Chapter 1

Thinking About Us

Ratchet laid his head on a pillow as soft as foam-filled jelly. The fabric squishing together as it adjusted to his small head and long pointed ears. His red nose wiggled a bit, tired green eyes scanning the darkroom around him. Only the dim blue glow of several Omni devices alit his modernized room. Tools and all sorts of equipment littered the floor. Which never surprised any guest he sparingly invited over. He tried to roll over when the bright city lights shined through his shutters, its frustrating flickers beckoning the small hero away from his twilight slumber.

"Man, it's true what they say…" he grumbled while smacking his gold-furred fist into his pillow.

"That the city never sleeps?" A whisper of a female voice perked his ears up.

Looking on his opposite side he saw a familiar white female lombax. Her trademark tuft of hair brushed to the side of her forehead like a swirl of vanilla ice cream. The black suit she typically wore replaced by an oversized t-shirt that Ratchet himself typically wore to bed, except for tonight. Rivet smiled as she roughly yanked the sheets clutched to his chin. Exposing the lighter hue of his belly that couldn't contain the delicate yet firm muscularity of his chest and torso. She arched an excited eyebrow as she ran her one organic hand over his muscle indention. Feeling the sexy crevice dividing his pectorals apart.

"How you'd know?" The male lombax smirked in a sassy remark, letting her grope him all over. "You live in a window-less garage on Sargasso, not exactly a concrete jungle like Veldin here."

Rivet rolled her blue eyes and rammed her electronic finger over his lips to shut him up. "The fact you think that place is anything but quiet is humorous." She removed her metal digit and flicked his nose. "Now shut up and let me finish inspecting this wondrous sight."

Ratchet flicked his ear, giving her an amused look mixed with befuddlement. "Okay, what about after your inspection? Can I finish talking then?"

Rivet sighed in frustration and removed her hand, pulling herself up by him and sitting cross-legged. "Okay," she shrugged her mismatched shoulders, the metal one clinking in response to the movement. "Is talking all you want to do?"

"Talking first, then this…" he grabbed his dimensional counterpart and shoved his lips into hers. The action startled the white lombax as her fur bristled, but it didn't take long before she melted into his rough snout lock.

The kiss started as rough as Rivet decided to fight back and shoved Ratchet right against the bed. His ears perked in surprise as the female lombax swooped to her feet and stood over him. Hands grabbing his waist as her blue eyes suggested something a step beyond flirtatious actions. Ratchet could only respond with a surprised laugh. Rivet narrowed one eyebrow in confusion.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" Ratchet laughed as he felt her grip tighten on him. He grunted in pain before tapping her shoulder to indirectly signal her to loosen the grip.

"Oh, I see," she smirked mockingly at him. "You only used to lady heroes like yourself, huh hotshot?"

"Yes and no, just can't get over how rebel you are. Even in the bedroom."

Rivet smacked her forehead, "Okay you got to talk. Now time to give me what I want." She rammed her mouth into his, resuming the roughness as her tail swished side to side. Eventually finding Ratchet's lion-like tail and intertwining itself with his.

Everything around him seemed to melt away as her white fur practically glowed in the darkness. Giving off an almost phantom-like appearance in the darkness of his room. Her blue eyes as equally bright as his Omni tools. It blended so well with his own emerald green eyes, something he could tell she loved. Always complimenting his eyes, how beautiful she thought they were.

As Rivet moved her hands a little lower…

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Ratchet shot awake in his bed, startled gaze sweeping over his room in moderate terror. Everything was exactly as he remembered; tools scattered everywhere. His shutters still closed, blocking the early morning flames of morning's horizon. The male lombax breathed another shaky sigh before inspecting himself. A large oversized black shirt wrapped snuggly around his small body. Wait, he paused, why was he wearing this shirt? He thought Rivet was wearing it. Flinging the covers off him, Ratchet felt around the crisp sheets and then paused.

Oh, it happened again, the dream…

The yellow feline angrily groaned, bumping his face into his open palms. Ever since the defeat of Rivet's interdimensional Nefarious, along with the disappearance of his own enemy, things have really settled down. They both carried pieces of the device that opened the entrance into the other's dimension, so they would visit each other on occasion. But with crime still running amok in Ratchet's universe, he found himself becoming busier and busier. Eventually, he and Rivet agreed to meet up when both had free time, but what he didn't know was this free time was becoming sparser.

It'd been months since he last saw the white lombax, face to face at least. They still communicate often through intergalactic messaging. But lately, Ratchet had found himself responding far slower to her messages than he typically would. He never understood why, he blamed it on overexerting himself.

Until the dreams started happening.

Ratchet yanked the shirt off and tugged on his usual orange gear. Maneuvering his way through the clutter, he found his way out the door and down the stairs. Its steps squeaking loudly, echoing through the quiet home that was becoming lonelier.

"Ratchet, you're up… earlier than usual," Clank spoke out, jarring Ratchet out of his early morning trance. He shot his eyes in the direction of the mini robot that was his closest friend and roommate. A newspaper crinkled in his three-fingered hands.

"Really? What time is it?"

