Author's Note: A sequel to 'To Choose is To Be Free', this is a new story that doesn't directly follow-up those events, but continues chronologically, a few months from where it left off.
He felt it in the core of his being. Something was about to disturb the peace up on Angel Island.
Funny how he never felt that way anymore, when Sonic came to visit him.
Knuckles braced himself for whatever was incoming, eyes darting all around, until he spotted it up in the distance.
Like a poor imitation of some mythical creature, a giant green crocodile drifted through the sky, carried by the wings of a tiny bee. How the little bee managed to do so remained a mystery.
"Are we close now Vector?" Charmy asked, strained in concentration of keeping the giant croc afloat.
"We're gettin' there! Ah, I see it!" the crocodile shouted back. "There! The shrine! No Charmy, we're gonna miss it. Back up! Back up!"
"Uhh... I don't know how much longer I can hold you!"
The bee was struggling, losing his grip on the crocodile just as they hovered above the Master Emerald's shrine.
"Crap! Guess we're going down!"
"Charmyyy!" Vector shouted, the poor croc careening towards the altar.
Down below, Knuckles made a split second decision, forgoing the emerald for a moment in order to catch his falling friend.
Using that raw strength he was known for, Knuckles caught the large crocodile, and the force sent them skidding backwards, stopping just an inch short of the Master Emerald.
Knuckles would've let out a sigh of relief had Charmy not rammed into them a second later. With the force of all three against it, the emerald tipped over onto its side, with a resounding thunk.
"Get off me Charmy!"
"You get off me!"
"Both of you get off me!" Knuckles groaned, shoving Vector and Charmy aside as he rushed to straighten up the Master Emerald.
"I'll help," the hyperactive bee offered, running over to the other side of the emerald.
"Me too," Vector chimed in, jumping in to help, although when he pushed it, he only ended up tipping it over to the other side, "Ease up, Charmy, you're gonna break it!"
"Me?! You're the one that's pushing it too far!"
"That's enough! You two need to let go! I can do this by myself!" Knuckles fumed.
Charmy and Vector obliged, stepping away from the emerald so that the guardian could set it straight.
Knuckles finally let out a sigh, only now he was exasperated more than relieved.
"What're you guys doing here anyway," he asked, more miffed than he would've liked. In any other circumstance, Knuckles would have been thrilled to see his old pals, just as long it was far and away from the Master Emerald.
"We're here on request," a disembodied voice cut in before anyone else could answer.
Espio changed into his default magenta coloring, appearing next to Knuckles, much to the echidna's surprise.
"Espio, when'd you get here?" Knuckles said through a smile, a lot calmer at seeing the most level-headed member of the Chaotix.
"Just in time to see the shitstorm going down," the chameleon replied.
Vector's long jaw dropped at this, finger pointed at Espio as he yelled.
"Profanity! So you're the one that's been corrupting Charmy with all that foul language!"
Espio looked unaffected.
"Not this again. You do realize he's been watching your movies," the chameleon deadpanned.
"He what?"
"Every single night," Espio boasted.
"Hey, I have not! Not every night," Charmy butt in defensively.
"Well why didn't you stop him? If Charmy starts swearing, he might do it in front of Cream, and if she learns it from him, she'll do it in front of her mom! If Cream's mom catches wind of who's responsible, she won't let them play together anymore, and if she doesn't let Cream come over, I'll never get to see Cream's mom ever again! She'll think I'm a low-life! Unfit to be around children! I'll be a pariah!"
Knuckles was having none of it deciding to put an end to Vector's melodramatic rant.
"Guys!" he interjected. "That's all very unfortunate and all, but I'm sure Charmy's potty mouth and Vector's potentially ruined reputation isn't the reason you guys came over here. Will one of you tell me why you're all here?"
"Sonic has requested our services," Charmy answered cheerfully.
"Sonic? Why would he—?"
"He's counting on you to help him out on some big mission," Vector interrupted, having already recovered from his ramblings.
"So we'll be taking over your duties here for the weekend," Charmy blurted out.
"No you're not. No way. You guys are not going near my emerald."
"Okay! He already paid us anyway," Charmy bragged.
"Charmy, he's not supposed to know that!" Vector muttered under his breath.
"He knew you might turn us down," Espio explained calmly. "So he told us to give you this message: even if you decide not to join him, he wants to see you in person before he leaves today."
At this, Knuckles' whole demeanor changed.
"Leaving? To where?"
They all shrugged, honestly not knowing the answer to that.
"All I know is, this isn't your typical, 'defeat Eggman's robots' kind mission," Espio said.
"Guess it must be pretty important if he enlisted the help of all three of you guys," Knuckles decided.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Vector asked suspiciously.
"Nevermind. Look I'm trusting you guys to keep the emerald and my island safe. There's a chance I won't come back today, so Espio, since you've done this before, you're in charge. But if anything goes sideways—and I'm talking an inch—you call me right away." Knuckles pointed to the communicator watch on his wrist to clarify his point.
