December's Kiss

December's Kiss
By Shade the Raven

The light powder of snow fell from the sky in a fleeting flurry this night as was fitting for this time of year. December, the last month in the calendar. A time to reflect upon the happenings of the year, celebrate friends, family and love, and plan for the seasons ahead. And for the most part her friends were doing just that. Sonic the Hedgehog had finally balked from years of constant pressure from a certain cherry fan-girl and agreed to spend the holidays with young Amy Rose. Tails, the bright-eyed, twin-tailed genius of the group was neck deep in refitting his new Chao Walker for Cream and Cheese. And as was customary for his nature, Shadow the Hedgehog had vanished in the washing glow of Chaos Control, to return whenever his whim demanded it.

So ironic it was then, that for all the friends she had and parties she had thrown, Rouge the Bat found herself walking down the streets of downtown all alone, gaze heavy and ears drooped forward. No casual conversation at her side, no freshly-procured shiny objects to admire. Only the crunch of the cold beneath her equally-white boots and the blank noise of others as the passed by and paid her no regard. If this were any other day, the esteemed treasure-hunter would simply speak a few words into her cellphone and company would appear like raindrops. Not tonight however, for there was only one person she wished by her side. The one she couldn't have, and the very thought of his name passing through her brain made her heart ache that much more. Still, even with the gravity tugging at her lips, she couldn't help but smile whenever the vision of Knuckles the Echidna flashed across her mind.

She hadn't heard or seen from him since their climatic battle with that enraged android, Metal Overlord. The way the skies had cackled with lightning and the skin of the Egg Carrier they boarded had groaned and buckled had certainly worried her. Yet he would not give up the fight, as he never did. Quite the contrary, his confidence spilled out though his fists and his bright violet eyes whenever they connected with hers for the briefest of seconds Damm Knucklehead always was stubborn…. Even in the moments following their own bone-breaking match deep in the debris around the Space Colony ARK, those eyes never lost their power or passion. It was at that moment, the first moment she really took in those orbs, that the crimson guardian's real potential became clear. Along with the potential for something far more than rivalry between them.

At first, the sorrowful notes of the piano were in perfect tune with the scene around her as she passed by what had appeared to be a just another streetcorner. As the snowflakes gently kissed her equally ivory fur, these new notes brushed past her sensitive ears and quickly lifted them into the air. Her heart-splayed boots seemed to pick up on them as well, and defected from their course to follow them.

This is my December
This is my time of the year
This is my December
This is all so clear

Cold. It was one element he never really got used to. Mainly because his home island in the sky never really had seasons beyond warm, rainy and warm, and hot. Paired with the sheer weight of the solemn duty he had been charged with, it wasn't often that Knuckles ever set foot from his sanctuary. He simply could not risk leaving the Master Emerald, the most concentrated source of power in half the cosmos, all alone to be stolen or destroyed once again. Most of the nights in his life have been spent wrapped in its warm glow, though even he could admit, it was no substitute for real company. After all, few were those who ventured skyward to visit him. Sonic came by only when his ego allowed him to admit the speedster needed some muscle. Occasionally, Tails would drop by for an Emerald sample or Amy would come around with some sweet confections to share.

And then there was Rouge, the harpy, the thief, …the beautiful…

Growling, Knuckles shook that last thought from his brainpan, a move that took a lot more willpower than most others. Since the first time these two treasure hunters and traded insult for insult and fist for boot, the ruby echidna had discovered that the very purr from her throat drove him up a wall. It started as white-hot fury; the mere imagination that anyone could dare succeed in swiping his treasured Emerald was simply outrageous. That fury reached it full prowess in the unfinished rafters of a control spire in the Meteor Herd. Against one another, neither fighter spared a move nor wit as the fight took them into the highest of artificial peaks. Exhausting themselves to near immobility, the battle appeared to have boiled away into a stare-off, a meeting in which that first of stray wishes had crossed his field Wow, she really does have gorgeous eyes…

Eyes that suddenly widened with panic as the ground under them violently shook loose and Rouge found herself tumbling downwards towards searing death. Whether or not she could have righted herself and flown to safety mattered not, for Knuckles only saw her outstretched hand screaming for help. Honor demanded no less than his aide, and his heart was more than happy to dive into action and pull her to shelter. In his palm, he could feel her own pulse racing through the softness and delicacy that was her small embrace before she pulled it away.

