Work Text:
Robotnik's POV: The hotel reeked of chlorine. Robotnik twitched a sneer, trying to ignore the smell. He typed up a report to the Head of Defenses that the flight over went well, service was nice, blah, blah, blah. He was pulled down to Washington D.C. to be debriefed on a potential threat for a whole week. He would have to go an entire week without his lab, his bots, and staff, and worst of all, without all of his music software.
Did those buffoons in the Octagon know who they were dealing with? They expected him to come happy as a lamb to tedious meetings about things they had all seen a million times before.
Unfortunately, he couldn't even deal with the irritation on his own. Ever since the Moscow Incident, he couldn't be left to work or live alone in a building with high-tech. But at least it was Stone that had to play babysitter. Stone wasn't anywhere near Robotnik in leagues of intelligence or power, but at least the man knew how to shut his mouth... sometimes. And he knew how to make a damn good cup of coffee. That's something he couldn't have lived without.
Besides, the company could have it's perks. Stone liked to listen to the doctor bounce off ideas, he was obedient to a fault, and he would never betray the doctor.
Robotnik groaned dramatically, laying back on the bed he had previously been sitting cross-legged on. He closed all the tabs on the miniature holographic lab with his gloves before shutting off the small black box and tugging his thick gloves off. "uGHh, there's nO reason for us to be here right now, Stone"
"Of course, doctor." Stone was currently putting away the weeks worth of clothes, having to fold the ones that Robotnik had recklessly crammed into his suitcase.
"Who the HELL do they think they are? Pulling my GENIUS from my station just because there's a little rising threat. That's not my problem, that's an America problem"
Robotnik heard a low chuckle from Stone, but couldn't see the roll of his eyes from his turned head. "Doctor, aren't you a defense force for the country..? An America problem is a you problem, isn't it?"
"No, I'm a scientist. You should know that by now, but I wouldn't expect someone with the brain capacity of the gun you pack to understand that"
"Ah, of course sir." The doctor knew well that Stone had long since been unaffected by the his jabs, but it was still fun to have someone to let his anger out on.
He tossed the nearly indestructible black mini holographic computer onto the floor, sitting back up and watched Stone's methodical movements. Lost in thought, he sat and fumed.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your thinking, doctor, but we need to head out to buy food tonight"
"What?" The sudden noise broke him out of his stewing.
"Well, I can't expect both of us to live off of the three family sized bags of Skittles you smuggled through TSA"
"Stone, are you sassing me? If you are, you'll only have Skittles to eat for the rest of this godawful trip. You're revolting when you're like this."
"Sorry, doctor."
"And you can go shopping tonight, I'm going to bed."
They had arrived about a half hour before, and Ivo had yet to change out of his stiff slacks, boots, and turtleneck. He had cast his jacket onto the armchair in the room, but outside of that he was no where near ready to sleep. Despite this, he clung to a pillow and curled himself into a small ball.
This prompted a long sigh from Stone. He was used to dealing with the doctor for hours, or a few days at a time. But a week? It was going to be like taking care of a child. A child with five PhD's.
"Not like that, you're not. And if we want food, you have to go with me. I'm sorry sir, but I can't leave you alone in a room with your tech. You know the rules" Stone's tone was soft, but Ivo could tell it was costing him.
"Then we'll get food tomorrowwwww."
"Sir, we have an all day meeting tomorrow. Please get up."
"You will have to pry me out of this bed if you even want me to consider it." Jet lag hit the doctor HARD, and he couldn't bare the idea of seeing a human being other than Stone right now. But as he had expected, he soon felt Stone's surprisingly strong arms wrap around him from behind and dragging him out of bed. Ivo yelled and protested, but savored the warmth of his assistant until he was standing back on the floor.
He spun to face Stone, hellishly pissed. Stone braced himself for the doctor to yell at him as he always did when he touched the doctor without permission, but Ivo got hit with a large yawn and forgot what he was upset about.
"Fine, fine. Since you APPARENTLY leave me no choice."
Stone let out a relieved sigh, "Thank you, doctor."
Stone's POV:
Stone picked up the doctor's jacket for him and put on his own. After grabbing the car and room keys, they made their way downstairs to the doctors armored vehicle. Stone had to drive for him ever since Robotnik lost his license during a mission that ended with Ivo saying that speeding laws were just a suggestion for cowards. It was probably for the best that he had been forever confined to shotgun.
Robotnik immediately turned the radio to full blast, and every time Stone reached over to turn it down so he could focus on driving, he got a swift slap to the wrist in return. Stone gave up on trying to turn down the blaring Britney Spears, and dealt with it until he pulled into the nearly empty supermarket parking lot.
The two tired, jet-lagged men clad in pristine ironed black clothing drudged into the local cheap supermarket. Stone grabbed a cart, and before he even get to the main doors, Robotnik climbed into the cart and draped himself in it less than gracefully. Robotnik's back ached from the angle he laid in the cart, but it was better than walking the length of the store. He shifted and made himself comfortable, his long legs hanging off the edge. The store was nearly empty at this hour of the night, but any patrons there were still a little uneasy about these two grown men in black making their way down the isle as the older man in the cart tried to grab six boxes of cereal whenever his companion had had his back turned.
Stone tried his best to get healthier options, knowing that the doctor rarely took care of himself, but he also knew it would be difficult to find time to cook during their busy week. When Stone finally picked between getting apples or oranges, he turned around to find that Ivo who had previously covered in food and candy had vanished from the cart.
