I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day

Disclaimer: All Sonic characters belong to Sega. Also, this story takes place in the Sonic X universe after Season 3. It also takes place before Sonic Lost World, which in my head-cannon takes place in the middle of summer. Somewhere at the end of June. Anyways, enjoy!

Part 1: I Got A Fake Girlfriend For My Birthday!

Sigh. Why am I here? Knuckles thought calmly yet tiredly in exhaustion with a deep frown as he stood in front of Cream's house. His so-called friends had decided to throw him a birthday party at Cream's house. His birthday was on the third of February. So, that's why he is here. He tried to deny them before by saying that he needed to guard the Master Emerald, but in actuality, he knew that he was trying to get out of these social situations such as "parties" for example. What's even worse is that this is his first party that his "friends" had thrown for him. Well, gee, now, why is that you ask? It's because his "friends" throw Sonic more parties for him because his birthday was more famous than his. It would be a broken record if Knuckles says that he's jealous of Sonic considering he is his rival, but that would be redundant at this point. His "friends" would attest to that.

Still, Knuckles knew that his "friends" would at some point drag him kicking and screaming if he doesn't come. Besides, he could at least take his mind off from his "dark, secret thoughts" at the moment.

It's just one day, Knuckles. It's just one day. Hopefully, this won't end in a disaster. Just like the multiple times those idiots had forced me into spending time with them on that oh-so-infamous "six-month incident". "Oh, hey, Knuckles! It's going to be fun! Why don't we hang out for today?! It won't be long!". Grrrrr. Never forget, Knuckles. Never forget. Knuckles brooded calmly yet a bit irritably in reassurance and in annoyance with a grimace while mimicking his so-called friends' voices in his mind as he clenched his fists and closed his eyes after he remembered that torturous event. Before he could go even further with that memory, he shook his head and knocked on the door politely. He took a few deep breaths before the door opened.

"Aha! I knew that you could make it, Mr. Knuckles! You never let us down!" Cream exclaimed cheerfully in amusement with a bright smile on her jovial face as she stared up at Knuckles. Cream and Cheese are a part in Knuckles' circle of "friends" he associates with from time to time. Although if he was being honest, Cream is probably the most tolerable one of the group since she's soft-spoken and polite.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Are you going to let me in?" Knuckles replied calmly yet directly in slight exhaustion with a solemn frown and with a curt nod as he got straight to the point.

"Why yes, of course, Mr. Knuckles! Everything is ready! The cake will be done in five minutes so that we can eat soon! (Chao!)" Cream answered happily in amusement with a wide grin and with a respective nod while Cheese agreed with her.

"Um, shouldn't the cake be already done? You did say that 'everything is ready'. So, what gives?" Knuckles replied calmly with suspicion in his tone as he frowned deeper and raised an eyebrow at Cream curiously. He hates it when things are not being consistent with the facts. He always suspects it as lying.

"Oh! Um, well, we had some trouble setting up the decorations and sending and resending gifts that we barely had any time making the cake! I hope that you could excuse the delay, Mr. Knuckles," Cream answered honesty in disappointment with a little frown while looking guilty as she stared at Knuckles.

Knuckles sighed tiredly again. He expected that something would go wrong with his party. He then replied calmly yet gloomy in exhaustion with a tired look on his face, "Why am I not surprised?".

"Aw, cheer up, Mr. Knuckles! Today will be a great day! There will be cake, presents, games, and so much fun! All of us are here too! So, you won't be lonely on your birthday! Isn't that great?!" Cream exclaimed back innocently in amusement with a cheerful grin and with enthusiastic eyes as she and Cheese stared at Knuckles.

Oh, joy. Hanging out with my "friends" is always a blast. If that's the case, then why haven't I made the effort to visit you guys more often if it's so "fun"? Obviously because IT ISN'T! Knuckles brooded sarcastically yet angrily in annoyance with a grimace and with closed eyes as he tried to calm himself on the outside.

He then replied calmly yet tersely in exhaustion with a deep frown and with solemn eyes as he opened them again and stared back at Cream, "Yes, that will be great".

"Yay! Now, come inside already! I'll tell my mom that you're here! Go talk to the others!" Cream exclaimed back excitedly in amusement with a jovial smile as she walked back inside her home, unaware on how curt Knuckles' tone was.

Cheese flew back inside following Cream as he chirped brightly in amusement while waving his arms a bit, "Chao! Chao! Chao!".

"Ughhh..." Knuckles groaned in dread with a grimace as he held his head low and slowly walked inside the house.

Of course, not too long after that, Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream, Vanilla, Espio, Vector, and Charmy all shouted loudly in joy with excited or relaxed looks on their faces, "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KNUCKLES!".

Annnnnd the despair begins...Knuckles brooded calmly yet tiredly in dread with a deeper grimace on his annoyed face.

