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Stone trods into the water, careful to watch his step. His net slung over his shoulder, his eyes are open and keen for any fish he sees lurking in shallow waters- but even more so keeping an eye on his little daughter, swimming slowly underfoot, never straying far.
It'd been a few months since the two of them and her father had fled, running for their lives from the government who'd entrapped his husband and stolen his pelt. Ivo had never minded the work, he was always an inventor at heart, and they provided him with more than enough to fuel every little ambition he could dream up. They kept him comfortable, fed, always too busy to dream of his life before, wild and free.
A cage was a cage, though, no matter how gilded- and a baby, as they tended to, complicated matters.
Stone knew the cold, sterile walls of his lab were no place to raise a child. So did Ivo, as begrudging as he was to admit it, and so Stone proved to be both the best and worst thing to ever happen to him. He set him free.
Their escape wasn't easy, stealing from the government was a difficult job for even the most highly trained, but Stone was more than competent, and his Doctor was helpful as ever. As soon as they had his pelt in hand, soft and beautiful, they planned to escape no later than the next day. It'd only been a few weeks since Sage was born, and they couldn't risk her becoming extra collateral... She ended up getting involved, regardless. In the worst way.
Stone watches her swim with sad eyes, her little scarred flipper, marred from gunfire he'd failed to shield her from, trying its best to propel her. A large chunk of it was missing, only one whole flipper remaining, and Stone can't fight the unimaginable guilt that overwhelms him every time he sees it. So young, so weak... And he failed her.
And so, he stays by her side- holding her, guiding her. Making up for it every way he knows how.
"Come on, snowball, you can do it!" He chirps to her encouragingly, his hands on either side of her little, furry body. If she sank, papa would catch her. She'd never suffer pain again, if he could help it. "C'mon, I believe in you! Deep breath!"
She sucks in air slowly, like he and her father had taught her, and slowly begins to descend beneath the shallow waves, her soft fur turning a gentle grey under the blue. Stone isn't far behind- pulling his goggles over his eyes and biting down on his rebreather, he begins his steady walk past the tide until the top of his head disappeared below.
Sage gently paddles over to him, excited to see him underwater. She does a little spin, wrapping her tiny jaws around the smooth fabric of his wetsuit and nibbling gently, pulling at it to investigate. Stone giggles, little bubbles rising from his mouthpiece to the surface. Yep, that was Ivo's daughter, alright- curious as ever.
He lets her bite at him until she grows bored, and watches her closely as she swims off, distracted by every little thing down here. It was like a baby seal's paradise- small, colorful fish everywhere you looked, illuminated by the warm sun glittering through the kelp. She darts towards them, trying her hardest to catch them in her mouth, but no matter how hard she tries even the smallest fish is faster than her. Looking back over her shoulder towards Stone, he can see the sadness in her face. Seal or human, that was his baby girl, and he couldn't stand to see her discouraged like this.
He takes out his net, showing it to her so she could swim over, looking it up and down, nibbling a little on it as always before he takes it away. He swims past her into the kelp, brushing it away from his face and looking behind him anxiously to make sure she was keeping up.
Thankfully, she had the decency to be born a color extremely easy to spot down here. Her white fur shined like a star through the greenery, paddling behind him faithfully until she reached his hip, glued to him as always. He throws the next out into the expanse of the kelp, waiting a moment before pulling it back towards him, closing it tight with his fist.
Pulling it back in, he sighs, thick bubbles escaping up to the surface. Nothing, not a single fish.
He had to work a little harder than this- Ivo was hungry, and the net was their compromise, the only thing keeping his husband from razing the entire shore with the badniks until there weren't any fish left to hunt.
He scratches his head, looking up at the bubbles leaving his mask. The fish were skittish today, probably from the little piscivorous beast he'd brought with him today, but he wasn't sending her inside this soon. He'd meant this to be a swimming lesson, well... Maybe it could be a fishing lesson, too?
