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The engine of the Crab is running low. Out of the Mecha’s window, a torrent of bubbles glisten against the obscurity of the deep ocean, dimly lit by the artificial lights outside , painting the room in prussian blue.
The Crab is full of sounds at night. Bubbles, motors, the occasional droplet leaking. The Badnik’s charging port running. All buzz, all bloops. But tonight, the doctor’s brilliant mind is focused on another sound. And it’s not even the sound of the gears turning inside his own head.
Next to him, in his bed, Agent Stone is sound asleep. His breath is regular, deep. He doesn’t snore. He stays still, his nostrils just exhaling some air every now and again, and his eyelashes fluttering sometimes. He seems cozy. At peace. Safe. An expression the doctor doesn’t have the chance to see too often.
No, when the agent looks at him, it’s always with alerted senses, eyes sparkling, eager to please, to protect, to obey. But here, in the calmness of the Crab, his agent is relaxed. And Robotnik just watches, with curiosity, the way Stone’s chest rises and falls under the heavy blankets.
It’s quite a captivating sight, and Robotnik can’t exactly explain why. He’s seen his agent sleep before, sure, once or twice on a mission back when they worked for G.U.N., and more recently in the Crab. But Stone’s sleep was always so troubled. The few times he’d witnessed it, Stone was trashing around, or sleeptalking, or jolted awake multiple times in the night. When his agent, who was sleeping on the counter of the crab for the first few months, ended up breaking a coffee cup because he moved too much in his slumber , Robotnik invited him to sleep with him in his bed. The Agent had looked at him with adoring and grateful eyes, as he should, and followed him quietly, slipping in the sheets without saying a word, probably so as to not disturb the genius.
Robotnik never spoke on it. He never had anything to say about it, really. He always saw sleeping as a waste of time anyway, a necessary maintenance, but an unproductive one. Hence why, he always limited it, and ended up developing quite the insomnia.
This same insomnia was why he was awake at such an hour. Lost in the sight of the man sleeping next to him. Robotnik wonders what Stone could be dreaming about, for him to look so peaceful. Perhaps of a distant future, a future he promised to Stone long ago, where they both ruled the world with an iron fist, his empire of metal reducing the world to chaos and destruction.
Always the same fantasy. His megalomania never got away, even here in the abyss of the ocean, isolated from the population. Although this fantasy seems so far away now, and his days of evil doings appear to be over, Robotnik can’t help but dream. Dream of how he’d look with an imperial coat. Stone would’ve designed it, of course, that was his job after all. And, knowing his sycophant, he’d probably still be in his tie and suit, so as to not overshadow him. What would Stone become anyway ? He probably wouldn’t be an agent anymore, just like Robotnik wouldn’t be a doctor. He would be an emperor, and Stone would be… his consort, of sort. He wouldn’t get rid of him, he would still probably need some kind of human presence by his side. Yes, he could imagine it : Stone right behind him, looking at him with his adoring eyes like he was the sun lighting up the world.
And the world. Oh, how beautiful the world around him would become, if he had the chance to rule it. The people would fear him, he’d put everyone in their rightful place, below him, bowing at his grandeur.
Robotnik would raise statues of metal, he’d build, build, build anything. The world would become the factory of his mind. There would be no one to stop him, he would reach infinity, the control of the cosmos, the universe, the multiverse. He would hold it in the palm of his hand and shape it at his will.
Robotnik was interrupted in his power trip by a slight sound next to him. His gaze, previously unfocused, lost in his imagination, stopped on the lips of his sycophant. They were slightly parted, and whispering something.