Even now, among the freezing temperatures, his spiked hand could still recall what it was he had felt. As the months since then had fallen away from the calendar, Knuckles had found himself growing more and more anxious and fidgety. Normally under those conditions, the echidna would summon Vector and the Chaotix to guard the Emerald Shrine as he would seek a physical challenge to cleanse his palette. As those days spent in distraction increased, Knuckles found himself taking an occasional page from Sonic's book and darting off for a run. Which was where he found himself at this moment, the chilling air tingled the sweat lacing his hardened chest and shoulders, the echoes of a sorrowful voice riding a regretful piano caught his senses. If nothing else, the music definitely struck his curiosity, so he followed its path.

This is my December
This is my snow covered home
This is my December
This is me alone

And I,
Just wish that I didn't feel
Like there was something I missed
And I,
Take back all the things I said
To make you feel like that

The melody, it seemed to beckon her. Even if it was carried on a voice fresh and foreign, the words themselves spoke of the very ache she felt breaching her heart. Loss, struggle, and pain of the heart; they echoed on the notes like the tide. Deep down, Rouge couldn't blame Knuckles for the lack of communication between them, or the sharp barbs they traded whenever they actually did speak. Stubbornness was a two-way street they both traveled, though hers was a specially created shield whereas his was simply a byproduct of being so isolated. The ivory bat couldn't fathom how her crimson counterpart had accepted such a charge voluntarily, or how he was still doing it at all. Nevertheless, she couldn't help respect his unwavering loyalty to his friends and his passion to defend that which can't defend itself. Never in all the missions or heists she'd played a part in had she ever met a creature so honorable, yet pure of heart. And how had she shown that trait of affection that she shows so few others? With cheap insults and repeated robbery attempts. "Maybe that's why I'm so cold out here" she whispered.

And I,
Just wish that I didn't feel
Like there was something I missed
And I,
Take back all the things that I said to you

With every step he took closer towards this unseen goal, Knuckles' bootsteps seemed to grow heavier. Or at least, more isolated in their own hallow. For indeed, the echidna had a home to return to, hell he had his own island to do with what he saw fit. But what is such a lofty kingdom without a queen to share it with? Night after night, that question tore through his eyes like a comet, with the sad answer surfacing every time, increasing in magnitude and frequency since these more precarious adventures had begun to crop up. I'm the last of my kind, and I've already danced across the line of death more than once. Somehow, I doubt my ancestors counted on this many sidetrips I've been on…Even if they would appreciate my success so far, I don't think they would even approve of me being here right now anyway.

And I'd give it all away
Just to have somewhere to go to
Give it all away
To have someone to come home to

Indeed, his life had taken him to many places the echidna was never intended to go, even to the endless expanses of space itself. But for it wonders and terrors, his life still lacked one object of immense magnitude; a companion. Someone to bear an heir to his duty, to stand by his side in those brightest days and darkest nights. Someone who would just keep him company on semi-constant basis.

This is my December
These are my snow covered trees
This is me pretending
This is all I need

And I,
Just wish that I didn't feel
Like there was something I missed
And I,
Take back all the things I said
To make you feel like that

Rounding the final corner to her destination, Rouge found herself standing outside of a seemingly normal cocktail bar., the source of the music that drew her attention. She glanced inside to gauge it's value as a place to repeat and as a potential target for later, though the lack of shiny objects in sight put the cantina low on her list. It wasn't until she turned back to head forward once again did she receive a true surprise.

Approaching her figure, one steady step at a time with his eyes focused in his glove, was a red echidna. The source of her biggest challenge and most guarded affections. And as if on cue, the guardian shook the light powder from his shoulder-length dreadlocks and caught a full view of who it was examining him in the nightlight.

