A/N: Okay. Big Finale.
Ratchet didn't understand.
What had just happened was surprising, yes, but not something he would have considered in the realm of the impossible. Plenty of cybernetic limbs and enhancements tended to have a moment or two of malfunction. Even Al, who was practically a savant when it came to robotics, had his share from time to time. But the look on Rivet's face and the way she ran out of the pub was so unlike her. She almost seemed afraid.
"Ratchet. Please come with me."
Ratchet's attention was pulled away from where Rivet had disappeared to and focused on Kit. She looked back up to Ratchet with slanted optics that suggested sternness and determination. It was a rare look for her but when she did break such an expression out, it meant serious business.
"Oh, uh...Okay," he replied, a little taken aback from her commanding tone. He looked to Clank who offered him an encouraging smile.
"Go, Ratchet. It is time," he stated softly
Ratchet blew a soft breath out his nose and smiled back, nodding in appreciation and followed Kit as she led him to the exit.
The sounds of the gastropub quieted as they left the weapons free zone and traversed the hall until they came to the entrance. The sounds all but ceased, saved for the occasional sound of a thruster in the distance or whoever was tinkering around the port. Both Kit and Ratchet walked under an endless span of stars and planetary debris that enveloped them. They walked in silence towards the spot where they would usually park their ships, all the while Ratchet going over what he was going to say in his head. Each step fueled his anxiety as he knew that it was going to now or never, and the outcome of such an event was still not certain. It wasn't long before they came to Rivet's ship, and sitting at the end of the landing pad with her legs dangling off the sides of the platform, was Rivet herself.
Ratchet watched as she fiddled with her arm, ears flattened down in anger as she softly cursed at the limb. He hated seeing her like that. It looked so out of place and caused a small ache in his chest. Ratchet swallowed quietly as he gave himself one last pep talk in his head. Just as he was about to make his way over, he was interrupted by Kit stepping in front of him.
"Forgive me, Ratchet. It is important that I speak with Rivet first for a moment," she told him.
"Oh...Yeah, sure," the tan furred mechanic responded.
Kit turned and quietly made her way over to Rivet. She could hear her curse more and more as she reattached the hydraulic cable back into place. There was another hiss and Rivet was able to move her arm and flex her fingers again, but not before pounding the platform beside her, a loud clang from metal on metal ringing off into the universe in front of her. Kit carefully approached her until she was within sight of the lombax. Rivet shot her a look from the corner of her eye but quickly looked away, back out into the starry abyss. Kit meekly tapped her fingers together before sitting down beside her. There was a heavy silence as the tiny warbot wanted to give Rivet the opportunity to speak first.
The silence lingered on for a good while before Rivet muttered, "I told you..."
"Excuse me?" Kit replied, unsure of what she heard.
"I said I told you," Rivet repeated with a harsh tone.
"Told me what?"
"Didn't you see what just happened in there?! This is what I was talking about, Kit!" she hissed angrily, glaring at the prosthetic with seething resentment.
Kit gently shook her head. "It was simply an accident, Rivet. Ratchet is not angry."
"I was slacking on my maintenance with this damn thing because I'd been so distracted lately! I was sloppy and stupid!"
"Malfunctions are bound to happen, Rivet. Even with regular upkeep, it would-"
"It's not about that!" Rivet hollered emotionally, Ratchet thankfully out of earshot.
"Rivet, I don't understa-"
"Why would he want this?! Why would he settle for someone broken?!"
Rivet was breathing hard, her emotions a flurry within her. Kit watched as her friend struggled to regain her composure, her fingers clenching and unclenching. Rivet took a minute to find her breath again and she shook her head.
"I won't do that to him...He deserves so much better. He deserves-"
"Be quiet!"
Rivet's eyes widened and she snapped her head over to Kit who was now standing with her little fists resting on her hips. She gave a heated and angry stare at the lombax.
"Did you just...tell me to shut up?" Rivet asked in bewilderment.
"If that is what you call it, then yes! I suppose I did! I am telling you to shut up and listen to me!" Kit fired back hotly. "This is not the Rivet I know! She would not say such negative things about herself! She would never let something so insignificant keep her from success!"
"It's not an insignif-"
"Remain shutting up please until I have concluded! You are better than this, Rivet. You have never run away from anything and I do not believe you will start now. Quitting is not an option you consider. To do so would be to ask a planet not to revolve around its sun. It is not in your nature. This I believe with every piece of data in my body."
Rivet could only stare at her companion, overwhelmed by not only her demeanor but heavy words. She looked back down at her arm, turning her metal hand around and moving her fingers. "Kit, I-"
"You are not broken, Rivet."
