A/N: I know I have an unfinished story, but I started this one a while back and finally decided to finish it. So... enjoy?
The days and weeks used to pass by and blend together with no importance to the daily life of Knuckles the Echidna. He had no use knowing something as trivial as the current date when most of his days were spent up in the floating island, guarding the Master Emerald.
Back then, it was much simpler. He was comfortable with his solitude. It wasn't until the day he met Sonic that his world had changed drastically, and for the better. Sonic was the first person to make him break out of his solitude, and out of that comfort. In more ways than one. First as his rival, then as his friend, and finally as his lover.
Now Knuckles found himself checking the date on his calendar, counting the days and months since their relationship had begun. Without their rocky start, Knuckles counted that they had officially been together for six months to the day.
"A half year anniversary? Is that a thing? Do couples celebrate that," he thought to himself.
He knew it sounded stupid, but he thought Sonic would appreciate spending some time with him regardless of the occasion.
With that in mind, Knuckles rounded up some of the critters that resided on Angel Island, feeling confident enough to leave them in charge of protecting the Master Emerald for a while.
After stopping by the small garden he maintained behind his burrow, Knuckles made his way over to Tails' workshop, knowing he would always find Sonic nearby.
xxxxxxxx
Below the cliff where Tails had built his workshop, there was a narrow strip of sand that would normally be submerged in water when the tide wasn't out. Their group of friends had started to use the small makeshift beach for gatherings whenever they had some downtime in the warm summer months.
Sonic's eyes lit up when he spotted the red echidna coming down the cliff to the shoreline.
"Hey! Look who decided to show up," Sonic shouted.
Tails, Sonic, Espio, Vector, and Amy were all currently engaged in a friendly ex-gear competition over the ocean's waves, while Charmy and Cream built sandcastles on the shore.
The children were the first to greet him.
"You're late, Knuckles," Charmy scolded him as he approached them.
"Late to what?" Knuckles asked.
"Didn't you get the memo?" Charmy asked. "Tails invited everyone to come to the beach with their ex-gear for a race."
Before the echidna could answer, Sonic barreled over to them on his gear, kicking up a small sandstorm towards Knuckles and the two kids.
"Hey, watch it!" Charmy shouted.
"Oops, sorry!" Sonic quickly apologized when he was at the receiving end of Charmy and Cream's glares. "Hey Knux, quit stalling and grab your gear from the workshop."
"Yeah, Charmy was just catching me up to speed. I didn't know you guys were having a party," Knuckles explained. "Guess my invite got lost."
"Well, don't be a stranger," Sonic advised, placing his hands his on hips. "We're just getting started."
"Nah, it's okay. I only came here to talk to you, Sonic," Knuckles motioned subtly towards Tails' workshop with his head.
Sonic caught his drift, leaping off of his board.
"Sounds like serious business," Sonic teased, starting to follow Knuckles back up the rocky cliff. "I'll be back in a little while guys. How about all of you try to get on my level while I'm gone," Sonic shouted as he dismissed himself from the group.
"Haa! You wish, Sonic!" his friends teased from over the water.
Besides Tails, all of their friends were still oblivious to Sonic and Knuckles' relationship and no one seemed to think much of it whenever they'd sneak off somewhere.
xxxxx
"So, what's this about?" Sonic wondered once they were out of earshot of their friends.
"You'll see in a second," Knuckles answered simply.
At the door to Tails' workshop, Knuckles stopped and told Sonic to close his eyes.
"I didn't know what gift was appropriate for the occasion, but..." he said as he pulled out a bouquet of colorful flowers. "This is for you."
Sonic opened his eyes, blinking slowly. He was delighted, but a bit confused.
"I've been growing these in my garden... since I know you like flowers," Knuckles explained. "Happy half-year anniversary, Sonic."
Sonic's face brightened, before letting out an amused laugh.
"That sounded even dumber out loud than it did in my head," Knuckles added.
"I'm not laughing at you, you big sentimental dork. You're really sweet. I love this, Knuckles," Sonic said, graciously accepting the bouquet. "Thank you."
He reached for Knuckles' cheek, holding him steady as he leaned in for a kiss.
"No one's ever given me flowers before," Sonic said. "These are so beautiful. I'll make sure to take good care of them so they'll last a long time. I'm gonna have to dig through the workshop to find a vase."
