With the exception of the night club's neon glow and the glimmering of the treasured necklace, the room was completely dark. Ivory and crimson figures intertwined, their bodies fitting together like a puzzle. Rock hard abs met soft, voluptuous curves. They breathed steadily in unison.
That afternoon would be one to go down in the history books. Sworn rivals, two stubborn souls, joined and made passionate love on the couch without hesitation or trepidation. Hate and contempt clashed with love and desire – and the latter was victorious. The two beings had touched and explored each other limitlessly and enjoyed every second of it.
Slowly, the white bat's eyes fluttered open. Her eyes slightly widened when she realized that this was the second time that day she had been naked with an attractive male. Only this time, she was with the one she desired most. The very first thing she saw was the muscular arm of her forbidden lover. Red fur that hid firm muscles, large arms that knew how to make her scream his name. She immediately blushed, squirming awkwardly underneath his embrace. To have him all to herself, it was perfection. But she noticed something else.
The necklace.
It was on one of the glass tables, its shine so bright that it was a stable light source in the room. The intricately carved diamonds hung snugly to the silver chain. For the huntress, it was a dream come true. It was the exact moment to get what she wanted, what she desired, what had driven her to the brink of insanity. The necklace was the reason she had slept with Knuckles. Part of her resented the red echidna for how he played her, part of her loved it. Slowly peeling his arms away from her body, Rouge crept off the couch, using the armrest to help her stand up steadily.
Big mistake.
Almost instantly, her legs gave way and she collapsed. She couldn't begin to fathom soreness of her legs. They were the most durable parts of her body, trained and hardened by years of kick boxing. Having been with a few men with lots of stamina, she found that her legs weren't as fragile as those of other women. She was strong and could endure even the longest nights of suggestive activity. The fact that Knuckles was able to break through that couldn't even upset her – it made her feel an even stronger attraction to him.
She ended up trying to stand once more, her legs were wobbly but she succeeded, quietly walking towards the necklace. She stared at it, her manicured fingers reaching out towards it hungrily. But she stopped.
Why did I stop?
Rouge looked back at Knuckles who was asleep. This was her chance; this was her chance to give him a taste of what he had given her. She gave him one of the best (and only) sexual thrills of his life, and now she was going to snatch his treasure away from him. Just like she had done to Scourge.
Except Scourge meant nothing to her.
Damn it… Rouge thought, frustration coursing through her veins. She clenched her fingers, slowly retracting her arm and placing her hand on her hip. She eyed the necklace, chewing on her plump bottom lip. Knuckles had gone through hell to keep her from running off with it – and intentionally got a taste of heaven as he did so – why on earth would he bring it back with him? He had shown it to her so carelessly, dangled it around like it was bait and she was a fish. Too entranced by thoughts of seducing the echidna that filled her soul with fire; she hardly gave it a second glance. But now they both got what they wanted.
And something in Rouge was bubbling.
…A test.
If the necklace was so valuable to him for reasons unbeknownst to her – why would he leave it out in the open? Perhaps he brought it with him as he left the island because he wanted to keep it safe from any other intruders – in case the Chaotix proved to not be as dependable as he thought they would. Or maybe, it was a test.
To see whether or not she would snag it after sharing an intimate moment with him. She saw him pull the necklace out while she was in the middle of professing her conflicting emotions. She never actually saw him put it on the table, or maybe he had done so as she was pulling her clothes off.
One thing was for sure, their little game was over. Rouge knew that stubborn red echidna was the – if not, at least one of – the objects of her desire. And if he wanted to play games, she would play along with him.
Slowly slipping back into her undergarments before moving around to find her crop top and hip hugging jeans, she stole a glance at the steadily breathing echidna.
"I don't love you, Knuckie." She said, grabbing the necklace and strutting out of the dimly lit room. But in her heart of hearts, she knew that wasn't completely true.
Slowly, amethyst eyes fluttered open, taking the dark scene before him into view. Knuckles had slipped in and out of consciousness; his fingers would brush up against Rouge's. It was as if he had to remind himself that he did indeed have sex with the temptress herself. The only woman who knew how to get under his skin, but keep him coming back for more. Or at least she was the one who came back, and left him wishing she would grace him with her appearance more often. He would never admit it though. He knew what happened between them, the electricity and the passion that they felt, it had no further emotional attachment… or at least, it shouldn't have. At this point, he wasn't sure what he felt anymore. They loathed and lusted after one another – but he had a commitment to his emerald, to his ancestors, and to his future descendants.
