To Rouge, patience was as vital a thieves' tool as a lock pick or a set of pliers. Just as lacking the right tools made breaking into a vault impossible, being too hasty made thieving unachievable. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike was one of the first lessons she'd learned, move too soon and you'd surely be caught but wait too long and your opportunity would pass. Hesitation could kill but impatience was a death sentence, there was a subtle difference between the two. If an opportunity passes that leaves room for another to arise but trying to force an opportunity means changing the playing field, making it so the situation will never repeat.
Rouge knew these truths, she kept repeating them to herself even, but they didn't keep her from growing frustrated.
It was raining; her fur was soaked straight through and her legs were cramping. She was on an island floating above the clouds but, somehow, she'd arrived during a torrential downpour. Her current position wasn't helping matters, both hiding behind yet peering over a rock with her binoculars trained on a certain giant gemstone. Yes, she was on Angel Island; prepared to swipe the Master Emerald, merely on a whim rather than as a result of careful planning.
Perhaps to say on a whim was being too dismissive, it'd been raining on the surface too so she'd been considering this little escapade since this morning. She'd thought it a fun outing for a rainy day; riling up Knuckles till he was blind with embarrassment and rage before slipping away with that giant gem. If only the weather had been nice. It made sense that it rained up here though; she was stood on grass after all. The island had a whole, bizarre, ecosystem, from its forests of giant fungus to its thousands of songbird species. Still, of all the flora and fauna, the aforementioned Echidna was currently perplexing her the most.
Why was he still up there, how could he stand this rain? That idiot guardian was stoically manning his post even through this bitter cold, sat at the base of the master emerald with his arms crossed. Perhaps the cut of the emerald was offering a small nook for him to shelter in, maybe just enough to keep his head dry, but it certainly wasn't protecting him. The stone plinth he sat upon was undoubtedly soaked and surely, even if the rim provided full protection from the falling rain, water would run down the emerald's edge? There was no way he wasn't soaked.
With the press of a button her binoculars flickered, swapping from their night-vision mode back to infrared. Sure enough, though dimmer around his extremities, the echidna's body glowed a warm orange hue. His muzzle in particular, against all odds, was painted red by the viewfinder. A quick glance to her own body for comparison revealed far dimmer tones, yet he'd been exposed for most of the day while she'd only been here for a few hours. Just how long could he sit up there? How long could he endure before the rain froze him to the bone?
Rouge was perplexed yes, this show of dedication was undeniably impressive, annoyed also, she was shivering while he sat unflinching, but there was a third feeling bouncing around in her brain and, try as she might, she couldn't quash it. That feeling was a tiny, itty bitty, iota of worry. How long could he really sit up there, how long had he been sitting up there? He'd get sick if he just sat there, it was inevitable. There was no one around to help him if he did, no one to tell him off before it could happen either.
Tearing her gaze from the platform, Rouge ducked back behind her rock. Attempting to push those thoughts away, she brought a hand up her forehead and combed it through her fur. It was fortunate she kept her fur thin, otherwise it'd be falling into her eyes. The ground beneath her had begun to turn from dirt to mud. Despite her stillness, brown discolouration was beginning to taint her white boots. Swallowing her frustration, she returned to her scanning position.
He wasn't even asleep! She watched as he moved his hand up to his muzzle, a sight she'd now seen more than a handful of times. If he was then she could ignore his unconscious body, steal the emerald and then run off for her well-earned beauty sleep. Who did she think she was kidding, even if he was asleep she couldn't do that. She'd have to find a cave or something, set a little fire so he didn't freeze and then consider stealing that beauty. He was lucky her heart wasn't that cold, if she didn't have such a soft spot him she'd have surely taken that emerald long ago.
A sigh slipped her lips, maybe today just wasn't the day. She'd been out here, squatting in a field, for hours now; it had to be getting late. In hindsight, she'd probably just wanted to get out of the house rather embark on a heist. It'd been a while since she'd stretched her wings and went out to socialise; Team Dark's missions had just been so long lately. She loved her boys, Shadow and Omega were great, but neither of them could much hold a conversation. Well, neither could Knuckie but at least his angry stuttering was amusing to watch.
