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Chapter Text

The humans had returned again.

From the mouth of his cave, he watched their massive ships go by above him, feeling the heavy vibrations they sent out as they passed. Although other creatures had long since scattered, diving to deeper, safer depths or flattening themselves into the rocks for protection, something always drew him to stay and watch them go by.

They were returning more often than usual these days, scaring away the fish and sometimes knocking over rocks with explosions that rained down from the surface. He turned to leave as the ships stopped, anticipating the first round of explosions, but something caught his eye at the last minute.

Lights were dancing above the surface of the water. He frowned, leaning further out of the cave to get a better look. From this deep in the water, he could see nothing more than the occasional flash of something as it passed above.

Tentatively, he swam upwards, following the cliff face towards the lights, preparing to bolt back down to safety at the first sign of trouble, but none came. As he approached the surface of the water, he hesitated. Humans were not nice. They came and stole fish by the hundreds, and poisoned the waters they passed through. Their explosions had damaged part of his cave just last week, but something about these new lights drew him upwards, curious to find out what they meant.

Slowly, he approached the surface of the water, careful to keep himself hidden behind the edge of a large rock that had broken off from the cliff side. Curling his tail around it as an anchor, he peered out above the waves, and gasped in delight.

Doctor Ivo Robotnik was having a fantastic day. Any day he could show off the abilities of his Badniks automatically elevated it to a good day in his books, and testing their abilities in the field only further upped his mental ranking of the day to great.

When the field he was testing his newest Badniks in was the open ocean, while hovering above four Navy carriers in his flier as said Badniks utterly obliterated any and every counter-attack thrown at them – well, that made it a pretty fantastic day indeed.

He laughed in delight as his systems reported that all targets had been eliminated. The laser sights of the flying, egg-shaped robots were now all pointed squarely at the foreheads of the sullen group of high ranking men and women standing on the deck of the lead carrier.

"Well, Admirals, does that answer your questions?" He taunted over his radio. "Silent, efficient, compact, and now with built in Wi-Fi!"

"Yes, fine, you maniac, just get them out of here!" One of them snapped back, cross-eyed as he tried to shuffle subtly backwards and keep all the Badniks in sight at the same time.

A few taps on his glove controls brought the Badniks back to hover below his ship. "I await your glowing review – and generous funding – eagerly, gentlemen." With a mocking salute, he closed the dome of his flier and sped away, robots trailing.

Engaging the fliers auto-pilot, he leaned back in his seat, whistling cheerfully as he scrolled through the testing data, being fed to him from the bots below.

"Hmm, targeting could still be improved by at least 0.25%. The hover module on #8 is running less than optimally... oh, hello, what's this?" He leaned forward as a sensor image appeared on his screen, tapping it to bring it to the forefront.

As the Badniks had finished their final scan of the testing area, heat sensors had picked up the faintest trace of elevated readings where there should have been none at all. A barely-there blip on the surface of the water, close to the cliff face.

"Normally, I'd chalk it up to heat residue on debris..." he mused aloud, pinching the scan to zoom in further, "...but debris usually isn't in the shape of a human head."

As the strange white orbs flew away, he realized he had pulled himself nearly half out of the water in his eagerness to watch them go by. When the ships started moving again, he ducked under the surface of the waves, mind whirling. The white orbs had been the source of the beautiful lights that had caught his attention. As they flew through the air, they drew brilliant trails of light across the sky, shimmering in a pattern brighter and more dazzling than anything he had seen before.

As the ships vanished into the distance, he unwrapped his tail from the rock and let himself drift slowly downwards, barely paying attention to where the current took him. Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the Badnik swimming up behind him until it was far too late.

The doctor’s robots were all waterproof, of course, but his latest batch, built specially for naval warfare, could not only withstand a dive of up to 500 meters, but also came with motion tracking, ultra-high quality cameras, sensor camouflage, and even decent quality speakers. (What good was a demonstration of complete technological superiority, he figured, if you didn’t have the appropriate backing soundtrack to go with it?)

Parking his flier on the cliff top, he pulled up the sensor image on his gloves and compared it to the waves below. When the images aligned, he tapped the spot where the heat reading had been spotted. “Find out what that was.” he instructed the nearest Badnik, which beeped in acknowledgement before flying away. “Worst case, the sensors were incorrect.” He laughed harshly to himself, kicking his feet up on the dash of the flier. “Except my sensors are never incorrect. 53% chance of it being marine life – in which case, it’s a fresh catch for dinner tonight, boys. 30% chance of it being a seagull, which means we get a live target to work with while I fine-tune your targeting systems. 16% chance some wet-behind-the-ears Private fell off the ship in fear when one of you got too close to him, and I get to rub it in Admiral McKow’s face when I rescue one of their men before they even realize he’s missing.”

As the Badnik beeped that it had found something, he pulled up the video feed with a lazy wave of his hand. “Of course, there is always the 1% chance that its...” he trailed off, boots thumping back to the floor of the flier in astonishment. The end of his sentence was said in the barest whisper. “...something I’ve never seen before.”

On the video feed before him was a man – the top half of one, at least. Starting at his waist, his dark brown skin slowly turned iridescent grey, flecked with brown and black spots. Instead of legs, a long and powerful tail fluttered in the water, ending in two broad, flat fins. “A mermaid. A damn mermaid. Mer-man?” he whispered to himself, leaning in towards the screen. The movement sandwiched his glove between his knee and the flier’s console, causing several of the buttons to press at once.

Robotnik yelped as the Badnik surged forward in response to his accidental commands. The merman whirled around, mouth open and arms raising up to defend himself. Frantically, he swung out, knocking the Badnik aside. By the time the robot had righted itself, the merman was gone, the ends of his tail disappearing into a crevasse in the rock too narrow for the Badnik to follow.

Swearing, Robotnik rewound the footage to the moment the merman had turned, already sending the image to the other Badniks and initiating their tracking capabilities. “Find it!” he yelled as they all dove as one. “Wait until those stuffed wetsuits find out about this! Imagine the advancements I could make if I can find out how this thing breathes… it’s body temperature regulation could advance spacesuits a decade...” overcome with excitement, he gleefully pulled up the live video and sonar feeds from the Badniks as they combed the ocean below.

While re-organizing the dozen holographic screens across the inner dome of the flier, he paused as he came across the original video of the merman, still frozen at the moment it had spotted the Badnik. His hands stilled, dropping to his lap. The figure frozen on the screen before him had smooth, muscular brown skin, dark, short hair... and the most terrified expression Robotnik had ever seen. The doctor had seen fear in the eyes of men before – indeed, he often took great delight in being the one to put that fear there himself – but never like this. Like a terrified animal, cornered, seeing its life flash before its eyes.

He scrubbed a hand over his face. Despite what the government lackeys were fond of whispering behind his back, he was not a psychopath. His robots were designed to attack only if attacked first. For every auto-loading, motion-tracking, high-powered gun he’d built, he’d also built three other machines with nothing dangerous about them at all. It was hardly his fault what blueprints and prototypes the brass pushed into mass-production. Hardly his fault if raining missiles from the skies above distant, war-torn nations made the government more money than helping the impoverished within their own borders.

Robotnik frantically pushed a series of buttons on his glove, stopping the Badniks in their tracks. “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” He nosed the flier closer to the edge of the cliff. “Better call Zefram, because I’m about to initiate first contact!” He whooped in delight as the flier plummeted down and into the water.

Heart racing, he flattened himself further into the crevasse as another white orb swam past. Up close, they were terrifying things, larger than he had suspected, their one eye glowing with light. His every instinct told him to get as far away from them as he could, but for the moment he was trapped in his hiding spot, waiting for them to leave.

Abruptly, the water stilled. Cautiously, he leaned forward, peering out of his hiding spot. The white orbs had stopped, their eyes turned away. If he could edge past them, he could risk swimming for his cave before they could catch him. Slowly, being careful to move the water as little as possible, he edged out of the crevasse, keeping his back to the rock.

He’d only barely emerged from his hiding place when the water in front of him exploded in a shower of bubbles. The sudden current yanked him sideways, and he scrambled desperately for a handhold, tail thrashing in an attempt to right himself. By the time he’d gotten his wits back together, he was staring into the giant grey eye of the strangest and most deadly creature he’d ever seen.

Twice his height and three times his length, it’s fins glowed with red light as it advanced on him, a row of thick, straight black teeth pointed directly at his chest. The creature had him trapped against the cliff.

His mind raced. Could he try and get around it? He’d outsmarted an orca once by ducking under and twisting away just as it had prepared to strike. This new creature wasn't much larger, which meant that he had the advantage in agility, and if he was lucky, speed. He could try and ram it? A well-positioned blow to one of the fins could throw it off-balance.

Perhaps both. If he baited it left, then rammed the right side, it just might give him enough time to get past it and into the safety of the caves. With a deep breath and a powerful shove off the cliff face, he charged, screaming.

Robotnik could count on one hand the number of times he had been rendered speechless. Seeing the merman before him, with his own two eyes, had now joined that very short list.

From head to fin-tips he would stand just taller than the doctor, his upper human half lean and muscular in the way Olympic swimmers were. The lights from the flier shone off the mottled grey-black of his powerful tail as it moved below him.

"A bona fide, living, breathing, goddamn swimming merman." He muttered to himself. "I've got to get a scan of him, body temperature readings, should have installed that X ray camera after all... WHOA!"

He’d been so engrossed in pulling up sensors that he failed to notice the screaming merman charging at him until the proximity alarm was blaring in his face. Red light flooded the cockpit, and he yanked the control stick backwards. The flier, however, had been designed for air travel, not water, and it groaned and beeped in annoyance as it sluggishly reversed.

The movement was just enough to throw the merman off his target. Robotnik winced in sympathy at the noise his body made as it hit the edge of the flier, hard. Despite the heavy collision, the merman still tried to swim away, cradling his shoulder and listing slightly to one side as he made his way towards an opening in the rocks below them.

Quickly patching the fliers short-range radio into the speaker of the nearest Badniks, still floating behind him, he desperately called out. "Wait! I mean you no harm."

The merman clapped his hands over his ears at the broadcast, wincing, still trying to limp to the cave.

"Of course, the sound will be amplified in the water. I’ve just deafened the damn creature!" He groaned, swinging the flier around to try and place it between the merman and his cave. The merman only swam faster as the flier approached, eyes wide with panic and pain.

"Would help if he could see you too." He chastised himself, switching the fliers dome from opaque to transparent. Turning the volume down several notches, he tried again. "I mean you no harm." He said, trying to sound calm and reassuring.

The merman froze at the sight of him. Still cradling his shoulder, he shot backwards several feet, before suddenly crying out and curling his tail in on himself. It was obvious he’d been badly injured by his collision with the flier, and Robotnik felt the faintest twinge of guilt at the look of immense pain on his face. He could hardly blame the merman for being terrified. “I can help you. I have a first aid kit in here.” he said, slowly, trying not to startle him further.

The merman only blinked back at him in confusion. While it was obvious he’d heard the sounds coming out of the Badniks, he didn’t seem to understand their meaning. Robotnik frowned. “Parlez-vous français?” He tried. “Sprichst du Deutsch? Que tal español?“

The merman only continued to stare as Robotnik tried several other languages in rapid succession. “Right, well, he has working eyes and ears, so he’s got to be capable of some kind of communication.” The doctor threw up his hands in frustration, causing the merman to jump slightly at the sudden motion. “Sign language, maybe?” Slowly, with exaggerated movements so he could be easily seen through the flier’s dome, he signed out: Hello. My name is Doctor Robotnik.

His unintended collision with the human ship – not a creature after all – had been a bad one. Instinct told him to run, to get away as fast as he could, but the sounds coming from the human and the orbs made him pause. Obviously the human was trying to communicate, but it was unlike anything he’d ever heard before. Sharp, harsh sounds, louder and more grating than the calls of any ocean creature. Now, the human had fallen silent, and was moving his arms and hands about. He swam closer, intrigued, trying to suppress a wince as the movement shot pain up his tail.

He’d seen crabs wave their claws and otters twist and dance in circles to communicate with others of their kind. If the human had wanted to attack, he’d have done it by now. Perhaps this human had really just wanted to talk with him? Slowly, with his uninjured arm, he mimicked the waving motion the human had started with.

This seemed to please the human, as he repeated the motion back, adding several others after it. A tap to his chest, followed by tapping the first two fingers from each hand on top of each other, and ending with several movements on one hand in rapid succession. After a pause, he made the gestures again, slower this time, but the last few movements were still too fast to follow.

He’d seen crabs and fish dart out and tap against their hiding spots when he swam too close before, defending the territory they claimed as theirs. Was the human trying to claim this area as his territory?

With clumsy movements he repeated the first two motions the human had done, tapping his own chest and tapping the first two fingers from each hand on top of each other. He then pointed to his cave below. His home.

The human also pointed to his cave, then tapped one of his closed fists against the top of the other, looking back and forth between himself and the cave.

Slowly, he nodded, and repeated the fist-tapping motion the human had done, ending it by crossing his arms in the most threatening way he could. Trying to tell the human that this was his home, which he’d successfully defended for years, and would defend against this human if needed. His injured shoulder protested the movement, and he winced again. He was in no condition to fight. He had to get to safety, quickly.

The moment the human was looking elsewhere, he dove, gritting his teeth against the pain the movement caused him, not stopping until he was far enough into his cave that he knew the human ship couldn’t follow. Black slowly invaded the corners of his vision, and he knew he didn’t have much time. Listing heavily to one side, he hissed through his teeth as he bounced off the cave wall, barely making it to his bed before passing out.

“Stone. His name is Stone.” Robotnik tapped a finger against the console in thought. “Well, I suppose it makes sense. Not very original, though.” When he had signed his own name, the merman, in response, had pointed to the rocks below, before repeating back the appropriate sign. Before he could ask more, he’d disappeared. Sensors showed him deep within the caves below, in a space far too small for the flier to follow.

The flier had an oxygen mask, but it was designed for high-altitude use, not underwater exploration. His flight suit was not watertight, and he swore he could hear water slowly dripping into the cockpit somewhere behind him. The brass would be starting to wonder where he had gone. Sighing in frustration, he sent the Badniks on ahead and yanked the control stick of the flier around.

As he emerged back above the water, his screen lit up with incoming transmissions and delayed messages. Admirals asking where he had been, demanding his presence at meetings, and a list of new alterations they wanted done on the drones.

