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Dr ivo robotnik was a smart man. He knew this and nobody could prove otherwise. That is why he had cameras set up in his army of egg robots, they had to be able to see somehow anyway the recording feature was just a bonus. He often monitored their daily routine keeping an eye on stone offhandedly. It’s not like he didn’t know, ivo was sure Stone knew, even if he was the dumbest person he had the pleasure of working with he wasn’t stupid in any capacity. That being said if he didn’t know robotnik would never tell him. The amount of times his careless counterpart let one of the bots wonder into his office space while he was doing things he should most definitely be not and robotnik should not be wanting to see more off, it was unreasonable.
The most baffling moments were when one of the bots would follow stone into the small bathroom they had in the mobile lab. Robotnik took a great deal of care to not care,especially about how the agent would give the egg bot a little pat before getting in the shower. If he knew he’s playing a dangerous game.
He looked over to the three bots ‘sleeping’ next to him. Really, when did he start treating them as living beings. He knows it’s beyond his genius mind to treat the robots, HIS creation, as living beings, yet somehow in his time watching stone interact with them be has grown something akin to affection to him. Him referring to egg bot no.5 , not stone, he could never for stone. Could he...
Despite himself he made sure to help the bots slip into stones office or the bathroom. They were always received with love and affection and every time he heard the agent affectionately tell the bots how pretty they were he felt unidentifiable emotions play out in his chest. He was growing soft. He had to put an end to this right now. At least... he would try...
He started sending more and more egg bots after stone. However , apparently getting to see his agent from multiple angles wasn’t helping his already growing adoration- who would have thought.
“Lights to 30%, bring up agent stone’s search history at 70% optically/30% sound on lower screen” the command was whispered , robotnik being aware of the hour being 1 past midnight.
He had no shame in being caught looking at stone’s video history. He was definitely beyond shame,But not yet beyond curiosity. This could be Revolutionary! If he found out that stone wasn’t interested in men ,more specifically him, he could put these unreasonable emotions to rest and never again let something as futile as ‘love’ distract him. What he didn’t dare to think was that maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly what he wanted.
The room dimmed as he swung his legs over the arm rest of his chair, taking the small portable screen in hand, starting to to idly scroll through the unsurprising amount of gay porn.
This meant nothing to him, it’s not like he was interested, he just wanted to make sure his co-partner wasn’t plotting against him. Yes , that was it. He had to be alert even when he knew the agent, most likely his only friend, was asleep in the room next to him.
He browsed the pages for a bit longer finally setting his screen down and getting up to go make a latte, not as good as stone’s but it will have to do. The bots asleep on his desk beeped amongst each other before following him into the small kitchen area.
As the doctor set to making his coffee he had a sudden urge to check on stone. Maybe taking a look at him will reveal him secrets, the boys seem to like him. He hated how he started calling the every following annoyance ‘the boys’. He glanced at the closed door opposite the kitchen. It wasn’t locked ,he knew this. Agent stone trusted him to the point of not locking his office door,trusting the doctor to protect them both despite being the stronger of the two.
Slamming the cup in his hand against the counter much harder then intended he briskly walked over to stone’s office door.Pushing the door slightly ajar,the egg bots that haven’t left his side all day were quick to abandon him for the pile that was already asleep on stone. With quite beeps they positioned themselves with the rest of the group, fitting them self’s into stones arms and against his sides, shuffling just enough as to not disturb the agent. Ivo was mesmerised. A dozen of bots were starting at him questioningly from the small sofa stone was sleeping on.
“No.”, he said understanding what the bots wanted,”I will do no such thing as to join” with an over dramatic spin on his heels he left to go back to making his coffee.
Pouring all the ingredients together he couldn’t help but think about stone’s soft and content expression as he slept. Ivo knee he was handsome but what he saw could only be described as beautiful. Something undeserved by any lowly being.
“Thankfully I’m better then them...” he said softly to himself not thinking too much about it.
The fact is that although Dr Ivo Robotnik was the smartest man in the United States,if not the world, he wasn’t above stupid mistakes. Slamming his burned hand against the counter as to not scream and wake up the sleeping agent was in fact futile.
He heard frantic beeping before a very tired half asleep agent walked into the kitchen area. Noting that the doctor was not in immediate danger he rolled his eyes.
Robotnik’s heart jumped. Continuing to hammer through him as stone came closer and held his hand up to examine it. Before stone could attempt to turn on the light ivo grabbed his other hand pushing it back down to his side.
“Don’t...”
Stone nodded not much more awake then when he came in.
