Falling
Knuckles watched as Rouge flew off into the late afternoon sky. It bothered him a little that he had won so easily. Something was off about Rouge today. It might be a trick…. He watched her steadily making sure she didn't change her mind. She rose high then stalled then dropped like a stone.
Knuckles ran and launched himself off the edge of the floating island. He caught her and directed their fall towards the understructure of the island. He slammed a spiked fist into the rock face and slowed their descent. He flopped her body over his shoulder, so he could use his other fist to totally stop their fall.
“Rouge?” he grunted.
No answer.
He looked up, there was an alcove a couple of yards above them. It might have been a lava tube when the island was once part of the ground.
With tremendous effort Knuckles made it. He heaved Rouge's limp body over the ledge first. He swung his legs to the side and pulled himself to safety. He took a moment to catch his breath.
He proceeded to get the bat’s body away from the edge. He gently tested her wings. No swelling or noticeable fractures. He folded her wings up behind her and laid her out on her back. He knelt down and checked her body for any injuries. None that he could see.
He saw her chest rise and fall with breath. His hands weren't sensitive enough to test a pulse. He had to use his ears. He turned her head to the side and pressed the side of his head against her clavicle. Her heart beat was usually fast.
Did she overexert herself? That didn't make much sense. She flew up and down from the island so many times without breaking a sweat.
He used his thumb to pull an eyelid down to check her eyes. Teal irises snapped up at his Violet ones. Her ears perked and a smirk appeared.
A Trap!
He jumped up but before he could turn she took her strong legs and swept him off his feet. He fell right back down with a loud “Oof!”
He tried to get up again. She rolled over and straddled him. Pinning his arms down above his head. She smiled down at him. “Sorry Red, I couldn't let you get the last laugh.”
He blushed and tucked his chin into his chest so his muzzle wasn't so close to hers. He then shoved her off of him and moved to the exit.
She grabbed his tail. In his shock he emitted an undignified yelp. Instinct made him swipe at her. She smoothly stepped out of his range, her hands up in a placating manner. “~Sorry handsome, can't blame a girl for trying to keep you near by.~” a teasing lith in her voice.
He grunted trying to keep her words from entering his brain. “You are just trying to distract me while someone is stealing the Master Emerald!"
She gasped over-dramatically and placed a hand over her heart, her face full of faux hurt. “You wound me, Red! How am I going to claim that I am a master thief, if I can complete a heist by myself?”
He rolled his eyes at her dramatics. “Maybe you got desperate this time?” He mumbled.
She moved closer and held on to his arm squeezing his bicep to make her point.
“Stealing with others just means I have to share the loot. I want the Master Emerald whole and all to myself.” She playfully taped him on his nose.
He huffed and jerked away.
She smiled at his reaction.
“Okay then ‘master thief’, Lets prove it then.” He crossed his arms. “Fly us back up there, so I can prove you're telling the truth.” He motioned to the mouth of the cave with his head.
She haughtily placed her hands on her hips and snapped her wings open. Only to have her face contort into pain. She sucked in a breath and dropped her wings. She held her shoulder.
Knuckles stepped closer out of concern. Then shook his head. “You're just wasting my time.” He turned and walked to the exit.
“Hey! Wait! Don't just leave me here!” She shrieked after him, keeping her wings down.
It was too late he had already started to climb.
“You big dumb-!” She continued yelling curses up at him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He wasn’t as fast as Sonic, but focusing his natural chaos energy on his legs he could keep a good pace. He checked the Master Emerald, all his traps, he checked the island’s perimeter. No sign of any intruder, no planted bombs, no secret cameras, nothing. He let out a sigh.
~~~~~~~~~~
Rouge burned hot with rage. Stupid muscle pain! stupid echidna! Grrrr! She had thought about calling Shadow or Omega to come and get her. But the thought of them saving her made her sneer. Those two already and an impossible aura of superiority around them. She loved it when that aura was aimed at others but she couldn't stand it if it was pointed at her. Ugggg! She made it a point to be just as imposing, and superior as them. She would not be seen as a weak link in her team! This wasn't a mission failure, this was a personal failure. Nope! She couldn't call her team.