For a moment, his desire for scientific advancement battled with his conscience in his head, and he tore at his hair in frustration. If he revealed his findings to the government, they’d have the merman in custody and dissected within the week. They’d drain the oceans in their attempt to find more of them.

By the time he’d landed back at base, dodged the group of soldiers sent to try and find him, and safely locked himself in his lab, he’d made up his mind. Stone would be his secret, for now.

The first drawing of charging SealStone was done by itsjustiris! (Deviantart and Instagram) If the image did not load click Here for a copy.

The original SealStone image that inspired this all, by Grass. If the image does not load click Here for a copy.

Chapter Text

Implementing the Admirals changes to his drones took only a few hours, which in turn bought him a few days before they would return with their next series of orders. Modifying the flier (and finding a wetsuit in his preferred colour scheme) took far longer. It was a full day and a half before he could return to the area where he'd first encountered Stone.

As the flier plunged into the water, Robotnik was pleased to see it responded much smoother than before. Scanning the cave the merman had vanished into showed he was still hiding deep within.

Fitting his breathing mask over his face, the doctor reclined his seat before pressing a large blue button. The seat tilted backwards sharply, shooting him out of a hatch in the floor of the flier. Slightly disoriented from the sudden force, he only just managed to dodge the Badnik that was shot out after him.

"Right, first on the to-do list: Fix ejection seat." He muttered, sullenly grabbing the Badnik. Patting the waterproof medical bag strapped to his hip to make sure it had survived, he activated the Badnik's motors, and dove into the cave.

Every movement had become a chore. Stone’s shoulder throbbed constantly, and swimming sent a spike of pain up his tail. He was tired and hungry, having tried twice to catch dinner, only to have it swim away easily. He’d been injured before, but this time had been particularly bad, leaving most of his right side covered in dark purple bruises.

He had no idea how long he’d been stuck inside his cave, either sleeping or just letting the current push him in circles, when he heard the humming. It was quieter and more high-pitched than when the human’s ships passed overhead, but it was getting louder, quickly. Pushing himself upright off his bed with a wince, he grabbed one of the spears made of driftwood and sharpened rock he used to defend himself. Keeping his back to the wall, he slowly edged around the cave until he was right beside the entrance. As soon as the front of the Badnik entered, he attacked.

The first attack bounced harmlessly off the hard shell of the robot, but the second struck the front, cracking the glass. Gripping the spear with both hands, he managed to get the pointed end into the front seam of the Badnik, and pulled.

Unprepared for the sudden attack, Robotnik swam backwards as the robot was ripped out of his hands. A moment later, he found himself with a sharp rock and an angry merman in his face. In the scattered, dim light still coming from the damaged Badnik, he looked like a vicious sea monster of old, one from tales that sailors would tell of horrors that lurked beneath the waves, waiting to snatch up anyone who fell overboard and drag them to their deaths.

Gritting his teeth through the pain now wracking his entire body, Stone swam closer, pressing the tip of his spear into Robotnik’s side, eyes widening in recognition. It was the same human that he’d seen before. He was dressed in a strange, shiny red suit, and he had a large cylinder and several shapes on his face and back. He’d seen other humans with the same cylinder and shapes before, coming out of the ships and swimming in the water.

Staring Stone in the eye through his mask, the doctor quickly raised his hands and signed out: I will not hurt you. I have come to help you.

Stone did not lower the spear. The human was making the hand motions again. Different ones than before. He could not mimic them back, not while holding his weapon, so he simply shook his head and narrowed his eyes.

Robotnik, frustrated, repeated the signs, ending this time by pointing to the medical kit on his hip, slowly unfastening the straps and holding it out in front of him.

Stone shot rapid glances between Robotnik’s face and the medical kit. Keeping his spear firmly pressed into the doctor’s side, he reached out and grabbed the kit with his other hand. Turning it over several times, he shook his head and offered it back, confused. The human had come back, had invaded his cave, but had not attacked him, or even tried to defend himself from Stone’s attack. Instead he was trying to offer him something? It did not look or smell like food, and he did not collect shiny trinkets for his cave, the way some other animals did, so he could not understand what this human wanted from him.

Robotnik was livid. He had come all this way, even modified his flier, to help the damn creature, and it was refusing treatment. He shoved the bag at Stone again, trying every relevant sign he could think of to indicate what it was. Medicine. Injury. Doctor. I can help you, idiot.

Stone had backed away slightly, but kept the spear pointed squarely at Robotnik as he continued to shake his head and push the bag back. His arm had begun to shake with the effort of trying not to cry out in pain, and he was breathing heavily. He still didn’t know what this strange human wanted from him, but he knew to never show pain in front of a possible predator.

Suddenly, it all clicked in Robotnik’s mind. The merman didn’t know sign language after all. He hadn’t understood a single thing he’d been trying to tell him, he’d only been mimicking the doctor’s actions the first time. “Well that just complicates things, doesn’t it?” He sighed to himself, causing a stream of bubbles to release from under his breather.

Lowering the medical bag, he took a moment to consider his options. He owed the merman nothing. Stone had been the one to charge at his flier, injuring himself in the process. He hadn’t even known Stone existed until two days ago… hell, he hadn’t even been within a hundred miles of this area of the ocean until two days ago. The merman had obviously been perfectly fine on his own up until now.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sudden absence of rocks pressing into his side. Stone had collapsed, curling in on himself and whining in pain, barely clinging to consciousness as the cave’s current carried him towards the ground. Robotnik could see the bruising, but it was obvious more serious injuries lay underneath. If he left Stone in this state, then he truly would be the psychopath his superiors claimed he was. Opening the medical kit, he grabbed the vial of tranquilizer.

Stone fought him weakly as he approached, struggling against his grip as he lay him down on the cave floor. “Sorry about this. Well, not really, you’ll thank me later. Eventually.” He said, and jabbed the needle into the merman’s neck.

The tranquilizer knocked Stone out for almost an hour; more than enough time for Robotnik to take detailed scans and find out he had a torn tail muscle and a hairline fracture in his shoulder blade in addition to the obvious bruising. The doctor had bandaged both injuries the best he could and given as strong a dose of morphine as he dared, without proper knowledge of how he’d react to it.

The scanner’s data had thrown Robotnik’s databases for a loop – spitting out error after error as it tried to find Stone’s biological match. The closest it had been able to come up with was a loose connection to both Homo sapiens and Phoca vitulina . Robotnik chuckled to himself. “Not quite a selkie, unless you got stuck halfway?” He glanced down at the still-unconscious, now heavily-bandaged form of Stone in front of him. “I hardly believe I’m in danger of becoming enchanted and kidnapped. However, if your species is in the habit of bestowing rewards, I wouldn’t object.”

Stone woke up groggily, to a cave filled with light. Squinting against the unexpected brightness, he pushed himself up on his elbows, surprised to find himself laying on the moss-covered rock shelf that served as his bed. The last thing he remembered was the human grabbing him, and a sharp stab of pain. He started slightly at the sight of his arm. It was wrapped up to the shoulder in long white strips, and his tail had a large patch of white stuck to it. He’d covered small wounds he’d gotten before with thick kelp strands to help stop the bleeding, and hide the scent from predators, but this was stronger and rougher than any kelp he’d seen before. Most shocking of all was the fact that the pain had nearly vanished.

“Wonderful, you’re awake. Took you long enough.” Robotnik swam over the moment he saw Stone moving. He stopped short at the look of blank confusion on the merman’s face. “Right. You don’t understand a word I’m saying.” He pointed to himself, then to the medkit he held, then to Stone’s bandages.

Stone looked between the human and the object he was holding, then ran a hand over the white strips on his arm and tail. The human had done this? His mind whirled. Why? Did the human want something from him? He scratched at the patch stuck to his tail, trying to find a way to remove it.

“You idiotic… what are you even doing?” Robotnik darted forward, slapping Stone’s hands away from his tail.

Stone shoved back in response, glaring. For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Slowly, he pointed at himself and his bandages, then the human, and tilted his head. Trying to ask the human what was going on. Why he had returned, and what he had done.

Robotnik would have run his hands over his face in frustration, had his mask not been in the way. “Great. Have to find a way to communicate with the mute, unlettered goddamn merman. Wonderful. A perfect application of my genius intellect.” Frustrated, he dug the rest of the bandages out of the kit, and offered them to Stone.

Stone took them cautiously, running his hands over the material. Satisfied that the bandages, at least, weren’t dangerous or a trap, he offered them back. He pointed at the two orbs that were filling his cave with light. The human seemed to understand that a head tilt meant a question, so he repeated the action.

“The Badniks? No way I’m getting an explanation of what they are through to you.” Shrugging, Robotnik pushed the nearest one over to Stone.

Stone took it, running his hands over the smooth, gently vibrating surface. He tilted it several times, watching the light from it’s front eye move in response. Letting it go, he waited as it simply sat there, humming slightly. Satisfied, he pushed it back towards Robotnik. Finally, he pointed at the human himself, and with fumbling fingers, repeated the hand motions he had seen him do the other day. A wave, a gesture towards himself, tapping the first two fingers from each hand on top of each other, followed by tapping one closed fist on top of the other.

“You have no idea what that means, do you? Those signs were atrociously done. But I knew that already. Well, even if Stone isn’t your real name, I have to call you something.” Repeating the last fist-tapping sign, Robotnik pointed at the merman. Stone.

The question of trying to teach Stone Robotnik’s name was a harder one. “I’ll be here all night if I have to teach you finger-spelling, so let’s just go with...” He pointed to himself, before tapping on his inner wrist with the first two fingers of his opposite hand. Doctor.

After a moment, Stone understood. The human was using different, specific motions to refer to each of them. He nodded, repeating the fist-tapping motion close to his body, before doing the wrist-tapping motion, and pointing to the human. He still didn’t understand why the human was in his cave, or what he wanted from him, but he felt slightly more at ease around him, now that they were at least starting to communicate.

“Finally! Gold star for you. Now we’re getting somewhere!” Holding out the roll of bandages once again, Robotnik trailed the first two fingers of his right hand across his inner arm. Stone repeated the action, before pointing at the roll of bandages.

They spent several minutes going over the signs for the contents of Stone’s cave (moss, bone, shell, spear, bubbles) and Robotnik’s med kit (medicine, pill, needle, tape) before the low oxygen alarm on the doctor’s tank sounded. “Looks like the show’s over, folks.” he pulled up the holographic controls for his Badniks and flier on his wrist, watching as Stone’s eyes widened and he swam slightly closer to try and get a better look at the flickering red and blue light.

“I have no idea why I’m still talking out loud to you. Do you even have the vocal cords for human speech? I guess I’ll find out when I get the data off these boys.” He’d go through the scans he’d taken while Stone was asleep back in his lab. Patting the nearest Badnik, he instructed both of them to return to base, and they zipped off, leaving the cave lit only by the dim light coming off the holographic controls. It was just enough for them to both see each other. He frowned as he realized he had no way to tell Stone that the morphine would wear off before he could return, or even that he would return tomorrow. Pointing to himself, he pointed at the air bubbles coming from his mask, then pointed upwards.

Stone nodded. He knew humans could not stay underwater for long periods of time, even with equipment. The human had to return to the surface. He still did not fully understand what he had been doing down here in the first place, but he found himself almost sad to see him go. Pointing upwards, he then pointed downwards again, pointed at the human, and waved his hands around, indicating the cave. Would he return?

Robotnik nodded, and Stone smiled. The doctor was taken aback by how human he looked when he did – in the dim, red-blue light that illuminated only Stone’s face and shoulders, he might have been just another one of the soldiers that Robotnik strode past on a daily basis. Only when Stone backed up slightly, and the light caught the shape of his seal’s tail, was the illusion broken.

Waving farewell, Robotnik swam back to his flier, wincing as he pulled the mask off his face and flicked wet hair out of his eyes. It wasn’t until he was back inside his quarters, towelling off, and caught sight of his face in the mirror, did he realize – he was smiling.

Both gorgeous drawings for this chapter were done by the magnificent Ayjaydraws! If the images did not load click Here for the first one and click Here for the second one.

UPDATE: irenereru has done 2 ADORABLE drawings of this chapter, which can be found on their Twitter!

Chapter Text

The main entrance to Robotnik Labs was an unmarked, oversized steel door ten feet high and 4 inches thick. A single camera lens pointed down from the top of it. There were no handles, no buzzers, and no obvious ways in. Rumours about what lay behind the door were frequently passed around the lower ranks, and ranged from ‘a giant mess’ to ‘evil scientist laboratory full of body parts’. (Robotnik had started several of these rumours himself, and took great delight in hearing them whispered between soldiers whenever he strode through the corridors.)

Corporal Paris had been the soldier unlucky enough to be on duty when the doctor’s latest material request forms had come in, and as a result he’d been stuck standing outside of said door for the past five minutes. He’d tried knocking, waving at the camera, even giving the door a good, solid kick, and all he’d gotten in return was embarrassment (and a sore toe) as it refused to open.

He was about to just leave the cart filled with the doctor’s requested supplies in the hallway and head back to his post when the camera lens suddenly moved, and Robotnik’s voice rang out from some hidden speaker above him. “Finally! Get those in here. Put them next to the laser-integrated... no, wait, a mind as small as yours wouldn’t know what that was.” A sigh, and some clattering. “Put them beside the bench on the left.”

The door unlocked with a heavy clunk, and hissed open. The space beyond looked as though someone had thrown a Ford factory and the contents of a Star Trek set together, drawn a drunken maze on the floor in wiring, and stolen half the light bulbs. Loud, bass-laden music echoed from the direction of a cluster of workbenches and pair of giant holographic screens, the brightest light source in the entire cavernous space.

Paris swore as the cart clipped the edge of a hulking, square... something, then froze as a dozen red lights and an ominous beeping suddenly echoed out from its center. The wires surrounding it shook as it revved for a moment, before spitting out a shower of sparks and abruptly shutting off.

"Haven’t figured out how to balance the power consumption on that one yet. Lucky for you, because if I had, it would have sliced your leg off.” The already-terrified Corporal jumped as Robotnik suddenly appeared out of the darkness, looking up at the now-deactivated robot thoughtfully.

"What is it’s, uh, intended purpose?” Paris stammered.

“Beyond your pay grade.” Robotnik replied, already striding off. “I don’t see my supplies where they should be!” He snapped, and Paris hurriedly pushed the cart over to the workbenches.

Robotnik had disappeared again, so the Corporal turned to leave, but something caught his eye. On one of the holographic screens were medical diagrams – skeletons, muscle systems, circulatory pathways. They all looked... off.