“You should go back to sleep agent, we have a lot of work to do tomorrow...” robotnik’s voice was quite in the dark room and stone had to strain to hear him. He didn’t appreciate being woken up at , he looked down at his watch only to notice he didn’t have it on. Seeing what he was doing robotnik spoke into the darkness again.
“2 in the morning stone.” It was even quieter then before and stone moved his other hand back to the doctor’s to ‘continue his examination’.
Leading robotnik to the small sink in the far end of the small room he ran the cold water. Gently putting him hand into the stream he felt ivo shiver beside him. He moved one of his hands to hold them closer together while guiding robotnik’s hand with the other.
Cutting off the water he didn’t bother handing over a paper towel before once again bringing the hand closer to him and checking over it.
Robotnik instinctively moved closer as stone moved his arm from around him to better examine his hand. If stone noticed he didn’t say anything about this,maybe this wasn’t so bad. At least not when it was just them and the herd of bots surrounding them. They must have followed stone out of the room when he came out to... to check on him.
Emotions were not robotnik’s strong point,however even he understood what was happening. He didn’t want this to end. Not now. Gently taking his hand back he looked down at the small army looking at him expecting a progression. He moved his hand to hold stones wrist, feeling the agent tense he loosened his grip. While still looking down at the egg bots he asked.
“They’ve always liked you more” i was all he could manage without telling this beautiful man in front of him what he really wanted. He couldn’t tell him he wanted them both surround by these robots together. Maybe asleep. Maybe just working. No matter what way he wanted them together with a cluster of egg bots around them.
He looked at stone, he had a sad look in his eyes, how does robotnik continue now.
Before he had a chance to say anything more stone spoke softly,”I’m sorry ivo, I shouldn’t have been spoiling them so much” despite the tone he looked down at the small cluster smiling slightly. Robotnik hurt. Out of everything that could have happened, that could have been said, he hadn’t expected his name followed by the sweetest smile he’s ever had the incredibly luck of seeing. Luck. Not even his incredibly genius could be enough to elicit such a reaction from the agent. His agent. His counterpart, the only person willing to co-operate with a man such as himself.
He hurt , not because of the pain in his hand but because he didn’t know how to continue this. How to convince stone to ask him what he was sure they both wanted.
He pulled slightly urging stone towards him, just enough that their arms were brushing, he squeezed the agent’s wrist lightly before letting go. Looking up he saw a flash of disappointment on stones face before he slowly moved away petting robotnik’s arm with the hand that was locked in the doctor’s own just moments ago.
Noticing that Ivo was suppressing another shiver he moved his arm back up gently holding his his elbow.
This time ivo let himself react leaning into the touch as much as he could. He was tired. He didn’t end up getting that coffee anywhere but his hand and that won’t be any good as a caffeine fix. He let himself fall into the feeling of exhaustion leaning towards stone , who caught him before he leaned to far forward- and fell-, letting the warmth of the agent engage his already lowered senses.
He heard one of the bots beep and scurry away nearly getting kicked as he felt stone move then out of the kitchen area into the lab. Stone moved his hands up to robotnik’s shoulders looking past him at the door to his office. Ivo know this was the end of their moment. Stone was tired , understandably so. What shocked him however was stone letting him lean into his warm body,going as far as to stroke his hair as they stood there in the middle of the cold lab. Robotnik never felt warmer.
Leaning away after several minutes robotnik took in what stone was wearing. “This won’t do agent” he muttered taking off his jacket and pulling it round stones shoulders.
He revived another of those wonderful smiles in return. His heart was plotting his demise again.
“Stone... May I.” He nodded towards the office hoping his message gets across to the wonderful man before him.
Stones eyes lit up with an emotion unknown to robotnik as he took his hand again and whistled for the bots to follow them.
Before opening the office door stone commanded firmly “lights off” and pulled them both towards the office sofa.
He fell backwards pulling ivo on top of him ,wrapping his arms around him as robotnik attempted to hide his face between his shoulder and the pillow. Slowly he rubbed his head against stones neck feeling the bots settle over them , one sitting itself on robotnik’s back just above where stones hand was.
“Their defiance to the idea of personal space is to be expected if you constantly allow they so much affection” he huffed into stone’s neck, feeling him laugh silently.
“Ivo?” Stone whispered into his hair.
“Yes?” Robotnik was thrilled at the use of his name.
“Shut up and go to sleep” Stone signed putting his cheek on robotnik’s hair. Sensing a chuckle from the man on top on him.
“Very well agent” he muttered before closing his eyes and positioning himself on stones chest and wrapping his arms round him,giving a gentle squeeze.
Robotnik had never felt so content.