Looking down to where she floats around his waist, he reaches down to hold Sage gently, bringing her to face height and signing to her like he'd taught her.
We're going to practice a little, okay? He signs, waiting until he sees the little nod of understanding. She waves a tiny front flipper at him, ready to go.
I'm going to stay by your side, you kick with your right, and pull yourself with your front. Okay? I'll be there to catch you if you sink.
She nods quickly, eager, and his heart swells- she trusts him! He wishes he could rip this stupid mask off and kiss her little head like he does during their playtime swims, but she's turning around too quickly for it to matter, already pushing her flippers in and out, determined. That's his girl.
Helping her push off, she surges forward with her arms, Stone sticking close to her side. With him behind her, she maintains a good speed, rushing through the shallow kelp forest as quickly as she can, her mouth opened wide and excited, a bloodthirsty little thing.
With a human beside her, she loses a bit of the element of surprise, only catching one small, luminous fish from the straight line she'd darted in by the time she got tired, slumping over a bit in his arms. Reaching for it, Sage opens her mouth, letting him take the fish and stuff it into his net, closing it tight.
She tries to play it off as pride, so excited about her fish, but he knows that face. She huffs a single tired breath, bubbles floating from her nose as she pouts.
What's wrong? Stone signs, the net swaying in his fist from the movement. You caught a fish! I'm so proud!
She shakes her head, ignoring him. Slowly, she paddles upwards towards the light, looking down at him from the surface as he turns his head, confused, but following.
When his head hits dry air, he's surprised to see his daughter's human face looking back at him, her hair drenched from the salt water. "I'm never gonna do it!" She yells, her little voice breaking the quiet of the beach. "I only caught one stupid fish!" He can see her severed foot swaying beneath her, a reminder of what she lost. Even in her human form, she didn't escape unscathed.
Art by Spectere
Stone quickly pulls his mask over his head, letting go of his mouth-piece. "Woah, woah, where is this coming from?" He asks, shaking his head, "you did a great job! You caught your first fish, that's something to be proud of, sweetie!"
Sage sinks lower, turning around bashfully. "Yeah, just one..." She mutters, her voice so quiet it was nearly drowned out by the waves. "I can't even turn when I swim... Not that fast, at least. I'm never gonna be able to fish that way..." She cries, little tears starting to drip from her eyes, as salty as the sea. "I'm always so tired... Daddy doesn't have to try this hard…”
Stone's smile drops, familiar with this talk from her. Reaching up, he brushes a strand of curled hair from her face to see her lovely hidden eye, brown like theirs. “Snowball… I know it's hard, I'm not going to pretend it isn't,” he says. She turns away, bashful and clearly self conscious. He had to be careful with his words. “But… It's not like we never struggle at anything. Daddy's a genius, and even he struggles. Maybe not at swimming… but you've seen how his experiments can go.” He smirks, remembering the night before.
Sage thinks on it, the same smile growing on her face. “Heh… He nearly blew up the microwave trying to make it cook faster… Daddy's so impatient…” She giggles, and wow, does he love that sound.
“And papa had to come in with the fire extinguisher and save him,” he nods, finding it funnier than he really should- serves him right, using the microwave when he has such a talented cook for a husband should be illegal. He shakes the smile off his face, getting back on track. “My point is, though- even daddy struggles. I struggled- but what makes you a Robotnik-Stone is you keep trying. I see it every day.”
Slowly but surely, the smile on her face grew wider, brighter, until he could tell he'd hit home. “Seee, there's that smile,” he teases, nudging her gently, “there's my happy baby girl.”
“Papaaa, quit it…” She whines, pushing him back, ducking underwater for safety. He looks down, curious where she went, but when she pops back up, all he sees is fuzzy white fur, and deep black, soulful eyes.
“Feeling a little better, I see. Wanna try again?”
She huffs once, trying to hide it, but he can tell she wants back in the game. He and his husband were proud, stubborn, and she was no different. Diving back under, he quickly puts his gear back on and follows.
