Guardian Angels
S1:E7: Traveling Around the World With You (pt. 5)
"So...Are you ready, Knuckles?" Kathy asked coyly with a sweet smile as she held her flower batch behind her back. She and Knuckles had completed making their own flower presents and are ready to show them off to each other. They were still on their knees as they did this.
"I am, Kathy," Knuckles replied calmly with a gentle smile and with a nod as he held his flower batch behind his back too.
"Okay then. ...One," Kathy replied calmly with a bright smile.
"Two," Knuckles muttered calmly with a warm smile as he was ready to show off his batch of flowers to Kathy.
"Three! Ta-da! Here's your gift, Knuckles! And... …! Knuckles! Is that for me?!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a huge grin as she showed off her flower batch to Knuckles before she gasped in shock after seeing Knuckles' flower batch.
"Heheheh...Of course, it is, Kathy. A perfect, purple present for my lovely little Angel. Here you go, Kathy. Enjoy," Knuckles replied calmly with a chuckle and with gentle smile as he showed his flower batch to Kathy.
"Oh, Knuckles! It's so pretty! Thank you! You're so thoughtful!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a sweet smile as she grabbed Knuckles' flower batch while Knuckles grabbed Kathy's flower batch.
"Well, you did say that your favorite color is purple. So, I picked up as many purple flowers as possible. I picked up tulips, chrysanthemums, petunias, and irises," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a gentle smile as he held Kathy's flower batch in his hands.
"Awwww, Knuckles! You're so sweet! I did the same thing with my flower batch! Except of picking up purple flowers, I picked up roses, daffodils, daisies, and sunflowers! They're your favorite colors!" Kathy exclaimed brightly yet happily with a bright smile and with a light blush as she held onto her purple flowers closely to herself.
"They sure are, but it seems that you're missing a color," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a warm smile before he looked a bit amused as he stared at his colorful flower batch before looking at Kathy.
"...I know. I can't find any flowers that are light-blue. I barely managed to find colors for black and orange by picking up those sunflowers. But I can't find any light-blue flowers anywhere! I'm sorry, Knuckles," Kathy replied calmly yet sadly with a little frown and with lowered antennas.
"Hahahahahahahah! What are you apologizing for?! Hahahahahahahaha! I wasn't expecting you to find a flower that is light-blue! Hahahahahahahahaha! I'm already happy with the flower arrangement that you had given me! Thank you, Kathy! These flowers are really lovely!" Knuckles exclaimed happily in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed a lot.
"Awww, you're welcome, Knuckles! It's not perfect, but at least, I did my best to find some beautiful flowers for you! If I had found one flower that is light-blue, then it would be perfect!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a sweet smile as she stared at Knuckles.
"Heh! What are you talking about?! There is a flower that has a light-blue color!" Knuckles exclaimed brightly in amusement with a huge grin as he stared back at Kathy.
"Huh? There is? What is this flower?" Kathy asked curiously in confusion with a little frown and with a cute head tilt.
"...Hahahahahahaha! The 'flower' is you, Kathy! You have a light-blue color! It's in your eyes! Hahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed happily with an amused grin as he laughed a lot while pointing at Kathy for emphasis.
"...! ...Kn-Knuckles..." Kathy muttered softly in surprise with a gasp and with a shy smile as she blushed pink.
"I mean it, Kathy. I really don't need a flower that is light-blue when I can just stare into your eyes and enjoy their beauty instead," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a bright smile as he stared into Kathy's eyes for emphasis.
"...Awwww...Knuckles...You're so sweet..." Kathy muttered calmly in fondness with a shy smile and with a blush as her light-blue eyes sparkled in adoration. He says the sweetest things to me...and makes me smile...He's such a good friend...Kathy pondered calmly in fondness with a shy smile as she blushed a lot.
"Uhhh...Heheheheh...It's nothing..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet awkwardly in shyness with a sheepish smile and with a nervous chuckle as he blushed a lot too while rubbing his head with his left hand. Those eyes really do weaken me...I...I feel like jelly whenever Kathy looks at me with those sparkly eyes of hers...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a sheepish smile while blushing bright red.
"Hey! I know how I can make my flower batch look even better! Here! Give them to me!" Kathy exclaimed brightly yet excitedly in amusement with a grin as she puts the purple flowers down to the ground before holding out her hands towards Knuckles and moved them towards herself for emphasis.
"Huh? Uhh...Okay. Here," Knuckles replied calmly with a little frown on his confused face as he gave back Kathy her flower batch. Kathy soon grabbed her flower batch and divided it. Knuckles looked confused yet curious as he watched Kathy divide the flowers into two.
"Okay, Knuckles! Now, I'm going to add another flower into this batch! Watch carefully!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a grin as she held the flowers separately.
"Umm...Okay," Knuckles replied calmly in confusion as he frowned a little while nodding his head slowly. What is Kathy going to do? Is she really going to add another flower? There's no reason to! The flower batch is already perfect as it is! Knuckles pondered calmly in confusion and in curiosity as he stared at Kathy closely.
However, Knuckles was not expecting Kathy to do this.
"Ready? ...One...Two...Three! …...Ta-da!" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a grin as she held the flowers in front of her face before she moved her face forward into the flowers so that her eyes can be seen in the middle of the flower batch.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Kathy! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! You look so silly with those flowers covering your face! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! You look ridiculous! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed happily with a huge smile as he burst out laughing while sitting on his bottom with his hands behind himself.
"But Knuckles! Look! I am one with the flowers," Kathy replied brightly yet playfully in amusement with a silly smile as she moved her face even forward to have the flower petals surround her face.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe! You are one with the sillies! That's who you are, silly girl! Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed happily in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed even harder after hearing Kathy say that.
"Hehehehehehehehehehehe! But I'm a flower, Knuckles! You told me that I am one!" Kathy exclaimed happily in amusement with a silly smile while giggling a lot since Knuckles' laughter had gotten to her.
"I was being metaphorical! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! I didn't mean it literally! Hehehehehehehehehehehe! You're so funny, Kathy! You come with the silliest ideas that no one else would have! Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed happily in amusement with a huge smile as he kept laughing.
"Hehehehehehehehehe! I guess that makes me a 'one-of-a-kind'!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a grin as she giggled some more.
"Yep! You sure are, Kathy! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! You sure are! Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed happily in agreement with a huge grin as he laughed some more in amusement. I take it back! The flower batch is now perfect with Kathy being in the middle of it! She is like the world's rarest, purest flower! Hahahahahahaha! And I'm...I'm here to protect that flower...I will not let anyone hurt that flower...It's just too precious to get destroyed...And so...so...beautiful...Knuckles pondered calmly yet fondly in amusement with an adoring look on his face as he laughed a lot before calming down again.
"Hey, Knuckles?" Kathy asked calmly yet curiously with a little smile as she put the flowers down to the ground with the purple flowers.
"Heheheheheheh...Yeah? What?" Knuckles asked calmly yet curiously with a chuckle and with an amused smile. Kathy smiled gently at him for a bit before crawling over to Knuckles. Knuckles raised his eyebrows at this and smiled even wider at Kathy as he saw her coming closer to him and being next to him at his right side.
"What?" Knuckles asked again in amusement as he looked at Kathy with a huge smile. Kathy smiled widely back at him before she leant towards him and embraced him by the waist while placing her head onto his chest. Knuckles raised his eyebrows again at this pleasant surprise and smiled wider at Kathy in happiness.
"Heheheheheh...Awwwww...Kathy..." Knuckles muttered calmly in fondness with a chuckle and with a huge, warm smile as he hugged Kathy back with his right arm. Kathy is so sweet...So warm...And so affectionate...Heheheheh...I...I feel loved...Sigh...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a warm smile on his longing face as he stared down at Kathy while stroking her back with his right hand.
