I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day

by KatherineTheMoth

When Sonic suggested to Amy that she should hang out with her friends more, she immediately chose Knuckles to be her fake boyfriend to get back at Sonic. Knuckles at first disagrees with the plan, but when Rouge is trying to get into contact with him, he agrees with the plan just to avoid his ex-girlfriend. Why can't he just be alone? Especially on Valentine's Day?

6. Chapter 6: The Darkest Time of His Life

I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day

Part 6: The Darkest Time of His Life

"What?! What do you mean that you can't let me come to your house?! I thought that you want me to hang out with you!" Knuckles yelled in shock with a surprised look on his face while calling Amy on his phone as he stood in front of the brown, rectangular table after getting up from his couch once he heard the terrible news.

"(Cough) (Cough) I'm sorry, Knuckles, but, I've gotten sick. (Cough cough cough) It had gotten very cold last night. I think that I caught a cold due to the weather. I'm sorry, Knuckles, but you can't come to my house," Amy replied calmly yet tiredly in guilt while having a scratchy voice and while coughing a little. She felt a bit bad that she suddenly got sick right now especially when Knuckles sounded enthusiastic about spending time with her today.

"But! Can I at least see you?! I could go to your house and help take care of you while you rest," Knuckles responded anxiously in alarm and in concern with a sad frown and with upward eyebrows while feeling worried and a bit desperate as he almost stared at his phone.

"No. It's okay. (Cough cough) Vanilla and Cream came here to check up on me and were willing to take care of me for a few days. So, I'm good. I'm sorry that you couldn't come. I couldn't risk getting you sick too," Amy replied calmly in sadness with another cough.

Knuckles frowned even deeper in sadness as he held the phone to his head. He closed his eyes and sighed tiredly before he replied calmly in a disappointed tone of voice, "(Sigh)...A-Alright. I understand. Please take good care of yourself. Do you think that you will get better in time for our date on Valentine's Day?".

"Hmm, yeah, I think that I'll get better in that time. I know that after three days that my fever will go down, however, I still need two extra days before I fully recover. So, I think that I'll get better in time for Valentine's Day. Again, I'm very sorry, Knuckles," Amy replied calmly yet apologetically in reassurance after she thought for a bit.

"No, no, it's fine. You don't need to apologize. You can't help it if you get sick. I'll be fine. Just do get some rest, okay?" Knuckles responded calmly in understanding with a little frown and with closed eyes while looking disappointed as he shook his head a bit.

"Th-Thank you, Knuckles. (Cough cough cough cough) I will. Goodbye and take care of yourself too," Amy replied calmly in gratitude while trying to sound cheerful although coughing a lot.

"I will, and thank you, Amy, for caring about me. I'll try. Well, see you later then," Knuckles replied calmly yet quietly in reassurance with a little frown and with a slow nod while trying to sound grateful as he opened his eyes and almost stared at his phone again.

"See you later. Bye," Amy responded calmly while quietly saying her goodbyes.

"Hmph. Bye," Knuckles said his goodbyes too with a quiet grunt and with a little frown.

They both hung up after that.

Knuckles sighed tiredly again in sadness as he looked down on the small, brown, rectangular table with the phone on it while he stood in front of it. His face fell into a disappointed look. His eyelids fell halfway down, and his mouth fell into a full-on frown. In a way, he felt hurt that his plan had backfired. Now, he dreaded that Rouge would come to visit him and question why he isn't with Amy right now. He isn't sure if he had convinced Rouge or not that he and Amy are "dating" right now. He really doesn't want to deal with her right now. He could leave the island again, but then, Rouge will still ask why Amy isn't with him right now. She'll definitely bother him all day now that Amy isn't by his side. She'll certainly take advantage of that.

He just shrugged and shook his head. He then turned and walked out of his shack. He closed the door to his shack and walked towards the Master Emerald altar. As he climbed the steps, he kept begging in his heart that Rouge won't bother him today or any day of the week. Once he got to the top of the steps, he turned around and stood there while crossing his arms again. He closed his eyes as he stood there.

…...

It was quiet in the island. No birds came to the island. It was peaceful. There were no disturbances. Knuckles quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this week will be peaceful after all.

…...

"Oh, Knuckie~!" a sultry, female voice exclaimed cheerfully in the distance.

Fate...Why are you so cruel to me? Knuckles brooded calmly in annoyance with a grimace and with closed eyes while having his arms crossed as he groaned out loud. Guess things won't be peaceful after all. Not even for two minutes.

Wing flapping can be heard a few feet in the sky. Knuckles opened his eyes and sharply looked up to the sky; and there she was, his archrival and ex-girlfriend, Rouge the Bat. She was flying gracefully down while having such a cheerful, sexy expression on her face. It looked like she had been waiting all day to tease him again, and he would be right about that.

Once she got down to one of the top steps near Knuckles, she asked calmly yet haughtily in amusement with a playful smile and with mischievous eyes, "So, how's it going lately? Are you having fun playing 'hooky' with Pinky? Why aren't you going to her right now? It could save me the trouble into stealing the emerald without a gullible echidna around".

"Grrrr! Can it, Batgirl! I'm not in a good mood!" Knuckles yelled back in annoyance with gritted teeth and with furrowed eyebrows while growling at Rouge as he glared coldly down at her. His face is disgruntled, and his body felt tense with anger.

"Hmph! Since when you're in a good mood, Knuckie-boy?" Rouge teased playfully in amusement with a haughty smirk as she is already loving the banter that they're having now.

"Please leave! Besides, I can't visit Amy today! She's sick!" Knuckles yelled back in annoyance with a deep grimace and with furrowed eyebrows while glaring hard at Rouge. He doesn't care if Rouge knew the truth of why he isn't with Amy right now. He only wants Rouge to get out of his life.

Rouge feigned sympathy which Knuckles hates with his entire being. His gut felt like its churning, and it's making him sick. He knows that Rouge only acts sympathetic for either one or two reasons. One, where she just does it as she is setting up for a joke which he hates. Or two, which he hates even more, whenever she wants something from him, but she must earn it by playing as the "supporter" in the situation. He once believed that Rouge genuinely cares for him at one point. But now, he could only think about pain that he had received in the past during his relationship with her.

Rouge then put her hands on her hips and replied calmly yet silkily in feigned sympathy and in seduction while having a coy, sexy smile on her mischievous face, "Aww, that's too bad, sweetie. You probably miss her, don't you? I'm sure that she'll be alright on her own. She has her friends, doesn't she? They'll take good care her. Just like how I'll take care of you, Knuckie-boy. You know that I still love you with all my heart and would do anything for you that will make you very happy if you just let me back in. You still feel all alone and empty, don't you? Who could blame you? You were the only one who had pushed me out of your life and are feeling miserable without me as a result. You only have yourself to blame. Why don't you give me another chance? I'm sure that I'll get rid of the pain in your heart. You know that I'm your true love and only partner in life, Knuckles. So, why don't you get down on your knees and tell me that you love me? Hmm?".

Knuckles gritted his teeth as he continued to growl at her as she talks. He has his hands down next to his sides and clenched them so hard as he heard Rouge's Every. Single. Word. His face is so contorted that it looks intimidating. Unfortunately for him, Rouge isn't fazed by it at all. She is used to him looking angry all the time. So, she isn't afraid of him.

He brooded irritably in anger as he stared fiercely at Rouge's playful eyes. Like heck I will do that! The only reason that I left you in the first place is because I had found out that you were using me for self-profit! For selfish pleasure! You don't really love me! You used me only to have pleasure by dating me, trying to seduce me to get physical with you, and for letting my guard down so that you could steal the Master Emerald from me without me knowing it! You never really cared about me or the seriousness that a relationship requires! You only see dating as another game for you to play with me! Also, instead of me being a key player in this metaphorical game of yours, I ended up being a pawn piece! A PAWN! You don't see me as your equal! You think that you're better than me and deserve more respect and love than me! THAT was why I had broken up with you in the first place! And to think that I had even trusted you at one point, I hated myself even more after that scarring experience! I'll never love you! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!

---

[Flashback to Several Months Ago]

It was peaceful in Sonic's world after Sonic and the gang had defeated the Metarex. It was about three weeks after they had gotten back from space. Sonic, Amy, and Cream were doing their best to comfort and encourage Tails after his painful experience of losing Cosmo. Knuckles had also sent his condolences through writing cards and letters to him. It was his way of comforting Tails without meeting him personally. Tails understood that Knuckles has to watch the Master Emerald and couldn't come to visit him. So, he appreciated Knuckles' efforts of comforting him.

Meanwhile, Knuckles had spent his time contemplating his past experiences from Earth and from space now since things were going back to normal. He is sitting next to the Master Emerald as it is repaired now naturally due to these past three weeks of rest. He doesn't mind the peaceful atmosphere at all. He needed it as he reflected on his past, and the events that had happened from it. The one adventure that he couldn't get off of his mind was the one with Chaos. He had no idea that his own clan had evoked the wrath of the monster and killed most of his people because of it. He finally understood the reason why he is a guardian in the first place. He also understood why Angel Island is off the ground in the first place. However...he wished that he had never known the bitter truth to that.

This place...is a prison. All for me. Me...A prisoner. That is who I really am. I'm guilty before the God of Destruction. Tikal might have sealed him in the Master Emerald, but he is judging me from beyond. My people deserved punishment. As do I. I'm...not a hero. I'm the real monster here. Not Chaos. Not...Chaos. I have no place in this world. I don't belong here. Being a guardian is a punishment, and I must carry it out no matter what. I don't deserve to be happy. To live a normal life like Sonic or Tails. To live a life with meaning. Why do I have to exist just to be punished? Why? Why can't I enjoy life as myself? Why do I have to keep up with the role of being a serious guardian? Why can't I just be myself for a change without getting any strange looks or being made fun of?

