Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the modern world, making a social media account was essentially consenting to be spied on. In their desperation to share their mediocre accomplishments people would agree to let companies feed on their data, to share their secrets with any government that cared to know them, and to let their employers make sure they weren’t considering being too much of their own person outside of work.

At least, for most employers that was the idea, for Robotnik, it was a fascinating insight into Stone’s life outside of the workplace. They rarely spoke about their personal lives to each other, in Robotnik’s case he tried to have as little of a life outside of the lab as possible, too unwilling to leave the thrill of his work for something as pedestrian as socialising.

Seeing Stone caught mid laugh in the background of some night out was almost enough to make him wish he was there, some cutting comment being the reason for Stone’s open joy.

For most of the time Stone had worked under him the photos he posted had followed a pattern. Nothing more than innocent looking travel photos broken up with pictures of cats and coffee. He'd been watching the progression of Stone's latte art skills with some interest, going from basic hearts and leaves to detailed pictures of faces, animals, and text.

Stone had yet to give him anything more interesting than a heart in his coffee, and he'd barely resisted the urge to complain after seeing a perfect circuit board sketched in foam.But even that didn't annoy him as much as the sudden deviation from the norm. The past month Stone had broken the pattern, and nearly every day Robotnik would open Stone’s profile to find a new selfie waiting for him.

Pictures of Stone post workout, glistening with sweat as he posed in front of the floor length mirrors were always flooded with desperate comments from the masses, as if Stone was working out just for their attention and not because he needed to be in top shape to follow Robotnik’s orders.

Stone’s fashion sense was a little boring for the doctor’s taste, but he looked nice enough in his little #outfitoftheday posts. If the sight of Stone in a lilac crop top made him put serious consideration into introducing Casual Friday’s around the lab, nobody else had to know.

His personal favourites were the early morning ones, clearly taken on days when they had to head out early to some conference or meeting. Stone painted in the soft light of dawn, holding up a coffee mug with a tired smile helped take away some of the irritation of preparing for a long day of annoyances.

All of the photos had been downloaded, encrypted, and saved several locked folders deep onto Robotnik’s personal computer. He didn’t consider it a breach of privacy. If Stone didn’t want him to have access to them he shouldn’t have posted them publicly.

—-

Robotnik didn’t feel the need to mention that he’d seen the posts to Stone.

He has more important things to deal with, like testing the grip capabilities and balance for one of his newer designs, a ground based robot with large pincer-like appendages for carrying supplies across uneven terrain. It was performing well, and the way it tilted back and forth to keep balance was adorable. Not that anyone else ever seemed to think so when it came to his robots.

The door swooshed open and Stone breezed in, placing a fresh latte and an energy bar on the desk. Robotnik pulled up his goggles with a suspicious glare. “You’re about to distract me.” His next Stone-enforced break wasn’t for another forty-seven minutes.

Stone sighed. “General Watkins is on his way, there’s some matter he needs to speak with you about urgently.”

“Did you bother to ask what he thought was worth disturbing my important and time sensitive work over?”

“I did, but he was unwilling to speak to me about it.”

“Put him in my office when he gets here, I’ll be through when I’m finished testing SKR-4A.“

He kept half an eye on the security feed as General Windbag entered. He looked distressed, clearly desperate to speak to Robotnik himself and irritated by Stone’s insistence on waiting in the office. Their attempts at dominance were laughable. Stone might play the role of the beleaguered assistant but he wasn’t going to let something as petty as rank force him to disobey the doctors instructions. After ten minutes of letting the intruder stew he finally entered the office, dropping onto his seat with dramatic flair. “I hope this is important.”

“It is, we’ve found-”

“The thing is, everybody who calls seems to think that whatever little problem they have is the most important thing in the world, important enough to stall the future of robotics. Which is why I have Agent Stone, - the smartest Agent by virtue of having two entire brain cells to rub together- screen my calls to shoo away the detritus. Tell him your problems and he can decide if it’s worth my time.”