Kathy was just smiling sweetly in happiness as she felt content with herself hugging Knuckles warmly and being hugged back by him. She can feel his chest slowly rising and lowering as he breathed quietly. She can faintly hear his heart pounding and smiled even more at that. Hehehehe...He's so adorable and handsome...I can't help but to hug him...I...I...Hehehehehe...I like him...Hehehehehe...Kathy pondered calmly yet fondly in amusement as she smiled a lot while snuggling into Knuckles' chest.
"Mmmmmm...Mmmmmm..." Knuckles mused fondly with a huge smile and with closed eyes since he likes the soft, gentle feeling of Kathy's head massaging against his chest. Oooh...Ooooh...Ooooohh...Don't stop...That...That feels so nice...Knuckles pondered calmly yet fondly in affection as he smiled a lot while enjoying Kathy's head massaging against his chest.
"You like that, Knuckles?" Kathy asked calmly yet softly in curiosity with a sweet smile on her face.
"Ooooh, yeah...It feels so soft...So gentle...So nice...Just don't stop...Please..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet softly in adoration with a fond smile on his relaxed face as he nodded his head a lot.
"Hehehehe...Okay..." Kathy replied calmly yet simply with a little giggle and with a sweet, innocent smile. She then kept snuggling into Knuckles' chest, and Knuckles smiled even wider in happiness as he enjoyed this soft, gentle massage. He held Kathy even tighter in fondness as he enjoyed the massage.
…Ahhhhh...This feels so good...I...I love this...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a warm smile on his content face. He and Kathy enjoyed the peace and quiet of Emerald Meadows while being close together like this. They were silent again, but they enjoyed the silence since they were busy showing warm affection towards each other with Knuckles hugging and stroking Kathy and with Kathy hugging and snuggling Knuckles. The moment was pure bliss.
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…
…
Growl...
"Huh? …...Heheheheheheh..." Knuckles and Kathy muttered at the same time in surprise and in confusion as they stopped at what they were doing to look at each other before chuckling in amusement.
"I think that we're both getting hungry. Luckily, this place has some grape vines nearby. So, let's get up and get a snack," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a gentle smile as he stroked the back of Kathy's head.
"Awwwww...Can't we stay where we are just a little longer? I...I like hugging you like this..." Kathy whined sadly with a little frown as she stared at Knuckles with pleading eyes.
"...Awwww...I know, Kathy. I like hugging you as well...But I am feeling hungry...And I think that you're hungry too," Knuckles replied calmly in understanding with a fond smile and with half-lidded eyes as he rubbed Kathy's back in affection.
"Well, at least, I can wait it out! Come on, Knuckles. Just a few more minutes. Please?" Kathy replied calmly yet pleadingly with a little frown and with sparkling eyes while her antennas lowered in sadness.
…...Awwwwwwwwww...My heart...It's melting...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a huge, warm smile on his face as his mind gushed on how adorable Kathy looks right now.
"...Awwwwwww...Alright. Five more minutes," Knuckles replied calmly in fondness with a huge, warm smile on his face as he continued to hug and stroke Kathy in affection.
"Yay! Mmmmm!" Kathy exclaimed happily with a sweet smile before she continued to hug and snuggle Knuckles in affection.
"Heheheheh...Awwww, Kathy...Heheheheh..." Knuckles muttered calmly in fondness with a huge, warm smile and with closed eyes as he chuckled a little. Heheheheheh...I'm such a sucker for her...Heheheheh...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a warm smile. He and Kathy hugged for another five minutes with Kathy snuggling into his chest. He had to admit that he was happy that he agreed to have more minutes of this sweet bliss. Kathy shares the same sentiments with Knuckles since she's happy that she's hugging and snuggling her crush or as she would put it...her "thing".
"Mmmmmmmm..." Knuckles and Kathy mused quietly yet simultaneously in fondness as they enjoyed this warm, peaceful moment together.
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...Growl...
"...Okay, Kathy. I think that's the signal that five minutes had passed by. Come on...Get up...Please..." Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a warm smile as he opened his eyes and shook Kathy a little.
"Mmmm...No!" Kathy mused gently before protesting in amusement with a sweet smile as she kept snuggling Knuckles' chest.
Knuckles smiled a lot in amusement of this as he replied calmly in playfulness, "Come on, Kathy. You know that you want some food. Your stomach growled too you know...".
"I don't care. I want to stay like this..." Kathy replied calmly in amusement with a sweet smile and with a headshake as she continued to snuggle Knuckles.
"I'd wish that I can stay like this too, but I'm feeling very hungry. Please get up, Kathy," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a sheepish smile as he tried to push Kathy away with one hand. However, Kathy was persistent by leaning back into Knuckles' chest despite his efforts to get her off of him.
"But you are like a pillow! You're so soft and comfy!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a silly smile as she snuggled into Knuckles' chest.
Knuckles smiled even more in amusement as he shook his head. Oh no...Kathy...Don't do this...Please...This is ridiculous! Heheheheh...Knuckles pondered calmly in amusement as he smiled widely at Kathy.
"Maybe I am a pillow...But I'm a pillow who's hungry. Now, please, Kathy. Please get up. I want to eat," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a wide smile as he tried to push Kathy away from him with both hands this time.
"No! You aren't getting away from me, pillow! You're mine!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a silly grin as she pulled Knuckles back to herself after feeling him pushing her away.
"Hahahahahahahahaha! Come on, Kathy! This is silly! Get off of me! Hehehehehehehe!" Knuckles exclaimed happily with a huge grin as he giggled a lot at this ridiculous situation while struggling to push Kathy away from himself. He and Kathy kept pushing and pulling each other in a little, playful wrestle. Kathy had kept snuggling Knuckles' chest every time she got back to it. Knuckles had been slightly successful into pulling himself away from Kathy by scooting away from her as he kept pushing her. However, that might have been his greatest mistake since when he had pushed Kathy away again, she pulled back into him and snuggled his tummy instead.
"Kathy! Come on! Get off! Get...AAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOOOOOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! ANYTHING BUT THAT! ANYTHING BUT THAT! AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! KATHY! STOP! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!" Knuckles exclaimed in amusement with a huge smile before he squealed like a girl and laughed hysterically when he felt his tummy being snuggled a lot by Kathy's soft, fuzzy head. He immediately fell over on his back and began kicking his feet since he felt very tickled.
"Awwwww, but your tummy is so soft! It's such a soft pillow!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully in amusement with a silly smile as she's enjoying snuggling Knuckles' tummy now.
"I KNOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! BUT IT'S VERY SENSITIVE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOP! YOU'RE TICKLING IT! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! I MEAN IT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Knuckles squealed even more in amusement and in protest with a huge smile while laughing a lot in hysterics. He even banged the ground with his fists since the tickling was too much for him.
"Awwwwwww, but you like it, don't you?" Kathy cooed a little in adoration before she teased a little with a gentle smile while still snuggling Knuckles' tummy.
"HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! YES! YES! I DO! I DOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! BUT PLEASE MAKE IT STOP! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOUR HEAD IS LIKE A BALL OF FEATHERS! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! IT'S LIKE TORTURE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Knuckles squealed even more in amusement with a huge smile while laughing hysterically as he kept kicking his feet and banging the ground with his fists.
"Hehehehehe! Okay. I'll stop. Boy, you really can't handle tickling, can you?" Kathy replied calmly in playfulness with a little giggle and with an amused grin as she stopped snuggling Knuckles and released him at last. She sat on her knees while looking down at Knuckles as he kept laughing.
"I cahahahahahahahahahahan't! I'm too weak! Hehehehehehehehehehe!" Knuckles exclaimed in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed very much while clutching his tummy with his arms. He soon stopped kicking his feet after Kathy stopped snugging his tummy.