It didn't surprise him when the glimmering diamond necklace wasn't on the table. As gullible as he was, he learned a few things about wits after getting tired of Rouge constantly pulling tricks on him. He didn't forget about the necklace, he left it there purposely. Somewhere along the line, he had hoped that there was a possibility Rouge would feel an inkling of affection towards him. He had hoped that someone as beautiful, independent and strong as her could look beyond the temptation of materialistic goods and truly love him. As she rode him aggressively she had whispered sweet nothings into his ear. Through the sensual moans, gasps, and the scandalous roaming of hands – he could've even sworn he heard the word 'love.' But the necklace – or lack of a necklace – told him that it was probably only him that felt that way.
More than just slightly disappointed, Knuckles slowly stood up, his lower region aching tremendously as he did so, and walked stiffly out of the room. The club was nearly empty, but judging by the soft glow of the lights and the slow music that rang throughout the building, it was still open. Knuckles looked around, hoping to find a clock or get a grasp of just how late it was. He ran into Rouge in the late afternoon, and they made love well into the evening. It had to be at least a couple of hours past midnight.
Ask, and you shall receive. Peeking at a young hedgehog's phone, Knuckles saw that it was two in the morning. He bit his lip when he remembered that he had come to the club with his blue friend, who was probably at home or on the streets of Station Square, holding a sign that said 'Missing echidna! Tall, red, and slightly hotheaded!' The reward for doing so would be something stupid, like maybe 100 rings or less. He sighed, and decided it would be best to simply head back to Angel Island. The weather seemed compliant, so he fingered his dreads, getting ready to glide back to his floating sanctuary.
As he exited the club, he decided to give it a last glance. Inside, he was hoping, demurely, that this would not be the last time he saw it. He looked at the building and knew that what had occurred within it was a memory that would stick with him forever. He studied the building carefully, biting his tongue as his mind insistently flashed back to Rouge. He could still feel her nails digging into his back, he could still feel her soft breasts pushing against his firm pectorals, he could still feel the tightness of her dripping flower slamming into his shaft over and over and over…
So he pinched himself, and chastised himself for having such crude thoughts about a woman. But he couldn't help it. He couldn't help how he felt towards her.
Right as he was about to look away, he noticed a figure towards the left of the club. Up, near what looked to have led to an apartment. He blended in well with the night; it was the crimson streaks in his quills that gave away his appearance. Knuckles blinked a few times, his mouth slowly forming into an 'o.' It was Shadow! And suddenly, he disappeared. Knuckles briefly wondered if he possibly had a chaos emerald with him, but there had been no flash of light.
Unsure as to why he was so curious about seeing the sulky hedgehog near Rouge's club, the echidna jetted back into the nightclub and looked for a way to get up to the apartment. He maneuvered hastily between the sweaty adolescents that had taken their dancing down a notch, rolling their bodies to the rhythm of the slow music, and climbed up a series of stairs past the V.I.P lounge where he and Rouge had their – ahem – moment, and all the way to a door guarded by two large guards. They were buff wolves with piercing yellow eyes and natural scowls.
"We can't let you past here, buddy." One of them said, glowering at the smaller but sturdy echidna.
"I need to go through here." Knuckles said urgently.
"Miss Rouge is in bed. She don't want no visitors." The bodyguard insisted.
"This is different –"
"That's what they all say. Get lost buddy." The wolf growled, stepping forward and shoving Knuckles back so hard that he fell on his rump. The other guard laughed, and Knuckles, being the short-tempered dimwit he was, got angry and sucker punched both of them so hard that they were knocked out cold. Aside from a terrified bartender, there didn't seem to be any witnesses to the act that he had just committed. Relieved, he stepped through the door and into a terrace, sparingly close to where he had seen Shadow.
He looked around. Just looking at the exterior of her home, he could tell that Rouge lived rather lavishly, for a thief.
Why would someone who's already so well off need to steal anything?
Knuckles stepped forward, ready to knock on the door but right before he did, the door opened. It was as though the being inside had been anticipating him. Red irises revealed themselves, staring intently at shocked violet ones.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Shadow and Knuckles asked each other simultaneously.
So he had been right. It WAS Shadow, and he was lurking around Rouge's place. But why? Knuckles could handle losing the necklace, but if he had to find out that she lied to him and was secretly with Shadow, he wouldn't be able to deal with anything in life any longer.
