Sonic Character Ships OneShots

Catch Me (Knuxouge) Pt. 4

Across the town was another rougher part of the large city. Knuckles gulped nervously and tried to keep an eye on Rouge and Shadow who walked to a store. Rouge went in with a mask over her face and Shadow stood at the door. After a couple of minutes, she came back out with bags of something inside of it and walked out. "Alright, I've got everything set. Let's get going. They're going to be needing us soon." she instructed.

They ran off into another part of the city where it was isolated and quiet. Rouge whispered something to Shadow and then turned to Knuckles. "Come... I need to show you why I'm doing this." she said.

"Don't think you'll be able to change my mind so easily." he growled. Rouge's ears flattened but continued to walk down into an alleyway. There was a building that looked beaten down and broken. Having said so, Rouge threw a rock at a lever that caused a ladder to their level. She took it and carefully held the bad in her hands. Knuckles was hesitant at first though his determination got the better of him and he followed her up.

It led them directly to a window that was slightly cracked. Rouge watched Knuckles tiredly come up to the last level of the ladder. Knuckles hoisted himself up and threw himself onto the level out of breath. "You know for a cop, you seem out of shape." she giggled. "Hush before I arrest you now!" he gasped. "Oh, hun please, with you so out of breath I doubt you could!" she said, tracing a finger across his chest.

Seeing her doing this, he blushed lightly. "For a thief... You're quite attractive." he chuckled. Taken back, Rouge took her finger away and felt her face turn red. She turned away. "You're just saying that."

"No no, I mean it. Look as a cop, I don't get a lot of downtime to go out and meet people. Any date that I get close to, they usually don't return my call the next day. Just looking for a meal ticket. You seem different. Even though what you did was wrong... I think that there's more to you than what you say about yourself." he responded.

Rouge looked over at him with a soft smile on her face. She held out her hand and he took it. Together they went towards the window that was cracked and carefully opened it up. Inside, there were children who rushed up to see Rouge and nuzzled her. "Lady Rouge! Lady Rouge!" they greeted. Many of them hugged her and crawled all over her. It took Knuckles a minute to squeeze through the window and fall onto the floor. Many of the kids raced over and checked out the new stranger in the room. "Rouge, who's this weirdo?" some kid asked.

The kids looked all over him and crawled on him as he sat up. They laughed and Knuckles was left to try and get them off of him. Rouge laughed and reached over to hold one of the kids that reached out. "Now now you guys, give him a break. This is my friend, his name is Knuckles. And he's here to join us tonight!" she told them. "Oh! Goody! What are we going to eat!?" another one asked.

Inside the bags, she pulled out bunches of boxes. When she opened one up, all the kids went wild. "PIZZA!" they squealed. Each one was given a slice and they devoured everything. Wow... these kids act like they haven't eaten in years. Knuckles thought. Rouge sat there with little girls doing their fur and then went to the little boys and cleaned the dirt off their faces. "Lady Rouge, is Mr. Knuckles your new boyfriend?" a little girl asked.

Suddenly both of them blushed brightly. Knuckles allowed little boys to mess around with him and tackle him to the ground. Rouge smiled and brushed the girl's hair back. "No hun, you know me. I've got to keep moving. I have to keep looking out for you guys." she said. "Yeah but, you said you want to find someone to share a life with! Why not take this guy?" the little girl said. "Alright, that's enough of that! Go on now!" she said.

An hour or two went by and eventually, they all went into their little sleeping places and took anything they could use to stay warm. Rouge kissed each one before heading out of the window nearby. Even as she went out, Knuckles couldn't believe the conditions they lived in. The place stunk, it was full of rotten papers, and it was cold inside. He sighed as he hopped out chasing after Rouge who had made it to the ground.

He watched her begin to walk back. Needing answers, he stopped in his tracks. "I'm... I'm shocked. Why are they here of all places? Shouldn't they be in... I don't know, foster care?" he asked. "Are you kidding?! No! That's why they're there, to begin with!" she snapped turning around quickly. "What do you mean?"

"Look... Foster cares today don't give a damn about these kids! They treat them like shit and allow them to be used by those who just want to get paid! Those kids... they ran away! They live here because right now that's the only place I can afford for them to stay. I don't earn a lot from singing at night or from my day job... So I go to different places, getting what I can and selling whatever I can get my hands on. Every single penny I make goes to those kids... So do what you want Officer. But don't think that arresting me will fix anything. I've been doing this longer than you have even been on the force. And even now I won't let those kids go hungry."

Hearing this, Knuckles couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth coming from her. He sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "I won't say anything... Just... Stay out of trouble. Be safe, I know those kids need you. I will say... There are other ways." he said. "Ways to make sure I can get enough food? That those kids will be safe? Ways to keep them together? I doubt it... Thank you. I'll try my best." she said, beginning to walk away.

Before she could, she felt the same arm whip her around. Without warning, he pressed his lips against hers, her cheeks turning bright red. Although she returned the feeling, wrapping her arms around his neck. The two stood there for another minute loving on one another. When they pulled away, they stared. "Well... You know how to leave an impression." she smiled. "I... I just want to take something to remember you by... In case I don't get to see you again." he said.

"Hun... Trust me... You'll see me." she reassured. With that, she ran off to Shadow and both drove away into the night. Knuckles stood there alone and sighed. As he reached into his pocket, he found something. It was an address with time slots. He was confused but wasn't sure what to think about it. Finding his way back to his car, he got in, took a moment, and then drove back home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, Knuckles was given a day off after the Chief had heard about what had happened during the whole ordeal. He was angry at first but after hearing Knuckles almost lost his life, he let them both have the day off.

Deciding to take full advantage of it, he drove to the address he had in his pocket at a certain time during the afternoon.

Turns out it was a diner in a popular part of town. What? Who the heck would give me this? And why? He thought as he walked inside the place. Immediately he was met by a waitress. "Hello, sir! Just you today?" she asked. He nodded and followed her to a booth where she sat him there. Saddened about the night before, Knuckles held the crumpled paper full of frustration and thinking about kissing a criminal.

Just as he was about to go insane from all the thoughts, someone approached his table. "Hey hun," a voice greeted. He knew that voice. Knuckles turned his head and his eyes widened seeing her in person. "Rouge..." he said, standing up. She smirked and made him sit back down. "I told you, you'd see me. Now, what can I get for you?" she asked, pulling her pad out and clicking her pen.

For the first time, he felt as shy as a schoolboy on his first day. "I... I... I want your number."