Stone had just about had it. Doctor Robotnik had been cooped up in the laboratory for almost a week without so much as cracking open a window and taking a deep breath before it. He hadn't attended any meetings – only one had actively been skipped; thankfully there hadn't been more scheduled – hadn't gone home for the night, and certainly hadn't taken Stone's advice to go stretch his legs and catch some fresh air. No, the doctor had gotten stubborn about finishing a project ahead of schedule "to show them all", and had opted to eschew any distractions and disregard any concerns about his health in order to expedite his progress.

It was time for an intervention.

Stone came to work on a mostly sunny day with a full bag of groceries and a light cooler box. After checking the doctor's email, work phone and calendar to get the minimum mandatory work done, he set out to prepare for the day's actual goal in the lab's kitchen. Chicken salad sandwiches were assembled and cut into triangles – without crusts, of course, and with a sappy mayonnaise heart hidden between the layers. Fruit salad was chopped from fresh fruit and drowned in honey syrup, then stored in a lidded glass bowl. A baking tray of rich, fudgy, dark chocolate brownie was baked, frosted lightly with melted white chocolate stripes, and cut into neat little squares. A full thermos of Irish coffee was prepared, with a tied up piping bag of whipped cream to go with it – the doctor deserved better than canned whip, and it could also be served with the fruit salad and maybe the brownies too, so it was certainly worth the extra effort.

Once lunchtime arrived, Stone packed up the food, the serving dishes and utensils, and a picnic blanket, and then went to get the doctor from the assembly lab.

"Doctor, it's time for lunch", he said from the doorway, after checking that the doctor wasn't likely to get hurt if he got startled out of his concentration.

"The cafeteria has cabbage rolls today, so I'd much rather starve to death, thank you very much", Robotnik replied, not even looking up from the complex machine sitting on his work desk.

At least he was still keeping track of the days; Stone had been wondering about that.

"I'm not serving you any of that nonsense, doctor", Stone said, and subtly opened the lid of the cooler box a bit to let the tantalizing scent of the brownies out. "I have prepared a much nicer meal, should you be willing to brave the outdoors with me for it."

Now the doctor looked up, eyes covered with his prescription lens goggles that he wore instead of glasses when he needed to see tiny details. Glasses were way too basic for an evil scientist, after all. No, Stone had never questioned it after the explanation. The doctor looked handsome in anything regardless, so he absolutely pulled the goggles off too.

"Outdoors, Stone?" Robotnik asked, and stood up menacingly. Clearly he wasn't too busy for a good old fashioned dressing down. Stone carefully hid his smile.

Robotnik stalked over to him and lifted the goggles from his eyes. He took a deep breath, opened his mouth… and paused. He looked down at the cooler box and sniffed the air. "...Brownies?"

Stone smiled now, but tried to not look too smug about his trap working. "Among other things, yes. We'll be having a picnic on the roof, if you're amenable. No need to go anywhere, be seen by anyone, and no insects whatsoever up there either. And best of all, not a cabbage roll in sight."

Robotnik snorted, and a smile appeared under his moustache. "Well played. I see right through your little manipulations, but I'll humor you anyway. The food better be top notch."

The doctor turned around to fetch his coat and Stone did a discreet fist pump.

ooooo

The picnic blanket was laid over the barely used rooftop helipad and the food spread was arranged in the middle for easy reach for the both of them. The sun was warm, but occasionally hidden by clouds, and the wind was pleasantly crisp, but not too cold with jackets on. A very nice weather for a short picnic, and the air was definitely fresh at such heights.

The doctor helped himself to a brownie first thing, and Stone poured him a coffee, topping it with whipped cream.

"Top notch, doctor?" Stone asked after another piece of brownie had been consumed.

"Begging for compliments is for the incompetent and the insecure", Robotnik said, and took a sip of coffee, which caused him to humm appreciatively. "But yes, excellent as always, Stone. Whatever is your secret in all things cooking?"

Stone held out a sandwich for him, thinking about the secret drawing of a heart within. "Love, sir. When one cooks with love, everything tastes better."

Robotnik snorted and took a big bite of the sandwich. He chewed and swallowed before deigning to reply. "That's sentimental bullshit. There's no scientific evidence of human beings being able to radiate, exude, or otherwise imbue love into objects. Cooking is about measuring things, combining well matched taste profiles, having the right equipment and superior ingredients, and having the technical skills to put it all together. Love has no place in the equation."

"You're not incorrect, sir", Stone said as he spooned fruit salad into two bowls and piped a spiral of whipped cream on top. "But I respectfully disagree. There's a social aspect to eating that makes food taste better when you enjoy the company you're in. That also makes the food that was made for you by someone you care about taste better, because you know it was made with you in mind and it makes you happy. There may not be a difference in the chemical components of the food itself, but there is a difference in your own mind and heart."

"Bold of you to assume I enjoy your company or care about you. And the heart has nothing to do with processing emotions – people simply associate the physical reactions of the organ with the emotions they're feeling at the moment, but the heart simply pumps blood. Brain is the only organ that deals with feelings", Robotnik said, and accepted the fruit salad bowl, their fingers briefly touching in the process. There was no flinch or a sneer to go with the touch, like there often was with other people, and the doctor could have easily accepted the bowl in a different manner to avoid the touch in the first place.

"My bad, sir", Stone said, not even bothering to hide his smile.

Stone secretly took full credit for the doctor's good mood for the rest of the day. A little bit of fresh air, good food, and love certainly worked wonders on even the worst shut ins.