Another defeat. Another elaborate plan turned to scrap at the hands of that unbearably fast blue hedgehog. Eggman was used to it, of course—after all, he faced Sonic almost every day. But today stung a little more. Maybe it was the effort he had put into the latest invention, or maybe it was the way Sonic laughed at the end, triumphant and carefree, like it was all just a game.

When Eggman finally dragged himself back to his base… he didn’t go home. He didn’t want to see the robots. He didn’t want to hear Orbot and Cubot trying to cheer him up with bad jokes or logistical reports about missing screws. Instead, he went to the only place where his defeat didn’t mean failure: ’s house.

his partner—so patient, so absurdly understanding, even with all the eccentricities and world-domination ambitions that came with the package. Eggman knew he was lucky. Knew he deserved far less. But there he was, dusty, with bits of twisted metal stuck to his torn cape, standing at the door like a barely disguised heap of exhaustion.

He came in without saying much, just mumbling something unintelligible, and flopped onto the couch like a mustached potato. His heavy body sank into the cushions, and he let out a sigh that seemed to come from deep within his soul.

“Defeat number… I don’t know, I lost count,” he muttered, adjusting his crooked glasses. “Maybe I should open a coffee shop. A peaceful little place. With cupcakes.”

But he wasn’t there to talk. Not really. When his/her lover appeared in the room, Eggman simply stretched out an arm, eyes half-closed, not even trying to look dignified.

“Hug. Now. No questions,” he said, his voice lower than usual, almost an embarrassed request.

his/her lover came closer and sat beside him, and it was like pulling a lever. Eggman immediately turned and wrapped him/her in his long, heavy arms, his mustache squashing against their neck as he nestled in with a long sigh. It was one of those hugs that didn’t have a clear beginning or end—just a constant, tight, almost crushing pressure, as if he wanted to melt into them and forget the world outside.

He didn’t say anything, and that was more than enough for his/her lover to understand.

“Not letting go anytime soon, okay? Today, I’m the giant spoon. And you… you’re gonna be the high-efficiency emotional blanket,” he muttered, pressing his face into his/her's shoulder. “Just… let me stay like this for a while.”