Knuxouge - Clipped Wings

We Collectively Ignore the Previous Chapter

((Quick Author's note: everything in this chapter is innocent. So don't get your hopes up at any given time))

Rouge woke up to a knock on her door. She sat up groggily, at first confused as to why she was on the couch instead of her comfortable bed. She quickly remembered the events of last night, when she had found a camera drone in her room and thrown it in her wall safe. A quick glance told her that the safe was secure.

She got off the couch and walked down the hallway to open the door.

"Who could be bothering me at such an early hour?" She grumbled, mostly to herself, as she pulled it open.

"Early hour? It's nearly two in the afternoon!" Knuckles, greeting her with crossed arms, exclaimed incredulously.

"Sorry to wake you up," Tails lamented, standing next to Knuckles on the doorstep.

"Really? Two in the..." Rouge looked up, seeing that the sun was high above her. It was definitely after noon. "Oh, sorry. I'm disoriented, I had kind of a late night. Why are you two visiting?"

The boys smiled brightly and moved aside. Past them was Tails' new plane. The sun glistened off of it promisingly.

"I call this beauty the T.T. SkyBlaze! Er, no relation to Blaze the Cat," Tails introduced the machinery.

"What does T.T. stand for?" Rouge asked.

"TOTALLY TUBULAR!" The boys exclaimed together. They high-fived.

Rouge giggled— seeing them in such high spirits lifted her own. She stepped outside to inspect the aircraft. It was wonderfully shiny, on par with high quality jewels. Rouge ran a hand over its smooth surface. The body was reflective of its surroundings, green and yellow from the forest, and the wings were glossy blue. The overall shape was pointy. It certainly seemed aerodynamic.

"Well done, Tails. She's a beauty," Rouge called over her shoulder.

He smiled and agreed, but then told her "we didn't just come here to show it to you. How would you like to ride on it?"

"ON it? Not IN it?"

"Nope! I can pilot while you sit on the wing; this way you can feel the wind and have a 360 view on your ride."

So that's why Tails and Knuckles had been so smiley, even the day before. They had been planning this for her. They stared at Rouge with expectant and excited looks on their faces. She looked away. Not because she was unappreciative, but because she was tearing up. They had done so much for her. Before this whole incident, she hadn't been particularly close with the sonic crew except for Knuckles. But now she knew how much they would do for her in a pinch; she could see their love for her in their every action and word. Cream housing her for so long. Amy talking to and supporting her. Sonic keeping her entertained. Tails making sure she was comfortable and happy. Knuckles protecting her so closely. It came rushing over Rouge in a wave, and she couldn't speak for a few seconds. She loved them all. They were her friends.

"Don't be worried, I have a seat belt attachment for the wing," Tails misinterpreted her silence as hesitance.

"A seat belt, how nice," Rouge finally responded, "I would be delighted to take a ride with you." Remembering the drone from the earlier night, she continued "but first would you let me get dressed, eat, you know, freshen up?"

"Not our fault you didn't get up at a decent hour," Knuckles said, which was his way of saying yes.

"Of course! We don't have anything else planned today," Tails affirmed. So Rouge went back into her house.