Immediately, she's diving down as deep as she can, leaving Stone to pick up the pace- her tail may put her at a disadvantage, but her front fins are still strong, and much faster than a human's.
She struggles around- definitely more determined than before, but unfortunately where she makes up for in strength. Flailing about with her mouth open, she looks to him from beyond the kelp with a sad look in her eyes, even more defeated than before. He's just about to swim to her, comfort her, before he's hit with a rush of fish fleeing in his direction- a few hit him in the face, but feeling a struggle in his net below… A lightbulb blips to life above his head.
Wait! He signs quickly, only one hand free as he holds his net tight, raising it up to show her. Look!
Sage stares for a moment, little face scrunched and confused, before her eyes widen in realization.
You swim- I'll catch, he signs as simply as possible, knowing she'll get the picture- and just like that, his brilliant girl is off like a race horse, stirring up trouble through the kelp forest as he crouches in wait like a persistent hunter. In no time, shiny, luminous fish are flying his way, his net filling more and more with each circle around Sage does, until he's nearly struggling to hold it.
He makes a few strained sounds through his mask, waiting until she finally notices him and swims back in a hurry, eager to see their catch, and boy is she not disappointed.
Her eyes sparkle hungrily as she eyes up their prize, packed and wriggling in the net. She wiggles excitedly, and he knows she'd be swimming laps around him if she could turn better, so full of energy.
He holds onto the net tight, his fingers threaded through the holes to keep it closed as he signs with his other hand as best he could.
Want to go home? He asks, knowing she was probably very tired by now, her lidded eyes and drooping fins a dead give away. She's halfway through a nod, before a rush of fish in their direction surprise them both- fleeing against the current through the kelp, Sage sways gently in the water as Stone looks around, confused. Was that you?
She shakes her head, and he's just about to be confused, worrying that maybe a shark was in the area, before he feels something furry and strong press into his back, nibbling at his wetsuit.
He feels a rush of relief, turning around with a bright smile on his face, only to find… Nothing?
Shaking his head, he looks back to Sage, hoping maybe she saw whatever it was- but she's already busy. Swimming circles around their daughter was his beautiful husband, glimmering gray in the sunlight, playing with Sage and spinning her around with the current he stirred up. Stopping on a dime to nuzzle her face, greeting her happily, he wraps his teeth gently around the nape of her neck and pulls her up over the surface to drag back to shore, leaving Stone to follow behind.
Art by Zhampip
As soon as Stone's head breaks the surface, his feet on dry land, Ivo is striding over to his side, Sage hugging his hip tightly for balance.
“What took you so long?” He asks, hair and mustache drenched with salt water, his pelt draped over his slender frame. “I thought it was just gonna be a few minutes, I'm hungry!”
Stone laughs, gesturing to their daughter, just as soaked as Ivo. “I figured now was as good a time as any for a proper lesson. Snowball wanted to help me hunt,” he smiles, ruffling her hair.
Ivo groans, shaking his head. “Couldn't you have picked a better time for that? I was in there starving to death, wasting away. Is that really how you treat your mate? By the time you got back, I would have been bones!” He whines, really laying on the melodrama.
“I know, dear, I'm sorry…” Stone smiles, always eager to please, “but look! Look how many fish our daughter helped me catch,” he says, lifting the heavy bag to show off. Beaming down at Sage proudly, she blushes and hides further behind Ivo's leg.
Ivo looks it up and down, clearly ravenous from the gleam in his eye, and puts his pity party on hold to kneel down beside her.
“You helped papa get these all by yourself?” He asks quietly, always so gentle with her and her alone.
Sage looks down to the ground, hands clasped behind her back bashfully as she mutters. “Well… Not all by myself…”
“I don't see any puncture wounds on these, nor a harpoon in his hand- and I doubt papa would have been quick enough to catch them… Now, what other seal do I know around here who could have helped… ?” He plays with her, holding his chin between his fingers in wonder.