"No need. I got one just in case. It's upstairs."
"Great, let's go get it."
Sonic followed his boyfriend inside Tails' living quarters above the workshop.
"I wish flowers wouldn't wither away so quickly," Sonic said filling the vase with cold water. "Hey, I just got an idea... Before they start to wither, I'll press them in a book. That way I can keep them forever. My first bouquet of flowers. It'll be a keepsake."
"Okay, now who's the big sentimental dork," Knuckles returned, a sly grin spread on his muzzle.
Sonic smiled and shrugged airily.
Knuckles snapped back to reality, remembering his duty.
"Well, I won't keep you much longer. I know you have to get back to the beach," Knuckles announced. "I need to head back home anyway. The island isn't on high defense right now."
"Are you kidding me? No way. I'm not going back to the beach. Yeah, it's fun and all, but I'd rather spend the day with you. Now that I know it's our six-month anniversary. That's a pretty big milestone for us."
Knuckles nodded his, agreeing with that last part.
"Come on, let's celebrate. The beach party was Tails' idea anyway. If he hadn't set it up, I'd probably be snoozing by a pool sipping one of those big ol' drinks with the umbrella and lemon wedge on the side.
"That sounds really nice, actually," Knuckles said, not needing any more convincing. "And I think I know where we can do that."
"Yeah? Let's do it then."
Before leaving, Sonic tied a ribbon around the vase, and left his bouquet sitting on a sunny windowsill.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sonic stretched and yawned, as he lay on a chair next to the pool in the Station Square hotel.
"This is perfect."
Knuckles set his drink down on the table next to him, raising the sunglasses Sonic had got him at the hotel's gift shop.
"Sure is. I'm gonna go take a dive in the pool," Knuckles announced, hoping Sonic would join him.
Sonic smirked, letting out a small chuckle.
"I'm gonna enjoy the view."
"Come in with me. I promise I won't let you go."
"Hmm... no thanks."
Knuckles sighed, knowing not to push the subject of swimming on Sonic.
"Alright."
Knuckles did a few laps around the pool, showing off his graceful swim skills while Sonic watched.
"Hey, Sonic," Knuckles called out, swimming over to the shallow end of the pool. "Mind passing me my drink?"
Sonic reluctantly got up to hand the echidna his drink, waiting as Knuckles pulled himself up to sit on the edge.
"Thanks babe, I appreciate it," Knuckles said taking the glass, with a gleam in his eyes.
"Sure."
Before Sonic could even turn back around, he felt Knuckles' huge mitt on his back, pushing him face forward into the water.
Sonic sputtered and yelled at his boyfriend.
"What the hell, Knuckles? I cannot believe I actually fell for that!" Sonic shouted, trying his best to stay buoyant. He heard the echidna laughing, then splash in after him.
Knuckles placed his hands around Sonic's waist to help keep him afloat in the water.
"How could you? You know how much I hate swimming!"
"You wouldn't if you actually tried it," Knuckles said. "When are you going to face your fear and just learn to swim? You can't always run around it. Or over it. You're just putting yourself in danger. One of these days you're gonna end up falling in a lake or an ocean and then what are you gonna do?"
"Tch. That's what I have you for," Sonic said feeling more at ease now.
"What if I'm not around?" Knuckles suggested.
"Tails. Amy. The Chaotix... my list of friends literally goes on."
"You're pathetic."
"And you're an asshole. What happened to you being sweet to me?"
Knuckles kissed the hedgehog, feeling a bit of remorse for the five seconds of torment he put his boyfriend through.
"My life flashed before my eyes, you know," Sonic teased, hoping to get another apology kiss.
"Mm-hm... Can you imagine the headlines if you had actually died? Sonic the Hedgehog drowns in the kiddie pool."
"I hate you."
"You love me." Knuckles kissed him again, more passionately this time.
"Mmm... and just like that, all is forgiven," Sonic moaned.
Knuckles felt Sonic's hand snake its way down his torso and reach between his legs.
"Whoa slow down, Sonic, we're not doing that... in here," Knuckles whispered, reminding Sonic they were in a very public place.
