Guardian Angels
S1:E7: Traveling Around the World with You (Epilogue Pt. 1)
Kathy and Knuckles soon arrived back at Adabat at around 6:30 PM. They walked through the city while holding hands with Knuckles leading the way. He led Kathy towards a diner and released her hand as he grabbed the door handle and opened it for her in a gentlemanly manner.
"Heheh...After you, Master," Knuckles muttered calmly yet coyly in amusement with a slightly nervous chuckle and with a sheepish grin as he gestured Kathy to go inside while holding the door for her.
"Aww, why thank you, Knuckles. Aren't you sweet? Yes, that's a sweet doggie," Kathy replied calmly yet fondly in amusement with an innocent smile and with twinkling eyes as she stood next to Knuckles and stared at him before cupping his left cheek and lightly scratching it in an affectionate way.
"Hahahaha...Come on, Kathy. Quit it...Heheheheh..." Knuckles protested calmly yet weakly in amusement with a little, sheepish smile and with closed eyes as he chuckled a little while blushing a bit in shyness.
"Hehehe! Awwww...You like that, don't you, Knuckles?" Kathy replied calmly yet gently in fondness with a giggle and with a sweet smile as she kept scratching Knuckles' left cheek in an affectionate way.
"Yes, and that's why I want you to stop it! Heheheheh! It feels nice! Hahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with sheepish smile and with closed eyes as he chuckled some more in embarrassment while he enjoyed the gentle scratching.
"Aw, alright, I'll stop," Kathy replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a fond smile and with upward eyebrows while staring at Knuckles as she stopped scratching his left cheek.
"(Sigh)...Thank you," Knuckles thanked calmly in relief with a sigh and with a little smile as he nodded slowly while still having his eyes closed.
Kathy smiled warmly at Knuckles in amusement before she quickly tickled the left side of his neck while complimenting calmly yet gently in fondness, "...You're so cute, little doggie. You really are".
"H-Hey! Heheheheheheheheheheheh! Kathy! Don't! Dohohohohohohohon't! Hahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles protested playfully in amusement with a huge smile and with closed eyes while chuckling and cringing a lot to the brief tickling as he blushed brightly at the "cute" compliment again.
Kathy eventually stopped tickling Knuckles and petted his head a little before she walked inside the diner. Knuckles chuckled a little as he watched her go inside. Heheheheheh...Geez...The fact that she could both embarrass me and amuse me at the same time is nerve-racking to think about...Heheheheh...Sigh...She sure knows how to get me to have fun even if it's by force...Knuckles pondered calmly in amusement with a little smile as he chuckled a bit before sighing in fondness while staring gently at Kathy.
He could see her standing a bit awkwardly from the register counter as she curiously looked around the diner with her hands behind her back. He smiled warmly at her before going inside the diner himself to join with her and help her understand her surroundings.
"My...this place looks rather nice..." Kathy commented calmly in amusement with a cute, little smile and with curious eyes as she looked around the pleasant diner. She could see that the diner has red booths and stalls with black and white tiling on the floors and walls. There were also some blue lamps over the lights of the diner. It was certainly a quant-looking diner indeed with some customers here and there enjoying their meals.
"Yeah...It is..." Knuckles agreed calmly in fondness with a little smile as he stood next to Kathy's right side and stared at her while wrapping his left arm around her shoulders.
Kathy looked at Knuckles and beamed sweetly at him as she liked the fact that he's holding her. Knuckles smiled warmly back at her in amusement and in fondness as he stared at her before looking at the waiter behind the cash register while he calmly yet politely ordered, "One booth for us, please".
"Ah. Of course. Right this way, sir," a black, fluffy dog waiter replied calmly in understanding with a gentle smile and with a bow as he grabbed the two menus before walking away from the cash register.
"Come on, Kathy. Let's go," Knuckles muttered calmly yet softly with a gentle smile as he stared at Kathy while leading her with his left arm around her shoulders.
"Oh...Okay!" Kathy muttered calmly yet brightly in amusement with a curious look on her face before it changed into a jovial one again as she stared at Knuckles while she and him followed behind the waiter.
"Hmph..." Knuckles grunted quietly in amusement with a warm smile and with twinkling eyes as he stared at Kathy while gently squeezing her in fondness. They followed behind the waiter and stopped at their booth while the waiter placed their menus down on their table.
"Here's your table, lady and gentleman. Enjoy," the dog waiter commented calmly yet gently with a kind smile as he stepped away from the table and watched his customers sit across from each other after letting go of the other.
"Thank you, sir," Knuckles thanked calmly yet politely with a little smile and with a nod as he grabbed his menu while staring at the waiter.
"Yes! Thank you so much!" Kathy thanked cheerfully with a sweet smile and with amused eyes as she carefully grabbed her menu too while also staring at the waiter.
"You're welcome. Just relax and enjoy our services," the dog waiter replied calmly with a gentle smile and with a nod as he looked at Knuckles and Kathy before leaving their table.
"We will! Bye!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully in amusement with a sweet smile and with a wave as she watched the waiter leave.
Knuckles smiled even wider in amusement after seeing Kathy's reaction to that as he commented calmly yet playfully in a teasing way, "You seem rather excited. Enjoying the place so far?".
"Uh huh! Uh huh! This place looks so nice! Just what is this place, Knuckles?!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement and in curiosity with a huge smile and with twinkling eyes as she stared back at Knuckles while nodding to him a little.
"This place is called 'a diner', Kathy. It's one of the many restaurants that you could go to for meals. I've picked this place since it's a fair balance between formal and casual dining. In other words, it's quaint," Knuckles answered calmly yet gently with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared back at Kathy before smirking and winking a little at her in the end.
"...Yeah...It really is..." Kathy muttered calmly yet softly in agreement with a gentle smile and with twinkling eyes while she stared fondly at Knuckles as her cheeks blushed a little in embarrassment.
Knuckles blushed a little too in embarrassment while smiling coyly at Kathy since he felt rather shy again. He enjoys it every time whenever she looks embarrassed because he sees it as them sharing their feelings to each other through facial expressions rather than through words. Because of that, he feels less alone in the world.
...Ooooh...Don't...Don't stare at me like that, Kathy...Please...You're making me nervous...Knuckles pondered calmly in shyness with a little, sheepish smile and with upward eyebrows as he coyly stared back at Kathy while blushing a lot in embarrassment.
"K-Kathy...D-D-Don't stare at me..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet quietly in amusement and in shyness while stuttering a little in nervousness with a sheepish look on his face as he stared at Kathy before opening the menu up and lifting it up to hide his embarrassed face.
"Hehehehe! Awwww...I think that someone is being shy again," Kathy commented calmly yet fondly in amusement with a giggle and with a sweet smile as she watched Knuckles hiding behind the menu.
"I...I'm not being shy! I'm...I'm just checking out what's on the menu here! That's all there is to it!" Knuckles exclaimed back in embarrassment with a huge, sheepish smile and with upward eyebrows as he closed his eyes while he kept blushing deeply in bashfulness.
"Hehehehehehe! You're so adorable, Knuckles! You're probably just hiding from me all because you don't want to make eye contact with me! That's what you're really doing, right?!" Kathy exclaimed back cheerfully in amusement with another giggle and with a sweet smile as she stared at Knuckles' menu.
"I'm doing no such thing! I'm...I'm just hungry, okay?! Heheheheh!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge, sheepish smile and with a nervous chuckle as he blushed deeper in embarrassment while he squirmed a little in his seat.
"Hehehehehe! I know! But that doesn't mean that you can't look at me, Knuckles!" Kathy exclaimed back cheerfully yet coyly in amusement with yet another giggle and with a silly smile as she slightly leant her head forward towards Knuckles.
"Just read your dang menu, Kathy! You have plenty of choices to choose from, and you won't figure out what you want to eat by simply talking to me! So...just pick and choose already! We don't have all day!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge grin and with closed eyes as he blushed even deeper in embarrassment while having his head tilted towards his right.
Kathy giggled even more at that response before she smiled playfully at Knuckles as she replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement, "...You're just trying to change the subject, aren't you?".
Knuckles was briefly quiet at that before he slightly pulled his menu down and coyly stared at Kathy with a playful yet flustered look on his face as he muttered calmly yet quietly in amusement, "...Shut it...".
Kathy giggled even harder after hearing that while Knuckles was just smiling hugely at her in shyness as he kept blushing. It really doesn't take much to get her to giggle just like how it doesn't take much to get me to blush. I...really do feel like we're a mess whenever we're together...and I wouldn't change it for the world...Knuckles pondered calmly yet fondly in amusement with a huge smile and with a deep blush as he coyly stared at Kathy while hiding from her behind the menu.
"Hehehehehe! Okay! Okay! I'll go check out what I want! Hehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully in amusement with a bright smile and with a nod as she giggled a little before opening her menu and looking through it.
"...Heheheh...Yeah...I'll do that too, Kathy. I'll do that too..." Knuckles replied calmly yet quietly in amusement with a little chuckle and with a coy smile as he shyly stared at Kathy before lifting his menu up again to hide from her. After he recovered from his embarrassment, he then looked through his menu in silence as he wondered what he would want to order.
You know...I could try something a little more different...After all, these are all very tasty choices...Nah...I'll stick to the usual...Knuckles pondered calmly with a little smile as he looked at all the possible choices before he casually shrugged and looked up from his menu to see how Kathy is doing.
He could see that she was confused as she kept turning her menu around from the front to the back since she was unsure of what she wanted. However, that was mostly due to how little she knew about these food items.
"Ham...bur...ger"? "French...fries"? "So...da"? Just what kinds of food and drinks are they anyway? I've never heard of them before. The only things that I could recognize was water and...the one that has bacon in it...I could choose that...Hmmm...Wait a second...Ah! Kathy pondered calmly yet curiously in confusion with a little frown and with upward eyebrows as she browsed through her menu before looking shocked when she saw something on the menu that she didn't expect to find there.
"Wait! They have sundaes here?!" Kathy exclaimed in surprise with a shocked look on her face as she stared at her menu.
"Pfffahahahahahahahaha! Surprise! I was wondering when you would find that on your menu! Heheheheheheh! That's why I had led you here to this place just so that you could eat a sundae at long last! Hahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a bright smile while laughing a little as he stared at Kathy's shocked face.
"Really?! You brought me here just for that?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Kathy exclaimed back in surprise and in confusion as she stared back at Knuckles with a shocked yet amused look on her face.
"I just wanted it to be a surprise! I know how much you love cherries, Kathy, and since this place serves sundaes here...well..." Knuckles replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a huge smile and with twinkling eyes as he stared at Kathy before looking sheepish as he continued calmly with a deep blush, "...I couldn't resist but to bring you here just so that I could see you smile a lot when you eat your sundae for the first time. I wanted to see that for myself. Up close and personal...".
"...Awwww...Knuckles...That's so sweet...You really do like making me happy, don't you?" Kathy replied calmly yet softly in fondness with a little smile and with twinkling eyes as she stared back at Knuckles while blushing bright pink again.
"Aww, well...Ummm...I...I do have a soft spot for you, Kathy...I really do..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet softly in shyness with a little, sheepish smile and with upward eyebrows as he coyly glanced away from Kathy while blushing deeply in embarrassment.
"So, you're finally admitting it, huh? Hehehehe! That you're truly a softie on the inside?" Kathy asked calmly yet coyly in amusement with a sweet smile and with a giggle as she stared fondly yet curiously at Knuckles.
"Heh...Yeah...Yeah, I am, but don't tell anyone that I had said it..." Knuckles replied calmly yet quietly in amusement with a coy grin and with a deep blush as he stared shyly at Kathy before looking at her fully and grinning widely at her.
"Well, of course, I'm not going to tell anyone about it. After all, it would be truly embarrassing if others found out that the bold, rough guardian is such a BIG softie on the inside! That would just be terrible for you!" Kathy replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful grin and with coy eyes as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Oh, don't rub it in, Kathy! It's already embarrassing enough just admitting it to you!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge grin and with a deep blush as he stared back at Kathy.
"I can see that just by how much you're blushing, Knuckles! Hehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed back in amusement with a sweet smile and with a giggle as she pointed at Knuckles' reddened face.
"Yeah...Well...(You make me blush)…" Knuckles muttered calmly yet softly before mumbling in amusement with a shy smile and with upward eyebrows while he blushed much deeper as he coyly glanced downwards.
"What was that?" Kathy asked calmly yet curiously in amusement with a little smile and with twinkling eyes as she leant slightly forward towards Knuckles.
"Uh! Nothing! Nothing! Uhhh..." Knuckles exclaimed back quickly before muttering awkwardly in embarrassment with a sheepish smile and with flushed cheeks as he looked back at Kathy and stared at her in nervousness.
But just before Knuckles could feel more butterflies in his stomach, a pink flamingo waitress walked towards his and Kathy's table as she was ready to take their orders.
"How's everyone doing today? Having a good time?" the flamingo waitress brightly yet kindly asked with a cheerful smile as she looked at Knuckles and Kathy in curiosity.
"Oh! Uhh...We're enjoying ourselves just fine! Thank you for asking, miss!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a cheerful smile and with a nod as she looked at the waitress after being slightly caught off guard for a moment.
"Yes! Uh! Th-Thank you! I'm doing just fine! T-Totally! One hundred percent fine!" Knuckles exclaimed quickly yet nervously with a sheepish frown and with wide eyes as he looked at the waitress while his face is blushing beet-red.
Kathy looked at Knuckles and beamed sweetly at him as she's amused that he's completely nervous by now. The flamingo waitress also looked back at him and smiled widely in amusement as she saw how flustered her customer is being right now.
Aww...Something tells me that I've stumbled upon a couple's date...the flamingo waitress calmly thought to herself in amusement before she pulled out her pencil and notebook to take her customers' orders.
"Well, I'm glad that you two are doing okay. Anyways, what do you two want to order?" the flamingo waitress replied calmly in understanding with a gentle smile and with a nod as she looked at Knuckles and Kathy.
"Uhhh...Ummm..." Kathy and Knuckles muttered calmly yet awkwardly in unison with sheepish looks on their faces as they stared at the waitress.
"Hmm? Are you sure that you're ready to order?" the flamingo waitress calmly asked again with a patient look on her face as she saw the hesitant looks on her customers' faces.
"Ummm...I don't know what to order...Sorry..." Kathy muttered calmly yet awkwardly in an apologetic tone with a sheepish frown and with upward eyebrows as she stared at the waitress before looking down at her menu in shame.
"Aw, it's okay, ma'am. Take all the time that you need. Now, what about you, sir? Are you ready to order anything or do you want some more time to think?" the flamingo waitress replied calmly yet patiently with a gentle smile and with a headshake as she stared at Kathy before at Knuckles.
"Oh...Umm...Hmmm..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet awkwardly with a little, sheepish frown and with raised eyebrows as he briefly stared at the waitress before looking back at his menu to double-check what he really wanted to order. After he looked over his menu, he smiled a little as he closed the menu and placed it down onto the table while answering calmly to the waitress, "I'll take a bacon cheeseburger with some fries and a soda on the side please".
"Got it. One bacon cheeseburger with fries and a soda on the side. Good choice, sir...So, ma'am, do you want some more time or are you ready to order?" the flamingo waitress replied calmly yet brightly with a gentle smile as she wrote down Knuckles' order before looking at Kathy again.
"Uhhhh...I...Ummm..." Kathy muttered calmly yet softly in awkwardness with a little frown and with upward eyebrows as she stared at the waitress briefly before looking at Knuckles for help.
Knuckles saw the pleading look on Kathy's face and smiled gently at her as he encouraged softly, "Go on, Kathy. It's okay. You can tell the waitress what's on your mind".
Kathy raised her eyebrows in surprise of Knuckles' response before she relaxed a little as she felt reassured that what she would say would be fine. She then smiled sheepishly at the waitress as she answered calmly while pointing at Knuckles for emphasis, "Uhh...I'm having what he's having".
Knuckles raised his eyebrows in surprise of Kathy's answer before he smiled much wider in amusement as he watched her conversing with the waitress while staying quiet.
"Oh, so, you also want a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a soda, ma'am?" the flamingo waitress asked calmly for clarity with a curious look on her face as she started writing Kathy's order down.
"Yes, please," Kathy answered calmly with a little smile and with a nod before she exclaimed brightly with an excited look on her face, "Oh! I would also like to have a sundae to go along with that!".
"I see. You also want a sundae for dessert I take it?" the flamingo waitress calmly asked again for clarification with a slightly amused look on her face as she kept writing Kathy's order while looking at her briefly.
"Yep! I'd love to have it!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a cheerful smile and with another nod as she stared confidently at the waitress.
"Very well then, ma'am. I'll add that to your order. Now, is there anything else that you guys like to order or are you fine with it?" the flamingo waitress replied calmly yet curiously with a gentle smile as she finished writing down Kathy's order before looking at her and Knuckles to see if they would want to add anything.
"Nope! I'm good!" Kathy exclaimed brightly yet confidently with a sweet smile and with a headshake as she closed her menu and placed it down onto the table.
"I'm fine as well. Thank you," Knuckles replied calmly yet politely with a little smile and with a nod as he stared at the waitress while having his right arm down onto his menu.
"Understood. Your orders will be ready in a couple of minutes. Relax and enjoy your time here as you wait patiently for your meals. Thank you," the flamingo waitress replied calmly yet politely in a jovial tone while she smiled cheerfully at her customers as they gave her their menus back. After bowing slightly to her customers, she left their table while carrying the menus under her right arm.
As Kathy watched the waitress leave, she exclaimed brightly in amusement with a sweet smile and with a wave, "You're welcome! Bye!".
"Hmph...You don't have to say 'bye' every time to the people who work here, Kathy. It's their job to be serving customers like this," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a smug smile and with a lowered eyebrow as he stared at Kathy while still having his right arm on the table.
"Aww...But...But I like saying 'bye' to them. They're so nice and polite towards me," Kathy replied calmly yet softly with a little frown and with downcast eyes as she looked back at Knuckles and stared at him.
"They're nice and polite towards everybody, Kathy. Any customer who enters this restaurant will be treated this way. It's not just you, Kathy. Everybody gets the same treatment. It's part of the workers' code of conduct here," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently with a solemn frown as he stared back at Kathy.
"O-Oh...I...I see...I'm just...not used to strangers being nice towards me before...or even being polite towards me...The people back home...had never treated me nor my mother in this way..." Kathy replied calmly yet softly in sadness with a little frown and with downcast, twinkling eyes as she looked down at the table and placed her arms on top of it.
Knuckles grimaced and cringed a lot after hearing Kathy say that. He really didn't want to be the one to say it, but he knows that he has to...for Kathy's sake. He doesn't want to pollute her optimistic mind with his pessimistic thoughts. It's times like these where he hates himself for knowing the hard, depressing truth about life that Kathy is clearly sorely lacking. However, he knows that it'll help her grow and become stronger in the long run. The only way for him to do that...is to be there for her.
"Kathy..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet softly in sympathy with a solemn frown and with determined eyes as he gently grabbed Kathy's left hand and held it in his hands.
"Knuckles?" Kathy asked calmly yet softly in sadness with a little frown and with twinkling eyes as she looked back up at Knuckles after feeling him holding her left hand.
"..." Knuckles was silent for a bit as he stared solemnly into Kathy's twinkling, innocent eyes while having a grave expression on his face. Don't let her eyes break your resolve, Knuckles. You know that she needs this. You know that she needs to know the truth...despite how painful it may be...Knuckles brooded calmly with a solemn frown and with unwavering eyes as he silently stared at her.
"...I'm sorry to say this, but...those workers have no choice but to be nice and polite towards their customers. If they don't treat their customers in that way, then they'll lose their jobs. Despite how nice they may be, they probably don't really care much about you. Don't get me wrong. They might have some shred of decency if you got hurt or are choking to death, but they don't care much more than that. It's the same...with most strangers that you will meet in this dimension. I'm sorry, Kathy, but that's the way that society works..." Knuckles replied calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with determined eyes as he stared at Kathy before closing his eyes while saying his last sentences.
"Ah...Oh..." Kathy muttered calmly yet awkwardly with a little frown on her disappointed face as she looked down at the table again.
"Yeah. 'Oh'...Look, Kathy, I get that you wanted to come here because of how unappreciative and demanding your clan as well as the Southern Islanders were towards you and your mom, but that doesn't mean that you will avoid people like that here. No matter where you go, society will be always the same...corrupt and uncaring...with a few exceptions to that rule such as myself...Sonic...Tails...Amy...and even Shadow surprisingly enough...Despite a few genuinely kind people here in this dimension, there will always be selfish people who might do nice things sometimes but will mostly be in it for themselves. I've said it once, and I'll say it again...It's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows here...I just hope that...you will finally understand that, Kathy...I just hope that you will..." Knuckles replied calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with determined eyes after opening them again and staring at Kathy yet again.
"..." Kathy was silent as she frowned deeper in disappointment after hearing Knuckles say that. She quietly sighed as she stared blankly at the table through downcast eyes. I've really taken this dimension for granted when I had first met Knuckles here...and after meeting Tails, Sonic, and Amy, I've really convinced myself that this place is perfect. It's as if all of my dreams and hopes were being fully realized after traveling here, but...I should've known that it was too good to be true. I'm sure that...even Blaze hadn't mentioned once about this place being perfect. It's all my fault for assuming that...Sigh...Kathy brooded calmly in sadness with a deep frown and with downcast eyes as she looked disappointed and a bit depressed.
"No...I...I understand, Knuckles. I understand completely at what you're saying. It's simply foolish to escape to a world where you thought that it would be better or perfect, and I...I..." Kathy muttered calmly yet quietly in a depressed tone with a sad frown and with downcast eyes as she stared at the table before she closed her eyes and finished softly, "...I was stupid for doing so".
"...! K-Kathy...Don't...Don't say that...You're not stupid..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet softly with a gasp and with a sympathetic frown as he stared at Kathy with downcast eyes and with upward eyebrows while he gently squeezed her hand.
"No, I am stupid. Anyone would know that a perfect world doesn't exist, and yet, here I was thinking that it does exist. Even...Even you wouldn't believe in something so stupid as that, Knuckles. You're way more mature than me. You're more grounded in reality than me, so, I wouldn't be surprised if you don't believe in something so silly like a perfect world to begin with," Kathy replied calmly yet quietly in a depressed tone with a little frown and with a headshake as she slowly opened her eyes and looked at Knuckles in a sad way.
Knuckles cringed and frowned deeply in sadness as he felt rather empathetic towards Kathy after hearing her say that. Even though what she said was technically true, he can't help but look rather hurt due to what she thinks of him. Oh, Kathy...You don't know me at all...Not even the slightest...Knuckles brooded calmly in sympathy with a sad frown and with downcast eyes as he gently squeezed Kathy's hand and stroked it a bit to comfort her.
"...You're wrong there, Kathy. There are plenty of things that I believe in that may seem stupid towards others...and honestly...one of those things is that...a perfect world..." Knuckles replied calmly yet solemnly with a sympathetic look on his face as he stared at Kathy with empathetic eyes.
"Ah...Really? You too?" Kathy asked calmly yet softly in confusion and in disbelief with a gaped mouth and with wide, twinkling eyes as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Yes...Even though I know that it doesn't exist, that doesn't mean that I don't believe in its existence. I may be pessimistic, but I want to believe in it so badly. After all that I've been through in my personal life, living in a perfect world would be the best thing that could ever happen to me," Knuckles replied calmly yet solemnly with a sad frown and with a nod as he stared back at Kathy with downcast eyes.
"...Oh...Oh, Knuckles...I feel same the way..." Kathy replied calmly yet softly in sympathy with a sad frown and with twinkling eyes as she stared back at Knuckles while placing her other hand on top of his to comfort him.
Knuckles frowned much deeper in sadness as he stared silently at Kathy for a moment with downcast eyes before he slowly looked downwards and at his right. As he stared sadly at the edge of the table, he replied calmly yet quietly with a depressed frown on his grave face, "...Look...It's not stupid to believe in things like that...I'm not judging you at all for believing in those things...It may be childish, innocent, and naïve...but it's not stupid...I mean...".
"..." Kathy was silent while she stared at Knuckles with a little, gaped mouth and with twinkling, light-blue eyes as she waited patiently for him to continue.
"...I'll believe in anything that someone says to me...If someone tells me that they'll change or had changed for the better, I'd believe them without question. Even if said person had lied to me before, I'd still believe them because...I simply believe that there's goodness in everybody especially in those who are bad. Many people can see this as me being stupid...especially when I get tricked for the twentieth time already, but...I hold onto this undying belief because I want everyone to become better people and live happier lives than they are now. If people think that it's foolish to think like that, then let them think that way..." Knuckles continued calmly yet quietly with a sad yet solemn frown and with downcast eyes as he stared at the edge of the table.
"..." Kathy was still silent as she kept listening to Knuckles' somber speech with a stunned look on her face.
"...because they're certainly not going to change the world for the better. That's for sure," Knuckles finished calmly yet quietly with a deeper frown and with drooped eyelids as he looked depressed.
"...Knuckles..." Kathy whispered softly in awe as she looked very stunned after hearing Knuckles' somber speech. She gently squeezed his hand as she felt rather empathetic towards him after knowing about his weakness. I couldn't...even possibly imagine the immeasurable pain that Knuckles must've felt whenever somebody lets him down or even deceive him...All that undying faith and hope in others crushed into pieces whenever someone does that to him...It's just...so sad to hear out loud...Kathy brooded calmly in sympathy with a sad frown and with twinkling eyes as she kept staring at Knuckles' depressed face.
"...(Sigh)...Yeah...That's why I don't judge you for wanting to believe in a perfect world because I believe in that too...I also want that world as well..." Knuckles added calmly yet quietly with a sigh and with a depressed frown as he kept looking at the edge of the table before closing his eyes in sadness.
"..." Kathy was briefly silent as she stared at Knuckles with a sad, gaped mouth and with downcast, twinkling eyes before she leant a bit forward and muttered softly, "...I also believe that there's good in everyone, Knuckles. I really do".
"Wha-? Really?" Knuckles asked calmly yet softly in confusion and in disbelief with a little, gaped mouth and with wide eyes as he opened his eyes again and looked back at Kathy.
"Mmhm...Really..." Kathy answered calmly yet softly with a nod and with a little frown as she stared back at Knuckles with twinkling eyes.