Paris took a hesitant step closer, trying to figure out what was different about them, but as he did so, he felt a sudden puff of air over the back of his neck. He turned to see Robotnik standing directly behind him, holding a long, slim metal cylinder. “What the hell?” he yelled, stumbling backwards and shoving the doctor’s arm away.

“Did you feel the injection? How would you rate the sensation, scale of ‘mosquito bite’ to ‘small knife’?” Robotnik simply asked.

“Injection? What did you inject me with?!”

“A suspension of sodium chloride in dihydrogen oxide. Answer the question – did you feel the needle or not?”

“Of course I didn’t, you lunatic!” The Corporal practically ran backward, tripping over the many thick cables snaking out from under the workbenches. “You’re just as crazy as they say you are!” He called back as he reached the door of the lab, frantically pushing at it until it opened, and stumbling out into the corridor.

“Hmm, probably am.” Robotnik shrugged, already sorting through his new supplies.

“That fucking psychopath injected me with something!”

“Corporal Paris! Language!”

“Sergeant, did you not hear me when I said he injected me with something!? ”

“Did he say what?”

“Sodium chloride in dihydro… something!”

“Dihydrogen oxide?

“Yes, that!”

“Saline, Corporal. He injected you with saline. You’re fine.”

“...That motherfu-”

“LANGUAGE, CORPORAL!”

“Yes Sergeant! Sorry Sergeant!”

“Just get back to your post. I’ve signed off on the requisition forms.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“...I wonder if we’ll ever find out why he requested children’s picture books.”

The pain had returned by the time Stone woke up, but less strongly than before. Slowly, and with a bit of luck, he even managed to catch himself something to eat, and was therefore in a much better mood when the doctor returned.

Stone had been gathering sea grass near the mouth of his cave when Robotnik’s flier plunged into the water. As Robotnik dropped out the bottom hatch (much smoother, this time – tweaking the ejection seat had been his first project back at the lab), Stone waved, tentatively. The doctor waved back, directing the Badniks he’d brought with him to deliver the parcels strapped to their sides.

Stone backed away slightly as they approached, eyes darting between the robots and the doctor as he swam up to join them. When the Badniks failed to do anything other than sit there, Stone reached out and pulled a bulky, rectangular package off the side of the nearest one. He narrowed his eyes as he turned it over in his hands.

“Don’t suppose the denizens of the deep have figured out the printing press yet?” Robotnik sighed at Stone’s blank stare. He pulled another one of the books off the side of the Badnik, and with an over-emphasized motion, opened it.

The books were simple ones, targeted at children just learning to read. Their pages were already thick, made for small fingers to easily turn, but had been made thicker by the technology now put into them. The first page bore several images of animals, and Robotnik tapped one. The image seemed to float off the page, coming to rest several inches above it. A robotic voice read out the accompanying word. “Cat.” Beside the first hologram of the animal, a second one of a pair of hands was now making the appropriate sign.

Stone hurriedly flipped through his own book, tapping images at random. A dozen small holograms and their accompanying signs resolved themselves above the book, the robotic voice reading out each one as it appeared. His eyes widened in wonder, and he turned to Robotnik, unable to hold back the look of excitement breaking out over his face.

The doctor, embarrassed at the sudden display, ducked his head. “If I’m going to keep coming down here Stone, you’re going to have to learn how to communicate properly. I don’t have enough time to play charades for every little thing.”

As Stone continued to flip through the books, still tapping images at random, Robotnik discretely scanned his injuries. The bruises had visibly faded to a lighter purple, and both his injuries already showed signs of improvement. He injected Stone with an additional dose of painkillers, using the modified needle he’d tested on the Corporal last night. Distracted by the holograms, Stone didn’t notice a thing.

Robotnik spent the remainder of the afternoon showing off the books he’d created for Stone, and teaching him basic signs, keeping up a running commentary as he did so. Although he knew Stone still couldn’t understand what he was saying, he figured the exposure to spoken language would hopefully help things along in that department. He could write the complex code for his Badniks blindfolded, build AIs in his sleep, but he had no idea how to teach English to someone who had seemingly never heard spoken language before.

And – if he was being honest with himself – it helped add a sense of normalcy to the situation. The doctor had been in many unusual locations before (ones that were frequently classified, often dangerous, and a few that no longer existed), but he never could have predicted he’d end up sitting on a rock at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, teaching an actual, real-life seal merman.

Stone caught on to most signs after only a few repetitions, clumsily but enthusiastically copying the holographic hand motions. By the time the alarm on Robotnik’s oxygen tank beeped, Stone’s signing motions were still sloppy, but they had progressed as far as a few simple, everyday questions.

“I suppose these tanks are next on the upgrade list. Don’t have time to be swapping them out every hour.” Robotnik frowned as he stabbed the button to silence the alarm. “I think it’s time to give NASA’s databases a little visit. Should be easy enough.”

Stone closed the book he’d been holding, recognizing that the alarm meant it was time for Robotnik to leave. With a lot of frowning and a few fumbles, he managed to sign a question. You come back?

Robotnik nodded. Yes, tomorrow. He signed back. He gathered the rest of the books he’d created, dumping them in Stone’s arms. “I expect you to study while I’m gone. You seen intelligent enough to do that at least, Stone.”

At the last word, Stone’s eyebrows shot up. Setting the books down, he signed Say again?

“What, the word Stone?”

Stone nodded, pointing to himself. That word? My name?

Robotnik nodded.

Taking a deep breath, the merman whispered. “Stone.” At the doctor’s look of amazement, he grinned, repeating it louder. “Stone. Stone!”

Robotnik couldn’t help the laugh of astonishment that burst out of him. Stone continued repeating the word to himself, both aloud and in sign language, before he dissolved into giggles himself, and for a moment the two men simply floated there, unable to stop laughing in celebration.

When he’d finally composed himself, Stone pointed at Robotnik. Your name?

“Oh. Doctor Robotnik. Unfortunately we haven’t gone over finger-spelling yet. And there’s no way you get to call me Ivo.” He repeated the wrist tapping motion he’d used the previous day. “Doctor.”

Stone silently mouthed the word a few times to himself as Robotnik’s oxygen tank beeped again, more urgently this time. “Love to stay and chat, but that’s my cue. Goodbye, Stone.” With a wave, he climbed back inside the flier, peeling his mask off with a grimace at the amount of water that fell out of it.

Just before he flew away, he heard a voice behind him call.

“Goodbye, doctor!”

Chapter Text

For the next month, Robotnik spent his evenings improving his scuba gear, his mornings inventing new things for Stone, and his afternoons underwater with the merman.

Stone was progressing rapidly in sign language, greeting the doctor each day with an enthusiastic demonstration of what he'd learned since they last met. Robotnik rarely needed to correct him. He was almost impressed at the speed Stone was learning the language – it reminded him of the month he spent learning Spanish and German simultaneously. (He'd been 8 years old at the time.)

Stone's progress in spoken English was slower, but steadily improving. While he still used sign language for the majority of his communication, Robotnik often caught Stone whispering words to himself as he pored over the increasingly complex books he modified for the merman.

Stone would ply the doctor with questions as soon as he learned the signs for what he wanted to ask about. Robotnik, delighted to be able to show off his knowledge, answered them all. The military brass were never interested in Robotnik's technical explanations about his work, they just wanted to see how fast and how far his robots could shoot. It was so refreshing to have Stone genuinely interested in what he had to say that he quickly stopped minding the fact that he had to dumb down his explanations so they could be understood. Stone was endlessly curious about everything, and half the time would learn more new signs and words from Robotnik's explanations than he did from the books he studied on his own.

Stone's injuries continued to heal, until eventually, Robotnik scanned both his tail and shoulder to find them back to normal, and the bruising faded completely from Stone's skin.

He was striding into his lab one morning when he caught sight of a half-assembled weapon on a workbench and froze, remembering how long it had been since he'd worked on anything other than improving his scuba gear and modifying the books for Stone. He glanced over at his oxygen tank, refilled and ready for today's dive. He could stay underwater for up to four hours straight now, and yet every time he went down he would find himself staying until the very last moment, until the warning alarm was blaring in his ears, giving him only minutes to get into his flier.

Robotnik blinked rapidly as it hit him – he enjoyed spending time with Stone. He’d been devoting his time, energy, and considerable brain power into not only helping the merman, but also finding ways to spend as much time as possible with him. The thought staggered him, and he dropped heavily into his chair.

He'd been lucky that the brass were pleased with his last batch of drones and had left him alone for a while, but he knew that wouldn't last. Soon enough he would be be flooded with messages requesting something new, some overpowered gadget that would inevitably be used to blow an insignificant desert nation off the map. He loved his work, loved his Badniks like they were his children, but the realization was dawning that he'd been growing tired of designing them to tick off boxes on someone else's list. He'd been having fun working on his projects for Stone in a way he hadn’t in a very long time.

With a few key presses, he pulled up a box on his screen. He was technically paid a wage by the government, but since his housing and materials were also provided by them, he hadn’t touched the funds in years. The amount currently in his bank account was astronomical. Beside this, he pulled up a list of inventions he'd kept to himself, ones that the government didn’t know he'd made and that he alone held the rights to. It was a short but impressive list, and he added his improved scuba tanks to it with a grin. Perhaps it was time for him to go solo with his work.

The thought stuck with him the entire afternoon, distracting him enough that midway through his time with Stone he didn’t notice the merman trying to get his attention until he waved his hand an inch from his nose. When Robotnik looked up, startled, Stone simply smiled and closed the book he’d been holding. You are distracted. He signed.

“I suppose I am.” Robotnik sighed.

Stone shrugged. Today, we relax. He gently took the book Robotnik had been holding out of his hands. Follow me. He turned down a branch of the caves they hadn’t visited before, a twisting one that plunged downwards before evening out.

They had to swim single-file through the narrow tunnel, and Robotnik paused as his hand brushed against a surprisingly smooth section of rock. Turning his wrist lamp on it, he was surprised to see marks on the wall – the passageway had been enlarged and smoothed out by hand. “Did you make this tunnel?” He called up ahead.

Stone nodded, but didn’t stop swimming, “I will show you why.” He called back over his shoulder, and the doctor had to hurry to catch up again.

Robotnik was just about to call for a break (he’d forgotten to bring a Badnik along to propel him, and hadn’t swam this much in… well, ever) when the tunnel began to fill with light, and Stone disappeared upwards. Robotnik followed him, pulling himself up through a hole in the tunnel roof, and emerging into much lighter water. Stone pointed upwards, and the pair swam side by side towards the surface.

The doctor’s head broke the surface of the water, and he lifted his mask off in amazement. They had emerged into a secluded cove within the cliff itself, a bay fully enclosed on all four sides by high walls of red-grey stone. The ocean floor gradually sloped upwards until it turned into a small pebbled beach on the far side. The water sparkled ice blue in the afternoon sun, and he could just hear the faint sound of waves crashing against the cliffside beyond. Trees grew along the clifftop, their branches arching over the edge, casting cool green shadows on the water below.

“Beautiful, yes?” Stone asked as he caught the look of wonder on Robotnik’s face. Robotnik could only nod in return.

The doctor clambered out of the water, and was halfway up the shore, trying to re-curl his damp moustache, when he realized that Stone was currently settling himself on a large, flat stone at the edge of the beach behind him. “Wait, you can breathe above water?”

Stone lifted his head from where it had been pillowed on his crossed arms. “Yes?” He said, confused. While he preferred being underwater most of the time, he could breathe just as well above water as under it, and often came to the cove to warm himself in the sun, or gather branches that had fallen from the trees growing above.

“Could you reside above water indefinitely?” Robotnik asked.

Stone made a face. “Yes, and no.” He drummed his fingers on the rock, trying to think of the appropriate signs to explain his answer. He sighed as he realized the only way he would get his point across was through a demonstration.

Lifting himself up, he slid off the rock he’d been lying on, and made his way across the beach. He could not walk as humans did, not with his tail, so it was more of a shuffling bounce that had none of the usual grace and fluidity with which he swam. His fins slapped loudly against the rocks with every movement, and with his heavy grey tail folded under him for balance, he stood only half as tall as the other man, meaning he had to crane his neck upwards. By the time he reached the doctor, Stone’s face was bright red from embarrassment, and he couldn’t look him in the eye.

Robotnik, to his credit, was doing his very best not to laugh. Underwater, Stone had proved himself as intelligent, skilled, and capable of violence if needed. But on land, shuffling around on his hands with his tail trailing behind him, he looked… comical. And something else the doctor couldn’t quite name, a feeling that brought a warmth to his chest that had nothing to do with the late afternoon sun. (The word he was looking for was adorable , but his brain was so unused to the notion of thinking of anyone as such that it failed to present it as an option.)

“Walking is difficult. A weakness.” Stone mumbled, not looking at Robotnik as he shuffled back to the rock he’d been on earlier, settling onto his front with his head turned determinedly away from the doctor.

Robotnik gave him a moment to himself, before going to sit cross-legged beside the merman. “I understand.” He said, fiddling with the straps of his wetsuit to avoid looking at Stone as he spoke. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt the urge to reassure Stone that he knew what it was like to feel out of your element – to excel in so many things, soar above others in so many ways, only to be knocked down hard the moment you were put into a situation you couldn't control. For a moment his cheek tingled with the phantom memory of a bully’s fist, and he heard the mocking laughter of children in his head.

“Hardly a special skill, anyway, walking. Anyone can walk. Neanderthals. Children. No, wrong way to say that.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. For the first time in a very long time he was struggling to find the appropriate words to say. “My point is. My point is… you are unique, Stone. You have skills beyond what humans could ever achieve. Your advantages simply lie elsewhere, and you’ve turned those advantages into strengths.” The memory shifted to long nights surrounded by wire and scrap metal, nursing solder burns and dreams of revenge, until he was finally, finally standing over the bully, laughing as children screamed and ran away.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of movement behind him. He turned to see Stone propping himself up on one hand, reaching out to grip Robotnik’s shoulder with the other. “Thank you, doctor.” The merman smiled, eyes bright. He hadn’t understood every word of the doctor’s speech, but the emotion behind it had been clear.

The sounds of seagulls and the waves beyond the cove seemed to fade away as the moment stretched, Stone’s hand warm on Robotnik’s shoulder, the doctor’s thoughts spinning into overdrive only to come out as white noise. He found himself leaning towards Stone, slowly…

... Until with a shrill, echoing beep, his glove went off. Both men jumped as Robotnik turned his wrist to see a message in flashing red – he was being summoned to meet with his bosses, immediately. Clearing the message with an angry swipe, he stood, stomping across the beach to grab his mask and air tank from where he’d dropped them.