"You started it," Sonic purred, nuzzling Knuckles' shoulder, and grazing his teeth against it.
"It was just a kiss."
Sonic lifted his head, giving his boyfriend a look he knew Knuckles couldn't resist.
"I can't help it that you make me so horny," Sonic whispered, raising his legs open and guiding Knuckles' stiffening cock with one hand while holding onto his shoulders with the other. Knuckles hiked him up so they were better aligned, letting Sonic slide the tip of his cock inside himself.
"Sonic, we're not doing this here," Knuckles still protested, panting in anticipation.
"You know you damn well you wanna fuck me right here, right now. Come on, it'll be quick."
"Of course I do. But I don't want it to be quick."
"Shit... That feels so fuckin' good," Sonic moaned, slipping his boyfriend's cock further into himself.
"Stop it. We're gonna get kicked out of here."
"So what?"
Knuckles felt Sonic's tightness closing in around his shaft, and they both let out a soft cry of pleasure.
"Okay... okay..." Knuckles panted. "Why don't I get us a room, so we can finish this upstairs. It'll be just like the first time."
"You don't have to do that, Knuckles."
"I want to, Sonic. For the both of us. Please."
Sonic detached himself from his boyfriend, climbing out of the pool with Knuckles close behind. They each grabbed towels, drying off and making themselves halfway decent while they walked back into the hotel.
"Nice diversion, by the way..." Knuckles said, once the room was booked and they were in the elevator. "I let you off easy today, seeing how it's a special occasion and all. One of these days, I'm going to teach you to swim, no matter how much sex you tempt me with."
"Yeah, sure, we'll see how well that works out for you," Sonic said with a smug grin.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"Is this the same room we stayed in on our first date?" Sonic asked once they reached their hotel room.
"The very same one. With the view and everything."
"Ohh... man. I never would have guessed you'd remember such a small detail."
"How could I forget? That was one of the best nights of my life."
Sonic raised a brow. "It was that good wasn't it?"
Knuckles laughed softly, feeling his cheeks getting hot. "You know what I mean."
"Well, if I'm remembering right... this bed was really comfortable," Sonic said, pulling off his wet gloves.
Sonic crawled onto the bed with his tail up, giving Knuckles a good show of his backside, before turning around and sitting on his heels, knees spread apart. He wrapped a hand around his half hard dick, panting a little as he played with its length.
"Something wrong?" Sonic asked, waiting for Knuckles to make a move for the bed.
Knuckles shook his head.
"No. It's just, after all this time. You have no idea, do you? How incredibly sexy you are."
"I don't have to know. This is all yours, baby," the hedgehog beckoned, sliding his hands over his soft peach chest down his belly and thighs, resting his hands on his knees. "Come and get it."
Knuckles finally snapped into motion, removing his boxing gloves before climbing into bed. He started kissing Sonic gently pushing him back onto the mattress, cock springing out, stiff and ready.
A knock on the door briefly startled them.
"Ugh.. What now?" Sonic scoffed.
"Hold on a sec." Knuckles stopped suddenly, leaving Sonic needy and confused as he shuffled away from him.
"You're really gonna answer that? Com'on Knux. You're killing me with all this anticipation."
"So impatient," Knuckles muttered under his breath.
Sonic watched as his boyfriend opened the door slightly, and bent over to pick something up at their doorstep.
Knuckles quickly shut the door, returning to the bed.
Sonic quirked a brow, eyeing the package his boyfriend held.
"I saw this at the gift shop. I was curious about it, so when I booked the room I asked the concierge to send one up. Humans use it to make sex... less painful and more pleasurable," Knuckles explained.
"You got lube?" Sonic said, sounding unimpressed.
Knuckles wasn't expecting that reaction.
"Oh," Knuckles said, getting inexplicably nervous. "You knew about this stuff?"
"I've heard about it, yeah... Not that I've ever used it."
"Do you want to give it a try?"
"Of course. If it'll enhance the experience, I'm all for it."
The echidna quickly unwrapped the package, popping off the cap to squirt the lubricant onto his hand.
Sonic snorted at the sound. "So romantic."
"Shut up. You're not going to be making any snarky remarks in a minute."
After Knuckles slicked up his cock, he looked up at Sonic, leaning in to kiss him softly.
