A/N: It's been a while. A LOOONNGGGGG while.

I've had writer's block for the last seven years or so and at one point completely lost interest. I still wanted to write but my brain wouldn't let me and anything I tried to force my way through came out completely awful. But somehow I found the spark to write this piece here. Took me a year but I finished it. Apologies if it's not the same quality I used to dish out. I was even hesitant to post it but people on have been very kind to me and I felt I owed it to my readers (if any are still left) to give you something after all this time.

This doesn't mean I'm making a return but it at least opens up the possibility to the idea. At any rate, thank you to anyone who has ever read my stories and I hope you will get some enjoyment out of this one. Cheers.

P.S. - DO NOT FLOOD THE REVIEW SECTION ASKING ME WHEN A SPECIFIC STORY WILL BE UPDATED.

Ratchet and Clank and all other characters belong to Insominac.

You Making My Dream Come True

"Man, she looks so blue."

"Really? I would have said silver tone with solid purple stripes. Perhaps my optic sensors have needed an upgrade all this time."

"It's an expression, Clank. She's not literally blue."

"Oh. What exactly does this expression mean?"

"It means she's sad."

Ratchet stared at his dimensional counterpart from across the gastropub. Through the wild cast of species and robots that were scattered about drinking, conversing, and watching the violent mayhem unfold in the arena below, the other lombax was not hard to spot for a variety of reasons. Whether it be due to her robotic arm, interesting color pattern that Clank had pointed out, witty and sassy attitude that could outshine anyone in the room, or simply because she was the only lombax in this dimension. You could take your pick and any answer would be the right one, but to Ratchet, it was a combination of all of them.

Rivet currently sat with Kit; the little female (if that was the correct term) version of Clank was offering her soft optics and moving her mouth plate with words he could not hear. She looked to be trying to console her friend, who sat across the table from her, leaning on folded arms and her deep sapphire eyes downcast on the drink in front of her. Whether or not Rivet was listening was anyone's guess, but Ratchet had a feeling that whatever Kit was saying was not having the desired effect. The galactic hero sighed as he leaned against the bar, crossing his arms over his chest. His robotic best friend slanted his optic shields in concern.

"That is quite distressing," Clank lamented. "I do not understand why she would be sad. Did we not have a good time on Sargasso earlier racing Speetles and helping the Morts realign that gelatonium pump housing?"

"I don't think anything happened, pal. I think she's just having one of those moments."

"What do you mean?" Clank inquired, looking up at his friend.

The male lombax shrugged his shoulders and made a face that suggested that he was struggling to find an answer, or at least one that he could explain to the robot. "I think Rivet might be feeling a little...Lonely maybe?"

"But she has us and Kit; does she not? Why would she feel lonely?"

"Maybe lonely wasn't the right word. How can I explain this?" Ratchet muttered, scratching the back of his right ear. "She lost a lot of friends during the resistance against Emperor Nefarious. I don't really think that the three of us can replace a void that big. Even when I was with you having the time of my life, I still thought about all the things I had lost. Cronk and Zephyr, Alister...my mom and dad...and basically my entire species. I know what it's like to get down in the dumps even when everything around you is good. It's a weird and stupid thing our organic brains like to do to us."

Clank processed what he had just been told before nodding in agreement with his partner. "I believe I understand. I know you often struggled with those feelings, Ratchet. I had always wished I could do more for you in those times."

Ratchet blinked before looking down at Clank. He gave him a warm smile and softly shook his head.

"Aw, what are you apologizing for, buddy? You were always there for me when I needed to get that stuff off my chest. In fact, you were the only person I could really talk to about it."

"Still, I did not like seeing you having trouble with your dumps."

"Okay, first of all; that's just another expression. Second, never say that again."

Shaking his head, Ratchet returned his attention back to Rivet. She was talking to Kit, but her eyes were still directed towards the table, her shoulders occasionally shrugging or her head shaking as if denying some sort of possible notion or comment that Kit was suggesting. Ratchet could feel his ears drop at the sight of her crestfallen features. It pained him to see her like that, even if it was to be a short-lived moment of bad reminiscing or a brief haunting of memories. The longer Ratchet stared, the more he began to sink into a part of his brain that he had tried to shut out for quite some time. Somewhere among all the crammed space of affinity for gadgets, technology, weapons, exploration, and the occasional desire for a Kerwan Deep Dish Cheese Pie, a new thing had managed to find its own little spot, and it was starting to grow and push those other things to the side.

