Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its characters. The prompt list I am following is "fluffuary 2020" by hannapogton on Twitter. StarryEyedEm picked the prompt for me to follow.
Alright, so this couple came to be on Twitter after a bit of discourse came around. There were so many people that trashed on Nef and Tal that some peeps (TurquoisePhoenix and Slipsy2) got the ball rolling and made stuff in shipping Nef and Tal. I've been doing my part and writing fics for these two, and there's more than a few Talarious fics besides this one coming soon! For now, I hope you all enjoy this one!
Picnic for Two
"And you're sure everything's okay?"
Talwyn sipped at the fizzy punch, a smile lifting up one corner of her mouth. "It's lovely, doc," she said after a quick swallow. Bubbles ran down her throat, and a lovely fruity taste lingered on her tongue. "For a guy that supposedly doesn't have too much experience with romance, you knew how to pick the right things."
Nefarious tucked a hand behind his large head, and his optics looked nervously to the side. "Well… I had help picking out the food. It's been too long since I last had food, so I didn't know what food squishies enjoyed for picnics."
A chuckle left Talwyn. "I'm guessing Lawrence made the sandwiches?"
Grumbles fell from the scientist's mouth. "He insisted in making them the second I touched the tip of my foot to the kitchen floor."
"To be fair," Talwyn set down her drink and lifted the crafted sandwich, nodding her head to the numerous savory meats and vegetables between the pieces of toasted sourdough bread. "Some of this stuff looks like it would have required some cooking, and I don't know how well you are at handling a skillet."
Metal arms crossed over a skinny chest. "It can't be that hard, now can it?" the scientist muttered. "It's not rocket science."
"It takes some time getting used to, and the first few times you try to cook something, you tend to get it wrong since you're still getting used to how the heat works and how fast the food cooks." Talwyn tilted her head, flashing a soft smile to the robot sitting beside her. "I can show you how some of it works if you want."
Nefarious stared at her face, blinking and staying quiet before clearing his throat and looking away bashfully. "Um… yeah… I'd like that."
The two of them fell silent, letting the park's natural atmosphere settle over their space.
All around them, Meridian City's Central Park fell into the lull of twilight. Orange rays blanketed the sky, and stray wisps of clouds softened the warm orange with reds and purples. The last few birds chirped their night calls as the insects crawled out to savor the dusk.
From the hill the two of them sat on, the rest of the park began to turn in for the coming night. Creatures of all kinds picked up their trash and supplies, carrying sleepy kids to their starships. The falling sun painted the background, framing every family and couple in soft illumination.
Everything fell into a peaceful serenity, a world revitalizing for the next phase of the planet's dance through space.
Talwyn pulled her legs up to her chest, tucking her arms over her calves. After a moment, she breathed in, taking in the fresh night air. "This is really nice, Nefarious, and I'm having a nice time so far. I'm glad I took you up on your offer."
"Oh, it was nothing…" Nefarious' gesture felt slightly forced but sincere, like he was still learning how to properly express healthy emotions but had the passion behind it. His claws absently scratched at his neck before he mimicked Talwyn's pose. "I… asked some… uh… friends about what to do for you, and they suggested this."
Ratchet's image flitted through her mind, and warmth balled in her heart when she looked back to the robot. Nefarious was trying, and it showed how much he wanted this to work out. The smile at her mouth curled higher at the corners.
Nefarious startled after a moment, reaching for the scattered utensils littering the checkered blanket beneath them. "Right! Right! I think the park thing said it closes at seven. I'll start putting things away." Claws scooped up the forks and spoons off the cloth, and his other arm reached to his right to grab the picnic basket.
Pink fingers moved towards the strawberries and the fondue cup, closing the lids to both holders. She leaned close to Nefarious, bending around his arms to put the leftover food back in the basket.
"I liked this a lot, Nef." She beamed up at him and earned a nervous smile in return. "I'd love to do this again sometime," she said with a bump of her hip to his.
The blinding grin of utter joy that decorated the scientist's mouthpiece was a sight to see.
"Yes! Of course!" Nefarious' hands quickly scooped up the rest of the supplies, his optics never drifting from Talwyn. "I'll start looking for something else to do!"
The Markazian laughed as she folded up the blanket. "And I look forward to what's to come..."
Song Inspo: "Be My Baby" by Ariana Grande.
FGHJKL One down. Gunna see about writing some more bc this ship couple makes me feel warm inside.
Thank you so much for reading and supporting! :D