“There's none that live around here I know of… Hmmm,” he mutters, looking around, playing it up for her. “And there's no others that live with us, are there? No scary leopard seal under your bed, ready to eat you up?”
Sage gasps- leopard seals always were the monster under her bed she ran to them in the night, crying big sleepy tears over. “No, no, daddy scared those all away, remember? So… That must make the only seal who could’ve helped him… You!”
She squeals as he snatches her up into his arms, tickling her galore against her exposed belly, only her soft white pelt covering her body. “Hehehe, I guess I helped a little daddy,” she laughs, squirming away from the attack, “I caught papa a whole bunch!”
“Yes you did, my little pup. Now, let's go inside so I can get you dried off and fed- daddy's starving, too.” Carrying her in his arms, he strides back to the house, his long tail swaying in the sand behind him as he looks over his shoulder to flash Stone a look- one that distinctly said follow me, handsome.
Stone blushes deep burgundy, still managing to find himself swept off his feet by his husband even after so many years. Pulling the bag of fish tight over his shoulder, he catches up to him, following behind faithfully at his ankles.
Once they're both inside, the setting sun falling behind them leaving only stars above, he sits down at the kitchen table to watch Ivo dry Sage off while he peels off his wetsuit. Taking her pelt from her shoulders and hanging it up above the heater, he wraps her in a plush blanket none too different from the feel of her fur and rubs it against her arms and hair. Stone's heart melts at the little shaken noises she makes, her hair curling up from the warmth.
Once Ivo is done, he picks her up and sets her at her spot at the table, hanging up his own pelt behind him. It's beautiful, dark grey and speckled, sleek just like himself. Stone can't help but smile when he sees it- they worked so hard to get it back, and looking at their daughter’s rosy cheeks, he knows it was worth it.
“Lost in thought again, Aban?” He hears in his ear, shivering at the breath against his neck. “Are you just going to sit there ogling me all night, or will I have to make dinner?”
“You know watching you is the only feast I need,” he purrs into his cheek, turning his head to meet his eyes. He can barely hide his laugh at the way Sage throws her hands over her face, her tongue sticking out in disgust.
“Well observed, darling,” Ivo glances at Sage, a toothy grin as he walks away to sit down beside her, “can you believe how nasty papa is? Flirting when he should be caring for us. Some mate.”
Stone rolls his eyes with a smirk, knowing it to just be part of their dance. Now free of his mask and flippers, he stands to begin preparing dinner when Ivo puts a hand out to stop him. Stone pauses, looking over, confused.
“But first- I want to show you what I've been working on,” he chirps happily, sticking his hands under the table to begin pulling out a small object underneath. He sees the gleam of it first, fine grooves carved into the length of what looks like a new piece of tech he'd sunk his teeth into. It shines with the same white as the chassis of the badniks, little red lines following the curve of it.
“What… Is it?” Sage asks, her eyes wide and always curious. Ivo looks up to her with a sly smile, sliding it over to her.
“Try it and find out.”
She picks up the object, a thin piece of machinery with a skin-line membrane in the center, plastic curled around it in a half arch. It takes a moment of turning it around in her hands, playing with the material of it before realization dawns in her eyes. Bright browns grow wider and wider until she's hopping off of her seat, nearly tumbling over in excitement.
“Careful, snowy! Wait ‘til you put it on, don't go falling over now!” Ivo huffs in worry, placing his hand gently on her back to keep her up right. It doesn't stop her excitement, though, swaying on the balls of her feet, holding herself up on her tip-toes as she peers over the table at the appendage. “Here, sit down,” Ivo says, guiding her back to her seat in exasperation.
She plops back down, presenting her leg to him and squeaking with joy when he kneels beside her, holding it up with all the tenderness in the world.
It's hard to see over the table given her small stature, even when Stone leans over to look, so he stands. Dragging his chair over beside her, she looks up to him when he lays his hand on her shoulder, so unbelievably happy.