Recounting his thoughts from earlier about the many ways that Rivet stood out from a crowd, he had omitted one other reason, though it was definitely the first one that came to his head. His cheeks burned at the thought, and he fidgeted with the drink in his hand. Rivet was all of those things, but to him, she was also the most beautiful creature in the room wherever she went. His cheeks flustered even more, and he stole another glance at her. Even from a distance, she radiated a natural allure and refinement. So much in fact that stealing glances at her was becoming a full-fledged hobby at this point.

Ratchet could never hold his gaze for long, always looking away or down at his feet with a feeling of incredible stupidity and embarrassment washing over his small body. Unbeknownst to the tan-colored lombax, Clank had been watching him. The little AI tapped his metallic fingers together, unsure if he should comment on what he saw and what he had been seeing for some time now. This odd display of behavior had become very common with Ratchet over time and almost always when around Rivet.

Clank recalled seeing the signs as early as a few months ago, just a little over a year since they met and shared their inter-dimensional adventure. Ratchet was always happy to see the female lombax, but his normal delight was replaced by extreme eagerness and some trepidation. He avoided Rivet's eyes at times and often would stare at her when she wasn't looking like he had been doing all night. Ratchet would talk about her in great length when she was not around and spent many late hours chatting with her over holocomms. He seemed so lively and happy when they were together, like he was that excited boy embarking on his first adventure he had longed for when they first met. Then, when Rivet was gone, he seemed almost... lost. All that cheeriness and gusto fading just enough for Clank to notice.

Clank was hesitant to speak on it, knowing that if Ratchet had something he needed to talk about, then he would open up when ready. Stubbornness, however, was also a personality trait he possessed, and sometimes Clank had to pry a little if he was worried enough. The little robot was most definitely worried about his friend.

"Ratchet," Clank spoke up after clearing his vocal distributor, "Would you mind if I asked you something?"

Ratchet turned his attention back to him before shaking his head. "Of course not. What's up, bud?"

"It is a question of...a most personal nature."

"You're not going to ask me about stones again, are you? I think we went over that in pretty vivid detail."

"No. I wanted to ask about your behavior lately."

"My behavior?" Ratchet repeated in confusion.

Clank nodded. "Yes. I have noticed that you act quite differently when around Rivet." Ratchet stared at him in silence for a few seconds, his cheeks visibly becoming red under his fur.

"Uh...How so?" he asked, his voice taking on an awkwardly higher pitch suddenly.

"Ratchet," Clank said his name with a soft tone that was almost scolding. "You and I have been friends for many years. It is not difficult to see the changes in your demeanor."

Ratchet pulled the side of his lip back and sighed, looking at his boots again. "Yeah. I know I'm bad at hiding it." Clank's metal visage softened as some regret filled his processors.

"I am sorry if I upset you, Ratchet. I did not mean to."

"No, you didn't, Clank. You're right, as always. Things have been...different with me lately." The furry space ace looked up for what felt like the hundredth time in that hour alone to take in the view of the other lombax. "And, yeah... definitely with Riv."

"Has something happened between you two?" Clank queried, though unable to think of anything negative that could have possibly happened lately. The two were almost inseparable these days.

Ratchet tiredly rubbed the back of his neck and looked away to the middle of the gastropub, where a Goon-4-Less was trying his luck on the mechanical Plains Beast, lasting a mere three seconds before being bucked off. "No, nothing like that. It's...um...it's really complicated, pal."

Clank pondered his partner's statement for a moment before blurting out, "Are you harboring affections for her?"

Ratchet just about fell over, his fur bristling and the hair on the end of his tail puffing out before recovering and slapping a hand over the bot's mouth plate. "Jeez, Clank! Say it a little louder, why don't you?! I don't think they heard you over in the Korthos Sector!"

He shot a frantic look over to where Rivet and Kit were, afraid that they might have heard Clank's allegation. Despite the music, loud chatter of patrons, and frequent cheering from the crowd in the arena, lombax ears were sensitive, and Ratchet always did have a great sense of hearing in his younger days. However, if Rivet was anything like him—which she most definitely was—then years of using high-powered weapons that caused frequent and most often deafening (but fun) explosions had probably reduced the quality of such a sense. Luckily, the pair did not seem to notice as Kit was still attempting to cheer Rivet up. Ratchet let out a sigh of relief as he removed his hand from Clank.