The bat finally stretched to her full height, shaking the stiffness from her legs and shuddering as a bead of water slid down her spine. Her jumpsuit was watertight, but that didn't much matter with her back, shoulders and chest exposed. Raising her wings to act as a windbreak only offered so much protection. Thus, the hypocrisy of going up there to chew his ear off wasn't lost on her…
But it did seem like a lot of fun.
Besides, she figured that if he wasn't wearing a jacket now then that buffoon didn't even own one. He'd lived on this rock his entire life, but he hadn't made plans of an occurrence as common as rain? Perhaps that knucklehead would finally accept some of her advice, he was lucky she was feeling so generous.
Free from her hiding spot, Rouge didn't even try to mask her approach; strutting across the grassland and soon starting to scale the ancient stairs. The crumbling stonework, slickened by water, was easy to imagine in its prime. Near the peak, there were six pillars broken at different heights; she'd long assumed were once part of a large shelter. Rocks and relics scattered around the shrine supported such a conclusion and, for as much of a dunderhead as he could be, Rouge was certain Knuckles knew the same. Yet he still sat in the rain, all these years living up here and he'd neither taken down the pillars nor built them further.
Come to think of it, from the chipping on the stairs to the wear of time on the murals, Big Red didn't seem to do much restoration. Sure, after the island fell and rose he'd sweep up a bit but beyond that initial layer of rock and dust, things went unchanged. It was almost a pity; if he stopped lying around, shouting about being the guardian, then not only would he be dry but his home would look a whole lot nicer.
"Hey there, Knuckie." She cooed, sashaying up the final steps, "Imagine finding you here of all places, you come 'round here often?"
"Bat-girl," He grunted his half greeting, "What do you want?"
Rouge felt a vein pop on her forehead but, being so mature, she wasn't going to let her anger show. Not yet at least, "Why so hostile? I just happened to be in the neighbourhood and figured I'd drop by to see the Master Emerald, make sure you hadn't shattered her again."
She knew such words would irk him but as tempting as it was to stare at his enraged expression, Rouge exercised her self-control. After all, the build-up to him popping into her eye-line (blushing yet furious) was a key component of their little routine. Instead, she simply rose to her tip-toes; tracing a single forefinger along the lines on the emerald's crown. A flash of lime coloured light chased after her touch, if she lingered for a moment it would catch up. Even now, the Master Emerald within her reach, Rouge's heart wasn't set on her usual plunder. For now, toying with the Echidna would do. Perhaps she'd change her mind later, when his flustered yells grew tiresome.
Tapping on the gem's surface, she continued to tease him. It was natural, second nature almost, "You know, I just cleared a spot in my vault that would be perfect for the poor thing. Nice and dry, you could come 'round and visit her whenever you wanted too. You know how I love our little talks."
"Not on my watch Rouge. T-Try to take the Master Emerald and I'll have to take you down."
She'd heard the beginnings of a waver in his voice. He wasn't usually a tough nut to crack, perhaps the cold was eating away at his blush… a little contact was in order.
"If she's so important to you then why're you letting her get drenched like this?" Finding the edge of the gem she allowed her finger to slowly trace down the gem's pavilion, "Honestly, you'd think after all these years you'd get the poor girl a shelter. It'd do you both the world of good," Reaching the top of his head, she began to blindly ruffle his quills, "The thought of a gazebo never cross your mind? Not even a tarp or a jacket?" Without so much of a glance, Rouge traced her hand to the underside of her muzzle. Soon a single finger was dragging toward the end of his chin, forcing him to look up, "You probably think it makes you look rugged and cool but the truth is you look li-
Finally, she felt his pugilistic mitt grasp around her wrist. Rather than stand to reach her level, he simply tugged Rouge's arm in an attempt to persuade her to face him. She half humoured him, not lowering herself beyond the flat of her heels and allowing him a sideward glance. This, obviously, riled him up further. Despite the cold and rain, his muzzle was tinted a dark crimson; the arc of his brow and flash of his sharp teeth more than showed she was treading the right nerves. Wet was a surprisingly good look on him too, contrary to what she'd started to say. His hanging quills were being pinned to his face by the weight of the water, framing his sharp muzzle. With his fur now sleek from the rain, the definition of his frame was made all the more clear. His broad shoulders, toned arms and matted red fur held her attention far better than his glower ever could.