"You're kidding," Knuckles replied calmly yet softly in shock as he stared back at Kathy with a stunned look on his face. Am I really not crazy after all? There's someone else who shares that belief as well? There's...There's no way...She's just pulling my leg...Knuckles pondered calmly in confusion and in disbelief with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes as he stared curiously at Kathy.
"No, I'm serious. Mothra had always believed in the goodness of others. Back when the humans were around, she had believed in the goodness of humanity and what everyone could do to better the world. The tendency to have faith in others even when they had let you down before have always been in Mothra's genes, and since I'm Mothra's current descendant, I also share that strong belief in my heart," Kathy replied calmly yet softly with a headshake and with a little frown as she gently stared back at Knuckles while leaning a bit forward towards him.
"...I...I can't believe this...Do you...truly believe that? Believing that others...can do better? That they can change for the better?" Knuckles replied calmly yet softly in shock and in confusion with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes as he stared back at Kathy in disbelief while leaning a bit backwards from her.
Kathy stared back at Knuckles with a little frown on her face before she smiled a little in fondness and answered calmly yet softly with twinkling, half-lidded eyes, "...Yes...Yes, I do believe in that...especially since...I'm seeing you change up close".
"...!" Knuckles gasped in shock with a surprised look on his face since he hadn't expected Kathy to say that. He could feel his muzzle burning up in bright red as he felt shocked and embarrassed simultaneously. If he was honest with himself, he would say that he had barely changed at all these last few days despite his best efforts for doing so. Had he really started changing ever since Kathy came into his life? Had he started to change...because of her?
Have I...really wanted to change because of her? Because of...this girl? Why would I do that? It's not like I change myself every time I meet a girl personally. But somehow...I decided to change because of Kathy of all people. Am I...Am I insane or something? Kathy hadn't done anything in particular that makes it clear for me to change. Sure, she may have protected me and have been friendly towards me in these past few days, but...it's not like I haven't been treated this way before. My acquaintances have treated me in that way too, and I hadn't decided to change myself for them. Not even after I had met Rouge that I wanted to change myself for the better. So, why...had I decided to do it now for Kathy's sake? Why? What was the reason for doing so? Knuckles pondered calmly in confusion with a shocked yet embarrassed look on his face as he stared at Kathy with wide eyes.
Kathy was simply silent as she stared back at Knuckles while smiling fondly at him. She gently squeezed his hand again and stroked it a bit in an affectionate way to show him that she cares for him. Knuckles kept staring back at Kathy with a shocked yet flushed look on his face as he continued to ponder to himself.
...Was it simply because...she needed me? That she...wanted me? That I should be there for her whenever the need arose? Was that why I wanted to change? I mean...She had needed me at the start when I had met her for the first time back on Angel Island. She needed me to look after her and protect her from harm...Of course, I was going to be responsible for her since the need was there but...why change at all? Why couldn't I just be satisfied with doing what I normally do whenever I help others? Why should I go above and beyond just for this girl? Just what is...so special about her? What...is...it?
As Knuckles pondered that last thought, his eyes slowly yet surely widened some more after seeing Kathy's light-blue eyes sparkle in fondness. The warmth and care that can be seen in her beautiful, sparkling eyes are reflected off of Knuckles' eyes. His own violet eyes started to sparkle too as his own warmth and care had returned to him yet again. He then...slowly smiled widely in fondness while still blushing a lot as he finished pondering with these thoughts.
No...No, there's nothing about Kathy in particular that makes her special, but rather...she's just being her normal goofy self. THAT is what makes her special. She doesn't have to do anything spectacular to impress me or try to sweep me off my feet. All she really needed to do to grab my attention was simply care for me, and she did in like the first day that we had met. Whether big or small, she was always caring about me and caring about what I think...sometimes a little too much. But I get it. She's a worrywart, so, naturally, she would be caring about everything that I do and think. Because of how much she cares for me, I want to give her my best self. I want to be the best that I could be just for her...all because...I care for her.
"Kathy..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet softly in fondness with a huge smile and with half-lidded, twinkling eyes as he slightly leant forward towards Kathy while gently holding her hand in an affectionate way.
"Yes?" Kathy asked calmly yet softly in fondness with a little smile and with twinkling eyes as she slightly leant forward too and stared into Knuckles' half-lidded, twinkling eyes.
"..." Knuckles was silent for a moment since he couldn't find the words to express how touched he was over Kathy's sentiment. However, when he did find them, he then replied calmly yet softly with a fond look on his face, "...Thank you...Thank you so much for believing in me, Kathy...For believing that I would change...I'm glad that you and I...share that same belief...".
Kathy smiled much more fondly and lowered her eyelids halfway in affection as she replied calmly yet softly, "...You're very welcome, Knuckles. I'm also glad that we hold similar beliefs. Just knowing that you are kind and forgiving is quite a relief to me. I feel like I'm less alone in the world now that I know for sure that you're like that, Knuckles".
"Heh. I feel the same way about you, Kathy. Just knowing that the Queen of the Monsters is a benevolent, forgiving sort is a load off of my back. I still find it hard to believe that we're so similar to each other despite our opposite personalities. Like...how could someone as serious as me could get along very well with a goofball such as you? I feel like THAT'S the biggest mystery here," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a huge grin and with playful eyes as he stared back at Kathy.
"Well, sucks to be you then because I have no idea why! Hehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a cheerful smile and with a giggle as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Aw, well, geez, thanks a lot, Kathy. You really helped me a lot on that one. Heheheheheh!" Knuckles replied calmly yet sarcastically in amusement with a huge, smug grin and with playful, half-lidded eyes while chuckling a little as he stared back at Kathy.
They both either giggled or chuckled some more in amusement after that before they stopped and smiled fondly again to each other. Knuckles then lowered Kathy's hand back down onto the table and gently squeezed it in fondness. She returned this sweet gesture by gently stroking his hand. His eyelids fluttered a bit downwards out of affection for this action and smiled much more fondly as a result.
"...Don't worry, Kathy. All the kind people in this world are me and my acquaintances. It does not matter if you ever encounter any mean or nice people in this world because you got us who care for you and will look after you. There's no need to worry about things outside of that. Understand?" Knuckles reassured calmly yet softly in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at Kathy.
"...I understand, Knuckles. Thank you," Kathy replied calmly yet softly in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded, twinkling eyes as she stared back at Knuckles.
Knuckles grinned sheepishly at that response and blushed a lot in shyness. He could feel his heart pounding and his stomach churning in nervousness. As silly as it is, he felt like turning into mush after hearing that simple response. Aww, come on, Knuckles! Get a hold of yourself! She only said, "thank you", and you're melting into mush because of that! Just why are you like this?! It's not...It's not that big of a deal! Geez! Just...why do I get so nervous easily when it comes to Kathy?! It's like I'm bound to say something stupid or embarrassing towards her event- Knuckles berated himself in his mind while grinning widely yet sheepishly in shyness as his cheeks flushed bright red.
"Umm...Knuckles? Are you...Uhh...ever going to let go of my-?" Kathy asked calmly yet awkwardly in shyness with a little, sheepish smile and with flushed cheeks as she stared at Knuckles while glancing at her and his hands.
"You say, 'thank you' in the cutest of ways," Knuckles blurted out in fondness with a huge, sheepish grin and with upward eyebrows as he stared back at Kathy with flushed cheeks.
"H-Huh? I...I do?" Kathy asked calmly yet curiously in confusion with surprised yet shy look on her face as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Yes, you d-d-ACK!" Knuckles answered calmly in fondness with a relaxed look on his face before shouting in surprise with a shocked yet embarrassed look instead as he quickly released Kathy's hand and covered his mouth with both hands. KNUCKLES! WHY DO YOU KEEP EMBARRASSING YOURSELF LIKE THIS?! CAN I NOT KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT WHENEVER I WANT TO?! WHY DO I ALWAYS BLABBER OUT THINGS THAT'S IN MY HEART?! WHERE HAS MY SENSE OF CONTROL GONE TO?! SERIOUSLY! WHERE DID IT GO?! Knuckles berated furiously to himself in his mind again while looking both shocked and embarrassed as he looked downwards at the table. He could feel his cheeks burning red hot since he was that embarrassed.
"Knuckles, are you...okay?" Kathy asked calmly yet curiously in concern with a little frown and with caring eyes as she stared at Knuckles while covering her left hand with her right.
"(I'M FINE!)" Knuckles shouted back out of nervousness with his hands covering his mouth while having a panicked yet flustered look on his face. He could feel some sweat forming on his head as he felt the nervousness eating away at him.
Kathy blinked her eyelids a few times cluelessly at Knuckles and looked rather confused. Knuckles sure is a curious fellow sometimes. He really does seem to panic easily at the most unexpected times. He certainly is more nervous than I thought. Kathy pondered calmly in confusion with a little frown and with lowered eyebrow as she tilted her head a little in a cute way.
"Umm...Knuckles...Take it easy...There's nothing to be nervous abo-" Kathy consoled calmly yet gently with a little frown and with upward eyebrows as she had her hand up towards Knuckles.
"I'm terribly sorry, you two. We're running a bit behind with your orders. Give us five more minutes, and we'll have your meals ready. Here's your drinks at least. Please enjoy. Thank you," the pink flamingo waitress interrupted calmly with an apologetic look on her face as she brought her customers' drinks to their table.
"Oh, it's no problem, miss! Thanks for the drinks!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully with a bright smile and with amused eyes as she looked at the waitress and grabbed her drink after it was set down onto the table.
"YOU'RE WELCOME!" Knuckles loudly blurted out in nervousness after he placed his hands onto the table as he quickly looked at the waitress with a panicked yet flustered look on his face.
The flamingo waitress raised an eyebrow at Knuckles after seeing him react in that way. She looked rather confused at first but soon smiled in amusement as she assumed that it was her customer's first date. Before she walked away, she bent down next to Kathy and whispered coyly in amusement with a cheerful smile, "You sure are a lucky gal to get a boy like him. Treat him well. Okay?".
"Teehee! I will!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully yet innocently with a giggle and with a sweet smile as she stared at the waitress and nodded to her. The waitress smiled back before she straightened up and walked back to the kitchen. After seeing that the waitress had left, Kathy looked back at Knuckles and saw that he was busy sipping his soda quietly through the red straw. He was looking rather coy while doing so as he made no eye contact with Kathy whatsoever.
Just calm down, Knuckles...Just calm down...You're really getting yourself nervous over nothing here...Just take it easy...Knuckles pondered calmly with a coy look on his face as he quietly sipped his drink while taking deep breaths in between sips.
Kathy looked sympathetic towards Knuckles as she figured that he wanted to recompose himself before he could talk to her again. With that in mind, she shrugged her shoulders casually before taking a few sips from her soda too. She was then surprised by how tasty her drink was.
"Wow! This tastes so good! Just what kind of drink is this?!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in surprise and in amusement with a cheerful smile and with wide eyes as she stopped sipping her drink and stared at it instead.
Knuckles stopped sipping his drink and slowly looked back up at Kathy while still having a coy look on his face. He then smiled shyly at her as he answered calmly yet quietly in amusement, "That type of drink is called a 'soda', Kathy. There are plenty of flavors for sodas, ranging from the standard carbonated ones to fruit ones".
"...! Really?! There are fruit flavored sodas too?! What kind of fruit flavored sodas do they have?!" Kathy exclaimed back in surprise with a gasp and with a huge smile as she stared at Knuckles with twinkling eyes.
Knuckles smiled even wider in shyness after seeing Kathy's excited reaction before he answered calmly in amusement while winking at her, "Oh...You know...Just some grape and cherry flavored sodas for example".
"Get out of here! Cherries are used in soda as well?!" Kathy exclaimed back in surprise and in disbelief with a shocked yet amused look on her face as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Yep. They are also used in making soda as well. Heheheh...I bet you that the moment you drink that soda, it'll be your number one favorite drink hands down," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a nod and with a coy smile as he chuckled a little while he stared back at Kathy.
"Boy, you bet that it will especially since it has my favorite fruit in it! I can't wait to try it!" Kathy exclaimed back in excitement with a huge grin and with twinkling eyes as she stared back at Knuckles.
"...Yeah...Me neither, Kathy...Me neither..." Knuckles replied calmly yet softly in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared back at Kathy.
Kathy smiled gently at Knuckles as she noticed that he had calmed down and is in a more talkative mood than he was prior. So, she kept the conversation going by asking this question, "Say...what is your favorite soda, Knuckles?".
"Heh...Take a wild guess," Knuckles answered calmly in amusement with a smirk and with playful eyes as he briefly stared back at Kathy before sipping his soda again.
"Hehe! Is it cherry soda?" Kathy asked calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a light giggle and with a sweet smile while staring at Knuckles as she placed her left fingertips onto her left cheek.
"Kathy, don't start with me! Hahahahahahahah!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes while laughing a bit as he stopped sipping his soda and stared at Kathy instead. And don't make me laugh either while I'm drinking my soda! Hahahahahaha! I was not prepared for that! Hahahahaha! Knuckles pondered brightly in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed a little.
"Aww, but Knuckles...Cherries are the best..." Kathy replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful smile and with twinkling eyes as she tilted her head again in a cute way.
"Yeah, and so are grapes, but oh, you can't handle me having a different opinion now, can ya?!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge grin and with playful eyes as he stared back at Kathy while having his right arm on the table.
"Oh, Knuckles...There's no need to be such a hypocrite about it..." Kathy replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a huge grin and with playful eyes as she stared back at Knuckles while putting her left arm onto the table.