"I take it by your reaction that I am correct in my assumption." Clank asked, bright green eyes staring up at the lombax. Ratchet did not have to answer, simply crossing his arms and looking away as his face turned red again. Clank was confused by his attitude. "I do not understand. She is a female of your species after all. It would only be natural for you to feel an attraction to her, would it not? Yet you seem to consider this a bad thing."

"No, I... It's not a bad thing. It's just..." Ratchet wrestled to find the words to express his feelings. Clank waited patiently for him to find his answer, and he began to feel sympathy watching his good friend fight with this issue. Ratchet eventually gave up, sighing loudly and turning back towards the bar so he could lay his head on the surface. "Like I said, Clank. It's complicated," he finally said, the smell of Kerchuian Miller Draft and stale Praxus peanuts filling his nostrils.

"Now I have upset you. I was careless and wanted to satisfy my own curiosity without considering your feelings. That was unfair, and I am truly sorry, Ratchet." Clank apologized earnestly, standing up on the bar stool and placing his hand on Ratchet's shoulder.

The Veldin resident looked up at his friend and offered him a soft smile with a small shake of his head. "You need to stop apologizing, Clank. You're just looking out for me. Like a good best friend would. I really appreciate you, pal." Clank felt a sense of comfort and affection flow through his servers and smiled back. Ratchet pushed himself up to sit more straight, now leaning on his elbows. "Truth is, Clank...I'm kinda...well...scared."

"Why is that?"

"I had avoided searching for the lombaxes for so long because I was afraid that maybe I wouldn't live up to their expectations or that they wouldn't live up to mine. When I look at Riv... I see all these amazing things and the wonderful person she is... When I'm around her, I feel like I can do anything. I want to tell her that so bad, but..." Ratchet trailed off, brow scrunching at the thoughts that filled his head.

"But you are afraid that neither of you will meet each other's expectations," Clank finished for him, understanding the connection he had made. Ratchet shifted his emerald eyes to him before settling them back down and nodding.

"What if I'm not what she wants?" He asked, looking back up at Clank again, his face wrought with worry. Clank had rarely seen him like this before. "What if she's not what I want? What if things go horribly wrong?... What if we end up hating each other?"

The last one cut deep into Ratchet. Rivet had become one of the most important people in the universe to him. She was his friend first, and the thought of losing that scared him to death. Was it worth the risk of telling her how he felt? But could he live with himself, never saying anything at all?

"Ratchet." Clank's soft voice brought him out of his haze, and he met his friend's optics again. "I will profess that I know very little about organic relationships and courtship. What I do know, however, is that there is no such thing in the universe as the perfect being, despite the countless amounts of villains who have proclaimed to us in the past."

"Oh brother. Like that guy...uh...Kinect The Alpha-Quantarium. He was nuts."

"Indeed. My point is, Ratchet, I understand why you fear these things. There are no guarantees even when the odds are in your favor. I also understand how much the prospect of severing ties with Rivet must frighten you. But I do not see the logic in letting these things stand in your way of pursuing a deeper relationship with her." Ratchet let his eyes fall back to the bar, though at the time they were more pensive than distraught. Clank continued. "You are flawed, Ratchet. As is Rivet, as is Kit, as is myself. It is a simple universal truth. You cannot allow your fear of not being the perfect match for one another to keep you from the pursuit of happiness. If you really believe that Rivet could be that happiness, then, as they say, bet the saur-beast farm on it."

The robot ended with his trademark giggle that made Ratchet smile, failing to suppress a chuckle of his own. He took a few moments to let Clank's advice sink into his brain, remaining silent. Thinking perhaps he needed a little bit more to help ease his stress, Clank added another detail.

"I would also like to mention that even with the possibility of a relationship between you two being incapable, I do not see Rivet holding such negative feelings against you."

"Trust me, Clank; relationships can change people," Ratchet interjected quietly.

"Even so, I have seen the bond you share with her. You have had many ups and downs over the time you have spent together, and every time that bond has strengthened. I believe that you are as important to Rivet as she is to you. It reminds me of our relationship... and there is not a thing in the universe that you could do to ever make me hate you, Ratchet."

