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Many would think that those who worked for the government were above such petty things. Like rumours and gossip. But Stone knew better. When you placed yourself above the rest of humanity, it became so much easier to cast judgment. To assume that you knew the truth because you held power. During his teens he had worked as a barista. Yet even with his few years working at that run down coffee shop, Stone had not been prepared for how eager his co-workers were to act in a way more suitable for preteens than for highly trained agents. Every day without fail, he’d find himself hearing some useless piece of information that his brain would be forced to tuck neatly away ‘just in case’. Which meant he knew far too much about his co-workers than he cared about. The only useful part about it was the fact that he could feed these bits of information to Robotnik if his boss had found himself working with these people.
Gossiping with other agents was torture. Gossiping with Robotnik was thrilling. That man had no care for privacy or emotions; he would happily sit and complain about anybody who even breathed in his direction. And the best part was, he let Stone join in. His work rarely involved collaboration with the doctor, despite the fact that he was the only person left working for him. Which meant these bouts of pettiness were the few moments he got to prove himself to Robotnik. Prove that he could rise up to his level while still giving him the spotlight. Still, despite how happy he was to bring this information to Robotnik there was one specific topic he never told him about. The doctor himself. Stone had heard the stories people were spinning up about the two of them. The false narrative that Robotnik was hurting him behind closed doors (Worse than the way he was treated in public). That Robotnik had trapped him. Had some information that meant Stone couldn’t leave. They all believed Stone was being abused. Yet no one bothered to ask him. He had tried his best to ignore it. After all, nobody could truly understand the relationship he had with Robotnik. But still, part of him wished that he had spoken up. Then maybe he wouldn’t have found himself in this situation.
They had been on the way back to the lab after returning from their latest mission. Robotnik complaining about the fact that they had to work with other people while Stone trailed closely behind. Adding a compliment or comment when he deemed necessary. He had been looking forward to relaxing for a bit before the doctor put him back to work. But instead, he was met by a sudden warmth on his shoulder just outside the entrance of the lab. He jerked around at the feeling of a hand on his body, only to be met with the face of someone he really didn’t want to see. The recently appointed Commander Andrews. Stone didn’t care for his coworker's gossip, didn’t bother to join in. But that didn’t mean he didn’t hear it. And all he had heard about Andrews was complaints, enough to rival the ones he’d heard about Robotnik. They’d called him power hungry, overbearing, as well as many other things that Stone had tried to tune out. Honestly, at the time, Stone had just been confused as to why he’d been promoted. There wasn’t really a need for a new commander. But he kept his opinions to himself, only talking about the man in front of him once when he informed Robotnik of the promotion. Robotnik couldn’t care less, and knowing the doctor, he’d already forgotten his name on purpose.
“I need to borrow you for a moment, Agent Stone.”
“Get your hands off of him. We have more important things to do than listen to what you have to say, Commander nobody.”
Robotnik’s fingers soon found themselves digging into Stone’s shoulder. A grounding sensation that allowed him to relax and return to a face of professionalism. The doctor loomed over him. Eyes boring into Commander Andrews with an unrestrained hatred. But Andrews wasn’t looking into Robotnik’s eyes. Instead, his eyes were focused on the tight grip that the doctor had on his shoulder.
“I’m afraid, Doctor, this matter is quite urgent. But I promise it won’t take long. Now come along, Agent.”
He bit back a scoff. Only the doctor could speak to him like that. The hand on his shoulder tensed, the doctor muttering under his breath about government imbeciles. Before he found himself free of the reassuring contact.
“Fine, but you better return in under fifteen minutes, Stone.”
“Of course, Doctor.”
A tense silence fell between Stone and Andrews as they made their way to a private room. Not too far from the lab, fortunately. It was a simple room meant for private meetings. With a table and a few chairs, along with some sparse decorations to make it feel less like an interrogation chamber. On top of the table sat a sleek black briefcase, which Andrew reached into when they entered the room. Pulling out a few papers before laying them out on the table. Stone made sure to stand near the entrance. Ready to leave at any moment so he could get back to the doctor quickly.
“Now.” The commander began suddenly. “It has been brought to our attention that Dr Robotnik has been displaying some concerning behaviour towards you.”
Our attention? Who the hell was this our? And why were they acting like Robotnik’s behaviour was new? The doctor wasn’t exactly private with his manhandling of Stone. Anyone who worked under Robotnik for more than a day would know exactly how he was being treated currently.
“I don’t understand, sir.”