Also,if my life is only about being a prisoner, then what does it matter being a "guardian" anyway?! I'll die at some point, and when that happens, my "life sentence" will be carried out! My duty of being a guardian could end, and my duty will still be fulfilled if I had died. My role here is to be a prisoner, and technically, I will still be successful in succeeding that role after I die. Is that what being a "guardian" is about? Just...what is a "guardian" anyway? What is its true meaning? Guarding something until you die? Being faithful to your job without receiving any reward or recognition for your efforts in protecting something valuable? A prisoner being trapped forever protecting something that anyone else could do? Or is it...being a monster whose only source of fulfillment is protecting a gem which could easily be taken away and used at any time? A monster who doesn't deserve love from anyone all because he is busy protecting a gem which no one in the world cares about except him?! ...Why? Why does it always have to be me? ...Just why?

Knuckles brooded calmly yet a bit irritably in somberness with a solemn look on his face as he had his eyes closed and his arms crossed while leaning onto the Master Emerald. In a strange way, he can't help but feel numb all of a sudden about protecting the Master Emerald. He somehow lost all of the fire that had made him feel passionate about guarding the jewel in the first place. He now feels indifferent about having the emerald getting stolen or not. He just...doesn't even care anymore.

A few minutes later, Knuckles hears the all too familiar wing flapping of a certain bat whom he greatly dislikes. He sighed tiredly in exhaustion and opened his eyes to see Rouge landing on top of the altar. He slowly gets up and crosses his arms at her. Normally, he would say something to her, but right now...he doesn't even care that she's here.

Rouge, being oblivious to Knuckles' inner turmoil, muttered calmly yet brightly to him in a seducing tone of voice while looking coy yet playful, "Why hello there, Knuckles. I see that my emerald had fully repaired itself! Would you be a dear and give it to me?".

"..." Knuckles said nothing in silence. He just stood there staring at Rouge with a dead expression on his face.

"What is this? Are you giving me the silent treatment? Aren't you going to yell at me and tell me to not touch your precious emerald?" Rouge asked calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a haughty smirk and with flirtatious eyes while having her hands on her hips as she stared back at Knuckles.

"..." Knuckles still didn't say anything. He just continued to stare at Rouge.

"Hello? Earth to gullible echidna here? Are you listening to what I'm saying? I am going to take that emerald of yours, and there is nothing that you can do about it! So, come on now. You know that you want to fight me," Rouge continued calmly yet playfully in amusement with a cocky yet mischievous look on her face while swinging her body seductively to Knuckles, challenging him to fight her.

"..." Knuckles yet again didn't say anything to that. Rouge then changed her playful demeaner to annoyance.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! What's your deal anyway, Knucklehead?! I'm here on your territory, challenging you to a fight in order for me to steal the emerald from you, and you're not saying anything?! Just what is with you today?! Hmm?!" Rouge yelled in frustration with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows while feeling annoyed with the stubborn echidna as she glared coldly at him.

"..." Knuckles still refused to speak.

Instead, he looked down to the ground in a depressed manner. He stood there idly by while not saying anything. He was frowning not from anger nor frustration but from sadness. He felt dull. He felt empty. She was right. Normally, he would be angry with her and tell her to leave him alone or pick a fight with her. But today, he just didn't want to do any of that. It sounds...tiring to him. He took a deep, tiresome sigh as he continued to look depressed.

Rouge now noticed the change in Knuckles' demeaner. Her face changed from annoyance to concern. She was used to Knuckles' anger being the normal reaction. But sadness? She didn't even have a clue to help him. She just came to get a decent fight and tease Knuckles for a bit, not come to a depressed echidna who doesn't care about fighting her anymore. In her mind, fighting him was a part of her lustful desires. A change in her normal routine is a threat to Rouge. If anything changes to prevent her from getting what she wants, then she will do anything to overcome that challenge. Especially doing something that she wouldn't normally do but will still do it just so that she will get her way again.

She then decided to change tactics and be sympathetic towards him.

"Sweetie. Just what is going on with you? You can tell me. I'll-" Rouge consoled calmly yet softly in worry with a concerned frown while acting as genuine as possible.

"Just take it," Knuckles interrupted calmly yet quietly in defeat with a depressed frown and with downcast eyes while staring down at the ground and not at Rouge.

"Wh-What?! What did you just say?!" Rouge yelled back in shock and in confusion with a flabbergasted look on her face while staring wide-eyed at Knuckles as she felt very surprised by his words.

Did she...Did she hear that correctly? Knuckles is giving up on the emerald without a fight? She quickly pinched herself on the cheek to see if she was dreaming or not. After all, not in a million years that Knuckles, the most hard-headed, short-tempered echidna that Rouge had ever met, would give up on the Master Emerald just like that. There is no possible way that he would do it. Not even after hearing the multiple accounts that Knuckles wanted to go back home to his island while being stuck on Earth with his friends. Having him give up on protecting the Master Emerald all of a sudden is...weird. Strange even! Ridiculous to the point that it makes you want to laugh.

So, Rouge tried to play it off and tease him again.

"Oh, sweetie! You're such a card! You really aren't serious, are you, sweetums? Of course not! Even I think that you're not that dumb! Just drop the act already, Knucklehead! I know that it's just a joke! So, quit playing it like it is!" Rouge teased playfully in amusement with a mischievous smile and with a wave as she stared at Knuckles with haughty eyes.

"I said just take it," Knuckles calmly yet quietly replied again in a bored tone with a sad frown on his depressed face as he closed his eyes.

Rouge then felt annoyed again as she replied calmly in confusion with a solemn frown on her irked face, "Um, excuse me? Do you take me for a fool? I just know that you're going to get mad at me the second that I take it away from you. So, will you just fight me al-?".

"OH, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, ROUGE! I SAID JUST TAKE IT ALREADY!" Knuckles shouted in frustration with a furious expression on his face while his body shook a bit as he felt angry now.

Rouge flinched back in surprise while she pondered calmly in confusion with a stunned look on her face as she stared curiously at Knuckles. He...really sounded serious. What is going on here?

To prove his point, Knuckles turned around, lifted up the Master Emerald, turned around again, and placed it in front of Rouge. He then stepped aside from the emerald so that Rouge could see the serious expression on his face.

He crossed his arms again and narrowed his eyelids at her while frowning deeply as he then added calmly yet solemnly in annoyance, "There. Now, take it. I mean it".

Rouge just stared at Knuckles in confusion and in curiosity. She was really clueless as to why Knuckles had a sudden change of heart. After all, three weeks ago, he wouldn't even dream to have anything bad happen to the Master Emerald if it got destroyed or not. He looked as if it was his own children being killed! But for him to say that he wants Rouge to take it is baffling to her. She knows that she wouldn't get anywhere if she doesn't ask what's wrong with him. She needs information. Information that will be useful in the future.

So, she dropped the seductive act and asked calmly yet gently in worry with a concerned frown on her somber face, "Knuckles, tell me what's wrong. I'm being serious. I won't know why you're giving your emerald to me so freely if I don't understand your reasoning. Please tell me. I beg of you".

Knuckles sighed tiredly again in exhaustion as he realized that he has to explain his true thoughts to Rouge. He won't explain everything to her because he doesn't trust her. However, he should at least explain his actions to her. So, he told her the truth. He looked to his right and clutched his left arm as he explained in a depressed tone of voice.

"I'm tired, Rouge. I'm tired of doing my job. What's the point in getting angry at you if in the end I'll get the emerald back and that the cycle repeats itself day in and day out? What is the point in working so hard in protecting an emerald where anyone could easily steal it? I'm not good at my job, Rouge! I had trained my entire life to protect a stupid gem just so that I could easily get tricked and let it be stolen from me! And for what do I get for my efforts?! A "thank you"? A reward? Respect? Love? Recognition? No! None of that at all! That's why I'm so sick of my job, Rouge! That's why I want you to take the emerald! I don't care for that stupid thing anymore! I hate my job! And I hate myself even more for who I really am inside! I'm nothing more than a prisoner who is forced to guard a stupid emerald that no one even cares about! No one respects the power or the usage that the Master Emerald holds! No one cares that the emerald could potentially destroy this world if it got into the wrong hands! That is why I quit! I quit being the Guardian of the Master Emerald! The Knuckles that you know in the past is now gone forever! He is dead! The old Knuckles that you know is dead! Something in my heart had died, Rouge, and it's not going to get revived anytime soon. So, just take the emerald, Rouge. Take it and never give it back to me," Knuckles answered solemnly in depression and in anger and with a grimace while feeling hurt and sorrow as he stared absent-mindedly yet sadly at his right.

"...!" Rouge only gasped in surprise at this revelation while looking flabbergasted. She had never heard Knuckles speak so negatively before. She never had expected him to take this turn. She could only blink in shock and in even more confusion.

She then replied calmly in confusion with a concerned look on her face after being silent for a while, "Um, are you really sure about this, Knuckles? What about Angel Island? Don't you care about what will happen to it if the emerald is gone? You know that it will fall into the ocean without the Master Emerald's power. Also, what will your friends think if they saw your island not floating anymore? Don't you care about that as well?".

"Tch. As if my 'friends' actually care about me! I don't care about what they think! If they are surprised that I'm not doing my job, then so be it! Besides, the island won't sink into the ocean once it falls. It will only be just another island floating in the ocean. Nothing to be concerned about. Although it will create tidal waves to the incoming land, so, maybe some damage is to be expected but not catastrophic enough to be worrisome," Knuckles answered solemnly yet dully in frustration and in reassurance with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows while rolling his eyes a little in annoyance as he kept staring somberly at his right.

"Hmmm, I see. But wait. What about you? Are you going to leave your home and stay somewhere else?" Rouge replied calmly in confusion with a little frown on her concerned face as she felt curious to what Knuckles is planning.

"No. I will stay here. After all, it is still my home technically. Even though it's more of a prison than a home if you ask me. I'll stay here regardless. I do have a shack here in my island. I might stay in there more frequently than out here. However, I do plan to go out more and just be by myself with no one else around me. I just want to keep meditating to myself once I'm alone in the outside world. That is all I plan to do for now," Knuckles answered calmly yet sadly in somberness with a depressed frown and with downcast eyes as he stared downwards at the ground at his right.