Ratchet returned focus to his galactic adventuring partner, and after a moment of stillness, he placed a hand on Clank's tiny shoulder.

"I don't know where I'd be without you, Clank," he said, his voice soft and full of gratitude. It brought back memories of the day that Clank gifted him the Dimensionator and spoke similar words. "When I hear it out loud from someone else... it makes a whole lot more sense."

"I am glad. You are often too hard on yourself, Ratchet," Clank stated, sitting back down on his stool as the light from an explosion in the arena flashed behind him, followed by the roar of the crowd. "You have an abundance of excellent qualities that I am sure Rivet will be most interested in."

Ratchet sighed again and pushed himself off the bar. "I really hope so, pal." Ratchet took his drink and finished off the last of it before wiping his lips and jerking his thumb over to the other side of the room. "Be back in a sec, bud. Gotta use the little lombax room."

"Very well. I will wait for you here," Clank nodded.

As Ratchet turned to leave, he suddenly stopped. His right ear twitched as he rubbed the back of his head and cleared his throat.

"Um...Clank? There's also one other thing, actually."

"I am listening, Ratchet."

"You... You don't think it's weird that I want to... you know... pursue things with Rivet, right?" He asked awkwardly.

If Clank had eyebrows, then this is where he would have cocked one. "I do not understand your question, Ratchet. Why would that be considered weird?"

"I guess because... um...she's like an alternate dimension version of me, right?"

"And?"

"Well... Isn't that like me wanting to be with... myself?" Ratchet was questioned even more awkwardly. "That's kind of weird, right? It's weird."

Clank considered what the lombax had just said but quickly responded with, "Personally, Ratchet, I do not think being dimensional counterparts is equivalent to being the same person. Rivet is merely this dimension's lombax in a role similar to yours. But would it keep you from telling her how you feel or wanting to pursue a meaningful relationship?"

"...No."

"Then it is irrelevant to what I think or what anyone else does, for that matter. Your questions remind me of one of those 'expressions' you had mentioned earlier. I heard it on the Dr. Philanxian Show. 'To love others, you must first love yourself.' If Rivet could be considered another you, then loving her would be logical, would it not?"

"I, uh...I guess so? I never really thought of it like that." Ratchet suddenly got very quiet, and his face flushed redder than it had ever been before, awkwardly mumbling, "I...didn't exactly say I...you know...love her."

"You did not have to. It is how you said; you are bad at hiding these things."

Ratchet felt his face take on a sheepish look. "Right. All that aside, I get what you're saying. Thanks, Clank."

Ratchet turned and made his way across the room, but not before looking back at Rivet again. She looked to have an exasperated expression on her face as she said something to Kit. Sighing, Ratchet weaved around other patrons until he came to the restroom. He stood aside as a couple of Morts walked out discussing something related to gelatonium and walked over to the sink. Turning on the tap, Ratchet dipped his hands under the cool flow of water before splashing some on his face. He shook a bit of it off, placing both hands on the counter and leaning on them with his head down.

Ratchet was never really any good when it came to this romance stuff.

Taking on a whole army of killer robots he could do. Maneuvering his ship through an asteroid field with dozens of enemy ships on his tail he could do. Standing up to the biggest psychopaths in the universe he could do. That was mere child's play compared to this: telling a girl he cared for how he felt about her. That, among all things mentioned, felt like an impossible task.

Ratchet could freely admit he wasn't a ladies man. He did manage to get on the scoreboard once in a while, but he also fell flat on his face at times. The lombax never felt bad about it. It happened to others better than him probably. But whenever he met someone who really grabbed his interest and tugged at his heartstrings, he bungled almost every attempt at wooing possible. He got fidgety and misspoke, saying something that sounded like the complete opposite of what he meant. Ratchet looked and felt like an utter fool. The fact that Talwyn and Sasha put up with him for as long as they did was a miracle in his opinion.

But with Rivet, it seemed a hundred times worse.

