Archive of Our Own ^beta

Agent Stone watched as Dr. Robotnik pulled his third all-nighter in a row. It was near three in the morning as Stone tapped his foot against the floor. The agent sat at his desk and glowered at the back of Robotnik’s head. He hadn’t gone home since the doctor had started working on a project for an impending deadline, and in all honesty he was afraid what would happen if he left Robotnik alone for too long. Stone had been taking short intermittent power naps on the lab’s sofa every few hours so at least one of them could stay awake.

The agent sighed as Robotnik called over his shoulder in a gravelly voice, demanding another cup of coffee. He was so close to actually passing out that the caffeine had started making him hyper for about five minutes and then sending him spiraling for another thirty as he frantically worked.

The agent stood up and started to walk toward the lab's tiny kitchen. One glance over his shoulder at the hunched figure made Stone’s heart squeeze in his chest.  If Stone had let him keep the empty take away cups and mugs, his desk would have been so littered that he wouldn't have been able to work anymore. 

“STONE!” Robotnik snapped, still not taking his attention away from his screens as he spoke. 

The agent shook away his thoughts and headed to the kitchen. He tried not to let his aggravation slip into the process of making the doctor’s latte. Stone sighed again as he carried the freshly prepared drink and set it on the desk next to Robotnik.

“May I suggest something, sir?” Stone asked as he leaned over Robotnik’s shoulder to look at the dark circles under his wild eyes.

“No. Busy. Go away.” Robotnik said, interpreting the unspoken question. Well, partially unspoken. Stone had already asked if he would sleep two or three times every few hours. The answer was always no.

Stone withdrew and sighed. He resigned to not even bother asking again. He was going to take matters into his own hands. Desperate times, desperate measures and all that. Now, Stone truly cared for Robotnik, which was why he found himself so incredibly pissed as he watched the doctor not take care of himself. 

The agent waited patiently at his desk until Robotnik called for another latte. Stone prepared it as normal. For a moment he hesitated, second guessing himself until he heard the tell-tale sign of Robotnik repeatedly thudding his head against his desk in frustration. Stone’s eye twitched. 

Fuck it.

He poured a small amount of powder into the coffee and stirred it in before adding the goats milk. Latte art had been forgotten two days ago so Robotnik’s lattes could be made more efficiently. Stone strode across the room and handed the warm drink to the doctor. He stood by his side as he kept a careful eye on both his boss and the cup. Robotnik downed the contents in one gulp without hesitation, tossing the empty cup at Stone’s face and wiping his mouth on his sleeve. Seeing his mustache become even more ruffled from the action might have made Stone smile just three days ago, but now he just stared down at the doctor with determination.

Robotnik turned to look up at him, eyes unfocused for a second before fixing on his face.

He tried to say “I love the way you make them” but his words came out slurred from exhaustion.

Stone’s ears tinted pink as it almost sounded like the doctor had said “I love you.”

But it was a fleeting feeling as the doctor furrowed his brow and looked at him with something akin to questioning as he tried to figure out what was happening to his body. Stone had made sure it was fast acting, because the doctor has already been through enough

“StOone? What did youuu put in the coffee?” Robotnik said before pitching forward slightly.

“Just a little something to relax you, sir.” The agent replied calmly as he reached over and gently caught the exhausted man and pulled him away from the sharp corners of the desk. 

Robotnik pitched forward again, this time directly into Stone’s arms. His cheek rested against Stone’s abdomen as he blinked and tried to reorient himself. The agent caught him easily, gently wrapping a toned arm under his lanky ones and easily picking the skinnier man up.

Robotnik tried to resist as he struggled and wiggled in the strong grasp of his agent. It wasn’t out of fear, he trusted Stone with his life, obviously. He fought out of indignation and the stress of hitting his deadline. When it was clear whatever Stone had drugged his coffee with was working too fast to free himself, the doctor collapsed into Stone’s arms with a huff, “you are sooo fucking fired for this.”

The agent’s hum seemed distant as the doctor felt sleep drag him away. The world went dark as he inhaled the faint scent of coffee, orange blossom shampoo, and the poorly concealed metallic smell that could have been gunmetal or dried blood. Robotnik couldn’t tell if his agent just smelled that soothing or if the sleeping powder had done its job already.

Robotnik woke the next morning feeling more well rested than he had in literal years but groggy and still borderline tired. 

He attempted to be angry, but damn it was hard with how snug and safe he felt wrapped in the toasty blanket as it slightly pressed against him. There was a warm pressure on his left side that felt too heavy to be another blanket but he paid the lump no mind. Robotnik wanted to stay here forever in the blankets, but knew he needed to finish the project. 

He tried to pull his arms out but found he was unable to move. In a moment of panic he squirmed to make sure all traces of Stone’s drugged coffee had worn off. He opened his eyes to see that he had been wrapped in the blankets to the point he couldn’t move. 

He had been swaddled like a fucking child.

“Stone!” He angrily hissed knowing the agent wouldn't be far away. The lump to his left mumbled something and sat up, revealing itself as a clearly not awake yet Stone. He had bed hair and bleary eyes as he blinked at Robotnik. Robotnik notes that he had a purple bruise blooming on his cheek.

It was clear that Stone had attempted to stand guard next to him while he was drugged but had ultimately fallen asleep himself.

“Untie me!” The doctor hissed.

“Do you promise not to punch me again?” The agent asked through a stifled yawn as he leaned closer to Robotnik. 

The doctor didn’t remember punching Stone, he must have been really drugged to sock his agent in the chin and not have had fun.

“No.”

“Do you still feel tired, sir?” Stone asked a different question.

“If I say no again, will you untie me?” Robotnik snapped.

“Well, you did already say I was fired, so if I have to leave I am going to make sure I leave when you are well rested and in peak working condition.” The agent said as he laid back down on the bed next to a fuming Robotnik who looked like he wanted to bite the agent's head off.

Stone snuggled closer, clearly unbothered. The agent rested his head on the pillow next to Robotnik’s and watched the doctor struggle to keep his eyes open. 

“But the deadline...” Robotnik pressed as he tried to squirm again.

“I handled it, sir, sleep well.” Stone whispered.

Robotnik glared. He wanted to fight this, he was supposed to be in charge and here Stone was, not listening to his orders.

His loyal lap dog was disobeying. The realization that Stone was doing what he needed and not what he wanted hit the doctor like a sack of bricks as he watched Stone. His seething anger evaporated as he looked at the peaceful face next to him.

So peaceful, it almost made Robotnik forget that this man had drugged him.

Almost.