“Listen. An unusual machine has been found in the basement of the Central district hotel. We need you to investigate it.”

“I’m sure you have lesser engineers who could be doing this.”

“Doctor, the people we’ve sent out don’t know what it does. The bomb squad couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but they couldn’t find any detonatable materials. We figured someone with your… creative mind might have a better chance of understanding it.”

“Fffffffine. I’ll take a look.”

Robotnik continued his work on the drive there, taking occasional breaks to glare out of the windows at the billboards advertising the best the place had to offer. He couldn’t stand most of the area, packed full of tourists and people trying to sell overpriced garbage. Given the choice, he’d raze the city to the ground. Well, most of it. He gave a longing look at the express train to the nearby theme park as he followed the group inside. The manager, a sweaty man in an ugly green suit, led them down to the basement. “It’s in here. The cleaning staff found it this morning.”

The machine took up most of a small storage closet, a shuddering mess of pistons and gears. He could see why anyone else would have trouble understanding it. With a command for the rest of the group to wait outside, he slid into the remaining space, crouching to study it in more detail. It was purely mechanical, and he followed the movements with some confusion. Nothing about it made sense. A steam powered boiler in the centre was moving the parts, but while some of them connected to each other, nothing connected to anything useful. It looked more like a movie prop, something to look impressive to people who didn't know what they were supposed to be- ah.

Before he had time to berate everyone for wasting his time the whole room suddenly dropped, crashing into the floor below. Robotnik hit the machine with a heavy grunt, the air knocked out of him. He barely had time to move before large hands were dragging him backwards, giving him just enough time to take in the fact that they were in a parking garage, and that he was being dragged towards a plain white van.

Desperately thrashing about, he started screeching insults as he fought to get his hands together to call his bots to incinerate these morons.

There was a crash from behind him, and he was able to crane his neck in time to see one of Stone's perfectly polished shoes slam into the nose of one of his attackers, unleashing a butterfly shaped splatter of blood. Dropped to the floor, he summoned his bots to observe with him. Watching Stone fight was like watching a well crafted simulation, the force of every punch, the angle of every kick perfectly calculated to exert the right amount of force to leave the group out cold on the floor.

Stone took a moment to breathe before hurrying towards the doctor, the ice cold bodyguard persona replaced by the concerned assistant. "Sir, are you alright?"

Robotnik let him pull him to his feet before waving him off. "I'm fine, they didn’t know what they were getting into. Call the others, I want them arrested and interrogated.” Stone quickly made the call as Robotnik examined the bodies with a deep sense of satisfaction. "It's good to know your increased exercise regime isn't going to waste."

"Sir?" Stone was looking at him with wide eyes. Shit.

"I understand you're not getting enough gold stars around the lab, so you've turned to social media to get the approval you desperately crave."

Stone smiled self-consciously. "I wasn't aware you were keeping track of my posts."

Robotnik moved closer, leaning into Stone's personal space. "I keep track of /everything/ Stone." He purred."It's pathetic really." He rolled his eyes at Stone's hurt look. "Not you, the people who flock to praise you in the comments. Acting as if you're just some neanderthal pumping iron to impress them."

He stepped back to look over the bodies, grinning at the sight of them. Taken down, broken, all for him. "Too bad this is all classified, because seeing you fight, watching you spill blood with all that perfectly controlled strength? That's worth commenting on."

"Thank you sir." He knew Stone would be riding the high of that praise for months if he let him.

“This doesn’t mean I don’t have… criticisms.” He turned suddenly, jabbing a sharp finger into Stone’s chest. “You think you can get away with the sappy little hearts you’ve been putting on my drinks?”

Stone grimaced. “I’m sorry Sir, I-” Robonik made a shrill sound, cutting him off.

“If tomorrow’s coffee comes with anything less than a perfect recreation of a model three Kleiner chip in the foam there will be severe consequences. You think I’m going to let you get away with half-assing my drinks?”

Stone ducked his head, trying to hide his smile. “I’ll do my best, sir.”

