremor starting in his shoulders and moving down to his knees. He had faced mechanical failures and dangerous missions, but he had never felt this nervous in his entire life. As he looked at Cream’s face, the fear remained, but it was outweighed by a clear, steady desire. He wanted this.
Tails raised his hands and placed them on Cream's upper arms. He held her steady, using the grip to brace himself against the trembling in his own limbs. He pulled her in slightly, leaning forward at the same time to close the gap between them. As their faces nearly came together, they both closed their eyes.
Their lips met in a soft touch. A spark shot through them, bringing a warmth that felt unlike anything they had experienced before. It was a moment of pure magic and a calming peace that felt right, as if they had finally found home.
They held the kiss for several seconds, both of them unsure how long the correct amount of time was. When they finally pulled back, they did so slowly. They opened their eyes to find that their faces were matching shades of red.
"Oh wow..." Cream whispered. The words were barely audible, but they carried the weight of a sudden, absolute certainty. She had always known she cared for him, but in the silence following the kiss, she realized she was completely in love with him.
"Y-yeah..." Tails whispered. He was thinking the same thing, the sensation of the kiss still lingering on his lips. He didn't know how to put the feeling into words, but it felt like a missing piece of a puzzle had finally clicked into place.
Cream backed up slightly on the couch, folding her hands in her lap. "Well then. It's getting pretty late," she said quietly.
Tails placed his hand over hers, his touch steady. "Actually, there was one more thing that I wanted to do, since we're married." Cream looked down at his hand, then back up at him, waiting for him to say it.
He felt the heat of his blush reach a peak, his face tingling as he forced himself to maintain eye contact. He cleared his throat, his voice small but steady. "Could I... could I sleep with you tonight?"
Cream let out a sharp gasp, her eyes widening as she processed the request. She stared at Tails, momentarily stunned by the sudden boldness of the proposition. Usually, he was the one hesitant or overthinking the details, yet here he was, asking with a quiet determination that caught her off guard.
She looked at his face, searching for a sign of a joke, but found only a sincere, nervous hope. Despite the shock, she found she couldn't say no to him. She gave a small, sheepish nod.
Tails stood up and carefully dampened the switch to kill the fire, leaving the room in a soft, dying amber glow. He and Cream carried their glasses back to the kitchen in silence, pouring the remnants down the drain, watching it swirl away. To ensure there was no trace, Tails tipped the empty bottle over the sink, draining it completely before sliding it deep into the recycling bag, burying it under a layer of cardboard.
He carried the recycling and garbage bags out to the garage, the plastic crinkling in the cool night air. He made sure the bins were shut tight, glancing back one final time to ensure everything looked normal.
Inside, Cream made her rounds, clicking off the lights in the living room and the kitchen. She moved through the hallway in the dim light, eventually stepping into Vanilla’s primary bathroom.
They retreated to their separate rooms to change, the silence of the house amplifying their shared nervousness. In the privacy of his own space, Tails stared at his wardrobe, feeling a strange pressure to look mature. He bypassed his Sonic themed pajamas for a set of dark sleepwear, wondering if Cream would notice the difference.
In the next room over, Cream did the same, opting for a modest set that felt more like something an adult would wear. They both knew the effort was ridiculous, yet the desire to impress the other outweighed the logic of the situation.
Once he was dressed, Tails clicked off his bedside lamp, and stepped into the hallway. He stopped at the door next to his and knocked gently, the sound barely audible in the stillness. The door creaked open just a few inches, allowing a sliver of warm light to spill out.
Cream stood there in a set of pale pink pajamas with small white patterns, her expression quiet and expectant. She stepped aside to let him in, the room illuminated only by the soft glow of her bedside lamp. Tails felt his heart drumming against his ribs, the sudden intimacy of the space making the air feel thick.
They stood side by side at the foot of the bed, staring at the expanse of the comforter as if it were a cliff edge. Neither of them moved or spoke for a long moment, the sudden reality of the situation making the air feel heavy. Tails cleared his throat, his voice coming out thin and slightly unstable. "Are you uh... r-ready?"
Cream took a deep breath to steady herself. "Alright. Here goes..." she whispered. She walked over to the bedside lamp and clicked it off, plunging the room into a temporary darkness. Then, she moved to the window and pulled back the curtains.
The moonlight flooded the room, casting a cool, silver glow over everything. Tails stood frozen, his mouth dropping open. With the light hitting her just right, Cream looked breathtaking. She stood by the window, her silhouette framed by the night sky, looking more radiant than he had ever seen her.