His words soon snapped her from her staring though, causing her brow to harden, "You're only getting colder, stop your whining and sit down before I pull you down here!"
Well, with that, he'd started what was bound to be an argument. She want mature yes, but she wasn't going to let him command her.
"Sit down? What, you want me to join you down there? Sit in a puddle with you?" Rouge was genuinely confused. Of all the things she'd expected, from a shout to a grumble, such a nonsensical demand wasn't among them, "Why on earth would I do that? You look miserable."
Knuckles grimace twisted further, "Fine, don't sit, see if I care," He released her hand before she could snatch it back and reached behind himself, drawing out a damp burlap sack, "A handful should be enough to keep you warm till you reach the ground. Get out of here."
A sliver of confusion halted her building annoyance. The echidna had presented her with what looked to be a bag of roasted, bordering on charred, berries. Only one word slipped free from her lips, "What?"
"They'll keep you warm, just take some. Stay or go, I don't care," He insisted.
Rouge rolled her eyes, "Really Knuckles, a wild remedy? For Rain? For feeling cold? What could a handful of berries possibly solve that a jacket or a-
No longer sitting back, one fist lowered to the ground, he leaned in and started to bark, "Are you going to take them or not Bat-Girl?! Make up your mind already, you're wasting my time!"
"Wasting your time?! Oh, because you're so busy!" Having been cut off, another vein popped on Rouge's forehead. This time her anger wasn't so easily swallowed, "What use are berries to stave off rain!? Perhaps hypothermia has made you delusional, maybe eating the berries was enough to cause that, but either way, you're still soaked to the bone!"
"They don't stop the rain! They stop you feeling cold!" He angrily rebutted, "They're poisonous unless they're coo-
"Poisonous?!" She cut him off this time, bewildered.
"Unless they're cooked!" He foolishly continued to gnash his jaws at her, "If you cook them then you only get a brief fever! It helps keep you warm!"
"You're giving yourself a fever?" She almost screamed, leaning down and getting in his face.
"This method has been passed down for generations! It's worked for hundreds of years!" He screamed in her face.
"What, the echidnas never wore clothes? Regardless of the weather?" Not one to back down, Rouge angrily forced her forehead against his, "They'd sit in huts and munch poisonous berries rather than weave themselves cagoules?! I've seen the paintings, your people had clothes Knuckles."
Ignoring her point, Rouge felt his head push back against hers, "Look, are you going to take the berries or not?"
"Of course I'm not, I don't understand why you're offering them to me in the first place," She snapped back.
"Do I really need to spell it out for you?" He growled, pausing for a moment before turning away. Between his words she could feel his panting, either the cold or the berries were having some sort of effect, "You're cold so I'm trying to help you, isn't it obvious!? Isn't that what you want?!"
"No, I'm not," She frowned, taking a good step back before coming to fold her arms across her chest, "And what makes you think I need your help? If I was cold I'd fly down to the surface, I'm smart enough to buy myself a jacket and cook myself a proper meal, rather than poison myself!"
"Really, now you're in denial? Of course you need my help, why else would you be here," He huffed, crossing his own arms, "You think you're all mysterious and sneaky but you're so easy to read. You saw the rain and thought I'd be away, making it a perfect opportunity to steal the Master Emerald. You saw I was still here so you waited, figuring I'd eventually give up for the night, but I didn't and now you're soaked to the bone," Rouge wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug look from the Echidna's face, if she had wanted help his condescending nature would have long driven her away, "Know when you're beat and just take my help already! Your stupid pride isn't worth getting sick over."
"You want me to know when I'm beat?" Just as it had begun to quell, her anger spiked again, "That's big talk coming from a meathead who knows nothing! I came up here to help you, you buffoon! You're eating berries to stave off the cold rather than slinking off to a cave or ducking beneath a mushroom cap? Do you ever think, even for a moment?"
Wait, that wasn't true. She'd ventured to the island in hopes of stealing the emerald and later recognised she'd rather just tease him. At no point had she even thought about helping him… well, she had but only with the intent to steal from him afterwards! Caught in her own mistruth, Rouge's anger only built further. She turned from him, arms spread and wings furiously flapping as she gestured to the pillars around them, "You've been up here your whole life and this is the best you can do? In all these years you've never thought to invest in a jacket, never even considered fixing the shrine's roof? If you're trying to make yourself look tough, you just look like an idiot!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," He blatantly lied.
