Specially dedicated to my amazing BETA: musicalocelot. This is the first chapter of the story. Sorry musicalocelot, I thought I wouldn't let you BETA read this chapter, just so it comes up as a surprise for you! You will be BETA reading the rest, though!
"Such a beautiful place…" asserted the ivory, teenage bat, who was seated comfortably upon the lime-grassed hillside, which was set beside the unoccupied adventure playground. She wore a sequin-covered, plum dress, skin-tight, aquamarine leggings, and glittery, magenta high-heels. As the young female admired the tender, flush sunset, the refrigerated breeze wafted past and rustled her snow-white fur.
"I'm glad you like it! Every evening, just before the sun sinks into the far-off hills, I always sit right at this very spot. It's such a mesmorising sight, don't you think? All the cotton clouds, eye-pleasing colours of the sky...it's the perfect sight to help you relax after any stressful day!"
The owner of the voice was a wine-red echidna, who was dressed in a plain, white shirt tucked into his ebony trousers, a raven-coloured blazer with turned out pockets, and matching derby shoes. The split second, in which his violet eyes met his partner's teal ones, his heart became a pound of butter inside a switched-on oven; his heart melted at the elegant sight of her perfectly-sculptured face. He loved her.
Oh, how he craved the desirable experience to lay just one gloved finger upon that silky cheek. Unfortunately, however, he knew that although he shared romantic feelings towards one her…she would never be his'. Surely, she would find another soul, one who would appear to be more appealing for her taste of men, and then she would disappear and make love with the lucky thing. He loathed having to think about such matters, but he could not help but feel doubt that something as likely as that would never happen…
Knuckles (the name of the echidna), withdrew two transparent glasses from his rucksack, and poured some fine champagne into each one. Rouge's (the bat's name) deliciously pink lips curved upwards to form a delighted smile.
"Champagne?" offered Knuckles, holding out the filled glass to her.
"Aww, an unexpected treat for me! How could I say no to that?" remarked Rouge, willingly taking the glass off Knuckles, as she leant over on her side.
Kneeling opposite her, gradually sipping his champagne, Knuckles observed the tranquil bat with the greatest intrigue. She looked so laid-back, so peaceful and happy…it seemed to be completely unrealistic. Usually, when the two encountered, a fight would often erupt! Why was it that this time was different? What was making her so relaxed? Had she finally started accepting his presence? Knuckles desperately wanted to know.
"Ya know, I never thought I'd ever say this, but we're really starting to become better friends as each day's passing by. I thought I knew you so well, Knuckles…but it turns out I don't. I once saw you as a real hot-headed, I'm-the-toughest-dude-around-here kinda guy! But now I've got to know you better, you're actually...quite sweet!" mimicked Rouge, her delicate eyes shining in the fading light.
Knuckles grumbled in annoyance; he HATED being referred to as 'sweet'! None-the-less, he felt relieved at the fact that Rouge actually viewed him as a decent person for once in her existence, instead of an arrogant prat.
"Erm, thanks! So, how's your spy-slash-secret-agent job going?" he asked, as he cursed iumnder his breath due to the spilt champagne staining his shirt. Rouge smirked.
"Reasonably well! The G.U.N Commander is literally drowning me in all the thrilling paperwork, that is, whilst me and Shadow aren't out in the field. Oh, Shadow! He's his usual, charming self! We don't see each other as often as we'd like to, though, thanks to the surprising lack of missions available! There's not much work for us agents nowadays anymore!" growled Rouge, swallowing the last drop of champagne in her crystal-clear glass.
Refilling her glass, Knuckles nodded his head in agreement. "I know, that Egghead sure hasn't shown his face around here for a while! I probably scared him off."
Rouge chuckled. "No surprise there, then!"
When Rouge extended her arm to reclaim her glass from Knuckles, their hands accidently touched, and in that moment, something stirred in both of them. As their grown eyes met, the whole world surrounding them turned into an endless, overcast void. The champagne-holding glass was no more to be seen, neither was Knuckles' rucksack, nor the grass they were sitting on!
Their faces languidly approaching, their mouths opening, the two were mere centimetres apart…till Rouge's eyes blinked, breaking the developing loving mood. She cleared her throat and hastily scrambled to her feet.
"Anyway, thanks for the sunset-show, Knucks! It sure has been nice catching up with you after all this time! I'd like to do this again sometime. I'll see ya soon, then. By the way, don't call me tomorrow, cause' I'm going out with Shadow. Okay?" said Rouge, ambling away.
Knuckles waved goodbye to her. "Alright, see you!"
He gritted his teeth as Shadow's name rang through his head like a million chiming bells. Shadow was a midnight-coloured hedgehog with red streaks across his quills, who just so happened to be the other male who Rouge liked...as a friend, that is. However, Knuckles could not help but have the feeling that Shadow was secretly plotting against him; Shadow would be plotting to steal Rouge off him. Afterall, Shadow knew that Knuckles had something of a soft spot towards the female bat, and Shadow seemed to be growing fonder of Rouge every day.
"Shadow…that hedgehog better not get any ideas to drag Rouge onto his side, or I WILL be on his case twenty-four seven!"