Cream’s hands trembled as she reached for the waistband of her pajama bottoms. She pushed them down and stepped out of the fabric, leaving them on the floor. After a moment of hesitation, she pulled her top over her head and let it fall beside the pants. She stood by the window in only her underwear, legs crossed at the ankles and arms folded across her chest. She wouldn't look at him directly, her gaze fixed on the wall.
Tails couldn't find his voice. He knew the polite thing to do was to look away, but he remained stuck, his gaze locked on her. Cream noticed the intensity of his stare and turned her shoulder slightly, trying to obscure herself.
"D-don't look! At least... not yet..." She turned her head back toward him, though she kept her eyes fixed on the rug. "I know you've already seen them... but... this is different. I'm... embarrassed..."
Cream stepped away from the window, moving toward Tails with a slow, hesitant gait. She stopped just inches from him, her head tilted down to avoid his gaze. Without saying a word, she reached out and placed a small object in his palm.
Tails looked down, and resting in his hand was a small, shiny square packet. In the center of the foil, there was a faint, embossed circle. He turned it over, frowning. He had never seen anything like it before and had no idea what it was.
"G-get undressed already," Cream said quietly, her voice barely a whisper in the dimly lit room. "A-and put that on. I'll look away if you want me to..."
Tails squinted at the foil packet in the dim light, bringing it closer to his face. The word ‘condom’ was printed in small, sterile lettering across the front. His eyes widened, and he nearly jumped back.
"No! Wait!" he stammered, holding the packet up as if it were a live grenade. "You misunderstood me! I just wanted us to sleep in the same bed together tonight! Not... the other thing..."
Cream looked at him with a confused expression. "Huh?"
She stared at him for nearly a minute. Neither of them moved or spoke. The silence in the room grew heavy, broken only by the wind outside. Tails remained frozen, his arm still extended with the foil packet held tightly in his palm.
The confusion on Cream's face eventually vanished, replaced by a deep, burning red that spread across her cheeks and neck. She stared at the foil packet in Tails' hand, then at his panicked expression. Her posture stiffened. "Are you kidding me?" she murmured through her teeth.
Cream lunged forward and snatched the packet from his hand. She squeezed her eyes shut and yelled directly into his face, "GET OUT! OUT OUT OUT!"
Tails scrambled backward, his heel catching the edge of the bedframe as he lurched toward the exit. He barely cleared the threshold before the door slammed shut with a violent crack that echoed through the hallway. He stood there for a moment, chest heaving, staring at the closed wood.
"I'm sorry, Cream!" Tails called through the door, his voice cracking. "I didn't mean to imply that we were going to... you know..."
The door clicked open. Cream stood there, her face still flushed a deep red. She had put her pajamas back on, though the collar was slightly crooked. She didn't look at him directly, instead focusing on his chest. "It's fine," she said, her voice regaining its usual softness. "I was the one who was mistaken. I was just... really embarrassed, okay?"
Tails' expression softened. "I'm sorry, Cream. I should've been more clear."
Cream met his eyes. "No, I should've made sure I understood what you were asking," she said.
They stood in the doorway for several seconds, the tension of the previous minute lingering between them. Neither spoke until Cream stepped aside, clearing the path back into the room. "You can have the left side."
Tails stepped back into the room, his movements cautious. The air still felt charged from the outburst, and he felt an odd sense of alertness as he navigated toward the bed. He kept his gaze mostly forward, though he couldn't help but notice the condom resting on the right-hand nightstand.
As Cream walked over to the right side of the bed, Tails looked at her. "Where did you even get one of those?" he asked.
She pulled the covers open. "From Mom's bathroom," she answered simply. "I found some in there a while ago, so I knew where they'd be."
He helped with the covers, his mind still racing through the logistics of the discovery. "Why would she even have those?" he asked, his voice low. "And won't she notice one missing?"
Cream climbed into bed, pulling the sheets up to her waist. "There were like a dozen of them. I don't think she counted." She patted the mattress beside her. "No more questions. Get in."
Tails climbed into the bed, sliding under the covers. He lay on his back, his body as rigid as a board, afraid that any sudden movement might break the fragile peace of the moment. The realization hit him in waves; he was actually lying in Cream’s bed, inches away from his girlfriend. He stared up at the ceiling, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Cream turned her head to look at him. "Tails? I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable before. You know, when I thought you wanted to..." She paused, her voice trailing off.
Tails turned to look at her. "It's okay. I wasn't uncomfortable. Scared, maybe. I couldn't believe how bold you were being."
A faint blush appeared on Cream's face. "I thought that's what you wanted, so I did my best for you," she said softly. She looked away, her voice dropping. "Honestly though, I'm relieved it was a misunderstanding. I was scared too. Really scared."