"Hehehehehe...Awww, there, there, Knuckles. Calm down..." Kathy replied calmly in fondness with another giggle and with a gentle smile as she stroked Knuckles' head. Knuckles kept laughing a lot before he started to calm down as he giggled. He enjoyed Kathy stroking his head as he calmed down.
"Hehehehehehehehehe...Oh...Ohohohohoho...Don't you ever do that again...That...Hehehehehehehehe...That was just too much!" Knuckles replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a huge grin while giggling a lot.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to snuggle you...and play with you for a little bit..." Kathy replied calmly in fondness with a sympathetic smile as she kept stroking Knuckles' head in comfort.
"Hehehehehehehe...(Sigh)…It's okay, Kathy. I know that you wanted to play..." Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a relieved sigh and with a gentle smile after he finished giggling. He opened his eyes and stared fondly at Kathy as he added coyly with a playful grin, "You know...We could play together by doing something else instead...".
"...! Really?! We can?!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a gasp and with an excited grin as she stopped stroking Knuckles' head.
Knuckles grinned even more at her as he sat back up while saying calmly yet brightly in amusement, "Sure, we can! But first...I'd like to get something to eat before doing some fun activities. Understand, Kathy? No more playing until we got something to eat. Alright?".
Kathy smiled sheepishly at Knuckles as she nodded while replying calmly yet meekly, "I...I understand. I'm sorry that I had kept you from getting up".
"Hey, it's okay, Kathy. No harm done. I now know how playful you can be at times, and I...I don't mind it at all...It kind of...spices things up for me, you know?" Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with gentle smile as he stroked Kathy's head a little.
"Teehee! Yeah, it does! It's so much more fun that way!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a light giggle and with a sweet smile as she nodded her head again.
"Heheheheheh...It sure is, Kathy...(Sigh)…It sure is..." Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a warm smile and a fond sigh as he chuckled a bit. It certainly is fun dealing with a childish girl like Kathy here. I don't think that I had this much fun dealing with someone other than her. She...She makes my dull, boring life a lot more fun. She is the light in my own dark world. Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a warm smile and with twinkling eyes as he stopped stroking Kathy's head and just stared at her jovial face instead.
...Growl...
Kathy and Knuckles smiled a lot in amusement when they heard their stomachs growling in unison a third time. Knuckles then replied calmly in amusement with a warm smile, "Hey...Let's get something to eat...".
[Five Minutes Later]
"Mmmmm...Oh, this is so good..." Knuckles muttered calmly in amusement with a relaxed smile and with closed eyes as he munched on several grapes. He and Kathy were sitting next to the grape vines on the other side of Emerald Meadows. They both have a lot of grapes in their laps and were happy to have their bellies full of food.
"I know. ...Mmmm...They're really tasty...Heh...You still say that grapes are your number one favorite fruit, right?" Kathy replied calmly in amusement with a relaxed smile as she ate another grape while looking at Knuckles on her left.
"Yep! Number one! Nom..." Knuckles exclaimed brightly with a huge smile and with closed eyes before popping another grape into his mouth and eating it.
"Hehehehe...Well, I'll admit. This place certainly is amazing with all the grapes here..." Kathy replied calmly in amusement with a little giggle and with a coy smile as she held some grapes in her right hand.
"As it should be! Nom..." Knuckles exclaimed quickly in agreement with a huge grin before eating another grape and swallowing it.
Kathy then smiled playfully at Knuckles as she added teasingly, "...But it's not perfect since there are no cherries here...".
Knuckles was about to put another grape into his mouth before he stopped and stared silently at Kathy with a smug grin. Kathy just smiled a lot at Knuckles in amusement since she saw that she had caught him off guard. Knuckles then lowered his eyelids halfway at Kathy in smugness as he replied calmly yet playfully in amusement, "...Don't start...".
"Hehehehehehehehehe! But it's true, Knuckles!" Kathy exclaimed playfully in amusement with a silly smile while giggling a lot.
"Kathy! ...Don't start with this!" Knuckles exclaimed back playfully in amusement as he grinned even wider at Kathy.
"But Knuckles...I don't see any cherries anywhere, do you?" Kathy replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful smile while holding a lot of grapes in her hand.
Knuckles smiled smugly at Kathy as he replied calmly in amusement with half-lidded eyes, "...You're really starting this, aren't you?".
"Hehehehe...Maybe," Kathy replied calmly yet coyly in amusement with a little giggle and with a mischievous grin as she slightly leant forward towards Knuckles in a teasing way.
"...Heheheheheh...Why are you such a silly?" Knuckles asked calmly in amusement with a huge smile as he chuckled a little.
"I don't know...Why are you such a softie? It's just cherries, Knuckles," Kathy replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful smile as she stared at Knuckles.
"Don't make me come over there! If you diss on my grapes one more time-!" Knuckles exclaimed warningly in a playful tone with an amused grin on his face as he stared back at Kathy.
"What grapes? All I've been talking about are cherries..." Kathy replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful smile and with innocent eyes.
"..." Knuckles was silent as he smiled smugly at Kathy while narrowing his eyelids at her. Kathy smiled back at him while eating the rest of her grapes. ...You cheeky, little girl...You think that you're so smart, aren't you? Well then...Time for payback...Knuckles pondered calmly with a mischievous smile as he ate the rest of his grapes before he crawled over to Kathy.
"Awww...What's wrong, Knuckles? Are you upset that this place isn't as perfect as you thought?" Kathy asked calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful smile as she stared at Knuckles as he crawled over to her and sat next to her on his knees.
"..." Knuckles didn't say anything but smiled mischievously at her as he stared down at her. Kathy stared back at Knuckles with a playful smile as she waited for what he would do next.
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…
"Knuckles? Are you going to-Ack! Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hehehehehehehehehehehe! Knuckles! Don't! Hehehehehehehehehehehe!" Kathy asked calmly with a gentle smile before she protested in amusement and laughed uncontrollably as Knuckles tickled her sides and tummy again.
"That's what you get for dissing my grapes, silly girl! You get a good tickle!" Knuckles exclaimed playfully in amusement with a devious smile as he prodded and gently grabbed Kathy's tummy and sides.
"Ahahahahahahahahahaha! Hehehehehehehehehehe! No! I don't want another tickle! Hehehehehehehehehehehe! Stop! Plehehehehehehehehease!" Kathy protested playfully in amusement with a huge smile as she laughed a lot while squirming from side to side.
"No way! I want revenge for my poor, innocent grapes! I'm going to tickle you until you cry!" Knuckles exclaimed playfully yet deviously in amusement with a mischievous smirk as he prodded and grabbed Kathy's stomach and sides relentlessly.
"Nohohohohohohohohohoho! Hehehehehehehehehehehehe! If that's how it's going to behehehehehehehehehe, then you leave me with no other choice! Hehehehehehehehehe! Take this!" Kathy exclaimed playfully in amusement with a huge smile as she kept laughing a lot before she tickled Knuckles back at his tummy and sides.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! NO FAIR! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" Knuckles squealed loudly like a girl with a huge smile while laughing hysterically to the surprise tickle attack. He immediately stopped tickling Kathy and just squirmed backwards from her after being tickled.
"Think that you're going to get your revenge on me?! Well, not today, Troublemaker! You're getting a good tickle! Not me!" Kathy exclaimed playfully with a mischievous smile as she moved closer to Knuckles and kept tickling him silly. She had easily managed to make him lie on down on his back since she was tickling him a lot.
"HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOP IT! STOP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! IT TICKLES! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Knuckles squealed some more in amusement and in protest with a huge smile while laughing hysterically to the tickling as he squirmed from side to side on the ground and as he kicked his feet again.
"Well, since you were trying to get me to cry by tickling me, I think that I won't stop tickling you until you cry! How's that for revenge?!" Kathy exclaimed playfully in amusement with a devious smile as she kept tickling Knuckles silly.
"NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! DOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHON'T! I'M VERY TICKLISH! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAVE MERCY! PLEASE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I CAN'T TAKE IT! I CAN'T! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Knuckles squealed even more in amusement with a huge smile while laughing hysterically as he shook his head a lot in protest.
"Aw well. I guess that you're going to have to deal with it," Kathy replied calmly yet playfully in amusement with a mischievous smile and with a casual shrug as she kept tickling Knuckles.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OKAY! OKAY! I'M SORRY! I"M SORRY! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! I WON'T TICKLE YOU! I PROMISE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'M OVER IT! HONEST! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! JUST STOP! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!" Knuckles squealed loudly in amusement with a huge smile while laughing hysterically as he squirmed a lot.
"Hehehehehe! Okay, okay. I'll stop. Just relax, Knuckles. I'm done...for now..." Kathy replied calmly with a little, cute giggle and with a gentle smile before looking slightly mischievous at the end as she stopped tickling Knuckles. Knuckles kept laughing while clutching his stomach again with his arms. Heheheheheheheheh...So much for getting revenge for my grapes...Heheheheheheh...I got counterattacked by the tickle monster instead...Heheheheheh...But...it was very fun regardless...Knuckles pondered calmly in amusement with a huge smile as he kept laughing a lot before he calmed down again and stared up at Kathy with one eye closed.
"Heheheheheheh...I knew that confronting the tickle monster was a bad idea, but I did it anyway...Hahahahahaha...And I got punished for it...Hahahahahahaha...(Sigh)…You really do know how to keep me entertained, Kathy. I don't know how you do it, but...I'm glad that you do anyway and keep me happy...Thanks," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement and in endearment with a warm smile as he chuckled a lot before sighing and sitting back up to stare at Kathy.
Kathy beamed sweetly at him and nodded at him while exclaiming cheerfully in amusement, "It's no problem, Knuckles! I like keeping you happy! You look so adorable when you're smiling and laughing a lot! It's great!".
"Ah! Uhhhhh! Uhhhhhh! Ummmm!" Knuckles muttered loudly in awkwardness and in embarrassment as he blushed deeply and as he frowned a lot. I...I look adorable to Kathy whenever I...laugh or smile? Knuckles pondered calmly yet curiously in shyness with a sheepish frown while blushing bright red.
"Ah. Ah. Ah. No frowning, silly doggie. Just keep on smiling, okay?" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a gentle smile as she lightly tickled Knuckles' neck with her two fingers. Knuckles immediately smiled hugely after feeling Kathy's fingers gently scribbling his neck. He cringed slightly while snickering a lot with a flushed face.
"Heheheheheheheheh...Alright! Alright! I'm smiling! I'm smiling! Heheheheheheheh...Quit it!" Knuckles exclaimed playfully in amusement and in slight protest with a huge smile on his bashful face as he snickered a lot.
"There you go, little doggie. Just smile and be happy," Kathy replied calmly yet gently in amusement and in encouragement with a warm smile and with twinkling eyes as she stopped tickling Knuckles' neck and just stared fondly at him instead.
"Heheheheheh...Yeah...You're right...Thanks, Kathy," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement and in gratitude with a warm smile and with a snicker as he stared fondly back at Kathy with a flushed face. Kathy beamed sweetly at him again before she leant forward and embraced him again. Knuckles smiled even wider at this and embraced Kathy back while blushing a lot in fondness. ...Heh...Kathy is right. Why frown when it's a good time to be happy? I know that I frown a lot whenever I feel embarrassed...but...I can also smile when embarrassed too...Besides...Kathy makes me happy by being so sweet and affectionate towards me...I have every reason to smile because of those things...Maybe it is a good time to learn to smile...That way...I can be content with my life...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a warm smile on his flushed face as he stared at Kathy. He soon closed his eyes and held Kathy tighter in fondness. He and Kathy hugged each other tightly and warmly for a couple of minutes before they broke apart and smiled widely at each other.
"...Heh...Hey, Kathy? Do you want to go somewhere else?" Knuckles asked calmly in amusement with a playful smile.
"Hehehehehe! Yeah! Can we?" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a little giggle and with a sweet smile as she stared hopefully at Knuckles.
"Of course, we can! If we head up north from here, we'll reach to our next destination. Ready to go?" Knuckles replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a cheerful smile and with a nod.
"Yeah, I am! I can't wait to see what's next! Let's go! Right now!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with an excited grin as she quickly got up and reached down to give Knuckles a hand.
Knuckles chuckled at Kathy's excited reaction and grabbed her hand to let her pull him back up. He replied calmly in amusement with a chuckle and with a huge smile as he stood back up with Kathy, "Hahahahaha...Alrighty then...Follow me...I'll show you the way...".
[Ten Minutes Later]
Knuckles and Kathy had left Emerald Meadows by taking the northern exit and had walked together through the forest for about ten minutes. They were holding hands again and were silent again. Knuckles was on Kathy's left as he walked beside her. Kathy was smiling a lot in peace as she enjoyed looking at the tall trees in the forest. But soon she noticed that the area around them is getting misty and looked a bit worried at this.
"Knuckles? Why is this place covered in mist? Are we going somewhere safe?" Kathy asked curiously in slight worry as she looked at Knuckles.
"Oh, don't worry, Kathy. It's safe. It's just that this place is known for its mist and fog. It's nothing for you to worry about. Relax, Kathy. It's fine," Knuckles replied calmly in reassurance with a gentle smile as he looked at Kathy.
"Ohhh...Okay!" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a curious look before a jovial one as she beamed at Knuckles.
"Heheheheheheh...Oh, Kathy...Heheheheheh..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet quietly in fondness with an amused smile as he shook his head while chuckling a lot.
"Huh? What is it, Knuckles?" Kathy asked curiously in confusion with raised eyebrows and with a little frown.
"Oh, nothing! Nothing! Heheheheheh..." Knuckles exclaimed brightly in amusement with a huge smile as he chuckled a little. Heheheheheh...She's so pure...So innocent...And so trusting...Heheheheh...Knuckles pondered calmly yet fondly in amusement as he chuckled some more. He soon stopped chuckling and just stared at Kathy with a huge smile on his face. He can see her smiling brightly with a calm look on her face. He sighed fondly with a warm smile before looked back ahead of himself. He and Kathy walked for a few more minutes in silence until they had reached their destination.
"Here we are...Mystic Ruins...Full of mystery and wonder..." Knuckles muttered softly in fondness with a calm smile as he and Kathy walked through some dirt-like hills.
"And beautiful scenery too! Look, Knuckles! I can see a huge waterfall over there!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a huge grin as she pointed at the waterfall in the distance.
"Yep. This place has everything. Heh...Including Tails' workshop. See? It's right over there," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a gentle smile as he pointed at the workshop in the eastern direction.
"Oh! So that's where it is! Neat! Looks like Tails enjoys nature too since he had built his workshop in a pretty place like this!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a jovial smile as she stared at the workshop before at Knuckles.
"I'd believe it. Plus, it's quiet here too. I'd build my workshop in this place too just to focus and to relax," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a gentle smile as he stared back at Kathy.
"You know, so far, you've taken me to places that are peaceful and quiet. Do you like being in quiet places, Knuckles?" Kathy replied calmly in amusement with a little smile as she stared back at Knuckles in curiosity.
Knuckles smiled wider at Kathy as he answered calmly in amusement, "Heh...Yes...".
"Hehe...I see...I...I like quiet places too..." Kathy replied calmly yet softly with a light giggle and with a shy smile as she blushed a little.