The words almost seemed to knock the wind out of Rivet. She had tried telling herself the same thing many a time but it always felt like a lie. But now...now they felt different. It was no longer the scared little voice inside her head that weakly uttered them. They were spoken with such confidence and assurance, and from one of her closest friends. Hearing them now packed a mighty blow against her defenses and she brought hopeful blue eyes up to Kit.
"I, like you, once thought that I was also broken," Kit continued, seeing that perhaps she was getting somewhere. "That I needed to stay away from those who would care about me. That I was not worth the affections of others. You and Ratchet helped me realize that my outlook was misguided." She reached over and took Rivet's cybernetic hand into her own. "To be broken, Rivet, is to be devoid of any use or value. I came to see that was not my design in the universe nor is it yours. If that were true, we would not have stopped the Emperor or helped the countless others since...And Ratchet would not have formed the emotional attachment he has for you."
"How...How can you be so sure..." Rivet swallowed, emotions rising to the surface that made her voice crack.
"Because you have proven that is who you are, Rivet. There is nothing to doubt. I know this. Clank knows this. Ratchet especially knows this. You fear you are beyond fixing but the truth is that there is nothing to fix. Ratchet sees this...and he will not abandon you."
Rivet could only stare at her little friend. The bots words echoed through her mind and her heart, reverberating off one another. Her chest suddenly tightened, as if being clutched by some invisible hand, and Rivet could feel her eyes beginning to water. She quickly looked away from Kit, hissing in embarrassment as a few tears found their way free from her eyelids. Kit jumped slightly in fear and placed her hands on Rivet's shoulder, afraid that she had perhaps caused her some harm.
"Oh! I am sorry, Rivet! I did not mean to make you cry!" she lamented truthfully. She had only desired to convince Rivet of what was the truth but in doing so, it seemed she had greatly upset her.
Rivet wiped her eyes with her good arm and sniffed a small laugh. "It's okay, Kit. You didn't do anything wrong. In fact..." she paused before looking back to Kit. Her eyes were still a little watery but they reflected appreciation and love. She offered a warm smile. "You did what I couldn't. You finally made it all make sense to me..."
There was truth in Kit's words, Rivet could no longer deny. She had based her worth to Ratchet simply on what was attached to her shoulder and somehow ignored everything else. Their trials and tribulations, their adventures, their moments together big and small...their loneliness of being the only one of their kind. How could she have brushed those aside like they meant nothing? That the only thing that mattered was flesh or alloy? The Rivet before this whole ordeal would have hammered her halfway across the galaxy for succumbing to such foolishness.
"I...Thanks, Kit," she said quietly. "You...You have no idea how much it means to me to hear that. You are a better friend than I deserve."
"Incorrect," Kit replied, shaking her head. "I would be no friend at all to allow you to believe such illogical conclusions. I only desire to see you happy, Rivet." She looked over to where Ratchet was standing in the distance, nervously shuffling his feet and appearing to try and structure his words. "And I believe that happiness is waiting to speak with you."
Rivet cast a look at Ratchet and tenderly bit her bottom lip before setting her attention back on Kit. "I'm...I'm still scared," she admitted meekly.
"It is a natural feeling, but if it makes you feel better...I do not think you have much to worry for," Kit smiled her fondest smile. Rivet returned it gratefully. "I will let Ratchet know you are ready for him."
Kit made to leave but was suddenly yanked back and into the embrace of her lombax comrade. Rivet hugged her tight, and Kit felt a warm sensation spread throughout her processors. It felt good and it felt special. Kit returned the embrace and the two friends remained that way for a few moments before Kit gently pushed away. She gifted Rivet with one last smile before making her way back to Ratchet.
The other lombax, who had been feeling the knot in his stomach grow during the girls conversation, felt it double when Kit returned to him and said, "You may speak with Rivet now, Ratchet," she told him.
"Ah...Okay," he mumbled nervously.
"I will join Clank back in the pub. We will be greatly eager to hear how your confession of feelings for her transpires."
Ratchet stared at her blankly before making a somewhat exasperated face. "You know too?"
"Much like your nicknaming skills; Hiding your feelings is something you are very poor at."
"So I've heard..." Ratchet huffed, ears flickering in annoyance.
"I did not mean that as an offense, Ratchet. The monks on Savali believe that kindness and love are the strongest of auras one can possess and flow out to the universe where they will spread from system to system. You are a good person, Ratchet, and I can see that you care deeply for Rivet. Your aura is very strong and it is difficult for you to keep them from flowing out. It is not a flaw to be bad at hiding them but rather an indication that you desperately want to spread these good feelings to others...and I believe Rivet is in need of that the most."
Ratchet could only offer her a dumbfounded stare before he let out a soft chortle, scratching the back of his head. "Jeez, Kit...That was...a hell of a speech. You sure you don't have some ultra life coach programming in you somewhere?"
"I do not think so. It has been a few cycles since my last upgrade, however. Perhaps I should request this programming?"
