Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its characters. Rivet and Clank is a cute dang ship to think about, and hhh I might as well write some stuff out for it.

For a Wrench and a Bolt

Date Night (Rivet/Clank)

Chapter Summary: Post-RA, so spoilers abound. Clank has a surprise for the female Lombax his heart had decided to attach to…

Zurkie's looked a lot different from the last time Rivet had visited it.

In the far corner booth—the one she always sat at whenever it was empty—strings of soft lights decorated the circular wall. Candles lit the round bar table, illuminating a pearl-white tablecloth decorated with exotic flowers at the hem. Soft music drifted in from a little speaker on the table.

Clank stood in front of the left chair, dressed in a black tux with a light-green bowtie that matched his optic color. A nervous smile pulled at his mouthpiece, and even with his hands clasped together, the little fingers twitched and rubbed together with anxious energy.

"Good evening, Rivet." Clank stared at her for a moment too long before jerking and motioning to the table. "I am… overjoyed that you accepted my invitation for a date night."

He was going to such a long length, and the fact that he was brought a lightness to the Lombax's heart.

"'Course, Bolts." Her demeanor softened, and her right hand lifted to her cheek. "You know, when you said you wanted to go on a date together, I wasn't expecting this." She paused, taking the beautiful scene in. "This is so nice. Like, really, really nice." Her quiet laugh hovered over the space between them. "I feel underdressed in my usual outfit. You sure I didn't have to dress up for this?"

Any worry that had been in Clank's body language disappeared. He giggled, hopping onto his side of the booth. "I have been around you and Ratchet for long enough to know that neither of you would feel comfortable in formal outfits. This evening is dedicated to us eating and holding discussions in a comfortable environment, and I am fine with you in your everyday wear."

One corner of Rivet's mouth lifted higher than the other. She stepped over to her side of the booth, sinking into the soft cushions. "You're more comfortable in the tux?"

Clank matched her playful smile. "It gives me confidence," he said, unraveling his napkin and spacing out his utensils. His optics met Rivet's eyes. "I also donned this particular outfit because of the character I played in a holo-vision show."

"Oh, so you're an actor, huh, Bolts?"

Another happy chortle left him before he paused. "Oh! That is right!" He turned, nodding to the little Zurkon server floating up to the table.

The server didn't have to ask them anything. They just saw the nod, and quickly turned back around to head for the bar.

"You really planned this all out…" Rivet murmured, relaxing her body into her seat.

"Indeed." Clank turned his head back to her. "I took great care to select something for you that you will like. As much as I want you to have freedom in your choice of cuisine, I wanted to order food that will make this event special."

A snort left the Lombax across from him. "Oh boy… the only thing that's top-of-the-line here is-"

"Your order, Miss Rivet."

A platter of meats, vegetables, and soft bread rolls lowered onto Rivet's side of the table. The scent of garlic and savory red meat tickled the Lombax's nose, and as her mouth dropped open in surprise, her mouth watered.

The server chuckled and turned to Clank. "Would that be all for tonight, or would you care for anything off our menu?"

"Oh, thank you, but I must decline."

"Then with that-" they whirled around, dramatically bowing to the two and floating away "-enjoy Zurkie's infamous 'Taste of the Universe' meal!"

It took a good bit of time before Rivet snapped out of her trance. Her fingers ripped at her napkin, throwing the article next to the speaker, and snatched up the utensils. The fork and knife were already moving when her mouth began to speak.

"The-" munch "'-Taste of the Universe-'" munch "-is like-" munch "-the most expensive thing on the menu-"

Clank grinned softly, watching Rivet with a gentle gaze as the Lombax talked around her food. "It is a small price to pay if it is a dish you hold in high value."