Stone sat up slowly, folding his tail under him. You have to leave? He asked as Robotnik turned back towards him. At the doctor’s nod, he slid off his rock and into the water, but paused in confusion as Robotnik didn’t follow. Don’t you need your ship?

“I can summon it here.” He paused, hands halfway through bringing up the flier’s holographic controls. “I can summon it… here.” He repeated to himself, looking around at the cove, the beginnings of an idea forming in his mind. “I will return as soon as I can, Stone.” He called over the noise of the flier descending from above. Hurriedly he tossed his gear into the cockpit before hopping in himself.

Stone waved from below as Robotnik ascended, stopping only once the flier was out of sight. Reluctant to leave the cove just yet, he climbed back onto the warm slab of rock, crossing his arms behind his head. His cheeks burned pink as he stared up at the brilliant blue sky, overwhelmed by the feelings slowly unfurling inside him, ones he could not yet put a name to, but that were settling themselves deep in his chest. (The most appropriate word for these feelings would likely be a crush , but he could be given a pass for not realizing this, as he had no previous experience with anything of that nature, and had not even learned of the existence of the word yet.)

Closing his eyes, he fell asleep, dreaming of soft, dark eyes and a warm shoulder beneath his hand.

Chapter Text

The door to the briefing room slammed open, leaving a visible dent in the wall and causing several of the people sitting at the conference table to jump.

Robotnik strode in, followed by two medium sized Badniks and a near-visible aura of malcontent. He grumbled slightly as he caught sight of the figure at the head of the table. Commander Walters was one of only a handful of people who ranked higher than him, and he tilted his head in begrudging deference as he sat down on Walters’ right.

"Doctor, you know electronic devices are not allowed at these meetings." The Commander sighed, pointing to the Badniks.

"Fine." Waving his hands, he sent the Badniks back to the lab, grinning as he heard shouts of alarm and a scramble of footsteps from the corridor outside as they zipped past.

"The gloves, too." Walters said, raising an eyebrow.

Wriggling his fingers dramatically, he peeled off each glove, placing them on the table before making a show of pushing them just out of his reach. He had a second set of gloves and three miniature Badniks in his pockets, but what the brass didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Yet.

The Commander shot him a look, but made no further comment as he brought up a document on the screen behind him and began the meeting.

Robotnik tuned out after a few minutes, as he always did with these irritatingly asinine meetings. Majors and Commanders would throw around words like ‘imminent threat’ and ‘preemptive strike’ for a while, pointing at villages and factories and the faces of men hundreds or thousands of miles away. Everyone would give suggestions that ultimately came down to ‘hunt them down and blow them off the face of the earth’, Robotnik would be expected to make the robots and equipment that could do so, and the cycle would continue.

His mind wandered back to the sunlit, peaceful cove and the idea that had begun taking root there. Technically (and legally) speaking, Robotnik Labs did not exist. All official records of a Doctor Ivo Robotnik’s existence stopped shortly after the completion of his fifth doctorate, when he had entered the government's employ. He already had the funds and the ability to go solo with his work – however, the government would not be happy to have one of their greatest assets leave. He would need to lay low for a while, and Stone’s cove could be the perfect place. Unknown and uncharted, easily camouflaged from above, the beach just large enough to contain a small laboratory and living space for one.

That is… if Stone wouldn’t mind. It was obvious the cove was a safe space for him. A place he enjoyed, a place to relax on his own, without fear of attack. While he knew Stone enjoyed spending time with him, allowing him to build a noisy, bulky laboratory and living space on his doorstep was an entirely different matter.

He frowned to himself. Where had this sudden attack of conscience come from? He could simply take the cove if he wanted – swoop down with his flier and an army of Badniks, seal off the tunnel Stone had used, drain the water for additional working space. A month ago, he would have done it without hesitation. But now, even the thought of doing so made him feel guilty, which in turn made him feel confused as to why he felt guilty, which then made him feel irritated for feeling confused.

He didn’t notice he’d been bouncing his leg and tapping his fingers until the Major next to him shuffled his chair away with a glare. Glaring back, Robotnik snatched up his gloves from the table in front of him, standing up and striding out the door without a word.

Commander Walters caught up with him moments later, matching his stride as he stormed down the hallway, terrified soldiers scattering in his wake.

"Robotnik! What on earth do you think you're doing!" Walters was furious.

"Returning to my laboratory, where I could have been this entire time." He snarled back.

"What is the meaning of this insubordination?" The Commander's face had turned bright red from a combination of fury and exertion as they reached the main door of Robotnik Labs.

Robotnik whirled, uncaring that the man before him was his boss, that he could order a dozen soldiers to physically drag him back to the briefing room and they would all jump at the chance to comply. "The meaning, Commander, is that you are wasting my time. I have much more important things to do than sit around listening to people with more medals than brains decide which two-bit terrorist or half-wit hacker gets the honour of being wiped out of existence by my creations!" The last two words were said at a shout, centimeters from Walter's face.

The door to the lab was hydraulically controlled, and therefore could not technically be slammed, but it did made a satisfyingly dramatic clunk as it closed automatically behind Robotnik, leaving the stunned Walters still sputtering behind him in the hallway.

The doctor took several deep breaths as his eyes adjusted to the dim comfort of his lab. He made his way through the familiar maze of shelves and wiring, finally slumping into his seat with a heavy sigh and rubbing a hand over his eyes to try and combat the migraine he could feel forming already.

"I'm not wrong." He said aloud. "These morons rely on my genius to provide them with their toys." He picked up one of the Badniks that had been following him earlier, and it beeped quietly, the camera lens on it's front refocusing on his face as he stared into it. "They're lucky I've put up with them this long. How many brilliant, unique, wondrous inventions have I funneled into their grubby little hands?" He snorted in amusement. "58, of course, like I'd forget the number."

The Badnik offered no response, and he dropped it back onto his workbench with a fond pat to it's casing. Mind racing, he stared up at the bank account balance and the list of inventions he had left on his holographic screens earlier that day. Decision made, he jumped to his feet, starting up the flier with a wave of his hand. It was time to talk to Stone.

The merman was woken suddenly by a gust of wind that nearly knocked him from his napping rock as Robotnik landed his flier on the beach. Wiping sleep and grit from his eyes, he’d barely sat up before the doctor was dropping to the ground beside him, leaning back against the rock.

“Excellent heat retention.” He grinned, patting the still-warm rock. “I can see the appeal.”

You came back fast. Stone signed, before gesturing to Robotnik’s black jeans and turtleneck, unused to seeing him out of his wetsuit. Not swimming?

“Not tonight. I’ve come to ask a favour, Stone. A rather large one, I suppose.”

Stone sat up further, his tail dangling next to Robotnik. He’d never heard him sound so uncertain. You are injured? In danger?

“Danger would be overstating the matter, but I do require a safe location to… disappear, for a while.” He gestured around at the cliff walls enthusiastically. “This cove is an ideal location. Defenses could be built along the apex, quarters and laboratory space upon the bank, all with minimal reconfiguration of the natural landscape.”

At Stone’s look of confusion, the doctor waved his hand for him to disregard what he had just said. “He didn’t understand any of that, and you know it. You’re avoiding asking the question.” He quietly chastised himself under his breath. Squaring his shoulders, he turned to look Stone straight in the eye.

“Stone, would you object if I came to live in your cove for a while?” He asked.

Stone’s face lit up. You, living here? He laughed, nodding. Yes! You are very welcome.

Robotnik blinked in astonishment at Stone’s enthusiastic response. “I’d need to build a laboratory and living quarters. I will make quite a lot of noise at all hours, both during construction and after. I keep no set schedule.”

Stone chuckled. The ocean is big. When there is too much noise, I will go somewhere else.

“You don’t object to sharing your cove?”

No. I am glad you like it as much as I do. He tapped his chin in thought for a moment. How will you live in the water?

Robotnik did a double take at Stone’s last comment. “You mean next to the water?”

Stone shook his head, wiggling his fingers as he tried to think of the correct signs. This place has above water and under water. Did you want both?

Robotnik took a moment to look around. Several years ago, he’d been tasked with tracking down a megalomaniac oil baron who had been violently sabotaging his opponents operations. The man had finally been located at an underwater hotel in Shanghai. His Badniks had cornered the baron against the windows of his suite twenty feet blow sea level.

Expanding his own base of operations underwater would double the square footage without needing to damage the cove, as well as give him additional camouflage and security with no extra effort. He’d have to call in a few favours to get some of the materials, but it wouldn’t be impossible. (A small part of his brain was also helpfully pointing out that he could be closer to Stone at all times, but he carefully shoved that thought aside for later.)

“An underwater laboratory. How very evil genius cliché. I love it.” He grinned, holding out his hand to Stone, and they shook. “Lets get to work.”

Chapter Text

Robotnik returned to his lab as the sun was setting, mind whirling with ideas and Badniks loaded with scans of the cove. Fingers flying over his keypads, he pulled up screen after screen of information, diving into architectural databases with one hand while working out structural dimensions with the other. He paused only long enough to pull up a playlist and crank the volume before returning to his work.

He was midway through designing his new laboratory (literally – he'd been sitting inside a holographic blueprint) when his music was rudely interrupted by the ring of an incoming transmission as the screen flashed red behind him. He groaned at the sight of Commander Walters name.

"What does that blithering ignoramus want from me now!" He took a moment to breathe, smoothing the ends of his moustache before answering the video call. "Is there a reason you're calling me in the middle of the night, Commander?"

"Doctor, it's 0900." Walters responded, and Robotnik shrugged as he confirmed the Commander was correct. Hardly the first time he'd been up all night working on a project.

"I'll rephrase the question, then. What is the reason you're calling me at 0900 – No, scratch that, what is the reason you are calling me at all, and just how idiotic are your demands this time?"

"Robotnik! I am your superior officer, and you will speak to me with respect!" Walters nearly screamed, face red and hands clenched tight in anger.

"My apologies, Commander!" The doctor mockingly bowed to the screen. "Just how idiotic are your demands... Sir?"

Walters looked like he would have leapt through the screen to throttle Robotnik had it been possible, but several other people rushed in to view, surrounding the Commander as they all whispered to him about needing the doctors skills for the mission. Robotnik grinned, leaning back in his chair and kicking one leg up on the desk. He hadn't talked back to Walters in years, preferring to interact with the man as little as possible, and was regretting not having done so much sooner, and much more often.

After a moment, the Commander waved the people surrounding him away, tugging his uniform down and straightening his tie before turning back to Robotnik. "Your... expertise... is needed to track down our latest target. An international dark web hacking ring that we suspect has stolen millions of dollars worth of bank bonds over the past month. You will be sent all the information we currently have after this call is ended. Their apprehension must be swift and discrete."

Leaning forward so his face filled the screen, Walters narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. "And if you ever walk out of one of my meetings or speak to me in that manner again, we will turn your laboratory into a junkyard!" The video feed abruptly cut off, and a loud beep echoed through the lab as the file on the hacking ring replaced it.

"I really would like to see you try, Commander." Robotnik muttered to himself, waving the file off his screen.

He steepled his fingers under his chin as he took a long, critical look around his laboratory. He felt no sentimental connection to the laboratory or the attached quarters, having never taken the time to personalize them beyond ensuring he had everything he could possibly need to perform his work. Most of the materials and machines lining the rows of shelves could easily be re-obtained. The petabytes of data on his computers were constantly being backed up to two off-site servers (and one pilfered satellite) that he alone had access to. Any Badniks that could fly, walk, swim or tunnel could simply be programmed to meet him at the cove.

The doctor was packed and ready to leave before lunchtime. He tossed a pair of duffel bags into the flier, and sent instructions for a few of his largest and sturdiest Badniks to carry an additional shipping container full of equipment to a secure site for later retrieval. The other Badniks were programmed to leave in small groups later that night, using stealth protocols and circuitous routes to make their way to the cove.

Because the impending move had put him in a good mood, he even took a moment to track down the leader of the hacking ring Walters was so concerned about, loading all the information the Commander would need onto a USB and leaving it taped to the laboratory door along with a note that simply read:

BYE, LOSERS.

- DR I. ROBOTNIK

As he took off from the base in his flier for the last time, he paused a moment to look down at the clusters of soldiers drilling below, the lineups of sleek black cars and sand-coloured army equipment, the offices full of men and women that decided the fates of the entire country.

He blew a great, wet raspberry at the whole thing, and sped off laughing in delight.

Six weeks later, Robotnik lifted the googles from his face, wiping sweat and grease from his brow, and stepped back to take in the sight of his fully completed base for the first time.

From above, nothing had seemed to change, thanks to a circle of holographic projectors concealed along the clifftop. Designed to continuously broadcast both image and sensor readings that the cove was simply an empty, uninteresting hole in the rock, they were re-enforced by the presence of a dozen medium-sized Badniks that patrolled the area at all times. (The local wildlife had very quickly relocated, although the smell of burnt fur persisted for several days after.)

But past the projectors and guardian Badniks, the landscape had completely changed. Rough pebbled beach had been replaced with an automated greenhouse and a small above-ground laboratory for oversized, pressure-sensitive or particularly loud equipment. The flier sat atop it like a malevolent, predatory bird, ready to take off at a moments notice. An elevator led from the rear of the structure down into the waters of the cove, where his primary laboratory was located, a great sprawling space of cool steel and sleek white equipment. Off the laboratory were his personal quarters. Bedroom and washroom and kitchen all connected, half the size of the laboratory even with their areas combined. The entire underwater base was enclosed on all sides by thick glass, giving the doctor a magnificent view of the brilliant blue water and all the creatures that inhabited it.

The tunnel that led from Stone’s cave to the cove was no longer cramped and dark. It had been widened to allow for plenty of swimming space for the both of them. The passageway, as well as Stone’s cave, were now guarded by a grid of lasers and a network of hidden tranquilizer guns that would accept the doctor and the merman’s bio signs alone.

While his Badniks had done the majority of the work, Stone had proven an invaluable help as well, taking up torch and hammer and screwdriver as needed; never complaining about the noise or the long hours. Robotnik’s near-constant presence allowed him to practice both his signing and spoken English, so that by the time the laboratory was finished it was as if he’d known both languages his whole life.

