Weekly Oneshot #27: Bed Boundaries
The sound of small metal footsteps was heard, along with a little tune being hummed, as Clank jumped up the stairs one by one, heading up to Ratchet's loft in the garage. A magazine was in his hands, fresh from the mailbot. The newest issue of Science Monthly had been released and Clank was ever so eager to get into it and become lost in the world of science and logic. Or, as Ratchet would call it, 'nerd stuff'.
The robot huffed a few times as he reached the top of the steps. His small size made the trip up quite tiring and Ratchet had been too busy with sweeping to help him up there. And he still had the whole getting up onto the workbench part to do. However, his legs said otherwise since they had really given it their all with all of the jumps he had to make. So Clank wasn't really in the mood to scramble up onto the workbench. So he would have to settle somewhere else. And, after looking around the small loft, he knew just where to do it.
Clank trotted over to the part of the wall that wasn't actually wall, but a bed. He drew his foot back and gave the bed frame a might kick, causing it to flip down into Ratchet's fold out bed. He then hoisted himself up onto it, sinking a bit into the plushy mattress and comforter, then he made himself comfortable, slipped his feet and legs under the covers, and opened his magazine and began to read. There seemed to be a fascinating article about the effects of supernovas and a robot's eye color, and the small robot smiled when he saw a page filled with science puns just waiting for him. This was going to be a wonderful afternoon.
However, an irritated interruption was coming his way in the form of an orange Lombax. Ratchet wiped his face with a rag as he came up the stairs. He saw Clank come up here and he wanted to see what he was up to, but what he saw didn't exactly make him too happy. The Lombax reached the top of the steps and folded his arms, glaring at Clank, who looked at him and tilted his head.
"Hello, Ratchet," Clank said innocently.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ratchet asked, walking over to the side of the bed.
"I am reading the latest issue of Science Monthly that I received in today's mail. Why do you ask?"
"Why are you in my bed?"
The warbot blinked, "I found myself being a bit tired after jumping up the stairs, so I thought that I would settle down on your bed instead of struggling to get up onto the workbench. I assumed that you would not have an issue with this."
Ratchet unfolded his arms and picked Clank up, ignoring the robot's protests. "Okay buddy, I think it's time to lay down some ground rules. No one, not even you, is allowed in my bed. It's my bed. I've spent years making the perfect imprint in the mattress that allows me to sleep really comfortably every night. If your little butt's in it, you're gonna mess it all up! Besides, you have your own bed, so there's no reason to be in mine."
The Lombax dropped his friend onto the workbench, where a pillow and a green cloth were. Clank blinked a few times, "That all sounds rather ridiculous."
"It may be ridiculous, but it's still my bed. My bed. Your bed. Get it?"
"Yes, Ratchet, I understand," Clank said, trying his best to roll his eyes.
However, though Clank claimed that he understood, this incident happened once again.
It had been a long day at the garage. There were lines of people outside honking their horns and forcing Ratchet and Clank to work as fast and hard as they could. But because of the lack of employees and amount of energy they had, Grimroth closed up the shop early so they could rest for the next busy day. It was Ratchet's turn to put the tools away, and Ratchet wasn't feeling all that tired to be honest, so Clank went inside so he could go and rest. He needed to recharge badly. His battery was so low that he was having trouble keeping his eyes open (they were barely even lit).
The small warbot managed to crawl up the metal staircase up to Ratchet's loft so he could settle down and sleep for the evening so he could charge his battery. However, when he looked up at the workbench and saw the climb that he had to make, he sighed and shook his head. Then, with a hazy mind and conscious, Clank crawled into the fold out bed, snuggling under the covers and burying his face into the soft plushy pillow. Then he fell asleep.
Clank's nap was interrupted though, having woken up after receiving a flick between his two big eyes. The warbot yelped and sat up before rubbing his eyes and stretching his servos. He then looked up and saw Ratchet staring down at him with his hands on his waist. Clank tilted his head, wondering why he was looking at him like that. He then remembered where he had decided to rest instead of his workbench bed. The Lombax picked him up and put him on the workbench, telling him why he wasn't allowed on the bed again. And that he especially wasn't allowed to have it during the night. Clank apologized with a bit of sarcasm and then powered back down as Ratchet claimed his bed once again.
Ratchet thought that that would be the last time that he was going to see Clank in his bed. He was wrong, however, and it happened once more. Though this time was a bit different.
After getting up in the middle of the night to get some water, Ratchet climbed back up the steps and went back to bed, only to find that his bed was already occupied. Clank was sitting on it, his brilliant green eyes shining in the darkness, and he seemed to be looking down a bit. Ratchet raised an eyebrow since he had never seen Clank get up in the middle of the night. Not even when he sneaked snacks in the middle of the night (good thing Clank never woke up for that). Still, he folded his arms, thinking that the robot was in his bed just to make him mad.
"Hey! What's the big idea, Clank? Get out of my bed! You have your own bed!" Ratchet said, pointing to the workbench.
Clank blinked and looked up at the Lombax with a somewhat somber look on his face. This looked made Ratchet's stern expression soften. The warbot's head lowered again, "Forgive me, Ratchet, but...I had a rather unpleasant dream. About Victor Von Ion...he was chasing me with those lasers and Razor Claws again. And this, he managed to catch up to me..."
"...Oh."
Ratchet's ears lowered and he felt somewhat sorry for his friend. He knew that Clank was afraid of Victor Von Ion after the traumatic experiences that he went through with the hulking bot. But to actually have a nightmare about it? That was just...sad. He kind of felt bad for yelling now since he didn't allow Clank a chance to explain himself. He could have a bit of a temper sometimes. But it really wasn't mature to get angry over a bed, no matter how much effort he put into making it just right for him. So, tonight...or any other night that Clank needed...he would let this slide.
The Lombax smiled a bit and placed a hand on Clank's head, making the robot look at him, "Hey, um...why don't you sleep with me tonight? I'm sure that there's enough room for both of us."
Clank tilted his head ever so slightly, then a sad smile came onto his face, one that seemed to ask if it was really alright for him to be in his bed. Ratchet returned the smile and grabbed the robot by the shoulders, moving him over as he crawled onto the mattress and under the covers. In order to ensure that Clank wouldn't fall off the edge, Ratchet held the robot somewhat like a teddy bear just to make sure that he had a safe grip on him. Clank closed his eyes and smiled as he curled up into a ball like he would do in his own bed, and allowed the warmth of Ratchet's hold to envelop his metal shell.
Though the two had thought that sleeping in the same bed would have been awkward since they had never done this before, they felt more comfortable and secure with the other there. It was times like these that the two felt that meeting each other and becoming friends was some kind of fate and that it was meant to happen. It may have seemed a bit deep to be thinking that, especially since this was just a case of a scared, nightmare having robot wanting a friend to stay with. But it still felt right for the two, and it brought a smile to both of their faces knowing that their friend was just in arms reach.
Maybe it was time for Ratchet to start being more tolerant when it came to sharing his bed.
It's been awhile since I've written a Weekly Oneshot hasn't it? Welp...here ya go! A new one!
I feel like that Ratchet is the kind of person who doesn't like other people in his bed since it's been his and his alone for most of his life. So I thought that he would be hilariously protective of it. But then, he realizes that sharing it with Clank isn't so bad, leading up to a sweet ending that'll make people smile with warm hearts :)
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This is Amberdiamondswords, Lordess of Diamond Swordness, signing off!