Tails looked back up at the ceiling, the silver moonlight casting long shadows across the room. He let out a small, nervous chuckle that barely reached his throat. "So I guess wine isn't the only thing we aren't ready for."
Cream giggled lightly. "I guess so." Her gaze drifted toward the window before she continued. "But I think... I could be ready for that... one day... with you..."
Tails felt the heat rise in his cheeks. "Yeah... me too," he whispered.
He leaned in, closing the small gap between them, and pressed his lips against hers in a gentle, tentative kiss. They both closed their eyes, letting the quiet contact steady their breathing and calm the frantic drumming of their hearts.
Tails pulled away slowly, his forehead still resting against hers. He leaned in one last time, his voice a barely audible murmur. "Good night, my beautiful wife."
Cream smiled, her eyes half-closed in the silver light. "Good night, my handsome husband," she whispered back. The words felt heavy and sweet, grounding them in the pretend world they had built for the evening. She leaned her head against his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heart, while he rested his chin atop her head.
Tails held her tight, pulling her closer against him. He had never felt happier than in this moment, lying in the quiet of the room with the weight of her against his body. The pretend marriage felt less like a game and more like a preview of something he desperately wanted. He closed his eyes, focusing on the rhythm of her breathing and the warmth of her.
___
The next morning began not with sunlight, but with a voice that cut through the haze of sleep. It was a stern, distant call that echoed from the hallway, carrying a tone of absolute suspicion. "Cream! Tails! Did you two drink wine last night?!"
The bedroom door pushed open with a sudden thud. Vanilla stepped inside, her expression a mix of confusion and authority. She froze the moment she saw them. Tails and Cream were tangled together under the covers, blinking away the remnants of their dreams.
Vanilla stood there, motionless, clutching one of the wine glasses they had forgotten to wash. Her gaze drifted from the pair in the bed to the nightstand, where the small, square foil packet lay in plain sight.
She let out a sharp gasp. The glass slipped from her grip and shattered against the floor. The sound was like a starter pistol, sending both teenagers jolting upright. Their hearts sank as they stared at her.
"M-Mom?!" Cream stammered, her voice small and frantic. "What're you... you're not supposed to be home yet!"
Tails followed Vanilla’s gaze to the nightstand, and his eyes widened. "Vanilla! It's not what it looks like! We didn't..." He stopped, realizing that denying the existence of the packet was impossible. He sat up, the sheets sliding down to his waist, and looked at Vanilla with a mixture of terror and desperation.
Vanilla stared down at the shattered glass for a long beat, her face unreadable. She took a slow, deep breath, closing her eyes for a second to steady herself. When she looked back at them, her expression had flattened into a mask of calm. "Both of you, go wait in the living room. Watch where you step. I'm going to clean this up, then you're going to explain to me what's going on."
Tails and Cream nodded in unison, their movements stiff. They stepped carefully around the shards of glass, and retreated toward the living room, the silence between them heavy with a sudden, sharp anxiety. Once they reached the couch, they sat side by side, staring at the blank television screen. They glanced at one another, the shared look conveying a mutual fear of whatever punishment or lecture awaited them.
A couple minutes later, Vanilla entered the living room with a measured pace. She didn't sit down, her gaze moving from Tails to Cream, holding each of them in her sight for a few seconds. "Did you two have sex?" she asked. Her voice was stern, lacking its usual softness, leaving no room for evasion.
"No, we didn't. I swear," Cream said, her voice small but urgent. She looked up at her mother, her expression pleading for belief. "There was a misunderstanding between us. I found a condom in your bathroom and took it, but we didn't use it. Nothing happened."
Vanilla didn't look convinced. She remained standing, her arms crossed, eyes narrowing as she processed Cream's explanation. "And the wine glasses?" she asked, her voice dropping an octave. "Were you two drinking?"
Tails swallowed hard, his voice sounding thin. "Yes. We opened one of your bottles, and had only a little bit each. It's the truth. We didn't like the taste, so we poured out the rest."
Vanilla's expression remained flat. She didn't move from her spot, but her gaze drifted toward the kitchen. "Where's the bottle?"
Tails looked down at the floor, unable to meet her gaze. "We emptied it out in the sink, then recycled it," he answered.
Vanilla walked out of the room, her footsteps receding toward the garage. A minute of heavy silence passed before the sound of a plastic bin lid clattering echoed through the house. She returned without a word, her face a mask of neutral disappointment, and headed straight for the kitchen, holding the empty bottle.