They never mentioned the moment that had passed between them, when they both leaned in before the doctor’s sudden summoning had pulled them apart, but something in their interactions began to shift as the days passed. Although he still wouldn’t admit it out loud, Robotnik had accepted the fact that he actually was enjoying spending time in Stone’s company. Stone was becoming the assistant he never knew he needed – endlessly optimistic, helpful and willing to learn.

And he was kind. Nobody had ever been kind to Robotnik like Stone was. When the day had been long and tiring and stressful, when one of his Badniks malfunctioned or a piece of equipment failed, Stone would gently take the tool or robot he’d been holding from his hand and suggest that perhaps it was time for a break. Time to change focus, to go to sleep, to quiet the growling of his stomach or the pounding in his head. He’d nudge Robotnik back to shore, back to the empty shipping crate that was serving as his home while he worked.

One night, only a week into construction, Stone noticed Robotnik making faces at the MRE he was eating, putting it aside after only a few bites. Without hesitation, he’d tossed one of the trout he’d caught for his own dinner to the doctor – who’d nearly dropped it in the surprise of suddenly having a fish thrown at him – before staring up at Stone in shock.

Stone, floating in the shallows, smiled at him nervously, unsure if he’d done the right thing. “I noticed you didn’t like your food. I know humans can eat fish... I can get you other kinds too if you don’t like that one!”

Robotnik, mind and heart whirling, managed to mutter a “Thank you, Stone.” as he stuck the fish on the grill of his portable stove. He’d never had anyone offer to share a meal with him before, never had someone notice his distaste and care so much about it. In the orphanage he’d been served bland, high-carb meals, whatever was easiest for the staff to obtain and prepare. School lunches had been generic tasteless cafeteria food, and his PhD’s (all five of them) were written while gulping down cheap takeout and protein shakes in the string of shoebox apartments he’d called home.

While the trout cooked, Robotnik watched Stone eat his own dinner. The merman ate his fish raw, carefully picking bones from the flesh before taking large bites, tossing the remains back into the water when he was finished. Catching sight of Robotnik watching him, he gestured to where he’d tossed the carcass into the water, misunderstanding why he was being stared at. “Some creature will eat the rest, don’t worry.”

“Is your diet made up entirely of fish?” Robotnik asked.

Stone shook his head. “Other things too.” Holding up a finger for Robotnik to wait, he dove back into the water, pulling several mussels and a protesting crab from the rocks below before returning to lay them out on his sunning rock for the doctor to see. When the crab tried to make a break for it, he smashed it with his fist, cracking the shell neatly open.

Robotnik pulled his now-cooked fish off the stove and took several bites as he watched Stone pick meat out of the shell. “I suppose you’ve never cooked your meals before.”

Stone shook his head, signing Fire doesn’t work underwater with a glint in his eye, mouth full of crab.

Robotnik shot him an exasperated look, and Stone grinned in response. Snatching the crab’s claws off the rock before Stone could protest, he placed them on his stove and turned the heat back on. Digging through the remains of his MRE produced a small square of bread and some packets of salt and pepper. Once the claw meat was cooked, he placed it on the bread and sprinkled a bit of seasoning on top before handing it to Stone.

Stone ate it in one bite, chewing thoughtfully and signing Not bad as he swallowed.

“Hardly a five-star crab cake, I know, but this isn’t exactly a Michelin kitchen.” Robotnik seasoned and handed over a piece of his cooked fish for Stone to sample before filling a pot with water and tossing the mussels into it.

From that point on, they ate their evening meals together, Stone bringing up various fish and crustaceans for Robotnik to mix with whatever he could from his MREs and the slowly-sprouting contents of the greenhouse. Robotnik had never learned to cook beyond the basics, having never needed to, but as the days went on, he found himself looking up tutorials in his spare time. Something in him wanted to ensure Stone enjoyed cooked food. Enjoyed his cooked food. (He eventually made sure that the kitchen in his base, while small, was well-stocked with a variety of equipment for the preparation of sushi and other seafood dishes.)

Three weeks into construction they were taking a mid-afternoon break, Robotnik sitting with his feet trailing in the cool water while Stone floated on his back nearby, absentmindedly tossing a spherical hunk of metal into the air.

"Do you have parents?" Robotnik asked. “Siblings?” A vague hand wave. "Other Homo Oceanus with which you socialize?"

The chunk of metal fell into the water with a splash as Stone's hands shook. "No. Not... anymore."

"If I've said something insensitive - "

Stone shook his head, linking his fingers together on his stomach in an attempt to stop their trembling. "It was a long time ago... I was very small. Something big... I still don't know if it was a whale, or a ship, or something else. The current pulled me away from my mother. I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, she was gone."

He sat up slowly, until he was floating vertically in the water, with only his head above the surface. "I searched for a long time. I never saw her again." He whispered. In the clear blue below, the doctor could see his seal’s tail twitching, as if he was eager to bolt.

Leaning back on his hands, Robotnik watched a flock of geese pass by far above them. "Never knew my parents. Was raised by the state, the system, the gov-ern-ment machine." He said, adding a drawl to his voice on the last few words.

"Oh. I guess that's worse." Stone muttered, turning red, but Robotnik waved his hand in airy denial.

"Childhood misery isn't some sort of contest, Stone. Was just... empathizing." The word felt strange to say, and he subtly smacked his lips a couple times, frowning. "Should I even call you that, still?"

"What, Stone?" Confused, he swam closer to the shallows near Robotnik's feet, until his entire torso was above the water. "Its my name, isn't it?" He signed Stone, as he had the first day they met.

"That the name your mother gave you?"

"If she did give me one, I don't remember it."

Robotnik's head snapped down. "You didn't have a name?"

Stone shrugged, unconcerned. "Didn't need one. Who would I have talked to? The fish?" He scratched the back of his head, not looking Robotnik in the eye. “I like the name Stone. Because you gave it to me. I should have said that before now. Thanked you for giving me a name. And for... everything, really.”

"Oh. I'm – er – honoured. And… you’re welcome." Robotnik stuttered, face heating. His mind, normally a well-oiled, efficient machine, had been thrown completely off its track by Stone's comment and was now producing only static. Somewhere deep within his chest, the strange and unfamiliar warmth had begun again.

Stone smiled, and there came another pause between them, a moment that felt as if it was marking the possible beginning of something. Neither moved, uncertain of what to do, or what this moment meant, until a seagull cried overhead, the harsh sound echoing off the cove walls and breaking the spell. Cheeks pink, Stone slowly slid backwards into deeper water, pointing down at the half-built laboratory.

"I should get back to work, I suppose." With a small wave, he dove down, joining a group of Badniks that had begun laying cables on the sea floor.

“Right. Yes.” Robotnik stood and walked back to his workbench in a daze. For the rest of the afternoon he found himself unable to focus on any task for too long without his attention being drawn back to Stone and whatever he was doing at that moment. Every time he caught himself watching the merman, he forced himself to wrench his focus back, thoughts scrambled.

Stone, for his part, caught himself doing the exact same. Peering up through the water to watch Robotnik draw equations in the air, or corral a group of Badniks, or simply wipe the sweat from his brow. The strange and unknown feelings that had settled in his chest weeks ago only strengthened with each day he spent with the doctor.

Each evening from then on, after their meal was finished, Stone would say goodnight and retreat to his cave, where he would swim in circles, trying to come up with the words to express his gratitude for everything Robotnik had brought to his life, and exactly what he had come to mean to him. He would flip through books, fumble with signs and stutter over words only to reject it all as unworthy and inaccurate of how he really felt.

So he did his best to express his feelings through actions. To read Robotnik’s mercurial temperament, learn when he needed help and when he wanted to be alone, jump in at the exact moment when the doctor was beginning to push himself too hard or become too frustrated.

Until the evening came after six weeks of hard work that Stone floated to shore carrying the last of the construction Badniks out of the water. Robotnik had already put away his tools, and was sitting on Stone’s sunning rock, streaked with smoke and grease but grinning fit to burst.

“Isn’t it beautiful, Stone?” He gestured broadly around the cove. “My finest work in years. Decades, even!”

“It sure is, Doctor.” Stone agreed as he swam up beside him, pillowing his head in his crossed arms on top of the rock and stretching his tail out behind him in the shallows with a yawn.

“Tomorrow the real work begins. My work! On whatever I choose!” Robotnik laughed, nearly tipping off the rock as he threw his hands up. “I was thinking of revisiting mechanosynthesis at first, but then I had the brilliant idea of adding electroactive polymers to the Badniks so that they could…”

Stone did his best to nod and make supportive noises as the doctor continued, but soon found himself struggling to keep his eyes open. The push to finish the last of the base had been physically and mentally exhausting, and as much as Stone had genuinely enjoyed it, he was looking forward to a nice long rest. The warm rock below him and the steady sound of Robotnik’s eager ramblings just above his head lulled him to sleep within minutes.

“...which of course would mean that I’d need to create an exosuit in conjunction with… Stone?” Robotnik trailed off, staring down at the merman beside him. When waving his hand in front of Stone’s face produced only a light snore in response, he leaned back on his elbows beside him, careful not to make too much noise.

“I couldn’t have done it without you, you know. Not just your physical labour, although that was invaluable. You were the catalyst that prompted all this. The motivation I needed to leave the tedium of governmental drudgery behind and strike out alone once again. Well. Not quite alone.”

He shifted slightly closer, until his legs were millimeters from Stone’s crossed arms. Slowly, he reached out and placed a hand on the top of Stone’s head. The merman sighed in response, and Robotnik froze, but Stone stayed asleep. After a moment, he continued, quieter than before. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the other things you’ve done for me, too. I’m… grateful. I really am. For everything you’ve done, and for… you. Thank you, Stone.”

How amazing is the art by Ayjay in this chapter?? She absolutely nailed the drawing of Stone and Robotnik relaxing on the beach - it's exactly as I pictured the scene in my head while I was writing it. You should all immediately go follow her on Instagram to go see more gorgeous SealStone (and non-SealStone) art.

(If the images did not load, click here for the first one and here for the second one.)

Chapter Text

They rapidly settled into a routine, of sorts. Stone would wake at sunrise, as he always had, and head down the tunnel to the cove. Robotnik kept no set schedule, insisting that genius like his couldn’t simply conform to a timetable at will, and so every morning was a tossup as to whether he would arrive to find Robotnik awake or asleep.

Most days he would be greeted by the red-blue glow of the lab’s equipment, and grin as he swam past Robotnik within, totally oblivious to anything but the music in his headphones and the tools in his hands. Other days he would see nothing but darkened, curtained glass surrounding Robotnik’s bedroom as he slept. Though he knew the doctor couldn’t possibly see or feel him swim past, he was always careful to slow his speed, wanting to disturb Robotnik’s rest as little as possible.

No two days were the same in the laboratory – freed from the shackles of endless governmental requests, Robotnik turned his hand to anything that crossed his mind. (And with a mind like his, so very many things crossed it.) Some days were for thinking, or for coding. For writing out long strings of complex text from memory, for scribbles and blueprints and holograms flying about the lab. Stone would quietly slip away on those days, out into the ocean or back to his cave to entertain himself, as the doctor had no need for his assistance.

Other days were for invention. Robotnik would sit in his nest of wire and metal, sleeves rolled up and face streaked with grease, sparks flying from his tools as his ideas came into to glorious being on the laboratory tables. Stone would stay in the cove on those days, eyes wide in fascination and awe as the doctor worked, serving as sounding board and occasional guinea pig for his more aquatic inventions.

And there were a lot more aquatic inventions than before. Some were born out of necessity for Robotnik’s survival in his new home – filters to turn seawater into fresh, heating and cooling for his quarters, continuous minor improvements to his scuba gear. Others were simply for fun. (He spent a week straight on a fleet of underwater drones shaped like various poisonous tropical fish, before sending them off to annoy and confuse the research boats of an organization he particularly disliked.)

Other inventions, although he still would not admit it aloud, were built just for Stone. Stone’s embarrassment at his inability to walk on land had stuck in the doctor’s mind, and he quietly began work on a series of exoskeletons and hover vehicles designed with the merman’s tail in mind.

He hid the truth from Stone, claiming they were parts for future Badniks, or experiments in amphibious vehicles. He would beckon the merman towards a deliberately confusing frame or seat, lies dropping from his lips as he pretended to be occupied with his screens.

“I need to know the load limit of this frame. The equipment inside will weigh approximately the same as you, once finished. Try this on, Stone.”

“My time is far too valuable to waste on getting suited up for this test. Sit down and drive that in and out of the water a few times, Stone.”

He would hound the merman with questions during and after the tests, all supposedly in the name of improving his inventions, on high alert for Stone’s every reaction. Every twitch of discomfort as his tail tangled in the wires, every smile of satisfaction as he successfully maneuvered a machine across the shore.

In the very early hours, half-asleep and alone in his bed, Robotnik would admit briefly to himself that the true reason for his work on these creations ran deeper than alleviating Stone’s embarrassment. No matter how efficient he made his tanks, how small and refined his scuba gear became; his unfortunate need for oxygen meant that there would always be a barrier between Stone and himself in the water. However – if he could alleviate Stone’s discomfort with walking on dry land, perhaps there was a chance. A chance that Stone would want to come into his laboratory, spend time with him inside his home. (A quiet voice in the back of his mind completed the thought: A chance that they could be together.)

Despite Robotnik’s constant refusal to adhere to any kind of schedule, or step away in the middle of a project, Stone would always ensure he took one break in the evenings, for them to eat together at the edge of the water. He would carefully monitor the doctor while he worked, now well-attuned to the subtle signs that Robotnik had either successfully finished a task, and could be interrupted without (too much) protest, or that he was stuck on a problem, and an interruption would be just the thing needed to allow him to re-think the issue.

Robotnik took to cooking with fervor, and between the now-flourishing greenhouse and Stone’s knowledge of where to find the tastiest catches, they ate like kings. The doctors hands, already used to the fine, complex work of robotics, prepared fish and fruit alike into increasingly elegant dishes. Stone would float outside the window of Robotnik’s kitchen as he cooked, absentmindedly swaying along to whatever music the doctor had playing, laughing at the sight of him attempting to corral the smaller Badniks into stirring batter and layering ingredients.

It was in moments like these, when Robotnik caught his eye above the cutting board and grinned just slightly, that Stone felt the warmth return to his chest. Felt the overwhelming desire to be inside the kitchen with Robotnik so he could wrap his arms around him and sway to the beat together. He still hadn't found the proper words to express the depth of what he felt for the man. Every word he came across – infatuation, crush, attraction – seemed to be insufficient. Robotnik had changed his life in every way, and not a day went by that he wasn't grateful for it. Grateful for the dark haired, dark eyed force of nature that had barreled into his life and taught him so much, shown him the wonders of a world he never knew existed.