"I came here to see Rouge." Knuckles said weakly, but Shadow saw right through his ruse.
"Liar. You were about to leave and then you saw me. You really just came here to reassure yourself that it wasn't me."
Knuckles rolled his eyes, "So what? Yeah, I saw you. That doesn't mean anything. I… Hope you two are happy together." He turned away so that Shadow wouldn't have to see his face, which was turning redder and redder by the moment.
"Oh chaos…" Shadow groaned.
"What?"
"You fucked her, didn't you?"
Knuckles eyes widened and he turned around.
"Why would you even say something like that?"
"Because it's true. She came back to the apartment with wobbly legs and her fur was all over the place like she had just exited a rollercoaster."
"I'm sorry that your girlfriend cheated on you, dude. Much less with a loser like me, but it doesn't matter. You win. I'm going home." Knuckles grumbled, scratching his dreads. He had never acted this 'nice' towards Shadow before, and he knew that he would need to leave before he punched the hedgehog in the face.
"You really think I'm dating Rouge?" Shadow asked, a grossed out expression on his face.
"Don't try to make me feel better, I mean, you're spending the night at her place for crying out loud."
"Frankly, I don't give a damn about your feelings, echidna. I do care about Rouge's, to a degree. I'm just being honest with you. We aren't dating. And I'm not 'spending the night.' I live here."
Knuckles couldn't stop his jaw from dropping.
"You live here!?"
"Yes. For business purposes. We're partners."
"Yeah, 'business purposes' my ass." Knuckles said angrily, turning and walking away. If Rouge ever came back to Angel Island, there would be absolutely no touching. That bat was going to explain herself. Right as Knuckles grabbed the door to go back through the nightclub, Shadow spoke up again.
"She can't stop thinking about you Knuckles."
Knuckles wasn't sure if it was what he had said about Rouge, or if it was the fact that Shadow actually called him by his first name, but the guardian had to turn around yet again.
"Once again, I'm being honest." Shadow said, "She told me about Scourge, and what happened on Angel Island. She was a mess after what you did to her. I'd say that she's in love with you, if not, then you've put quite a spell on her."
"If she loved me, she wouldn't have taken the necklace. She loves herself more, trust me." Knuckles said, not even able to feel happy about what Shadow had just told him.
"Can't she love both?" Shadow asked him, giving Knuckles a wise smirk before closing the door and shutting him out for good.
Knuckles stared at the spot Shadow had just been in for a few moments, thinking about his question.
"But…" Knuckles mumbled to himself, thinking about Shadow's words for a bit longer, "What happened with Scourge?"
Rouge woke up the next morning literally face-to-face with the Ultimate Lifeform.
"Ack!" She squealed, rolling as far away from him as possible to the other side of her bed before sitting up angrily. "What the hell!?"
"Your boyfriend stopped by last night. Well, technically it was a couple of hours ago." Shadow said nonchalantly, sitting down on her bed.
"What? Why?" Rouge asked, frowning at how calm he was acting.
"Eh, it doesn't matter."
"…Any particular reason why you're telling me this now?"
"Give the necklace back." Shadow said abruptly, crossing his arms. The one thing Rouge absolutely loved about Shadow was also the one thing she absolutely loathed. He was blunt about his feelings, and while it was good to be honest, at times it was a bit much.
"Why would I do that?"
"Because you love him. And he loves you. And I'm tired of you two going back and forth, especially now that it is starting to affect your obligation to Team Dark. Just give the necklace back, and while you're at it, return that damn watch. Bad things are going to happen if you don't."
"Shadow…" Rouge said, rubbing her eyes drowsily.
"Yes?"
"…Get out of my room. You're spouting nonsense and I'm too tired to listen to it. Besides, I can't return the watch. I'm never going to see Scourge again. And I won't give Knuckles the necklace back. He manipulated me so he could get the necklace back on Angel Island, I simply gave him his payback."
Shadow rolled his eyes, standing up.
"Rouge…. I'm asking you, as a friend, to do this. Because if something happens to you, I might not be able to protect you."
"I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself, Shadow. He probably isn't even that mad. It's just a watch."
"Yeah, an expensive one." Shadow reminded her, standing up. "But whatever. Do what you must. Just don't expect me to watch."
Rouge sighed, shifting in bed and going back to sleep.