Knuckles stared at Kathy with a gentle smile before it turned fond as he lowered his eyelids at her after hearing that. Instinctively, he moved his body closer to her and moved his head slightly forward towards her in a fond way. He replied calmly yet gently in curiosity with a fond smile as he does this, "Really? You too, huh? Do tell".
"Well...I've lived on a remote island for most of my life with my mom, and we rarely went to places that are loud and full of people like the one in Central City," Kathy replied calmly with a shy smile as she blushed deeper when she saw how close Knuckles is to her now.
"Heh. Ditto. The first time I had ever went to a city was when I turned 16. It was when my acquaintances and I had teleported to Earth, and that city was called Station Square. I...I was quite lost for words when I saw a city for the first time. It was like a totally different world...Literally," Knuckles replied calmly with a smug smile and with half-lidded eyes before he turned his head downwards and frowned a little.
"Oh...Really? What was it like for you when you had first gone to a city? Aside from Battra attacking Central City...twice...my first time visiting a city was rather wonderful. Especially since you were there to guide me, Knuckles. I would be lost if I had traveled through it alone," Kathy replied calmly in curiosity with a little frown on her intrigued face as she stared at Knuckles.
Knuckles cringed a little when he heard Kathy say "lost" and "alone". He frowned even more in sadness as he answered calmly yet solemnly in depression, "To be honest, Kathy...It...It was terrifying for me...For the first time in my life...I had felt so lost and confused...Everything was just too strange and foreign to me...Not to mention that there were hundreds of humans around-".
"I didn't know that humans also lived on Earth! I thought they had only existed in the Sol Dimension!" Kathy exclaimed in surprise as her eyes had widened and as her mouth gaped in shock.
"...That was what I had thought too when I heard that the Sol Dimension used to have humans besides Dr. Eggman Nega. I thought that Earth was the only planet populated by humans. Not our own planet as well," Knuckles replied calmly in somberness with a solemn frown as he looked at Kathy.
"Hmmm...Maybe Mobius and Earth are more interconnected than we thought," Kathy replied calmly in curiosity with a little frown as she stared at Knuckles.
Knuckles frowned further at that as he replied calmly yet solemnly in sadness, "...Yeah...I guess so...I mean...It would explain why we were able to transport to Earth...Still...I just can't believe that it was possible to even happen in the first place...Fate can be rather strange at times...".
Kathy frowned in sympathy for Knuckles as she replied softly, "...Please continue, Knuckles...".
"Right...Anyways, as I was saying...I've never seen so many humans before...and after my first-hand experience dealing with a human such as Dr. Eggman for instance...I...I immediately felt bitter and suspicious of them...I had such a huge disdain for them that it's not even funny...In fact...it was the very reason why I had to separate myself from my acquaintances when they had offered me to stay at Chris' mansion...I...I just didn't trust Chris or any of the humans at that time...I just thought that they were going to use me just like Dr. Eggman did...I...I just felt so alone...and lost...Not to mention...homesick..." Knuckles replied calmly yet solemnly in depression with a sad frown while he remembered the past as he looked back down to the ground.
Kathy frowned a lot in sympathy for Knuckles as she listened to his story. She immediately released Knuckles' hand and wrapped her left arm around his back to comfort him. Knuckles looked at Kathy with a little frown as his eyes twinkled. Kathy stared at him with a little, sympathetic frown and with twinkling, caring eyes. Knuckles stared back at Kathy with a little frown before he smiled a little at her.
"...Kathy..." Knuckles muttered softly in fondness with a little smile as he stared longingly at Kathy.
Kathy smiled a little too and gently rubbed Knuckles' back to further comfort him. She consoled softly in fondness with a gentle smile, "It's alright, Knuckles. I'm here for you".
"Hey...Thanks," Knuckles replied softly in gratitude with a warm smile and with lowered eyelids as he enjoyed the little backrub that Kathy is giving him right now.
"Anytime, buddy. Anytime," Kathy replied calmly in fondness with a gentle smile and with longing eyes as she patted Knuckles on the back a little before putting her arm down.
"Hmph..." Knuckles grunted quietly in amusement of that as he smiled wider at Kathy. I'm...I'm glad that Kathy is here at my side right now...It certainly beats the old days of being alone all the time...Now, I can be alone with her...And spend some quality time with her to boot...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a wide, warm smile as he stared at Kathy while she looked ahead and not at him.
"Hey! Look at that! We're close to the waterfall now! Come on, Knuckles! Let's go!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a jovial grin as she pointed at the waterfall again before looking at Knuckles and grabbing his hand again. She then ran towards waterfall with Knuckles dragging behind.
"H-Hey! Hahahahahahahaha! Slow down, Kathy! Hahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed happily in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes as he laughed a bit while running behind Kathy. He and Kathy ran towards the waterfall and eventually slowed down once they approached the edge of the pond. The pond has tons of lily pads and reeds in it with the mist surrounding it. The pond was already beautiful and mysterious, but the large waterfall just made it breathtaking to look at. Kathy was stunned on how beautiful the pond and waterfall looks together. She smiled widely as she looked around the area in awe. She soon released Knuckles' hand and stared up at the huge waterfall.
"...Wow...It's gorgeous..." Kathy whispered softly in awe with a huge smile and with sparkling eyes as she stared at the waterfall.
"...Yeah...It is..." Knuckles whispered softly in agreement with a fond smile as he looked up at the waterfall too before looking at Kathy. He smiled even wider in fondness when he saw Kathy smiling cutely as her light-blue eyes sparkled in awe. ...But it's nothing compared to how gorgeous you are, Kathy. Your adorable, happy smile...and your sparkly, light-blue eyes...are like a work of art...No one can replicate your look, Kathy. No one...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared dearly at Kathy.
"You know, Knuckles...I think that I can see why this place is called Mystic Ruins," Kathy replied calmly in amusement with a jovial smile as she looked at Knuckles while having her hands behind her back.
"Oh? Really? Let me hear your thoughts then," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a warm smile as he looked curious. Perhaps she's going to say that it's mysterious and mystical because of its fantastic beauty...That's what I think at least...Knuckles pondered calmly in amusement with a warm smile as he stared curiously at Kathy.
However, what Kathy had said next was completely off with what Knuckles was thinking or expecting.
"I think that this place is named that because there's mist everywhere! Get it? 'Mist-ic' Ruins? Hehehehe!" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a jovial, innocent smile and with a little giggle.
"..." Knuckles was silent after hearing that. He had raised his eyebrows in surprise of Kathy's answer and had gaped a little in shock. But he soon smiled very much in smugness as he lowered his eyelids halfway again at Kathy. Kathy soon giggled a lot when she saw Knuckles' smug look again but was soon surprised when he pushed her down to the ground.
"Heh. Goofball," Knuckles muttered calmly yet playfully in amusement with a huge, smug smile and with half-lidded eyes as he pushed Kathy down.
"Hey! Hehehehehehehehehe! Knuckles! That was mean! What was that for?!" Kathy exclaimed brightly yet playfully in amusement with a huge smile while giggling a little as she landed on her right side before rolling over onto her back and lifted herself up halfway with her elbows.
"For being a complete silly! Of all the things that you could have said about Mystic Ruins, you choose mist as your answer?!" Knuckles exclaimed playfully in amusement with a mischievous smirk as he crossed his arms while staring down at Kathy.
"Well, I thought that it was obvious. I mean. Have you seen how misty it is around here? What else would you describe it besides that?" Kathy replied calmly in amusement with an innocent smile and with a shrug as she looked up at Knuckles.
"Oh...I don't know...'Mysterious'? 'Mystical'? At least, those two words come to mind when describing this place," Knuckles replied calmly yet playfully in amusement with a mischievous smirk and with half-lidded eyes while having his arms crossed as he stared down at Kathy.
"But not 'mist'?" Kathy asked calmly yet coyly in amusement with a playful grin and with a lowered eyebrow as she stared back at Knuckles.