Even now he could remember the exact moment when it happened. The first time he looked at her and felt that tightness in his chest. Her and Kit had stopped by for a visit on Veldin, and while they had planned to hoverboot around Skreeduck Gultch, a rather large dust storm had also decided to pay a visit. Having to stay inside, Ratchet and Rivet watched bad holo-films all night as they both enjoyed the concept of 'it's so bad it's good'. Both lombaxes riffed each movie out loud, cracking each other up to the point of tears. Ratchet got Rivet with a particularly good one, and she spilled off his couch laughing so hard that she couldn't even make the sound. He watched her roll around for a minute before gasping in air between giggles, sprawled out on the floor like she just ran a marathon.

That's when he felt it.

Seeing her lay there, breathing heavily with a wide grin on her face, giggles still working their way out... She looked so beautiful. It was like he was really seeing her for the first time. All those amazing and wonderful qualities about her now seemed to radiate brighter than before. Ratchet just couldn't believe his eyes at first. He felt his heart clench and it took him by surprise. A feeling of embarrassment washed over him as Rivet returned to the couch, giving him a playful punch to the arm and saying something about him almost being the only lombax left again if she didn't catch her breath.

Ratchet rolled off his emotions and returned to making fun of the movie, trying to downplay what had occurred. He told himself it was normal. Ratchet thought Rivet was cute the first time he met her for a fleeting moment. He could appreciate his friend's attractiveness in a completely platonic way, like he had been.

It soon dawned on him that was no longer the case.

Those thoughts from that night returned many times, and each time it happened, the tightness in his chest increased. Ratchet was a bit confused at first as to why it was happening but soon realized the connection. It troubled him greatly, and he told himself to forget it. But try as he might, Ratchet found his resistance to be completely shattered at every attempt.

It wasn't long before he began to notice every little detail about her. The way she shifts her weight when about to swing her hammer. How her tail puffs slightly whenever she gets frustrated trying to connect a stubborn cut. The unorthodox but unique way she reloads a clip into the blast pistol to save a precious one and a half seconds before firing again. The pitch of her laugh and how it bordered on a melody. All of these things and much more were like finding hidden treasures that were right in front of him the whole time.

And if that wasn't enough, Rivet possessed one of the most desirable figures he had ever seen. She may have been small like him, but her body looked like it had been cut from stone. Lithe but muscular limbs were hidden beneath her jumpsuit with the exception of her left arm, though the suit highlighted them just as well with how much it clung to her body. Ratchet had never really seen much of her out of uniform except during a particularly hot day on Sargasso when she unzipped her top to try and cool off. She wore a simple halter top underneath, but Ratchet could not recall any time he had seen a more defined and hard-cut set of abdominals in his life.

Her body, not surprising, matched the rest of her qualities. Strong, resilient, and molded from hard work and willpower, Rivet was smart as a whip and could outmaneuver just about anyone and anything she came across. Brave, loyal, forgiving, kind... Ratchet had a hard time believing that she could ever be his inter-dimensional counterpart. She was so much better than him at everything. He even believed that she was a better person.

Looking up from the counter, Ratchet stared back at his reflection. He was the Hero of Bogon. The Savior of Solana. A bunch of other over the top names he and Clank had earned over the years. But he didn't feel like any of those right now. He felt like a coward.

As Clank had wrung it out of him, Ratchet was terrified to tell Rivet any of this for previously mentioned reasons. What he hadn't told Clank was that he was pretty certain Rivet already knew how he felt. He wasn't surprised in the least. As earlier stated, Ratchet was not very good in these situations, and he often summed it up in a very simple math equation.

Ratchet + Girl He Likes = RATCHET IS DUMB.

All those blunders and embarrassingly stupid moments he was prone to were par for the course when Rivet was around. Ratchet tried his best to avoid doing anything of that sort at all costs, but he was hopeless. If anything, it was worse than any previous experiences. Rivet would give him an odd look or look away as if she were embarrassed for him. He couldn't blame her. It was painful to watch, he was sure. Being the wonderful person she was, Rivet never mentioned anything, always bringing them away from the awkwardness and to something more pleasant.

Ratchet appreciated that, but a part of him wished that she would just be honest and say how she felt about him. Despite Rivet most definitely knowing about his affections for her, Ratchet wasn't completely certain about her feelings for him. He was highly dubious she felt the same, but there were times where maybe... just maybe there was something there? Rivet wasn't the type to hold back on things, and she could be incredibly blunt when the situation called for it. Ratchet doubted that if similar things were on her mind, she wouldn't say something to him. It made the prospect of her having mutual affections pretty slim, he would wager. This thought caused his ears to droop, and Ratchet was hit with a pang of heartache.