And I,
Just wish that I didn't feel
Like there was something I missed
And I,
Take back all the things that I said to you

And I'd give it all away
Just to have somewhere to go to
Give it all away
To have someone to come home to

In the background, the piano fell to barely a whisper along with the words as suddenly, these two treasure hunters stood frozen in time, locked in each others gaze. All other passersby and distraction was lost in white noise. Rouge could feel the heat creeping through her cheeks as those violet orbs were locked wide upon her. Any conscious wishes she had were abandoned as the bat was simply lost in those energized pools.

Knuckles was equally stunned at this little dose of irony. For all the people in the city, and all the other places they each could have ended up, here they were, on the same corner, basking in the same glow of a dying streetlight and letting the notes cascade across them one by one. Yet, instead of the normal, childish pet nickname greeting, the wide blue eyes seemed dim and lower than normal.

This is my December
This is my time of the year
This is my December
This is all so clear

Give it all away
Just to have somewhere to go to
Give it all away
To have someone to come home to

Give it all away
Just to have somewhere to go to
Give it all away
To have someone to come home to

With the song fading into the void, the applause from the audience quickly drowned it out. Still, neither figure could really formulate a complete sentence for the other until Rouge broke though with a classic "Hey there knucklehead. Long time no see. What are you doing so far from your rock?"
Knuckles responded with a patented smirk. He really hated that nickname, but since she was the only one who addressed him like that, he could let it slide "Same thing you are, batgirl."
She smiled a fairly genuine smile, not something she did often. He never was good at hiding his feelings. I can hear it in his voice. Still, at least I know he's always honest…,"Oh really now? And what would that be, big boy?"
Chuckling in kind, the echidna moved in a hair closer, and was rewarded to see her ears perk up just that much more and a touch of that infernal shine return to those oceanic eyes, just as he was gambling on. "I guess you say I'm looking for something, or rather, someone."
"Hmmmm," she purred, also taking a step towards her own target, "now, would this supposed someone be close by?"
"It's entirely possible. They've been known to show up at the most inopportune moments."
Another step closer for each, bringing them almost muzzle to muzzle. To Knuckles, that lilac scent she wore was only making his heartbeat race even harder than before. For Rouge, it was taking all her well-hemmed will to keep her lady-like demeanor and not tackle the crimson object of her affection right there and now.
"Sounds like this someone is getting on your nerves, Knucky. If ya like, I could straighten them out, for a price," she taunted, unconsciously biting her lip in anticipation.
"Could you now? Well, I think that might just do me some good, though I'm afraid I don't have much on me right now," Knuckles replied, palms twitching to be thrown around her slender frame.
"Oh, I'm sure we can work something out…,"came her response, voice diving to almost a whisper as both had started to move closer together once again, eyes slowly closing and breathing coming rapid and hard. And as always, Knuckles the Echidna did not waste more time with distractions and dove right in, scooping up his voluptuous rival into a tender embrace. Her lips were softer than any dream he could conjure, latching together with his like two pieces of the same puzzle. His powerful arms easily scooped her lithe frame off the ground, a move she aided by wrapping her own around his back and dreadlocked cranium.

From there, an eternity of flirtation and subtext finally exploded into an all-out war as inside entangled maws, tooth and tongue battled for supremacy until the vital need for air forced a break. Both were panting from the moment, yet all too eager to continue forward for more "Took ya long enough, knucklehead. Do you have any idea I've been waiting for that?" Rouge asked, almost in a whimper for more.
Gently running his gloved palm over her back between her wings, he whispered "Had to wait for just the right moment. Besides," he brought his free palm up to her view, where a few stray flakes had landed, "I couldn't let these things be the only things to touch those lips tonight."
However taken aback she was with that, she pushed it aside and pulled him back in for another long taste of just what it was her life had been missing until now. It didn't matter to Rouge anymore who saw them, she wouldn't be denied her prize anymore.
After another blissful euphoria had sparked and receded, it was only a matter of time until words came to match the moment. Though this time, it was the bat who did not mince words "I love you, Knuckles. I have for a long time now."
He smiled and pulled her into a tight hug. Those were the words that would put an end to all those isolated nights and clouded prophecies about things to come, and not a moment too soon. Burying his face into her snow-colored neck, he said "I know. I love you too."