Did the doctor even feel the same way? Was the question that crossed his mind as he lay in bed, tossing and turning against the doubts that invaded his thoughts in these quiet, solitary hours. Robotnik was arrogant, brusque and self-absorbed, but never unkind to Stone. Even as he scoffed at Stone’s questions about his work, he would answer them all.

Something inside him whispered with a poisonous tone: The man loves hearing himself talk. You give him a chance to show off his far superior intellect with your childish questioning.

Robotnik always took time away from his work, no matter what he was working on, to prepare dinner for them both. They ate together every evening, surely that meant something?

The negative voice in his head responded again: He has to eat, doesn’t he? You badger him, dropping fish in his home and floating outside his windows like a dog waiting for a scrap of attention from his master.

Stone turned over, the spongy moss beneath him suddenly feeling more uncomfortable than the hardest rock. Trying to recall every kind action Robotnik had ever done for him, only to have the doubt in his mind shoot them down one by one.

He welcomed Stone’s help with his work. He never gets you to help with anything important, does he? He doesn’t trust you with his precious robots. They’re what he loves the most.

He’d made the cave and the cove secure. Because its his cove now. You gave it up so willingly to him. He only protects you because you amuse him.

He’d taught him language. He was sick of playing charades with a dumb fish like you.

Clamping his hands over his ears, Stone groaned, launching himself off the bed in an attempt to push the negative voice out of his mind. He was halfway down the tunnel to the cove before he even realized where he was going. Though it was hours past sunset, a faint glow from the laboratory told him Robotnik was still awake. The doctor was hunched over a workbench, fitting together pieces of some machine. With goggles and headphones on, and his back to Stone, he didn’t notice the merman swim up and stop inches from the glass behind him.

Stone grinned as the doctor put down the tool he’d been working with and idly brought up a hologram, spinning it around leisurely with one hand as he nodded his head to the beat of the music in his ears. Something about being in Robotnik’s presence seemed to quiet the voice in his head, and he simply floated there for a while, watching the other man work.

Several minutes later, Robotnik nearly fell off his chair as he finally turned around and caught sight of the merman behind him. Stone frantically mouthed Sorry through the glass as Robotnik fumbled to remove his goggles, knocking his headphones off in the process. He tried to stand, only to catch the bottom of his sweater on the edge of the workbench, which pulled him off-balance and onto the floor.

Stone burst into laughter at the sight of the doctor, sweater half over his head, flailing his arms like a child in an attempt to dislodge his clothing from whatever it had caught on. He doubled over, barely able to breathe as tears of laughter ran down his face to join with the water around him. When he finally was able to calm himself long enough to look up, he was greeted by a very haughty and disheveled Robotnik glaring at him through the glass, which sent him into another round of laughter.

Smoothing the bottom of his sweater out (a move which did very little to hide the fact that there was now a tear across one side of it), Robotnik raised an eyebrow, signing Whats so funny, Stone?

I’m sorry, Doctor. He signed back, shoulders shaking in an attempt to contain his laughter. I didn’t mean to scare you.

Robotnik glanced at the display on his gloves. It’s late. Or early. Couldn’t sleep?

Stone nodded. I really didn’t mean to disturb you.

The doctor took a moment to fix his hair and moustache before glancing back at his workbench and the parts that lay on it. It’s alright. I suppose now is as good a time as any to give you this.

Give me what? Stone pressed his cupped hands to the glass, trying to see what the doctor had been working on.

Robotnik didn’t reply immediately, instead looking towards the doors of the elevator that lead from the above-ground lab to the underwater one. I will meet you on the beach. He quickly signed, striding away before Stone could reply.

Stone surfaced, settling himself just past the water’s edge, where they usually ate, as he waited for Robotnik to arrive and explain exactly what was going on. A minute later, the doctor strode out the front door of the lab, heading straight for the merman without a word. Before Stone could react, Robotnik was kneeling down and scooping him up, lifting him in a bridal carry with a grunt.

“What on earth are you doing!” Surprised, Stone thrashed his tail, nearly knocking Robotnik’s legs out from under him.

“Stay still! You’ll knock us both down if you keep that up!” The doctor grabbed one of Stone’s arms, settling it firmly behind his shoulder. “I’m already putting my thoraculumbar at risk by doing this. Just hold on.”

“Where are we going?”

“The laboratory.” Robotnik replied, already striding back towards the above-ground lab.

“I could have gotten there on my own, you know. You don’t have to carry me.” Stone huffed, slapping his fins lightly against the doctor’s side.

“I know your… distaste for walking on land. This seemed the most efficient method.” Ears and cheeks red, Robotnik firmly refused to look down at the merman in his arms as they stepped into the elevator.

Stone’s own cheeks began to colour at the thought that Robotnik had been trying to save him the embarrassment of the awkward shuffle walk he was forced to use above water. The blush only deepened when he realized just how closely he was being held, how his face was a mere foot from Robotnik’s own. He’d never been this close to the doctor before – close enough to feel his (racing) heartbeat through the point where their chests touched.

Once inside the lab, Robotnik gently set Stone down on a chair, making sure he was settled comfortably before holding up a finger to indicate he should wait. Snatching the piece he had been working on off the workbench, he disappeared behind a set of shelves.

Stone span his chair around slowly, taking in the sight of the lab around him. He’d swam the exterior many times, following the doctor as he worked, but hadn’t been inside the structure since it’s completion. The holographic screens and standby lights of the Badniks dotted throughout the space filled it with a soft, peaceful glow, and he could hear the faint rustling of Robotnik working deeper within the lab. His heart hadn’t stopped the frantic beating that had begun the moment he’d been scooped up and pressed against the doctor’s chest; but in this space, in this laboratory where everything was so uniquely Robotnik’s, he felt calm. He felt like he belonged.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud whirring noise as the floor beneath him shook hard enough to rattle his teeth. There was some muffled swearing and a few heavy thumps from Robotnik’s general direction before the noise and vibration settled into a gentle hum that gradually began to move closer.

The contraption that emerged from behind the shelves looked like someone had sliced an overlarge egg in half. Barely the diameter of Stone’s arm span, it’s polished white exterior was dotted with faint red circles, glowing as they propelled it along several inches off the floor. A single cushioned chair took up most of the interior, in which Robotnik sat, driving the contraption with the aid of several levers mounted on a control panel within. Stopping the strange vehicle next to Stone’s chair, he grinned, making a grand, sweeping gesture with his arms.

Stone blinked a few times, unsure what he was looking at. “Very impressive, Doctor?”

Robotnik sighed, turning the contraption around as it slowly lowered itself to rest on the floor. A small door in the back swung open automatically, and the doctor stepped out. “Yes, of course it is. But I believe you’ll find it much more impressive if you actually sit in it, Stone.”

“If I sit in it?”

“It was designed for your use, after all.”

Stone slid off his chair, hoisting himself awkwardly up into the vehicle. Once inside, he found to his surprise that it was quite comfortable – the chair was spacious, with additional support for his tail, and could be adjusted to the height and angle he desired. He glanced over the control panel in front of him.

“Hover controls here, steering via these levers, diagnostic systems on this panel.” Robotnik, now standing in front of the vehicle, pointed out each feature in turn. “Completely waterproof, of course, capable of rising up to four feet above any surface, with retractable bulletproof dome, sporting a compliment of six homing missiles and one harpoon.”

Suddenly, the pieces began falling into place in Stone’s mind. The tests he’d been assisting the doctor with. Strange contraptions that would supposedly be used to hold gear with his weight. With his dimensions. Seats and frames and hover modules. They were all for this hover chair, so carefully customized for his comfort. To eliminate his greatest weakness, his one dislike of living above water. It had all been for him.

In a flash, he leaned across the console, grabbing the doctors face in his hands, and kissed him. For one heart-stopping second he thought he'd made a grave mistake as Robotnik froze, but suddenly the other man's hands were on his shoulders and he was kissing him back. The angle was awkward – Robotnik on his toes, half draped across the front of the machine, Stone's elbow stinging from where he'd knocked it on a lever, but neither was willing to move.

Eventually they were forced to break apart for air, and Stone opened his eyes, panting slightly, to meet Robotnik's startled gaze. Nervous, he offered the other man a weak grin, and Robotnik blinked rapidly.

"Not exactly the response I was expecting." He cleared his throat, bringing a hand up to his lips. "But a very pleasant response, indeed."

Stone huffed out a laugh, pulling back slightly so the doctor could stand properly again. "I think I've been meaning to do that for a while. I just didn't realize it until now." He ran his hands gently over the console, still overwhelmed by the generosity of the gift. "Oh! And thank you! I forgot to actually say that."

"Your methods of appreciation are unconventional, but welcome, Stone." At the merman's confused frown, Robotnik looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "That is to say, I would not be adverse to repeating the experience."

Grinning, Stone leaned forward to press his lips to Robotnik’s again.

As always, the art in this chapter was drawn by Ayjay - if you like it (and why wouldn't you? It's gorgeous!) go check out her Instagram!

(If the images did not load, click here for the first and here for the second.)

Chapter Text

Finishing the line of commands he’d been working on, Robotnik determinedly stabbed at the button to start the compiling process, and pushed away from the screen. He could do little else tonight while the computer worked its way through the new, complex strings of code he had so carefully fed it throughout the day, and a sudden loud protest from his stomach reminded him that he’d forgotten to eat breakfast – again.

He glanced towards the living area, expecting to find Stone floating outside his kitchen window, before he caught himself and snorted in amusement at his own near-Pavlovian response. Stone’s uncanny sense of timing and insistence on taking a break for a meal every evening had not gone unnoticed. (And, if he was being honest with himself, was also not unwelcome.) Today, however, the window was empty. He got up and began to slowly pace the exterior of his entire base. Stone was nowhere to be found.

As he loaded the rice cooker and began slicing vegetables, he glanced up every few minutes, waiting for the merman to appear. When he hadn’t seen hair nor fin of Stone by the time he’d finished, he began to worry. Just slightly.

He caught himself tapping his fingers against his leg during the elevator ride to the above-ground laboratory, and shoved both his hands into his pockets to stop himself. As the elevator doors opened, he was nearly bowled over by Stone’s new hoverchair as it came hurtling across the lab. Jumping aside as the chair flew past, he grabbed the edge of it, stopping Stone from colliding with the elevator doors.

“Doctor! I’m so sorry, I wanted to surprise you with trout but couldn't find any nearby, so I had to go out deeper and then I couldn’t get the chair through the lab doors at first and...”

Robotnik leaned over to press the elevator button, cutting off Stone’s ramblings. Gesturing towards the interior as it opened, he fought the faint tinge of pink that he could feel creeping onto his cheeks (Without success). “Stone, would you care to join me in the kitchen for dinner?”

Stone, eyes wide, nodded, slowly maneuvering the chair into the elevator ahead of Robotnik. When the doors opened again on the underwater laboratory, he hovered over to the holo-screens for a moment, before drifting off down the rows of shelves and material that took up the majority of the space.

“It looks different from the inside.” He called, as Robotnik went to silence the now-beeping rice cooker. Rounding the corner that lead into the kitchen, Stone paused, hovering just inside the doorway.

The doctor had rolled up the sleeves of his red button-down shirt, and was quietly humming a tune that Stone didn’t recognize as he laid cut vegetables on a tray. Despite the fact that he’d seen Robotnik do the same every night for weeks as he cooked for the both of them, it all felt different, now. Now that he could reach out and touch Robotnik if he desired, without the physical barrier of a wetsuit or scuba gear or the glass wall of the base. Without the emotional barrier of fear and uncertainty about his feelings for Robotnik, and Robotnik’s feelings towards him. Now that he even, perhaps, could kiss him again.

He floated over, intending to hug the other man, but at the first touch of his hands on Robotnik’s shoulders the doctor froze, every muscle locking in place. Stone instantly threw his hoverchair in reverse, backing away as Robotnik turned around. “I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have assumed that was acceptable to do.”

Slowly, Robotnik’s shoulders eased down, his hands unclenching from their tight fists. “You owe me no apology.” He sighed, leaning back against the counter. “I am… unaccustomed to people touching me. In fact, the lack of touching was something I insisted on for most of my previous life.”

Stone’s stomach sank, visions of dancing with Robotnik – feeling their heartbeats race as they pressed chest to chest – vanishing before his eyes. But there was nothing he wouldn’t do for Robotnik, and if the man didn’t want to be touched, Stone would obey. “Of course, Doctor. I won’t do it again.”

Robotnik held up a hand to stop him, the other beginning to tap nervously against his leg once more. “Previous life, Stone. The parameters have changed somewhat. I only meant that it will take some time to readjust.” He looked up, directly into Stone’s eyes. “I’m asking for your patience.”

“You want to take things slow?” Stone asked, hesitantly floating closer. At Robotnik’s quick nod, he took the doctor’s still-uplifted hand between his own. “It’s funny, I was going to suggest the exact same thing.”

“Great minds think alike.” The corner of Robotnik’s mustache quirked upwards.

“And yours, of course, is the greatest mind of all. How about we start by preparing and eating a lovely meal together, where you tell me about all the marvelous things you’ve accomplished today?”

“An excellent suggestion.” Robotnik turned to tap the screen of the holo-tablet sitting on the kitchen counter. “Playlist Dinner For One. Volume 40%.” He commanded, and soft piano music filled the space. “I suppose I’ll have to change that name soon.”

While Robotnik sliced the fresh, plump fish Stone had brought into thin strips, Stone began assembling the rest of the ingredients, and they soon were rolling makizushi together. Robotnik talked at length throughout the entire meal, Stone nodding along and occasionally asking a question that would send the doctor off down another tangent, hands waving and sketching as he talked.

By the time their meal was finished, leftovers stored and dishes taken care of, several hours had passed. And yet Stone found himself hesitant to leave, hesitant to break the veil of peace and domesticity that had descended on the base. Robotnik seemed just as hesitant, walking Stone towards the elevator at the slowest pace he’d ever seen the man take.

“Goodnight, Doctor. I’ll see you tomorrow morning?” As Robotnik nodded and turned to leave, Stone gently grabbed his sleeve, turning him back around. “If it would be alright with you… I’d rather like to kiss you goodnight.”

“I believe that would be acceptable.”