"Hey there, Knucklehead! Glad that you had finally made it to your own party! I did doubt that you were going to be here since you're supposed to the 'party-pooper' of the group. But look at you! You made the effort to come here!" Sonic teased playfully in amusement with a bright grin and with twinkling eyes as he quickly dashed towards Knuckles' side and gave him a quick noogie while he briefly wrapped his arm around his neck.

Knuckles swatted at Sonic's arm as he got out of the noogie. He already felt mocked, and the party hasn't even started yet. This will certainly be a long day for him.

"Yeah, thanks a lot, Sonic. I really feel appreciated around here," Knuckles replied calmly yet sarcastically in exasperation with a deep frown and with lowered eyelids as he stared at Sonic in annoyance.

"Oh, come on, Knuckles! It's a party! So, you better loosen up!" Sonic exclaimed back brightly in amusement with a playful grin and with a wink as he gave Knuckles his usual thumbs-up and as he stared back at him while coming off as challenging.

"I don't party. If you want to have some fun, then go play with Tails or Vector. Heck, maybe you could give Amy a fun time," Knuckles dismissed calmly yet tiredly in somberness with a solemn frown and with half-lidded eyes before in slight amusement while looking smug at the end as he stared back at Sonic.

Sonic cringed when he heard Amy yell and swoon a bit in the back of the house, "OOOOH! Yeah! That's a wonderful idea, Knuckles! Hey, Sonic! Let's play some board games as a couple! I bet that I could bet you in a game called 'Mouse-Trap'! Or as I like to call it 'Hedgehog-Trap'. (Swoon)".

Sonic gulped as he brooded calmly in annoyance with a sheepish look on his face. Yuck. She's just as bad as Eggman when she's obsessive towards me. At least, Eggman doesn't love me! Ugh. That would be disturbing.

Knuckles crossed his arms as he kept a smug smile on his face as he watched Sonic nervously tell Amy "No". Naturally, she doesn't take this very kindly.

"WHHAAAT?! OH, COME ON, SONIC! It's just one board game! Why couldn't you at least TRY to spend some quality time with me?! What did I ever do to you, huh?!" Amy shouted and yelled back in frustration with a pout and with furrowed eyebrows while she had her fists at her sides as she felt very irritated at Sonic.

"Amy! Chill out! It's just...Well...Shouldn't we invite Knuckles to play with us? It's his party! He should be able to do whatever he desires on his birthday, right?" Sonic responded awkwardly in sheepishness with a nervous frown while panicking and sweating a lot as he put his hands in front of Amy to give himself some space.

"Well, why can't it be just the two of us playing the game, Sonic?! After all, the game has only two players! Knuckles will be like the third wheel in the game!" Amy argued in frustration while looking angry as she glared hard at Sonic.

Vector snorted in the background after hearing that last comment; Espio elbowed him in the stomach because of his immaturity. Vector groaned as he muttered calmly yet quietly in an apologetic tone while looking sheepish, "Ugh...Sorry".

"Listen, Amy, I'm paranoid of board games now ever since all of us had played a board game that had made us venture out into space! (See A/N below). If that board game is cursed, then I don't want to stay stuck in a game that is only for the two of us!" Sonic defended his argument in annoyance with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he crossed his arms.

"What the-?! What are you talking about, Sonic?! That never happened! You probably just watched some movie where a board game comes to life or something! It sounds just as ludicrous as those times when you told me you got stuck inside two storybooks! I still doubted that had ever happened! You clearly made those stories up so that you could have an excuse to avoid dating me!" Amy yelled back furiously in frustration with a grimace and with furrowed eyebrows while glaring coldly at Sonic as she clenched her fists at her sides. She still felt bitter for Sonic ditching her on their dates.

"I'm telling you that had actually happened! I remember clear as day on how that happened! Those adventures were so vivid to me that I swear that I didn't make them up! I'm not even that creative enough to come up with good stories like that! I think on my feet! That's why you think they're terrible because of how I retold them!" Sonic argued back in frustration while frowning deeply in annoyance.

"Wow. That's the first time that you've been honest with yourself. Where was that humble hedgehog that we've been waiting to see? It could do you some good to bring that ego of yours down a notch, you know," Knuckles commented calmly yet teasingly in amusement while grinning mischievously as he stared at Sonic with his arms crossed.

This day couldn't get even better than this. Knuckles thought calmly in amusement with a mischievous grin as his eyes were halfway closed. Sonic turned around and glared at Knuckles while he just shrugged.

He then looked back at Amy as he continued arguing in frustration with an annoyed expression on his face while placing a hand to his chest for emphasis on his last point, "Besides, Amy, we don't need to be spending time together every single moment! Give some time to yourself! I need time to myself!".

Some of the others awkwardly watched Sonic and Amy argue. Tails quietly stepped away and walked towards Knuckles. He soon stood by Knuckles' right side and whispered to him in curiosity with a sheepish expression on his face, "Um, Knuckles? Are you feeling...well...uncomfortable? Because I know I am".

Knuckles looked at Tails as he replied calmly yet quietly in amusement with wry eyebrows and with a playful smirk, "Nah. Honestly, this is the best part of my birthday so far. Sonic getting confronted by Amy. Hmph. Always a classic in my book".

Tails looked downwards as he sighed tiredly while Sonic and Amy continued their argument.

"'Time to yourself'? 'Time to yourself'?! I had enough of you having too much time to yourself! I am always by myself all the time! Why do you think that I set us up for dates?! Why do you think that I spent all my time and effort into making every moment special?! It's because I care about you, Sonic! Why couldn't you at least spare me your time and effort into spending some quality time with me?! We could play that board game right now! Hey, there's an idea for you! Why don't you take the chance and hang out with me?!" Amy yelled furiously in anger with a frustrated look on her face as she glared hard at Sonic.

"Because it isn't about you, Amy! It's about Knuckles! He's my friend, and this day is about him! Celebrating your friend's birthday is way more important than spending time alone with you! You should include more friends into your activities more often than spending time with me!" Sonic argued back in frustration with an irked expression on his face as he made his point by pointing to Knuckles for emphasis.

"Oh, yeah?! Then what about Valentine's Day?! You know that you can't skip out on your chance to spend the entire day with your girlfriend! Even your best friend, Tails, knows that spending time with your loved ones is more important than your friends!" Amy argued back in frustration with an irked expression on her face while pointing at Tails for emphasis.

Knuckles and Tails both had flinched a bit and had sweat drops on their heads when their names were mentioned in their friends' argument.

Just then, Vector yelled suddenly in shock with an alarmed look on his face, "Gak! I almost had forgotten about Valentine's Day! I better plan something for Vanilla!".

Immediately after hearing that, Espio slapped Vector on the back very hard as he calmly scolded in annoyance with an irked expression on his face, "Really? At a time like this?".

Vector winced as he rubbed his back while he muttered "Sorry" again. Amy and Sonic briefly looked at Vector for a moment before looking back at each other.

"Look, Amy! I don't even celebrate Valentine's Day! I think that it's a stupid holiday because it makes you feel worse when you realize that you don't have a partner! There's no reason to celebrate it if it always makes you feel sad every year on that day! Besides, I'm more fulfilled now because I'm single and not in a relationship! I firmly believe that anyone can be fulfilled without meeting this 'special someone'! Many people would be even happier since they don't have to deal with the drama that couples get at least once every year! Just like the one that we're having now!" Sonic argued back in frustration with an irked expression on his face as he made his point while using some hand gestures.

"...! You really think of us as a couple?!" Amy squealed in shock and in joy with a gasp and with a huge smile on her hopeful face as she felt a little better about this. At least, she knows now what Sonic really thinks what their relationship is like.

"WH-WHAT?! NO! NO WAY! I'm just saying that you should probably spend more time on friends than on me! Why don't you spend Valentine's Day with one of your friends?!" Sonic shouted and yelled back defensively in alarm and in exasperation with an alarmed look on his face as he waved his hands back and forth in a "no" gesture.

Amy tried to argue back but failed because what Sonic had said was true. Why didn't she ever try that before? She had always spent every Valentine's Day alone because she was unsuccessful into convincing Sonic to go on a date with her on that day. However, if she could date one of her friends for a while before Valentine's Day, then...

Ding!

"Oh, the cake is done! I'll go get it out and decorate it with icing! Who wants to come with me and help?!" Vanilla exclaimed in shock with a surprised expression on her face as she glanced at her kitchen while feeling grateful for a diversion from the tense atmosphere in the room. Tails, Cream and Cheese, Espio, Vector, and Charmy all raised their hands to answer Vanilla's question. They too wanted to leave the room immediately because of how uncomfortable it is.

"Oh, good then. Follow me into the kitchen. There are several dishes that I would like to make. Your help will be appreciated," Vanilla added calmly in relief with a little smile on her relaxed face as she slowly walked into the kitchen while the others followed behind her. Knuckles, Sonic, and Amy are the only ones in the room currently.

Speaking of being the "third wheel" earlier...Knuckles thought calmly yet dully in annoyance with a deep frown on his unamused face.

Sonic and Amy looked back at each other. However, Amy smiling deviously now. She has an idea that will get Sonic to finally date her. Sonic did not like the expression that she is making right now.

He felt nervous as he asked calmly yet awkwardly in confusion, "Um...Uh...Amy? Why are you smiling like that?".

"Knuckles!" Amy proclaimed boldly in determination with a devious look on her face as she turned and pointed at the echidna.

Knuckles was startled by the sudden proclamation of his name before he calmly yet awkwardly muttered in confusion with a bewildered look on his face, "Uh, what?".

"I choose you to be my Valentine this year! You're going to be my new boyfriend!" Amy proudly stated in determination while pointing at Knuckles as she beamed at him.

Both Sonic and Knuckles had the same reaction as the two rivals shouted simultaneously in shock and in confusion with flabbergasted looks on their faces, "WH-WH-WH-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTT?!".

They both jerked back in shock as their eyes were as wide as saucer plates.

"OH, HECK NOOO! I'M NOT DATING YOU! AMY, THIS IS CRAZY! I DEMAND THAT YOU TAKE THAT STATEMENT BACK!" Knuckles shouted back in embarrassment and in irritation with a shocked yet flustered face and with a quick headshake while blushing furiously in bright red and while pointing back at Amy.

"YEAH! TAKE THAT BACK! ARE YOU EVEN THINKING CLEARLY, AMY?! YOU WOULD RATHER DATE KNUCKLES OF ALL PEOPLE?!" Sonic shouted back in shock and in confusion while pointing at Amy before at Knuckles for emphasis as he looked flabbergasted at this. Amy simply crossed her arms while having a smug look on her face.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, SONIC?! WHAT IS SO BAD ABOUT ME?!" Knuckles shouted back at Sonic in frustration with clenched fists and with furrowed eyebrows while barring his teeth as he felt ticked off by that hurtful statement.

Amy tried to speak up, but Sonic and Knuckles turned their attention onto each other. It is their turn to have an argument.

"Well, why don't we start off with the fact that you couldn't even handle a serious relationship. Remember Rouge? You know, the one time that you had tried to date her for several months?" Sonic argued in annoyance with a tired look on his face while putting his hands onto his hips as he stared at Knuckles.

Knuckles felt a vein popping in his forehead while he brooded angrily in frustration as he was about to lose his temper again. Oh, no. Don't you DARE start with that, Sonic! Grrrr. I really, really hate you sometimes.

"Oh, don't start with that! You have to believe me when I say that Rouge isn't worth it! Look, I had tried to give her a chance and to get to know her better, but all I ended up getting was a narcissist who couldn't take 'no' for an answer!" Knuckles defended his point in frustration while crossing his arms and while barring his teeth at Sonic as he glared coldly at him.

"What are you talking about?! Rouge was the only girl who had ever expressed interest in you, and you had dumped her just because you felt like your boundaries were being crossed! Knuckles, all you needed to do was to use social skills to solve your problems! Not fighting! It's no wonder that you're bad with girls. You lack social skills! Not surprising considering that you prefer to stay on your island all day and never take the time to visit others such as your 'friends' for example!" Sonic argued back in annoyance with a deep frown and with lowered eyelids while being sassy as he shrugged and stared at Knuckles.

"Sonic! I can't convince that crazy batgirl to respect my boundaries! I can't even trust her! She's a thief! She's used to stepping over people's boundaries because she steals jewels from them! She would probably say 'no' if I told her to respect the boundaries that I have! It's that reason alone that I had dumped her, and she deserved it on how she had treated me those past several months! I wasn't valued or cared for at all, and she made me feel worse while being with her! Yeah, I may lack social skills, but at least, I made the right decision into breaking up with her! It would never work!" Knuckles argued back in frustration with a grimace on his irritated face as he glared hard at Sonic.

"You're just being impatient! Do you honestly expect Rouge to change after she was going out with you?! Your judgmental and short-tempered behavior are the very reasons why that relationship didn't work! You only have yourself to blame! And I think that is why you shouldn't date Amy!" Sonic argued back in frustration with a cold glare and with a deep grimace on his irked face while pointing accusingly at Knuckles.

"Ah! ...Ah! I-I-I can't believe you! You think that I can't handle serious relationships?! All because I can't control my temper and my doubtful nature?! Do you have ANY idea on how hard I had tried to get along with Rouge considering how easily she gets on my nerves?! If you have to deal with someone who easily gets on YOUR nerves every single day, then you will feel like you're doing a chore! I bet that's how Amy is for you, but you won't admit to the truth because you're worried about hurting her feelings! You say that I'm bad at handling women, but you're no better! You only act nice around girls because you don't want to be the one who made them cry! You're supposed to be honest with them! Sometimes, the truth hurts, Sonic, but it's better for them to be hurt by the truth than to be hurt by lies! I would know because I've ALWAYS been tricked by people like you and Dr. Eggman! Now, what excuse do you have for that, Mr. 'Nice' Hedgehog?!" Knuckles argued back in shock and in anger with passion filling in his speech while looking flustered and while glaring hard at Sonic as he uncrossed his arms, clenched his fists at his sides, and pointed back accusingly at Sonic for emphasis.

For once, Sonic didn't have an answer to that. He just stood there staring wide-eyed at Knuckles. He felt speechless after that as he slowly looked down to the ground, feeling lost. Amy covered her mouth with her hands while they were arguing. She had to admit that Knuckles was right. For all the problems that Knuckles has, he's at least honest. He never has to put on a show to please others, unlike Sonic. He is very blunt on his opinions and doesn't care for someone's feelings whenever the truth is the main subject. He would be the one telling the truth to others unapologetically. He's also very genuine about how he presents himself. He presents himself with valor and honor. He cares very deeply about honesty since, like he had said before, he had been prone to lies and trickery in the past. Because of that realization, Amy suddenly felt sympathy for him.

