Chapter 1: An Offer He Can't Refuse:

A knock came from Nicole's door. The lynx looked up from the textbook she'd been studying. She cleared her throat and then called, "Enter."

The door opened slowly and a red echidna entered. Nicole's eyes roved up and down his body appreciatively. He was tall, well-built, and, in a rugged way, handsome. Perfect for the intentions she had for him. "You wanted to see me?" he asked.

Nicole blinked as she was pulled out of her fantasy. "Er, yes, Knuckles. Please sit." She gestured to the chair in front of her desk. The echidna hesitated, and then took the lynx's offer. He was obviously uncomfortable in her presence, but hopefully she could help him relieve some of that stress. She would have to tactfully reduce his anxiety before attempting to introduce her preposition to the nervous male. "You are free to relax, Knuckles," she giggled in effort to put him at ease, "We are friends after all, am I right?"

"Um, I guess so," he agreed. He forced himself to sit back and let his muscles loosen, but kept his guard up nonetheless. "Can I ask why I'm here?"

"Yes, you may," she corrected gently. "My interactions with you have informed me that you are a very direct man and I can certainly appreciate that." She sat the book she had been reading side and Knuckles noted the title: "The Encyclopedia of Sex". He raised an eye ridge, but remained silent. "As you already know, I have studied hard in an attempt to understand the Mobian experience ever since I acquired personality and this temporary body."

Knuckles nodded. One of the first things she'd discovered was the simple pleasure of eating, and shortly thereafter the pains of overeating. It was refreshing to have someone even more naïve than himself to talk to. Sonic, Sally, and Knuckles himself have all tried to help the poor girl adapt to living a normal life. Well… as normal of one as a Freedom Fighter could lead.

"I have learned much," she continued, "yet there are some mysteries that elude me, and no amount of research can satisfy my curiosity."

Knuckles felt apprehension creep up on him s he began to suspect what Nicole was getting at. "Would I be right in assuming this why you asked me here?"

"You would be correct." Nicole leaned forward, intentionally giving him an ample view of her bosom. However, the echidna's gentlemanly nature kicked in and he averted his eyes respectfully. The holo-lynx was disappointed, yet pressed on. "I have recently taken an interest in reproductive cycles of many living creatures, Mobians' peculiar mating habits in particular," she explained.

Knuckles swallowed nervously as his suspicions were all but confirmed. "And how do you think I can help you?"

Nicole stood up and rounded the desk to rest on its edge next to the Guardian's right. Despite himself, Knuckles couldn't help but watch her as she sashayed over to him. The way her purple toga hugged her curves and flowed over her slender legs awakened something in him he didn't want her to see. He flushed a deep crimson as he struggled to repress his more primal urges. Nicole noted his reaction with a hint of satisfaction.

"I have read that the primary objective of coitus is to produce offspring, yet Mobians alone behave rather promiscuously when it comes to mating. It is only logical that both males and females would seek out the best possible mate before engaging in intercourse."

Knuckles was getting increasingly uncomfortable, yet still held his tongue.

"They call this practice 'making love'. I long to understand this paradox and with my recent upgrade I believe this is possible. So I come to my point. Will you make love to me?"

Although he had expected this coming, he was still rendered speechless. He was sure he was glowing red as he fought to regain control of his tongue. "Uh, what?!"

Nicole nodded knowingly. "I anticipated some initial shock and possible resistance. Perhaps if I clarified, I am asking you to-"

"Yeah I know what you're talking about," Knuckles interrupted. "But why me?"

"By my reckoning, you are an ideal mate. Sonic is spoken for, Tails is too young, and I regard Rotor as my father."

Knuckles frowned as anxiety gave way to anger. "Are you saying I'm not your first choice?" he growled.

Nicole quickly shook her head. "No," she soothed, "In fact frankly, you are indeed my first choice. You and I are alike in many ways, key among them being we are both outsiders when it comes to social graces. As a result, I have come to hope you might help enlighten me in this enigma. Will you share this experience with me?" She reached out and stroked his white crescent on his muscular chest with her black, gloveless fingertip.

He felt himself melt under her touch. It was incredibly realistic and although it had been only a month since she had gained the ability to interact with real objects, she was getting good with her hands. He detected a guttural noise coming from his throat. Oh God, was he purring? He snapped out of the haze that was beginning to form. He stood up sharply, knocking over the chair, and backed away from the sultry hologram.

"What is the matter? Am I not attractive enough to you?" Nicole looked hurt.

"N-no. It's not that," he stuttered.

"Then what is it?"

"Y-you d-don't want me that w-way."

"Why not?"

Knuckles hesitated before he answered reluctantly, "I'm not exactly experienced in such things."

"That is another reason why I selected you. We are both virgins, which should make this experiment even more special."

"Experiment?" Knuckles suddenly sounded less nervous and more suspicious. Good, progress was being made at least.

"That is the general idea, but honestly it is much more than that. I really want you and no one else to be the one to accompany me on this once in a lifetime experience."

Knuckles's last defenses crumbled away. "Very well then, I'd be honored to assist you. On one condition," he added, "We do this right and at least go through the motions even if we already know the outcome. I was raised to do the right thing."

"Agreed," Nicole conceded. "The courtship rituals are an integral aspect of a successful mating."

"Yes, well, er… I suppose I should ask you out."

"That is social protocol, yes."

Knuckles coughed nervously and closed the distance between them. "Um… Nicole?"

"Yes?"

"Would you join me for a… um, picnic?"

"Of course! What time?"

"Um, er… Tomorrow at noon?"

"It's a date then," she confirmed. A smile played on her brown face and she leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on his lips. Electricity, whether real or imagined, ran down his spine. When Nicole broke away and returned to her desk, the dazed echidna escorted himself out on unsteady legs. What the hell just happened? The answer struck him in an instant. She had given him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Author's Note: To the best of my knowledge this is the first Knux/Nicole pairing fanfic. And I think I'm off to a good start. For continuity, this can be considered an original universe where either Julie doesn't exist or he simply hasn't met her yet. Anyways, R&R. Oh, BTW, Nicole purposely speaks somewhat robotically and can't use contractions at all.

Author's Note II: I am reposting my original fanfic on my new account. My password to my old account was lost and I didn't set up a back-up, so the moral of the story is: don't put all your eggs in one basket. Anyways, I'll be updating about once every week or two. Happy reading!