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"Did you get your head caught in a door, Agent, and do you need me to waste my valuable time to personally write you a leave of absence and request additional medical expenses from the government to help you heal your brain? Do you want me to suspend the technological research project at hand that could lead humanity forward for hundreds of years and go to a pointless fireworks show with you?"
Stone didn't say a word, just watched as Robotnik dramatically waved his hands in the air, then lurched up from his swivel chair and rushed to him in stride, angrily tugging at the lapels of his suit and quickly closing the distance between them.
Their noses were almost pressed together, and Stone could hear his own deafening heartbeat as he gulped without moving, glanced at the Doctor's hand clutching his collar, and tried to keep his voice calm.
"No offense, Doctor. but I think you should take a proper break so that you can ensure that your brain is always operating at its peak ......"
The assistant used a businesslike tone as he locked eyes with Robotnik for a long moment, finally catching a little twinkle in the Doctor's eyes. Stone knew the other man had faltered. Apparently, the Agent wanted to capitalize on this opportunity. He sighed softly and added nonchalantly afterward.
"Just a suggestion, Sir."
Two seconds later, a miracle happened. Robotnik shrugged his hand off in a flash, barely grimacing, as if in protest and as if in compromise. He turned toward the changing room, lifting a hand to brush a few loose strands of hair as he went, leaving behind the adoption of the Agent's suggestion expressed in his inimitable way.
"If I can't be back on my feet in the lab in two hours to continue working on my project, then I swear I'm going to blow you into fireworks with the latest model of Badnik, Stone."
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Stone didn't realize how long he'd been staring at the Doctor's back as he cleaned up his desktop. Robotnik had changed his shirt to a solid black turtleneck sweater, his pale to somewhat sickly neck appearing and disappearing as he moved. Unchanged was the trenchcoat, the tails of which, embedded with red trim, hung down obediently, fluttering in the air with their owner's movements.
Robotnik was checking the lab's security system one last time, making sure that their experimental base was protected to the fullest extent possible after the two had left, thus preventing his experiments from being ruined. The Doctor muttered something under his breath that Stone didn't hear clearly.
Just as the two men stared at each other, the Agent carefully noticed the somewhat tired look on Robotnik's face and the dark circles under his eyes that were growing thicker, which he knew were the result of late nights and irregular diets. The Doctor had been relying too heavily on caffeine for four days in a row to keep him motivated and was only getting a maximum of three hours of sleep a day. Concerned for his health, he made a mental note to do just that: remind his Doctor to eat regularly and make sure he got enough sleep.
He drifted off and began to wonder if it was a sound decision to suggest his boss go out and watch a fireworks show on Valentine's Day. He'd practiced for it in the mirror more than ten times, from the tone of voice in which he'd extended the invitation, to the immaculate suit, to the neatly groomed hair and beard. Stone associated it with the kind of teenager who was in love and ready to go out on a date with his girlfriend, a shy older boy who wanted to make the best impression possible and hoped that the date plans wouldn't go down the drain.
A fireworks show, Valentine's Day, and his date is his shifty boss. These things together could be called nothing short of magic. He had expected Robotnik to reject him decisively, leaving a few unabashed insults in his wake. His mind flashed back to the hesitant look on the Doctor's face at that moment. It had only been two hours, but that was a good start at the very least, wasn't it?
For Doctor Ivo Robotnik, who had always hardly socialized at all.
Stone had some trouble suppressing the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth at the thought.
"Agent, if you keep staring at me dementedly with that stupid grin of yours, I'm going to cancel this trip immediately, understand?"
He looked back and realized that Robotnik had walked across the room from him at some point, his arms clasped to his chest, his face grim and his eyes with a hint of sultriness.
The assistant reluctantly puts away his smile and sidesteps to signal Robotnik that everything is ready and that his car is parked at the door, ready to go. The Doctor puts his hands in his pockets and strides out of the lab. Stone feels a gust of wind as he passes by, the air tinted with the scent of a mixture of metal and cologne. He is not sure what to make of this, but it's a good thing he's got his hands in his pockets.
"I understand, Doctor."
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Stone drove and Robotnik sat in the passenger seat, Stone noticed that the Doctor was surprisingly silent on the way, he occasionally glanced at him, the older man resting his face in one hand and turning his head to look out the window, his face wearing an expression that he often wore when he was thinking.
The destination was in one of the busier squares in the center of the city, the journey was short to say the least and the drive took about twenty minutes. He drove along the lake towards the center of the city, gradually driving out of the remoteness where the lab was located. The streets became more and more crowded, and the colorful, festive lights popped into view, and Stone remembered Robotnik complaining to him that these fancy little things did nothing but cause light pollution and blind pedestrians. He could vaguely recall the look of disdain on the Doctor's face-standard Robotnik-esque mockery. He smacked his lips sadly and said that if Walters and the rest of the government would have had the compassion to raise their IQs by five to ten percent, it would have been easier to see that it would have been a wiser choice to hand out these resources to Robotnik's labs rather than supplying them with pointless decorations for the wastrels to entertain themselves with and waste. The Doctor liked to think of government people as retarded kindergarteners sucking on their fingers while learning how many times one plus one equaled, so he spoke of it as if it were a well-known fact.