Poor Knuckles. It's so sad that he doesn't have a "special someone" right now. He really is such a good guy at heart. He really does deserve someone who will love him and respect him unconditionally. It's too bad that I'm in love with Sonic though. I would be very happy if I had ever fallen in love with him if Sonic wasn't around. Alas, fate wouldn't allow it. Maybe it would be a good thing to be his "girlfriend" for Valentine's Day. Even if were going out as friends, it's the thought that counts. Amy pondered calmly to herself in sadness with a sympathetic frown on her face.

She then shook her head and walked over to Knuckles. Knuckles raised his eyebrows once he saw Amy's concerned expression on her face.

She then suggested calmly yet quietly in curiosity with a concerned look on her face, "Hey, Knuckles? Can we go talk in the guest room upstairs? I think that it's best if you and Sonic get some space to cool down".

Knuckles stared at Amy in silence with a solemn expression on his face, but soon enough, he sighed tiredly and nodded in agreement.

Amy smiled a little in hope as she added calmly in relief, "Good. Let's go".

Knuckles and Amy walked around Sonic and went upstairs to the guest room. Sonic stood still while staring at the ground with a stunned expression on his face. The others had eavesdropped from the kitchen's corner, hearing the entire argument. To be fair, Sonic and Knuckles were shouting very loudly, so, it was impossible for them to ignore them. They also felt bad for Knuckles.

"Poor Mr. Knuckles. I had no idea that he was so sensitive to stuff like relationships. He really did sound offended," Cream commentated calmly in sympathy with a little frown and with clasped hands while feeling sad. Cheese expressed his sadness too by saying in a sympathetic tone, "Chao Chao Chao".

"Yeah, I've seen Knuckles get upset before. But he sounded livid whenever Rouge was brought up. It really must've been that bad of a relationship then if it got a strong reaction out of him," Tails agreed calmly in sympathy with a little frown and with a headshake while looking sad as well.

"The poor dear," Vanilla added simply in sympathy with a sad frown while shaking her head.

"Say, will Knuckles be alright? I don't know if we should continue the party if he comes back," Charmy muttered calmly in curiosity with a concerned frown and with upward eyebrows while feeling worried.

Espio shook his head and calmly replied to Charmy in reassurance with a solemn look on his face, "No, I don't think that we should stop the party. He may be upset, but he will calm down and let the party to continue. He's not the type of person to give up when things get bad. He's stubborn as you had called him in the past".

"Well, that's great! Because I've been looking forward to eating Miss Vanilla's tastiest meals and desserts! I'm sure that he'll be fine when he eats them!" Vector chimed brightly in relief with an enthusiastic grin while holding a grilled-cheese sandwich.

The others glared at Vector for that insensitive comment. Vector looked at them in bewilderment as he asked calmly yet curiously in confusion, "What?".

Espio just face-palmed himself as he calmly muttered in exhaustion with a little frown, "Only you would say that".

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Vector yelled back in shock and in confusion with a flustered expression on his face as he looked at Espio.

"SHUT UP, VECTOR!" Everyone except for Vector shouted in annoyance while the screen immediately cuts to the outside of Ms. Vanilla's and Cream's home.

"What?! What did I do?!" Vector yelled back in shock and in confusion while still showing the outside of the house.

[Meanwhile In the Guest Room]

After Amy and Knuckles had gone inside, Amy closed the door in order to keep the conversation private. She took a few deep breaths before she turned around and faced Knuckles. He was crossing his arms the entire time, waiting for her to start talking. She looked a bit guilty as she put her hands behind her back and looked down.

"Um, Knuckles? I'm...I'm sorry that I blurted that out of the blue. I can understand why you're shocked about it. I just came up with that after Sonic had suggested that I should go out with my friends more often. So, I thought that maybe I could kill two birds with one stone by doing what Sonic had suggested while making him jealous by...Um... fake dating you. I'm sorry that I had put the pressure onto you without your consent," Amy calmly apologized in guilt with a little frown while honestly explaining her actions to him as she stared down at the floor in shame.

Knuckles sighed and closed his eyes as he replied tiredly yet irritably in exasperation with a deep frown while feeling annoyed, "(Sigh)...Do you honestly believe that I would go along with your hair-brained scheme just because you want to get back at Sonic? I'm sorry, but no, I'm not doing it! This is clearly stupid, and I don't want any part of it!".

"But! But Knuckles! It wouldn't be so bad! We would just be hanging out! We could tease Sonic a little bit by doing mild romantic actions like holding hands and hugging, nothing too uncomfortable! It would just be enough to give Sonic a reason to decide to spend more time with me! But hey, if it doesn't work out, we could enjoy Valentine's Day together as two single friends!" Amy exclaimed enthusiastically in optimism with a hopeful grin while trying to convince Knuckles to agree with her plan as she looked back up at him.