2 hours later…
A bit more refreshed, Rouge sat up and stretched her wings out. Her large ears twitched a bit as she absorbed all the sounds within the house. Shadow and Omega were gone, probably off on a mission while she was relaxing on her unannounced hiatus. She stood up, walking towards her jewelry box and opened it up, eying both her expensive watch and diamond necklace.
Smiling to herself, she then walked to the bathroom to take a shower.
Maybe I'll hit up some boutiques in Station Square, do a little grocery shopping… She thought to herself as she washed herself up. Once she was done, she changed into booty shorts and a crop top – pretty much typical as she had a certain love for revealing clothing – and put both of her stolen treasures on.
"Return the watch, return the necklace, bad things are gonna happen if you don't," Rouge said in a deep voice, mocking her sulky partner as she grabbed her purse and headed out of the apartment.
Her first stop was a beauty shop, not too far away from Night Babylon.
Rouge was an absolute sucker for makeup.
Before being an agent at G.U.N. had become a particularly serious job for her, she worked as a makeup artist for her favorite makeup store. Unfortunately since she quit her job she wasn't allowed to get discounts on her makeup any longer but was still admired for her skills and could sometimes get two lipsticks for the price of one. Beauty, much like martial arts, was something she was passionate about and absolutely loved with all of her heart.
She smiled, entering the store but sighing internally as she thought of how expensive the makeup would be. She knew better than to blow all her rings off on a few products when she already had plenty. She wasn't earning her money's worth at G.U.N. since there had been a delay in her work, though that wasn't too important because she still made a ton of profit off of her club, AND it was Shadow's turn to pay the rent.
As she looked at the products surrounding her, completely entranced and ready to start buying, a female fox approached her curiously.
Rouge, sensing someone behind her, turned instantly.
"Hello." The young woman said politely.
"Hi darling. Can I help you?" Rouge asked as a courtesy, she secretly couldn't care less about the female, who was nothing more than a nuisance at the moment.
"You stole my line." She said with a laugh, "I was actually wondering if I could help you. You seem to be a bit indecisive on what you want to buy."
"Oh, I don't need your help." Rouge said, "I've been here plenty of times. I just enjoy browsing."
"Oh, okay. Well my name is Fiona if you decide to change your mind. I'll be here for anything you need."
Rouge nodded, turning to roll her eyes. She probably should've gotten a bit more sleep before coming to shop. She had no reason to be bitchy with the fox next to her but she couldn't help feeling a bit crabby as she thought of Knuckles and all the emotions he was making her feel at once.
Damn that echidna. Damn him to hell and back.
Rouge sighed, rubbing her temple. As soon as her head was cleared she decided she would go do some training. It would be good for her to channel all her frustration into a punching bag, preferably one with Knuckles' face taped to it.
"By the way, that watch is stunning!" Fiona said, evidently still on Rouge's tail as she browsed the store.
Rouge turned, slightly startled before smiling and looking at her hand.
"You like it?"
"Yeah, my boyfriend has one just like it."
"Oh really? What a coincidence." Rouge said.
"Well I should probably say he had one. His got stolen." She frowned slightly, a suspicious expression gradually unveiling itself on her face.
"You have to be careful with who you trust." Rouge said slyly, pangs of anxiety beginning to emerge within her being. Who the hell was this girl? Were Shadow's premonitions correct? He said he wouldn't be able to protect her… But she had a communicator. She could contact him at any given time. Her intuition was kicking in. She had to leave before something bad happened.
Immediately she turned to look at Fiona fully.
"Thanks for your help," she said, even though Fiona had been nothing but a nuisance to her. "I'll be leaving now." She speed-walked out of the store, heading straight towards her car when a gloved hand grabbed onto the wrist with her watch on it. She whirled around fearfully, only to be met with the eyes of a certain green hedgehog.
"Hi there, love. It's been a long time hasn't it? What… maybe two or three months?" Scourge snarled.
"You… How in the hell did you find me here?"
"Doesn't matter. I came to claim what's mine."
"You mean this watch? Take it. I don't want it anymore." Rouge yanked her hand back, unlatching the watch and throwing it at his face.
"You really think I would go through all of this trouble to find you for some damn watch?" Scourge took one large stride toward her, latching his arm around her curvy waist and pulling her close to him. If she hadn't gone to Angel Island and experienced a plethora of emotions with Knuckles, she would have played along with Scourge's little game and maybe even let him have his way with her. But that was beyond her now. She was head-over-heels in love with Knuckles, no matter how much she didn't want to be, and that wasn't going to change any time soon.