When she came back into the living room, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, congratulations kids. You wasted a three-hundred-dollar bottle of vintage cabernet. I got that as a pair for my eighteenth birthday from your great-grandparents, Cream. It's irreplaceable."
Cream's eyes immediately began to tear up. "I'm sorry, Mommy," she whispered, her voice breaking. She began to sob quietly, her shoulders shaking as the weight of the mistake hit her.
Tails pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her to offer support and rubbing her back in steady circles. He looked up at Vanilla, his own expression fraught with guilt. "We didn't know it was special or expensive," he said. "We just picked one we thought you wouldn't miss."
Vanilla watched Cream cry for a moment, her expression softening from sternness to a weary kind of patience. She let out a long sigh and sat down in the armchair off to the side, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"I know you didn't know," she said quietly. She looked at them both, her gaze lingering on the way Tails held Cream. "I understand that at your age, you get curious about these kinds of things. I'm not... I'm not mad at you. I just want you both to be safe."
Cream sniffled, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her pajama top. "I'm really sorry," she said again, her voice still trembling. "We were just pretending to be married, and we wanted to do things that adult couples do when they're married. It was stupid."
Vanilla looked between them, her expression thoughtful. "Couples?" she repeated, the word hanging in the air.
Tails swallowed. This wasn't how they had planned for her to find out, but they had no choice. "Yes. Cream and I are... we're dating."
Vanilla stared at Tails as if he had just claimed to be from another planet. Her expression didn't move, but her eyes widened slightly. "I thought... I always thought you saw each other as siblings," she said softly.
Tails continued rubbing Cream's back, his touch steady and grounding. "Ever since I came to live with you both and we would play together, Cream was my best friend. We've always been close, and I assumed our bond was… familial."
He looked at Cream, and for a moment, the panic of the morning faded into a quiet, shared understanding. "But more recently, something changed. I got this feeling in my chest every time I looked at her. And I knew she was getting that same feeling." Cream smiled at him, sniffling again. He paused, searching for the right words. "It was still love... but in a different way. I wanted to be closer to her. To hold her."
Tails looked Vanilla in the eyes, his expression determined despite the lingering nervousness. "And to kiss her," he added firmly.
Vanilla didn’t say anything for a long time. She remained in the armchair, her gaze drifting from Tails to Cream and back again. The silence stretched, filling the living room with a heavy, expectant energy. Tails kept his arm around Cream, his grip tightening slightly as he waited for her reaction. Cream leaned into him, her breathing finally returning to a normal rhythm.
"I see," Vanilla said finally. "That… is certainly a lot to process. I won't pretend this isn't a shock, because it is. I've spent the last eight years thinking of our home one way, and now you're asking me to see it completely differently."
She leaned back, her expression softening though her eyes remained serious. "I'm not angry. I could never be angry at the two of you for caring about each other. I just… need a little time to get used to the idea. And we are going to have a very serious talk about boundaries. You're only sixteen. I just don't want to see either of you get hurt. Understand?"
Cream let out a sigh of relief, a small smile appearing on her face. "That's fair, mom. Thank you for not being angry."
Vanilla stood up, her expression returning to a neutral, maternal mask. "I'm going to go get unpacked and let you two wake up properly," she said. She turned and walked toward the front door, her footsteps echoing in the hallway. A moment later, the front door clicked shut.
The silence in the living room lasted only a few seconds before the front door creaked open again. "Oh, but you're both grounded for a month," she announced, before the door closed again.
Tails and Cream both grunted in unison, the sudden weight of their grounding settling over them. They looked at each other for a heartbeat, the shared tension of the morning finally snapping, and they both burst into laughter.
"I thought I was going to have a heart attack!" Tails admitted, leaning back against the sofa cushions. The adrenaline was finally fading, leaving him feeling exhausted but strangely light.
"Me too!" Cream giggled, leaning her head on his shoulder. "It could've been a lot worse than being grounded for a month."
She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Tails' cheek. "Look at the bright side," she said, her voice returning to its usual gentle tone. "Now we'll have plenty of time together."
Tails frowned, his mind quickly calculating the possibilities of their new restriction. "Unless we can't leave our rooms," he added.
Cream stood up, looking down at him with a playful glint in her eyes. "Then I'll just sneak in through the window."
Tails stood up too. “I'll be sure to leave it unlocked.”
They looked at each other and smiled. Without a word, they reached out and locked their fingers together. They walked down the hall in a synchronized pace, their joined hands swinging slightly as they headed back toward their respective rooms. The house felt quieter now, the tension of Vanilla’s discovery replaced by a strange, newfound openness.
The End.
