18 Days Remaining...
The rain pours outside as Nova finishes closing the garage door. Clank drops from his perch, and his trainee moves to another room to change into dry clothes. Upon returning, she grabs a nearby mop to gather the excess water that trailed across the floor, draining it into the bucket. Clank never moves, watches the skies, and stares through the windows as Nova works. "Of all the times to rain, it had to be this month. Guess I won't be training anymore today. Hm, maybe I can read over some blueprints or something to make up for lost time. It's crazy though; you told me that storms here are pretty rare, since it's a desert planet. Timing couldn't be worse though."
Upon not hearing a response, Nova gets a tad worried. She looks down, and the robot is visibly tense, looking outside with worry in his eyes. "Clank? You okay?"
Clank shakes his head, his eyes tightly shut. He looks at Nova in an attempt to distract himself with her conversation. "I will be fine. I was simply concerned with this storm."
"Well, the roof is in pretty good shape, considering it's age." She glances up at the ceiling to confirm her words. "No leaks or anything, so everything should stay dry."
"That is true, but not what I meant. I am more worried about the-" There's a sudden flash of lightning, followed by the roar of the elements. Clank replaces the rest of that sentence with a scream that frightens Nova.
"Clank! Are you alright?"
His voice trembles with his words. "I will.. be fine when the storm passes."
Clank's sudden change of personality throws Nova for a loop. I've never seen him this freaked out. Her mind searches for a reason, and a particular story sticks out in her mind. When they first met, they went to Oltanis, and... "You were struck by lightning, right?"
Another clap of thunder sends Clank running for the nearby desk. He retracts into his backpack mode, his optics glued shut. "I have not witnessed a storm of this nature in many decades. I suppose I am not fully accustomed to being back in the universe after all."
"Oh, right. The Clock doesn't have thunderstorms."
Another clap of thunder, and Clank's frame ticks as he shakes. It breaks Nova's heart to see so much fear in Clank, especially since he's been a pillar of strength for her in the past many times. I guess it's my turn now. "Well, you don't have to be scared alone. I'm here, right?"
Nova leans down near the desk, and her arms are outstretched. Clank looks up at her, his limbs slowly reappear, and the rumbling of the skies sends him jumping into her arms. She sits down, holding Clank close as she tries to think of a way to calm him down. "It's going to be alright, Clank. I'm here."
Clank's ticking stops, and he grips Nova tightly. The reassurance helps, but it's still not enough for Nova. He's still trembling, what should I do? Nova recalls her parents singing to her when she was frazzled by a nightmare, sick with a stomach bug, or simply depressed, and fondly remembers how much it helped her. Maybe that'll help him too. The organic takes a deep breath.
"Moon river, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style someday."
Clank stops shaking, instead looking up to Nova. Her voice is low, and she gently cradles him as her voice carries the notes.
"Oh dream maker, you heartbreaker,
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way."
Her eyes are her own, half-lidded, like the song is a lullaby that has brought her peace in the past. He can feel her throat vibrate with each and every word, as well as feel her heartbeat. His grip loosens.
"Two drifters, off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see."
Clank's memory banks rewind to the many times Ratchet would comfort him in a similar way. Tracking the vitals of his organic companions has always been a bit of a comfort, and Nova is no exception. But this atmosphere, feels...different. For starters, one would be lucky to hear Ratchet humming in the shower. He never sang in the presence of others, with the only exception to that rule being his wedding. Those who managed to catch him in the act in secret were usually pleasantly surprised.
"We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend.
My huckleberry friend, moon river and me."
The song draws to a close, and the tension has left the room. The storm rages on outside, but it seems smaller somehow. Less important than the here and now. Nova's eyes open, meeting Clank's as he brings up a burning question. "That song was beautiful. Where did you hear it?"
"My mom used to sing it to me. She said it's an Old Earth song, and that the lyrics suited me. I was never sure what she meant by that though. At first, I thought it was because there's mention of the moon, and I've always loved space. Now that I think about it, maybe there's more to it than that."
"Why do you say that?"
A clap of thunder, but neither of them are affected by the noise.
"It's not a story about the moon. It's a story about finding someone to enjoy life with, travel the universe with. Two souls facing the future together."
Nova looks away for a moment, and she hums with her realization. "Kinda like us, I guess. Maybe she was trying to tell me the truth this whole time."
Clank's optics tilt in a thoughtful look, and the thunder roars again. The accompanying flash of light illuminates the room for a moment, but the black clouds above the storm quickly overpower it. The sound of falling rain could be compared to soft holovision static, and it brings the both of them a sense of peace. Nova glances around the dark room, and slowly stands with Clank still in her arms. "I wonder if there's any candles in here..."
Clank brightens his optics, directing Nova towards the nearby workbench. "In the top drawer, there is a small lantern that will provide a bit more light."
Nova follows his light, and sure enough, there's the aforementioned lamp. "Then let there be light." With a turn of the small dial at its base, a soft white glow surrounds the device. She moves to place the lantern on the coffee table, settling onto the couch to get more comfortable.
"Nova?" Clank looks up to Nova as they sit together, and she meets his gaze.
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
The thunder seems to have stopped for now, but they stay together regardless.