"You're a treasure hunter just like I am, we both know this place is in disarray. The stonework is chipped, the roof is gone and all that's left to defend the emerald is her guardian," She relayed, certain he already understood, "Enough weather like this and not even that will remain."
That last line, it was a poor choice of words though; she'd recognised such immediately and clearly so had he. Footsteps splashed behind her, he'd finally risen. Of all the times to sound pathetic, she cringed at the thought her concern might bolster that hothead's ego. His belief she'd come for help had already done that more than enough.
A sigh escaped her lips. Taking a moment, letting the rain douse her fiery rage, Rouge managed to cool her head, "I know we have our spats, but I'd rather this little game of ours lasted. If you let yourself waste away it'll be no fun for me."
A silence broke between them, filled by the constant rumble of rain against ancient stonework. It was longer than her pause; even without looking she could tell he was trying to calm down.
"What's with you? Most of the time you'll push my buttons, I know you try to rile me up, but every so often you'll say something like that and…" He was clearly trying to cool down, it always took him a moment or two, "I really don't get you."
"Not a minute ago you said I was easy to read, make up your mind Knuckie," The air between them cooled, she already felt confident enough to tease him again.
"That's just it, I'll think I've got you pinned down but then you'll surprise me," He admitted.
"Oh, it'll take more than thought alone to pin me down Knuckie," Rouge snidely responded, "Give it a shot and you might find out."
"D-Don't push it Bat-Girl, we're not on good terms," She turned back to face him, his brows were still furrowed… albeit more gently. Confusion, regret but chiefly embarrassment clouded his amethyst eyes.
Ignoring his protest and thoroughly enjoying the return of his flustered disposition, Rouge pressed on. She posed a prior asked question, albeit in a calmer manner, "So, why haven't you rebuilt this place? I'm sure your little team would be willing to help. Big Blue probably wouldn't be much use but I'm sure Fox Boy could whip up a gadget or two to help. The two of you could have it done in a day."
"Asking for help just ain't easy, I mean, you know that yourself. It's not like you bring Omega or Shadow up here to help steal the Master Emerald. It's always just us duking it out," She chose not to challenge that, he was mostly right. Rouge had never asked but she had the sneaking suspicion they'd both turn her down in their own very unique ways, "Sonic likes to have fun, run free, he'd find it boring. You're right about Tails but I dunno, the little guy might try to make it more than its meant to be."
"Would that really be such a bad thing?" Rouge asked, genuine though she was certain her tone was still barbed. He was being an idiot after all, "You could have a warm place to sleep and a few extra defences for the emerald, you could do away with our little charade all together with his help."
"That's just it, I'm certain he'd want to add to the defences. He's too young to understand," The bat herself wasn't sure she understood. That was, until he elaborated, "This is my duty. I'm not just defending some shiny rock because it's dangerous. I'm defending it because it's what I'm meant to do, it's what my family have done for generations. Giving that up, letting some device take my place, it just seems wrong. This is my duty, the reason I live. I am the guardian; it's not a role I take lightly. If I wanted to give it up then I would have years ago; I've had plenty of opportunities to."
Rouge often liked to think of Knuckles as simple, easy to read and toy with, but this moment reminded her of what she knew lay beneath. In the wake of his explanation he broke from his gaze, muttering, "A-And, when it comes to clothes, I just don't know what to really… wear? I mean… I've never really worn proper clothes so I just went with what I know…"
A sigh escaped her lips. Rouge knew she'd probably come off as condescending but she had to give him a piece of her mind. Regardless of history, he was being stupid, "Knuckles, you don't have shelter, you don't wear clothes, you don't even have a bed that I know of and your solution to problems is to just endure. I'm not saying you should give up your duty, but there are smarter ways to go about it than sitting through this."
He didn't respond, giving her plenty more time to speak her mind, "If you're so against asking people to help with your duty, then why don't you try to repair this place on your own? I'm sure you've dug up enough to know what it'd have looked like in its prime. The murals alone show some kind of roof. If you care about tradition so much just make it like it was before."