"...You're the only person who would think that. Even I think of this place as mysterious and mystical. Not because of its mist, silly girl," Knuckles replied calmly yet playfully in amusement with a mischievous smirk and with half-lidded eyes as he stared down at Kathy.
"...Well, if you can't see the mist in 'Mistic Ruins', then you're pretty slow, Knuckles!" Kathy replied brightly yet teasingly in amusement as she beamed at Knuckles.
"...! What...What did you just say?" Knuckles asked slowly in surprise with a gasp and with a huge smile as he looked amused by this.
"Hehehehe! I said that you're slow, Knuckles!" Kathy exclaimed jovially with a little giggle and with an innocent smile as stared up at Knuckles.
Knuckles was beaming in amusement at Kathy as he was surprised that she had said that to him. He then uncrossed his arms and looked devious as he smirked evilly at Kathy while he asked calmly yet playfully in amusement, "Oh, so I'm slow, huh?".
"Well, since you can't see the mist for the 'Mistic Ruins', I'd say 'yes'!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in playfulness with a silly smile and with amused eyes as she stared back at Knuckles.
Knuckles soon closed his eyes for moment as he felt rather amused and playful. He felt the warmth in his heart again. Normally, in this situation, he would get mad and tell the person who had mocked him or teased him off. But with Kathy, however, he just adores her even more and just wants to play with her.
...And play with her he did.
"Oh...That does it! Come here, you silly girl! I'll show you who's slow! Heh!" Knuckles exclaimed playfully in amusement with a devious smirk as he opened eyes again and leapt at Kathy to pin her down.
"Hehehehehehehehe! No!" Kathy exclaimed playfully in amusement with a silly grin as she giggled a lot while quickly grabbing and pushing Knuckles' hands to get him off of her after he landed on top of her. But to her surprise, Knuckles simply pushed her hands back as he held them tightly.
"Heheheheheh...You're pretty strong for a female, Kaiju monster. Grrrrgh! Nnngggh! You're certainly deserving your title as Queen, silly girl. Grrrrrggh! Urrrrggh! But I want to see if you can take me down!" Knuckles replied calmly yet playfully in amusement with a mischievous chuckle and with a devious smirk as he grunted a little while pushing Kathy's hands down after feeling her pushing his hands back.
Kathy stared directly into Knuckles' amused yet playful eyes while blushing a lot in embarrassment. She smiled shyly at Knuckles as she kept resisting him while saying calmly yet quietly in confusion, "...But Knuckles...I've...I've never done this with anyone before...Just what are you doing?".
"It's called 'wrestling', Kathy. I'm just playing with you. ...Want to wrestle with me?" Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a fond smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stopped pushing Kathy's hands for a moment. His heart was pounding fast in adoration as he realized that he is the first person that Kathy is wrestling with, and he hoped that Kathy would want to wrestle with him. In other words, he wants her to play with him.
"...Why...Why of course, Knuckles. I'd love to wrestle with you. It sounds like fun!" Kathy replied calmly yet cheerfully in amusement with an innocent smile and with twinkling, curious eyes while blushing a lot as she held Knuckles' hands.
"It is fun! I'll even show it to you! Here! Try rolling me over on your left so that you can be on top of me!" Knuckles exclaimed brightly yet excitedly in amusement as he beamed at Kathy in joy since his heart is in such ecstasy right now.
"Oh! Okay!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with an innocent smile. She immediately pushed Knuckles over onto her left and quickly rolled on top of him while holding onto his hands.
"Whoa! Heheheheheheheheh! That was fast! Hahahahahahaha! Looks like I'm up for a challenge!" Knuckles exclaimed brightly in amusement as he grinned widely at Kathy while chuckling a lot.
"Well, you are wrestling against a Kaiju! So, of course, it's going to be a challenge for you! You're not a Kaiju like me! You're just a regular Mobian!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully in amusement with a bright smile as she stared down at Knuckles while tightly holding his hands.
Knuckles smirked playfully at Kathy as he replied calmly yet cockily in amusement with a chuckle, "You're right. I'm not. ...But I sure do fight like one though. You're going down, Angel. Your little Troublemaker is going to beat you! Heheheheheh!".
"Not if I had to say about it!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a playful smirk as she quickly pushed Knuckles' hands back after feeling him pushing hers. Knuckles chuckled deviously at Kathy as he and her pushed each other's hands back and forth in their wrestle. They both had playful smirks on their faces as they resisted each other. Knuckles grunted a lot as he struggled to push Kathy away from himself; Kathy just quietly concentrated while gritting her teeth.
"Grrrrrgh! Nnnnggh! ...Hmph! Getting tired yet?" Knuckles asked calmly yet tauntingly in amusement with a devious smirk as he grunted a lot while pushing Kathy's hands away.
"N-No way! I'm...I'm just getting started!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a playful smirk while pushing Knuckles' hands back.
"Hmph! ...So am I, silly girl. So am I..." Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a devious smirk as he grunted again in playfulness. With a mischievous look on his face, Knuckles intentionally stopped pushing Kathy's hands back and let her push his hands all the way to the ground.
"Huh? Hehehehehe! Looks like you're the one who's tired, Knuckles! See? You're not resisting anymore!" Kathy replied brightly yet innocently in amusement with a sweet smile and with a little giggle as she got rather close to Knuckles' face and stared calmly into his amused, playful eyes. She stopped pushing his hands the moment he stopped pushing her back.
"Heh! Or am I?" Knuckles replied calmly yet playfully in amusement with a mischievous smile as he stared back into Kathy's innocent eyes. He then immediately pushed Kathy over onto his left and quickly got on top of her while pushing her hands back.
"Whoa! Hehehehehehehehehehe! You're a tough, little doggie!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a silly smile as she giggled a lot while gripping tightly onto Knuckles' hands.
"Oh, you know I am, and your little doggie knows how to fight. Isn't it about time that you give up, Kathy? Because I think that it's clear who the victor is in this wrestling match! It is m-Hey!" Knuckles replied calmly yet cockily in amusement with a devious smirk as he pushed Kathy's hands back before he exclaimed in surprise as he felt her hands pushing him back so hard that he had rolled over towards her left.
"Gotcha! Looks like I'm the victor now!" Kathy exclaimed confidently in amusement with a playful grin as she got on top of Knuckles and pushed his hands back.
"Hahahahahahahahaha! Oh, really now?! Well then! In that case...the kid gloves are off! Try to fight back against this! Heh!" Knuckles exclaimed brightly yet excitedly in amusement with a playful grin as he laughed a little at that. He then pushed Kathy back with all the strength that he has, and Kathy just pushed Knuckles back with all the strength that she has. They were stuck in a hand-lock and refused to give up. They were both grunting a lot as they struggled to push the other back. Seconds keep moving by, and they still hadn't gotten out of the hand-lock.
"Grrrrrrrggh! Uuurrrrrggh! Had...enough...yet?" Knuckles asked slowly in amusement with a playful smirk and with furrowed eyebrows as he concentrated intensely into pushing Kathy back while grunting a lot.
"Grrrrrggh! Nnnnggh! N-Nope! You?!" Kathy exclaimed confidently in amusement with a playful smirk and with furrowed eyebrows as she concentrated into pushing Knuckles back too while also grunting a lot.
"Never! Grrrrrrrrggh!" Knuckles exclaimed confidently in stubbornness with a huge, determined grin and with amused, playful eyes as he grunted even more while slowly pushing Kathy's hands away. He was starting to get out of this hand-lock and was almost ready to push Kathy over to the left again. But he was then surprised and confused when he saw Kathy moving her face closer towards his face.
"...You really are tough, little doggie. But you can't beat your Master. Masters know all of the tricks in the book...Including the ones that you had taught me..." Kathy replied calmly in amusement with sly smile as she stared closely at Knuckles' face.