He really didn’t. Robotnik hadn’t done anything extreme lately. If anything, he’d toned down the way he acted towards him since they had ‘got together’. Or more correctly, since they had kissed and then not talked about it. Stone still wasn't sure where they were now. And he didn't have the confidence to ask Robotnik about it. He'd settle for their loosened boundaries, and just accept whatever came next.
“Some of the staff are concerned that he’s been abusing you.”
God. Fucking. Damnit. Stone was tired of hearing these rumours over and over again. And to hear a Commander say it out loud. Just made the entire situation feel even more idiotic. Obviously, Andrews took his silence as fear because he gave Stone a gentle smile that only served to irritate him.
“ I understand if you’re hesitant to talk about this, Aban.” The commander's voice was filled with pity, and Stone could feel his eye twitch in annoyance.
“It’s Stone. And I’m not hesitant-“
“Dr Robotnik has had multiple complaints placed against him, not to mention all the agents who quit while working for him.”
“Robotnik isn’t abusing me.” His tone is clipped, bordering on unprofessional but he was tired of everyone making these baseless assumptions.
He was an agent, a fully trained weapon of the government who could take down dozens of men in a few minutes if he tried his hardest. And he also could handle a little pain, he’d reassured the doctor on this fact multiple times when Robotnik had worried he’d hurt him (Although Robotnik would kill him if he told anyone about that fact). Stone enjoyed the pain, and Robotnik enjoyed the stress relief. It was a win-win situation for the both of them. And he wasn’t about to let some nobody commander drag him away from Robotnik for half thought out claims of abuse. If Robotnik hurt him, Stone was fully capable of stopping him. Not that he’d ever want to.
Andrews sighed. Shaking his head in disappointment, before pulling a form up from the desk. Handing it to Stone. He fought back the urge to snatch it. Instead, calmly taking the paper into his hands so he could read it. He’d barely made it past the first line when he felt himself clench his teeth.
“This is an incident report.”
“Yes, it was drawn to our attention by a security guard that Robotnik had been displaying hostile behaviour towards his staff. Of course, before this, we had no proof other than testimony, but with new security footage, it is more than enough for us to consider the direction we will need to take.”
“What? Nothing needs to be done because nothing is happening. This report is just an over exaggeration.”
“Unfortunately, Agent Stone, due to your… relationship with the doctor. Your opinion is considered compromised. I was hoping you would be honest with me, but it’s clear that this has gone too far.” The commander’s voice had turned sharp, he clearly had no interest in listening to Stone anymore. “If we do not see an improvement in Dr Robotnik’s behaviour soon, then you will have to be reassigned to someone new.”
If Stone had been paying closer attention, he would have noticed a small icon on his watch going dim. And the presence of a third set of eyes disappearing from the conversation. But he was too angry. How dare this bastard threaten to take him away from his doctor?
“You have no right to reassign me because of your misconstrued ideas about how the doctor treats me. Not only are you not my commander, Commander Walters has had no problems with my relationship with the doctor these past five years. And he will not allow you to take away the one person that Dr Robotnik has allowed to work with him. “
“Now you listen to me, Stone-“
“No! You listen to me. Just because you’re on a power trip from rising up in the ranks doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want. I am perfectly capable of deciding what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour towards me. And I don’t need people trying to understand something that is well beyond their comprehensive abilities. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the doctor.”
He didn’t wait to be dismissed. Turning around as soon as he had finished, so he could storm right out if the room. Which wasn’t the best choice he’d admit. But he didn’t care all that much. The walk back to the lab was uneventful and soon Stone found himself greeted by two badniks who chirped at him as he walked through the lab’s entrance. Music was blasting out from the main area, and the door was shut tight. A clear sign that Robotnik didn’t want any distractions, not even from Stone. So, he pulled up to the small monitor they kept in a side area. And sent an email out to Commander Walters about what had just transpired, as well as an apology for his behaviour. Andrews may not have the power to take him away from Robotnik, but Walters certainly did. He had quickly received an email in reply from Walters (Which was a surprise in itself), ensuring him that he would have a word with the commander. Stone had honestly expected to get punished himself. He’d spoken back to a superior officer and directly disobeyed orders. But he supposed the threat of an angry Robotnik was more worrying than anything else. And Walters was trying to minimise the damage before Robotnik found out about the meeting.
Although, surprisingly, Robotnik hadn’t asked him about the meeting when he returned. In fact, the doctor had seemed quieter than usual. He’d expected Robotnik to call on him the moment he realised Stone was back. But instead, he was just met with silence. The music having stopped roughly five minutes after he’d returned. When it was time for the doctor’s latte, Robotnik barely acknowledged his presence. He had chalked it off as a bad mood. Going to sleep that night with the hope that Robotnik would return to normal by tomorrow.
