Chapter Text
As the three heroes scavenger hunt for a certain red echidna while team dark has their moment, they're very unaware as to where he might be hiding. Though, it was very safe to say, Sonic, Amy, and Tails knew Knuckles needed a stern talking to!
The search only took about 30 minutes, they found him......sulking back on the island? The three watched him lay flat on top of the master emeralds surface and watch the clouds silently.
The shiner on his cheek still glowed a stinging red. He just kept looking up into the sun, hopefully it would take him and ultimately swallow him whole. Just as he was about to drift off into his inevitable despair, multiple voices shouting his name were heard in the far distance.
"Knuckles!"
Great. Just the people he wanted to see right now. He sat up straight, "what are you guys doing here?"
"We're here to talk to you!" Cried Amy.
Sonic added, "What you did to Rouge was totally uncool man."
"Aw man, you guys saw everything?! Listen, I appreciate your support and everything, but-"
His lazy sentence was cut off by a nasty scoff coming from Amy. "Support?! Please! If anything, we should kick your butt right now!"
Knuckles looked confused, wondering why his friends weren't taking his side. "Yeah dude, that kick to the face was honestly deserved." Sonic said. "I'm surprised it was only a kick to the face you got."
"What even happened?" Tails flew over to the master emerald and looked Knuckles dead in the face as he helicoptered over him with his tails.
"Why aren't you guys trying to make me feel just a smidge better? I already feel like crap!"
"So then why did you go about the whole thing like that?" Amy leaned in with her hands on her hips, hammer in her grasp.
"I got nervous, whats wrong with that!"
Wait, does Knuckles think acting like that during a confession is the equivalent of just being nervous? He made an absolute fool out of himself!
At this point, everyone's faces were littered with shock. Sonic spoke up, "So- do you like her back or not?!"
"I do!"
"So then why did it clearly look like a bad rejection?! Why not tell her you feel the same, Knuckles!" Amy was fuming, Tails was done, and Sonic was tired.
"Knux, I love you bro, but you need to learn how to get it together."
"Now you've ruined any chance you've got because all you've got up here is dead muscle!" Tails pointed at his temple and laughed, trying to mock him. Knuckles didn't know whether to feel upset, angry, or hopeless. Maybe all at once. They were right.
Knuckles reflected on his actions for a couple moments, maybe it wasn't normal to completely deny somebody's romantic feelings for you by plain out blurting that you hate the very idea of their existence all because you were too scared to just say you liked them back.
Amy digressed when she noticed the guilty look on his face, but knew she needed to say more. "And you knocked the gem out of her hand!"
He looked at her, "Huh? No I didn't, that was an accident!"
"Oh my Gaia...." Sonic sighed. "You have to tell people these things, Knuckles. She definitely thinks you did it on purpose!"
He watches his friends rub their temples and sigh in defeat. "But I was nervous! I...." Knuckles was about to defend himself before he really just sat and thought about his behavior for another good, long moment.
What he did was.....wow, it actually wasn't right. Like- at all.
The things he said, the things he did, oh my chaos, they were.....rude!
Even if Knuckles didn't realize and thought it was just him being nervous, he blurts out things he absolutely doesn't mean! He can see now how his assholery affected Rouge. If he was them, he'd definitely be mad too.
He had no idea why he didn't immediately snap himself out of his delusions. He said some nasty things to her, snapped at her, and now she probably thinks she hates him! It wasn't true, it wasn't true at all!
Knuckles didn't know what to say. "I.....really messed up, didn't I?"
"Ya sure did, and I suggest you go fix it before you become nothing but some big red stranger to her! She thought you were special, Knuckles. She told me herself! She really liked you, dude." Sonic said while he held Amy back from potentially pulverizing him into a pancake with her hammer. Knuckles looking down at his gloves.
This sucked.
"Damn, I didn't mean for any of this to happen..." Said Knuckles, "I really....like her..."
