The Beatles
"Rouge, I told you, no is no. I can't do something like that today -- it's important that I stay here to guard the Master Emerald." Knuckles turned away from the voluptuous bat, back to the large green gem in front of him, rubbing it softly.
The female bat scowled, taking a backwards step before turning and going to the door. "Sometimes I think you love jewls more than I do. Or sometimes .." Her voice dropped as she went to the door. "..I think you love them more than you love me."
Knuckles turned, looking shocked and slightly annoyed. "Rouge, don't be an idiot. You know that I love you the most."
"Then why won't you ever go anywhere with me?! All you ever want to do is sit around with that stupid emerald!"
"This is my life's work, Rouge!!"
She turned, glaring, and snapped out, "What's more important, Knuckles? Me, or the Emerald?"
Knuckles paused for a minute before turning away. "The emerald."
Eyes wide with shock, Rouge turned tail and left the cavern, spreading her bat wings once she got out into the open air of the Floating Island, and flying off.
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Days and weeks past, and Rouge didn't go back to see Knuckles.. he was beginning to rethink his statement. He was missing his love's presence, everything from her soft white fur against his own red coat to her neon blue eye shadow.
His best friend and confidante, Sonic, soon walked in, raising a brow as he crossed his arms. "So what's the deal with you and Rouge?"
A mournful sigh as the Echidna sat down, looking over at his blue friend and explaining the happenings of three weeks back, shaking his head and running a knuckled fist through his red dreadlocks. "I think she's gone for good. I wouldn't forgive me for saying that, and I don't expect her to, either."
Just then, Amy Rose frowned, striding into the cavern after Sonic. "It's not like that, Knuckles. I talked to her just yesterday --"
Before she could continue, Knuckles was before her, gripping her shoulders and shaking her gently. "You did?! Amy, is she okay?! Will she ever forgive me .. .. ?!"
Sonic burst out laughing at the sight, shaking his head, hands in the air. "You're something else, Knux. You're always so calm and collected, and now you're freaking out!"
Amy stamped her foot, clearing her throat loudly and crossing her slender pink arms. "AHEM.. Anyhow.. Rouge has a message for you, Knuckles."
Knuckles turned, his eyes a little bit wide in surprise. "She .. she was even thinking about what happened? That means there's still hope, right?"
Sonic laughed softly, shrugging. "Heh.. Obviously she's thinking about it, or would Amy have a message? I think no, Knux-man."
Knuckles nodded, looking at his shoes, trying to surpress a private smile. She's thinking about me.
You think you've lost your love
Well I saw her yesterday
It's you she's thinking of
And she told me what to say
Sonic, impatient with how slowly things were going, tapped a red and white striped shoe on the floor of the cavern, raising a brow. "So, what did Rouge actually say, Amy?"
Amy Rose smiled her sweet smile, eager to be able to impress or help her hero. "She said, Knu-ckles, that she can't get you out of her head, and that she's still very upset at what you said to her and what you did, but she can't stop thinking about you."
Knuckles blushed softly under the red fur, nodding slowly. How could she forget? That day that they'd first fallen for eachother.. They'd fought for the Master Emerald, and she'd fallen .. .. he'd reached down and saved her life.
"Keep your hands to yourself! Don't touch me!"
"Is that how you say thanks to someone who just saved your life?"
"Save my life.. Hah! You just wanted to hold my hand, didn't you? You're such a creep!"
He'd blushed then .. but beneathe his red coat, no blush could be seen. That was part of why he always appeared so calm and cold. She'd handed over the Master Emerald, saying it stunk like echidna.
"If that's what you thought, you should've just given it to me in the first place!"
"... .... ..... What?"
".. I'm sorry .. If I hurt you."
He didn't know about Rouge, but that was the day he'd fallen for her. And even though he'd just said that the Master Emerald was more important to him than her, she still couldn't stop thinking about him.. .. that meant ..
Knuckles was freed of his deep thought as Sonic leaned against a wall, smirking softly at his friend. "Dude, she loves you."
She said she loves you
And you know that can't be bad
Yes, she loves you
And you know you should be glad
Suddenly, they heard a shriek in the distance. Knuckles' eyes widened automatically, and he whispered one word in a voice like a dead man .. "Rouge!"
Sonic and Amy's own eyes widened in recognition as Knuckles ran out of the cavern, jumping up and beginning to glide, looking around frantically. "Rouge!! Rouge!!!"
Sonic wasn't far behind, bolting around on land, searching high and low as Amy squealed out, "Wait, Sonic!!", struggling to keep up.
All came together back at the cave, every one of them looking particularly distressed, with the exception of Knuckles, who looked on the point of tears. "..."
Then a rustle from the bushes behind, and Tails came out, sighing softly. Knuckles was before him in an instant, gripping him by the shoulders. "Tails, have you seen Rouge?! Where is she?! Tell me!!"
"Aaahhh! Sonic, he - he - helllp me!!"
"Whoah, take it easy there, Knux-man!" Sonic took his friend by the arms, holding him back from Tails. "Chill out, dude..!"
Tears glistened in Knuckles' eyes as he rasped out softly, looking down at the grass. "Tails.. .. is she okay..?.."
The two-tailed fox nodded, smiling half-heartedly. "She.. she was gliding, and she was going to fall down and kill herself. But I was in my new jet, and I caught her on a wing. She's safe now, and she's calmer.."
Knuckles' eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and he had a knuckle to his head, which was cold and clammy. "She tried to kill herself.. .. god .. .. Tails .. did she tell you why?"