"No, no, you're good," Ratchet smirked. He let out a deep breath before nodding to Clank's dimensional counterpart. "Thanks, Kit. I really appreciate what you said. Let's just hope you're right. Wish me luck, Love Guru."
"Best of luck, Ratchet," Kit nodded back. "And...I think I do like that one." She patted his hand and left him, her tiny steps taking her back to the pub.
Ratchet set his attention on Rivet, her back still turned to him. Doubt and fear began to creep up on him again but he shoved it back down. This was it. The finish line. Whether it would be a resounding victory or a dead end finish; he didn't know. But he had to cross that line either way. The tan furred lombax rolled his anxious shoulders and he willed his feet to start moving.
Each step felt like a dozen, and the nearer Rivet drew, the heavier he felt. Like the space station's gravity was slowly increasing. Ratchet flexed his fingers to the point where he could hear his knuckles cracking and he quickly told himself to stop it. In what seemed like an eternity, Ratchet came to a stop just a foot or two away from the other lombax. His tail twitched erratically and he could feel his palms sweating under his gloves. Taking one last silent breath, he cleared his throat.
"Riv?" he said her name delicately.
Rivet turned to look at him and Ratchet couldn't help but be stunned by the way the green light from the gas cloud below cast an emerald shadow on her face that somehow made her even more beautiful, if that were possible. She gave him a weak but honest smile.
"Hey..." she said softly.
"Hey..." he mimicked.
They was a silence that hung in the air between them, both lombaxes having a million thoughts going through their heads at the same time, most of them about the other. Feeling the unease, Ratchet tapped his fingers together before asking, "Is it, uh, okay of I join you?"
"It's a big universe," Rivet answered, her smile remaining.
Ratchet felt his own form at her answer. She always gave that response to that question and for some reason he always found it incredibly cute. Ratchet sat down next to her, letting his legs dangle over the sides like her own. Another silence reigned, the stars before them silently drifting along through eternity. Both Ratchet and Rivet struggled to find the words to begin. It was then that Rivet's ears bolted up and she quickly turned to Ratchet, taking his hand into hers.
"Oh! Your hand! How is it?" she asked worriedly. Ratchet snickered, touched by her concern.
"Ah, I'm fine. Believe me, I've had worse."
"Damnit...I'm so sorry, Ratchet," Rivet deplored, her voice dripping with shame and self resentment. Ratchet's right ear twitched in displeasure at hearing her usual angelic tone so downtrodden.
"Riv, it wasn't your fault."
"It is. I hadn't been keeping up with my maintenance and-"
"Riv, please," Ratchet pleaded softly, making her meet his eyes that held tenderness and understanding. "Don't put that on yourself. Things happen. I'm fine. I was more worried about you to be honest."
Rivet shook her head. "Ah, come on. Just a faulty hydraulic plug. I can get it fixed in no time."
"Would you...mind if I take a look at it?" he requested. Rivet was a little surprised by his question but smiled and nodded in affirmation.
Ratchet gently took her arm in his hands, treating it as if it were made of the finest material in the galaxy and not a bunch of dented and faded alloy. It did not surprise her. It was just another one of his many examples of sweetness and Rivet could feel her heart beat just a little bit faster. He maneuvered her wrist and elbow slowly, eyes intently studying the mechanics. It reminded her so much of that day in his garage. His fingers trailed along her arm and up to her shoulder where it disappeared under her jumpsuit. His green eyes darted over to her.
"Is it okay if I...?" His tone was delicate and cautious, not wanting to overstep his boundaries.
"Mhmm," Rivet nodded, appreciating the request for permission despite not needing it.
Carefully, Ratchet rolled back the material to see where her shoulder joint locked into a fitting that had been grafted to where the former organic settings had been. A series of scaring tissue outlined where machine met flesh that caused him to wince slightly. Ratchet could only imagine how painful it must have been to do this, especially knowing that Rivet had done these alterations mainly by herself. It caused another ache in his chest and he shook his head.
"I really admire you, Riv," he proclaimed, more to himself than her. "You were able to build this arm AND attach it all on your own."
Rivet could feel her cheeks burn at his compliment but she waved him off. "It's...not a big deal, really. And I did have a little help from the Morts for the...uh...trickery parts."
"Regardless, it's more than I think I could ever do. The best I could of managed would've probably been a coat hanger and a rubber glove."
This caused a giggle to escape the female lombax's lips. Again; sweet music to his ears. "You're selling yourself short, Hotshot. I'm sure you could whip something together equally as good, if not better," she told him.
"We both know that's not true but thanks for saying it." Ratchet found some wires at the back of arm, just under the shoulder and could see a thick black wire that was plugged into a port. The port itself looked more than a little weathered. Definitely needed to be replaced. "Yup, hydraulic plug replacement. You nailed it."