"No way! I don't want to do that, and I also don't want to spend Valentine's Day with you! I want to be alone on that day!" Knuckles argued back in frustration with a headshake while looking more disgruntled as he kept his eyes closed and his arms crossed.

Amy felt irked as she crossed her arms too and puffed out her cheeks as she argued back in annoyance while frowning deeply at Knuckles, "Aw, come on, Knuckles! Why do you have to be such a spoilsport?! Why do you want to be alone on Valentine's Day?! It could be fun if we hang out together for once!".

Knuckles moved his head away and held up a hand as he yelled back in frustration, "I've heard that one before! Nice try, but I'm not falling for that one again! Every time you or your friends say 'it'll be fun' it always goes wrong for me! Also, do I look like I care if I'm a spoilsport or not?! I can't help that I'm the serious one of the group! Besides, you guys need someone who's level-headed considering how easily you guys get distracted from searching for the Chaos Emeralds all the time!".

"Hey! We are not so easily distracted! You are! How often do you always leave Angel Island just because you got interested into something else?! Or how often do you let the Master Emerald get stolen just because of something else had caught your attention?!" Amy argued back in frustration with a deep frown on her annoyed face as she pointed accusingly at Knuckles.

Knuckles gritted his teeth at that statement. It's not his fault that his mind is too busy contemplating on what it means to be a true "guardian" lately. He had been pondering on what his purpose of being a guardian is really about these past few months. So, it's natural that he's not been attentive to his guardian duties as of late. In response, he took this accusation a bit harshly.

"Trust me, Amy. I wish that I could be more attentive into watching the Master Emerald, but there are some things that you cannot understand! Anyways, I'm not going to be your fake boyfriend just to get back at Sonic!" Knuckles defended solemnly in annoyance with a grimace on his irked face while opening his eyes and looking straight at Amy as he had his fists clenched at his sides.

"But Knuckles! You and Sonic are rivals! Doesn't that at least give you a motive to at least try this out?!" Amy exclaimed back in annoyance with a determined frown and with her fists held up as she stared at Knuckles.

"Look, Amy! I may be Sonic's rival, but I'm not petty!" Knuckles exclaimed back in annoyance with a deep frown and with a lowered eyebrow while shaking his head as he stared back at Amy.

"'Not petty'? Ha! That's a laugh! You two had always butt heads at each other almost every time you meet! How can you say that you're not petty?" Amy scoffed in annoyance with a deep frown while rolling her eyes as she stared back at Knuckles.

"It's not as if I want to fight him! Okay, fine, maybe I am a bit petty and also a bit competitive, but I'm not someone who wants to make Sonic miserable! I just want to be left alone!" Knuckles clarified in frustration with an annoyed frown and with his hands out before placing them to his hips as he stared back at Amy.

"Alright, fine, you win! You don't have to be my fake boyfriend if you don't want to. I give up. But please at least consider the idea. I mean. It really wouldn't be that bad. I'm sure that you would even enjoy Valentine's Day if you did go out with me. I really don't want to be alone again this year, and I'm sure that deep down that you don't want to be alone either. Just please give it a chance after you think through with it. Give me a call on the phone when you had decided, okay?" Amy finally relented in defeat with a sad frown and with downcast eyes as her shoulders sagged down and as her head hung low while staring at the floor.

Knuckles sighed a little in relief as he replied calmly yet tiredly in exhaustion with a solemn frown and with closed eyes, "(Sigh)...Thank you. And fine, I'll think about it like you had asked, but don't get your hopes up. I might not go along with it in the end, you know".

Amy sighed sadly and replied calmly in agreement with a little frown, "(Sigh)...Yeah, I guess you're right. It is a silly idea that would never happen".

Knuckles nodded solemnly at that in agreement with a deep frown on his somber face. A few seconds of silence passed by after that awkward conversation. Amy kept staring at the floor while shifting her feet; Knuckles looked away from her, not wanting to look at her. She then spoke up after the long period silence.

...

...

...

"Hey, let's just go back to the party. I'm sure that Miss Vanilla has gotten the cake ready. Let's go eat," Amy suggested calmly yet quietly in defeat with a disappointed frown and with sad eyes as she slowly looked back up at Knuckles and stared at him.

Knuckles looked back at Amy while still frowning solemnly, but he nodded his head in agreement.

Amy smiled a little as she calmly yet quietly added in encouragement, "Come on. Let's go".

With that, she turned around and walked to the door. She opened it and looked back at Knuckles. He looked hesitant to go at first, but he then walked towards the door. She smiled a little again and walked out of the door. He followed her out of the door and went downstairs with her. They and the others had carried on with the party after that.

[A Few Hours Later]

After Knuckles and his "friends" had eaten the cake and the meal, they played some games and opened the presents. Knuckles did his best to be grateful to them for the gifts that he was given. One of the gifts was a cell phone made by Tails. Tails said that he could learn to use new technology that his friends are using. Knuckles felt annoyed by that, but he begrudgingly accepted it. He still uses the wireless telephone that Tails made for him a year ago. He doesn't care that he's behind the times or that he's old-fashioned. He just likes things that are easy to understand.