"..." Knuckles was silent as he was grinning a lot in amusement after hearing Kathy say that.
"..." Kathy was silent too and was grinning a lot as well since she could see how amused Knuckles was.
…
"...Pffffahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Heheheheheheheheheheheh!" Kathy and Knuckles both burst into laughter after being silent for a moment. They both leant forward onto the table and laughed heartily in amusement. They could feel the immeasurable warmth inside their hearts as they laughed as much as they could.
No matter how many times the grape/cherry topic comes up, I'll always end up either smiling or laughing at it due to how ridiculous we are for pushing our opinions onto it. The debate will never end...Never...Knuckles pondered calmly in amusement with a huge smile as he kept laughing helplessly while propping his forehead up with his right hand.
"Hahahahahahahahaha! K-Kathy...I...I...Ahahahahahahahahahaha! I think that I...I...Hahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles muttered calmly in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes while laughing a lot as he slowly lowered his right hand and looked at Kathy.
"Hehehehehehehehe! You think what, Knuckles? Hahahahahahahaha!" Kathy asked calmly yet brightly in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes while laughing a lot as she stared at Knuckles.
"Nothing! Nothing! Heheheheheheheheheheh! I'm just...just..." Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed some more before he stopped and grinned hugely while leaning his right cheek onto his right palm as he continued calmly in fondness, "...I'm just so happy that we had bonded a lot today. I felt like we had gotten closer due to how much quality time we had spent together, and something tells me that we'll get even more closer as the days go by. Know what I mean, Kathy?".
Kathy soon stopped laughing and smiled gently at Knuckles in fondness. She also mimicked him by leaning her cheek onto her palm except that it's on her left not on her right. She then replied calmly yet softly while having a fond look on her face, "Yeah, I know what you mean, Knuckles. I feel like by the time the week is over we'll be best friends".
"'B-Best friends'?" Knuckles repeated calmly yet awkwardly in shyness with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes as he felt his cheeks blush deeply in red.
"Yeah, that's right. Best friends. I think that it would be wonderful if our friendship could reach that point. Don't you agree, Knuckles?" Kathy replied calmly yet softly in fondness with a gentle smile and with twinkling, half-lidded eyes as she stared at Knuckles while letting go of her drink and resting her right arm onto the table instead.
"Uhh...Umm..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet awkwardly in shyness with a shocked yet flushed look on his face as he stared at Kathy before he coyly looked downwards and at his right. He also released his drink and rested his left arm onto the table in the same way that Kathy is resting her right arm.
After being quiet for a moment, he answered calmly yet quietly in shyness with a little frown and with upward eyebrows while having flushed cheeks, "...D-Don't be ridiculous, Kathy. We're not even friends. We're teammates. Remember?".
"Aww, don't be like that, Knuckles. Of course, I remember that we're teammates, but I truly do think that we're friends. You're just being shy about it," Kathy replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a sweet smile and with playful eyes as she stared at Knuckles.
"Am not! I'm...I'm...I'm just being realistic here! Like...c-c-come on! As if we could be friends already in like three days let alone the first day! It's...It's ridiculous! Outright insane! It's too silly to even happen in real life!" Knuckles exclaimed back nervously with a little frown and with closed eyes as he blushed deeper in embarrassment.
"True, it may be...but it's not impossible though, is it?" Kathy replied calmly yet gently in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as she stared at Knuckles.
"..." Knuckles was silent as he opened his eyes and slowly looked back at Kathy with a coy look on his face. As he stared at her with a little frown on his bashful face, he could see her smiling gently at him in a caring way. She was silent too as she stared back at him with a fond look on her face. After staring at her for a while with a little frown on his coy face, he then smiled a little in fondness as he understood where she is coming from.
Especially since...he knows the truth deep down in his heart.
"W-Well...Maybe not..." Knuckles replied calmly yet quietly in shyness with a little smile and with upward eyebrows as he stared coyly at Kathy.
Kathy smiled much fonder at Knuckles after hearing him say that. She then stretched her right arm onto the table and flipped her hand over so that she could encourage him to hold it. He smiled much wider and raised his eyebrows in amusement after seeing her give him her hand. While still looking rather coy, he slowly moved his left hand and grabbed her right hand. They both squeezed each other's hand simultaneously after holding it, and they smiled very much in fondness at the warm contact between them as if their hands were alit a flame by the touch.
...There's no denying it now...There truly is a strong connection between us...I could just feel it...The warmth...The tenderness...I could just feel that even while wearing my gloves...and I'm sure that Kathy feels the same way that I do...Just...why does this work? Why does this strange relationship work so well? I just don't understand...but I'm happy that it does...So happy...So happy that I'm just...relieved...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a warm smile and with coy eyes as he stared at Kathy while gently holding her hand.
"...Say...Knuckles?" Kathy asked calmly yet softly in curiosity with a warm smile and with twinkling eyes after being silent for a long time as she stared at Knuckles while holding his hand.
"Yeah? What is it?" Knuckles asked calmly yet softly in curiosity with a warm smile and with raised eyebrows as he stared back at Kathy in surprise.
"Well...I was just wondering...Why do you have a hard time calling somebody your friend? It's not really that hard to do..." Kathy replied calmly yet softly in curiosity with a little smile and with upward eyebrows as she stared sympathetically at Knuckles.
Knuckles blushed furiously at that question and looked rather embarrassed. He then muttered calmly yet awkwardly in shyness with a little frown and with a deep blush as he coyly looked away from Kathy again, "Uhhh...W-Well...I...Uhhh...Umm...I just...Umm...I...I can't...help it...".
"Huh? You can't...help it? Whatever do you mean?" Kathy asked calmly yet curiously in confusion with a little frown and with raised eyebrows as she stared at Knuckles while tilting her head in a cute way again.
"I just...I just can't, okay?" Knuckles answered calmly yet quietly in embarrassment with a sheepish frown and with upward eyebrows as he coyly glanced at Kathy.
"But...why?" Kathy asked calmly yet softly in concern with a little frown and with twinkling eyes as she stared sympathetically at Knuckles.
"..." Knuckles had gone a bit silent on that as he stared back at Kathy with a depressed look on his face. He soon took a deep breath and sighed tiredly in sadness before he looked downwards and at the right again. He then muttered calmly yet quietly in sadness with a depressed frown and with downcast eyes, "...I just...don't want to get hurt by those...who I see as my friends...That's all...".
"...O-Oh...Aww, Knuckles..." Kathy muttered calmly yet softly in sadness with a sympathetic look on her face as she gently squeezed Knuckles' hand in comfort.
Knuckles frowned even deeper in sadness and gently squeezed Kathy's hand back to thank her for her concern. He continued calmly yet quietly in sadness with a deep frown and with downcast eyes while he kept squeezing Kathy's hand for comfort, "...I get very cautious when it comes to new people because I fear of what they will do to me if I put too much trust into them...I usually keep my distance from them and establish strong boundaries to them just so that I could protect myself. For that reason, I simply refer to others either as acquaintances or as teammates at best. It's much...easier for me that way...as well as less painful for me if said person had stabbed me in the back...".
"Oh, my...I see..." Kathy muttered calmly yet softly in understanding with a little frown and with upward eyebrows as she stared sympathetically towards Knuckles. So that's why he didn't want to call me his friend. It really wasn't just shyness then that prevented him from doing that. It was simply...the fear of betrayal...and after what he had told me about his past experiences with Dr. Eggman...it makes sense that he would be a bit cautious around me...Poor Knuckles...If only I could convince you to call me your friend, then you would see that you have nothing to worry about...It's safe to trust me, Knuckles...Really...Kathy pondered calmly in sympathy with a sad frown and with twinkling eyes as she stared at Knuckles while gently squeezing his hand to comfort him.
"(Sigh)...I'm sorry, Kathy, but I'm just not ready to call you my friend yet. I'm just...just...too scared to get hurt again...I don't...want to fall for another trap again...Please understand, Kathy...Please..." Knuckles finished calmly yet quietly with a deep sigh and with a depressed frown as he looked back at Kathy and stared at her with downcast eyes and with upward eyebrows. He gently squeezed her hand for emphasis on his last words.
I really do care about you, Kathy. Please don't take this the wrong way. I truly want to fully trust you without having any sort of fear holding me back. But I can't do it even though I trust you a lot. Just...please understand...and forgive me...Kathy...Knuckles brooded calmly in sadness with a depressed frown and with downcast eyes as he stared deeply into Kathy's sympathetic eyes.
Kathy frowned sadly at this but soon nodded in understanding as she replied calmly yet softly, "I understand, Knuckles. It'll be okay. If you want to keep calling me your teammate, then I'll be fine with it. Just...try to put your faith in me, okay?".
"Okay. I'll try. Thanks," Knuckles replied calmly yet quietly with a little frown and with a nod before he smiled a little in relief while staring at Kathy.
Kathy smiled a little too after seeing that Knuckles had cheered up a bit. She then covered his hand with her other hand to further comfort him. He grinned at this and covered her hand with his other hand as well. She also shared his expression as well after seeing what he did. The heavy and sad feelings from before had been evaporated and had been replaced with warm and shy feelings instead.
"...So...Is it okay if I call you 'my friend'?" Kathy asked calmly yet softly in shyness with a sheepish grin and with upward eyebrows as she stared at Knuckles while blushing a little.
"Hmm? Oh...Heheheheh...It's alright, Kathy. You can call me your friend or buddy...or whatever comes naturally to you. It's just...me who has this friend-calling problem. Not you," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a sheepish grin and with a chuckle as he stared back at Kathy while glancing away from her at the last two sentences.
"Hehehe! Alright, Troublemaker, if that's how you feel, then I'll gladly call you 'my friend' because that's who you are, buddy!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully with a little giggle and with a sweet smile as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Heh...You're pushing it," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a huge grin as he looked back at Kathy in a coy way.
"Hehehehehehehehe!" Kathy simply giggled in response to that and smiled cheerfully at Knuckles in amusement.
Knuckles smiled a lot in amusement as well and watched Kathy giggle a lot in silence. I may not call you "my friend", but I sure as heck call you a silly girl because THAT'S who you are, silly girl. You're my silly, little Angel...and I...simply adore you because of that...Knuckles pondered calmly in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes as he silently stared at Kathy.
"Hehehehehe! ...Well...Maybe I might get you to call me your friend. I know that you're bound to slip up one way or another," Kathy replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a giggle and with a silly smile as she stared at Knuckles while dearly holding onto his hand.
"Heh. I'd like to see you try," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a mischievous smirk and with playful eyes as stared at Kathy fully while dearly holding onto her hands and leaning a bit forward towards her. They stared fondly at each other for a moment in silence before they were interrupted by the flamingo waitress.
"Um, excuse me. Sorry to interrupt your date, but we finally got your orders ready," the flamingo waitress muttered calmly yet a bit awkwardly with a sheepish smile and with a lowered eyebrow as she walked towards her customers' table while carrying two plates in her hands.
"Oh! Uhh...It's okay. Thank you, miss," Kathy replied calmly yet a bit awkwardly with a sheepish smile and with flushed cheeks as she released Knuckles' hands while looking at the waitress.
"Ack! Uhh...Umm...It's not...Uhh...technically a date...but...Uhh..." Knuckles muttered quickly yet awkwardly in embarrassment with a little frown and with wide eyes as he stared at the waitress while blushing deeply in shyness.
"Aw, you're very welcome, ma'am. Here's your order, and as for you, sir, don't worry about it. Whether you are on a date or not is none of my business. I'm only speculating. Just have a good time, okay?" the flamingo waitress replied calmly yet politely with a gentle smile as she placed Kathy's plate down towards her before looking at Knuckles and placed his plate down next to him.
"Uhh...Umm...Y-Yeah...S-Sure...I will..." Knuckles replied calmly yet awkwardly with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes while blushing brightly in red as he stared at the waitress before looking at his plate and sheepishly scratching his head.
"Well then, you two. Enjoy your meals," the friendly, flamingo waitress replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a huge smile and with her hands behind her back as she briefly looked at her customers before leaving them alone again.
"Ooooh...This looks so yummy...and smells delicious too...Just what kinds of food are these, Knuckles?" Kathy muttered calmly in awe and in curiosity with a cheerful smile and with twinkling eyes as she clasped her hands together and stared at her plate before looking at Knuckles.
"Huh? O-Oh...Uhh...You ordered the same thing as me which is a bacon cheeseburger with fries. Remember?" Knuckles replied calmly yet a bit awkwardly with a sheepish smile and with upward eyebrows as he looked back up at Kathy while rubbing his head.
"Oh! I see! ...So, which one is the bacon cheeseburger, and which one are the fries?" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement and in curiosity with a cheerful smile and with twinkling eyes as she nodded a little to Knuckles before grabbing her plate and lifted it towards him.
"Ah...Heheheh...I'll give you a hint," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a playful smirk and with a snicker as he stopped rubbing his head and briefly placed his left hand onto the table before he grabbed the top bun of Kathy's burger and took it off while exclaiming, "Ta-da!".
"Ah! There it is! Now, I see why it's called 'a bacon cheeseburger' because there's bacon inside of it!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully in amusement with a bright smile and with wide eyes as she stared down at her burger and saw the bacon being on top of the lettuce and in between the two patties.