"What about your girlfriend? That WAS your girlfriend in the store, wasn't it? The annoying little fox following me around like a lost puppy."
"Yeah, so? She doesn't have a body like yours."
Rouge looked around. Everyone was passing them by as if the scene they were creating was perfectly normal and acceptable. She forgot how sexually audacious everyone was in Night Babylon and the areas surrounding it. PDA was common and in some cases, even encouraged.
"My goodness, you really are shameless aren't you?" Rouge tried to squirm out of his grip but he was persistent on holding onto her. "Don't tell me your girlfriend already knows about what you did and wants to have a threesome with me or something. I'm not interested in you anymore."
"I figured. But you see," his grip on her tightened, "I really don't appreciate being made a fool of."
"Oh?" Rouge feigned innocence while still trying to get out of his grip – to no avail.
"And exactly HOW did I make a fool out of you? I never mentioned our little encounter to anyone and it's not like everyone in the club saw you dawdling around waiting for me to come back." She knew part of her statement was a lie, since she told Shadow about what she had done. But it didn't matter.
"You did make a fool out of me. I waited for hours for you to come back. You seemed so sweet… so harmless… But it turns out you weren't. You're almost as cunning as me. But now, I'm not going to play the nice guy."
"But… F-Fiona…" Rouge was getting tired of this. Finally, she kneed him in the groin then proceeded to kick him once his grip on her loosened. Several people screamed, obviously startled by the scene.
"So this is what it takes to get your guys' damn attention?" Rouge snapped at them angrily. She barely dodged a punch by Scourge, lifting her leg to deliver another swift and powerful kick. However, he caught her leg quickly before it could meet his face.
She smirked, swinging her leg with such strong momentum that he flew off and crashed into the hood of the car right behind hers.
"Thank goodness that isn't mine…" She muttered.
"Babe!" Fiona said worriedly, coming out of the store and gasping at the sight. He coughed out some blood before giving Rouge a vicious glare.
"Is this the bitch that stole your watch?" She turned and pointed at Rouge.
Rouge rolled her eyes.
"Yes, that's her."
"Well then leave it to me. I'll kick her ass."
"I'd like to see you try," Rouge huffed, getting back into a fighting stance.
"I'd like to see that too," a fourth voice rang out, striding towards them.
Rouge, thinking she couldn't have been more surprised than she already was, turned around immediately.
"Knucklehead!?"
Did her eyes deceive her? Was it really him? Why wasn't he back on his island doing his job?
Knuckles nodded at her absentmindedly, focusing his attention on the pair of delinquents that were trying (and failing) to assault Rouge.
"What the hell do you two think you're doing?"
Scourge coughed up more blood before pointing a shaky finger at him.
"Who the fuck are you? Her boyfriend or something?"
"Yes." Knuckles said without missing a beat. Rouge's eyes widened and she looked at him incredulously, but didn't say anything.
"Getting your boyfriend to save you? Pathetic."
"Any better than having your girlfriend fight for you because you got your ass handed to you?" Rouge shot back. "Does she even know what happened between us that night?"
Fiona raised an eye ridge, her fearless demeanor faltering as she looked back at Scourge.
"What… happened?"
"Nothing babe, it was nothing." Scourge said quickly.
Clearly he hadn't told her.
"Are you sure it was nothing? Because if I remember correctly you couldn't keep your hands off of m –"
"Shut up!" He yelled crassly.
Rouge rolled her eyes.
"Fine. I'll let it go if you leave me alone. You have your watch back anyways. So just let it go, alright? I'm sure you have bigger issues to worry about."
Fiona didn't hesitate in calling Scourge out on his actions.
"You cheated on me again?"
"Babe, no, I was drunk and…" Rouge, deciding she didn't want to hear the lovers' quarrel, started walking off.
"You're welcome." Knuckles said, walking after her.
"What do you mean 'you're welcome'? You didn't do shit. I could have taken them both on by myself."
"I don't doubt that. You're a strong woman, Rouge." He said, a smile emerging on his face. Rouge turned around to face him. She hated how her heart fluttered at that one simple statement.
"Why are you here?"
"I was just passing by." He said simply.
"You really expect me to believe that? That just at the right moment you were conveniently here on this street and saw me getting attacked by two maniacs?"
"Well, I was waiting for the winds to pick up so I could glide back to Angel Island. I decided to walk around when I saw you. If you want to blame anybody for me running into you, blame fate."
"Maybe there is some deity out there that wants us to be together…" Rouge mumbled.