"Huh? What tricks?" Knuckles muttered calmly yet curiously in confusion as he looked bewildered while staring closely back at Kathy.
"This one," Kathy replied calmly yet coyly in amusement with a mischievous smile and with playful eyes as she moved her face down towards the crook of Knuckles' neck.
Huh? What is she doing? Knuckles thought calmly in confusion as he stared at Kathy at his left in bewilderment. But he immediately figured out what Kathy was doing when she gently nibbled his neck.
"A-Ah! Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Nohohohohohohohohoho! Kathy! Quit it! Hehehehehehehehehehe! No tickling! That's...Hehehehehehehehehehehe! That's cheating!" Knuckles protested playfully in amusement with a huge smile as he giggled a lot while cringing very much at the nibbling. He stopped pushing Kathy's hands back and just held them instead since he was busy giggling.
"What's your problem, Knuckles? I'm just playing," Kathy replied calmly yet coyly in amusement with a sly smile as she lifted her head back up to stare at Knuckles before she started nibbling the right side of his neck.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hehehehehehehehehehe! Well! Hehehehehehehehehe! Play fair! Hehehehehehehehehehehehe! There's no tickling in wrestling! Hahahahahahahahaha! It's distracting!" Knuckles exclaimed playfully in amusement as he smiled hugely at Kathy while giggling silly like a girl.
"I know. That's why I'm doing it. Besides, you can't even fight back when I tickle you. I mean. Look at you. I've already pinned you down," Kathy replied calmly yet coyly in amusement with a sly smile as she stopped nibbling to look at Knuckles again while pushing his hands all the way to the ground.
"Oh, you cheater! Hehehehehehehehehehehehe! You've distracted me! Hehehehehehehehehe!" Knuckles exclaimed back playfully in amusement with a huge smile as he giggled a lot while struggling to push back Kathy.
"Hehehe! I did! And I'm going to keep doing it!" Kathy exclaimed brightly yet playfully in amusement with a little giggle and with a silly smile before she nibbled onto Knuckles' neck again.
"Hey! Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! Quit it! Stop! Hahahahahahahahahaha! Oh, that's it! Hehehehehehehehehehe! You want to play dirty?! I'll play dirty too! Hehehehehehehehehehe! Take this!" Knuckles exclaimed playfully in amusement with a huge smile as he giggled a lot to the nibbling while staring at Kathy with one eye closed. He soon released his hands from Kathy's and started tickling her armpits with his thumbs.
"Eeeeek! Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Knuckles! Stop! Hehehehehehehehehehehe! You're tickling me! Hehehehehehehehehehe!" Kathy shrieked before protesting playfully in amusement with a huge smile as she laughed a lot when Knuckles tickled her. She immediately stopped nibbling Knuckles' neck when she felt tickled. She laid her head onto his left shoulder while he tickled her armpits.
"Heh! Payback!" Knuckles exclaimed playfully in amusement with a mischievous smirk as he saw his chance to push Kathy over. He then quickly pushed Kathy over to his left and got on top of her while he continued to tickle her.
"Hehehehehehehehehehehehe! Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Knuckles! Come on! Stop! Hehehehehehehehehehehe! I can't take it! Hehehehehehehehehehehe!" Kathy protested playfully in amusement with a huge smile with laughing a lot as she squirmed a bit.
"Hey, I can't take it either, and yet, you keep tickling me! I think that it's 'fair' that you get tickled a lot too despite that fact that you can't take it!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a devious smirk as he tickled Kathy some more.
"But Knuckles! Hehehehehehehehehehehehe! We were wrestling earlier! Hehehehehehehehehehe! Not tickling! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! You're cheating, Knuckles! Hehehehehehehehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed back in amusement with a silly smile while squirming a bit as she laughed a lot.
Knuckles then looked smug as he replied calmly yet teasingly in a taunting way, "What's your problem, Kathy? I'm just playing".
"Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! I see how it is now! Hehehehehehehehehehe! I guess I'll 'play' too! Hehehehehehehehehe! Take that!" Kathy exclaimed playfully in amusement with a huge smile as she laughed some more before she tickled Knuckles back by getting his tummy and sides again.
"AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NO! NO! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! NOT ME! NOT ME! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! KATHY! STOP! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU'RE TICKLING ME! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! QUIT IT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Knuckles squealed loudly like a girl while smiling hugely at this before he laughed hysterically again to the tickling as he dropped down on top of Kathy. He immediately stopped tickling Kathy after he felt his tummy and sides being tickled a lot.
"Hehehehe! My turn!" Kathy exclaimed playfully in amusement with a huge grin as she giggled a little while tickling Knuckles. She then pushed Knuckles over onto her left and quickly got on top of him before tickling him again.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! NO! NO! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! NOT LIKE THIS! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! I'M TRAPPED! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Knuckles squealed loudly in amusement with a huge smile while laughing hysterically as he squirmed a lot while being under Kathy.
"If you want to get out, you'll have to fight back, Knuckles! Cause I'm not stopping!" Kathy exclaimed playfully in amusement with a sly smile as she kept tickling Knuckles' tummy and sides.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I CAN'T! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! I'M TOO TICKLISH! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" Knuckles squealed some more in amusement with a huge, sheepish smile while laughing hysterically as he squirmed a lot.
"So, do you admit that I won the fight? Hmm?" Kathy asked calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful smirk as she kept tickling Knuckles.
That last part had immediately gotten Knuckles' attention as his eyelids flew wide open. As much as he admits that he's in a compromising position right now, he can't help but feel rather competitive now after Kathy had said that. It may be childish, but Knuckles never backs down from a challenge. Even while being tickled silly.
"NO! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! I REFUSE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'M GOING TO WIN THE FIGHT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOT YOU! YOU LOUSY CHEATER! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ALRIGHT! NOW, TAKE THIS! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" Knuckles squealed loudly in protest and in amusement as he looked playful while laughing hysterically. He then tickled Kathy back by prodding her tummy and sides.
"Eeeeek! Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Stop it! Stop! Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Quit it! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" Kathy shrieked before laughing a lot in hysterics while having a huge smile on her face as she slowed down her tickling a bit.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! GOTCHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Knuckles squealed loudly in playfulness with a huge smile as he laughed hysterically while tickling Kathy back. He then quickly pushed Kathy over to his left and got on top of her while tickling her silly.
"Hehehehehehehehehehehe! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Come on! Stop! Hehehehehehehehehehe! It tickles! Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Kathy protested playfully in amusement with a huge smile as she laughed hysterically to the tickling while squirming a lot.
"HA! I GOT YA, KATHY! TAKE THAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT TICKLES! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Knuckles shouted playfully in amusement with an excited grin before he squealed loudly like a girl and laughed hysterically again as he felt his armpits being tickled a lot.
"Hahahahahahahahaha! Now, I got you! Hehehehehehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a silly smile as she giggled a lot while tickling Knuckles' armpits. She immediately pushed Knuckles over to her left and quickly got on top of him while tickling his armpits.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! OH! IT'S ON! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Knuckles squealed loudly in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed hysterically and as he squirmed a bit while staring at Kathy with one eye open. As much as it was torturous for Knuckles to do, he opened his arms a bit more to move them towards Kathy's sides and prod them there.
"Eeeeek! Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! No! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! Don't! Ahahahahahahahahaha! Quit it! Hehehehehehehehehehe!" Kathy shrieked before she protested playfully in amusement with a huge smile while laughing hysterically as she briefly stopped tickling Knuckles when she felt her sides being tickled.
"HA! THERE! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Knuckles shouted playfully in amusement with a huge grin as he laughed loudly while pushing Kathy over to the left and getting on top of her. He kept prodding her sides and soon prodded her tummy too out of playfulness.