"Yep. It literally sticks out like a sore thumb, doesn't it? Heh. Bet that you can guess which one are 'the fries' then, eh?" Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a playful smirk and with mischievous eyes as he placed the top bun back onto Kathy's burger and took one of her fries before eating it.
"Hey! That's mine! Eat your dang own fries, Knuckles!" Kathy exclaimed in shock and in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes as she looked surprised after seeing Knuckles eating one of her fries.
"Aww, but your fries are delicious! Come on! Let me have some!" Knuckles exclaimed back teasingly in amusement with a playful grin and with mischievous eyes as he stared at Kathy and her plate before attempting to grab some more of her fries.
Kathy quickly pulled her plate away from Knuckles and placed it down at her side of the table while exclaiming cheerfully with a playful smile and with a giggle, "No way, Knuckles! Hehehehehe! You had enough!".
"Aw, come on, Kathy. Where's your sense of benevolence? I'm only going to take a little," Knuckles replied calmly yet teasingly with a playful smile and with mischievous eyes as he stared at Kathy before attempting to grab her fries again.
"No! Hehehehehe! I won't let you! Hehehehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a sweet smile and with playful eyes while giggling a little as she quickly grabbed Knuckles' hand with both of her hands.
"Heheheheh...Think that you're going to stop me? Well, guess again, silly girl. I'll get what I want," Knuckles replied calmly yet teasingly with a devious snicker and with a mischievous smirk as he stared at Kathy before he attempted to take her fries again with his other hand.
"No, you won't! Hehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed back cheerfully in amusement with a huge smile and with a giggle as she tried to grab Knuckles' right hand while still holding onto his left hand.
Knuckles grinned a lot in amusement as he quickly pulled back his right hand to avoid getting caught. Kathy missed grabbing his hand but grinned a lot in amusement too as she saw how playful he was being right now. He kept grinning playfully in amusement as he slowly yet coyly reached for her fries but kept pulling back every time that she tried to grab his hand. She was determined to catch his hand just so she could hold it dearly in her own hand, and it seemed that he felt the same way too despite him dodging his hand away from her.
"Hehehehehe! Come on, Knuckles! Come here!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a giggle and with a playful grin as she kept trying to grab Knuckles' hand.
"No! Heheheheheheh!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a playful grin while chuckling a bit as he kept dodging Kathy's hand. He then slowly moved his hand from side to side as he tried to catch Kathy off guard, but that plan seemed to have backfired when she started mimicking him by matching his hand movements. He snickered a lot at this and grinned much wider than before as he kept moving his hand sideways. But soon enough, they both stopped at the center and stared playfully at each other with huge grins on their faces.
…
"Ha! Hehehehehehehehehehe! Hahahahahahahahaha!" Kathy and Knuckles exclaimed playfully in unison with huge smiles on their faces before laughing a lot in amusement as they both reached out towards the other's hand and grabbed it. They held each other's hand and clasped it dearly while they laughed a lot in amusement. But soon enough, they quieted down their laughter and smiled hugely yet fondly at each other in affection.
"...Well...I got you, Knuckles..." Kathy muttered calmly yet coyly in amusement with a huge smile on her fond face as she stared at Knuckles.
"Heheheh...Yeah...You got me, alright..." Knuckles replied calmly yet coyly in amusement with a little chuckle and with huge smile on his fond face as he stared back at Kathy. They soon readjusted their hands a bit to get more comfortable before holding them again in a dear way.
"...Teehee...Do you like to hold hands, Knuckles?" Kathy asked calmly yet coyly with a light giggle and with a sweet smile as she stared curiously at Knuckles while dearly holding onto his hands.
"Well...Maybe...But only with someone that I really like..." Knuckles answered calmly yet coyly with a shy smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared back at Kathy in fondness while dearly holding onto her hands.
"...Someone that you really like, huh?" Kathy repeated calmly in amusement with a wider smile and with raised eyebrows as she stared back at Knuckles with intrigue.
"Errr...Y-Yeah...I mean...It's not like I do this towards every girl that I meet or probably like...In fact, you're..." Knuckles replied calmly yet awkwardly in shyness with a huge, sheepish smile and with wide eyes while he sweated a little as he felt his heart racing fast after seeing Kathy's intrigued expression. He then looked away from her in a coy way and continued calmly yet quietly with a shy smile and with a deep blush, "...You're the first girl that I've ever been willing to hold hands with...At least...to this degree I mean...I don't think...that I had ever held a girl's hands this much before...It feels...rather nice...".
"Oh, Knuckles...I...I feel the same way about holding your hands...It certainly does feel nice...and warm too...I...I love it..." Kathy replied calmly yet gently in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as she slightly leant forward towards Knuckles while staring at him.
"...Yeah...I agree completely...It's just so warm that I...I...I love it too...Let's...hold each other's hands for as much as we want to...Okay?" Knuckles replied calmly yet softly in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at the table again before closing them halfway through.
"...Okay, Knuckles...I'll hold your hands for every moment that we can get..." Kathy replied calmly yet softly in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded, twinkling eyes as she stared at Knuckles while gently squeezing his hands.
"So will I, Kathy...So will I..." Knuckles whispered softly in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded, twinkling eyes as he opened them again and stared back at Kathy while gently squeezing her hands back.
Kathy smiled even wider in fondness as she saw how handsome Knuckles looks by the way he's staring at her. She could feel her heart beating gently in adoration for him and simply held his hands much tighter than before. He could also feel his heart beating gently in adoration for her and held her hands much tighter as well. He smiled much wider in fondness too as he saw how beautiful she looks by the way she's staring at him.
I want to hold her hands for hours. I can't believe that a simple touch would want me to crave that immensely, but I suppose that...there are still a lot of things that I don't know about myself...such as the fact that I like handholding so much...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a huge, warm smile and with half-lidded, twinkling eyes as he stared at Kathy.
"Umm...Knuckles? As much as I would love to hold your hands for a long time, I would like to eat my food...Umm...Can you please let go? I'm feeling rather hungry now...This food looks very tasty to me...and...Uhh...I really want to try it..." Kathy muttered calmly yet awkwardly with a sheepish grin and with upward eyebrows after breaking the brief silence as she stared at Knuckles while glancing at her meal a few times.
"Ah. Of course. I understand. In fact, I'm feeling rather hungry myself. Heh. Sorry about that," Knuckles replied calmly in understanding and in amusement with a sheepish grin and with a nod as he released Kathy's hands before rubbing the back of his head in an awkward way.
"No, it's alright. I liked that you did that," Kathy replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a little smile and with half-lidded eyes as she stared at Knuckles while putting her hands onto the edge of the table.
"O-Oh...Uhh...I'm glad that you liked it..." Knuckles replied calmly yet awkwardly in shyness with a little, sheepish smile and with upward eyebrows as he looked away from Kathy again while blushing a bit.
Kathy blushed a little too after noticing the light blush on Knuckles' cheeks. She then discreetly grabbed her drink and sipped quietly from it while coyly staring at him. He kept staring absent-mindedly at the right side of the table before his eyes slightly widened as he spotted the napkin and ketchup bottle next to his plate.
"Ah. Well, better start preparing to eat I suppose," Knuckles muttered calmly to himself with a little smile and with slightly raised eyebrows as he stopped rubbing his head and grabbed the napkin first.
Kathy's eyes widened in curiosity as she watched Knuckles unfold the napkin and neatly placed it on his lap. She then stopped sipping her soda and looked at her napkin too and proceeded to copy what he had done. Knuckles smiled widely in amusement as he watched Kathy carefully yet awkwardly unfold her napkin and place it over her lap.
"Well, someone's being polite...if not being a copycat about it," Knuckles commented calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful smirk and with a lowered eyebrow as he slightly cocked his head at Kathy while resting his right arm onto the table.
"Ah! Uh! S-Sorry! I didn't mean to copy you! I just...Uhh...don't know how to conduct myself in this sort of fancy setting..." Kathy exclaimed quickly in an apologetic way before muttering calmly yet awkwardly with a little frown and with downcast eyes as she briefly looked back up at Knuckles before looking at her plate while her antennas went down.
"Please. This place is hardly the definition of 'fancy'. Trust me. Besides, it's okay, Kathy. I was only teasing. I understand why you would copy me since you know next to little about dining etiquette," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a little smile and with caring eyes as he stared at Kathy.
"Oh...So...Uhh...What I did was...alright? Was that correct?" Kathy asked calmly yet awkwardly with a sheepish smile and with upward eyebrows as she looked back up at Knuckles and rubbed the back of her head.
"Of course, it was alright. That's normally what you should do before eating a meal. You should always place your napkin onto your lap so that you won't get dirty or get any spills onto you. Since you wear your dress all the time, protecting it from any mess is very important. But even if you do get messy, you could use that napkin to clean yourself up," Knuckles answered calmly yet gently in amusement with a little smile and with a nod as he stared caringly at Kathy.
"Oh, I see! So, that's what these napkins are used for! They're cleaning up!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in understanding with a cheerful smile and with amused eyes as she nodded a little at Knuckles while having her fingers under her chin.
"Yep. Exactly," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in agreement with a little smile and with another nod as he kept staring at Kathy.
"So...would I be able to clean you up if you got dirty, Knuckles?" Kathy asked calmly yet innocently with a little smile and with twinkling eyes as she stared curiously at Knuckles.
"Wh-What?! Uhhhh...Ummm...N-No, no, you don't have to do that, Kathy. R-Really. I...I can...Uhhh...clean myself up...Y-Yeah...Uhhh..." Knuckles exclaimed in surprise with a shocked look on his face before he muttered calmly yet awkwardly in embarrassment with a sheepish look instead while he rubbed the back of his head again. Not that I wouldn't mind you doing that, but...Hey! Why am I thinking about this!? The thought is embarrassing to me! Knuckles pondered calmly in shyness before he berated himself while having a sheepish look on his face.
"Awww...Well, okay," Kathy muttered calmly yet quietly in slight disappointment with a little frown and with upward eyebrows while her antennas went down again as she stared at Knuckles before at her plate.
H-Huh? Did...Did I hear that right? Was she...disappointed that she wouldn't be able to clean me? I...Umm...Hey! Don't get any funny ideas, Knuckles! J-J-Just focus on eating your meal, okay?! Knuckles pondered calmly with a curious look on his face as he stared at Kathy before blushing deeply in embarrassment as he shook his head while he berated himself again.
As a way to distract himself from such supposedly "pleasant" thoughts, he quickly grabbed the ketchup bottle and opened it before he squeezed the ketchup out of the bottle and poured it onto his fries. Kathy then looked back up curiously to see what he was doing and was rather curious to see him squirting some red liquid onto his fries.
"What are you doing, Knuckles? What's that red stuff?" Kathy asked calmly yet innocently in confusion with a little frown and with twinkling eyes as she tilted her head in a cute way again while staring at Knuckles and pointing at his ketchup-covered fries.
"Eh? Oh, uh, I'm just squirting some 'ketchup' onto my fries here...Want some?" Knuckles replied calmly with a little frown and with wide eyes as he looked back up at Kathy and smiled a little at her when he offered the ketchup bottle to her.
"Umm...Maybe? Is it good?" Kathy answered calmly yet hesitantly in confusion with a little frown and with curious eyes as she stared back at Knuckles while still tilting her head to the side.
"Oh, it's very good. Here. Try some," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in encouragement with a little smile and with upward eyebrows as he nodded a little to Kathy before stretching over to her plate and squirted some ketchup onto her fries.
"Hmm...Okay," Kathy replied calmly yet softly with a little smile and with a nod as she stared curiously at her plate while watching Knuckles squirt a good amount of ketchup onto her fries. After he finished squirting ketchup onto her fries, he pulled back and closed the ketchup bottle before placing it back down to the right side of the table.
"Well...Let's dig in, shall we?" Knuckles muttered calmly in amusement with a little smile on his content face as he picked up his bacon cheeseburger and started eating it after he finished speaking.
"Yeah, let's eat," Kathy replied calmly in agreement with a little smile and with another nod as she grabbed a fry and started eating it after she finished speaking as well. Her eyes widened in surprise as she ate her fry covered in ketchup. She was amazed by how tasty fries are, and after she had finished eating her first fry, she quickly yet ravenously ate the rest of her fries while having a huge smile on her face.
Oh, my goodness, why is the food here in this dimension taste SO GOOD?! This is just incredible! I feel like I could eat a ton of these fries and not get sick from it! Knuckles is so right! The ketchup just makes the fries THAT MUCH BETTER! Oooh...This is just fantastic...Kathy pondered brightly in amusement with a huge smile on her jovial face as she quickly ate her fries while musing a lot in happiness.
Knuckles smiled a lot in amusement as he enjoyed eating his burger as well as seeing the jovial look on Kathy's face as she quickly ate her fries. After swallowing another part of his burger, he briefly stopped eating and asked calmly yet brightly with a huge smile on his intrigued face, "Enjoying your fries?".
"Uh huh! Uh huh! You should've warned me on how delicious they were going to be! I was totally not prepared for that!" Kathy exclaimed back excitedly with a jovial smile and with twinkling eyes as she nodded a little to Knuckles after she stopped eating for a moment.
"Hey! How was I supposed to know whether you would like it or not?! I can't really tell you that you would truly like a type of food or not! Your own mouth knows the answer to that!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes as he stared back at Kathy.
"But you had told me that ketchup is very good, and it was! So, why didn't you warn me about the fries AND the ketchup combo?!" Kathy exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes as she stared back at Knuckles while holding some of her fries.