"Then go tell her!!" Tails tossed his older brother a makeshift bouquet made out of the flowers he gathered around the place where the emerald rested, with a stem of a couple dandelions tied around it. Quite the crafty fox, he made it look very presentable, and not to mention, actually pretty beautiful.
Knuckles caught it in a hurry, looked at the assortment of flowers, and then his friends. His eyes gleamed with determination. Nodding, he ran off, waiting for whatever Rouge had to say to him, he'd do anything. Losing the potential relationship they could have -if she even forgives him- would send Knuckles into psychosis. He couldn't lose her, not Rouge. He didn't know what it was, but he felt as if this was life or death.
Sonic, Tails, and Amy watched their buddy run off the island. This could go one of two ways: she miraculously forgives him for his big dumb mistake, or, she would slap his face clean off, who knows. Only time will tell.
"I hope they make up..." Amy presses her hand against her cheek, worried.
"Nah, I'm sure it'll be fiiiine." Replied Sonic.
Tails scratches his cheek, "Uh....are we gonna follow him?"
"Oh no yeah definitely-- let's go!"
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The grass presses hard against the ground as Knuckles runs towards Rouge and Shadows apartment like his life depends on it. Once he reached the city, he might as well have been body slamming the door with the way he was knocking.
Rouge opened the door, eyes closed and scratching the back of her head. "Hello? If you're sellin' anything, we ain't buyin'...." Only then when she opened her eyes did she meet with a big, meaty and red echidna staring her straight in the face.
"Wait, before you-"
Knuckles leaned in the door a bit before it crashed into his nose with its violent slam. So loud the apartment shook. He flew back and scrunched his muzzle up with his face throbbing in pain, one hand leaning on the door frame to support his balance.
Tails, Amy, and Sonic cringed at the hard hit, hiding in another bush a couple feet away in some random community garden. Man, they sure liked bushes. They get comfortable in their newfound home, placing bets on whether she would forgive him or not.
"Honestly, I wouldn't blame her for not forgiving him. What he did wasn't the best way to go about a situation, especially when it comes to a girl." Huffed Amy.
Sonic nodded, "I mean, maybe once he clears up the misunderstanding they could start over? But I don't see how you really start over after that."
"You guys, shut up! I'm trying to listen."
Tails whispers and takes out binoculars he had kept stored in one of his tails. "Where did you get those?" Amy whispers. "Don't worry about it."
"Hey, I wanna see too!"
"Get your own!"
"Well I don't have two big giant tails to keep stuff in, otherwise I would!" says Sonic.
Knuckles turns behind him, he swore he heard a voice. The trio hushes up quick, burying themselves deep into the bush with wide eyes. He squints while searching the place with his eyes, then quickly turns back around.
They figured should stop whisper-shouting for now....
Knuckles looks around for answers, for help. He doesn't know what to do, placing his hand on his head, visibly very upset. The door opens again, but it wasn't Rouge.
"Why are you here."
"Shadow!" Knuckles jolts. "Come on, man!"
"She doesn't want to talk to you."
"Please, just one minute! I want to-"
"Leave. You're lucky I've even kept the door open for this long." Shadow steps back and slams it right in his face again. Knuckles presses his head against the door, devastated. He's wondering if there's anything that could just get through to her. Knuckles' feelings are so strong, why did it take this long for him to realize? He's always felt this way.
"Woah....this is getting deep." Tails whispers, and is seemingly chewing on something.
Amy looks over at him, confused. "What are you eating?"
"Popcorn."
"How are you fitting all of that in there?!" Sonic whispered while also trying to get his hand in there.
"Hey, get your own-- and shh! Look!"
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Back in the apartment, here we read that Rouge is in some major stress. After she'd slammed the door, she pulled at her ears and pinned them against the sides of her face in agony. A strained look in her expression.
Shadow comes back after ultimately just shutting the door in Knuckles' face. "Should I get rid of him?"
"No, Shadow it's fine. Just embarrassing."
"How so? He's the one that messed up."
"Can you believe that?! He saw me in my daytime clothes!" Rouge cried.