"Done," Espio assured him. "Alright then, get out of here. He said to meet him at Tails' house."
"Right. Thanks."
Knuckles hesitated only for a moment, dashing off before he could change his mind about leaving his precious emerald in the hands of the Chaotix.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
First thing the echidna noticed as he approached Tails' house was the red biplane sitting out on the runway. He entered through the open hangar, looking for any sign of the hedgehog, then headed upstairs.
Sonic greeted him as soon as Knuckles peeked his head in the door.
"Hey stranger. About time you showed up."
"Hey," Knuckles answered airily.
Even though they'd been friends for years, being Sonic's boyfriend was still a novelty to the echidna. Just the sight of the blue hedgehog brought a smile to his face, and an indescribable feeling of comfort. He hoped that would never change.
Knuckles went over to join Sonic on the couch where the hero laid watching TV.
Sonic was about to sit up to clear up a space for his boyfriend, when Knuckles dove into him for a kiss, laying him back down on the couch. He happily welcomed the kiss, as Knuckles sunk deeper into him, arms and legs instinctively becoming intertwined.
"Tails isn't around is he?" Knuckles asked between kisses.
"No. But... I'm not sure when he's coming back," Sonic answered, as the echidna trailed kisses along his jaw, down to his chest and belly. Sonic let out a sigh as he mused. "It's been a while hasn't it?"
"Mmhm."
"So you aren't mad about me sending the Chaotix to cover for you?"
Knuckles stopped, and looked up at Sonic. "Of course not. I missed you... and this," Knuckles added with a smirk. "Though, I have to ask. Did you have to really have to send Vector and Charmy?"
Sonic snickered. "Well... sure... I mean, I know Espio is your go-to guy, but the other guys looked like they could use a little excitement. Besides, you're coming with me for the weekend right?"
Knuckles sat up, thinking it over.
"Oh... umm... I dunno, Sonic. You know I'm down for anything, as long as the Master Emerald isn't gonna be compromised. But three days is a long time to be away from the island. You have no idea how much can go wrong."
"Would you stop being so cynical? Nothing's gonna go wrong. I know those guys might seem a little... inept. But when it comes to the important things, they always deliver. They're your friends. They're not gonna let you down. Besides... if you aren't coming with... I'll just have to go by myself. I've got the Tornado ready and everything. But, the whole point is for us to go together."
"Well, do you mind telling me where we're going first so I can make up my mind."
"All can say is, it's not on this coast. And it's not so much a mission, as it is a date... an extended date. For you, maybe even a vacation. Getting you off the island is anyway. I just think it'll be a good change of scenery from our usual haunts."
"Not that I oppose spending more time with you, but what's so wrong with our usual dates that we have to go across the country?"
"Nothing... I mean, we always have fun... It's just... we always end up doing the same thing. It's always dinner at your burrow, or dinner and movie, or dinner and dancing. And don't get me started at how uptight you get when we go out to a club."
Knuckles scoffed at the notion.
"Uptight? What're you talking about?"
"Knux, you almost fought some guy for talking to me."
"Well, yeah. I shoulda knocked his teeth in. That guy knew you were with me and he purposely kept hitting on you."
"No he didn't. And he was just... flirting," Sonic said defensively.
"Same difference."
"Whatever. It was harmless," Sonic scoffed, getting back to the subject at hand, "Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, I think we could be a little more unconventional. Go somewhere where we can spend some quality time together, and then some. Just for a couple of nights."
"O-kay...? I still don't understand why you're being so cryptic about it."
"Because. That's a surprise."
"Sonic! Tell me where we're going." Knuckles tackled Sonic playfully, the hedgehog having absolutely no qualms about getting roughed up. "I'll get it out of you. One way or another."
"What're you gonna do, huh?" Sonic teased, using his legs to pull Knuckles between them. "You gonna fuck it out of me?"
Sonic clenched his boyfriend's hips with his thighs, enticing him further by pressing himself right up against Knuckles' groin.
The guardian suppressed a moan, genuinely contemplating it as he hovered above Sonic.
"Don't tempt me," he growled.
Sonic wasn't making it easy to resist. The hero couldn't have looked more seductive with his brilliant, pleading eyes.
Sonic put an end to Knuckles' hesitance, initiating a kiss that stifled throaty moans brought on by the friction between them.
"Wait, wait. Hold on, Sonic," Knuckles said breathlessly, after letting himself enjoy it for a minute. "Are we really gonna do this? Here?"
Sonic was so turned on by the prospect of getting fucked mercilessly by his boyfriend, he had completely forgotten they were at Tails' house. And on his couch, no less.
"Shit. You're right. That's gotta be a violation of some bro-code."
"Yeah... but not really. Since the bro in question doesn't even know his two bros are more than friends," Knuckles noted, sitting back up again to give Sonic space to recuperate. "Still. It's even more disrespectful if we're doing things in his house he doesn't even know about."