Rouge sighed a little in exhaustion as her eyelids lowered halfway in sympathy. She really had nothing to say that will help him change his mind.

She simply asked quietly in confusion with a sad frown on her somber face as she stared curiously at Knuckles, "Just...what made you decide to quit, Knuckles? Please tell me. I need to know why before I could accept this".

Knuckles didn't say anything for a while. But soon enough after a long silence, he shut his eyes as he answered solemnly in depression and in frustration while grimacing deeply in agony, "...Nothing has changed, Rouge. I had lived my entire life guarding the emerald, and nothing had changed in my personal life. Before you object by saying that we went to Earth and to space as proof for something changing in my life, then let me just say for the record that I'm still the same person that I was months ago when I went to Earth and to space! Besides, those adventures were really Sonic's adventures! Those adventures weren't really even mine! I didn't want to leave my island in the first place! I didn't want an adventure! But here I was being forced into an adventure beyond my control! Also, I hadn't changed ever since we got back from space, so, what does that say about me?! …...Nothing in my life had changed for the better, and it will stay that way for the rest of my life".

Rouge then raised her eyebrows at that as she pondered calmly in somberness with a solemn frown while looking away from Knuckles before turning back to him in amusement with a mischievous smile on her seductive face. So...that's the reason he had decided to quit, huh? Because nothing had changed in his personal life? …...Hmm, this is bad. If Knuckles doesn't have the passion to protect the Master Emerald like he used to, then how am I going to get a thrill by stealing the emerald from him if he doesn't chase me? How will I ever get a kick out of that? I want the chase! I want the fighting! I want the challenge! …...If Knuckles doesn't change his mind, then what purpose would stealing the emerald be? I want to steal it just to have the satisfaction for overcoming the challenge! I love jewels, but I love challenges more! If I can't get a thrill in stealing the emerald, then what else should I do with him then? ...Hmmm...Wait! I knoooow! Oho, now, this will be fun. I never thought that I will see the day that I will get to do this, buuuuut since Knuckles' guard is down and is feeling so vulnerable right now, I guess that it's about time to fulfill my other desires for my own pleasure. I wonder if Knuckles will like it? Well, it's time to find out.

Knuckles soon looked back at Rouge after he realized that he didn't hear her say anything for a while. When he looked back, his eyebrows were raised in surprise when he saw her lustful and mischievous look on her face. She is smiling playfully and has her hands on her hips. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, and he felt confused yet nervous. He doesn't know what Rouge is planning now. However, whatever she has in mind, he doesn't care anymore. He decided that he will let her do her worst to him because...what's the point?

He then asked calmly yet curiously in confusion with a bewildered look on his face as he stared at Rouge, "What? What is it? Is there something on my face?".

Rouge simply smiled back coyly before she walked slowly towards Knuckles. He didn't move from his place; he didn't even flinch when Rouge gently touched his left arm with her hand and stroked it. He stared curiously into her turquoise eyes. She then put her other hand onto his right arm and stroked it gently as well. He doesn't know what's happening now or why she is doing this, but he doesn't care. He isn't planning to fight her anyway. Besides...he kind of liked the feeling that he's having right now. He is secretly attracted to Rouge whether he admits it or not, and he did wonder if she actually cares for him or not. It was a fruitless endeavor to think about it, but he had hoped that she will change for the better and treat him better than she already had.

Rouge soon held onto his arms and stared straight into his violet eyes with passion and lust in her own eyes. Knuckles stared back without any care on his face. She then decided to make her move and leaned into him as she kissed him on the lips. He was a bit surprised by this, but he didn't show it on his face. He closed his eyes and let her kiss him. It was a gentle kiss. Nothing too over the top or dramatic. Just one good peck on the lips. They kissed for about a minute until Rouge pulled away with a seductive smile on her face. Knuckles didn't smile, but his eyelids were opened halfway as he stared curiously at her.

Rouge then muttered calmly yet seductively in amusement and in curiosity with a coy smile and with half-lidded eyes as she stared back at Knuckles, "Well, well, well. It seems that you're a good kisser after all. I like that in a man. Say, Knuckles, since you don't have any plans it seems, why don't you come to my place, Club Rouge, on Friday night? We could try dating if you like. Since you have quit being a guardian of the Master Emerald, then I'll stop stealing it from you as an exchange. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm still a thief. Always have been; always will be, but I won't steal the emerald from you if you don't care about it. So, instead of me coming to you to steal the emerald and fight, I'll come to see you and only you. You can chase me around if you feel like it. Trust me, honey, I think that us dating will be a great change in your routine. Maybe that is the one change that you need in your personal life. It will be fun! So, what do you say, my Knuckie? Do you want me as your girlfriend? I could use a strong, tough boyfriend around to protect me and take care of me. What do you say? Are you in?".

Knuckles listened to Rouge's words carefully. He hadn't thought that she will be the one to ask him to date her. He had never thought that day will come. He still frowned solemnly but nodded slowly as a way to say "yes".

Rouge smiled playfully as she calmly yet coyly added in amusement, "Good. Now, take care of yourself, sweetie. You can keep the emerald. I'll be waiting for you. So, goodbye, Knuckie".

With that, she gave Knuckles a quick peck on the cheek this time and released him. She turned around and gave a mock salute to him before she had flown off from the island. Knuckles just watched Rouge leave as he looked up into the sky with his arms still crossed. He still had a solemn frown on his face as he kept staring up. Once he saw that Rouge was away, he then looked towards the emerald beside him. He still can't believe that had happened. He couldn't believe that Rouge really didn't take the emerald with her. He took a deep sigh and turned around to face the emerald. He lifted the huge emerald up again and placed it back into its original place in the middle of the altar. He then placed a hand onto the emerald and stared deeply into it with depressed eyes. After a few minutes of staring, he took his hand off of it and turned around. He walked towards the steps of the altar and sat down on top of the first step. He put his hands behind himself on the ground and looked back up into the sky.

...

It was strangely quiet again. Since there were no disturbances, Knuckles went back to brooding again with a somber yet curious expression on his face. Just what was that all about? Why did Rouge kiss me? Did she...Did she admit into liking me? Hmm...I suppose that was my first kiss then. Huh. So, that's what kissing is all about, huh? …...But you know...the weird part about that is...that kiss...felt so cold to me, and I don't think that it was the lipstick either. It really didn't feel warm. It felt strangely...empty and cold. It wasn't as exciting as I had hoped it would be. Well...I know that I like her, but shouldn't I feel excited that she had kissed me or that she's dating me? …...Why do I feel...so uncaring towards her? I should feel happy. I should be happy. Hmmmm...Maybe this is what love really is. Maybe this is how dating someone is really like. Hmmmmmmmm...

Regardless of these thoughts, he decided to make the best out of his new relationship with Rouge.

---

[At Club Rouge]

It was 8 PM at Club Rouge. She had opened her new business after a week coming back from space. It became a huge hit in the first two weeks of business. Rouge still had her club open. She hired some waiters and bar tenders to look after the place while she is in her private room upstairs. She is planning to date Knuckles there in her room. She is downstairs now, waiting for him to show up. About a minute later, she saw him walking inside the building while looking around the area for her and for seeing what the place looks like. It was a clean and tidy place with some bright colors in the bar. It was Rouge's own aesthetic touch. There were some customers there, but he paid them no mind as he searched for her.

"Hey, there, Knuckles," Rouge greeted calmly yet seductively in amusement from behind while looking playful as she stared mischievously at Knuckles.

Knuckles jolted in surprise and looked alarmed as he heard Rouge talking from behind. He quickly turned around and growled at her as he snapped back in frustration with an irritated look on his face, "Grrrrr! Don't sneak up on me like that! You do realize that is the one sole reason why I had to keep being on guard all the time! I don't like having my boundaries being crossed without my permission!".

"Heheheh, you didn't say that to me when I had kissed you now, did you?" Rouge replied calmly yet coyly in amusement with a playful smile and with her fingertips on her mouth while snickering a little at Knuckles as she stared at him.

"I-! Well-! I-! I just-! Ah! Um! Argh!" Knuckles stammered quickly in irritation while looking flustered as he glared hard at Rouge before he then looked away from her in embarrassment.

"Hahahaha! You may have quit being a guardian, Knuckie, but you're still the same old knucklehead that I love," Rouge replied calmly yet sweetly in amusement with a coy smile and with a hand to her mouth while giggling playfully at Knuckles as she stared at him.

"Grrrrrr! Why do you always try to embarrass me?! I... Wait! You say that you love me?!" Knuckles growled and snapped angrily in frustration with an irritated expression on his face while blushing deeply in embarrassment before he exclaimed in surprise and in confusion as he looked befuddled and shocked at Rouge's statement.

"Mmhm, it's true, Knuckles. I've always had my eye on you. Say, why don't I show it to you in my room upstairs. This place is not only a bar but also an apartment. So, my room is upstairs, naturally. Come with me, and I'll show you how much I love you," Rouge answered calmly yet seductively in amusement with a coy smile and with half-lidded eyes while nodding a little as she stood very close to Knuckles' flushed face.

Knuckles blushed even deeper in embarrassment as his eyes went wide in shock and as his heart was pounding very fast. He wasn't sure if he should object going into her room or not out of respect of her privacy. But before he could object, he felt his hand being pulled by Rouge as she dragged him up to her room. He decided to allow her to take him there.

Once they got inside her room, she locked her door to shut out any onlookers who could stumble into their affair unannounced. The room was also clean. It was decorated elegantly by having black leather chairs and couches. There was a red, velvet bed in the back of the room. The floor is made out of redwood. There were pink and purple pillows around as well as some dark, blue blankets. A huge, plasma screen television was on the far-right corner of the room where the couches were. The television can be seen even from the bed at the back. Also, there were some red carpeting around the floor near the bed. On the far-left side of the room, there was a mini kitchen with a small fridge and a counter. Knuckles was surprised on how well-maintained the place is. He honestly thought that her room would be filled to the brim with stolen gems of all kinds. Although he figured that she must have hidden her stash of stolen jewels in a hidden place so that no one could find them.

