Work Text:
It’s a date
“Good morning Doctor!” Stone greets Robotnik early one morning from the small kitchen as the man emerges from the bedroom, still sleep mussed and with his bathrobe wrapped around him.
Shadow looks up from his coffee to give the Doctor a nod in greeting. Robotnik nods back, shuffling over to his chair where he slumps down, looking like he’s just about ready to fall back asleep. Stone chuckles. The Doctor is simply not a morning person, at least not before he’s had his first latte of the day.
Stone flips the eggs and bacon in the frying pan and grabs three plates to put the food on. He slides one across the table to Shadow, who grunts a thanks, then grabs the second plate and the latte he’s prepared for Robotnik and brings them to the Doctor.
“Happy Valentine's Day,” he murmurs into Robotnik’s ear as he hands him the plate and cup, then kisses him on the cheek and turns to get to his own breakfast. Robotnik’s hand on his arm stops him in his tracks.
“It’s Valentine's Day?” the Doctor asks, looking down at his latte, at the little hearts Stone had drawn in the foam.
“Yes,” Stone says with a small smile. The Doctor might be a genius, but he practically never remembers to look at a calendar. “February fourteenth.”
“Oh,” Robotnik says quietly. He sits still for a moment, one hand holding his latte, the other still on Stone’s arm. The breakfast plate is practically forgotten on the console next to him. “I didn’t get you anything.”
“Don’t worry,” Stone replies with a smile, taking the Doctor’s hand in his own, giving it a squeeze. “I didn't get you anything either. I thought you could come to the Mean Bean by closing time? Make it a date, with some good drinks and snacks. There won’t even be any people to bother us once I close down for the night.”
“I’d like that,” Robotnik says slowly, his mouth twitching into a little smile of his own. He uses his grip on Stone’s hand to tug him down and presses their mouths together in a soft kiss.
Stone practically melts into the touch. No matter how many times he kisses and is kissed by this incredible man, it never stops feeling amazing. He could spend an eternity doing nothing but kissing his Doctor, and he’d still never get tired of it. Eventually though, Stone has to pull back to get some air into his lungs.
He needs to remember to get some of those good muffins to the cafe today, for their date. He hadn’t actually prepared anything for Valentine's Day - something he’ll have to fix as soon as possible - and doesn’t want Robotnik to know he is really just making things up as he goes. It’s not a bad plan, but he does kind of wish he’d remembered and properly planned something for the day. It’s the least the man deserves.
“What is Valentine's Day?” Shadow asks from the table. When Stone looks over at him, the hedgehog finishes the last of his coffee and goes to put the mug in the sink. He then looks back at Stone and tilts his head to the side, clearly awaiting an answer.
“It’s a day meant for showing appreciation for your friends and loved ones,” Stone explains the best he can. He’s never had to define Valentine's Day for someone who genuinely doesn't know what it is. “Maybe get them a gift, usually chocolate or flowers, spend time with them, and let them know how much they mean to you.”
“You need a special day for that?” Shadow asks sceptically, crossing his arms. “Isn’t that something you should do every day?”
“It’s a capitalist scheme to get idiots to spend unreasonable amounts of money on overpriced flowers, candy, and stuffed animals,” Robotnik says, adding his two cents to the conversation. Shadow nods, as if this makes far more sense than what Stone said.
“Well, you’re not wrong,” he has to admit. While he likes to think the true idea of Valentine's Day is simply to spend time with your loved ones, it really has been commercialized to hell and back. “Which is why I just offered a nice coffee date at the Mean Bean.”
“I do love your lattes,” Robotnik says, loosening his grip to let Stone back up. “A coffee date it is.”
Stone nods, smiling so widely his cheeks are starting to hurt. Even though he and Robotnik have been together for some time - and isn’t that just a wonderful thought - they haven’t actually gone on any real dates yet.
“Yes Doctor,” he says, starting to turn back to the kitchen. Shadow has moved back to his seat, a thoughtful look on his face. Not wanting to completely leave him out of the Valentine's Day experience, Stone quickly racks his brain for ideas, then remembers something he’d bought on a whim on his last shopping trip. He opens a cabinet and grabs what he was looking for.
“Here Shadow,” he says with a smile. “I got this for you. Happy Valentine's Day.”
“Thank you.” Shadow carefully takes the item and turns it over in his hands. “Chocolate. You do remember I don't really like sweets, right?”
“Dark chocolate,” Stone corrects him, not taking offence to the curt comment. “It’s more bitter than sweet. It’s also coffee flavored.”
Shadow still looks a bit doubtful, but opens the wrapper and breaks off a piece, popping it in his mouth. Almost instantly, he straightens up in his seat, eyes widening as he stares down at the chocolate bar in his hands. “It’s… good.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Stone says, finally getting to have his own morning coffee and now lukewarm eggs and bacon.
He has to eat faster than he normally would, but the conversation has disrupted his morning routine a bit. He’ll have to be at the Mean Bean in good time before opening. Because of the holiday, he’s expecting a lot of customers today. It’s going to be a busy day, and he wants to be well prepared for it. Especially if he wants to put in that last-minute order for those muffins, some chocolates, and maybe come up with some kind of Valentine's Day specials.
“I’ll see you later, Doctor!” Stone says chipperly, pressing one more kiss to Robotnik's cheek before heading to the door.
“It’s a date!” he hears Robotnik reply before the door closes behind him.