Chapter Text

Knowing he was being watched didn’t stop Stone’s constant posting, if anything it seemed to increase by 12.3% after Robotnik mentioned it. Stone always seemed so pleased whenever he bought it up again, even if he had yet to follow any of the excellent fashion advice he’d been given.

Sipping at his morning meal shake Robotnik idly flicked through the freshly posted images of Stone the evening before. Today’s batch didn’t start out as anything interesting, A shot of Stone and some other people Robotnik vaguely recognized from other pictures in some awful diner themed bar. All cheerfully smiling at the camera as they held up their alcoholic milkshakes.

The next had Stone playing on a pinball machine, one of the other men pressed against his back. Probably trying to give unwanted advice.

The third had Stone out of focus in the background, but Robotnik could still recognise him, even if most of his body was being covered by the damn nobody pressing him against the bar, trying his best to find Stone’s tonsils with his tongue. Stone was pulling him closer, but zooming in, Robotnik could see that his eyes might be lidded, but they were looking directly at the camera.

As furious as he was, he had to admit a small amount of admiration for Stone’s play. He knew Robotnik would see the pictures, and if the doctor went with his first instinct and demanded Stone break all contact with this interloper then he’d be admitting it bothered him. Admitting that he gave a damn about what Stone did outside of the lab.

But if he ignored it then Stone would know he deliberately wasn’t talking about it, and that was almost as revealing as outright admitting it bothered him. Technically it wasn’t any of his business. He couldn’t officially reprimand Stone for kissing people consensually in his own time.

Was Stone trying to get him to admit to being laid low by something as basic as jealousy?

His response to Stone's bait was to up his hours, running him ragged so he wouldn’t have time to go out and find other people. Stone knew, Robotnik could practically feel the smug aura radiating behind his mask of deference.

It hadn’t stopped the pictures, but instead of nights out, it was now Stone in pyjamas, sipping on an infusion of hot water and herbs. He’d barely resisted the urge to throw his phone across the room at the sight of Stone relaxing in a bubble bath. Nothing below his stomach was shown, but he could imagine the kind of disgusting fantasies people were spouting in the comments. Especially when he was having the same ones, curled up in his laboratory cot and cursing Stone’s name between breathy whines.

Despite the Doctor's tendency to work what some might call an obsessive amount of hours, keeping the balancing act between Stone and himself was starting to exhaust him. Both of them teetering on the edge of a cliff and refusing to be the first to step back. Three weeks into the standoff, Robotnik wasn't sure if Stone was going to break, still answering the phone with a cheery disposition. Though the irritated way he sighed after hanging up didn't bode well.

"Sir, That was Commander Walters. We've been asked to completely shut down the lab between 1600 and 2300 hours. Doctor Liston is running a series of electrical tests that can't be disrupted."

Robotnik growled, furiously jabbing at his keyboard. "They expect me to disrupt my work for a pathetic confidence trickster like Liston?" Every day he gave them wonders beyond their tiny imaginations and they somehow considered that third-rate Lumbricus's attempt at banging rocks together more important than his genius? "That pathetic excuse for an engineer couldn't find an electrical current if you stuck a battery up his nose."

“I don’t doubt it, sir.”

They finished work early, shutting everything down at exactly four pm. The lab didn’t feel right without the constant buzz of power, the lights and movement that gave it life absent. It made Robotnik’s heart clench to see his creations so still. He itched to throw the power back on, to throw on the brightest lights and the loudest music for some mental stimulation.

Stone seemed to pick up on his discomfort, walking closely behind him as they left the building. “Would you like me to leave, sir?”

“You’re still on the clock.” Robotnik groaned, rubbing at his temples. “We’re moving to a secondary location, go fetch a car.”

“Yes sir.”

He could hear Liston’s whiny voice in the distance, ordering soldiers to arrange pieces for his oh-so-important experiment. If he was any less tired he’d go and have a look, teach them something about how a real genius worked. Instead, he watched as Stone bought one of the standard government cars around, and made a decision on where they were going to go.