As he kept looking around the room, he calmly muttered a compliment to Rouge while looking surprised yet intrigued, "Nice place that you have here. I never thought that you could decorate this place so nicely".

"Oh, I do have a good eye in design. At some point in my life, I wanted to become a home designer. Although getting a clean job like that won't happen now since I've started my career as a thief. However, I did get a job in our home government as a spy though. I guess that my experience on Earth got its merits after all," Rouge answered calmly yet coolly in amusement with a coy smirk and with a casual shrug as she stared at Knuckles with flirtatious eyes.

Knuckles turned around to look at Rouge with an eyebrow raised. He never knew that Rouge wanted to live a normal life before she did her crimes as a thief. He supposed that every person as a story to them. Even criminals.

He then asked calmly in curiosity with a little frown and with a raised eyebrow as he stared back at Rouge, "You wanted to become a home designer?".

Rouge smiled coyly at Knuckles while she stared playfully back at him as she answered calmly yet casually in amusement, "Why yes, sweetie. I used to have dreams of what I wanted to do when I got older years ago. Being a home designer is one of them. I love decorating rooms that have my own flair of tastes. Desiring to become a fashion designer is also very high on the list because I love clothes so much. Shopping is one of my favorite hobbies outside of stealing jewels, of course. Even if those dreams had failed, I could go at it being a make-up salesperson due to my expertise in putting on my own make-up. But alas, my own dreams had died at least three years ago when I just made my first heist. Why it was a big, red ruby that I stole from a jewelry store. After that, it was crime after crime until I made a name for myself, and thus, my future dreams were ruined due to that decision. People won't hire me due to my criminal record. So, that's why I had decided to get a job as a spy when I came back to our home planet. Not only that, but I also bought this bar by selling off most of my stolen treasure to the black market for some quick cash. I did that so that I could get a home of my own. Very impressive, wouldn't you say?".

"..." Knuckles didn't say anything. He was speechless that Rouge would already open up about a part of her past right now. It did explain a lot about her personality with that story. He could definitely see how she would be interested in being a fashion designer or a make-up salesperson due to how she presents herself regularly. It almost seems like she is making her life all about her, especially in her interests.

Hmph. How typical. Knuckles thought calmly in annoyance as he frowned a little in somberness while he stared back at Rouge and while briefly lowering his eyelids at her.

"Say, Knuckie, why don't we just sit down on the couch to get more comfortable? I have a lot of stories to tell you. Do you want to hear them?" Rouge suggested calmly yet sweetly in amusement with an eager smile and with curious eyes while fluttering her eyelashes at Knuckles as she stared playfully back at him.

Knuckles then shrugged casually and walked over to the black leather couch. He sat on the right side of the couch while Rouge sat on the left. She soon scooted closer to him. He raised his eyebrows at her as he noticed that she is getting closer to him. He then noticed that Rouge is getting rather too close to him and scooted a little away from her to gain some space. He still doesn't trust her, so, he vehemently refuses her to get close to him or touch him whatever or wherever she likes. He doesn't want his personal space to be violated by her. It's not to say that he doesn't like being touched at all. In actuality, he likes very much and desires it greatly since he had lived alone for most of his life. However, he would only accept someone touching him freely whenever they like if he trusts them completely. It's his way to show his vulnerability to someone that he genuinely likes after all. Unfortunately for him, however, Rouge wasn't one of those people that he trusts completely. So, despite showing complete reluctance to her, she went closer to him anyway.

He soon raised an objection in anxiousness with a nervous look on his face as he stared wide-eyed at Rouge and as he flinched defensively back from her, "H-Hey! Hang on! Could you stay a few feet away from me?! You're getting too close to me! You're invading my space!".

"Aww, Knuckie. We're a couple now. We're supposed to get physically close in order to show affection to one another. Don't be shy now. Come on. You know that you want to feel close and secure with me. Why don't you let me sit close to you? We could cuddle if you want," Rouge replied calmly yet slyly in amusement with a mischievous smirk on her playful face as she stared seductively back at Knuckles.

Knuckles then felt embarrassed and irritated as quickly he turned his head around and put up his fists at Rouge in self-defense while he yelled back in anger with gritted teeth and with furrowed eyebrows, "No! Way! Back off, Rouge! I don't feel comfortable enough to do that with you!".

Rouge giggled a little with a coy smile on her mischievous face and with her hand under her chin while staring back at Knuckles as she replied calmly yet playfully in amusement, "Hahahaha, oh, Knuckie. What am I going to have to do with you in order to make you feel affectionate towards me? Geez, if you're this bad now, then how am I going to convince you to 'do it' with me?".

"Do what?" Knuckles asked calmly yet obliviously in confusion with a cocked eyebrow and with a little frown on his bewildered face as he stared curiously back at Rouge.

"Oh, you're so naïve, Knuckles! What I meant was..." Rouge replied calmly yet brightly in amusement while smirking mischievously at Knuckles as she stared flirtatiously back at him. She leaned in closer towards Knuckles' head to whisper something into his hidden ears. Once he had heard what she had whispered about, he blushed deeply in scarlet red and looked like he was about to throw up.

"WHA-AH! Ah! Ah...ACK!" Knuckles stuttered in embarrassment with a flabbergasted look on his face while feeling like he should run away in cowardice as he flinched back from Rouge.

Of all the things that Knuckles was scared of the most aside from ghosts, is well...doing "the birds and the bees" for the first time. He honestly wouldn't care if he was called a coward because of that. He had some standards to live by. Having "that" while being unmarried is definitely not on his list of standards. He is a man of respect. Having hot, steamy, passionate, make-out sessions is one thing, but having "that" is another. Because of that, he wouldn't allow himself to take advantage of a woman's body even if the woman like Rouge is desirous of it.

Rouge just laughed at Knuckles' reaction there as she exclaimed brightly in amusement with a huge smile on her playful face, "Hahahahahahahaha! Oh, man, Knuckles! You should see that shocked expression of yours! It's priceless! Ahahahahahahahaha! You're such a prune, Knucklehead! Hahahahahahahahaha!".

"Hey! I don't care about what you say to me! I will never take advantage of a lady's...Er...Um…purity like that! I don't know what kind of man that you think I am, but I am never going to go along with your ideas! It goes against my morals!" Knuckles defended in anger and in embarrassment with barred teeth and with a vein bulging in his head as he got more flustered at Rouge while he glared hard at her.

Rouge smirked playfully at Knuckles and lowered her eyelids at him as she replied calmly yet coyly in amusement, "Who ever told you that I am pure? I never said that".

Knuckles blanched in shock as he thought about the implications that Rouge had just admitted to.

Rouge then laughed even harder at that while she stared back at Knuckles as she replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a huge smile on her playful face, "Ahahahahahahahahaha! I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Sheesh, Knuckie-boy, you really do take everything that I say seriously. Had someone ever told you to loosen up a little? I'm not just talking about your sense of humor although that is something that you need to work on. I'm talking about loosening up your morals a little. You don't need to be a goodie-two-shoes all the time, you know. Last time I've checked, didn't you try to fight against Sonic and Tails the first time they had showed up on your island?".

Knuckles' eyes went wide, and his eyebrows were raised in shock until he furrowed them again in anger. He then yelled back defensively in frustration with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he glared coldly at Rouge, "I only did that because I thought they were my enemies at the time! I didn't know that Dr. Eggman was tricking me at the time! Just because I was antagonistic at them that one time, it doesn't excuse my actions for that day!".

"Well, yeah, I guess that's true. However, you are still Sonic's bitter rival to this day, aren't you? So, what's that about not excusing your behavior? Or are you going to say next that being his rival doesn't count towards being a good boy?" Rouge replied calmly in amusement with a coy smile and with half-lidded eyes while teasing Knuckles a little as she casually shrugged and stared back at him.

"I...I...I! That is! Arrrrrgh! Shut up! You're annoying!" Knuckles yelled back in irritation with a flustered expression on his face while feeling frustrated as he glared hard at Rouge. He then looked away from her while crossing his arms and pouting as he felt upset that he had lost the argument on that one.

"Ooooh, geez, is that your comeback for that one, Knuckles? I must say. That was a pretty lame retort just then. Are you having trouble arguing with me now since you've quit being a guardian? Are your fighting skills weak now since you're in love with me?" Rouge replied calmly yet coolly in amusement with a devious smirk on her mischievous face while teasing Knuckles some more as she stared playfully at him.

"I... WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" Knuckles shouted in shock with a blanched look on his face while he stared horribly back at Rouge as he jumped near to the edge of the couch's right side. His eyes went as wide as saucers, and his face is completely red. He felt mortified as he stared at Rouge dumbfoundedly. Rouge had the biggest grin on her seductive face.

"Well? Isn't it true that you had liked me for a while? I already had confessed my feelings towards you. Why don't you confess your feelings now? You know that I am yours, Knuckles. Me and no one else," Rouge continued calmly in a sultry tone of voice with a seductive look on her face while scooting closer to Knuckles as she stared playfully back at him.

Knuckles felt nervous and afraid. He doesn't know what to say or do here in this awkward situation. He just gaped at Rouge like a fish does. His heart was pounding so fast that he wasn't sure that it was just nervousness or infatuation. She then grabbed one of his hands and pulled him closer to herself.

When he could finally react again, he then shouted in panic and in embarrassment with a completely flustered look on his face as he stared horribly back at Rouge, "CAN WE PLEASE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SUBJECT HERE?! I HAD ABOUT ENOUGH OF THIS!".

"'You have enough of this'? I'm sorry, Knuckles, but I don't believe you. I think that you hadn't have enough of this. Or even...this," Rouge replied calmly in her sultry tone of voice with a mischievous smile on her seductive face while she stared playfully back at Knuckles before she pulled him in for another kiss on the lips.