"You think so?"
"How about I just fly you back up to your island? Then you can stay there like a good echidna while I try to get my life together." Rouge huffed.
Knuckles scoffed, "Yeah, okay. Whatever, bat."
"Thanks for the lift." Knuckles said awkwardly, scratching his dreads and looking away.
Rouge shrugged, not seeing her gesture as anything too nice. Being around Knuckles was surreal. Before their magical night together it had been so long since she had seen him. She was curious as to how he coped with what happened.
"I should get going." She said, turning and readying her wings for flight.
"Okay, bye." Knuckles said, turning to walk to the altar and sit in front of the Master Emerald… like he always did…
Rouge stopped, turning around to look at Knuckles. She couldn't help it. Staying away from him was the hardest thing she had tried to make herself do. Even harder than giving up jewels. Which is something that she had personally never done before, but she knew that it would be difficult considering her obsession with them.
"I thought you said you were leaving." He frowned at her. Did he want her to go?
Rouge ignored his comment, sitting down in front of him.
"Did I hurt you?" She asked him.
Knuckles looked away immediately.
A ghost of a smile made its way onto his face.
"You really don't waste any time, do you?"
"No. I don't. I want to know. How did you feel when I left? When I took the necklace with me?"
Knuckles shook his head.
"I thought I made my feelings about you pretty clear last night. I have no interest in that necklace. Only you. To be honest, I was more upset when I went up to your apartment than when I saw that you had abandoned me."
"You… came up to my apartment?" Rouge bit her lip, staring at Knuckles in shock. She didn't really believe Shadow when he had told her. She thought he had just said it to get her to wake up.
"Shadow was lurking around up there. You never told me that you two lived together."
"It never came up." She said with a shrug.
"Are you two lovers?"
"No."
"If you were, just tell me. He denied it but I'm tired of being seen as an idiot. If you two are fooling around and you don't want me to know, then too bad. Just stop lying to me. If anything, you owe me the truth."
"The truth?" Rouge asked, irritated by Knuckles' insistence on the fact that there was something between her and Shadow. She should have been delighted that he was so envious of their relationship, but the fact that she wasn't just went to show how much she truly loved him. "The truth is that yes, maybe I did want Shadow, a long, long time ago. But now I want you."
"Then why did you take the necklace?" He blurted suddenly. He meant it when he said that he didn't care for the necklace, not one bit, but it still didn't make sense that she would take it if she cared for him as much as she claimed that she did.
"I thought you had no interest in it?" Rouge said, looking at her nails casually and cleaning them up a bit, acting like it wasn't that big of a deal. "I took it because it was there for the taking. Don't be an idiot with your possessions and it won't happen again."
"Wow. You really are something else."
"Yes, I am. Don't act like it isn't part of the reason you're so fond of me. I know the truth." She winked at him.
Knuckles blushed. It was ridiculous, especially after everything they had done with each other, but every time she flirted with him he felt embarrassed.
"Was that Scourge?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably.
"Yes. Shadow told you about him, didn't he?"
"He mentioned the name. Didn't say much else about him. I didn't get the chance to ask. Or I should probably say that I couldn't bear standing there any longer."
Rouge smiled wistfully.
"He told me bad things would happen if I didn't give him the watch. But that obviously didn't happen, thanks to you. Were you really just waiting for the winds so you could glide? There's absolutely no chance that you wanted to see me?"
"I did want to see you." Knuckles said with a sigh, "I stayed on the surface until the sun came up. And all I could think of was you. But seeing Shadow there… thinking about how close you two are, the kind of friendship you have… I've never had that type of closeness. With anyone. It's just me up here. And I thought maybe… maybe that would be us. I wanted to leave, but I also wanted to stay."
Rouge was at a loss of words. She didn't know what to say.
"What happened? With the watch? With that green hedgehog? I never heard the full story." Knuckles tried to dig his way out of an awkward and emotional conversation about their developing relationship.
Rouge sighed nervously. She didn't think she would have to talk about this. But now it was time for her to lay all the cards out on the table…
"A few months ago, I went to a club and made some bad decisions. I saw Scourge at the bar and he couldn't stop staring at me, so I flirted with him and we danced together. And then… Well, I noticed he had a really nice and expensive watch, and being the pathetic thief I am, I stole it."
Knuckles chuckled, trying to stomach the searing sensation in his stomach at the thought of Rouge being lovey-dovey with another man.