She eyed the cliff face. Could she climb out of this herself? It was a long way up until the ledge. Without the backup of her wings she didn't know if she wanted to test that.
Maybe if she stretched? A twinge of pain shot through her shoulder. Gaaa! Why did Knuckles have to live on a floating island! She massaged her shoulder the best she could.
A small sound of rocks breaking made her ears turn to the back of the cave. The sound got closer and louder. She stood clear of the blast zone. Knuckles was backlit by lava. She admired his silhouette. ~Oh my~
He offered his hand and nodded his head toward the new exit. “Com’on.”
She gave him a sultry look. “I always knew you wanted to hold my hand.~”
Knuckles sputtered. He tried to cover it with a cough. She tried to step around him to survey the new surroundings.
“Oh no you don't!” Rouge was swept up in a bridal hold.
“Hey! My legs aren't broken!” She smacked the back of his head. He didn't pay it any mind as he ran with her still in his arms.
“I’m not letting you get acquainted with this new way onto my Island.” He gruffed but she saw a little pull of a smile on his face.
She crossed her arms indignantly and felt his muscles in his arms and chest as he carried her. She closed her eyes and took a breath to try and force her creeping blush down.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Even through his rushing she did gather as much info as she could until he stopped at his hut. The sun was about to set.
Rules that a woman should have to be safe rolled around in her head. Don't let a man take you back to his place. She internally scoffed. She broke those rules all the time anyways.
Knuckles turned on a lamp that hung from a beam. He then got two large ceramic cups and poured water into them from a large clay jug. He offered her one of the cups. Don't drink anything offered to you by a man.
He downed the liquid fast and poured himself more. She took a sip wondering if water from a jug would taste like dirt. It tasted fine, so she finished it. He sat down on some tree stumps that served as chairs in front of a table that was pushed against the wall of his hut.
He gave a sigh. “So, what is wrong with your wings?”
The white bat crossed her arms and sneered at him. “Nothings ‘wrong’ with my wings!” her voice full of offense.
He rolled his eyes at her. “Look, I'm trying to help you. You don't have to be so…” he flipped his mits looking for the word. “Mysterious?” He didn't know if that was the right word.
“~Oh but Knuckie, that's part of my charm~.” She lowered her eyelids at him. It was a tactic to save her pride.
Pride! That was the right word to use for her but if he said she was too proud she would slap him or point out a moment he had been too prideful himself. Two prideful peas in a pod. He had heard Sonic use that saying once.
“Fine, if you aren't going to let me help you, how can we get you off my Island?”
“I don't know Knuckie, it's a pretty nice place to be.” She sat herself down on another stump giving him a challenge with her face.
He grunted annoyed. “I doubt you really want to stay here all night with me.” The silence that followed surprised him. He squinted his eyes to try to read Rouge’s face. Did she really want to stay? Heat rose to his face at the thought and he looked down at the table.
She chose the lesser of two evils “Fine!” She groaned. “It's my shoulder that hurts when I spread my wings.” She moved her shoulders and wings to demonstrate. Wincing at the pain. “But I doubt you have a secret doctorate degree that can help me.” She snarked.
He rolled his eyes at her jab. “I have some ointment for muscle pain.” He got up to rummage through an old set of drawers that was against the other side of the hut. Rouge thought that maybe Tails had flown it up for Knuckles to hold his stuff in.
He turned back to her holding out a jar. She didn't make a move to take it. There was an awkward silence. Rouge took control of the situation the best way she knew how. She gave him a sultry look. “It's kinda in a hard spot for me to reach.~”
Knuckles froze at the implications. “I-ah…um.” He fumbled and dropped the jar. Rouge swiftly dipped to catch it before it shattered on the floor. When she stood up they were nose to nose. At this range she could see his skin was just as red as his fur. She took in his utterly shocked face with a grin.
She turned to sit down, giving a low chuckle. “Be gentle now. I’ve seen your hands crush stone.” She opened the container and the room filled with the scent of menthol and eucalyptus.
The smell smacked Knuckles back to reality. He shook his head and moved to stand behind her. He looked down at her exposed back. He felt his vision was blurry. He shook his head once more and took a deep cleansing breath.