He didn't say anything that time, silently handing the Doctor a medium temperature latte, knowing that Robotnik didn't like holidays, in fact he didn't care about them at all. For the scientist, his day-to-day life was the same. Getting up, working, working overtime, dealing with government idiots when necessary, attending boring meetings, performing the same tasks over and over again in a machine-like monotonous and tedious manner, without the help of others, without any extra rest. Stone knew that there was always a light that wouldn't go out in front of Robotnik's lab table when he returned to his apartment from work each night.
"I'm starting to regret this, obviously my babies would be much quieter than these monkeys that just chirp and scream all the time."
His thoughts were brought back to reality by Robotnik's voice. He turned his head to see that Robotnik was still in the same position he'd been in moments before, his eyes closed and his other hand resting on his thigh, his fingers tapping rhythmically. The ever receding pedestrians and lights outside the window distracted him.
"What day is it, Stone?"
The Agent was just about to say something to placate the other man for a couple moments, still mulling over the wording when he heard Robotnik take the lead. Well, he noticed. Knowing he couldn't lie to Robotnik, he gripped the steering wheel tighter and answered in a low voice.
"...... It's Valentine's Day. Sir."
"Oh, I guess that's why all these imbeciles are gathering as well as your insistence that I go out. Am I right, Agent?"
Robotnik leaned back, letting his body sink deep into the soft seat back. He yawned lazily.
"Right as always, Doctor."
"I'm never wrong."
Stone couldn't guess Robotnik's thoughts based on his tone of voice, and he did his best to ignore the tightness in his chest. Robotnik's reaction was too calm, uncharacteristically calm. He knew it was possible that the other man would be jumping up from his seat in the next second and loudly announcing that the trip was over before he re-drove back to the lab.
Hell, he felt his hands on the steering wheel trembling uncontrollably. Even after practicing his speech so many times, he still got nervous when actually facing Robotnik.
"I promised you two hours, Agent, and I know what you're thinking. Keep your mind on driving, I don't want to die here in a car accident with you because of a momentary distraction and then let those boring reporters have a chance to take advantage of it, and besides - that's a pretty uninspired way to die."
Robotnik droned on with his inimitable joke, and Stone felt his hanging heart drop as he let out a long breath and a smile crept back to the corners of his mouth.
"Thank you, Doctor."
Stone didn't see the flash of anticipation on Robotnik's face.
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Stone circled around to find a parking spot, and the bustle of downtown far exceeded his expectations. The sound of people and traffic proclaimed the grandeur of the festival. He looked over at Robotnik, who was staring out the window somewhat dully, not noticing the gaze that fell on him.
"Doctor?"
He called out tentatively.
"If you still want to do something worthwhile then stop wasting time, Agent. it's now a full hour since we left the lab-"
"For you, Doctor."
Robotnik frowned in displeasure at being interrupted, and he was just about to turn around and continue his long-winded speech when he froze once more upon seeing what Stone was holding.
It was a black rectangular gift box with a burgundy bow.
"Sorry, Doctor, it was meant to be a surprise. I never took it out earlier, it had been sitting in the back seat."
Stone explains to him as he holds the box, handing it to Robotnik with a big smile.
"Government grants aren't meant for you to spend on useless junk like this, and I'll be deducting that money from your paycheck."
"The money for the gift is my own, Doctor. I don't spend government grants without permission, and i know how important they are to your R&D program."
Stone was still smiling as he caught Robotnik's slightly startled expression.
"Please open it and take a look, Sir. if you don't like it, I can get out of the car right now and throw it in the trash."
He caught up with Robotnik's gaze and watched as the other man hesitated for a moment before reluctantly taking the box and then gently opening it.
Inside lay a scarf. The same color scheme as the gift box, in black with burgundy stripes as accents, just the right amount of deep, unassuming design.
"You're lucky, Stone. It won't be in the trash for a while."
Then he saw Stone's smile so wide it made him want to avoid it.
"I suggest you wear it outside, Doctor. it seems to be very windy out there, and you definitely don't want to catch a cold."
Stone gestured to the scarf he was pinching in his hand.
"I don't know where I got the patience to listen to you give me advice today, Stone."
Robotnik grumbled in a drawn out trailing tone, and Stone knew the meaning of his words - he allowed it.
"Let me help, Doctor. I recently learned a new way to tie a scarf online."
"What-"
By the time Robotnik got back to his senses, Stone had leaned in a little closer, and he eased the scarf around his neck before beginning to knot it. His fingertips absently grazed Robotnik's exposed neck, and then he felt a slight shiver run through the Doctor. The older man didn't resist, just closed his eyes and waited for him to finish. Both men were quiet during this process, and he could clearly hear Robotnik's gasps and both of their heartbeats. As Stone's movements ceased, Robotnik opened his eyes and examined the scarf tied around his neck.
"It fits you perfectly, Doctor."
"What do you expect me to say back? Don't expect me to thank you."
"No need, Sir. you taking it is the most I could have hoped for."