Sonic deflated at the reminder that it was by his choice that none of their friends knew about their relationship.
"Knux," Sonic whined. "You just can't let it go, can you? How many times do I have to remind you? You might be ready to tell our friends, but I'm not. We'll tell them, when the time is right. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay," Knuckles agreed, half-heartedly. He could never fully understand Sonic's reasoning behind keeping their relationship a secret from even their closest friends.
Sonic jumped to his feet, stretching out the kinks from lazing around all afternoon.
"Way to kill the mood knucklehead."
The echidna rolled his eyes at the remark.
"It's not like we were going anywhere with it. Not here anyway."
Sonic just couldn't stay sour at the echidna, perking up almost immediately.
"Exactly. That's why we have to save it for our trip."
"Really?" Knuckles asked, still not convinced.
"Yes, really. I've already booked it, the plane's ready. There's really nothing else we need to pack, so all that's left to do is get ourselves in gear."
"Wait, what do you mean you booked it? Is it a resort or something?"
"Not exactly... but you're getting warmer," Sonic said with a wink, before dashing out of the house.
Knuckles shook his head and chuckled, reflecting as he followed Sonic outside.
Of all the people I could have fallen in love with...
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"You aren't gonna bail out on me at the last minute and leave me stranded there, are you?" Sonic asked as he stood next to the Tornado.
"Not gonna make any promises," Knuckles shrugged.
Sonic furrowed his brows at him in annoyance.
"Kidding. You're a little more important than the Master Emerald. But only a little," the echidna teased. "Let's go then, before I change my mind."
Sonic hopped on board, sitting in the pilot's seat, while Knuckles followed, taking his place on the wing.
"You ready?" Sonic asked, turning the engine on. The propellers began to spin.
"Let's go," Knuckles asserted.
Just as the Tornado started moving down the runway, Sonic heard a familiar voice calling his name from a distance.
"Sonic!"
The pair looked around for the source of the voice.
Tails came flying out of seemingly nowhere, prompting Sonic to put the brakes on the plane for a moment.
"Tails? What's up?" Sonic shouted over the rumble of the plane's engine.
"Whew! Where're you guys going?" Tails questioned as he landed softly on the wing of the Tornado.
Sonic and Knuckles looked at each other for a moment before beginning to talk over each other.
"Nowhere special," and, "We're going on a mission," came Sonic and Knuckles' answers, respectively.
They turned to each other, but their silent communication wasn't working. It was clear, they weren't on the same page.
"A mission? Cool! Can I come with?" Tails asked, hopefully.
"Oh, Tails, what Knux meant to say was, we're going somewhere new, and it might turn into a mission, but it might also just be a fluke. So... sorry man, we really won't be needing any more help. We really need to get going."
"Ohh," Tails simply said in disappointment.
Knuckles couldn't stand to see the little fox's despondence, devising a plan that might get more info out of the hedgehog.
"Wow. You won't even tell Tails. That's dedication. To be honest, Tails, Sonic hasn't exactly told me where we're going, either. I'm sure you won't be missing out on much. Who knows? This whole trip might turn out to be a bust."
"Knux, you're the only thing that's gonna get busted if you keep talking," Sonic uttered toward the guardian. "Alright Tails, if you've gotta know, we're going to spend the weekend at a haunted house. Now I know that's not something you've ever looked forward to. Do you still wanna come with?"
"Sonic. Seriously?" Knuckles couldn't believe the hedgehog would resort to a scare tactic.
Sonic nodded. "Yeah, I'm dead serious. Well, they're just rumors, but from what I've heard they're pretty legit."
"Oh, sure... I'll go. Sounds like fun," Tails answered sounding a bit discouraged.
"Positive? I mean Knuckles and I have dealt with ghosts before. Do you really think you can handle it?"
Tails was aware of the risk, but he didn't want to seem intimidated in front of his friends.
"Sure I can," he said more confidently this time.
Sonic let out a sigh, feeling outnumbered.
"Alright. I guess, you've proven yourself before. And it wouldn't hurt to have reinforcements in case things go south. Let's go then! You wanna pilot the Tornado? I already input the coordinates."
"Yep! Thanks Sonic."
Sonic and Tails traded places, and without much more banter, the trio of heroes were off on their new adventure.
Author's Note: Thanks to all the positive feedback I got on my first story in this continuity, I decided to go ahead and write more! Because there isn't enough sonuckles love in the world, we're focusing on them once again here. This one, however, is inspired by my love of all things spooky, fall, and Halloween, since it's right around the corner. Also, happy back to school for all those of you still in school! (I'm a bit jellie XD)
For any new readers, the character's personalities are very much game-verse based, though the games aren't referenced too much.
I sound like a broken record because I say this in every fic, but it truly makes me so happy whenever someone takes the time to give me a little feedback! Thanks for reading!