The prosthetic fits like a charm, and he never expected anything less. Sleek and sturdy against her softer skin, it shined in the dim light of their home, as white as her pelt.
“You've outdone yourself as always, darling,” Stone says, glowing with pride for his husband, who stands preening over his work above them.
“Only to be expected, my dear,” he quips back, grinning like a shark. With one hand on his hip, he offers the other to their daughter, helping her up. “Well, try it out!”
He doesn't need to say another word before she's off like a rocket, sprinting back to the front door, no doubt towards the beach. She takes to it astonishingly well, only tripping a few times, and when Stone jolts to catch her and keep her from falling, Ivo simply puts a hand in front of his chest.
“Let her figure it out,” he smiles, “there'll be some growing pains, some trip ups, but she won't learn if we're coddling her constantly. That's how my mother taught me.”
Stone blinks, surprised that this far into their relationship he was still somehow forgetting his husband was a seal.
“It's simply the way of the ocean. Learn fast, danger waits for no one- but I will not leave her unprepared. She'll have all the opportunities we did, even if I have to make it for her with my own two hands.”
Stone simply hums, taking one of said hands to help himself up like Sage had, standing beside him. “Well, the least we can do is keep an eye on her, right? We're still her fathers.
“Oh, always- but don't you have dinner to be making?” He asks, an eyebrow crooked.
“Hm, I am feeling a little hungry, now that you mention it… Not for fish though, no,” he smiles, leaning up into Ivo's space.
They drift so close to one another, noses brushing, breathing in each other's air… Until a sound rings out, and they break away.
It was high pitched, unmistakably their daughter's voice, but it takes a moment before they finally recognize what it was… Laughter?
Rushing out side by side, Ivo's pelt still wrapped tight around him and Stone's wetsuit hanging half off his torso, they find her.
Rolling around in the sand, she wears a bright smile, light glittering off of her big brown… Seal eyes. She waves her flippers around, happy as can be, noticeably up one limb from before. The white of the prosthetic blends in perfectly to her snowy white fur, the only tell that it wasn’t a natural part of her body her father’s trademark red lining embedded into it.
Art by Yuushi
Stone strolls over to her, kneeling beside his little girl to tickle her soft underbelly, smiling wide at her adorable little chirps of glee. He looks up to Ivo, a glint in his eye. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time, honey,” he says, lifting her into his arms to hold like the big teddy bear she was. “It adjusts to her flippers, too? I shouldn’t have expected any less.”
“Nothing but the best for our little girl,” he purrs proudly, petting her head.
“Daddy! Let me go back out, I can swim now!” She chirps, struggling in Stone’s arms, “Papa, let go!”
“Noooope~” Stone sing-songs, tickling her into submission, “one fat little seal still needs to eat her dinner that I slaved over for so long- you telling me you’re passing up fish? That doesn’t sound like you.”
Sage snorts, shaking her head, the little swirl in her fur flopping around, revealing a tiny hidden eye, brown as a coffee bean. “No, no, I’ll eat it!” She cries, struggling harder in Stone’s arms until he drops her, landing on her feet- two feet with a thud and yelp, not completely used to her prosthetic, yet.
“Careful, bean!” He yells, picking her back up and dusting her off, his little daughter held snugly against his chest. “Don’t go overboard, now. We’ll have plenty of time to practice tomorrow- besides,” he looks her deep in her eyes as she blinks, her eyelids sagging from exhaustion. She feels noticeably heavier, like she could fall asleep right there. “You look just about ready to fall over, anyways.”
Ivo smiles at the two of them, never tired of seeing his husband so soft with their baby, and closes the distance to stroke her hair. “I’ll tell you what- be a good girl and eat your dinner, get a good night’s rest, and I’ll take the day off tomorrow to swim and teach you all of your flipper’s new little tricks, hm? You’ll be a pro in no time, I’m sure.”
Sage nods, too tired to keep up appearances. She slips halfway between her forms, long whiskers poking from her cheeks, brushing Stone’s arms as she nearly dozes off right there, but the promise of food no doubt keeps her alert enough to hum in agreement.