Rivet swallowed another mouthful of food, heaving in a gulp of air and leaning back from the plate. "Yeah," she gasped. "This is Zurkie's prime dish. Most of the food is just regular stuff you can get at a bar, but to further set themselves up from their competitors, they made this dish the main event of their restaurant." Rivet scooped up a forkful of savory foods and held it up to show the little robot across from her. "A perfect balance of healthy stuff and unhealthy stuff! Flavors from all the most accessible places of the galaxy, but all mixed together in a way that hits the best of every part. Not the heaviest meal, but enough on the plate to leave you full and give you your bolt's worth!"

A dreamy look appeared on Clank's face. "I am glad to hear that this dish is something you are enjoying, Rivet…"

"Absolutely, Bolts." Another scoop of food went to her mouth before her left hand snagged one of the bread rolls. "But enough about food," she said, gulping down the mouthful. "What was that about you being an actor? I gotta know now that you've given me such a juicy piece of info…"

Pride shone on Clank's face. "Well, I used to star in a holo-vision series known as 'Secret Agent Clank.' The show centered around me and fictional adventures, and I took on many corrupt enemies within the years the show went on."

Rivet raised an eyebrow. "Lemme guess-" she tore off a piece of bread and popped it into her mouth "-you got a bit of that Agent Clank persona outside of the show?"

Clank winked. "I apologize for the sudden correction; however, it is Secret Agent Clank. My true identity is a large secret to my enemies."

"Ah," Rivet drawled. Her eyebrows lifted high on her forehead, and a joking tone painted her words. "Got it. Thanks for the clarification, Secret Agent Bolts."

"Of course, Miss Rivet."

Both shared a laugh, and as Rivet went back to eating, Clank lifted a questioning finger. "Are you interested in continuing that topic of discussion, or would you be inclined to tell me more about yourself and your past?"

"I'd love to…" Rivet said. "Well, give you a bit of info on myself before we head back to your acting career. Whatcha wanna know about me that you don't already know?"

Clank tilted his head, raising a hand to lay a finger against the side of his head. He looked down to the table, optics slitted in focus, and tapped his head. Rivet watched, laughing under her breath at the adorable gesture.

"Ah!" Clank said, brightening up. He dropped his hand and turned his gaze back to the Lombax across from him. "Since I am more familiar with your past, I would love to make an inquiry about your hobbies."

"You wanna know what I like to do?"

"Indeed."

Rivet chewed on her food thoughtfully, looking up and off to the side. "Well, outside of running missions for the Resistance, I really liked fixing ships and tinkering a lot."

"I would expect nothing less from a Lombax."

"What can I say, Bolts?" She spread out her arms and gestured to herself. "Tinkering's in our blood. It doesn't matter the Lombax, we love to pull things apart, find out how they work, and put 'em back together again." She laughed, poking her fork at the half-finished plate of food. "But I do have more hobbies than just tinkering. I really love dancing a ton, and if I wasn't dancing here by the jukebox, I was practicing my moves in my little hideout."

"Perhaps taking you to a dance club is another possible future date idea…?"

There was a touch of uncertainty in Clank's voice, so Rivet bobbed her head. "Oh, definitely," she confirmed. "I'd love to go on another date after this one."

"Eheeheehee, this date still has not reached the halfway mark, so I am honored to hear that you would like to accompany me on another date together."

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely more than interested." Rivet stuck a pepper in her mouth, relishing the spicy kick. "I'll smoke you on the dance floor on that date, you watch me."

"I have no doubt you will," Clank teased. "Though, I would also be grateful if you shared your knowledge on the subject of dancing."

She swallowed. "I know a ton, so trust me when I say that we'll have a great time getting down on the dancefloor." The playful smile from earlier reappeared on her lips. "I think I even know a different place we could go if you didn't wanna keep coming here for dates."

"In that case-" Clank crossed his arms over his chest "-I am more than happy to 'get down' on the dancefloor with you, Rivet."

Snorty laughter burst out from the Lombax. "Oh my gods, you're such a dork. An adorable dork, but a dork nonetheless."