"Look, I only said that the ketchup was good because I like it! I didn't guarantee that it would be as good for you! You could've hated it for all we know! It's the same thing with the fries as well!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge grin and with raised eyebrows as he leant slightly back towards his seat.
"Hmmm...True though...But you didn't say anything about that bacon cheeseburger...So..." Kathy replied calmly yet playfully in amusement with a teasing smile and with a finger up as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Just shut up and eat, you silly girl. You don't want to let your food to get cold, do you?" Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a huge grin and with playful eyes as he stared back at Kathy.
"No! Hehehehe! Okay! I'll eat! I'll eat!" Kathy exclaimed back brightly in amusement with a cheerful smile and with a giggle as she then started eating again after she finished speaking.
That's what I thought. Heheheheh...Silly girl...Heheheheh...Knuckles thought calmly in amusement with a huge grin and with playful eyes as he started eating his burger again.
Kathy finished the few fries that she was holding before grabbing her burger and taking a bite out of it. She was pleasantly surprised yet again when she tasted her juicy cheeseburger with bacon in it. Her mouth started watering even more after taking that first bite.
Whoooooaaa! I never thought that bacon could accommodate with something else other than pancakes! This is like a whole new level of deliciousness! It's just...unbelievable...Kathy pondered brightly in awe and in amusement with a huge grin and with wide eyes as she swallowed her food and stared at her burger in amazement.
"So good..." Kathy muttered calmly yet softly in awe with a huge smile and with twinkling eyes as she stared at her tasty burger.
"Heh. Let me guess. You like your burger too, huh?" Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a smug smile and with playful eyes as he stopped eating his burger again and stared gently at Kathy.
"Definitely! My taste buds are tingling with excitement over these delicious, new flavors that I'm experiencing right now! Just what's in this bacon cheeseburger that makes it taste so good?!" Kathy exclaimed back jovially with a huge smile and with twinkling eyes as she looked back up at Knuckles and stared back at him in curiosity.
"Oh. Just...bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and beef...You know...The usual..." Knuckles answered calmly yet casually with a smug smile and with a shrug as he stared back at Kathy.
"Wow, and all that food can be combined to make an amazing meal! Who knew?!" Kathy exclaimed back in awe with a huge smile and with raised eyebrows as she briefly stared at her burger before looking at Knuckles again.
"Well, anyone who had tasted it would know that. So, congratulations, Kathy, you're one of them now," Knuckles replied calmly yet playfully in amusement with a huge smile and with a wink as he stared back at Kathy.
"Yay! I'm in the know now!" Kathy exclaimed back jovially in amusement with a sweet smile and with playful eyes as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Heheheh...You sure are, silly girl. Anyways, why don't you treat yourself by eating that tasty burger of yours, eh? You don't want to feel left out now, do ya?" Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a little chuckle and with a playful smirk as he stared back at Kathy while quirking an eyebrow at her.
"No way! I want to join in with the rest of you because it's just too good to pass up! So, I'm going to eat and enjoy it! Nom!" Kathy exclaimed back brightly in amusement with a sweet smile and with a headshake as she stared back at Knuckles before chomping onto her burger again.
"I second that notion...Heheheh..." Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a huge grin and with a snicker as he stared playfully at Kathy before he continued eating his burger.
It had soon grown quiet between the two, hungry guardians as they were busy eating their meals, but they welcomed this moment of silence since they were enjoying their scrumptious meals. Knuckles soon looked through one of the windows at the diner while silently eating his burger and watched the gorgeous sunset outside. He was smiling gently in contentment as he was enjoying this nice, quiet, relaxing moment with Kathy here.
Ahh...Now, this is just perfect...Just having a normal, quiet meal with the sweetest, innocent girl in the world...I couldn't ask for anything more than that...Sigh...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a gentle smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at the sunset while silently eating his burger.
Meanwhile, Kathy was busy sipping her soda after she stopped eating her burger. She was coyly staring at Knuckles while taking a sip and was rather pleased after seeing how relaxed he was. I'm glad that Knuckles looks happy at least. I just hope that I had made his day worthwhile by choosing to spend time with him instead of helping Tails fix his plane. He needs all the happiness that he could get. Kathy pondered calmly in relief with a little smile and with upward eyebrows as she stopped sipping her soda and just fondly stared at Knuckles instead.
Knuckles then looked back at Kathy and raised his eyebrows in surprise after seeing that she's staring at him. With a little, coy smile on his face, he asked calmly yet gently in curiosity, "What?".
"Oh! Uhh...Umm...Nothing. Nothing...Hmm..." Kathy exclaimed in surprise with a shocked look on her face before she muttered calmly yet awkwardly in embarrassment with a sheepish look on her face as she blushed a little. She then awkwardly looked back down at her food and proceeded to continue eating her fries while looking embarrassed.
"Hmph..." Knuckles quietly grunted in amusement with a huge smile and with upward eyebrows as he silently stared at Kathy in fondness. Awwww...She was staring at me the entire time, wasn't she? That's so cute...Can't she ever get any more adorable than that? ...Wait...I better not jinx that because otherwise my heart will explode due how adorable she can be, and...I don't think that I'll ever be ready when it happens...Heheheheh...Knuckles pondered calmly yet fondly in amusement with a huge smile and with twinkling eyes as he stared at Kathy while blushing a little as well. After finishing that amusing thought, he continued to eat his burger as well as his fries, and Kathy did the same with her own burger and fries.
After eating for about ten minutes, Knuckles then sipped his soda and simply watched Kathy eat in silence since he had finished his meal first. He could see her smiling cheerfully as she started finishing up her fries after she had completely eaten her own burger. He soon finished drinking his soda and smiled gently in amusement as he set his drink down to the side and stared fondly at Kathy. He even leant a bit forward and rested his right cheek onto his right palm while letting his left arm rest next to himself.
"...(Sigh)…" Knuckles sighed deeply yet quietly in fondness with a huge, gentle smile and with half-lidded, twinkling eyes as he kept watching Kathy eat her meal. She just looks so happy that I...I...I can't help but love it...I want to watch her eat as much food as she wants just so that I could see her happy expression all the time...Sigh...If only...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a huge, warm smile and with half-lidded, twinkling eyes as he silently stared at Kathy.
"Mmm...Man, that was delicious! It was SO good! I don't think that I could eat another bite!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a sweet smile and with twinkling eyes as she finished eating her fries and instead stared happily at Knuckles with her hands on her lap.
"You're full already, huh? Heh. Well, if that's how you feel, then maybe you wouldn't mind if I ate your sundae instead," Knuckles replied calmly yet teasingly with a huge, mischievous grin and with half-lidded eyes as he quirked an eyebrow at Kathy while staring at her.
Kathy was about to comment about that before she paused for a moment and thought about it while having her right hand under her chin. After musing quietly for about ten seconds, she then replied calmly with a little frown on her intrigued face, "Hmmm...On second thought...maybe I could eat one more bite if not a little. After all, I don't want to miss out on my own dessert".
"Hahahahahahaha! Of course, you don't! Hahahahahaha! Silly girl! Heheheheheh!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes as he laughed a lot at that response. Kathy soon smiled a lot in amusement as she saw that she had made Knuckles laugh again.
As Knuckles calmed down his laughter, the flamingo waitress returned to his and Kathy's table and asked calmly yet kindly with a gentle smile on her face, "Have you two enjoyed your meals?".
"Oh, most definitely! It was simply incredible!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a cheerful smile and with amused eyes as she looked at the waitress.
"Heheheh...Yes, it was wonderful. Thank you," Knuckles muttered calmly yet politely with a little chuckle and with a gentle smile as he straightened up his sitting position and nodded at the waitress while having his hands on the table.
"That's good to hear. So, would you two like any refills or anything else? No?" the flamingo waitress replied calmly yet kindly with a gentle smile and with a nod as she looked at Knuckles and Kathy while having her hands behind her back.
"Ah...No...No, thank you. I'm good," Knuckles answered calmly yet politely with a gentle smile and with a slight wave while he grabbed his napkin and cleaned his mouth a bit before putting it down onto the empty plate.
"Oh! Uhh...Umm...I'm good too, but I still want to have a sundae. Could I?" Kathy answered calmly yet awkwardly with a sheepish grin and with a lowered eyebrow as she quickly copied what Knuckles had done while staring at the waitress.
"Ah. Why of course, you can, ma'am. Your sundae will be delivered shortly," the flamingo waitress replied calmly yet politely with a gentle smile and with a nod while staring at Kathy as she stacked her customers' drinks onto their plates before carrying them in her hands. She then slightly bowed to Kathy before leaving the table and walking towards the kitchen.
"Yay! Did you hear that, Knuckles?! More food!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully yet innocently in amusement with a sweet smile and with twinkling eyes while having her hands on the table as she looked back at Knuckles after watching the waitress leave.
Knuckles snickered a little at that innocent response and grinned a lot in amusement as he rested his right cheek onto his right palm again while staring fondly at Kathy. He then replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a huge grin and with playful eyes while sighing a little in fondness, "Yes, I heard, Kathy. I heard...(Sigh)...You know what I'm wondering about, Kathy?".
"No. What?" Kathy replied calmly yet curiously in confusion with a little frown and with twinkling eyes as she shook her head and leant slightly forward towards Knuckles.
"Just...Heh...Heheheheh...Just what makes you tick. I'm very curious to know what goes on in that pretty, little head of yours and see what makes you...you, Kathy. I'm just...very fascinated by you...and how you...perceive the world through those...those...Mm...beautiful, twinkling, light-blue eyes of yours..." Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in fondness with a huge, warm grin and with a little chuckle as he stared back at Kathy with half-lidded, twinkling eyes.
"...! ...K-Knuckles..." Kathy muttered calmly yet softly in fondness with a gasp and with a little, warm smile as she stared back at Knuckles with half-lidded, twinkling eyes while blushing bright pink.
"...I know that we're still getting to know each other and may have learned quite a lot about each other, but...I still feel like I haven't even scratched the surface about what you are, Kathy. I am determined to learn everything about you and search into the depths of your soul just to understand you. I don't care if it'll take days, weeks, months, years, or even...decades just to understand you completely. I just want to understand you. I want to know you. I want..." Knuckles continued calmly yet gently in fondness with a huge, warm smile and with half-lidded, twinkling eyes as he stared deeply into Kathy's eyes before he finished while extending his left arm forward onto the table again, "...to take care of you with the very best of my abilities and knowledge of you, Kathy. All simply because...you're my teammate".
"..." Kathy was speechless after she heard this bold proclamation. She was smiling hugely in fondness and felt rather touched that Knuckles would go at great lengths just to get close to her. She didn't know what to say or act in this situation. But there is one thing that she is certain of in her mind, and that is that she felt the same way towards him. She also wanted to know him inside and out and discover what makes him...well...him. Besides, if there is one thing that she had loved to do ever since she came here in this dimension, then it would be making Knuckles happy. She had loved making him laugh and smile as she was getting to know him, and it was perhaps for that very reason that she wanted him to be her teammate in the first place. It was not because of his incredible strength, his unparalleled fighting skills, or his slightly below-average intellect, but rather, it was because of his happiness that made her choose him as her teammate.
Awwwwww...He just looks so happy. It's cute! Hehehehehe! I'm just...so thankful that I have him as my teammate. I really am...Kathy pondered calmly yet brightly in fondness with a huge, warm smile and with twinkling eyes as she stared back at Knuckles.
She then coyly stretched forth her right hand and gently clasped his left hand in fondness. As she held it dearly, she replied calmly yet softly in fondness with a warm smile and with upward eyebrows, "I...I also want to know you, Knuckles. I want to know everything about you because I...I care about you".
"Ah...W-Well then...I guess that we'll learn together then..." Knuckles replied calmly in shock and in fondness as he looked pleasantly surprised at first before looking warm again while blushing deeply in embarrassment. He grinned a lot in amusement after saying that as he stared fondly at Kathy with twinkling eyes while gently squeezing her hand. She squeezed his hand back while also grinning a lot in amusement as she blushed deeply.
But of course, their tender moment was interrupted by the flamingo waitress again as she carried the sundae in her hands.
"Well, ma'am...Here you-Oh, I'm terribly sorry for interrupting here. Please excuse me as I put your sundae down, ma'am. Continue where you guys left off. Thank you," the flamingo waitress muttered calmly yet politely with a gentle smile before she looked a bit apologetic as she walked towards her customers' table again and saw the endearing moment that they are sharing together. As she spoke, she carefully set the sundae down next to Kathy before bowing towards her customers as a way to apologize. She soon left afterwards so that she could leave her customers alone.
Kathy and Knuckles were a bit startled by the waitress' presence and were embarrassed for being caught in the middle of a tender moment together, but they soon recovered after the waitress kindly yet quickly left.
"...So...Uhh...Where were we?" Knuckles asked calmly yet awkwardly in shyness with a sheepish grin and with upward eyebrows as he looked back at Kathy while blushing a lot in embarrassment.
"Hehehehe! Ummm...Well...I think that we're in the middle of eating this tasty dessert! Just look at this! It looks so appetizing! Is this what a sundae looks like?! Because if you ask me, it looks great!" Kathy exclaimed brightly yet a bit awkwardly with a light giggle and with a cheerful smile as she released Knuckles' hand and pulled the sundae towards herself while staring curiously at it.