Knuckles tried to pull back, but the kiss still enveloped him. It was nice, not amazing, but nice at least. He soon calmed down and closed his eyes. He didn't have any desire to further the kiss. He just lets Rouge do all the work instead. Although in the back of his mind, he was puzzled as to why he had no desire to kiss her more passionately than this. After all, if he really was in love with her like she had boldly claimed that he was, then why isn't he kissing her back or wanting to hold her as she does this? It was weird to him.

Rouge then pulled back from Knuckles and smirked playfully at him.

"Well? Are you calm now, Knuckie? Are you ready to confess your secret feelings to me?" Rouge asked calmly yet softly in amusement with a playful smirk while staring seductively into Knuckles' violet eyes.

"..." Knuckles didn't say anything but just stared blankly back at Rouge with a little frown on his dead-pan face. She soon sighed tiredly in response to this as she released his hand while she rolled her eyes and looked at him in annoyance.

"Okay, fine. We'll change the topic. Anyways, let's talk more about me then. I'm sure that you're more curious now after I had told you about my glamorous self, huh?" Rouge added calmly in slight annoyance with a little frown before in amusement with a mischievous smile while waving down her hand at Knuckles and while she stared playfully back at him as she leaned back to her own side of the couch.

Knuckles breathed a sigh of relief and leant back on his side of the couch after seeing that Rouge had dropped the inappropriate subject as he brooded calmly in exhaustion with a tired look on his face. Thank goodness! I really do not want to discuss any more embarrassing subjects with her. She is rather blunt in telling rather inappropriate claims it seems. Ugggh. I don't know if I'm ever going to be comfortable with that.

"So, where should I start? Hmmm...Oh! I know! Let me tell you about this one time that I had distracted the security guards with my topless chest!" Rouge continued calmly yet excitedly in amusement while smiling broadly at Knuckles as she stared playfully at him with twinkling eyes.

"ROOOOOOOUUUUGGGGGEE!" Knuckles shouted at the top of his lungs in anger and in shyness with a flustered look on his face as he was soon horribly confined to the embarrassing stories that Rouge has in store. Well...embarrassing for Knuckles to be more precise.

The date went on for a few hours in her room. Rouge will tell story after story about her life as a thief before she had met Knuckles. Some of the stories were interesting while others were horribly embarrassing to him. Still, he noticed that he hadn't even told anything about himself to her. He tried several times to get a word in about something about himself, but she would either cut him off by kissing him on the lips or cheeks to shut him up or she would say to him something along the lines of, "Honey, you're cute and all, but you're honestly boring. Now let me tell you about this!".

It went on like that for a while before Knuckles felt tired and finally interrupted Rouge by saying calmly yet curtly in exhaustion with an irked, embarrassed expression on his face while he closed his eyes, "It was nice talking to you, Rouge, but I have to get going. It's late, and I want to go home".

Rouge frowned sadly and replied calmly yet desperately in disappointment as she stared at Knuckles, "Are you really sure that you want to leave? You know that you don't care about the emerald anymore. Why don't you stay here in my place for now? It could be your new home!".

Knuckles suddenly stood up from the couch in shock by that offer while he shook his head and yelled back in surprise and in frustration with an alarmed, irked expression on his face, "What?! No way! I'm not staying here for you! I need to get going! Sorry, but goodbye, Rouge!".

Knuckles was about to leave until he heard sniffling from Rouge. He soon turned back around and saw something that he couldn't believe with his eyes. He saw Rouge crying openly in front of him. He could see tears in her eyes as she stared sadly at him.

She then exclaimed in frustration and in sadness while crying and sniffling a bit as she stared at Knuckles with an upset look on her face, "Oh! So, this is the thanks that I get for offering you a good time?! (Sniff)...You know what?! You're such a big jerk! (Sob)...I...I had poured out my soul to you! My life as a thief to you! And this is the thanks that I get by spending my time with you?! (Sniff)...You're...You're so mean to me! I'm trying my hardest to get closer to you by bonding with you, and you just decide to leave me after that?! Knuckles... (Sob)…...You do realize that I'm the only person here who really cares for you, and you're abandoning your only source of comfort in your toughest time of your life! Couldn't you at least try to live with me?! Just this once?! (Sob Sob Sob)".

Knuckles suddenly felt guilty as he stared back at Rouge with a sympathetic expression on his face. He didn't think that she would care at all if he had left. However, now that he had heard what she had gone through, he felt like he should be there for her. Being a thief wasn't easy for her it seems. He had found out that she suffers from abandonment issues since her parents took all of the money and goods with them and left Rouge all alone. She was soon poor and lived with her abusive relatives. Her relatives were also poor too. She learned to be secretive and independent without the guidance of her relatives. She had no choice but to run away from her relatives and learn to steal things to get food and money. Thus, the reveal of one of the biggest reasons that she had stolen jewels was because she gets lots of money by selling them to the black market just like she did again by buying out this old bar. After he had heard that, he can't help but pity her. Maybe she is a good person on the inside but was forced to live a corrupt life.

Eventually, Knuckles sighed tiredly in exhaustion as he brooded calmly in sadness with a sympathetic look on his face as he stared kindly back at Rouge. I guess that her needs are more important than mine. What am I really going to do tomorrow since I'm done being a guardian? Apparently, nothing obviously. I really got nothing better to do anyway. So, what's the point in going home? Besides, if Eggman does come to steal the emerald, then I'll just tell Rouge that I'm going to briefly leave to kick his butt and come back after I had retrieved the emerald. Yes, I am done being a guardian. But being a hero is another story. I suppose that Rouge will understand. I won't be surprised if she asks to come along with me if the emerald is involved with Eggman's schemes. She still loves it after all this time that I had guarded it from her. Sigh. She really doesn't know when to give up, does she?

Knuckles then looked down to the ground and frowned a little in shyness as he replied calmly yet warningly in understanding and in embarrassment while he blushed a bit in sheepishness, "Fine. I'll stay, but no funny stuff while we're sleeping!".

Rouge immediately stopped crying as she exclaimed cheerfully in amusement with a bright smile as she stared playfully at Knuckles with twinkling eyes, "Ooooh! Knuckie! How sweet of you to stay with me! Alrighty then, since you are going to be a prune about it, I'll keep my promise by keeping my hands to myself as I sleep next to you! Are you going to be fine with that?!".

"Yes, um, th-thank you, R-Rouge," Knuckles thanked Rouge calmly yet awkwardly in sheepishness with a little frown and with a small blush while he kept staring down at the floor as he looked shy. He isn't used to thanking Rouge for anything. It didn't feel natural for him to do so.

"Aww, you really are shy, Knuckie! Anyways, I'm going to go downstairs and close the club for the night. Then I'll go and change into my nightclothes. I'll be right back. Make yourself comfortable on the bed!" Rouge replied calmly yet playfully in amusement with a bright smile on her cheerful face as she stared gently at Knuckles while she stood up from the couch.

Knuckles soon got out of the way and allowed Rouge walk to her door. She opened it, walked through it, and closed it shut after she left. He then walked to the red bed at the back. He soon took the left side of the bed and got under the covers quickly. He then laid down his head down on the pillows as he tried to go to sleep. However, his thoughts kept swirling in his mind while he looked solemn as he rested his arms onto the covers.

Just...what was that all about? Why did I give in so easily? Was it because I felt so guilty for trying to leave her even after I had heard her story? And why...do I feel so sick to my stomach all of a sudden? Did I stay because I love her or...did I do it because I feel so lonely right now and just wanted Rouge to fill in the void in my heart? Hmmmmm...

Knuckles hadn't realized yet, but he soon fell asleep quickly after a few minutes of pondering.

---

[Many Months Later]

As several months went by, Knuckles' and Rouge's relationship kept moving forward. However, Knuckles strangely felt that they weren't making any progress in their relationship. He felt that it was still the same even before they had started dating. He found it very suspicious that he wasn't feeling very close to Rouge even though she had practically told him everything about herself. She showed him all of her favorite movies which were romantic comedies. He had learned to hate how cheesy and unfunny they were after watching them dozens and dozens of times. He had learned to hate romantic comedies now thanks to her. She brought him to the mall often to go on shopping sprees. He had learned to hate shopping too since she will not only take too long to pick out several clothes, but she will also make him watch her be in revealing, lustful outfits which he quickly gets embarrassed about. He was forced to comment on what he thinks on them.

Usually, he will get a whack on the head for being too blunt on his comments at times. Not only that, but he was also forced to be the one to carry all of Rouge's bags and stuff she had bought because she said, "Oh, why do I need to carry them when I have such a kind, strong echidna to do it for me?". Even he found that hysterical considering how often she would want to do things herself. He saw that as her way of using him. He figured that maybe once or twice is fine but having him doing the carrying all the time while Rouge carries nothing is ridiculous to him. It may be a small nitpick, but there are a lot of small nitpicks, which combined together made the whole experience unbearable.

For example, they did announce to his friends that they are dating, and his "friends" were a bit surprised but were supportive of him to date her. However, the problem came when Rouge uses her time to spread gossip and embarrassing stories that they did together. That was what had gone out of line. She had told them multiple times that they had "did it" when clearly they haven't thanks to him protesting from going through with it all the time. He had to clarify to them many times that it's not true, and when he had confronted Rouge about this, she just passed it off saying, "Oh, it's only a joke, Knuckie" or "I'm only playing around. There's no need for you to get so uptight all the time". He soon wondered then if Rouge had really respected his privacy or his boundaries. He had these doubts for months, and his doubts keep coming considering how often where Rouge will kiss him unexpectedly or tried to be flirty with him by touching him inappropriately without his consent.

Even the dates they seem to go to were boring to him. It may just be his own problem, but he just couldn't get any enjoyment from their dates. She would take him to some fancy restaurants or cafés. They weren't wrong in themselves, but somehow, he felt numb to the whole experience. He couldn't remember if he had ever laughed or smiled during those dates. It also doesn't help that they would also go to casinos and dance clubs since this was Rouge's way for having fun on these other dates. He can tell that she had loved going to these places considering how happy she is when she's at Casino Park for example. However, he can't enjoy them. Rouge may think that it's fun because she said, "This is where adults go to for fun", but even he as an "adult" thinks that it's boring. She did try to get him to try gambling or go dancing with her, but he had always denied them saying that he's not interested. He would often be called "boring" or a "stick-in-the-mud" from Rouge, but he didn't care.