Huh? Daytime clothes? She only had an ecru colored shirt on that dropped off of one shoulder, and some black sport shorts and quarter white ankle socks, what was the issue?
"How does this influence the current situation, Rouge."
Omega is still on the couch, not having much to do with his free time. "Because--I probably looked totally awful! You boys wouldn't understand the importance of looking pretty in front of the person you like." She freaked. "It's over, now he'll leave for sure!"
"Wait-- don't tell me." Shadows eyes turned sharp, lids lowering in suspicion. "You still like that idiot. Isn't that what you want? For him to leave? He's done nothing but hurt you."
Just as Rouge was about to retaliate, loud and triumphant shouts squeeze their way through the door.
"Rouge! What I said to you-- I didn't mean it! Any of it! Just let me explain, please!"
She started walking towards the door, hesitant to open it. Shadow stepped in the way. "I won't let you."
"Shadow, honey. I know you don't want me putting relationships over my work, but that won't happen-"
"This isn't about that anymore."
He was worried, even if he couldn't say it, even if he couldn't show it. Rouges stare softened at the realization. "Listen sweetie, I know you're worried, but trust me, there's absolutely nothing you need to worry about. I know what I'm doing." She smiled, planting a sudden kiss to his cheek to get him to scooch away from the space between her and the door. "And did you see the look on his face with the flowers in his hand? So pathetically charming!" She placed both hands on her warming cheeks, man, she was already too deep.
"Hmph, fine. Do as you please." Shadow rubbed the spot where he was kissed, and waddled away awkwardly.
"Should I change quick, Omega??" Asked Rouge.
"Let him see you as is, if he really reciprocates his romantic feelings for you, he would not care."
And that's all she needed to strut her way to the door, swinging it open. A sassy hand placed on her hip. "You've got three minutes to explain why you made a fool of me back there, or it's this door in your nose again!!"
So, he does. Explaining that this was gonna sound really bad. "I....got nervous, and when I do, I say and do things I don't mean at all. And-- knockin' the gem out of your hand was a complete accident, I swear! My hands go everywhere when I get sweaty." He rants, nothing but the truth leaving his mouth, telling her he doesn't want to lose her.
"I kept it." Knuckles admitted, pulling it out of his quills. He showed it to her, shimmering in all its beauty. The Ruby shined in her eyes, she...didn't know how to feel just yet.
She crosses her arms, conflicted by such kind words. "What you did was....idiotic."
Knuckles immediately nods.
"And absolutely, downright rancid."
He nods again.
"Really, I mean, I've never seen anything like that from a muscle-head like you." She snickers, "but....I guess that's still what makes you cute."
Knuckles eyes widen. "So, you're....forgivin' me?"
"Ah, ah, ah. You'll have to work for it big boy. Ya gotta show me just how sorry you are." Rouges voice is low, and her tone suddenly flirtatious. Knuckles turns as red as he did back when she first confessed to him. "Why don't you come inside? We can talk more."
She takes his hand, leading him in, and all at the same time, kicking Omega and Shadow right out. "Give me the rest of the evening, boys." Rouge says as she shuts the door. She and Knuckles had a lot to discuss.
Omega immediately spots the bush and sticks his hand in there like he's drawing a ticket for a raffle, and pulls out a little yellow fox by both of his tails. "Hey!" The kit shouts.
Sonic and Amy jump out after him, demanding the robot that they let go of their friend. Shadow just stood there, arms crossed, posted up like he's got all the aura in the world. Guess they just had to wait it out. Omega puts Tails down, and they all group together in front of the door.
"Wow, this whole thing sure was crazy huh?" Said Sonic, "what's say we grab a chilli dog while they're chatting?"
Shadow -as politely as he can- declines the offer, but only before Amy convinces him to lighten up.
So, they all leave, how Rouge and Knuckles' talk was going was all up to their imaginations now. There was one thing they knew for certain though, that those two were definitely figuring it out the only way they can. Even if that way was bickering like an old married couple again.