"Where is it now?"
Knuckles looks for The Master Emerald. Searching Everywhere. Even the tiniest of crevices. No matter what, he can't find it. He wipes the sweat off his head and sits back on where the Emerald should be, but isn't at this time. He plops himself down and lays on ground. Resting from the search. Until that is interrupted by someone.
"Heyyy Knucky" He recognizes that voice
"ROUGE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" He puts himself back up and into a fighting position, ready for battle.
"Relax Red. I was just here trying to steal The Master Emerald. But it seems someone else already did that job for me."
Knuckles looks are her frustrated and confused.
"Well then. As you can see, The Master Emerald isn't here. So you can go." Knuckles does a little wave to send her off. But she doesn't go anywhere. She actually gets closer.
"Look. I'm not going anywhere. Plus, your usually not this calm about The Master Emerald being missing. So, tell me. Where is it?"
"What?"
"You're obviously hiding it. So. Where is it?"
"Wha-? Where would I even hide it!"
"This island is pretty big. So, c'mon you can tell me. It could be anywhere. You're just making my job a bit harder"
Knuckles sighs
"Look, I don't know where it is. If you think you can find it, go right ahead and try... You won't find it, at least not here"
"Hmmmmmmm...... challenge accepted."
With that she flies off to other parts of the island. Going about trying to find The Master Emerald. All while Knuckles goes back to his nap. At this point, if she somehow finds it. She can keep it. He wants to rest. What's the worst she can do?
He thinks about that for a bit. Standing on the opinion that he doesn't care enough or he doesn't want to think about it and also he wants sleep. So he goes back to sleep. Sleep is extremely important, you know. Meanwhile Rouge keeps looking for The Master Emerald. Searching everywhere possible. But there's only so many places to hide a large emerald. So eventually she gives up. But not before checking all of the island a few times. She thinks this would be a nice vacation spot. It's very nice.
She heads back to Knuckles after a long day, Knuckles is now awake and looking at the stars. They are very nice. So Rouge sits next to him. She doesn't even think he notices until he looks at her and then immediately back to the stars. She pauses for a second, looking towards the stars and then back to him, then again at the stars and then back to him, repeat for at least a minute she thinks, but it could've been longer as far as she knows.
"So that's it? No snide comment or anything?"
"Were you expecting something?"
"No.... But still. It would be nice to be appricated for all the work I do. Very nice actually............ So appreciate me."
"What?"
"Appreciate me..." she mumbles
"What?"
"Whatever, just forget it."
They both look back towards the stars. They are nice. Rouge is tired. Very tired. Soon enough she falls asleep. Right onto Knuckle's shoulder. He doesn't react or even notice it at first. The movement is so graceful and natural. If Rouge wasn't so tired, you would've think she has planned it.
She obviously didn't though. So when Knuckles does notice he lets it be. No harm, no problems. She's just tired. Knuckles never gets enough sleep either though, so he goes to sleep too. Sleeping on Rouge's head. Rouge doesn't notice. She doesn't wake. They both sleep, facing the stars. The very nice stars. They stay like that until the sun comes and even some time after that.
Rouge wakes up first. At that time, she doesn't realize what's going on. She doesn't understand the problem. She doesn't even know the problem. She figures it out as soon as she tries to move her head. Knuckle's head is on top of her head, and she is on Knuckles shoulder. So his place is understandable towards her place. She can't move. She tries to move her head, it won't budge. So she does the only things she can think of. She wakes up Knuckles. By giving him a light slap on the face. That doesn't work. So she does it again and again. Until finally. She does it with some words.
"Wake up, I can't move."
Knuckles wakes up. Removes his head and looks around and finally towards Rouge. Who is rubbing her head due to pain, mild pain, but still. He looks confused. Until he remembers last night and puts two and two together. He looks concerned.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a stiff neck is all"
"Alright, if you say so"
They sit in silence. Just Rouge trying to fix her neck and Knuckles sitting there. When Rouge finally springs up, semminly repaired. Knuckles is relieved. Until when she starts to walk, she turns around towards him.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"For this, this is nice."
"Well, I'm glad you got something out of it..."
".... Yeah, see you around."
"....yeah....see you"
With that invitation secured. She flyes away. Away from the island. She'll come back. He knows she will. She knows she will. They both blush and panic at the encounter now that it's over, having their own mini panic attacks at the senecio. Raging about how they could've done better or how this could gone another way. So basically they overthink everything.
Also if you're wondering where The Master Emerald went. Eggman stole it and he gives it back after it does nothing for him or any of his experiments. He throws it down on the Island and it make a nice crack in the island. Knuckles is very mad about it, but he's happy to have The Master Emerald back. Rouge also still tries to steal it. But at this point neither of them care. So yeah, no loose ends, everyone's happy. You're Welcome.