He did try to tell Rouge that she should do what he wants for a change, but she would disagree and say that his ideas for fun were "dull" to her and that he should be doing what she wants instead because she "needed" him. He would often sigh and give in to these requests since he gave up trying to give his opinions to her because he knows that she wouldn't listen to him anyway. Eventually, they did go to the movie theaters, the amusement parks, and some beaches as a way to bring a different change of pace in their dates. This was Rouge's way of trying to understand Knuckles. She thought that if he is in "normal" places then it would convince him to try to have fun. Still, he felt empty on these dates as well. He just doesn't understand it. Every place that he and Rouge would go to, he isn't happy or satisfied at all. Why is he still depressed? Why does he feel that empty void in his heart? He thought that dating Rouge would make him feel happy. He did like her, but maybe it wasn't enough to make him feel happy. Perhaps...he never did love her after all.

It does make sense why he felt bored while going on these dates with her, why he doesn't feel any spark every time they had kissed, and why he doesn't feel passionate while being with her. Maybe the reason he was so bored was because he had already experienced the "adult" life as he was growing up. He was forced to be independent and act as a grown-up since he was all alone on Angel Island. He had to be a grown adult because he had to protect the Master Emerald with his life. He didn't have time to play like normal kids do. Perhaps that is why he gets bored whenever Rouge takes him to places were adults go to for "fun". He doesn't think of them as fun. In fact, he thinks that they're dumb and a waste of his time.

Not only that, but he also didn't enjoy them as much because of how Rouge was treating him the entire time. She would often talk more about herself and her opinions than listen to his stories or his opinions. Whenever he tried to open up about his true thoughts or feelings to her, she will be either inattentive or just ignore him. He just doesn't get it. He is trying so hard to make the relationship work, and she isn't doing the work at all. That was when he is starting to get tired of Rouge. He wasn't ready to give up on the relationship yet, but he is ready to make her listen to him. So, he tried standing up for himself. This had led to lots of fighting and bickering. Lots and lots of fighting and bickering.

He kept trying to convince Rouge to respect his space and his ideas, but she would get mad and tell him that he should be respecting her more because of how much she was being attentive to him since no one cares about him. She kept twisting his own words and beliefs against him and was able to make him feel guilty by crying while they were fighting in which Knuckles didn't see this coming at all. She never did cry whenever they had fights in the past. Was it because she had opened up her true self to him and doesn't feel the need to hide it from him anymore? Or...was she using it as a tactic to make him feel guilty? He soon grew even more suspicious of her true intentions of her dating him as weeks went by.

At some point, he had tried multiple times to leave Rouge and stay at home for a while to get some breathing room from her, but she will cry and complain on how selfish he is for doing so. She said that he should stay with her to prove his love and loyalty to her as a faithful partner. He had to admit that he was struggling in this relationship. He knew that what he was doing wasn't perfect, but he is AT LEAST TRYING OVER HERE! He would often complain to her that she isn't trying hard enough, however; she would just blame her childhood for her actions and not take any action to improve herself. He tried arguing with her, and he tried being patient with her as he waits for her to change her wrongful behavior. But he had enough of it. He would then keep trying to distance himself from her by taking some walks to avoid her. She would eventually find him and force him to go with her on another date on the spot. He kept trying to spend some alone time with himself, but she would either interrupt him or bug him to spend some quality time with her. He really can't get any alone time at all! It's almost as if...almost as if...nothing had ever changed in their relationship.

They had been dating for months, and neither of them felt any closer. They had been acting the same way even before they had gotten into the relationship. He felt as if the relationship is one-sided. He frowned deeply in sadness and in agony. No wonder he felt so miserable while being with Rouge. On top of the already inescapable depression that he is having currently, Rouge had just multiplied it by ten. He feels so tired every day even when he had a full night's rest. He felt drained. He felt...so empty.

Neither of us had changed, had we? Knuckles brooded calmly yet tiredly in exhaustion and in disappointment with a deep, depressed frown on his melancholy face as he walked through the streets of Central City in the rain. He had his head down as he walked. He placed a hand over his head and grimaced deeply in agony as he felt a migraine coming on, but he soon stopped in his tracks. All of sudden, he felt some strange energy up on the north side of the city. The sensation he felt. It's almost like...!

Th-The Master Emerald! What's it doing here in the city?! Is it Eggman who has it or...! OH, NO WAY! Knuckles pondered worriedly in shock with a surprised look on his face before a light bulb came to his head and as he looked flabbergasted instead. Up on the north side of Central City, there was another district where Club Rouge was located. …...And the emerald's energy was detected there.

Knuckles then felt a vein popping in his forehead as he growled a lot in anger and looked completely furious. He had had it with Rouge! This was the last straw that he had with her. He had dealt with her making fun of him, teasing him, trying to force him to have...you know what?! Yes, SEX! She tried to have SEX with him by seducing him EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT! He doesn't even want to mention it because it was too unbelievable for him to accept that had even happened to him! To make matters worse, she even humiliated him by telling lies and gossip about him with his friends about his "sex life". Even to Cream! Even he knows that's not right! That's just plain wrong!

She had tried to convince him that going to casinos and dance clubs is considered to be "fun" when to him it's clearly not. She had made him watch only romantic comedies on her T.V. and during dates at the movies. And last but not least, he is sick and tired of Rouge making him go shopping with her and carry all of her bought items, which by the way are like a hill of bags and boxes! And to top it all off, she had the gall to try to steal the Master Emerald from him which he swore that she had told him that she had given up on it! He had enough with putting up with her! It is time to put his foot down!

THAT'S IT! I'M GOING TO MARCH ON OVER THERE AND TELL HER OFF ABOUT HER ACTIONS! AND YOU KNOW WHAT?! I WON'T EVEN CARE IF SHE CRIES ABOUT BEING CONFRONTED! SHE NEEDS TO BE TOLD THAT WHAT SHE'S DOING IS WRONG! I WANT TO BE RESPECTED AS A PERSON, NOT JUST SOME TOY THAT ROUGE COULD PLAY WITH! I NEED TO TELL HER STRAIGHT THAT SHE SHOULD NEVER EVER STEAL MY EMERALD FROM ME! GUARDIAN OR NOT! Knuckles brooded furiously in anger with a disgruntled look on his face while feeling intense rage emanating from his body as he clenched his fists so hard and shook them.

He then ran as fast as he could to Club Rouge while wearing an enraged face as he felt so furious right now. The rain kept falling as he ran, but he didn't care. His eyes are set at Club Rouge, and he isn't planning to stop. Once he made it to the doors of Club Rouge, he ripped them open out of rage, He was growling profusely as he scanned the area for Rouge. All of the customers and workers stared at Knuckles with sweat coming down from their foreheads.

Knuckles then pointed sharply at the workers as he shouted angrily in confusion, "WHERE IS ROUGE?!".

"BASEMENT!" all of the workers shouted simultaneously in fear with frightened looks on their faces as they all immediately pointed at the stairs leading down to the basement.

"THANK YOU!" Knuckles shouted back in anger with a furious look on his face as he then bolted down to the basement like an angry bull. Once he got down to the basement floor, he then ran through the small hallway that led to the special, red doors in the end. He slammed the red doors open to see if Rouge was there or not. It turns out that she was there and was looking very surprised as a result.

"Kn-Knuckles! Wh-What are you doing here?!" Rouge yelled in shock as she stared at Knuckles with wide eyes and with a gaped mouth.

The room that she was in was her secret stash room where all of her stolen jewels were hidden and in the middle of the room was the Master Emerald. Rouge was currently holding onto it on its left side as she stared at Knuckles in shock.

"ROUGE! WE NEED TO TALK!" Knuckles shouted angrily in fury with gritted teeth and with furrowed eyebrows while clenching his fists next to his sides and while glaring coldly at Rouge as the way she was holding the Master Emerald somehow reignited his burning rage deep inside his mind and soul. He's not sure what it is about the way she is holding it that is making him even more enraged than before, but he knows for sure that it's bringing up some lost, locked, painful, chained memories of his past back into his mind. Memories that were so painful that he couldn't even recall what they were. Even now. The only times that he would see this kind of imagery was in his nightmares, which he almost has every time he goes to sleep. Simply put, he vehemently hated how Rouge is holding the Master Emerald at the moment.

"Oh? About what, sweetie?" Rouge asked calmly in confusion with a little frown on her curious face as she stared inquisitively back at Knuckles.

"DON'T YOU 'SWEETIE' ME! LOOK RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! EXPLAIN TO ME WHY YOU HAD STOLEN MY MASTER EMERALD FROM ME!" Knuckles shouted furiously in anger with a deep grimace and with furrowed eyebrows while sharply pointing at the Master Emerald next to Rouge as he glared hard at her.

Rouge tried to feign ignorance by saying calmly in a nonchalant manner with a little frown on her intrigued face as she turned to face the emerald, "Oh? This? Huh. I didn't even notice that it was there".

"DON'T PLAY DUMB, ROUGE! I KNOW THAT YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HAD STOLEN MY EMERALD! CARE TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY YOU DID IT?!" Knuckles shouted back angrily in irritation with a furious look on his face while raising a fist at Rouge as he glared coldly at her.

Rouge looked back at Knuckles and smirked deviously at him. She noticed that he had finally gotten his passion back.

Yes. This is it now. Time to finally reel him in back to his old self again. All I need to do is give him one final push until he breaks. Rouge thought calmly yet mischievously in victory with a devious smirk and with haughty eyes as she stared playfully back at Knuckles.

She then replied calmly yet coolly in amusement with a devious smirk and with haughty eyes as she kept staring mischievously at Knuckles, "Knuckie, I don't understand you. Hadn't you already told me that you had given up on being a guardian and wanted me to take the emerald because you don't care about it anymore? Honestly, I think that the emerald is much safer here since you're living here with me".