"Heheheheh! I figured that you would like the look of it. Also, yes, Kathy, that is what a sundae looks like. Ready to try it?" Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a little chuckle and with a warm smile as he stared at Kathy while resting his left arm next to himself.
"Do you even have to ask?! Of course, I'm ready to try it! But...Oh...Uhh..." Kathy exclaimed brightly with a cheerful smile and with a nod as she grabbed her spoon before she muttered calmly yet awkwardly while continuing with a sheepish grin and with a lowered eyebrow, "...Do you want to eat this sundae with me, Knuckles? I'm sure that you might be a little interested in eating it. Are you sure that you would be fine with me eating this whole sundae by myself?".
"Hmm? Oh...Heheheh...No, I'm fine, Kathy. I'm really not that hungry anymore. I'm full," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a little smile and with another chuckle as he stared playfully at Kathy while resting his head onto his right palm.
"Really? Because I was also full earlier, but when you reminded me that I'll be having a sundae, my hunger had been renewed. Do you think that possibly your hunger could be renewed if you take just one bite out of this sundae?" Kathy replied calmly yet curiously in confusion with a little frown and with twinkling eyes as she tilted her head in a cute way again.
"Well, that depends...Are you going to let me eat that delicious cherry of yours?" Knuckles replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful smirk and with a wink as he slightly leant forward towards Kathy while staring at her.
Kathy immediately pouted a little in annoyance after hearing Knuckles' question. She could see him grinning mischievously at her as he enjoyed teasing her. She then scooped up her cherry with her spoon and glared a bit at Knuckles as she muttered calmly in annoyance, "On second thought, no, I'm not going to let you take even one bite out of this sundae. This dessert and this cherry are mine. You've crossed the line when you wanted to eat my favorite fruit even though you knew that I hadn't eaten it from a sundae before. Besides, cherries aren't even your favorite fruit anyway, so, why bother eating mine?".
"No special reason really...I just wanted to mess with you a little..." Knuckles answered calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a huge, mischievous grin and with lowered eyelids while he shook his head a little as he stared playfully at Kathy.
"..." Kathy was silent on that as she frowned deeply and lowered her eyelids in annoyance. Knuckles grinned a lot in amusement of this and playfully raised his eyebrows a few times towards Kathy to further tease her. She then stuck her tongue out at him before exclaiming in protest with a pout, "You deserve to get tickled for that mean reason!".
"Hahahahahahahaha! Aww, come on, Kathy! What happened to being considerate?! You had offered me your dessert a few minutes ago only for it to become off limits! Ahahahahahahahah! I don't know about you, but I think that you're the one who's being mean here! Not I! Hahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes as he laughed a lot while staring teasingly at Kathy.
"Well, I just thought that you would eat anything but the cherry as your first bite! So, of course, I was being considerate there! But when you have shown that you really wanted to eat the cherry, I felt like you had crossed a line there! How dare you for wanting to eat something that's rightfully mine!" Kathy exclaimed back in annoyance with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows as she pointed accusingly at Knuckles with her spoon.
"Hahahahahahahahahah! Oh, yes, how dare I for merely asking to eat something that's yours instead of stealing it and eating it myself without you noticing! Ahahahahahahahah! Yes, how dare I! Hahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge, teasing grin and with playful eyes as he kept laughing a lot while staring back at Kathy.
"...This is about 'the grapes incident', isn't it?" Kathy asked calmly in annoyance with a grimace and with a lowered eyebrow as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Yes! Hahahahahahahaha! That's exactly what this is! Ahahahahahahahahah!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes as he laughed some more while staring back at Kathy.
"Knuckles! That was only three days ago! Don't be petty!" Kathy exclaimed back in annoyance with a pouty look on her face as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Says the girl who doesn't want anyone to eat her cherries even though they merely asked if they could! Heheheheheheh! I'm sorry; I'm petty?! Maybe I should go ask somebody who's childish if they think that I'm being petty or not! Oh, wait...Heheheheheh! That's you! Ahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a smug smile and with half-lidded eyes as he kept laughing a lot while leaning back towards his seat and while crossing his arms.
Kathy was about to make a comment on that before she paused and looked rather guilty. Well...He does have a point there. I certainly did shut down the offer over something that's insignificant. I really am being rather childish here...but...Kathy pondered calmly with a little frown and with upward eyebrows as she stared at Knuckles with guilt in her eyes.
"...Y-Yes...You may be right about that, but...but still! You didn't have to bring it up! Ah!" Kathy muttered calmly yet sheepishly in guilt before exclaiming in annoyance and in surprise with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows until she looked shocked when she accidentally thrusted her spoon a bit too hard and made the cherry fly off from it.
The cherry soon landed in front of Knuckles, and he looked rather amused and surprised as he stared down at it.
"Well, what do you know? It looks like I'll end up eating your cherry after all," Knuckles replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a huge, mischievous grin and with playful eyes as he briefly stared at the cherry before looking back at Kathy while having his arms crossed.
"Knuckles! Please don't! That's mine!" Kathy exclaimed back in sadness with a gaped mouth and with upward eyebrows as she reached out towards Knuckles in a pleading way.
Knuckles stared at Kathy for a moment while grinning playfully at her before he looked down at the cherry again. He then grabbed the cherry and picked it up to examine it closely.
"...My...How very tasty...Perhaps I should...eat it...and see how good it really is..." Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a huge, mischievous grin and with playful eyes as he examined the cherry at all sides while glancing teasingly at Kathy.
"Aww, come on, Knuckles! Please give it back! I'm sorry for being petty and for not sharing my food with you! Just don't eat that cherry!" Kathy exclaimed back in a pleading way with a sad frown and with upward eyebrows as she put her spoon into her sundae before clasping her hands together.
"Hmmm...Nah..." Knuckles replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement as he pretended to think before he casually shrugged and playfully started to bring the cherry closer to his mouth.
"Knuckles! No!" Kathy exclaimed back in protest with a distraught look on her face as she watched Knuckles bring the cherry closer to his mouth.
But just as when Knuckles was about to pop the cherry into his mouth, he stopped and looked at Kathy with an amused look on his face. He was grinning silly like a mischievous, little boy as he watched her distressing even more.
"No! Don't go, little cherry! You have so much to live for!" Kathy exclaimed in sadness with a distraught look on her face as she reached forth towards the cherry for emphasis.
"Pfffahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! You're so silly, Kathy! Ahahahahahahahahahahahahah!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes as he burst out laughing and started banging onto the table with his right hand while holding onto the cherry with his left hand.
"You're so mean!" Kathy exclaimed back in sadness with a distraught look on her face as she stared at Knuckles.
"Yes, I am, but it's so worth it! Ahahahahahahahahahahahah! Heheheheheheheheheheh!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes while laughing a lot as he looked back up at Kathy after he stopped banging the table.
"Awwww..." Kathy whined sadly with a little frown and with upward eyebrows as she stared at Knuckles with her hands on her lap while her antennas went down.
Knuckles kept laughing in amusement, but when he heard that little, sad whine from Kathy, he sobered up a bit and looked sympathetic towards her.
"Heheheheh...Aww, don't be like that, Kathy. I was only kidding. I wasn't really going to eat your cherry. I just wanted to tease you a bit. Honest," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a little chuckle and with a sympathetic smile as he stared at Kathy with half-lidded eyes.
"...R-Really?" Kathy asked calmly yet softly in sadness and in disbelief with a little frown and with twinkling eyes as she stared back at Knuckles.
Knuckles smiled even wider in sympathy and in fondness as he stared back at Kathy. He didn't say anything but just simply...stood up...walked around the table...and sat down next to Kathy. She looked surprised when she saw him get up from his seat and walked over to her seat. She even scooted a bit to the left to give him some room. She then felt him wrap his left arm around her shoulders after she saw him place the cherry into his right hand. He smiled warmly at her in a reassuring manner and stared gently into her eyes with his own twinkling eyes.
"...Really, Kathy. Really. I meant what I've said. Sure, I may be mean and like to tease you at times, but I could never truly be cold and uncaring towards you. You know that deep down that...I'm very kind and honest. I could never eat your cherry just to be heartless. I can't truly go through with it because surprisingly it'll make me feel a bit guilty. Yeah, it may be a harmless prank, but I'd still feel rather guilty about it because...I know how much you love cherries and was anticipating how it would taste on a sundae. I just...don't want to make you sad or disappointed. That's all," Knuckles consoled calmly yet gently in fondness with a warm smile and with twinkling eyes as he stared at Kathy while holding onto her with one arm.
"...Awwww...Knuckles...You really do care for me..." Kathy replied calmly yet softly in fondness with a little smile and with twinkling eyes as she stared back at Knuckles while slowly placing her right hand onto his chest.
"Yes, I really do care for you, Kathy. I really do..." Knuckles replied calmly yet softly in fondness with a warm smile and with a nod as he stared back at Kathy with half-lidded, twinkling eyes while he gently squeezed her.
"..." Kathy was silent while having a fond look on her face as she gently held Knuckles' chest with one hand.
"..." Knuckles was also silent while having a fond look of his own as he enjoyed the tender feeling of Kathy holding his chest.
…
"...Say...Uhh...Kathy? ...Would you...Umm...forgive me for...Umm...making you think that I was going to eat your cherry?" Knuckles asked calmly yet awkwardly in shyness with a sheepish smile and with a deep blush after being silent for a moment as he glanced away from Kathy.
"Oh, uh, why of course, Knuckles. Of course, I forgive you. I mean. If anything, I'm the one who needs your forgiveness here due to how...petty and inconsiderate I was towards you. You were right. I was being rather childish for refusing to let you eat my sundae even after I offered it to you. I'm very sorry for doing that and for giving you a hard time about it. Please forgive me, Knuckles. I don't think that you need any forgiveness in this scenario since I'm the one who's truly at fault here. I'm so sorry," Kathy replied calmly yet gently in guilt with a little frown and with upward eyebrows as she stared at Knuckles before looking down at his lap in shame.
"Hey, there. It's okay, Kathy. I forgive you. I knew that you were being childish, but I don't hold it against you. Honestly, if anything, I...had expected that you would react like that since...you have a child-like disposition. I'm used to you acting silly and childish that seeing you acting like that didn't faze me at all. In fact, I've embraced it at this point. Hence why I teased you the way that I did," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in a consoling tone with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared back at Kathy while tenderly stroking her left arm.
"Ah...Really? That's why...you did that?" Kathy asked calmly yet softly in surprise and in curiosity with a little smile and with twinkling eyes as she inched closer towards Knuckles while looking back up at him.
Knuckles inched closer towards Kathy as well while having a warm look on his face as he replied calmly yet gently in fondness, "Yes, Kathy. That's why I did that. I've teased you simply because I adored your childishness. It just...reminded me of my own childishness and how...I can be immature at times. I can't ever hold your childishness against you because...I adore it so much. I like it whenever you get childish because...I tend to get childish too".
"Aww, Knuckles, that's so cute. I never thought that you would admit to something like that," Kathy replied calmly yet gently in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded, twinkling eyes while blushing a little as she stared dearly into Knuckles' adoring eyes.
"Heheheh...I'd say the same thing myself. I'd never would've thought that I would admit to multiple things about myself in front of you, Kathy, or towards anyone else for that matter. But...I suppose that's because I trust you and...like to feel vulnerable around you. You're safe, and that's what matters here. You're safe," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in fondness with a little chuckle and with a warm smile as he stared at Kathy with half-lidded eyes while tenderly squeezing her in affection.
Kathy smiled even wider in fondness as she stared back at Knuckles and soon hugged him gently around the waist. Knuckles smiled even wider in fondness too after feeling her warm hug and hugged her back just as gently with his left arm.
"I'm just so glad that you feel safe with me, Knuckles. You don't have to worry about a thing," Kathy replied calmly yet innocently in fondness with a warm smile and with closed eyes as she gently hugged Knuckles.
"Yeah...I'm glad as well, Kathy. It's definitely been a relief to me. Trust me," Knuckles replied calmly yet softly in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at Kathy while gently hugging her back. Kathy kept hugging Knuckles while having a jovial look on her face as she enjoyed the attention that she is getting from him, and Knuckles kept hugging Kathy back while having an amused look on his face as he also enjoyed the attention that he is getting from her.
...
"...Say, Kathy?" Knuckles asked calmly yet gently in amusement after the brief silence as he showed Kathy the cherry while continuing calmly with a delighted look on his face, "...Want me to feed you this cherry?".
Kathy then opened her eyes and grinned coyly at Knuckles as she calmly yet gently replied in amusement, "That depends...Do you want me to feed you this sundae?".
Knuckles raised his eyebrows in surprise of this question and smiled wider in amusement. He then asked calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a huge smile and with playful eyes, "Well, would you be willing to let me eat your sundae this time?".
"Yes. Hehehehehe!" Kathy answered calmly in amusement with a sweet smile and with a giggle while nodding a little as she gently squeezed Knuckles in fondness.
"Heheheh...Okay then...Here...Open wide and say, 'Ah'," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a little chuckle and with a huge smile as he placed the cherry onto the spoon before lifting it towards Kathy's mouth.
"Hehehe! ...Ah..." Kathy muttered calmly yet innocently with another giggle and with a huge smile as she opened her mouth for Knuckles.
Knuckles then moved the spoon into Kathy's mouth, and she bit onto the plump cherry to eat it. He eventually pulled the spoon out after feeling her chomping onto it and proceeded to watch her chew her cherry while having an amused expression on his face.