"I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't have the most delicate touch," He managed to respond, only half joking, "I could try but I'd probably do more harm than good. Setting traps to slow intruders is one thing, but modifying the shrine is… different, somehow. It's more important, I don't want to mess it up. I'm the guardian, it's like I said, it's my duty to protect this place; not destroy it."
Rouge was growing evermore certain the cold was getting to him, what'd started as a verbal jab seemed all the more likely with each passing moment. She knew the echidna had a softer side, he wasn't just a hothead, but she'd never seen it displayed so plainly.
"Aww Knuckie, I always knew you were a softy but seeing you all sentimental…" That'd started at a joke, a rib at his expense, but as Rouge said it a bizarre fluttering entered her chest. Like every good lie, it was grown from a seed of truth, "It almost borders on endearing."
The echidna snorted, "Yeah, wh-whatever," He really sucked at taking compliments, "The point is I don't think I can do it alone and I'm not willing to ask for help. So yeah, I'm stuck up here eating poisonous berries in the pouring rain. Laugh it up."
"Oh, I will, don't you worry about that," She joked, "And your excuse for not wearing clothes is laughable at best, but I understand for the most part."
Of course, despite his self-deprecation, his anger was reignited but Rouge was too focused on her thoughts to care. A scheme was brewing inside her head, the only question was how to make it worthwhile for both of them. If the deal was too good he'd never accept it and his ego would bolster further still, playing such a hand was foolish.
"What if instead of asking for help you had it offered," Rouge proposed, "I suppose, for a small payment, I might be willing to lend my expertise to help keep your head dry."
"A small payment like what, the Master Emerald?! No way, I'd sooner die on these steps Bat-Gir-
She pushed her finger against his lips, a third vein had popped on her forehead. As fun as these rendezvous were, they surely weren't good for her complexion. She didn't dare count the stress-lines he'd dealt her over the years, "Must you be so loud all of the time, shut up and let me finish. What would be the point in helping you rebuild this place if I was going to take the Master Emerald anyway?"
Thankfully, he stayed quiet; another word and she might have taken his head off. Lowering her finger from his lip to his shoulder, she toyed with his damp fur as she schemed some terms. It was hard to think and enjoy his flustered expression at the same time.
"On all my trips up to this island I've only ever tried to steal the Master Emerald," She mused, "Yet you have the reputation of a treasure hunter. That suggests there are more treasures up here, aren't there?" She leaned in a little, turning up her charm, "I'm not asking for some ancient rubble your ancestors sat on, you know the type of treasure that catches my eye," Her thumb traced his collarbone, "Jewels and gold, things that glitter and shine. Do you think you can manage that? I'm sure you've got a store buried somewhere around here."
"S-So what if there is and s-so what I do?" He struggled to ask, averting his eyes.
"Well, grunt work's hardly my thing but I suppose I'd be willing to overlook that for the right price," Rouge offered, "If you can provide the rough stone then I'll use my delicate touch to refine it."
Turning further, he huffed, "Y-You're just trying to trick me again Rouge, I won't fall for it. You wouldn't know what you were doing."
"Can you really call yourself a treasure hunter without being able to make a good forgery?" She continued before he could answer that, "I've got to leave something in the museum when I take what's rightfully mine. While I'll admit stonework on this scale is a little outside of my wheelhouse, I've falsified bejewelled stone tablets and statues before. With a little bit of research, and you providing the right motivation, I should be able to help keep you dry."
He brought his spiked mitt to his forehead, forcing back his soaked locks as he considered her proposition. The guardian was still unable to meet her eye, "Just making it as it was, nothing more than that. No bonus traps or tricks, I'd only want to fix up the roof… and maybe the stairs."
"If you think I'm going to do more work than you're paying me for then you're kidding yourself Knuckie," She smirked, "Do we have a deal? You provide the stone and some gems, I'll provide my assistance once or twice a week; 'till it's done," She walked her fingers up his shoulder, with the push of her forefinger she reunited their gaze, "Do we have a deal?"
Rouge watched him squirm, though rain was slipping down both their backs she knew his shiver wasn't in response to that, "I-I guess seeing as you offer a-and it would just be that…" He continued to struggle, "I-I guess I've got no reason to refuse."