"JUST BECAUSE I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT ANYMORE, IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO STEAL IT! I ONLY GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO TAKE IT AT THAT TIME, BUT I NEVER GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO STEAL IT BEHIND MY BACK! SINCE YOU HAD TURNED THAT OFFER DOWN AND HAD DECIDED TO STOP STEALING IT, I THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD CHANGED, ROUGE! I THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD KEPT YOUR PROMISE!" Knuckles shouted angrily in fury with a deep grimace and with furrowed eyebrows while feeling hurt as he glared hard at Rouge.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm the kind of person who gets to choose which promises to keep and which promises to break. Also, since I'm working as a spy, I get so used to deceiving people as I go undercover that I often break promises in order to catch crooks by surprise. So, sorry for not making that obvious to you," Rouge replied calmly yet casually in amusement while smirking deviously and while nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders as she stared playfully back at Knuckles.

"'SORRY'? 'SORRY'?! AS IF YOU ARE ACTUALLY SORRY! YOU DON'T EVEN EXPRESS ONE ONCE OF REMORSE TO YOUR WRONGDOINGS!" Knuckles shouted back angrily in fury while glaring hard at Rouge and while he pointed accusingly at her for emphasis as he looked flabbergasted and frustrated.

"Oh? You have something to say to me...Knuckles?" Rouge replied calmly yet smoothly in amusement with a devious smirk while being seductive to Knuckles as she stared playfully back at him.

This is it. Time to shout out everything that I've been bottling up for these long, agonizing months. She deserves it! Knuckles brooded solemnly in anger with a furious look on his face while glaring coldly at Rouge and while his clenched fists shook next to his sides as his burning rage rose again. With one, quick, big breath, he then shouted as loud as he can.

"YES! I DO! YOU HAVE BEEN TREATING ME HORRIBLY DURING OUR RELATIONSHIP! YOU HAD DISRESPECTED ME, HURT ME, USED ME, SEDUCED ME, HUMILATED ME, AND EVEN MANIPULATED ME FOR THESE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS! EVERY TIME I HAD TRIED TO LEAVE, YOU WILL ALWAYS GUILT TRIP ME INTO STAYING LONGER WITH YOU! YOU IGNORED MY FEELINGS EVERY TIME I HAD TRIED TO OPEN UP TO YOU! YOU WOULD ALSO IGNORE MY COMPLAINTS TOWARDS YOU! YOU HARDLY EVER GIVEN ME SOME SPACE! IN FACT, YOU HAD ALWAYS BEEN INVADING MY SPACE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! YOU HAD NEVER RESPECTED MY BOUNDARIES! AND YOU HAD ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT 'I'M BORING' OR THAT 'I SHOULD LIGHTEN UP A LITTLE'! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LOVE ME AS I AM?!" Knuckles shouted furiously with barred teeth and with furrowed eyebrows as he raised both fists at Rouge while he glared hard at her.

Rouge just playfully rolled her eyes at Knuckles and smirked mischievously at him while staring teasingly at him as she replied calmly in confusion, "Sweetie, since when had I ever done that to you? I'm very certain that I was very loving and caring towards you".

"YOU HAD TRIED TO HAVE SEX WITH ME EVERY NIGHT! HOW CAN YOU CLAIM THAT YOU HAD NEVER DONE THAT?!" Knuckles shouted angrily in rage as he grimaced deeply at Rouge and glared coldly at her. He put his fists down next to his sides and clenched them tightly. How could one girl give him so much grief?

"It's called 'being affectionate', Knuckie-boy! It's my way of showing you how much I love you. I'm in love with you, silly!" Rouge replied calmly yet cheerfully in amusement with a bright, "innocent" smile on her mischievous face while having her arms out for emphasis as she stared playfully back at Knuckles.

"THAT IS NOT LOVE! THAT IS LUST! AND YOU KNOW IT, BATGIRL! ALSO, DON'T TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME SINCE YOU KEEP HURTING ME EVERY DAY!" Knuckles shouted back angrily in fury with a deep grimace and with a fierce glare while he pointed accusingly at Rouge as he felt even more frustrated since he is now red in the face.

"'Everyday'? Are you sure that you aren't exaggerating a little? By the way, Knuckles, you do realize that I'm not perfect right? I am going to make a mistake or two every now and then. There is no reason to say that I gave you much grief due to these little mistakes that I've made," Rouge countered calmly in amusement with a devious smirk and with mischievous eyes while shrugging casually again as she stared playfully back at Knuckles.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT WHAT YOU DID WAS A LITTLE MISTAKE! YOU WERE USING ME FOR SELFISH GAIN! YOU WERE MANIPULATING MY EMOTIONS TO MAKE ME FEEL SORRY FOR YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR SAD PAST! YOU MADE ME FEEL SORRY FOR TRYING TO SAY MY OWN OPINIONS AND THOUGHTS! THOSE ARE NOT MISTAKES, AND THEY AREN'T LITTLE EITHER! YOU HAD DELIBERATELY HURT ME THROUGH THOSE TACTICS, AND I HAD ENOUGH WITH IT! YOU AREN'T EVEN REMORSEFUL AFTER YOU HAD DONE THOSE TERRIBLE THINGS! IF YOU REALLY DID LOVE ME, THEN YOU WOULD GENUINELY APOLOGIZE TO ME AND CHANGE YOUR WRONG BEHAVIOR INTO RIGHTEOUS BEHAVIOR!" Knuckles shouted angrily in rage with a furious face while putting a hand over his chest as he glared hard at Rouge.

"Um, sweetie? You do realize that changing into someone that you are not is wrong, right? Why are you saying that you want me to change even though you had said that you want me to love you as you are? I believe that argument can be said about me as well," Rouge replied calmly yet coolly in amusement while smirking mischievously at Knuckles as she stared playfully back at him.

"CHANGING YOUR BEHAVIOR DOESN'T MEAN CHANGING INTO SOMEONE THAT YOU'RE NOT! YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR WRONGFUL BEHAVIOR IN ORDER TO PLEASE OTHERS! THAT IS HOW LOVE WORKS! IF YOU TRULY LOVE SOMEONE, YOU WILL CHANGE YOURSELF FOR THE BETTER BECAUSE YOU CARE ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS! HOWEVER, YOU DIDN'T DO ANY OF THAT WHEN I WAS GIVING MY COMPLAINTS TO YOU! I'M STARTING TO THINK THAT YOU DON'T REALLY LOVE ME AT ALL!" Knuckles shouted back passionately in anger with an enraged look on his face while he glared coldly at Rouge as he kept clenching his fists.

"Oh, don't be like that, Knuckie. I really do love you. I truly do. I also think that you love me too. Why else did you stay with me for this long?" Rouge replied calmly yet gently in amusement while smiling "innocently" at Knuckles as she stared playfully back at him.

CRACK!

That sound was the sound of Knuckles' heart breaking into two. He then realized just now why he felt so lonely and miserable while he was with Rouge. It was because...she was only faking it. She was only faking her feelings toward him. Whenever she says that she loves him, it always feels so shallow and flippant. It's like as if she doesn't know what love really is or the significance behind that word. It's also like that whenever she kisses him. It felt so forced and robotic that it feels cold to him. There isn't any sincerity or warmth behind those affectionate actions. It was only an imitation of real love. Rouge may know what relationships look like, but she doesn't understand how it works. That was what was bothering Knuckles the entire time he was with her. Their relationship had been purely superficial with no depth whatsoever. Knuckles then growled louder and louder with the fiercest look on his face yet, and he clenched his fists so hard that they are as white as his gloves. He finally understood everything now. The lightbulb had finally clicked on in his mind.

I was being tricked! AGAIN! Knuckles brooded angrily in fury with gritted teeth and with furrowed eyebrows while growling loudly and while shaking his clenched fists as he glared intensely at Rouge.

He felt the pain of heart-break. The truth was painful to him. How could he let himself be deceived like this?! Was he really so depressed that he didn't care if he dated Rouge or not without being suspicious of her sudden change of behavior like admitting that she "loved him" for instance? Was he really that desperate for attention? For love? ...It seems that it was the case as painful as the truth really is. He then shouted again after a few seconds of brooding.

"I WANTED TO STAY WITH YOU BECAUSE I HAD GENUINELY BELIEVED THAT YOU HAD LOVED ME! YOU HAD SAID MULTIPLE TIMES THAT YOU WERE THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAD TRULY LOVED ME! I HAD BELIEVED THAT! I HAD BELIEVED THAT SO HARD! BUT YOU! YOUUUU! YOU HAD LIED TO ME! YOU WERE ONLY USING ME FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH PLEASURE, AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN CARE ABOUT MY FEELINGS ONE BIT! I...I...I HATE YOU! I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HATE YOU RIGHT NOW! I USED TO THINK THAT I HAD LOVED YOU, BUT NOW, I KNOW DIFFERENT! I HAD NEVER LOVED YOU AT ALL! I USED TO THINK THAT MAYBE YOU WILL CHANGE JUST FOR ME BECAUSE YOU HAD LOVED ME! BUT YOU DIDN'T! YOU HAD NEVER CHANGED AT ALL! AND THAT IS WHY I HATE YOU! YOU NEVER LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES! YOU HAD NEVER MADE ANY EFFORT TO CHANGE YOURSELF FOR THE BETTER! AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WILL NEVER CHANGE BECAUSE YOU WON'T CHANGE!" Knuckles shouted back in fury with barred teeth and with a vein bulging in his head while he pointed accusingly at Rouge again as he glared fiercely at her.

Before Rouge tried to interject, Knuckles kept shouting angrily in fury while still looking enraged. He was beyond ticked off.