Despite that, Ratchet could not ignore the fact that Rivet was always wanting to spend time with him. She was usually the one to contact him on the holo-comm even before he had a chance to do it himself. Hours later, they stayed up late into the night talking about anything and everything. She shared deep personal fears with him and secret dreams she once had long lost due to fighting Nefarious her whole life. Things she had not even shared with Kit or the Morts.

This could easily be viewed as a very close friendship, and Ratchet could not argue much against that. There wasn't a whole lot of evidence to suggest otherwise, which is one of the reasons it made this whole situation rather terrifying. But when he and Rivet were together these days, it didn't feel like they were just close friends. Maybe it was false hope or that he was fooling himself into seeing something that wasn't there, but there was one thing Ratchet did have confidence in: his gut. Deep in the pit of his stomach, he could feel that yearning for more between them even if Rivet didn't show it. The little lombax had always trusted that feeling in every grand event in his life, and it had never let him down.

There's always a first time for everything, though, Ratchet thought glumly.

He remained at the sink, the dull rhythm of music from the pub thumping behind the walls of the restroom. All his thoughts replayed over and over in his brain again, like a holo-vid on repeat. Slowly, his fingers curled into fists, and he blew an angry breath out of his nose. It was like a light switch had suddenly flicked on inside him, and a new emotion filled his being.

He was fed up.

All this time he wasted in hiding from his problems. Ratchet had never done that before. He always ran straight ahead into any conflict, no matter how dangerous or small the odds were in his favor. It was what made him a hero. Heroes don't run away or hide. There was no villain this time or galaxy that needed saving. The only one who needed saving was himself.

Ratchet had to do this. It scared him to no end, but he was not going to run away from this anymore. It was true that this could all very well blow up in his face like that of a RYNO missile, but it was a risk he had to take. He needed to know. She needed to know.

He had to tell her.

Ratchet took a deep breath to steel his resolve and raised his head. He stared back at himself in the mirror, no longer seeing bleakness and dismay. They had been replaced by determination...and maybe a little bit of apprehension. It wasn't going to be easy, and it probably wasn't going to be pretty, but he couldn't pretend anymore. Ratchet wanted to take that next big step, and he needed to know if she was willing to take it with him or not.

"Alright," he said quietly to his reflection. "No more hiding."

He finished up his business in the restroom and washed his hands before heading back out into the gastropub. The room lit up again with another flash from the arena, followed by a rumble of excited spectators. Ratchet's eyes immediately found Rivet again. She had her head in her robotic hand and was shaking it slightly as her mouth moved, with Kit still looking concerned. The pain he felt whenever she was hurt or troubled came back to him, and he breathed in deep through his nose.

He was going to tell her everything. But first he had to cheer her up. Dropping a bombshell like the one he had loaded up on her was going to be big enough. He didn't think it was very fair to do it when she was distraught. Ratchet made his way back over to Clank, who was discussing something with Mr. Zurkon.

"...and then I said, 'Excuse me, miss, but I believe that is my quantum recoil unit in your purse'."

"OH, HOHOHOHO!" Mr. Zurkon bellowed as he continued to fix drinks. "CLANK, YOU ARE OUT OF CONTROL!"

Clank giggled alongside the other robot until he noticed Ratchet approaching him. The lombax took his glass and finished off the rest of his drink before setting it back down and wiping his lips. The robot could see that something had changed in his friend.

"Ratchet? Are you alright?" Clank asked.

"Yeah, pal. I'm good," he answered confidently, eyes back on Rivet. "What say you and me join our friends? They look like they could use some company, right?"

Clank nodded in agreement. "I think that is a wonderful idea, Ratchet." He hopped off the bar stool and began to make his way over. Ratchet took one more deep breath before he followed suit.

Okay. Make her laugh, get her comfy again, find a time to get her alone, then spill your guts. Easy, Ratchet. You... You got this, he told himself as he neared the table where Rivet and Kit sat.

But as was common with all difficult approaches in life, it is easier said than done.

A/N: I had originally wanted this to be a simple one shot but I ended up writing 60 pages so I'm gonna have to split this up into 3 or so chapters. Fret not as the whole story is finished so it will only be a short wait in between chapters. See you in a bit!