"At least you finally admit that you're a pathetic thief."
"I'm not proud of myself at the moment. That's the only time you'll hear me say it." Rouge muttered bitterly.
"So where does your heart truly lie then?" Knuckles asked, frowning.
"What do you mean?"
"You flirted with him recklessly then ran off with his watch. I mean, I'm not surprised, since he was a stranger and all, but… I'm not a stranger. I'm not your friend either by any means, but how do I know that this isn't a ruse? You tell me you can't get me out of your head, then run off like I'm nothing to you."
"I was scared." She said softly.
"Scared?"
"Liking someone isn't fun, Knucklehead. It's terrifying. Especially when that someone is your polar opposite. You called it the way it was. We shouldn't be together at all. It doesn't change my feelings for you, but we just aren't a good match. I guess that part of me knew that, and that another part of me was so hurt by what you did here on this island, that I wanted you to feel that too."
"You wanted to hurt me."
"Yes." She admitted. "That's why it was the first thing I was curious about when we got here. I wanted to know if I meant as much to you as you do to me."
"I should be the one wondering that. You hop around from guy to guy every other day of the week. While I sit here, thinking about you."
Rouge flinched. She knew the truth about herself and the choices she made with her body, but it was still unsettling to hear other people call it out the way it was. And that feeling was coming back. The yearning and want and desire. The fact that he waited for her and no other woman even came close to crossing his mind was enough to make her crack.
The pair simply stared at each other, just relishing the moment to look at each other fully.
"Make love to me." Rouge murmured inattentively, her hand reaching out to clasp onto one of his dreads.
"What?" He asked, not expecting her impulsive request.
"Did I stutter?"
"We did that last night… Now… you want to do it again?"
"I want to get used to it. Your body… on mine." She inched closer to him.
"Are you sure we should do this? Out here? Why not wait until we go back to your club?"
"So you'll come back down to see me?" She asked hopefully as she positioned herself in his lap.
"I… I guess." He breathed uneasily as Rouge casually began undressing herself. It was funny for her to see him go from nerves to confidence and then back to nerves. No matter how much of a sturdy front he put on to impress her, she was his weakness and she was well aware of it.
She ran her hands along his chest before leaning in to give him a soft kiss on the lips.
"Rouge, wait. What… if… someone… comes here… and sees us?" He asked in between kisses.
Each kiss became longer, more passionate, more meaningful.
"Why not give them a show?" She asked, giggling lightly.
"Eh, screw it." He said, grabbing onto her hips and pulling her even closer to him.
This felt… good. It felt right. It was better than admiring her from afar and trying to erase everything he had ever felt for her. He was in love with Rouge. He was so in over his head that he would be willing to hunt down every treasure (the Master Emerald excluded) that she didn't already own just to give it to her and keep her attention on him.
But he didn't have to.
She had everything she could possibly want (Master Emerald once again excluded) and now she was here, her hands all over him once more, kissing him with tenderness and affection, pouring her heart out to him in the kiss.
"I changed my mind," she said suddenly as she pulled away to catch her breath. She had skillfully discarded all of her clothing, and Knuckles had his arms wrapped around her naked body rather protectively, anticipating someone would try to come and ruin their moment of intimacy.
"What?" He asked, trying to mask the disappointment in his voice – though he failed miserably.
Knuckles and Rouge's relationship with one another had always been rough. They yelled and screamed and bickered like no other. Every time he punched at her, she would kick back at him even harder. When he thought he broke her down to the point of surrender, she would surprise him by testing the very last walls of his patience. They were never gentle with each other. Never easy, never sweet, never innocent. Maybe that's what Rouge loved about him most. Having someone that could handle her and even bite back.
"…I want you to fuck me senselessly." She whispered, as though there was someone else with them. Of course they were alone, but it wasn't something she wanted to say out loud. She almost sounded desperate, which wasn't good for the ivory temptress, especially given her reputation for being the heartbreaker, not breakee.
Knuckles raised an eye ridge. She was talking nonsense now. They had sex less than twenty four hours ago and it had taken her a few moments to get adjusted to his size. Not only was she willing to go at it again, but this time she wanted him to be absolutely ruthless. Was this some weird kink or something?
"Rouge…"
"What?" She asked impatiently. She was literally naked in his arms and didn't like the sound of hesitation in his voice.
"Are you sure?" He asked, genuinely concerned for her wellbeing. Of course that's not how she interpreted it.