-

It was a short trip to the hotel, and he’d watched the emotions flicker across Stone’s face with amusement as he gave him the address. Booking a room online only took a minute, and he relaxed in his seat as they drove. Despite the early hour, he was practically falling asleep.

They picked up the keys without issue, and Stone’s sharp intake of breath as they entered the room made him smirk. This wasn’t a government-funded adventure, he couldn’t be expected to pay for separate beds.
He hung up his coat and carefully placed his briefcase on the room's small desk before flinging himself onto the mattress, closing his eyes with a satisfied sigh. He could fall asleep right now if it wasn't for Stone’s eyes boring into him. He cracked an eye open, meeting his Agent's gaze.

Stone stood to attention. “Is there something you wanted from me, sir?”

“Set up my laptop and order us some food.” He rolled onto his stomach, fighting the urge to doze off as he mumbled into a pillow. “Don’t even consider ordering from that fish place again.”

When he didn’t get a response he turned his head to glare. Stone’s cheeks had gained a faint blush, and he wasn’t moving. “Stone!” He barked, watching his agent jump with some satisfaction.

“Yes. Right away, Sir.”

He must have dozed off because the next thing he could remember was Stone answering the door. They sat at the small table, discussing plans for the next few days as they ate. When they were done, Stone dutifully gathered the empty packets, placing them in the bin. He rolled his shoulders before leaning against the wall. It was nearly seven. The end of Stone’s official working hours.

He wasn’t ready for Stone to leave yet. “Stone? How many Badnik’s did you bring?”

“I didn’t bring any with us Sir, we sealed them in the lab.” Of course he didn’t. Robotnik hadn’t asked him to bring any, and wasn’t going to mention the others he could simply call to the hotel.

“Really, so you planned to leave me with no security overnight? Hardly befitting of my best agent, I hope your special agent trailing will allow you to come up with a solution.”

They stared at each other for a long moment.

Stone broke it first, shaking his head. “Sir, I’m sorry, but I’m too tired for this. If you’re asking me to stay with you tonight, I’ll happily do so, but please just let me know what you want.”

Robotnik laughed. “Of course, I shouldn’t expect a mindless worshipper like yourself to understand the needs of your idol.” Robotnik rose, stalking towards Stone and towering over him.

“I want you to sleep here tonight. This is not some simpering come hither, this is a practical solution to a problem you caused,” He stressed the last two words, unwilling to admit to even playing this game. “And if you dare try and lay a finger on me you’ll have to dig it out of the garbage in the morning, capisce?”

Stone nodded. “Of course Sir, there’s no need to worry, I’m used to sharing beds.” He paused. “Platonically. ”

Robotnik sneered before stepping away. “Just get on with it.”

Stone did a quick sweep of the room, making sure everything was locked tight and all the curtains were drawn before undoing his shirt. It wasn’t a striptease, just was a systematic removal of clothes until Stone stood in his boxers, neatly folding his suit and placing it on a nearby chair. The photos didn’t do him justice, they couldn’t capture the flex of his muscles, the precision of his hands. Definitely didn’t capture the playful warmth in Stone’s voice as he asked which side of the bed he should sleep on.

Once they lay beneath the covers, he took the time to examine Stone's face, tired, pleased, and only the slight furrow in his brow gave away that he was reading the situation as closely as Robotnik was. When the tension didn't break Stone yawned, rolling to face away from the doctor. "Goodnight."

The play of muscles beneath Stone's back, and the nicks and scars from his line of work were fascinating. Robotnik wondered if he could go through Stone's service history and find the story behind each one. "You've finally gotten me into bed, Stone, and you're not going to try anything?"

The bed shook with Stone's quiet laughter. "You've made your boundaries very clear, but you have full permission to touch me. If that’s what you want.”

“I don’t need your permission.” But he reached out anyway, tracing a thin scar down Stone's rhomboid major before stroking along his spine, taking note of the almost imperceptible shiver it caused. “Now go to sleep.”