A week soon passed and Robotnik’s behaviour had only gotten stranger. It was starting to unnerve him. The other agents had begun to take note of Robotnik’s new personality. Stone heard as they all chattered with one another about how it was a miracle. But if this is what they considered a miracle, then Stone cringed at the thought of the deity that performed this. This was not a kindness or a mercy. This was torture. Robotnik was tense; he barely slept, and the worst thing of all was that he barely interacted with Stone. There was no touch, no pointless conversation where Robotnik bitched about whoever had annoyed him that day. He was silent. Barely moving. Back straight, posture perfect. No fidgeting, no dancing. No shoving or grabbing. Nothing. And Stone could see the way Robotnik’s body thrummed with energy. Because he wasn’t meant to live like this.
Robotnik was like electricity. He sparked and flew, flickered and dimmed, only to jolt straight back to life. And when you got close, he stung. Pricked at your skin and crawled underneath until he buried himself there. Flowing through your veins on a sensation that was neither pain nor pleasure. The Robotnik in front of him was hollow. Dull. He pulled away when Stone got too close and answered questions in under five words. Yes Agent, No Agent, you’re dismissed Agent. These short dismissals hurt more than any punch or smack that Robotnik had swung his way. When he asked what was wrong, Robotnik told him it was nothing. He’d felt like they’d taken one step forward with their relationship when they kissed for the first time, only to drive a mile back to the beginning. And he had no idea why. Because the more he pushed, the more Robotnik closed off and Stone was terrified of what would happen if he pushed too far. Would Robotnik make him leave? Would he be welcome in the doctor’s space ever again?
On the eighth day of Robotnik’s sudden personality change. Stone entered the main lab to a dark and oppressive silence. The machines had been turned off, and the lights were limited. And he knew exactly what it meant. It didn’t take him long to find Robotnik curled up on the floor. Jacket and gloves chucked away from him as he tried to calm his breathing. But for once, his worry didn’t dim; it only grew. Why hadn’t Robotnik come to him? He knew how to help him, how to make these episodes easier to deal with. Yet Robotnik had decided to deal with it on his own. Did the doctor not trust him anymore? He could figure that out later. First, he had to help out Robotnik.
He knew not to speak. Even a whisper could hurt right now. So, he kept his movements light, slowly lowering himself onto the floor beside the doctor. Robotnik didn’t acknowledge him, didn’t even glance. In fact, if anything, the doctor curled further in on himself. As if trying to hide from Stone. He refused to let that happen. He moved closer, until their knees were almost grazing against one another. The warmth radiating off of him acted as a gentle reminder to Robotnik that he was still there. Sitting there in silence, he found himself wondering, how long had Robotnik been sat here like this? He wasn’t making any noise which typically meant they were on the back end of the episode. Had Robotnik really changed so much that he couldn’t notice when Robotnik became overstimulated? The humming came to him as second nature now. He knew how low to keep his voice, which songs worked best, and which songs just added on to the sensations bombarding the doctor.
Throughout the episode, Robotnik never moved close to him. Never seeking out the grounding touch that he relied on at the end to get his thoughts back in order. But he also didn’t move away from Stone. He had tilted his head so he could listen to Stone better and that’s as much as he had moved since Stone had entered the room. Another change to Robotnik’s behaviour was the fact that he didn’t give in to the exhaustion that followed these periods. Exhaustion that left Robotnik trembling and unusually distant from himself. Normally Robotnik would have stayed close to him until all the tremors stopped. But instead, he watched with a pained stab to his heart as the doctor stood on shaky legs. Pushing himself to sit in his chair before folding his arms on the desk and burying his head between them.
“You’re dismissed, Agent.”
“Doctor?”
Hurt slipped into his voice, and he was convinced he saw Robotnik flinch. Although that could have been from the volume of his voice.
“I said you’re dismissed. Don’t make me repeat myself again.”
“No.”
“Excuse me.” Robotnik lifted his head, turning to stare at Stone is disbelief.
“Something is clearly wrong, and I refuse to sit by and watch you slowly waste away if there’s something I can do to help you.”
He wanted Robotnik to snap. To yell at him for questioning direct orders. But the doctor just slumped further into his desk. He looked small, so small. Robotnik had compressed his presence into something palatable, and now he was crumbling inwards. A star ready to go supernova. Stone longed for it, the burn of the fire. The whip of its force. He craved violence like an addict. For each grab and shove was a secret message shared between the two of them. A personal language that they’d developed during their almost 6 years of working together. He wanted his doctor, the man who could burst into a room and take control with just a few sentences. The man who didn’t care about what others thought about him. But he had no idea how to get him back, and it hurt. Because it was Stone’s job to care for the doctor, and he was failing him. He was broken out of his thoughts by a defeated sigh. Giving him the opportunity to watch the doctor lift his head before he spoke.