Her smirk widened, "Then we have an accord, I look forward to doing business with you Knuckles."
"I-I guess we do," For a moment he seemed to lose himself in thought but then, all of a sudden, he halved the already small distance between them, "I-I want to make it clear though, I'll be keeping my eye on you. I know fine well what you really want, if you think you'll trick me like this…" The echidna just kept talking, and talking, clearly trying to shed his embarrassment and bolster his own pride. Eventually, she simply stopped listening to him, gathering her thoughts.
Why had she really made that offer? Sure, she was getting treasure out of it and additional opportunities to tease him but was that really worth spending so much time? She'd promised to learn a new skill, a skill that wouldn't help with future robberies no less. Other questions kept popping to the forefront of her mind, like wondering why she kept tilting his muzzle toward her or why her eyes kept scouring to his toned form. Since he'd started yapping they hadn't left his lips. How small was that gap between them, three inches at most?
Rolling her eyes again she spoke, to her own internal thoughts more than him, "Oh shut up."
Without so much as a second thought, Rouge tilted her head and leaned in; allowing her fingers to rake up and mingle with his quills. She'd committed to a kiss in the rain. Despite how trite she'd thought them, Rouge soon came to understand why kisses like this were so common. What little heat they retained was being shared between their bodies. Their exchange of warmth gave the whole effort an undercurrent of desperation, not that she was considering that as she held him in liplock. Instead, the bat was focused on the contact and what it meant. The inevitable had finally happened and she was thoroughly enjoying it. That wasn't to say the kiss was perfect, his lips tasted of those charcoaled berries and while he was cute when he was flustered that didn't translate to being good at kissing. Knuckles was struggling to return her effort, following her lead rather than daring to take initiative. Then again, she had caught him off guard. Well, either way, he'd set an easy bar to clear in the future. Hopefully he'd learn from her thorough example. If he didn't, she'd just have to show him again.
The moment their lips separated; the echidna stumbled backwards over himself, the back of his head smacking against the Master Emerald. Knuckles didn't reach for his head though, instead, she watched as a mitt came up to pat his lips. The echidna was shaking but certainly not shivering. She could see his breath in the air, the blush on his cheeks and, while he'd already been soaked, Rouge like to think much of that water had turned to sweat.
All of a sudden he clenched his fists, sharp teeth glinting as he shot back to his feet, "WH-WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"
The only time Knuckles shouted louder than during their arguments was when she truly embarrassed him.
"There's the Big Red I know," She didn't bother masking her chuckle, with a single jump she took to the air, "Just a little something to keep you warm. You'll need it, seeing as I'm taking these."
In the midst of lip-lock, she'd managed to snag the berry bag from his right hand. Well, even if she couldn't take the emerald, she was hardly going to leave empty-handed. She doubted she'd ever bring herself to eat them though; his loss wasn't for her gain so much as her amusement. Stealing form him was fun, she'd just stolen what was assumedly his first kiss and enjoyed every second, and besides; taking these berries hopefully meant extending his life. She was doing him a favour.
"You know this island better than anyone, find yourself some shelter. Be a good boy and look after yourself for me," Rouge commanded, suppressing her grin into a mere smirk as she watched him explode with anger and embarrassment. He looked so cute down there beneath her, like a petulant puppy demanding their next bone.
"As if I'm going to do what you tell me, get back here! Why did you ki-
"Fine, then die and leave the Master Emerald unguarded. Either way, I win," She cut him off with a tease, flitting further beyond his reach with every passing second, "Find yourself a nice hole to curl up in for the night. Dig it yourself if you have to, I know you can manage that much."
"Rouge! Don't you dare fly any fur-
"Oh no, Knuckles, the rain is too heavy! It's ringing in my ears, I can't hear you! What a shame, I was rather enjoying our talk," She feigned, turning mid-flight and waving goodbye, "Still, don't fret too much! I'll be back for our date in a couple of days! Who knows, I might bring you a jacket seeing as you're too much of a baby to pick one out yourself. I think purple or green would look good on you…"
"D-DATE!? I-IT'S NOT A…ROUGE! ROUGE! GET BACK HERE!"