He spun around, panicked. Where had he gone? He couldn't see his doctor down the isle, so he grabbed their cart and darted through the store to try and find him.
Stone knew that something like this was bound to happen, it's just how the doctor was. He sighed, but couldn't help but feel sentimental towards the man. He might have been the smartest man in the world, but he acted like a moody child. Stone had worked under him for years, how long exactly he had lost count. As long as he'd known Ivo, he'd had an unrelenting loyalty and fascination with him. How could someone so scarily intelligent be so... dumb? Constantly?
It was wonderful.
Stone always was so starstruck by him, filled with wonder with every revelation the doctor made. The doctor was cold, ruthless, and lethal. He had seen him take lives without batting an eye. Stone had done the same, but the way the doctor did it was.. elegant. Beauti-
He shook his head. He needed to focus on finding his doctor. He might've been ruthless, cold, and strikingly pretty, but he was still a huge dumb ass. Stone moved the across the isles, marveling in how Ivo could get so ridiculously far in no time at all.
Stone was about to go and page for a lost child in the store when he heard a familiar sound; Ivo telling an innocent bystander that they would be better off dead than taint the world with their uselessness.
Suppressing a love-struck smile, Stone pulled the nearly full cart over to the source of the nearby noise. A crack came from the electronics isle as, in a show of "dominance", Robotnik threw his black sunglasses onto the tile.
Robotnik's POV:
He had gone up and down, scowling at every machine in the store from the second he abandoned Stone.
"An unborn fetus could engineer something more intuitive."
There were noises blasting from the stereo systems, bright lights dancing across the TV screens. Robotnik was drawn to light like a moth, but even this was hurting his eyes. He covered his ears as he spoke to himself, forgetting he didn't have his technology as he made hand gestures to turn down the music around him. When he realized the world around him wasn't bending to his every whim, he huffed only growing more irritable by the second. Why did he have to be on this godawful trip?
"Agent Stone!"
His shoes tapped frustrated, pissy because he lost his assistant somewhere in the store and he couldn't get him back without putting in effort.
A young girl no older than 17 came up to him, the bags under her eyes almost as blue as her uniform vest. "Sir, is there anything I can help you find today?"
Robotnik turned to her so fast his hair came out of its slicked style. "Well, for a start you could find me a reason as to why everything in this store is only fit for the nursery of an abused orphan"
"..Oh. I'm uh.... I'm sorry our selection isn't what you're looking for sir..? We're just a Walmart" the girl responded after a small dumbfounded pause.
"Oh an apology isn't necessary from a worm the likes of you. It's just so RIDICULOUS that the inferior human race thinks that its 'technology' should be rudimentary trinkets put into the hands of teenagers like you that can hardly go a minute without dropping your phone. Tell me dear, while you're holding this minimum wage job, do you SERIOUSLY think anyone buys this shit out of anything other than pity for your meager self? Or do you genuinely think that you're capable enough to even sell junk like this. Because if you do, than you're even stupider than those who buy the tech here that makes Baby Alive dolls seem revolutionary."
She looked up at him with fear, eyes brimming with tears.
"........Sir, I'm just-- I'm just trying to do my job- I-"
"STOP. Talking. Or I will make you rip out your vocal cords with a force that will make you wiSH YOU WERE NEVER BORN" He swung his arm down, shattering his glasses and causing the poor employee to jump in terror.
Robotnik smirked, and just as he were about to end off his verbal attack on the random store employee with a Super Awesome Manly Comeback, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Stone found his dumb ass boss.
"Doctor, please leave the girl alone. She's had a long night." Hearing his voice, he tensed but calmed. Instead of continuing to bore holes into her with his eyes, he turned to his agent, and moved to silently examine the contents of the cart.
Stone's POV:
Every single bone in his body ached as he reached down to pick up the broken pieces of the doctor's glasses. The girl hadn't moved, still in shock. Sweeping the shards into his jacket pocket, he addressed her.
To say Stone was tired as he handed her the compensation of a twenty dollar bill was an understatement. No tone played in his voice while he spoke, needing to get out of there as fast as possible.
"I'm sorry ma'am. Please excuse the doctor, he's a government scientist suffering from heavy jetlag. Doesn't do well with people."
"I-.. It's okay."
"Don't worry, you're doing great. We've all had to deal with shitty part-time jobs and I'm sure you're gonna make it out fine."
Without another word to her, Stone grabbed the cart and brought Robotnik and the groceries to the check-out. Ivo ranted to him the entire trip across the store, though Stone had long-since learned how and when to tune out his talkative boss.
Although the doctor was talking a mile a minute, Stone knew very well that he was going to crash the second they got back to the hotel room, possibly before. As he loaded the food onto the conveyor belt by himself and paid the cashier, he couldn't get out of his mind why he still stayed working for the insane man right next to him.
Sure, the job payed well and it offered some interesting opportunities, but it was exhausting every day to try and keep up with Robotnik's antics. He was constantly moving and yelling and getting his way. Stone just got pushed around and was a glorified moral support secretary.
He had fun, sure, but the abuse would sometimes get overwhelming. The reasons to leave outweighed the reasons to stay by a landslide. But when they got into the car and Robotnik immediately grabbed Stone's jacket off his shoulders and held it close, Stone felt completely sure as to why he always stayed.
He stayed because no matter what hell the job put him through, he and the doctor made each other happy. It was a strange happy, but it was theirs.