New Year's kiss (Knuckles x Rouge)
Requested by Guest (A/N: of course I'll do)
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"Hey, you."
Snapping her fingers and clapping her hands. A refined gesture, of course.
He looked up, mouth opening just slightly as if to let out an irritated huff of air. Easily catching and preserving the way light caught his eyes and had them glisten, she then sat down leisurely in the chair next to his, the fabric of her dress easily flowing over her hips, embracing them.
"It's a beautiful evening, wouldn't you say?" She said, and he must've thought it a mocking or a joke, since he rolled his eyes at it.
"Bat," he then said, almost accusing. "What are you doing here?"
Rouge arched a delicate eyebrow, and said nonchalantly, "I was invited. By Sonic, mind you. It's New Year's Eve, or have you forgotten the occasion?"
"I just don't see why he would invite you," Knuckles grumbled. "And it's impossible to forget the occasion, with Amy sneaking 'round looking for Sonic like that."
"Well," said Rouge, the hint of an argument in her tone. "I can understand why – Sonic has been ignoring her, and she…" Rouge let out a snort. "Love is a beautiful thing, isn't it?" She then said, turning to Knuckles with an almost-smile. He looked at her with an unreadable expression, and then he said,
"What do you want?"
Rouge stopped herself from frowning in irritation, and said instead, "What? Can't I just simply…" she leant closer. "-socialise with you?"
Knuckles gave her an un-impressed look. "No," he then said slowly, as if he believed Rouge to be dumb. "You always have a goal or some kind of trick." His eyes narrowed just a fraction. "And I think it's obvious that I don't have the Master emerald with me right now."
Rouge blinked. "…Is that all you think I care about?" she then asked calmly.
"No," he said, almost scoffed, suddenly standing up. He looked really good in that suit, Rouge noted, but then he focused his eyes on hers, and said sternly, "People aren't jewels, bat. You can't just take them – can't just expect them to see you like you see them."
"I – I never-" Rouge began, emotion trickling out through all the cracks, but Knuckles interrupted her.
"You don't need that dress or that make-up-stuff. You should love someone for who they really are-" He looked at her. "And not try and glamour yourself up like that for them. Bat," he then added, as an afterthought.
Rouge tried to get a hold of her expression, failing, and stood up she too, her heels allowing her to stand just as tall as Knuckles. Knuckles. Guardian, treasure-hunter, fighter, rival, friend, lo-
"I wear whatever the fuck I want," She said, almost glaring, almost crying, almost- She took a deep breath, straightening her posture. "Why should you care?" she countered. "It certainly isn't your place to tell me how to dress."
He looked almost baffled for a second, and then he smirked. Smiled. Whichever you prefer. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that." He shook his head, and prepared to go. "Just meant that the real you, is so much more alive than the make-up and dress."
Maybe she had overdone her make-up tonight. It was New Year's Eve. She didn't care. She didn't care, had never cared, and wasn't damn well going to either. Also, Knuckles could hardly speak like that – his suit looked almost too good on him and-
She cleared her head and smirked. "Well," she then said, leaning closer and taking a subtle but firm hold of his sleeve. "Here is a message from the 'real me'." She abruptly tugged at his sleeve, shot out a leg and sweeping him quite literally off his feet, and then caught him as he fell with surprised yelp, leaning down quickly but elegantly in the midst of action to brush her delicately painted lips across his slightly chapped ones.
His breath got caught somewhere between his lungs and his mouth, and then she gleefully let go off him. He fell to the floor in the same second as Rouge spun around, dress flowing behind her with flourish, and an almost triumphant smile blooming over her muzzle, painted lips and all.
Got my New Year's kiss after all, didn't I?