“Did you really mean what you said, all those years ago? That you’d give me anything?” Robotnik stared forward, refusing to fully acknowledge Stone.
“Of course, Doctor.”
“So, you’re not going to leave.”
What? Where had that come from? Stone had never shown any desire to leave; he was certain of it. If anything, he sometimes felt like he could come off as clingy outside of the lab. He thought back to when this behaviour had begun. Before his mind dragged back the unpleasant memories of Commander Andrews. The meeting. Robotnik somehow knew about what happened at the meeting. And he was almost certain that the answer to that question was sat snugly around his wrist at that very moment. He knew that the watch was more than a health monitoring device. Robotnik was spying on him, and he found that he really didn’t care. In fact, if anything it made him happy Robotnik was concerned enough about him to include something like this in the device.
“Doctor, were you listening to my meeting with the Commander?”
Robotnik tensed, voice harsh as he snapped out “So what if I was? Are you going to file a complaint about me Agent?”
He thought Stone was going to abandon him. He was already pushing away, building up walls that Stone had only just begun to chip away at. Stone was aware the doctor hadn’t had an easy childhood. He briefly talked about being passed around by various families and facilities. Maybe he should have seen something like this coming. After all, Stone was well aware of the terror of becoming attached to something when you believed it would leave you for no particular reason. It was easier to push away first so you could protect yourself in the long run. But Stone refused to let Robotnik push him away.
“Doctor, can you look at me?”
Silence, Robotnik’s shoulder’s loosened a little, which was progress. But the doctor did not turn to face him.
“Ivo, look at me, please.”
Whether it was the use of his first name or the soft tone to his voice that made Robotnik lift his head, Stone wasn’t sure. But a pang of anguish stabbed through his heart as he saw just how cautious the doctor looked.
“I’m not going anywhere. No matter what they tell me, I will never leave your side.”
He had begun to unconsciously crowd into the doctor’s space. So, when Ivo turned his chair around, Stone leapt into action. Pushing himself into the doctor’s space until he was sat comfortably in Robotnik’s lap. Straddling him with far too much confidence for a man who could get pushed off at any second. But that didn’t happen. Instead, Robotnik sighed. Wrapping his arms around Stone’s waist, pulling him closer until he could rest his face in the crook of Stone’s neck. Leaning his chest closer, he moved his arms around the doctor’s back. One against his shoulder blade, while the other twirled with the short hairs at the base of the doctor’s neck. Drawing out a pleased sigh from Robotnik. He could feel each warm puff of air against his neck. Each shift of a muscle as Robotnik shifted beneath him. And it was wonderful. Stone could feel the pent up tension leaving him, proof that the doctor trusted what he had been told.
Stone felt himself relax alongside the doctor. Robotnik was afraid he would leave, which meant he wouldn’t make Stone leave. It was ironic that they had both shared the same fear. What if Robotnik had made him leave? Would he be able to survive a world where he couldn’t exist alongside Robotnik? Stone wasn’t sure, but he knew one thing for sure. His mind didn’t like where it was heading with this trail of thoughts. When Stone let out a shuddery gasp, he felt Robotnik tense beneath him. The sound breaking the brief bit gentle peace they had created.
“What is it?”
“Nothing, Doctor, don’t worry about it.”
Obviously, that was the wrong thing to say as Robotnik pulled away from the shelter of Stone’s neck. Holding onto his cheek with a gloved hand as he tilted Stone’s face towards him. Searching his expression for answers to his agent's sudden distress.
“If I have to talk about ‘feelings’, then so do you, Stone. So, spit it out.” While there was a clear bite to his voice, Robotnik sounded worried.
“I guess I was just… worried you’d make me leave.”
There was a pause before the doctor’s eyes narrowed into a glare. And for the first time in over a week, his doctor truly returned to him. Robotnik’s fingers dug tightly into his skin, forcing him to face him. He arched at the contact. A gasp slipping free from his lips. Lips pressed against his, and he felt as his bottom lip was bitten. The pain shooting through him. Dragging a moan free and Robotnik pushed closer, his touch almost bruising. Stone could taste blood on his lips as Robotnik pulled back with a gasp. Forcing their foreheads together with a dull thunk. He felt their lips brush against each other as Robotnik calmly said.
“You’re mine, Aban. Nobody else gets to have you.”