Work Text:
If I could build a wall around you
I could control the thing that you do
But I couldn’t kill the will from you
And it never shows
The place where evil grows
There were times where Agent Stone couldn’t tell if his boss was unaware that he wasn’t alone in his command center, or if he knew Stone was there and he just didn’t care.
Considering you could hear one of his Tunes of Anarchy from outside the large structure anyways, Stone’s guess was the latter.
He had been working for the super-genius Dr. Robotnik for a while now- and according to the chatter from his peers, ‘a while’ was an uncharacteristically long time to be working under him.
There was the odd workplace story here and there about the doctor, even if nobody knew what he really did. Anecdotes about how Jackie over in accounting was a former Robotnik employee, and the day she was fired she ran across the office in tears, or how Steve in parks had walked into the break room with a crushed coffee cup and a scorched hairdo.
Stone, naturally, tried his best to ignore them. Gossip was unbecoming. Still, the rumours about the boss-zilla that Robotnik apparently was had made Stone a nervous wreck the day he had gotten the assignment. Nobody would tell him about it to his face, but he was almost certain someone had started a betting pool on how long Stone would last under Robotnik.
A lot of people were certainly losing a lot of money if that was true.
Thinking back to the present, Stone still wasn’t sure why Robotnik had kept him around for so long. The doctor seemed to like him fine enough, that was true, but when you work under Robotnik, ‘like’ is a very, very subjective word.
Was it because he never complained when Robotnik took lengths to explain why Stone’s intelligence was like that of a flea’s compared to his?
No, no, he does that to everyone, and he never really cared for their reaction.
Maybe it was how efficient he was at his job?
Certainly not. Robotnik took every opportunity to tell Stone how his beautiful machines could do everything so much better than humans.
Maybe, just maybe…
It was because Robotnik actually liked…
...No, that’s ridiculous.
It’s the way Stone made his coffee. No doubt about it. That was the reason why Robotnik had kept him around.
Stone sighed, continuing to work on some paperwork as his boss blasted music in the other room, manic foot stomps and thrilled whooping and hollering accentuating every beat.
The thing was, he wasn’t sure what Robotnik thought of him- nobody ever was-
But he sure as hell liked Robotnik.
Stone was embarrassed to even think it, but his mind was the one place he couldn’t hide the truth away. He could deny it no longer.
Agent Stone had a massive crush on his boss.
His boss’ playlist certainly did NOT help things in the slightest. Why did so many songs that radiate evil energy also remind him of love?
It was stupid, but Stone couldn’t help but imagine it… Every song that sang about a rad, bad dude who whisks the ladies off their feet and destroys what he wants put an image in Stone’s imagination- an image of him being the lady Robotnik sweeps off their feet, as he dips him down low, and goes so intoxicatingly close to Stone’s face, too close for comfort for literally everyone except Robotnik, and then leans in for the kiss-
Stone nearly fell over. The vibrating of a smart watch had rudely interrupted the daydream he was having-
No, maybe it was for the best. What would Robotnik think? Stone would have no excuse for why he had been slacking off all afternoon that he could say… Not to his crush’s face. He groaned, tapping the watch’s power button and quickly reading over the text.
It was for Robotnik. He had turned his own devices off again- probably for the dance sequence. Stone tossed the idea of interrupting him back and forth in his head. Robotnik usually didn’t like to be interrupted, any idiot could see that. He scanned the text once again-
Oh.
That was pretty important.
Stone sighed again, wrapping the watch around his wrist. Robotnik wasn’t going to enjoy the interruption, but considering there was a creature faster than light on the loose, time was of the essence.
He went from his little employee station to the door to Robotnik’s main hub, finding it left ajar. No wonder the music was so loud. Stone stepped inside, letting the dark red and bright blue lighting of a genius at work wash over him. It was rather intense, not to mention he was wearing black, so Stone took extra precaution not to accidentally sneak up on his boss.
Said boss who was currently bouncing up and down while holding onto his handrails.
God.
Stone had it bad.
He stepped further into Robotnik’s workspace cautiously, extending a hand out to tap.. the general vicinity where Robotnik occupied? He didn’t really think this one through.
“Excuse m-“
Stone’s hand was yanked from its position, and he made an embarrassed noise- Even he wasn’t sure what it was. He felt his entire body getting pulled towards another, and leather laced itself in between his fingertips. Another rogue hand was placed firmly on Stone’s waist.
He was met with an all-too-familiar sight- Robotnik’s face being far too close to his, yet still retaining that aura of cool confidence. Overconfidence, perhaps, judging by the crazed look in his eyes. A smirk that twisted a little too far upwards. The works.
Stone wasn’t particularly concerned with his face. He had seen Robotnik’s face before.
What really startled him were Robotnik’s feet gliding in and out between his own in rhythm.
Was-
Was Robotnik dancing with him?
Stone was stunned into silence, while Robotnik twirled him around in time, taking the lead. They broke apart for a second for Robotnik to do a little solo with his own dance moves, but quickly realigned. Stone shakily tried to keep Robotnik’s pace as best as he could. He still couldn’t believe this was happening.
Evil grows in the dark
Where the sun, it never shines.
Evil grows in cracks and holes
And lives in people's minds.
Evil grew, it's part of you.
And now it seems to be,
That everytime I look at you
Evil grows in me.
Just when Stone thought the surprises were over, he felt his leg getting thumped. He wobbled, losing his balance, only to feel himself getting caught. He looked at his arms, which were gripping onto Robotnik’s shoulders for dear life. He felt the world bend slightly, as he was tilted downwards, leg pointing out.
He had been dipped.
Doctor Ivo Robotnik had dipped him.
Robotnik was holding that glowing blue quill in his other hand, as he stared down at Stone (who stared back up at him.)
Stone was sure that if the lighting hadn’t been so red, his blush would have been obvious.
“For someone who isn’t me… You aren’t half bad at dancing, Stone,” Robotnik said, still holding Stone there in perfect form.
“...Really?” Stone asked, staring up at Robotnik, his crush growing more and more obvious. He had to do something, right? This was the perfect moment, he couldn’t pass it up, he just had to do something, come on-
“...Are my lattes really that good? That’s why I’m still here, right, doctor?”
Robotnik laughed. It was that guffaw that came right from his diaphragm. He leaned forward, pulling Stone up to his face as he put the quill between his teeth like a rose.
“Oh, Stone…”
“The latte’s just a bonus.”
Robotnik leaned closer, just like Stone had seen in his fantasies so many times, and kissed him.
What Stone didn’t account for was the electric explosion that happened immediately after because a certain pair of dumbasses decided to kiss while one had a quill dynamo in his mouth.
That’d sting for a while.