Author's notes: Welcome to the first installment of my new idea involving putting together a collection of different pairings in domestic (kinda) scenes.
To be honest, I'm surprised that I was able to come up with this idea despite my busy schedule involving being in the roleplay community, but fortunately my inspiration to write fanfiction came out on top. Now from the what the summary said (and what I said above) you already know what this fanfiction piece(s) entails. Well, I'm here to say that you don't know all the details yet. Don't worry though, I won't go on and on about it all at once. I'll just tell you what you need to know regarding certain ships that will be written.
This ship we're starting out with on the first chapter/scene is an unexpected one and probably almost completely foreign in the fandom. Makes sense though since I for one only started shipping it due to my roleplay shenanigans. This particular scene is actually written for a friend on tumblr that I roleplay with sometimes; talking about you Nebulombax. Anyway, I gotta inform you that my interpretation of Klunk is rather different; very different actually.
Don't worry though, he's still a sassy, squishy hating (mostly the stupid ones), tsundere to some extent. But he actually has other traits besides those due to being further developed by me (and NO, the events of 'Secret Agent Clank' are NOT canon here or on my blog).
No need to be concerned though, eventually every ship included in this collection will have a one-shot explaining how they got together. Also if you have any further inquiries I will answer them to the best of my ability.
Okay, enough of my rambling; it's time to get to the reason why you clicked on this fic. Hope you enjoy what this trashy nerd has to offer!
Scene 1: P.D.A
It was supposed to be a date of sorts, an outing together to a popular cafe in the city in an effort to display their closeness out in public...instead of keeping it strictly behind closed doors. Which had been ideal for the past month since they had officially gotten together.
Though strangely enough, the proposed idea to go on a date hadn't been suggested by either of the individuals involved. No, it was actually brought up by a certain diminutive robot who was the sole lifeform who knew about said relationship. And of course supported the arrangement to its fullest capacity.
Should I be thanking Clank for this opportunity or- A pair of glowing green orbs were trained on a particular gloved hand swinging back and forth with residual motion, their gaze unfaltering for the moment as various thoughts flittered around within their mind. An odd mental urge had developed unexpectedly as Klunk strode down the streets of Meridian city, walking side by side with his former ex nemesis; now current romantic partner, or 'boyfriend' for the usual term (it was still something that needed getting used to regarding the furball he used to despise). This urge he possessed involved doing something he had never properly done with anyone before, other than in a platonic manner with his identical counterpart.
Holding hands.
An overall simple gesture in theory, but more than a little complicated depending on whom you were sharing it with in real time. And in this case, the notion alone was rather difficult to pursue. Seeing as how he had yet to even touch upon it with Ratchet. In public no less.
A breath of unneeded air was taken in hopes of calming himself, the cool autumn atmosphere being rather inviting if one ignored the chilly temperatures alongside it. He wanted...no he seemed to yearn to put it to the test. Besides, it was a normal thing that couples engaged in daily; perhaps it wouldn't end badly if they did it themselves.
All Klunk needed was a short interval of time where the lombax would be effectively distracted enough to cease in his tracks, then he would be able to-
Sandy furred ears instinctively twitched as a rather unfavorable breeze rolled by, ruffling any exposed fur it could find, and of course offering an uncomfortable chill to sail over them. Perhaps he should have invested in those custom made ear warmers offered the other day by an overly friendly shopkeep; maybe even one for his tail if possible.
Said striped tail swished idly behind him with a slight shudder as Ratchet abruptly stopped at the edge of the stone walkway, the gloved hand not situated near Klunk lifting up to briefly adjust the lining of his double layered winter coat.
Obviously much less flattering and appealing than the lavender colored single layer coat his robotic companion donned for the outdoor occasion. Heck it also probably had proper thermal pockets built in despite it's expensive taste; courtesy of whatever highly fashionable and practical boutique it came from (he recalled one being mentioned at some point in Meridian).
"Uh, Klunk?". An expression painted with utter confusion lingered on his furry features, emerald eyes scanning the area around them with a sense of being totally lost. Probably because he most likely was.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but, that cafe Clank mentioned- we're not getting any closer to it; are we?". Honestly, the small robot was aware that their current direction was incorrect in finding their destination. But due to his internal musings and attempt at going through with his personal objectives, he had simply let his partner lead them in whatever direction he deemed fit for now. Even if the direction was completely wrong.
However, as soon as Ratchet came to a halt, the inquiry posed to him was the least of Klunk's concerns.
A single metallic hand had moved forwards, seemingly fueled by a sudden rush of bravery once an opportunity had finally arisen. Fingers clumsily entwined with gloved ones, Klunk lacking a few less digits than him but managing to interlock the ones he had regardless. His mechanical pulse didn't fail to instantly quicken at the executed action; a light pinkish hue forming on his cheeks as another added result. Even through those signature gloves that the organic lifeform almost always wore, the hand still felt comfortable and warm. A friendly and welcoming heat source amongst the offputting weather.