Sonic notice Knuckles' hesitation. "What?"
"Turn around. On your knees."
Sonic didn't hesitate, raising his tail as he got on his hands and knees.
Sonic felt Knuckles' clawed fingers carefully spreading the slippery substance around the puckered hole.
"It's warm."
"Do you like it?" Knuckles asked.
"Makes me feel dirty. But not as dirty as you make me feel."
Knuckles chuckled, effortlessly slipping his entire length inside his boyfriend. He pulled Sonic up so the hedgehog's back spines were pressed against his chest, reaching around to grab his cock, using the remainder of lubricant to lubricate it.
"Damn, it's been a hot minute since we've done this," Sonic whined.
Knuckles started with easy gentle motions in and out, one hand pumping the hedgehog's cock, the other running over his chest, hearing Sonic letting out those little sighs that drove him crazy.
Sonic rested his hands on the echidna's wrists, as Knuckles hips back and forth. He tilted his head further, leaving an opening for Knuckles to kiss and nip his shoulder.
Sonic let go of his boyfriend's wrists, reaching behind him to hold Knuckles' hips steady with both hands.
Sonic started to move his own pelvis, rolling his hips and swaying them in small circles, dancing to the imaginary rhythm in his head, each movement becoming quicker and needier, until he was just fucking himself on Knuckles cock. He slipped out of the shaft, only to the head, then went back all the way down to the base, over and over until Knuckles turned Sonic around to kiss him.
Sonic pulled Knuckles down while they kissed, spreading his legs open, and rubbed their dicks together until Knuckles reached between them and aligned himself to enter Sonic's body once again.
Sonic loved how Knuckles' firm chest felt against his own softer, bouncier chest as they collided into each other.
Sonic felt himself start to reach his peak. "Com'on... a little more. Don't wanna... stop."
Knuckles breathing was getting heavier, feeling himself starting to climax as well. He slowed down and let Sonic take over, flipping them around so that Sonic could ride him out until the end.
Sonic gladly took the reigns, fucking himself fast and hard until he couldn't hold his load any longer and shot it out onto his boyfriend's red chest.
Likewise, Knuckles came inside of Sonic, the semen dripping out as Sonic lifted himself off his boyfriend, swinging his leg off of him to lay down next to him.
"Was that everything you ever dreamed of?" Sonic asked teasingly while pulling the bed covers over them.
He rested his head on Knuckles' shoulder, gliding his fingers over his boyfriend's torso, wiping away some of his own semen.
Knuckles smirked. "You mean the lube? Yeah. Did you like it?"
"Honestly, it felt pretty good," Sonic answered. "We're definitely keeping a bottle around."
Knuckles smiled and kissed the top of Sonic's head.
Sonic tilted his head up, emerald eyes boring into his boyfriend's violet ones.
"Happy half-year anniversary, Knuckles. You know, I think I can honestly say I'm the happiest I've ever been just in these past six months."
"Seriously?" Knuckles quirked a brow at him.
Sonic diverted his gaze for a moment.
"Not that I've been terribly unhappy in the past... I just mean feeling truly happy, not because I won a race, or foiled Dr. Eggman's plans, or saved some people, but because I know that you care about me. Just for me."
"Of course I do. You did the same for me. Sometimes I still wonder how I got so lucky."
"Give yourself a little credit. That wasn't all luck, buddy."
"Well, it sure does feel like it. Remember our first night together? Right here in this room. I was the luckiest guy in the world that night."
"Yeah, I remember you were pretty good for your first time. I think I was the lucky one."
Knuckles let out a small laugh. "I did have a great teacher."
Knuckles held Sonic's cheek, tilting his head up for a kiss.
"I'm so glad you were my first, Sonic."
The hedgehog looked away from him again. "It's too bad... I wish I could say the same thing about you."
Knuckles thought about what that meant. He couldn't say he hadn't thought about it before, but he never wanted to press Sonic about his past unless he opened up first. Other than Shadow, which he hated to even think about, he knew the hedgehog had just had mostly random encounters. Which, he also hated to think about.
"Yeah... that's too bad," Knuckles agreed, not knowing what else to say.
"Sorry, I'm totally ruining the mood," Sonic said, sitting up. He covered his face with both hands in embarrassment.