"Are you too scared? Or you think I can't handle you? Don't forget about who has more sexual experience here." She teased lightly, not expecting him to take it too seriously.
But he did.
Without another word he nearly slammed her body into the ground, inching himself on top of her. Both of his hands were on her shoulders, locking her into place. If any other female had found themselves in the position Rouge was in right now they probably would have panicked and tried to wriggle themselves out of the bulky echidna's grasp. But Rouge loved it. The only problem with so much restriction was not being able to reach up and grope him himself.
"Kn-Knuckles…" She stammered, turning red when she saw the way he was looking at her.
"What? Changed your mind already? This is what you wanted. I'm not going easy on you batgirl." He growled, his erection firmly pressed against her thigh.
Her legs twitched with anticipation.
"Knuckles…" she whimpered, raising her legs to wrap around his back. "Don't make me wait."
With a grunt he pushed himself into her, no warning, no slowness; he quickly enveloped himself into her warmth, shivering at the pleasure he felt as he did so.
Rouge screamed, her body shaking as her arms broke away from his iron grip. For a split second Knuckles thought perhaps he had been too rough with her but the thought was dispelled instantly when she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him even closer to her, her nipples rubbing themselves against his chest with each thrust.
"Yes… Yes…" she gasped as he increased the pace, the only detectable sound being the sound of his flesh pounding into hers.
"Rouge… Fuck…" He grunted, "Holy shit. You're so… tight…"
Rouge's back arched, each wave was even more pleasurable than the last.
"More! I want more!"
Knuckles' eyes shot open, he looked down at the bat beneath him incredulously.
"You're crazy," he said breathlessly.
Trailing his hands up her body, he kneaded her breasts, rolling his thumbs over her nipples. Instead of increasing the pace he increased the force of his thrusts, causing her body to jolt over and over.
As they continued their session, Knuckles found himself inching closer and closer to his release.
"Rouge…" He said, panting.
"Yes." She responded, responding to his thrusts by moving her body along with his rhythm.
"I'm…"
"I know, honey." She said knowingly.
He closed his eyes, burying his face into the crook of her neck and allowed himself to come, savoring the feel of being inside of the only woman whom he could love and loathe at the same time, before finally pulling out.
Utterly spent, he fell on his back, relaxing while Rouge positioned herself in his arms.
"Knuckie." She said after a few minutes, when she finally gained her breath.
"Yes?"
"You really got me, didn't you?" She smirked at him, laying her head on his chest.
"I don't know. Did I?" He asked, stroking her back.
She smiled to herself, kissing him on the cheek.
"I love you." She said quickly.
Knuckles blushed, looking down at her.
"Okay. But if I wake up later and the Master Emerald is gone, I won't hesitate to beat your ass."
"Whatever." She mumbled, closing her eyes.
A few hours later…
Knuckles woke up, and just as he expected, Rouge was gone. He stood up, flinching and holding onto his lower area.
"Damn that bat." He muttered to himself.
He was honestly disappointed that she left him again. He was considering making a visit to Night Babylon just to give her the ride of her life and then leave her hanging. With a heavy sigh, he limped back toward the altar. He was ready for his soreness to subside so that he could glide to the surface and grab his emerald, which he was certain that she had snagged.
But when he got back there, the emerald was still there.
Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, he walked up the stairs slowly, looking at the emerald carefully.
"If this is a ruse…" He murmured, placing a gloved hand against the emerald. The large gem shone against his hand, its brilliance was genuine and irreproducible. He looked to the side, noticing a shimmering object that was too beautiful not to be found.
It was the diamond necklace. The treasure that started it all between them.
Knuckles exhaled.
"…I guess I did get you." He said to himself, unable to contain the smile and rush of happiness that coursed through his being.
FIN
a/n: Geez, this was long. I've had this in my drafts for MONTHS but never got around to finishing it. But now, I'm done! YAY! And I'm almost done with my other story too. Which means I can start writing and publishing all my other story ideas, and being irresponsible and inconsistent with those stories too. I want to write a KnuxRougeShad story. And a ShadRougeBlaze. But I don't know what I'll be doing next and when I'll be doing it. Um, I'm sorry for taking so long to update this. It's been nearly a year but I never forgot about this story. I meant to update it in like August (which was when I started writing the chapter, oopsy) but obviously I didn't. ANYHOO, the lemon at the end was rushed, I know (I tried to prolong it but scenes like that aren't always meant to be thorough), so I'm sorry. But thanks for reading everyone!