The kiss was brief, but as Stone pulled away, his heart jumped at the sight of Robotnik’s hooded, dark-blown eyes. It took all his willpower not to lean forward and kiss him again.

Backing the hoverchair into the elevator, he carefully waited until he was sure the doctor could no longer see him. Quiet, joyous laughter spilled from his mouth in waves as the excitement and happiness that had been building inside him all night bubbled over.

He couldn’t stop himself from doing several joyous spins as he swam back to his cave, heart thudding in his chest, feeling happier than he had ever been before.

On the other side of the cliff, staring out into the dark water, Robotnik gently ran the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip, and grinned.

In some ways, everything had now changed.

Yet in other ways, nothing had changed at all. Stone would still wake at sunrise and head to the cove; would still say goodnight after dinner and head back alone. He would still leave Robotnik to his own devices on coding days; still spend most of his time in the water even on invention days, floating around the perimeter of the lab as the doctor worked within.

Robotnik, however, now did his best to express his feelings and gratitude for Stone in his own way. Shifting his workbenches closer to the windows of the lab, for Stone to better see what he was working on. Spending hours with him in the open ocean, testing new machines that swam by below or floated in the air above. Preparing the dishes he knew Stone liked best.

As the weeks passed, their relationship progressed, evolving like the doctors machines – each step forward carefully proposed, tested, and finally implemented. Robotnik’s decades of touch aversion could not be undone easily, but Stone was patient. Soft touches to the doctor’s shoulder and side as he passed behind him in the kitchen, or handed him a piece of equipment underwater. Migrating their chairs at the dinner table closer together, until meals were eaten side by side, Stone's tail fins hooked lightly around Robotnik's ankle. And always, after dinner, a single kiss goodnight.

They were returning to the cove from an excursion to test one of the doctor’s latest prototypes when Robotnik heard Stone humming to himself, weaving through the water lazily to the beat of the song in his head. He recognized the tune as one on the playlist he’d had on last night as they’d cooked dinner.

“You like that song?” He asked, and Stone’s humming trailed off as he realized what he’d been doing.

“I guess I do. It’s been stuck in my head all day.”

As they re-entered the cove, Robotnik checked his air tank – an hour left, more than enough time for the idea that had come into his head. Summoning a dozen Badniks, he spread them out to float in a loose circle. Bringing up the song that Stone had been humming on his gloves, he connected to the speakers within the robots, and the water was soon filled with the sound of gentle guitar strumming.

“Stone, would you care to dance?” He asked, holding out his hand to the merman.

Stone took it, eyes sparkling as he nodded. Maneuvering so they floated chest to chest in the water, he lead them in a slow, swaying circle, humming quietly along to the song as it played out around them.

“Your actions haven't gone unnoticed, Stone.” Robotnik shifted, the hand on Stone’s waist curling in until it rested neatly in the center of his back. “Your patience with my discomfort and mannerisms, I mean. There a very few who would be willing to put up with my...” He trailed off, mustache twitching under his breathing mask as he searched for the appropriate word.

“Quirks?” Stone suggested.

“I was going to say ‘demands’, but I’ll take the complement.”

“Charming eccentricities.”

“You flatter me.”

“You are a man worth flattering.” Stone, laughing, pushed Robtonik out into a spin, only to pull him in even tighter when he returned, tucking his head into the crook of Robotnik’s neck. The first song had long since ended, fading into another one, but neither noticed, too wrapped up in each other to care.

They floated in silence, swaying together to the sound of one gentle ballad after another. With the setting of the sun, the Badniks softly glowing eyes and the subtle blue glow spilling from the underwater lab became the only light in the cove. Stone, listening to the gentle thump of their synchronized heartbeats, felt himself melt into the doctor with a quiet, happy sigh.

“Stay with me tonight.” Robotnik blurted out, startling even himself. He hadn’t meant to say the thought out loud, but the open, longing look on Stone’s face at his words spurred him to continue. “After dinner, stay in the base for a while. The night, if you’d like.”

“Are you sure?” Stone’s mind raced. They had yet to progress past kissing; the leap to spending the night together was a rather large one, but he had sworn to follow Robotnik’s lead.

Robotnik, perhaps sensing the turn Stone’s thoughts had taken, rapidly shook his head, shooting backwards in the water away from the merman. “Mind out of the gutter, Stone!” He spluttered, face turning as red as his wetsuit. “Nothing – er – physical.”

Stone let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, coming to float directly in front of Robotnik with a gentle smile. “I would love to stay the night – at whatever physical or non-physical pace you are comfortable with, Doctor.”

Robotnik’s next comment was cut off by the low oxygen alarm on his tank, and he angrily stabbed the beeping red light off. “If one more alarm interrupts our conversations again, I’m disabling them all.” He snarled.

Stone only shook his head in fond amusement, already propelling himself towards the surface. By the time he’d gotten himself comfortably seated in his hoverchair, the Badniks had all been ordered back towards the lab and the doctor was removing his scuba gear on the shore.

Preparing dinner had become second nature to the two of them after so many meals together. Stone washed and stirred as Robotnik chopped and seasoned, moving around the kitchen (and each other) in perfect sync. Conversation, as always, was centered around the many brilliant things Robotnik had done that day; Stone listening intently to each one and providing enthusiastic comments when needed.

There was a long, awkward pause after they had both finished eating, Robotnik slowly putting the dishes away in silence as Stone shifted on his chair, tail fins twitching with nervous energy against the floor.

“I don’t actually know what you do after we say goodnight, Doctor.” He observed, propping his head up against a hand on the table thoughtfully.

“If I have work to finish, I will return to the lab. If not, it depends.” Robotnik shrugged one shoulder. “Reading, perhaps. A game of go or chess, against the AI.”

Stone leaned forward. “I’ve never played chess before.”

“Would you like me to teach you?”

“If you’d like… I can’t imagine I’ll be a very difficult opponent.”

“On the contrary, I find playing against untrained minds fascinating.” Robotnik grabbed the holo-tablet from the kitchen counter. “The AI tends to favour one of three dozen strategies. As I have, of course, memorized them all, it’s becoming tedious to play against.”

The living space had no couch and no table other than the one in the kitchen, and so they sat at opposite ends of Robotnik’s bed, holo-tablet between them. Stone memorized the pieces movements easily enough, but as he’d predicted, failed to make more than a dozen moves each time before Robotnik called checkmate.

“You’re overthinking, Stone.” Robotnik said as they reset the board for the sixth time. “I can see it in your eyes. Relax, and focus on your next few moves.” He lifted a holographic pawn from the board, tilting it towards Stone as he moved forward two squares. “Stop favoring your queen. Even pawns have their uses.”

Stone nodded, taking a deep breath in before slowly letting it out. After fifteen moves, when Robotnik had failed to bring his king into check even once, he felt his confidence soar. Another few moves gave him both the doctors castles, and while he lost a bishop and a knight shortly after, he could see Robotnik’s brows begin to draw tighter together with each move. He was actually making the doctor think about his moves for the first time all night, and the idea sent his heart racing with excitement.

Twenty five moves in, he put Robotnik’s king in check, and couldn’t help slapping the bedspread with a “Hah!” of triumph. Robotnik moved easily out of the trap, but favored Stone with a wry smile and a proud nod.

The game ended ten moves later, with Robotnik putting Stone into checkmate, but by that time both were down to a few pieces, all clustered in one corner. Stone fell back against the headboard, grinning. “That was exhilarating!”

“I told you – you simply needed to relax.” The doctor hovered a finger over the reset button. “Another game?”

Stone groaned, shaking his head. “I feel like my brain is fried. Lets do something else.” He hummed in thought. “You said you read sometimes?”

“Technical journals, primarily. Scientific papers. Perhaps a doctorate thesis, if I feel like something light.”

“Of course you would.” Stone patted the spot on the bed next to him, and Robotnik shifted up to lean against the headboard, holo-tablet propped up on his bent knees. Stone yawned. “Why don’t you read one to me?”

“The last article I was reading is in German...”

“I’m too tired to pay much attention to the contents anyway. I just like hearing your voice.” Closing his eyes, Stone turned onto his side, tucking his head into Robotnik’s shoulder and curling his tail around his feet.

With a quiet, nervous cough, Robotnik brought up the appropriate text on his screen, heart beating twice as fast as it had been before. The tablet shook slightly in his hand as he tilted his own head to rest on top of Stone’s, his other, also-shaking hand landing gently across Stone’s shoulders. For a moment he simply held the merman, feeling his racing, chaotic thoughts slow. Pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Stone’s head, he began reading aloud.

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Chapter Text

New fanart alert! gabslash_splash did an adorable drawing of SealStone, which you can see Here! Please do go check it out, it's incredible!

Stone was, by necessity, a light sleeper. Decades of instinct allowed him to be awake and fully aware at the slightest noise, ready to defend himself from attacking predators or quickly escape from dangerous sub-sea earthquakes.

However, when presented with a warm, comfortable surface, and held close to the chest of a warm, comfortable human, all his instincts promptly turned themselves off, and chose to sleep in instead.

Stone woke slowly for the first time in years, slightly confused when opening and closing his eyes several times failed to show him anything other than darkness. Lifting his head revealed the source – his face had been pressed to the doctors chest, buried in the thick black cotton of his sweater. Robotnik was still asleep below him, mouth open as he snored softly, fluttering the disheveled ends of his mustache with each breath. In sleep they had ended up sprawled out across the length of the bed, one of Robotnik’s arms thrown around Stone's waist, Stone's tail entwined with Robotnik's legs.

The entire living space was lined with heavy blackout curtains, for privacy and light control. They had automatically closed at some point during the night, and were still drawn tightly shut. The only light in the room now came from the gentle blue glow of the holo-tablet, discarded at the foot of the bed.

A glance at it’s screen revealed it was long past sunrise, and well into morning. Slowly, Stone disentangled his tail from the doctors legs, checking every few seconds to make sure the man was still asleep. When he'd gotten his whole tail onto the floor, he quickly slipped out from under Robotnik's arm. Robotnik responded by mumbling and turning onto his side, but remained unconscious.

Forgoing his hoverchair, as it would make too much noise, he carefully made his way over to the kitchen, snagging the tablet on the way. Bringing up a recipe, he began pulling bowls from the cupboards.

Robotnik was, by choice, a heavy sleeper. Entering and maintaining REM sleep was vital to both his health and invention process. (He was a big believer in the saying "If you can dream it, build it".) Through decades of practice, his internal system had become so finely tuned that he could wake himself up precisely at any needed hour. On days without instruction, his brain would wake him up after 7 hours rest, no matter what time his head hit the pillow.

Robotnik woke to the smell of pancakes. The soft clatter of dishes in motion drifted from the kitchen, accompanied by the barely audible sound of someone humming. For a moment he was transported back to the orphanage – waking up to the sounds of cook preparing breakfast for dozens of children, the creak and thump of rickety wooden beds as everyone was woken and herded into the main hall for a meager, starch-filled breakfast.

He sat up to a far better view than the orphanage could ever have provided. Stone was perched on a chair, spatula in hand, as he carefully poured batter into a pan, nodding along to the beat of whatever song he was humming. A stack of fluffy golden pancakes sat next to the stove; a bowl of raspberries and a steaming mug of coffee on the table.

Robotnik was striding across the base before even realizing he’d gotten out of bed. As his head landed on top of the merman’s, Stone smiled, leaning back into Robotnik's shoulder. "Good morning."

"You're making pancakes."

"Took me a few tries, but I think I’ve got the hang of it."

"Nobody has ever made me pancakes before."

Stone shrugged, flipping the pancake over and wincing as several stray drops of batter hit the element. "I've never made pancakes before. Or slept in a bed with a human before. Its a day of firsts for both of us." He slid the cooked pancake onto the top of the stack, holding the plate up for Robotnik to take. “You make an excellent heated blanket.”

“That should be my line.” Robotnik headed towards the table, grabbing his left thigh theatrically as he sat. “My leg is still asleep from where you were laying on it.”

“Next time I’ll make sure to lay on both your legs, then, at least make it even.” Stone froze, realizing the implication he had made with that sentence. That there would be a ‘next time’ for them. That there would be a ‘next time’ that once again involved them sleeping together in the same bed.

Robotnik caught on a second later, hastily swallowing his coffee and placing the mug back down. He opened his mouth, paused, and closed it. Exhaling heavily through his nose, he began arranging the silverware on the table into straight lines, subconsciously. “I do not regret asking you to stay last night. And… I would not regret repeating the experience again sometime.”

Stone carefully slid off his chair in the kitchen, coming to sit across from Robotnik at the table. “I wouldn’t mind repeating it either.” Tipping two pancakes onto the doctor’s plate, he nudged the bowl of berries forward before taking pancakes for himself. “Whenever, and whatever you decide is appropriate, Doctor.”

“And if I decide never to progress further?” Robotnik carefully drew a series of concentric circles on his pancakes with syrup, followed by placing raspberries at evenly-spaced intervals around the edge.

“Then I’ll count myself the luckiest merman in the sea, simply to be able to hold you.” Robotnik’s head snapped up at Stone’s words. “Did I enjoy waking up in your arms, fully clothed, after spending the evening playing a board game? Yes, I did. And if that's the furthest you would like to take it, I will stop exactly there and go no further. I have no expectations as to what this-” He gestured between the two of them with his fork, “-entails.”

Robotnik’s head tilted to one side, expression soft as he stared at the merman. “You continue to surprise me, Stone.”

“I’m flattered. I know you aren’t surprised easily.” Stone winked as he gestured towards Robotnik’s plate. “Eat, Doctor, our pancakes are getting cold.”

Breakfast passed in comfortable silence, both of them simply content to enjoy the experience. Stone cheerfully decorated his pancakes with faces made of syrup and berries, and Robotnik’s shoulders seemed to be much looser than usual, his posture relaxed as he poured himself a third cup of coffee.

While Stone gathered the last of the dishes, Robotnik wandered back into his laboratory, starting up the equipment and greeting his Badniks with an absentminded pat to their casings as they whirred to life. He turned at the soft hum of Stone’s chair as it came up behind him.

“I was just coming to say goodbye, Doctor.”

“I didn’t mean to imply that I wished for you to leave. You are welcome to stay if you like, Stone.”

Stone shrugged, unconcerned. “I know you’ll be busy today, and I’d just be in the way. I don’t mind.”

Robotnik stepped forward, one hand coming up to cup Stone’s cheek. “You’ll return tonight?”

Stone nodded, leaning slightly into the touch. “Of course. I’ll bring something really tasty for dinner.”