"No, it's okay. Sonic, if there's something you want to talk about..." Knuckles sat up, reassuring Sonic that he was ready to listen. "You can tell me anything. You know that."
Sonic looked at Knuckles but stayed silent.
"Do you... want to tell me about your first time?" Knuckles asked, carefully.
"It wasn't what you're thinking," Sonic started. "I didn't go looking for it... It just happened. And then it was over."
"Oh... Sonic..." Knuckles' heart sank of the thought.
"But... I don't want you to feel sorry for me. It's been years, and I moved on... Clearly. And like I said, I'm happier now than I've ever been. That's why I appreciate what you did for me... more than you'll ever know."
Knuckles tried to keep his temper.
"Who was this asshole?"
"Hey don't go trying to pick a fight with people you don't know. That's not why I'm telling you this."
"I know... I'm not. Sorry, I just want to know."
"It was about four years ago... There was this group of older guys that were always picking on Tails. They weren't your average bullies, these guys were some real thugs, you know? They'd say some really fucked up shit to scare Tails, or they'd chased him around calling him a freak until he'd cower in a corner and cry. They were like, these huge sixteen-year-olds picking on a damn little six-year-old. But that's not even the worst part. The guy that targeted Tails was his own cousin. Maybe it was because Tails was a little smaller than most foxes, but damn the kid didn't deserve the torment that guy put him through.
"His cousin just went by their family name, Prower. Tails hated that he was related to him. That's why when we became friends, I always called him by his nickname. Anyway, I was getting really sick of watching this helpless little kid get tormented by his own cousin. And it started to get really bad. They'd run after him with switchblades and knives telling him they were going to cut off his extra tail. It was terrible. The day I found Tails crying with a cut on his back, I knew couldn't let them keep doing that to him. I went straight to Prower knowing that even if I fought him and his friends, they'd make sure to make Tails' life a living hell. So instead I asked him if I could make a deal with him to make him stop torturing his little cousin.
"He gave me this look that I'll never forget. I remember I had just gone through a growth spurt. I was taller, not nearly as big as him, but taller, and it was the first time that I noticed someone looking at me like that. He looked me up and down, and told me to meet him at this cabin out in the forest that night.
"So I went. And he was there with a couple of his friends. Not the whole group he was usually with. I was so confused when grabbed me and started kissing me, and I was embarrassed because he was doing it in front of his friends, and then I felt someone grab my hands. Next thing I knew, my hands were tied up and I was on the floor, and god it hurt so bad when he did it. His friends held me down and called me names, and I couldn't move, so I just shut my eyes and remembered Tails' crying face, and I convinced myself that if I didn't cry and scream I would never have to see him so broken again. Then it stopped. I thought it was over, but he switched places with his fucking friend and it started again, and it kept going until all three of them had taken advantage of me. When it was over, Prower told me the deal was sealed. He's kept his word to this day. I haven't seen or heard from him since. Sometimes, Tails remembers his cousin and he'll ask me what I think happened to him, but I just shrug it off."
"God, Sonic. I can't believe you put yourself through that to protect Tails... I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. Really Knuckles. I've moved on... I met this really great guy. He's so thoughtful. He's unique and he's strong and so handsome. He's the guardian of this mysterious emerald, but sometimes I think he takes his job a little too seriously."
"Sonic."
"Thanks for listening to me."
"Of course."
"I've been keeping it hidden for so long. It felt good to finally tell you. And so you know, I'm not withholding things from you because I want to. Some things are just hard to talk about."
"I know, Sonic."
Sonic took a breath, letting himself relax. He hadn't realized how much he had tensed up.
"Wow, I really put a damper on the mood, didn't I?"
"Not necessarily. Just shows we really have a lot to celebrate today. Why don't we get cleaned up and go on a real date? It's been a while since we've done that, too."
Sonic's eyes brightened.
"How about Twinkle Park?" Sonic suggested. "It'll be... just like the first time."
A/N: That's all for this one, folks. Sorry the ending is kind of rushed, I had the first half sitting for nearly a year or so and I finally went back after all that time and pulled an all-nighter to finish it. I might try to go back and edit some things but for now I'm going to work on my next story that's post-Forces. Thanks for reading! I appreciate any feedback I get. :)