"Mmm!" Kathy mused happily with a huge smile on her face as she enjoyed chewing on her cherry.
...Awwwwwww...It's still too cute...That is a sound that I'll never get tired of hearing...ever...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with an adoring look on his face as his mind gushed on Kathy's cute eating noises again.
After Kathy swallowed her cherry, she beamed sweetly at Knuckles as she exclaimed brightly in joy before she muttered a little in confusion while trying to say the correct word, "Oh, my gosh! That was even better than I expected! That cherry was so tasty! Delicious! Amazing! Simply scru-Uhh...scrum-Uhh...".
"'Scrumptious'?" Knuckles calmly corrected in amusement with a gentle smile and with raised eyebrows as he helped Kathy find the word that she was looking for.
"Yeah! That's what I meant! Scrumptious! That was the best cherry that I had ever eaten!" Kathy exclaimed back brightly in amusement with a huge smile and with a nod as she stared at Knuckles.
"My, that's high praise coming from you. You must be delighted to finally eat this sundae now, aren't you?" Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a warm smile and with playful eyes as he stared back at Kathy.
"Oh, I definitely am! Speaking of which, it's now your turn to eat this sundae, Knuckles! Here! Give me the spoon! It's my turn to feed you now!" Kathy exclaimed back brightly in amusement with a cheerful smile and with playful eyes as she pointed at Knuckles and at the spoon for emphasis.
"Hahahahaha...Alright. Alright. Here you go, Kathy. Go ahead and feed me. Heheheheh..." Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a warm smile and with playful eyes while chuckling a little as he gave Kathy the spoon.
"I will!" Kathy exclaimed back jovially with a sweet smile and with a nod as she scooped up some of her sundae with her spoon and lifted it towards Knuckles' mouth. She then cheerfully added with a giggle, "Open wide! Hehe!".
"Heheheh...Ah..." Knuckles muttered calmly in amusement with a little chuckle and with a gentle smile as he opened his mouth for Kathy. She then moved the spoon into his mouth, and he chomped onto the delicious chunk of the sundae which is a mix of chocolate and vanilla ice cream covered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup. All of his taste buds lit up after tasting that delicious chunk, and his eyes widened in surprise as he didn't expect that the sundae would be that tasty.
So, as if it was a knee-jerk reaction, he mused a lot in enjoyment with a huge smile on his face, "Mmmmmhmhmhmhm!".
"Hehehehe! Looks like someone is enjoying my sundae a little too much! Do you want some more, Knuckles?" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a giggle and with a sweet smile as she pulled the spoon out from Knuckles' mouth while watching him swallow his food.
After licking his lips while having a delighted expression on his face, he looked at Kathy with a huge grin on his face and answered calmly in amusement, "You know what, Kathy? I think that I've regained my appetite".
"Hehehehehehe! I knew it! I knew that you would grow hungry again after eating my sundae, and you said that you were full! You silly little doggie! Dogs always want a treat after their meal just like you want one! Isn't that right, Troublemaker?! Do you want a treat?! Do ya?! Do ya?!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully yet teasingly in amusement with another giggle and with a silly smile as she stared at Knuckles while playfully poking his tummy.
Knuckles snickered and squirmed a lot at this playful gesture before exclaiming back in amusement with a huge smile and with upward eyebrows as tons of cute giggles sputtered from his lips, "Yes! Yes! I want one! I want one! Hahahahahahahahaha! Just stop poking me! Hehehehehehehehe! It tickles! Hehehehehehehehe! Hahahahahahahahaha!".
"Hahaha! Okay. Okay. I'll stop. I guess that it's my turn to enjoy the treat just as much as you do, huh?" Kathy replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a chuckle and with a warm smile as she stopped poking Knuckles and placed the spoon into the sundae.
"Heheheheheheh...Yes...Heheheheh...Yes, it's your turn, Kathy. It's your turn," Knuckles replied calmly yet fondly in amusement with a warm smile and with playful eyes while snickering a little and while holding onto his tummy with his right hand as he stared gently at Kathy.
He then grabbed the spoon again and scooped up some more of the sundae. He brought it over to Kathy, and without any prompting, she opened her mouth to let him bring the spoon in. He soon moved the spoon into her mouth, and she chomped onto it immediately since she's excited to see what her sundae tastes like. She was pleasantly surprised when she tasted her chunk of the sundae which is strawberry and chocolate ice cream covered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
Wooooooow! This is just unbelievable! It's like my mouth is exploding with all these wonderful flavors! Kathy pondered brightly in amusement with a huge smile as she mused cheerfully in joy.
"Heheh...Like it?" Knuckles asked calmly yet gently in amusement with a small chuckle and with a huge grin as he stared playfully at Kathy while pulling the spoon out of her mouth.
"Yup! I love it!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully in amusement with a huge smile and with twinkling eyes as she stared at Knuckles after swallowing her food.
"Hahahaha...Good. Good. I'm glad. Hmm...Well...It's your turn then..." Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in fondness with another chuckle and with a warm smile as he nodded a little to Kathy while staring dearly at her. He placed the spoon back into the sundae and waited for her to pick it up. She eventually did and beamed sweetly at him as she was prepared to feed him. He smiled hugely at her as he was happy that he was sharing this moment with her.
They both continued to feed each other like this while smiling and musing a lot in delight since they were enjoying the scrumptious sundae together. They were silent as they repeatedly done this action, but again, they were comfortable with the silence as they simply enjoyed each other's company. Once they had reached the last scoop of their sundae, they looked at each other in amusement as they grinned hugely at each other.
"...So...Who gets the last piece?" Knuckles asked calmly yet curiously in amusement with a huge grin and with playful, twinkling eyes as he stared at Kathy.
"Well, since the last one was your turn, I suppose that this piece should go to you since...it's my turn to feed you now..." Kathy replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a huge grin and with twinkling eyes as she stared at Knuckles before grabbing the spoon and scooping up the last piece for emphasis.
"O-Oh...Uhh...Umm...N-No, no, you don't have to do that. You could eat the last piece if you want to...I mean...I...Uhh...I could feed you again if that's alright with you...Uhh..." Knuckles replied calmly yet awkwardly in shyness with a sheepish grin and with a deep blush as he waved his hand at Kathy before rubbing his head.
"Aww, but I insist, Knuckles. You should have it," Kathy replied calmly yet gently in politeness with a little smile and with upward eyebrows as she stared at Knuckles while inching her spoon towards his mouth for emphasis.
"No, no, there's no need to do that sort of thing. Really. You should have the last piece. After all, it's your sundae, and I...don't want to get in the way of enjoying your sundae," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently in shyness with a sheepish grin and with flushed cheeks as he waved his hand at Kathy again.
"Are you really sure that you don't want it? I mean...I'd be very happy if I got to feed you this last piece. I'd like to see you smile when you do eat it. I'd like to see you...be happy," Kathy replied calmly yet softly in fondness with a little smile and with half-lidded eyes as she stared at Knuckles.
"Ah...Uhhh...Umm...I...I don't...Uhh...I mean...You...You deserve to have that last piece...Not me..." Knuckles replied calmly yet awkwardly in shame with a little frown and with downcast eyes while blushing a lot in embarrassment as he briefly stared at Kathy before he looked down at his lap.
"Huh? But why? Why won't you have it?" Kathy asked calmly yet softly in confusion with a little frown and with upward eyebrows as she stared at Knuckles.
"..." Knuckles was silent on that as he frowned deeply in sadness. It's because...I don't deserve to be happy. Every bit of happiness should go to everyone else besides me. Even the people that I hate deserve more happiness than me. I just...can't get every good thing in life. At some point...all the good things in life just vanish away...as if it's telling me that I had done something bad or done something that deserves it...I really...can't ever catch a break...I really can't...Knuckles brooded calmly in sadness with a depressed frown and with downcast eyes as he stared down at his lap.
"Knuckles? Are you-?" Kathy asked calmly yet gently in concern with a worried look on her face as she noticed that Knuckles hadn't said anything yet.
"I just don't want it, Kathy. That's all," Knuckles replied calmly yet quietly in sadness with a depressed frown and with downcast eyes as he kept staring at his lap.
"What? No...That can't be it. There must be a reason why you won't take it. After all, you had eaten the sundae earlier, so, it's clear that you enjoyed it. You just can't deny something suddenly without giving any good reason. Clearly, something's wrong here, so, why can't you tell me what it is?" Kathy replied calmly yet gently in concern with a little frown and with downcast eyes as she put the spoon back down into the bowl before tenderly grabbing Knuckles' chest and watching him squeezing his eyes shut as he listened to her talk.
"I said that I don't want it! I don't need to give you a reason as to why I don't want it! When I said that I don't want something, I...I mean it! Honest! Just...Just eat the last piece already, alright?! Geez!" Knuckles yelled back defensively in frustration with a grimace and with furrowed eyebrows as he opened his eyes and shot a cold glare at Kathy.
"...! ...K-Knuckles..." Kathy muttered calmly yet softly in concern with a gasp and with a little frown as she flinched a bit before staring gently at Knuckles with big, sad, sparkly eyes.
"...!" Knuckles gasped too in shock after seeing Kathy's sad eyes and softened up a bit in concern as he felt a bit guilty for yelling at her. He then looked depressed again and looked back down at his lap while he muttered calmly yet quietly in sadness, "...I'm...I'm sorry, Kathy. I didn't mean to yell at you there. I just snapped at you because...I was feeling frustrated and...rather sad. I really had no reason to yell at you. I'm very sorry".
"Oh, Knuckles...It's okay. I understand. Look, I get it now. You don't want to eat the last piece, and you don't have a reason for it...But...could you at least tell me why...you suddenly feel sad? I want to know that at least just so that I...I...could help you feel better..." Kathy replied calmly yet softly in concern with a little frown and with twinkling eyes as she tightly hugged Knuckles around the waist and stared sympathetically at him before looking downwards in sadness.
"..." Knuckles was silent yet again while looking downwards with a depressed expression on his face. As he tightly hugged Kathy back with his left arm, he brooded calmly in sadness with a deep frown and with downcast eyes. Kathy...You're too good to me...I really don't deserve your kindness or your understanding...But I'm glad to receive it...
"...Al-Alright...I'll tell you...I'll tell you what's on my mind at the moment...But..." Knuckles whispered softly in sadness with a little frown and with downcast eyes as he stared at his lap before looking at Kathy and continued solemnly, "...I'd like to have this talk somewhere else...Let's leave, Kathy. Please...Come with me...".
"O-Okay..." Kathy whispered softly in understanding with a little frown and with a nod as she released Knuckles and watched him put five rings onto the table as a tip for the waitress. He then got up and walked away from the table while Kathy discreetly watched him leave. She looked at the almost empty sundae bowl and frowned sadly at it before getting up and leaving as well.
"Kathy..." Knuckles muttered calmly in slight annoyance with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he had his hands on his hips and had tapped his foot on the ground while he waited for Kathy to catch up.
"Coming!" Kathy exclaimed back in determination with a little frown and with raised eyebrows as she jogged towards Knuckles while he stood next to the register counter. Once she caught up to him, he took out thirty-five rings and placed them onto the counter.
The black, fluffy, dog waiter took the rings and muttered calmly yet politely with a gentle smile and with a nod, "Thank you, sir. Have a nice day".
"You're welcome. Anyways, come on, Kathy. Let's get out of here," Knuckles replied calmly yet gently to the waiter as he nodded to him before he looked at Kathy and wrapped his left arm around her again.
"Alright..." Kathy muttered calmly yet gently in understanding again with a little frown and with another nod as she held onto Knuckles' waist with her arms and walked out of the diner with him at her side. He frowned much deeper in sadness as he lowered his eyelids at her. As he gave her one final squeeze, he walked towards the diner doors and opened them before he and her walked out.
Soon enough, they left the diner.
Woah, it's been a long time since I've updated, and wow, this epilogue is a lot longer than I thought it would be! Sorry for the long wait! I've been procrastinating lately yet again, and part of it was due to me trying to fix the issues I have with this site in terms of emails being received. The PMs are working just fine, but anyone who tries to send the reviews to my stories can't be seen or added onto the site. Even I can't see any of them in my regular inbox. Normally, I would ask you guys to read and review (AKA: R&R) at the end of each chapter, which in fact I strongly encourage you to do now just to see if the reviews go through, but you might want PM me and give your overall thoughts on the story so far just to be safe. So, that's the way it's going to be for now on until that issue has been fixed. I'll give you guys an update to stop doing that once it had been resolved.
Update: Good news! The reviews are working fine again, but I still don't know why that is suddenly. Regardless, you can R&R my stories again! So, hooray for everybody!
Anyways, yeah, just some regular procrastination with some hiccups along the way. But on another subject, this epilogue being this long was quite unexpected. I honestly thought that it would be quite short, but I guess my imagination ran a little too wild there and wanted it to be longer. Which is why I split this epilogue into two parts. Very disjointed and unprofessional I know, but hey, I don't want it to be excessively long like I had done in the earlier chapters. So, I am technically giving you guys a break. But anyways, this ends part one of the epilogue, so, onwards to part two and the end of episode seven! I'll give you all more of my thoughts as well as my plans at the end of part two, but until then, continue reading because I'll see literally right away since I'm posting these parts at the same time! Hooray! Double-chapter action!