For the first time, Robotnik felt like he couldn't say anything in reply to his aide. Stone got out of the car first, walked around the front to the passenger's seat, and leaned down to open the door for him.
"Come on, Doctor. the fireworks show is about to start."
An indescribable feeling welled up in Robotnik's mind.
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Stone dragged him to the center of the square, where people were talking and talking and Robotnik realized that the one word that came out of their mouths without fail was Valentine's Day.
It was rare for him to be in a place where so many people were gathered; every time Walters held a meeting with just a dozen or so people in attendance it was too much for him to bear. The noise of the crowd annoyed him, and Stone noticed the Doctor looking around nervously, as if searching for some corner where he could hide himself. Without a word, he tugged on the older man's wrist and led him to a bench not far away and sat down. Robotnik didn't even look up, closing his hands into fists then placing them at the sides of his body as he tugged at the corners of his trenchcoat in a death grip.
"I'm sorry, Doctor, are you okay? I didn't realize crowds made you uncomfortable. We can go back right away if you want to-"
"I'm not uncomfortable or scared. I'm just ......"
Robotnik bit his lip like he had something hard to say.
"I'm just used to being by myself."
"It's my fault, Doctor. sorry I ......"
"What are you, Agent? A repeater who only apologizes meaninglessly? Don't let me hear that word again."
"...... Yes, Doctor."
For some time neither of the two spoke again, their heads bowed, each with their own thoughts on their minds.
"Stone, why?"
"Forgive me for not understanding, Doctor. can you elaborate on that question?"
Robotnik breaks the silence as he gestures to the scarf around his neck.
"Why did you give me this?"
"I thought you'd like it, so I thought I'd buy it for you."
Was that it? Just because he thought he'd like it? Without any agenda? Robotnik tried to find a hint of proof in Stone's face that he was lying.
But he failed.
"No one has ever given me a gift since I was a kid. You're the first and only one, Stone."
"Never, Sir? Even a piece of ...... fruit candy when you were little?"
Robotnik shook his head, and Stone seemed shocked at that.
"Don't question my memory, Agent."
He sighed and buried his face in his scarf.
"I never understood from a very young age why people always think of things so wonderful they're sickening when they mention the holidays. Family, friends, gifts, holidays, the list of words went down as if they were logical, yet I never had any of the first three, so I just gave up on the last one from earlier in my life."
"Do you know what I remember the holidays being made of? Shoddy mechanical parts, torn to shreds drawings, a cramped room engulfed in darkness, a table lamp that flickered with a faint light, and me alone."
Stone listened quietly, the Doctor's childhood was something he'd never heard him talk about, and he knew it hadn't been a pleasant experience. At that point, Robotnik suddenly stood up and with that grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away from the bench.
He was taken aback by the action and stumbled a few steps before finally getting to his feet, forcing himself to meet Robotnik's eyes.
There was anger, resentment, sadness, and something extremely foreign to Stone in his eyes.
"You blew it all out of proportion, Agent. I didn't care about them at all from that point on. i thought i was going to live like this for the rest of my life until you barged into my life. You, with your stupid smile and your lattes, were suddenly told it was okay to jump up and down in my lab like a rat, and I expected you to be like the rest of the losers, who would have quit right away in less than a week. And the result? Turns out you didn't! You stayed on! I started not being able to give my full attention to my work! You distracted me!"
You made me start to care.
Stone listened to Robotnik's voice rising higher and higher, the last few words bordering on shouting. He stared at his rapidly opening and closing lips, his already somewhat disheveled beard, his face reddening with excitement. He felt his ears buzzing, the walls Robotnik had carefully built for himself were crumbling. He felt his vision blurring, his chest tightening like fire.
The fire that had been burning in his heart for so long. From the first spark when he saw Robotnik, it had spread into a blazing fire, and Robotnik was the wind that fueled it, bringing not only destruction, but also hope.
He couldn't hold back any longer, and the feelings he had suppressed in his heart erupted like a volcano. He pulled at the Doctor's scarf with one hand, grabbed his shoulder with the other, and slammed his mouth on his. Robotnik's breath caught in his throat, and then he melted into the unexpected kiss. the scientist lifted his hand to Stone's jacket with a trembling hand, and responded clumsily, just like he had done.
For a moment, the world tuned to silence. Fireworks exploded behind them as their lips met. It was like a coincidence, but also like a deliberate act. But in any case, it's a moment that belongs to them alone.
In the end, Stone felt Robotnik's rapid breathing and ended the long kiss on his own accord. As the night sky was filled with fireworks and people sang songs of love, Stone and his Doctor stood staring at each other as if searching for the answer to a question in each other's eyes. After a long time, Stone once again took the initiative and reached out his arms to take Robotnik into his embrace.
"I've distracted you, and it's my fault, Doctor. please believe me, I'll do everything I can to make it up to you. You can take everything you want from me, including my life."
The young man smiled and gently patted the other man on the back. In response, Robotnik buried his head into his shoulder.
"Thanks, Stone. thank you."
"Happy Valentine's Day, Ivo."
"You'll never be alone again."