The kiss they shared was longer than usual, soft and full of warmth. Stone couldn’t stop his lips from curling up into a smile, which had the unfortunate effect of breaking the kiss, but the very fortunate effect of allowing him to watch Robotnik slowly open his eyes, pupils blown wide; feel the puff of air that passed between them as he shakily exhaled. He pulled the doctor in for a second kiss, crushing their mouths together for one long, hungry moment. When they finally pulled apart, both were panting slightly, Robotnik’s hand warm on Stone’s now bright pink cheek, Stone’s fingers gripping the front of Robotnik’s sweater tightly.

Stone cleared his throat, gently tipping his forehead forward to meet the doctor’s. “I’ll. I’ll see you tonight, then?” He managed after a moment, trying to pull the scattered pieces of his thoughts back together into some sense of coherence.

“Yes.” Robotnik breathed, just as unwilling to move from their current position. The hand on Stone’s cheek dropped away, and Robotnik took a single deep breath before taking a step back, blinking rapidly.

Stone backed the hoverchair towards the elevator, unwilling to take his eyes off the doctor for a second. Just before the doors closed, he gave Robotnik one last quick wink and a grin.

He spent the day with spear in hand, searching the deep, cold waters of the Atlantic for the largest salmon he could find. His search was less focused than usual – memories of waking up with Robotnik’s arm around him and the heat in his gaze after they kissed kept replaying in his mind, and he would come back to his senses with a shake of his head to find that he had been floating in place for minutes at a time.

A short chase and a lucky stab with his spear finally netted him a beautiful meter long fish, but in his search for the perfect meal, he’d wandered far from his usual hunting grounds, and the afternoon was almost over. He started back to the cove, grinning at the thought of seeing Robotnik’s eyes light up as he presented him the salmon, how he’d carefully turn the fish into a wonderful meal for two.

Having eaten his meals raw for the majority of his life, Stone had never thought much about what he consumed. He’d developed preferences of course, but living in solitude and secrecy meant that sometimes you had to simply eat whatever was closest and easiest to catch. Now, having access to cooked food, he wasn’t sure he'd ever want to go back. It wasn’t simply the fact that the food was cooked, or the tastes of dozens of new ingredients he’d been introduced to. There was something near-magical about eating food cooked by a man with Robotnik’s skills, with Rotbonik’s constant drive to perfect and outdo everything he had made before. Even the doctors company seemed to enhance the meal, whether Stone was listening to him ramble on at length about his work, dinner forgotten and cooling on the plate before him; or eating in silence together, Stone’s tail fins wrapped around Robtonik’s ankle as Robotnik looked up over the rim of his glass and met Stone’s eyes -

Stone stopped swimming. He was in love with the Doctor.

The thought stunned him, and his spear fell from slack fingertips, clattering against the rocks below. He nearly dropped the salmon as well, just barely managing to grab it in time before it floated away. Sinking to sit on a large boulder, he stared sightlessly out into the ocean, replaying every interaction between the two of them back in his head. That was it. That was the word he’d been missing for so long, the one word that took every feeling he had for the man and packaged it up neatly into four little letters that both meant and expressed so much. Love.

The only question now was, did the doctor love him back? He knew there was something between them – Robotnik wouldn’t willingly kiss Stone every night, have him stay and sleep tangled in his arms, without at least having some kind of feelings – but the question of what, exactly, the doctor felt was a tough one to answer.

Stone sat up straight, clutching the fish to his chest with determination. Nothing would be gained by sitting there, wondering about what-ifs. He had to tell him. Tonight.

He returned to the cove at full speed, shooting through the tunnel so fast his tail clipped the wall as he turned. Twisting to examine the injury, he sputtered as he unexpectedly passed through a thick stream of bubbles. His gaze traced the stream as it wound through the water, disappearing behind the corner of the laboratory.

The laboratory, bathed in pulsing red light as alarms blared, underscoring the sound of oxygen rapidly escaping out into the cove.

Stone had never swam as fast as he did at that moment. One wall of the laboratory was covered in a dozen small holes, thick cracks emanating from the points where the projectiles had broken through. Up close, he could hear the cracks widening under the pressure, and he frantically called out, searching for any hint of the doctor within.

His heart nearly stopped when he finally spotted him, collapsed across a workbench. Robotnik was holding on to the surface with a desperate grip, shoulders bowed, one hand pressed to his temple. As Stone watched, Robotnik lifted the shaking hand from his head and took a step forward, only to have his knees collapse from underneath him. He fell into the rapidly rising pool of water on the floor of the laboratory, crying out in pain as something lurking underneath pierced his leg.

The sight of his doctor in pain was too much for Stone to bear, and he wept openly, tears disappearing into the unforgiving waters of the cove. He had to save him. The laboratory had no underwater access points, and getting to the elevator would take far too long. Gritting his teeth, and flexing his tail in preparation, he lifted both his fists and brought them down on the glass.

The effect was immediate – spiderweb cracks expanded across the entire face, glass buckling and bowing inwards for one long moment before it shattered with a mighty crash. Water rushed into the space, and Stone rushed with it, eyes locked on Robotnik where he knelt, unable or unwilling to stand.

Pushed by the force of the water, he nearly overshot his mark, and he grabbed at Robotnik’s shoulders, pulling him to his body. They slid across the floor together, pinned to the far wall by the force of the initial deluge. Material rushed past, a disorienting stream of parts and wires freed from laboratory shelves. Every holographic screen fizzled out, leaving the space in near total darkness, and somewhere in the distance echoed a crash of heavy objects colliding.

Stone knew they had only seconds before the water was over Robotnik’s head, and the rapid glace he took at the man shook him. Blood dripped from an injury hidden in Robotnik’s hair, coating his face in thin red streams. Something jagged and metallic had pierced through his right calf, and his chest rose and fell shallowly, eyes unfocused. It would be entirely up to Stone to save them both from the whirlwind deathtrap the laboratory was quickly becoming.

“Take a deep breath and hold on tightly, Doctor.” He whispered, holding Robotnik against him so he could speak directly into his ear. “I’m getting you out of here.”

Robotnik didn’t respond, but Stone felt the doctor’s chest expand, bringing in deep, full breaths as the waves reached their chins. Stone’s eyes darted around the laboratory, searching for a clear path through the chaos. “I’ll have to wait for the water to stop moving. There’s too much debris floating around. No matter what, don’t loosen your grip. If I stop moving, it’s for a good reason, and I promise I’ll move again as soon as I can. Do you understand?”

Robotnik’s answer was a weak nod as the water rose. Stone began a countdown in his head – Robotnik could hold his breath for a minute and a half. If the laboratory had been clear, and the water calm, it would have been more than sufficient. The reality at that moment however was the complete opposite.

Stone pushed gently off the back wall where they had been huddled, ducking behind an overturned workbench as a ragged tangle of loose wires and metal floated past above, missing them by inches. Next came a slow slide on his back underneath a pair of shelves that had fallen against each other, carefully listening for any sound of collapse. Once clear he paused, waiting for a whirlwind of papers and kitchen utensils to settle, tail twitching anxiously as his mental countdown reached forty five seconds before the doctor ran out of oxygen.

Clear of the whirlwind, he made a rapid dash for the broken wall of the laboratory, stopping several feet away. Hundreds of shards of glass hung suspended between himself and the open waters of the cove, swaying back and forth with the current. His vision was well adapted for seeing through dark water, but this would still be the most dangerous part of the escape. With so little light to reflect off the pieces, he could be an inch from impaling himself and not know it.

He brought a hand out in front of him as he swam forward, batting glass aside in a slow, wide arc. A piece caught him off guard and he winced as it scored a long line across his palm. Another clipped Robotnik’s shoulder, shredding through his sweater to the skin below, and Stone felt him jerk, precious air escaping from his lungs. He halved the time Robotnik had remaining. They were down to ten seconds.

With no other option left, Stone gritted his teeth, tucked Robotnik’s body close to his chest, and hurtled backwards out into the water, using his own body as a shield. He felt dozens of shards scrape across his back, thin ribbons of blood streaming out and waving in the water, but finally, they were free of the laboratory. Twisting around, he shot upwards, silently urging the doctor to hang on as his mental counter ran down.

Stone broke the surface and kept moving, fighting to keep Robotnik’s head above the turbulent water. With shaking arms he lifted the doctor’s body onto the shore, crawling up to lie beside it as frantic hands felt for the rise and fall of his chest.

There was none.

Adorable art, as ever, by the wonderful Ayjay!

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Chapter Text

Every vein in Stone’s body turned to ice. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, could only whisper “No, no please.. no...” as he pressed two fingers to Robotnik’s neck, searching for a pulse. Tears blurred his vision, weak hands shaking against the man’s skin.

The faint but steady thump of the doctor’s heartbeat under his fingers made his own heart soar, clearing some of the panic and fog that he’d been seconds away from succumbing to. Stone wracked his brain, trying to remember anything he’d ever read about first aid for humans in the hundreds of books Robotnik had given him. Carefully turning Robotnik onto his side, head pillowed on his tail, Stone thumped the doctor’s back hard, trying to dislodge water from his lungs.

The great wracking cough that came from Robotnik in response was the sweetest sound Stone had ever heard. Panting, Robotnik grabbed blindly at Stone, pulling himself up into the merman’s lap as water streamed from his mouth and nose.

“Doctor! You’re alive!” Stone wrapped an arm around Robotnik to steady him, still thumping his back with the other as the doctor coughed and sputtered the last of the seawater from his lungs.

“The laboratory… we’re on the shore?” Robotnik twisted about, the movement immediately causing him to yell in pain and grab at his leg.

“Don’t move, you’re badly hurt. There’s… there’s a lot of blood.”

Robotnik fell silent, his deep, ragged breathing echoing off the cove walls. “I was working on a new modification for the flier.” He finally whispered, damp strands of dark hair hiding his face from Stone’s concerned gaze. “A second seat, so you could join me. Something went wrong with the ejection mechanism. Shot bolts everywhere – including at myself, it seems.” He lifted a hand to his temple, fingers coming away sticky with blood. “The thing with rapidly-moving metal inside a glass box, it tends to make a few holes…”

“It’s alright, Doctor. I got you out in time, that’s all that matters. We can rebuild the laboratory.” Stone tilted Robotnik’s head gently to one side, parting his hair to find a long, ragged wound where the bolt had struck him. “I… I don’t know how to treat this.”

Wincing, Robotnik tugged a pair of control gloves from his pocket and poked at several buttons. A trio of Badniks flew out the door of the above-ground laboratory, hovering in a loose circle as they began scanning the pair. “They’ll tell us what the damage is. We can go from there. Thankfully I had the foresight to place my medical facilities above water.”

Stone stared blankly at the nearest Badnik as its beams passed over him. “I should have been there sooner. I shouldn’t have gone so far away from the cove. If I’d been here when it happened, I could have gotten you out immediately.”

“In case it’s escaped your notice, Stone, you were the one to save me from a death trap of my own devising.” Robotnik grabbed Stone’s shoulder, forcing him to turn. Stone winced as the movement jostled the cuts still bleeding across his back. “Putting yourself in grave danger in the process. The fault lies with me, for neglecting to include adequate safety precautions.”

“Still. I don’t think I could have ever forgiven myself if I was too late to save you. If I was too late to tell you...” Stone broke off abruptly, eyes wide in panic as he realized that he’d nearly confessed his feelings. This certainly wasn’t the appropriate time or place. The doctor was hurt. They needed to see what could be salvaged from the laboratory, needed to start rebuilding...

His train of thought was broken by a hand under his chin, forcing him to tilt his face upwards to meet Robotnik’s raised eyebrow. “Tell me what, Stone?”

Stone opened and closed his mouth several times, cheeks flaming as he struggled to find the courage that he’d felt earlier that afternoon, when he’d set out with determination to finally tell Robotnik that he loved him. Now that the moment had arrived, he couldn’t seem form the words he so desperately needed.

The corner of Robotnik’s mustache quirked upwards. “Perhaps you had a long, florid love confession planned? One which involved many references to how you have been charmed by my brilliant intellect, rapier-sharp wit, and dashing good looks?”

Stone stifled a laugh behind his fist as he nodded. Trust Robotnik to see right through him, cutting straight to the point in his usual direct and self-appreciating way. “Something like that.” He admitted.

“As charming as it would have been to hear – and I do expect the confession delivered in full, someday – I’ll save you the trouble for the moment, Stone. The feeling is very much reciprocated.”

Stone let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, shoulders slumping in relief as he leaned in to touch foreheads with Robotnik. Tears of joy – that the doctor was going to live, that he loved him back – spilled down his face, and he clutched at the other man’s hands. It was only after he heard a faint sniff that he pulled back to see Robotnik’s eyes glistening with tears, felt the doctor turn his hands in Stone’s grip so they were intertwined.

Their lips met in an urgent, heated kiss, Stone’s hands flying up to rest on either side of Robotnik’s face; Robotnik pulling himself even further onto Stone’s lap by the merman’s waist.

The cheery beep of a Badnik finishing its scan interrupted them, and Robotnik swung out in blind irritation at the hovering machine, which swiftly dodged away out of his reach. Groaning in frustration as he broke the kiss, Robotnik shot the machine a glare that could have melted steel.

“That’s it. Every single one of you is getting muted. Permanently!” Robotnik stabbed an angry finger at the trio of hovering robots, who beeped again in response, Robotnik’s control glove joining in as data was fed to it. The doctor swung his head down to glare at the glove, hissing in pain as the movement caused fresh blood to drip from his injuries.

“We can mute them later, Doctor. Right now, lets get you to the medical bay.” Stone gently helped Robotnik stand, sliding under his arm to provide support for his injured leg as they began an awkward limping shuffle up the beach.

“Ivo.” Robotnik said, as they paused at the doors of the above-ground laboratory.

“What?”

“Ivo. My first name.” Robotnik’s eyes softened as they met Stone’s, tapping his chest with a finger before signing out My name is I-V-O with the hand not currently around Stone’s shoulders. Stone chuckled as he caught the reference to the first day they had met, countless months ago, neither imagining that a chance glimpse of flying Badniks and a faint blip on a heat sensor would lead them to where they were now. “I think we’ve evolved past Doctor by now.”

“I think I agree.” Turning to face his doctor, Stone signed out his words as he said them, unable to keep the beaming smile from his face. “Hello, Ivo Robotnik. My name is Stone. And I love you.”

“Hello, Stone, my name is Doctor Ivo Robotnik. And I love you, too.”