And he blatantly clung to it, both mind and body being enveloped by the sensations the display of affection brought. What could be described as pure elation promptly spread through him, a pleasant sense of joy ignited by this innocent display of affection. Klunk were grateful for the fact he had decided not to wear gloves himself.
Seriously, it was strange what the simple act of holding hands could do between two bonded individuals.
Unknowing to the robot, Ratchet had gone completely still, the earlier question hanging in the air and being neglected entirely. His head tilted to the side, shifting to glance downward to address the situation. He had a hunch at what it was, but he still needed confirmation nonetheless. And that's what he got, as his eyes were met with a most surprising sight.
Klunk was holding his hand, an endearing smile lighting up his face, along with a visible pink hue accentuating it. It was a peculiar sight, especially one to witness out in public. Words caught in the male's throat, mouth moving but unable to form any sounds.
In other words, Ratchet was speechless.
Eventually, amidst Klunk's personal moment of joy he sensed the feeling of someone's attention on him. Reluctantly he tore himself away from indulging in the gesture, and looked up, straight into the emerald irises of his stunned boyfriend...
Already warm metallic cheeks heated up further, brightening in color as Klunk uncontrollably became flustered as he realized what he had been doing.
"R-Ratchet, I-I-". His voice stammered in an effort to explain his actions, embarrassment rising up inside him at an exceeding rate. Despite that, his hand remained attached to Ratchet's. A part of him wishing for it to last longer still.
A humorous chuckle suddenly projected outwards from the lombax after a short period of silence, a cocky grin invading to replace the previously shocked expression from before. "No need to explain yourself, Klunk. I'm pretty sure I understand your actions". Ratchet found himself giving the hand entwined with his a light squeeze; it felt cold in his grasp, and he wondered if Klunk had been bothered by it (enough to seek suitable warmth perhaps?).
Robot or not, lots of lifeforms were negatively affected by cold temperatures.
He might've been a bit shocked at first, but holding hands with someone wasn't exactly foreign to him. Though, it was an entirely new thing for his boyfriend to experience, particularly in a romantic sense.
Automatically, his other gloved appendage scratched behind his exposed ear. A physical expression of feeling a little awkward.
"I was just, surprised that's all. I mean, this kind of stuff takes a lot of courage ya know". Especially in public. The lombax found himself mentally adding with a faint breath outward, eyes making a quick sweep across the area to see if anyone were watching them, before settling back on his companion. Last thing they needed was some nosy paparazzi snapping holopics to pass onto the news hungry media. He was pretty sure Klunk wouldn't appreciate the intruding attention; actually the robot would probably threaten to slaughter the poor lifeform behind it if the opportunity was present.
"O-Oh". Klunk, still a tad bit flustered, responded in a half murmur. A metaphorical weight had been lifted off his shoulders at the confirmation that Ratchet was -at least it seemed that way- in favor of holding hands. However, his initial bashfulness pertaining to being caught still remained. Legs fidgeted on the spot as the bot tried to come up with an idea to ward away the remaining awkwardness of the situation. Fortunately the first thing that popped into mind was fairly doable...and would allow them to vacate the area swiftly before anyone saw them.
With a tug against the hand he still comfortably latched onto, he began to pull Ratchet forwards, leading him in a completely different direction than the one they had been following. Specifically, the right one which would actually lead them to their destination this time.
Emerald eyes blinked in slight confusion, but didn't take long to transform into a look of understanding. And while deciding to avoid any cocky comments (for now), they were well on their way to the 'dating spot' that had been chosen. Not once parting in their affectionate act of handholding until they arrived.
Maybe strictly keeping their relationship secret shouldn't be their ideal objective anymore.
Yep, Ratchet/Klunk. You're all confused, I'm almost 100% sure on that. Don't worry though. Like I mentioned before I am open to questions on any of the ships/pairings featured here. Most of which, especially this one, are only known by a few people (me and my friends).
Also, despite these pairings being mostly handpicked by me through preference, you are welcome to suggest something in the reviews/comments.
Whether it be a stated ship you want to see, a prompt for any ship, or a prompt for a certain ship. However, despite me saying this there is no guarantee that I will be able to write it. So I hope you will forgive me if I turn something down if I dislike or can't write the ship no matter what I do.
Other upcoming pairings that you will probably see at some point in this collection: Clank/Elaris, Ratchet/Clank, OC/Klunk, Clank/Klunk, OC/Clank. And possibly more that you haven't seen before! Note: Most of them have Clank or Klunk included.