"It's six a.m." The silver bot pointed his thumb to a nearby clock on the wall. "On days off you can usually sleep past noon."

Ratchet paused again, mind lingering back to the familiar imagery that harassed his conscious in the twilight hours. Tongue-tied, he stammered over his words, brain rushing for an explanation that hid the secret he tried desperately to keep.

"Uh, well… m—maybe I'm just getting my days and nights mixed." He snapped his fingers, "Yea that's it! Just been working hard, you know. Stuff like this happens to us organics."

"I believe you," Clank neatly folded the paper and hopped down from the comforter that was to big for him. "Except you leaving out a small fact."

"W—what fact?" Ratchet quickly shot back, fur bristled, and ears pointed upwards. Something he usually did when nervous and/or startled.

Clank rolled his optics and grabbed one of Ratchet's pockets. "You've been neglecting to take your medicine again."

Ratchet inhaled a huge sigh of relief but then forced on a straight face. "What are you talking about? I'm fine, I've always been fine!"

Clank got Ratchet's shirt and rolled up the orange fabric to reveal a large jagged cut right down his chest to his waist. It was both deep and wide, over fifty-six stitches barely holding the gnarly wound together. The wound looking as if Ratchet had been carefully sewn back together after getting cut in half. The yellow hero tore his eyes away from the wound and gently pushed Clank's hand away. Tugging his shirt back down, he walked past the worried robot.

"That little scratch has nothing to do with my restlessness Clank, how many times do I have to say it?" Ratchet stubbornly argued while tugging a bunch of cabinets open in a hopeful attempt to locate some breakfast.

Clank firmly crossed his arms, shooting a sour stare to the back of his best friend's head. "Ratchet, whether you like it or not, it does not change the fact you got injured two weeks ago."

"So? I'm always injured." Ratchet shot back while slapping a carton of milk on the table along with a box of human-made cereal.

"Not like this," Clank snapped back as Ratchet sourly dumped the milk into the bowl first. Something the lombax didn't typically do as he usually poured the cereal in first. The robot stomped up to his friend's chair so he could speak more clearly. "You make mistakes, but you rarely make near-fatal ones. You didn't even see that thief's blade shoot right at you." He grabbed Ratchet's arm to force his friend to look at him. "Please understand where I'm coming from, I am only concerned. You've been very distracted lately and it almost cost you your life."

Ratchet softened his expression but kept his eyes glued to his food as he grabbed a spoon and sloppily shoved it into his maw. Liquids dripping from his snout as he struggled to focus on it. Clank sighed and gave a firm facepalm.

"It is clear you cannot keep fighting after such an injury, the doctor said you were lucky."

"What are you saying?" Ratchet quickly cut off his friend, startled eyes begging for an answer that wasn't the truth.

"You have to stop fighting… for good," Clank spoke quietly, eyes solemn, wishing he didn't have to utter such words that shocked his friend. "Or, go find some help. If you wish to continue with this."

Dropping his gaze, Ratchet looked away from his friend. As much as he wished this talk would stop, he couldn't deny reality. Clank was right and just trying to look out for him. The weeks he spent in the hospital left him riddled with fear, remembering the pain of the many operations he had to have to save his life.

Is this how Rivet felt when she lost her arm?

"You can always call Rivet and Kit to request—" Clank started before a hand slapping the table quieted him.

"No!" He snapped but softening his voice when seeing Clank's upset response. "I-I just mean… i-I can handle this. It's no problem."

"You still haven't told Rivet about your stay in the hospital… have you?" Clank asked, hands returning to his hips, eyes squinted in recovered sternness.

All the lombax could do was twiddle his thumbs. "N—no I haven't said anything," he quickly sat straight up, arms crossing to defy Clank's accusing gaze. "But that'd be selfish of me to do, she and Kit are finally getting the hang of working with a team. I'm not going to distract her with my problems, especially when said problems are under control."

"Then at least respond to her messages more often, I can tell she's been worried."

Sighing, Ratchet smashed his face against his hands, dragging his fingers downwards till his eyelids were pulled low enough to expose his tired eyes. "I'll… reply to her tonight, promise."

Sighing, his mini bot turned away and walked out of the room. Once the male lombax was left alone, he slumped his shoulders, back muscles trembling to support his weight. No longer having the strength to hold his spoon, he shoved the food away from his snout. Ratchet laid his head against the table, feeling the heavy dark circles beneath his eyes.

He knew his friend saw right through him, now even his stubbornness was failing. Clank obviously didn't connect all the dots, which relieved Ratchet. If his best friend found out the source to his odd behavior, it would lead to it being exposed. He couldn't help but wonder how others would respond.

Pondering this while propping his head up with one hand, Ratchet allowed his mind to picture different scenarios. Some might laugh, others would doubt, most probably wouldn't care, and she probably would reject him.

His eyes shot open at the last thought as he quickly ushered them away. Groaning in pain, Ratchet forced himself to retrieve the discarded food to finish it. Stomach still feeling weak, he forced another chew and swallow.

No one could know this truth. Especially not Rivet. He was going to make sure of that.