« Yessir… your latte, right away… »
Robotnik raised an amused brow. So he was haunting the dreams of his agent after all. But it didn’t appear to be a nightmare, at least not this time. No, Stone was soft spoken here, his voice dripping with sweetness. He looked good here, Robotnik decided. Not that he cared too much what his agent looked like, he was more interested in efficiency and loyalty. But he couldn’t help but notice that his agent was a sight to behold. Much more than him, anyway, especially now, after his depression took the better of him. But in his daydream, Robotnik was at his prime again. He pictured the Agent sleeping next to him, in an imperial bed. Yes, Stone would look nice, here. He’d be relaxed, he’d have nothing to worry about anymore. No more grocery shopping stealing, no more damned alien hedgehog, no worry of the government finding them. They would be in utter peace, and the Agent would finally relax. The world would be theirs to rule, and Robotnik would take care of it all, lifting all of the tension off the Agent’s back. And Stone would focus on him, and only him. Clearly, that seemed to be the man’s main source of happiness. He liked to take care of Robotnik. The doctor was even surprised he didn’t pursue a nursing degree, with how much he liked to nanny him all of the time. But that was great, that way, Robotnik didn’t have to use his brainpower to take care of himself, Stone would do it for him. A perfect symbiotique relationship, in a way.
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There was a leak in the Crab somewhere. He’d have to figure out where. Stone would probably fix it. The atmosphere in the Crab had a tendency to be a bit damp, they didn’t need to transform it into a sauna. No, Robotnik wouldn’t allow it, he hated feeling any sort of weather changes. His clothes and the crab were specifically designed for this, for his own comfort and proficiency to be optimized. Now, proficiency wasn’t his main goal anymore, but… maybe one day he’ll go back… maybe.
Despite his aversion to heat, the warmth emanating from Stone’s body was rather comfortable. This was quite unusual. Robotnik’s brow furrowed. Since when did he become so tolerant of other’s presence in his personal space ? No, that was highly unlike him, he needs to put distance in between them again. As quietly as he could, he moved his pillow away from the agent, and turned his face away from the sleeping man next to him, looking at the endless blue abyss at the window.
The emptiness of the sea made him quite uneasy. He couldn’t even see any sort of marine life to entertain his pansophic mind. It was all so empty. Quite like him, really. A hollow man, filled with nothing but dreams and lost promises, made to a man who was his tool. Perhaps Stone and him were both hollow. Perhaps that’s why he stayed with him in this blue void. Because he had nothing else to cling to.
No, better not go that route. Stone’s motives were insignificant, the barnacles stayed on the Crab’s shell because he was a parasite. Nothing more, nothing less. Robotnik really shouldn’t indulge in those thoughts, he was above all of this emotional nonsense. And it was detrimental to his genius.
The doctor felt his agent move behind him. He casted an annoyed glance behind his shoulder. Even when not looking at him, Stone always clouded his mind. Maybe that’s why he’d been so unproductive lately. His parasitic nature had taken over him, and now his thoughts were being controlled by big brown eyes that looked like the inside of an espresso cup.
Eugh. Robotnik HATED this. How did he let that happen ? He couldn’t get rid of Stone either, now he needed him ! He heard the agent move once more, and fully turned toward him this time, ready to yell his irritation at him.
But his scream died in his throat when his gaze fell upon the man. His agent was… quivering ? Was he cold ? Was he having another nightmare ? The doctor felt a light pinch in his chest, and his brain was urging him to do something, anything-
No.
Stone was just a leech, and he shouldn’t gratify his mind’s emotional outburst.
But in the dim light of the sea, no one would see…
Even Stone wasn’t awake. There would be no witnesses.
Could he indulge in doing something soft ?
Could he bear the risk of losing his core cruelty ?
Would he be able to look into those brown eyes tomorrow, putting on back his uncaring facade, despite acting on emotion the night before ?
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There was still a leak.
With a doubting hand, the doctor grabbed the blanket and put it over Stone’s shoulder. The eyelids of the agent shuddered lightly, but remained closed, and his body relaxed once more.
The alarms in Robotnik’s brain stopped. His agent was back to normal. Robotnik let out a sigh. He hated to act on any emotional nonsense. Yet, he couldn’t deny the fact that it felt… good. Like a warm wave soothing over a part of his wrecked soul.
Maybe… Maybe he’ll indulge in those feelings a bit more often. Not for Stone, of course… Just to experience that warmth again.
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But not before that damn leak is fixed.