"WAS THIS WHO I WAS FOR YEARS?! ALWAYS BEING THE SAME PERSON DAY IN AND DAY OUT WITHOUT EVER IMPROVING?! WITHOUT GROWING?! WITHOUT CHANGING EVEN?! NO WONDER I WAS SO UNHAPPY WITH MYSELF! I HAD HATED MYSELF BECAUSE I WAS EXACTLY LIKE YOU! YOU ARE THE WORST PERSON THAT I HAD EVER MET! AND CONSIDERING HOW LITTLE I HAD CHANGED OVER THE YEARS! I WAS DOING NO BETTER THAN YOU! I DON'T WANT TO BE YOU! I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE YOU! I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE YOU IN THE FUTURE! I HATE YOU, AND I WANT TO BREAK UP WITH YOU! I'LL NEVER CHANGE FOR THE BETTER IF I HAD EVER STOPPED CARING! MAYBE I'M NOT COMPLETELY OVER MY GUARDIAN DUTIES JUST YET! MAYBE I STILL CARE A LITTLE ABOUT THEM, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS I HAD USED TO! I KNOW THAT I'M STILL STRUGGLING, BUT THE LEAST THAT I CAN DO FOR MYSELF IS BREAK UP WITH YOU, TAKE MY EMERALD BACK, GO BACK HOME, AND NEVER SEE YOU EVER AGAIN! YOU HEAR ME?! NEVER AGAIN! I WANT YOU OUT OF MY LIFE, ROUGE! IF YOU COME EVEN CLOSE TO MY ISLAND, THEN I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR BUTT SO HARD THAT YOU WILL BEG FOR ME TO STOP! SO, GOODBYE, ROUGE, AND SCREW YOU! DON'T YOU EVER COME BACK TO ME!" Knuckles shouted in fury one last time with a frustrated look on his face before he face-palmed himself during his rant, walked quickly towards the Master Emerald, lifted it up while shouting at Rouge, turned around, and walked right back out of the secret stash room.

Rouge just simply stared at Knuckles as he was leaving with his emerald. She then smirked victoriously and placed her hands onto her hips. She felt proud of what she had done.

Hook, line, and sinker. That red idiot finally got his act together. He had finally gotten his spirit back. Now, everything will go back to normal like before. I'll be going back to him to steal his emerald and fight him like we had used to. Ah, my guilty pleasure is back. Although I will admit, I'm going to miss dating that gullible echidna. He is still very cute and strong for such a naïve person. Maybe he'll come around and date me again sometime. I'll wait. After all, he is mine, and all the world's "gems" are mine to keep. He may have broken up with me, but he knows that I'm the only one who cares about him. Me and no one else. I highly doubt that anyone out there will ever love that stupid echidna more than I do. If there is someone, she will certainly become my rival because no one steals my Knuckie away from me! Anyways, I guess that it's time to get back to working at the club then. Rouge mused calmly yet playfully in amusement with a victorious smirk and with haughty eyes as she stared at the entrance of the room where Knuckles was once at.

Knuckles soon had left Club Rouge while carrying the Master Emerald with him. With a grave look on his face, he then swore in his heart as he was walking in the rain that he's going to change himself for the better. He decided that he should try harder in protecting the emerald. However, he will leave only when the situation demands it. He doesn't want to sit around all day doing nothing. He wants answers. Answers to his internal struggle about what being a guardian is and what it truly means to be one. What is a "guardian", and how is he supposed to act as one? Those are the questions that he wants answers to in his troubled heart right now. He was definitely scarred as this terrible relationship had cut his soul very deeply. It would take many months to repair it. He would need to forget about Rouge and focus on his own mission to find the answers to his questions; and he will do it as he leaves his island and go on more adventures with his "friends" when the situation demands it!

Which was precicesly what Knuckles had done ever since that horrible, unforgettable, life-scarring day.

---

[Back To Present Day]

Knuckles was still staring fiercely at Rouge while looking irritated.

Rouge slyly got closer to Knuckles as she exclaimed brightly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful look on her face while she stared back at him, "Oh, Knuckie! I'm waiting! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"Only. One. Thing!" Knuckles answered slowly yet solemnly in anger through gritted teeth while glaring hard at Rouge with fierce, violet eyes and with deeply furrowed eyebrows.

"Oh? Then what is it? Tell it to my face," Rouge responded calmly yet coolly in amusement with a haughty smirk and with mischievous eyes as she stared playfully back at Knuckles.

With pleasure! Knuckles brooded angrily in fury with a fierce look on his face before he walked down the steps to be right up next to Rouge.

Rouge was smiling smugly as he looked into Knuckles' fierce eyes. Knuckles didn't do anything at first. When she tried to open her mouth again to speak, he immediately punched her very hard right in her face.

POW!

Rouge went flying down the stairs and fell down onto her back on the ground.

"Oof!" Rouge yelled in agony with a pained expression on her face as her back got hurt by the hard ground. Knuckles then ran down to the bottom of the steps.

When Rouge slowly sat up, Knuckles simply yelled while growling in frustration with an irritated look on his face as he glared hard at her, "Grrrr! Get out!"

"What the-?! Well, that's not very nice! I'm a lady! You shouldn't hit a lady, you creep!" Rouge yelled back angrily in frustration with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows while feeling offended that Knuckles would do this as she glared back at him just as hard.

"Sorry, Rouge! But you're no lady to me! You don't even deserve any respect or special treatment from me! You had squandered your chance to earn my respect months ago, and by the way, my feelings for you hadn't changed! I still hate you! Don't you even think about tricking me by saying that you had changed or will change because I don't trust your words anymore, Rouge! I don't even think that you can be sincere with me at this point! Just leave, Rouge! Leave and never come back!" Knuckles yelled back angrily in frustration as he put up his fists at Rouge while he glared coldly at her.

Rouge shook her head as she got herself up. She then put her hands on her hips and looked annoyed at Knuckles while she exclaimed back in annoyance with a deep frown, "Oh, come on, Knuckles! It's almost Valentine's Day! Why don't we go on a date just for that one day?! I'm sure that if we do that then you will-!".

"SHUT UP, ROUGE! I SAID LEAAAAAVE!" Knuckles shouted back in fury with an enraged look on his face as he quickly ran up to Rouge and punched her while she was busy talking. Before Rouge had any time to dodge away, she was punched again at the face.

POW!

She was flying high into the air by that powerful punch. This time, she had quickly saved herself by flapping her wings to break her fall. She was now flying in the sky.

She then shook her head before she yelled back angrily in frustration with an irritated look on her face as she glared coldly at Knuckles, "Fine! Be on your own for Valentine's Day! See if I care! I hope that you are happy with that pink hedgehog girl! Although I won't count on that relationship if I were you! You know that Amy won't choose you over Sonic! She's in love with him, you know! It is pointless to have hopes for her to love you over Sonic because we both know that won't ever happen! You know that there is no one else who loves you like I do! So, why don't you just give up?!".

"Grrrrrrrrrrrr!" Knuckles didn't say anything but just growled a lot with a fierce look on his face as he glared hard at Rouge in the sky. Rouge was glaring right back at him in anger.

After an awkward moment of silence, she finally sighed tiredly in exasperation and yelled back in frustration with an irked expression on her face as she glared hard at Knuckles, "(Sigh)...Ugh! Whatever! Do whatever you want! I don't care! Be alone for all I care! But remember, Knucklehead, just because you had rejected me, that doesn't mean that I'm over you! Our relationship isn't over, and I won't let it just because you had ended it! So, see you later, you stupid echidna! Idiot!".

With that, she hastily turned around and flew away from the island. Knuckles soon breathed a huge sigh of relief. He felt very frustrated right now, but he was grateful that Rouge had finally left. He hoped that this will be enough to make her not come back to the island for a while. He soon walked back up to the altar, climbed the stairs, and stood right back to his place on top of the altar's steps. He then turned around, closed his eyes, and finally crossed his arms again as stood there guarding the emerald again.

...

It was peaceful again. Knuckles took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He knows that he did the right thing in ending his relationship with Rouge. He knows that his "friends" still don't understand why he had broken up with her, but he doesn't care about what they think. At least, he could rest in knowing that he had made himself a little better by cutting off one of the most toxic people that he had ever met in his personal life. He had no regrets, well, except for the fact that he had dated her in the first place. He had made himself a little less depressed ever since he had broken up with her. Still...he feels lonely. Now that Amy is sick, he had nothing to do for most of the week. He wishes that he could be with Amy right now to try to fill in the void that he has in his heart. But it seems that he will have to wait until she gets better.

Perhaps...he could go get her a get-well card to help her feel better. That is what Knuckles did next on Thursday.

At last, another chapter done! Well, I finally did beat my last chapter in length. Hopefully, this will be the last long chapter in this story. The next two chapters will be short. Well, hopefully. I'm sure you had enjoyed this story so far! Please R&R if you had enjoyed it!

Also, two clarifications I had to make!

One, yes, this is the one chapter that involves some sort of romance, however, this is the only chapter that shows that. Romance is still not the main genre of this short story. Just friendship and humor.

Second, if you're thinking if I'm some sort of Rouge hater on how I portray her or how Knuckles reacted to her, well, believe or not, I'm actually not. I'm not a KnucklesXRouge hater either. In fact, I like the ship just fine as well as ShadowXRouge. I just wanted to write this as a way to imagine how realistic the actual ship is in a psychological and sociological perspective. In reality, we all know that the ship wouldn't work out. Anyone could be a victim of emotional abuse and psychological abuse by this type of behavior that Rouge had demonstrated in this story. It's too toxic of a relationship to work out. If you are in a toxic relationship, it very important that you talk it out with one of your trusted friends, teachers, counselors, parents, or even therapists. The damage that this type of abuse is scarring to victims and will take months to even decades of repair to your self-esteem. So be good to yourself and get some help. Your life will be much better if you cut this person out of your life.

Also, if you like this ship and still want to support it without the realistic elements, then just don't think too much about. It's just a fanfic and also a fan theory of mine. So, take it with a grain of salt. You could still criticize the story if you want if don't like its direction with Knuckles' and Rouge's relationship. It's your opinion, and I'll be grateful to hear your thoughts about it. Anyways, onto the last two chapters!