Do You Believe in Ghosts? (Triple S x Reader)

Demons

~

'Spiritual therapy' consisted of lots of talking, running, and storytelling. Sonic tried to be as optimistic as possible, but it was clear (Y/n) wasn't feeling a thing. He guessed that what she was trying to do was help relieve him of some of the 'dark deeds' he'd done as a hero, in the hopes of transferring some of her immunity to him. 

By the end of it, neither of them thought it was working. 

"I just don't feel it," the (a/t) said. 

"Your words, not mine." 

"That little tug last time? Not there." She turned away from the hedgehog, pressing a hand to her face. "This isn't working." 

"Hey, hey," Sonic said, reaching out and placing his hand on her shoulder. "Those despairing thoughts and stuff? That's the ghost's job. Not yours. You're a hero, (Y/n). And you're doing your best. If anyone knows about not hitting the target every time, it's me." She sighed, turning around to face him, though she kept her eyes downcast. 

"I guess I'm just getting worried. We are so close to something, but I still have two more zones to cover and I feel like I'm not moving fast enough." After a long moment of silence, she glanced up at Sonic to see a smile working its way to his face. "Okay, no speed puns." 

"Sorry, was just about to let one slip." He grinned. "But seriously. You're doing fine. You're still adjusting to being a hero, to being the one shouldering the weight of the world. That's okay." 

"Sounds like it came naturally to you." 

"Eh, I've had my bad days." He paused, then put his other hand on her shoulder and drew her in for a tentative hug. "And...if you're getting completely sick of me, maybe...maybe it's time to head to another zone. Maybe meeting with one of the others'll give you a sudden burst of inspiration and you'll be able to figure it out." He ghosted one hand down her back. "Honestly, you've given me more than I could have ever asked for in the amount of time you have been here." 

"But...I don't want to leave you until I figure it all out," she said, pushing him back. "I don't want you to lose all the hope you've gained. And what about your friends?" 

"What about the world? Look, (Y/n). You've come to a stalemate. That much is easy to see. And clearly, the longer you suffer with it, the more demons you awake within yourself. You're immune because you're pure. Who's to say that won't change the longer we go on like this? Look, (Y/n), much as I love having you around, maybe it really is time to move on. Look for a different source of inspiration." 

"Wow. You make it sound like you want me to leave." His eyes widened slightly. 

"No! No, of course I don't. So far you've been the only thing grounding me to myself, to what I used to be, to my friends. I'm just trying to help you see a solution." He hesitated, then stepped back and settled down on his knees. She followed him, one ear twitching curiously. 

"If I'm being entirely honest with you, I really, really don't want you to leave," he said quietly. "But that's selfish. The rest of the world still needs you and I can't hog you." He cracked a grin at his lame pun, but it quickly faded when she simply stared at him. "Look. Much as I want you around, I know that it's not doing you much good anymore."

"Sonic-" 

"It's okay, (Y/n)! I promise, I'll be fine. The others will help you, I just know it. They're great guys - most of the time, anyway - and having a different crowd will definitely help." He extended his hands to the (a/t) as she looked down. 

"Are you...are you sure?" she asked, staring at his hands. He leaned forward and gently gathered her hands in his, lifting them between the both of them.