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Sonic had been living with the Wachowskis for a few months now, and all of them had gotten comfortable in the new routine of having a +1 (or +1000, in Sonic’s case) around. Movie nights, family dinners, going on shopping trips where Sonic sat in the cart and smuggled things in when they weren’t looking - even day trips to see the baseball games Sonic begged to go to had become normal to them, and there wasn’t a finer feeling anywhere. Of course, neither of them acknowledged it in Sonic’s presence, but both Maddie and Tom knew, without a doubt, Sonic was
their
kid. Their
son.
It was still immensely exciting, every time Sonic came downstairs with his little lightning-themed raincoat on to greet Maddie in the living room, or when Wade gushed to Tom over break about the time Sonic had (mistakenly, he’d tried to convince them) called him ‘Uncle Wade’. However, one topic was looming larger and larger over them - School. In late night conversations, they’d agreed that the sooner Sonic was in school, the better, especially now practically the entire town was used to him now. Although Tom and Maddie were entirely certain Sonic would be thrilled at the prospect of going to school with all his new friends, one problem consistently arose.
The paperwork.
Most of the harsh topics had come up sooner or later - Sonic’s isolation on Earth, his past on the planet Mobius,
Longclaw
, but nothing as trivial as his exact age or last name. Tom in particular felt horrible about this - he should’ve at least asked the kid how old he was - it felt like he knew everything about him and yet at the same time, nothing at all. Once he had calmed down, a plan was quickly formed to talk about it with him the next day. It couldn’t be that hard, right?
As if time had passed too quickly, Maddie made a point of sitting down with Tom and Sonic before their usual movie night. When they said they had something important to talk about with him, Sonic froze, pressing his quills further into the sofa, trying to sink into the fabric somehow.
Had he done something wrong? Were they angry?
But the second Maddie sat down in front of him, a gentle look on her face, and Tom quickly hooked a large, warm arm around him, Sonic instantly relaxed. Though - if they weren’t angry, what was it?
Tom was nervous, definitely more so than he looked, or should be, for that matter. Before he could open his mouth and make a stuttering fool of himself, Maddie started the conversation;
“We’re getting you in school, kiddo!”
All in an instant, Sonic’s eyes widened, his grin stretched and he flapped his hands on his lap, so quickly it was just a blur of white gloves and blue fur.
“Really? Are you- are you for real?” Maddie glanced over to Tom with a knowing look, smiling brightly.
“Yeah, really really,” Tom said, “But we just need to ask you some things.”
“Anything! Anything,” Sonic replied, his mouth moving a mile a minute, kicking his legs off the side of the chair. It was a wonder he hadn’t shot off around the house yet.
“First of all, we know your birthday, but you gotta tell us properly, how old are you?”
“Um, uh, twelve!” he replied, although after looking had his hands first, muttering numbers under his breath. Maddie had to restrain herself from falling back - it was the most adorable thing she’d ever seen.
“Okay,” Tom started again, “So... Sonic, you've got a first name, what’s your full name?”
At this, Sonic made a noise that they could only describe as audible cringing.
“It’s…. Sonic M..” he stopped, looking up at them awkwardly, before half-shouting the words all at once;
“My middle name is Maurice.” And then buried his face in his hands.
Oh my god,
Tom thought,
no wonder he reacted like that
. He looked over at Maddie for her reaction, and though she was slightly red in the face, she coaxed him back out of his shell to ask him another question.
“Okay, but do you have a last name?”
“A last name?” Sonic seemed to ponder this concept for a second, before continuing, “Oh, like yours? Umm... Hedgehog, I think.”
“Hedgehog?” Tom asked, as a sudden idea popped into his head.
“I mean, I guess? I don't think I ever had a last name.” Sonic replied, leaning into him.
“...How does Wachowski sound?”
The question had taken all of them, even Tom, off guard. Yes, it was an amazing idea from yours truly, but he never imagined actually asking it. The words had just… come out, all at once. Maddie snuck a look of agreement over to him, slightly jealous she hadn’t been the one to suggest it.
Sonic looked up to him, the biggest smile on his face the two of them had ever seen since they took him to the playoffs, and flung his body into Tom’s arms, letting his dad engulf him a hug, saying, uncharacteristically quietly, “Yeah. I-I’d like that.”
“It’s settled then, kid,” Maddie noted, a playful tone in her voice, “You’re now an official Wachowski.”