“Heh, then it’s settled, sweetie,” Stone smiles. Looking back to Ivo, he slips a strong arm under Sage to hoist her over his shoulder so he can offer the other hand to his husband, fingers outstretched.
However sweet he looked before, Ivo’s eyes somehow softened to the kindest Stone has ever seen them, deep chocolate eyes meeting his own as their hands interlink. He brings his knuckles to his lips, grazing over them in a gentle kiss. “Come on, then. Wouldn’t want the dinner you worked so hard on to get cold,” he whispers in a surprisingly genuine show of affection, and when he tugs him along back into their small house, Stone is too breathless to not go wherever he leads- he has so far, and if he gets his way it’ll never change.
They eat dinner slowly, a long, lovely meal in the warmth of their home, Ivo and Stone chatting away about what they’d done in the day- Stone filling Ivo in on his and Sage’s little adventure, and Ivo regaling Stone on the inner makings of his newest, finest invention, grinning widely and filled with pride. It’s a night like any other, but compared to the cold, sterile walls of the glorified prison they’d met in, it was heaven. Just the three of them was enough- it always would be.
Once the sun sets, the moon hung high in the sky pouring through the windows on their backs, they could both tell Sage was ready to call her day over. Smiling softly at her beside him, nearly falling over into her empty plate on the table, Stone gathers her up in his arms again to carry all the way to bed- to his and Ivo’s bed, large and plush, perfect for two and a tiny, fluffy extra. He could tell neither of them were ready to give her up for the night, wanting to keep their little one close.
Pulling back the blanket, he lays her down in the middle, careful to prop her head up on their pillows to keep her nice and comfortable while he finally sheds his diving suit completely in favor of a simple, soft shirt and pants. When he turns, he’s surprised to see not a head of white hair, but snowy fur peaking out from underneath the thick comforter. He smiles- of course, she always did tend to slip back into this form when calm. He’s glad she feels so safe here.
Sneaking in beside her, he cuddles up, taking a long deep breath before it’s punched out of him in surprise by something even bigger, furry and warm. Long whiskers and puffs of breath tickle the back of his neck, and before he knows it he’s being enveloped by flippers, big and small.
“Hi, honey,” he smiles, feeling his eyes getting heavier by the minute wrapped in the heat of their smooth pelts and blankets. Even without facing him, he can feel his husband’s happiness through his purr alone, reverberating through Stone’s chest, matching the tiny, sleepy trills ringing out below him in his arms. ”She’s so precious,” he whispers,” I can’t describe how wonderful it was to see her so happy. It was amazing… You’re amazing.”
He hears another exhale of breath, a proud, bashful snort as his husband buries his face in Stone’s neck. He’s content to lay there, buried in the two of them, until suddenly he feels soft, human lips on his neck, trailing up to his ear.
“So are you… My Aban,” he hears in his ear, a soft mustache tickling no less than the coarse whiskers. No matter how many times he says his name, his heart still leaps out of his chest.
Blushing, Stone reaches down, threading their fingers together, pulling them to his lips to gently kiss Ivo’s knuckles. “No matter what you are, I will always love you all the same.”
That soft purr returns, and Ivo lets go, reaching down to hold onto Sage, his arms wrapped tight around Stone’s chest, trapping him so sweetly. Call it cliche, but there’s no place he’d rather be than here.
Sage flips her new little fin in her sleep, clearly dreaming, and Stone could feel himself slowly beginning to join her. He can only imagine what she’s dreaming of, swimming through the vast deep blue, soaring through the kelp. Tomorrow, they’d get back to work teaching her to do just that.
Settling down against his family, he lets his eyes close, sinking down into the murky depths right alongside her. The darkness fills his vision, cradling him in the warm seafoam he knew just as intimately by now as his lover and child, and as sweet dreams take him in their arms he sees a world he can only hope for: three seals, side by side, happy as can be together.