"Hehehehehehehehehehehehe! Aaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! That's it! Hehehehehehehehehehe! Come here, you silly, little doggie! Hehehehehehehehehehe! You're being a bad doggie! Take this! Hehehehehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed playfully in amusement with a huge smile as she laughed hysterically while shrieking a little again. She then tickled Knuckles back by getting his tummy.
"AAAAAAAAAAAA! NO! MY WEAK SPOT! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!" Knuckles squealed loudly like a girl again with a huge smile as he laughed hysterically when he felt his tummy being tickled. He immediately stopped prodding Kathy after being tickled.
"Bad doggie! Bad! Hehehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed playfully in amusement with a sweet smile as she giggled a bit while tickling Knuckles silly. She quickly pushed Knuckles over to her left and got on top of him while tickling his defenseless tummy relentlessly.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! MAKE IT STOP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! IT TICKLES SO MUCH! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! I CAN'T TAKE IT! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! STOOOOOP!" Knuckles squealed loudly in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed hysterically while squirming a lot.
"You give up?!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a playful grin as she kept tickling Knuckles.
"NEVER! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! COME HERE, YOU SILLY GIRL! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! TAKE THAT!" Knuckles squealed some more in amusement while laughing hysterically as he prodded again at Kathy's tummy and sides. She burst out laughing again, and Knuckles managed to push her over to his left and got on top of her while still tickling her. She and Knuckles both protested playfully and laughed hysterically as they tickled each other at their tummies, sides, and armpits while rolling around on the ground. They kept doing that until they had accidently rolled over to a slope. While they were rolling down the slope, they held onto each other at the other's armpits and had laughed very much in mirth.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Kathy and Knuckles laughed very much in unison as they rolled down together and soon stopped at the bottom of the slope. Knuckles was on top of Kathy when they had stopped rolling. They can't stop laughing since they were feeling very happy. Knuckles laid on top of Kathy with his head down on her chest while laughing a lot in mirth.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha! I...I...Ahahahahahahahahahahaha! I had so much fun! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! That was just so silly! Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Just...Hehehehehehehehehehe! Just what was that?! Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed happily in mirth with a huge smile as he laughed very hard while holding onto Kathy's shoulders now. His head was resting on its right side as he laid onto Kathy.
"Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe! That was a tickle fight, Knuckles! Hehehehehehehehehe! Liked it?!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully with an innocent smile as she laughed a lot while staring at Knuckles. She held onto his back as she laughed a lot.
"'Liked it'?! I loved it! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! I...I...Hehehehehehehehehehe! I hadn't had that much fun in a long while! Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed happily in mirth while laughing hard as he looked up at Kathy. He was beaming at her with the giddiest expression on his face as his violet eyes twinkled in happiness.
"Hehehehehehehehehe! Well, I'm glad that you loved it, Knuckles! Hahahahahahahahahaha! You must be feeling very happy now!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully in amusement with a sweet smile as she laughed a lot in happiness.
"You said it! Hehehehehehehehehehe! I feel like I'm at the top of the world! Hahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed brightly in amusement with a huge grin as he laughed a lot in mirth.
"But we're at the bottom of a slope! Hehehehehehehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully with a bright smile while laughing a lot.
"Oh, shut up, Kathy! Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed even more at that. Kathy joined him as she laughed very much in mirth. They couldn't stop laughing since they felt so happy and at ease with each other. They held each other dearly as they kept laughing in joy.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Kathy and Knuckles laughed even more in unison as they held each other either at their shoulders or their backs. But eventually, they started to calm down their uncontrollable laughter as they giggled silly like little children.
"Hehehehehehehehehehehehe! So...Hehehehehehehehehehe! So, who won?" Kathy asked calmly in amusement with a bright smile as she giggled a lot.
"Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Let's...Hehehehehehehehehehe! L-Let's...Hehehehehehehehehehehehe! Let's just call it a draw. Hehehehehehehehehehe! I had too much fun to even care who was winning. Hehehehehehehehe! Besides...Hehehehehehehehe! I was busy laughing the whole time to even notice..." Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a huge smile while giggling a lot.
"Hehehehehehehe! I'm fine with that. I had too much fun as well. Hehehehehehehehe!" Kathy replied calmly in amusement with a huge smile while giggling a lot.
"Okay then. Hehehehehehehehe! I can see that we're in agreement here. Hehehehehehehehe! So...what do you say, Kathy? Hehehehehe! Tie?" Knuckles replied calmly with a huge smile as he giggled a lot while looking at Kathy.
"Tie! Hehehehehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a jovial smile as she giggled a lot while pulling Knuckles' head towards the left side of her neck for a hug. She hugged Knuckles at his back and head. Knuckles kept giggling in amusement while hugging Kathy back. They giggled silly for a few more minutes while hugging each other dearly. But very soon, they calmed even further down as they took deep breaths.
"Hehehehehehehehe...Hehehehehehe...Hehehehe...(Sigh)…" Kathy and Knuckles giggled slowly with huge smiles on their faces while taking deep breaths before sighing in unison as they stopped giggling and laughing. They soon fell silent as they held each other dearly while having huge, warm smiles on their faces.
…
…
…
"...(Sigh)…...Kathy?" Knuckles asked calmly yet quietly in affection with a deep sigh and with a longing smile as his eyelids went down halfway in fondness.
"Yeah?" Kathy asked calmly yet quietly in curiosity with a longing smile as she stared at Knuckles.
"...I...I feel like a little kid again. The wrestling and the tickle fight that we just had had made me feel young again. It's...It's been so long since I had let my guard down and just be myself again...Honestly, Kathy...it feels relieving to me. It's like I've been wearing a ton of armor for a very long time...and I've just now taken it off...I feel...at ease with myself again..." Knuckles replied calmly yet quietly in endearment with a longing smile on his fond face.
"...Knuckles..." Kathy whispered softly in adoration with a fond smile on her face as she gently rubbed Knuckles' back and head. Knuckles smiled even wider in fondness as he enjoyed the gentle rubbing.
"...Kathy...I'm being very serious when I say this...I feel like a kid every time I spend time with you...I always feel excited to meet you and to spend time with you every time I wake up in the morning...It's because...you bring out the little child in me that I had kept locked away inside my heart for years and years...I...I just don't know what it is about you that made me do it...but I somehow do become a kid again whenever I'm with you, Kathy...Whenever I'm with you...I feel very happy..." Knuckles whispered softly in endearment with a fond smile on his face as he snuggled a little into Kathy's neck.
"...I'm glad that I make you very happy, Knuckles. Honestly...I think that it's about time that you received some happiness..." Kathy whispered softly in affection with a fond smile as she kept rubbing Knuckles' back and head.
Knuckles smiled even more fondly after hearing that and lowered his eyelids even more halfway. He whispered softly in agreement with a huge, fond smile and with half-lidded, twinkling eyes, "...I think so too, Kathy...I think so too...".
Kathy beamed sweetly at Knuckles after hearing that and held him even tighter in fondness. Knuckles smiled a lot too as he held Kathy tightly in fondness. While they held for a little while, Knuckles then asked calmly yet quietly in amusement, "...Hey...Do you want to see some snow?".
"What's 'snow'?" Kathy asked calmly in curiosity with a little frown on her confused face.
Knuckles smiled even wider in amusement and in fondness as he pondered calmly. Ohohohoho, this is going to be soooo much fun...
Well, it's another part done! It may be another slightly long chapter, but it's still shorter than the other long chapters. I'm honestly having a lot of fun writing these chapters! Sure, it is filled to the brim with silliness, but that's makes Kathy's and Knuckles' relationship special. It IS meant to be silly and ridiculous, and it'll make sense in the future why they act the way they are to each other. But for now, enjoy the warmth and playfulness that these two are bonding over! Until then, see you all in part 6!