Tails bit his lip, looking to Sonic for guidance. He was unsure about whether Knuckles should hear this .. ..
".. please .. .. I need to know."
"She said it hurt too much, being apart from you.. She says she went crazy, almost.. but now she says that she's calmer. She thinks she can get over you."
Knuckles looked away, nodding. She thinks she can get over you.
That stung .. .. but .. it meant she still loved him, didn't it?
She says you hurt her so
She almost lost her mind
But now she says she knows
You're not the hurting kind
A blink as Knuckles heard the farmilliar blipping of his cell phone, blinking as he pulled it out, answering.. his eyes grew wide, and his voice was an urgent whisper. "Rouge.."
"Knuckles, I'm sorry."
"No, don't be ! I'm the one who should be sorry.. please come back to me, Rouge.. .."
Her laughter was heard over the phone.. but it was soft and sad, unlike its usual pitch. "I love you, Knuckles."
She says she loves you
And you know that can't be bad
Yes, she loves you
And you know you should be glad
Silence on his end of the line. "Rouge.. you will come back to me.. won't you?"
"..."
".. Rouge?"
"I really do love you, Knux.. But.. I can't stay with you unless you'll answer this question for me."
He nodded to himself. "Yes." He'd answer anything for her -- Rouge was all that really got him by these days.. she was his love, his life, his vitality and happiness. She was an amazing woman..
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
And with a love like that
You know you should be glad
"Knuckles, which is more important. Me, or the emerald?"
Knuckles simply stopped. This again .. ? How could he answer this? Thinking about it, to him, she was much more important. But, over-all, the emerald was what kept the Floating Island up there. Without it, millions would die: and it was, therefore, more important than his bat lover.
But if he told her that, she'd not come back to him! He needed her! This was all up to him .. ..
And now it's up to you
He cleared his throat, sighing as he pressed a knuckle against a rock. He couldn't lie to her... That wouldn't be fair to her. "Rouge.. it's the Emerald."
I think it's only fair
Silence on Rouge's end before her voice came back once more, cracking, shakey and upset. "Good-bye, Knuckles."
Black eyes widened as he screamed into the phone urgently, "No! Rouge! That's not it! It's not that the emerald's more important to me .. !"
But she had already hung up .. .. he frowned as he hung up. He wasn't taking this from her, either -- she'd hung up right after he'd told her to wait, and he knew she would have if she wasn't such a damn bitch..
Sonic, Tails and Amy all frowned disapprovingly at Knuckles, who was glaring at his cell phone before smashing it against the rock, his sharp knuckles obliterating the cheap plastic exoskeleton of the communication device.
".. just go home. I don't want to talk about that whore."
Amy's eyes widened, and she stomped right up to the red echidna, letting a gloved hand fly. Knuckles gasped, holding a knuckle to the stinging spot where she'd slapped him. "What the hell, Amy ?!"
"Don't call her a whore!! It's all your fault, you son of a bitch!"
A low growl from Knuckles, who glared over at her. "Oh, yeah?! Well, she could have at least listened to what I had to say, insteading of acting like a fucking heartless bitch and hanging up on me!"
"Then go after her and apologize!"
Pride can hurt you, too
Apologize to her
Teeth gritted as he all-out screamed at the little pink hedgehog girl, who was actually standing her ground pretty well. "WHY?! She doesn't care about anyone but herself! She just wants to think that I like the emerald better so that she doesn't have to see me anymore! I took her to bed last time we were together, and now she's running off! She's a complete whore!!!" Knuckles stared hatefully at the ground. That was it, wasn't it. She was a day-tripper.
"Because she loves you, you moron!! You're telling her that you love a rock more than her! I'd leave too, if I were in her position!" With that, she kicked dirt into his face, and turned, stomping away.
Because she loves you
And you know that can't be bad
Yes, she loves you
And you know you should be glad
Knuckles just looked down .. he could feel tears welling up into his eyes as he remembered their time together.
"Hah! You just wanted to hold my hand, didn't you?!"
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
"Hey, Rouge.. Would.. you be opposed to going somewhere with me sometime?"
"Hehe.. What a creep! But hey.. sure."
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
"Knuckles.. .. I .. I haven't felt this way before. I think .. I think I'm in love with you, Knuckles."
"...I love you, too, Rouge."
And with a love like that
You know you should be glad
No.. Rouge was his number one.. He had to keep her in his life. Turning, he jumped and glided off towards Rouge's home as fast as he could.
He was huffing and puffing when he got there, almost ripping the unlocked door to the small apartment off his hinges, eyes wide at the dear, welcome, farmilliar sight of his white-furred lover. She was more beautiful than he'd ever remembered.. just seeing her here now, just to hear her speak, to touch her -- it'd be ecstacy. God, how he'd missed her...
And with a love like that
".. Knuckles, I thought I told you to leave me alone! I don't need to hear this any--"
"No! Rouge! I was wrong! .. I was all wrong .. .. Rouge .." He went to her like a man possessed, slipping knuckled hands into her own, one arm around her slender waist to keep her body close to his own red fur, eyes closing as he held her against him the way he'd longed to from the moment he last let her go. "You're my number one, Rouge... Please... please forgive me."
You know you should...
The bat-girl's eyes widened, and she shook her head slowly .. she couldn't help but break out into a small smile as her gloved arms wrapped around her lover's neck, and she lay her head against his shoulder. "I love you."
Be glad!
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah