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the crab mech had never felt so empty, so quiet. the sound of the telenovelas from the worn-out, barely functional screen echoed through the metal walls, the voices of dramatic characters speaking words that didn’t reach robotnik’s ears. he didn’t care. he never cared. he was too tired, too defeated to care about anything anymore. his hair was long, messy, tangled in places. his moustache, once neatly groomed, had grown out—wild and unkempt. his once-sleek lab coat was now stained and loose, hanging on him like a forgotten relic of a life he no longer felt part of.
he had been like this for weeks. hell, perhaps even months—ever since that blasted defeat.
the giant eggman robot had nearly killed him. killed them.
additionally, the failure had left a wound far deeper than any physical injury ever could. he had been weaker than ever, helpless. and stone... stone had been there, as always, picking up the pieces, taking care of him, putting up with his moods.
and honestly? robotnik knew he didn’t deserve it.
he hadn’t deserved stone’s loyalty, stone’s constant devotion. he wasn’t sure why the latter stuck around. maybe stone didn’t have a choice, maybe he was too loyal for his own good.
but now, as the telenovela blared in the background, robotnik rested his chin on his fist, staring blankly at the screen, waiting for the next dramatic twist he could commentate on.
all of a sudden, the sound of the hatch opening snapped robotnik from his stupor. he didn’t need to look to know who it was.
the younger man staggered inside, wincing slightly at the motion. his right side was bruised, a large patch of torn fabric on his uniform revealing a fresh cut beneath. his steps were slower than usual, but he straightened his back as best as he could, trying to act normal.
he walked past the doctor, who didn’t even look up at first, absorbed in the latest episode of his show.
“i’ll make dinner,” stone announced, his voice steady but lacking the usual enthusiasm.
robotnik’s gaze flicked lazily toward him, and he frowned almost imperceptibly at the sight of the disheveled assistant.
….
stone was injured.
“what’s that on your arm?”
stone brushed it off, waving a hand dismissively as he continued walking toward the small kitchenette area. “nothing. it’s nothing.”
“you’re injured.”
“it’s fine. i’ll make dinner.”
“no you won’t. not until you explain what the hell happened to you.”
“it’s nothing serious, doctor, i can assure you.”
despite so, the older man’s narrowed eyes followed him, studying the way stone was holding his body—rigid, like he was trying to hide something.
after all, robotnik wasn’t stupid. he could tell something was off. a faint hint of annoyance started to rise in him.
he hated being ignored, loathed when stone tried to hide things from him, especially things that were his business to know.
“stone.” robotnik’s voice now had that tone—sharp, authoritative, a demand for attention. “stop.”
stone froze in place instantly. however, he didn’t turn around. he clenched his jaw before sighing inwardly, already knowing where this was headed. the latter’s voice was unmistakable. the boss was going to make him deal with it.
“c’mon. let me see it.”
the younger man hesitated.
he didn’t want to deal with this. didn’t want to explain why he’d been careless today. why he’d gotten hurt again when he should have known better. it felt pointless. robotnik was already in a bad enough mood for the past few weeks, so why bother making him worry more?
however, by then, robotnik had already gotten up from his seat, his heavy footsteps coming up behind him. “i said,” robotnik repeated, this time his voice almost threatening, “let me see it, stone.”
“…”
“don’t you dare ignore me, aban.”
stone didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter, for robotnik grabbed his arm with surprising force and yanked him toward the small seating area, pulling him towards robotnik’s chair as if he had no other say in the matter.
“sir—”
“sit,” robotnik barked. his hands were already on his way to examine stone’s wound, but he was grumbling under his breath as he did so. “honestly, stone. you can’t take care of yourself for a minute? why do i have to keep doing everything for you?”
stone sat silently, trying not to let the faint bitterness creep into his expression. he knew robotnik was just venting. that’s all it ever was these days. since the defeat, robotnik had slipped into something close to a depression, letting the weight of their loss crush him. stone didn’t blame him, not really. but it didn’t mean he wanted to be caught in the crossfire.
“stay put,” robotnik ordered as he hurried off toward their bedroom. stone could hear the shuffling of drawers, the clink of something being pulled from the shelf, and then the familiar sound of robotnik’s grumbling.
stone looked around the mech, his eyes landing on the small egg-shaped badnik drone hovering nearby. the red glowing eye blinked as it bobbed in mid-air, waiting for instructions. robotnik had set it to accompany stone when he was injured—something about keeping him safe, but it always felt like another reminder of how little stone ever got to rest.
agh.
he’d been on his feet for days, taking care of robotnik during the worst of it.
robotnik had nearly died when the eggman robot had malfunctioned, and stone had been the one who nursed him back to health. now, stone was just running on fumes, no time to recover himself.
he heard the doctor’s footsteps return, and before he could protest, robotnik had shoved him down further into the chair, practically sitting on top of him to force him into stillness.
“you’re not going anywhere until i finish this,” robotnik muttered, pulling out a first-aid kit from under his arm and flipping it open.
stone let out a quiet sigh and settled back into the chair, still not fully meeting robotnik’s gaze.
“take off your shirt.”
“heh. kinky—”
“aban! >:(.”
at this point, robotnik didn’t even wait for him to comply. with a low growl, he pulled at stone’s shirt, forcing it up over his head and throwing it aside without ceremony.
“you’re always like this,” robotnik grumbled as he started tending to the wound. “never taking a break. i swear, i can’t get a second of peace without you trying to be the hero.”
the latter, in return didn’t argue. he just let robotnik’s hands move, gentle yet precise, as he cleaned the wound. robotnik’s voice was growing louder, the complaints flowing like they always did.
“you should be resting, not running around like some fool. you’re not going to do any good if you get yourself killed, are you?”
“who’ll take care of me then, hmm?”
“this is all your fault. you never take care of yourself anymore.”
stone smiled weakly, trying to hide the exhaustion in his eyes. he wasn’t about to get into it with the doctor. it was his job to keep the machine running. he had to keep moving for both of them.
“nnn it’s fine,” the assistant murmured softly, offering a half-smile. “i’m fine.”
“no, it’s not fine.”
“ivo.”
robotnik glanced up at him, a flash of irritation in his eyes. then, as if to make a point, he whacked stone lightly on the head with his hand. stone flinched, but he didn’t protest. robotnik was clearly still upset.
“promise me,” robotnik said, more firmly this time, “promise me you’ll get some rest after this.”
“…i—“
“good. i’ll take that as a yes, and if you don’t, i’ll personally replace you with my beloved badniks. in the mean time, stay put. i’ll make dinner.”
…
now that seemed to catch stone’s attention. stone’s ears perked up, and he raised an eyebrow at that. “you?”
”..yes.?”
”you? cooking?”
“yes, me,” robotnik snapped, his eyes narrowing. “you think i can’t cook?”
stone genuinely didn’t know how to answer that, and instead just smiled hesitantly.
“well, okay. i’ll… i’ll be looking forward to it, doctor.”
he wasn’t sure if he believed that, though. robotnik, as brilliant as he was with technology, had never been very good with food.
dinner came, and stone sat at the table, already feeling nervous as he looked at the slightly charred pieces of toast robotnik had made. robotnik was still looking pleased with himself, as though this were a gourmet meal. stone stared at the food in front of him, then glanced up at robotnik, who was watching him intently, clearly waiting for his reaction.
“you really… tried, didn’t you, sir?”
“hmph. you’re lucky i even bothered. now eat it.”
the injured man was very, very uncertain about this, but then, he picked up the burnt toast and took a small bite. his face was carefully neutral, but inside, he was grateful for the effort. despite the mess on his plate, it felt like a small act of tenderness.
“it’s… it’s good,” stone said, nodding solemnly, as if he meant it.
robotnik was watching him closely, his expression softening a little. “i’ll take your word for it.”
stone leaned over, nudging robotnik’s shoulder gently. “thanks, though,” he said quietly.
.
.
.
the two of them eventually settled into robotnik’s seat, the warmth of the extra blanket robotnik had retrieved enveloping them.
the older man pulled stone closer, his arm around him, and they watched the telenovela in silence. it was comfortable, in a way that only felt right with robotnik. stone was close enough to smell the faint scent of robotnik’s cologne, and for the first time in a while, he felt like things might be okay.
“you’re stinky.”
“.. i beg your pardon, aban?”
“you’re s—”
robotnik looked down at him with a sly grin, then, before the shorter man could react, robotnik slapped his injured side lightly.
“ow!” stone winced, but then robotnik started showering him with kisses, quick and soft against his hair and forehead.
“just because you’re injured doesn’t mean i gave you permission to be as sassy as you want. now, be quiet,” the doctor muttered, his voice gruff but affectionate.
stone smiled into the embrace, whispering under his breath, “thank you, ivo. i.. love you.”
“…”
“…”
“i love you too, aban.”