It was after all of that the gang had started to leave. The Chaotix had left early saying that they got to get back to work with their latest case. Tails had left by going back to his workshop. Knuckles, Sonic, Amy, Cream, Cheese, and Vanilla are left in the house. Knuckles, Sonic, and Amy avoided each other throughout the party. They felt awkward whenever they had looked at each other or made contact with each other. So, they talked with their other friends or Vanilla for the rest of the party.

After a few more minutes, Sonic smiled widely while having his hands onto his hips as he then exclaimed brightly in amusement, "Well then, it's been fun Miss Vanilla, but I've got to go too! Cream, Miss Vanilla, thank you for throwing an awesome party! I'm glad to be a part of it!".

"Thank you, Mr. Sonic! I'm happy that you had enjoyed the party! I'll see you later!" Cream exclaimed back happily in amusement with a cheerful grin and with a polite bow as she stared at Sonic. Cheese happily chirped with a bright smile while raising his arms, "Chao Chao Chao Chao Chao!".

"Take care, Sonic. Have yourself a good day," Vanilla added calmly in amusement with a warm smile and with a nod as she stared at Sonic as well.

Sonic then winked and gave his usual thumbs-up to them. He soon opened the door and ran out as fast as he usually does.

Knuckles looked out at the entrance of the door before turning his head at Vanilla and Cream as he muttered calmly in gratitude with a solemn frown, "I should get going as well. Thanks for the party".

"Well, I'm glad that you had enjoyed it somewhat. Here is a bag for you to carry your presents. Have a good day, Knuckles," Vanilla replied calmly in amusement with a warm smile as she gave a small bag to Knuckles.

Knuckles took the small bag and gave a brief smile at Vanilla. He respects Miss Vanilla at least. Cream then came to Knuckles and gave another bag to him.

"Here. This bag has some sweets in it. You can take it as well," Cream muttered calmly yet brightly in amusement while smiling cutely at Knuckles as she stared up at him.

Knuckles grabbed the bag and replied calmly to Cream in gratitude with a small smile, "Hey, thanks, Cream. That's very kind of you. Take care of yourself, okay?".

"I will! Thank you for caring for me, Mr. Knuckles!" Cream exclaimed cheerfully yet gratefully in amusement with a bright smile as she bowed politely to him. Cheese agreed by bowing with Cream. Knuckles can't help but smile a little wider at that. He then waved his free hand "goodbye" and left Cream's house. Amy watched Knuckles leave. She quickly said her goodbyes to Vanilla and Cream before leaving as well.

She ran up to Knuckles and exclaimed brightly in curiosity with an intrigued look on her face, "Hey, Knuckles!".

Knuckles looked back and saw Amy coming to him. He turned around halfway and asked calmly in curiosity with an intrigued look on his face, "Amy? What is it?".

"Um, uh, well, I just wanted to say...Um...Just take care of yourself, Knuckles. I hope that you'll be okay," Amy replied calmly yet awkwardly in concern with a little frown and with downcast eyes while looking down shyly.

Knuckles raised his eyebrows at that as he thought calmly yet curiously in confusion with a bewildered look on his face. Why would she say that?

"Amy? What do you mean by that?" Knuckles asked calmly in confusion with an intrigued expression on his face as he stared at Amy.

"Well...It's just that...My friends and I had noticed that you've been rather...Um...I don't know...'off' these days? You seem to be rather gloomier these days. Even more glum than Shadow. I know that you are grumpy in general, however, you seem to be even more dreary lately. We don't know what's going on with you, but we are rather worried about you, Knuckles. Is there something that you're not telling us?" Amy replied calmly yet a bit awkwardly in concern with a worried expression on her face as she looked back up at Knuckles.

Knuckles looked surprised by this. He didn't know that his "friends" had noticed his odd behavior. He thought that he had hid his behavior very well by acting like his normal self. He still doesn't want to tell her or his "friends" about his well-kept, dark secret. He doesn't feel comfortable telling her about his secret. He doesn't trust her that much.

He soon shook his head and frowned solemnly as he replied calmly in somberness, "I'm sorry, Amy, but that's a private matter that I don't want to discuss with you. I appreciate your concern however".

"Oh...Okay," Amy muttered calmly yet quietly in understanding with a sad frown and with her hands folded as she looked down to the ground. Some silence then came over them.

...

"Well? Is that all?" Knuckles asked calmly yet curtly in curiosity after the brief silence with a solemn frown and with a raised eyebrow as he stared at Amy.

Amy sighed tiredly as she calmly answered in reluctance with a little frown, "(Sigh)...Yes. I'll just leave now. Have a good day, Knuckles. Enjoy the rest of your birthday".

She then walked away after that. Knuckles shook his head once more and went back on his journey to his home: Angel Island.