"I live to please," Clank cooed.

Another shared laugh left them.

The conversation took a moment of pause as Rivet focused on eating some more of her food. During the time she ate, Clank waved the same server from earlier over and ordered a tall glass of water for the Lombax. By the time the spiciness of some of the peppers became unbearable for Rivet, a glass of water covered with condensation appeared just within reach.

She drained half the glass in a few short gulps before slamming the glass back down with a loud burp. Her eyelids slipped closed, and she leaned back in her seat. "Wow… that was good. Haven't had that good of a meal in a loooonng time…"

"Again, I am glad."

"Alright, I wanna hear more about you, Bolts." Rivet cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you like to do on your off-time? Got any of your own hobbies?"

Embarrassment crossed over Clank's facial expression. "It is… 'dorky', as you may describe it…"

Rivet shrugged, good nature in the action. "It doesn't matter how nerdy it is to me, Bolts," she said, shifting in her seat. "Even if it's something like stamp collecting, I'd like to hear about what makes you tick."

Clank fell quiet for a moment, looking down at the table and working through a response, before looking back up to Rivet. "I… do love to read whenever I am not occupied with some kind of work."

"Reading isn't bad." Rivet picked her fork back up, poking at the remains of her dinner. "Whatcha like to read?"

"I enjoy academia and scientific articles the most, as they aid me in expanding my current pool of knowledge and challenge my processing systems to critically think about the omniverse around me." Clank paused, and his embarrassment shone bright on his face. "Erm, I also enjoy certain genres of fiction and creative nonfiction as well. Mainly high-fantasy fiction, something with a great quality of world-building and lore within the story's world."

"That's actually really cool, Bolts." Rivet perked up, straightening and leaning toward Clank. "If you're into wizards and magic and stuff, I know a comic shop that used to be around a little before Emperor Conehead decided to take over the whole place. It was shut down during his reign, but I think I heard rumors that it was going to open back up again now that he's gone. It was full of figures, comics, and board games that you might like."

"Oooh!" Giddiness filled the little robot, and he clapped his hands together with excitement. "I would be quite interested in visiting that shop if you are ever willing to take me."

"Trust me," Rivet began, laughing at the little robot, "if it means that I get to see more of this cute dorky stuff, then you bet your radiator that I'll find a way to take you."

Clank softened as she picked up her water glass and drank more of the cool liquid. Love filled the green of his optics. "Thank you, Rivet…"

She winked back at him.

After another drink, Rivet set her glass down. A content sigh left her mouth, along with another small burp. She pounded her chest, shook her head, and stretched out her arms. "Alright, Bolts, I can tell you've got something up your sleeve. You don't seem like the type of guy that only takes a date out to dinner. We going to a movie next?"

Clank's giggle echoed in her ears. "Oh, no. I figured that, while stimulating for you, a movie might not be the best choice for the evening." His expression grew mischievous. "I may have arranged for some… interactive entertainment for tonight."

He nodded toward the arena, and that's when Rivet felt her heart grow several times over for the little robot.

She turned to look back at him, an evil smirk decorating her mouth. "Now you're talkin', Bolts." Rivet rose from her seat, stepping to Clank's side and holding out her hand. "Come on, let's go kick some butt and show them who the real power couple is."

Clank looked at her hand, then grinned playfully. "Does this mean that we are perhaps dating now…?"

Rivet matched his expression. "You know, I think it does…"

He grabbed her hand, and as she flipped him onto her back, his laugh filled her ears.

"Alright, you sweet little dork," Rivet began, stretching out her arms and loosening her shoulders. "Let's get to that second half of the date…"

Song Inspo: "One Mo Time" by Ann Marie ft. Sonta.

I honestly had so much fun writing this out, and I might continue this in another oneshot for this collection. Rivet and Clank are so sweet to imagine together, and ahhh goodness, I love writing them and their relationships together.

Thank you all so much for reading and supporting! :D