“Hurry up, Red. Or ~do you really want to stay here all night with me?~” She mocked his voice.
He let the anger from being mocked steely his concentration. He ripped his mits off and dove a finger into the jar that Rouge held up.
Rouge caught a glimpse of his bare hand. If I go home smelling like echidna, Shadow will never let me live it down!
She let out a tiny gasp as the cooling sensation of the ointment hit her skin.
He stopped, “D-did that hurt?” There was panic in the edge of his voice.
She turned her head, giving him a side eye. “It takes a lot more than that to hurt me, sweetie.” She settled more in her seat. “Its just cold.”
Knuckles grunted in acknowledgement, and continued. He took his thumb to the base of her neck and pushed down and away from her spine towards her deltoid. He did this again going a little lower making tracks along her short tan fur.
He noticed her trapezoid muscles were thick and strong. He applied a little more pressure. Once he got to the base of her wing he noticed that her shoulder blade had a socket for her wings to go into. He looked at his knuckle spurs and how they connected to his hand and were a part of his hand bones. He supposed they both were a little weird anatomically speaking.
Rouge drooped her wings down, they hung almost to the floor, so Knuckles could see what he was doing. It was no secret Rouge loved to be pampered. But making her rival give her a massage added something special to the mix. The fact that the one giving her the massage was a strong handsome man was more icing to the cake. She felt like she had won the lottery. Funny considering she was sitting on a stump in a shack. Feelings of glee bubbled up in her chest. This is what she needed.
She was glad she decided to pay Angel Island a visit today. She had been feeling strangely depressed all throughout the work day. Once she was off of work she tracked down the floating island. The initial sparring and word play with Knuckles didn't help her mood much, so she decided to leave early. What a waste of time coming here. Then her back muscle spasmed. She really didn't pass out from the fall. Weirdly assured that Knuckles would save her. He had before. She kept up the farce of being passed out because having him fuss over her had improved her mood. If anyone asked she would just say she was testing if he was capable in a medical emergency. He passed. Of course he did, he has been his own doctor his whole life.
Sitting in her thoughts and feelings a sound escaped her mouth without her permission.
Was that a purr!!?! The two jumped back from each other. Both horrified.
Did I hurt her!?!?! No, was that a purr!?!? I made her feel…. But she….!?!
Think of something quick, Rouge! He can't know that was genuine!
Her wit was failing her. Her body had betrayed her feelings and she couldn't find a way to cover it. If she ran away would be considered an admission of guilt.
A thought clicked that was her only escape. Poison him!
Her hand quickly slipped into the secret pocket at the top of her thigh high boots. She swept in for the big kiss. She crashed her lips to his. Her arms linking around his neck. In the surprise of it all he didn't feel the little prick to the back of the neck she had given him.
What!?! Knuckle's brain couldn't catch up. His body told him to just lean onto it. So he did. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back. It was wonderful until it wasn't. His arms started to feel heavy and so did his head. His brain started to feel like it was full of static. His knees buckled without his permission. They both fell to the floor. The extra weight of Rouge landing on top of him knocked the air right out of his lungs.
Rouge turned her head to the side so she could hear his breathing and heartbeat. He was asleep. She closed her eyes and gave a sigh. She lingered laying on his chest. A nagging voice in her head berated her until she stood up. She tested her wings. There still was a dull pain but she could work with it.
~~~~~~~~~
Knuckles woke up at the base of the Emerald sanctuary. His head was pounding and he felt sluggish. He remembered what happened yesterday, but it felt like a dream. Was it all a dream? How did he end up at the bottom of the stone steps? He felt like someone had hit him on the head. Maybe Rouge knocked him out and pushed him down the stairs? He turned quickly, sending a wave of pain through his head. The Master Emerald was where it always should be. If she knocked him out and did not steal the Emerald, then why come to the island at all? He laid back down and looked up at the afternoon sky. She was a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out.
********
When you feel sad and need a hug but can't ask for one because of your carefully crafted reputation.
If there is any spelling or grammar errors, please let me know. 🙏