After thirty minutes of walking, Knuckles finally got back to his island. He went to his little, wooden shack to drop off his presents and sweets. He opened the door to his shack and walked over from the small living room to the small, adjacent kitchen. There was a counter, a small fridge, a little, round table, and a sink. He opened the door to his fridge and put the sweets in there for safekeeping. He then put the bag of presents onto his brown couch. He soon sat down on it and leaned back with his arms crossed. There was a brown, rectangular table before him with a small T.V. at the back. Behind the living room, there was a bed at the back. He only sleeps in his bed during the winter and sometimes when there's bad weather such as rainstorms for instance.

The reason that he wanted to stay in his shack more often was because he thought that he could still watch the Master Emerald while being inside. There was a window that gives a clear view of the outside and where the Master Emerald is at in the distance. So, that's why he feels comfortable being inside his shack. The television that he has was from Sonic and Tails. They said that he is missing out on getting in tune with pop culture, and that he should buy some video games so that he and his "friends" could play with him sometime. Of course, Knuckles didn't watch any television programs or movies ever since he got it. He didn't even buy any video games. He says that they are a waste of time. He doesn't have any time to play games or to watch T.V. He didn't have any reason to, and he doesn't think that there will be a day to do any of that.

What's the point of giving me a T.V. if I don't have a need for it? I'm not going to spend any time with it or with anybody for that matter. If the day has come when I want to watch T.V. or play video games with someone, then I've got to pinch myself to test if I'm dreaming or not because it is ludicrous to think that it would become my reality one day. Knuckles pondered calmly in somberness with a solemn frown as he had his eyes closed and his arms crossed.

He decided to rest for a bit as he got comfortable on the couch. He still had his eyes closed and his arms crossed. He then put one leg over the other and just rested.

Now, this is how you relax. Knuckles thought calmly in relaxation with a little frown on his somewhat content face as he rested for a bit. But before he could take his afternoon nap, the telephone rang.

BRRRRRRIIINNNGG! BRRRRRIIIINNG!

Knuckles' eyes shot wide-open and looked startled as he saw his wireless telephone ringing on the table before him. It was a black telephone that Tails had built for him. It was specially made so that he could call any of his "friends" without needing a landline or wires connecting the call to the other telephones that they have.

Knuckles reached for the phone and picked it up before he asked calmly in confusion with a bewildered look on his face, "Hello? Who is this?".

"Ohhhhhhh, Knuckie!" exclaimed the caller in a sing-song voice.

Knuckles instantly groaned and face-palmed himself with his other hand while he brooded calmly yet tiredly in annoyance with a grimace. Ohhhhhhh noooooo.

He knew very well who is calling him. It's the one person that he hates with his entire being. Even more so than Sonic and Eggman put together. His bile rises every time this person shows up or is speaking to him. He hates the person so much that he wished that the person would just move on and never show up in his life ever again. That person was Rouge the Bat.

"Happy Birthday, you Knucklehead! I just wanted to call and say-!" Rouge exclaimed brightly in a silky-sounding voice.

SLAM! BRING!

Knuckles didn't even let Rouge finish talking as he slammed the phone right back down onto the receiver. He was fuming with rage again. His eyebrows were furrowed deeply and had the biggest scowl on his face. He took a few deep breaths before he picked up the phone again and made his call to a certain person. As the phone rings, his face was now relaxed and calm as he finally made up his mind. The phone made its final ring before the caller picked up the call.

"Hello? Who is it?" the caller asked calmly yet tentatively in curiosity.

"Alright. I'm in... Amy," Knuckles replied calmly in agreement with a solemn frown while closing his eyes.

"Yay!" Amy squealed over the phone.

Their fake relationship had just started.

Poor Knuckles couldn't catch a break, could he? Well, here it is. My Valentine's Day themed short story. Although I will say right now that this is technically not a romance story because no one is getting together at the end. This is more of a friendship story. Well, it's more of a friendship, humor, drama, and angst kind of story. You could definitely see the drama in the first chapter already. I wasn't sure what genres I should place it in, but I think friendship and humor are the predominate ones, although there will be drama here and there as well as some angst in some chapters. A bit of spoilers but there will be chapter dedicated to angst since it is a flashback chapter containing Knuckles' relationship with Rouge. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy this while my current story Blaze the Cat: Monster Outbreak takes a bit of a break. Please R&R if you guys enjoy this!

A/N About the part where Sonic mentioned about him and his friends going to space while playing a board game. Well, that is foreshadowing to a future fanfic that I will make later after Blaze the Cat: Monster Outbreak is finished. It will be a rewrite of Sonic X Season 3 but with a cursed board game to it. It will be like Jumanji (or more like its inferior spin-off Zathura) meets Sonic X. The fanfic will be called Sonic X Season 3: Shuffle Edition. Get it? Because of Sonic Shuffle? Anyway, that's my plans later in the year. Just wait patiently for that.