"I should hope so," Rivet huffed, moving her arm out of his grasp and stretching it out in front of her. "I've had this thing for so long I'm pretty sure I could fix it in my sleep." It was then that Rivet remembered what had occurred not that long ago in the gastropub. "Not that it's obvious with what happened..."
"Riv."
"I just...panicked! I saw what was happening to you and my brain just went blank. I didn't-"
"You think you're the only one whose fumbled under pressure?" Ratchet interrupted her. "Clank and I had six Argonian War Ships on our tail once. They had us under such deep fire that I could barely remember my own name. It happens, Riv, even to the best of us. It's not something you need to beat yourself up for."
Rivet pulled her arm into her chest, presenting him with a mask of apology and remorse. "I know, it's just...I don't want to hurt you," she confessed, her voice weak and void of any assurance it usually held.
Ratchet reached over and placed his hand over her metal one. He gave her one of his trademark smiles and softly shook his head. "You could never hurt me," he tenderly declared, stating it like it were a well known fact.
The two stared at one another, more words trying to fight their way to the surface but once again tripping over one another so much that they remained silent. Ratchet desperately wanted to kiss her. It seemed like a prime opportunity but he felt that was getting ahead of himself. A nervous wave washed over him as he still needed to know how she really felt about him. Ratchet awkwardly cleared his throat and let out an anxiety ridden breath out his nose.
"Rivet." He said her full name with such sobriety that it made her ears perk up. "Earlier I said I needed to talk to you about something...important."
"I remember," she recalled, feeling her heart pick up it's rhythm again.
Ratchet's eyes moved around randomly, indicating that he was searching very hard mentally for the words he was looking for. His sweaty palms returned and he swallowed a lump that was beginning to form in his throat. "I don't want to insult your intelligence so I'm just gonna come out and say it...I think...you know how I feel about you. How I've felt about you for a while now..."
Rivet's heart was now hammering in her chest. This was it. It was really happening and she had no idea how it was going to end. What would she say? What would she do? Had Kit's words really helped break down her barrier? Or was it just a fleeting moment of hope that her fears would once again dash away? She made to answer him but found her mouth had become dry.
Rivet tried again, mumbling out an answer of, "Um...Yeah. I've know for a while I guess...You're not very-"
"Good at hiding it. Yeah, that's not the first I've heard that tonight," he sighed. "But...it's true. I'm terrible at it. I wish I wasn't sometimes. Then maybe this wouldn't be so...awkward."
"Ratchet, you don't-"
"I'm sorry," he cut her off, guilty eyes locking with hers. "I should have told you earlier...I wanted to...Lots of times. I just...never had any real confidence in how I thought you felt about me." Rivet could feel a fire of guilt and regret spark up inside her. "Maybe I'm completely out of line but...I thought that you felt the same. But sometimes you gave me kinda mixed signals...or what I interrupted as mixed signals. Maybe it wasn't even that...Maybe it was just...I was too weird or...goofy. Not exactly prim-o dating material, huh?"
That guilt and regret had exploded into a raging inferno now and Rivet felt like jumping off the platform and let herself drift off into the darkness of space forever. She knew that she had tried to deflect his feelings but her intent was never to make him doubt his sense of worth. He had just proclaimed that she could never hurt him and yet she had been emotionally torturing him for how long now? Rivet's throat began to tighten and she could feel her emotions threatening to come to the surface again. The silver and purple furred lombax closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Ratchet..."
"And that's okay!" he quickly added, throwing his hands up. "You know, if you...don't feel the same. It doesn't change anything between us. I'm not going anywhere. I just wanted you to know...because other than Clank...you're the single most important person in my life."
Rivet held back a tortured scream, opening her eyes that held tears and met his gaze. "Why?" she whispered to him. Concern flooded over Ratchet seeing her watery eyes and while he would naturally assume he had caused her this distress, Ratchet had the feeling it was not because of him.
"Because being with you...is like finding everything I was looking for," he revealed affectionately. "I used to think about the lombaxes a lot. I thought about what it would be like to actually meet them. Learn about them. Discover who I really was through them. But I was also scared. Scared that they'd be a let down...That I'd be a let down to them."
None of this was new information to Rivet. Ratchet had confided in her his fears about finding the lombax dimension. But she was confused as to what this had to do with her still. Before she could ask, Ratchet continued.
"And then I met you. You lived up to every expectation I ever had about us and even exceeded them. I knew the lombaxes were considered heroes to the universe but until I met you, I couldn't fully comprehend that perception. I thought I was hero for all these years but...You fought every moment of your life it seems...and you never gave up, even when they took a piece of you...You fought and you won. That's a real hero."
The sentiment and out pour of feelings that Ratchet was laying on her was enough to make Rivet dizzy. She couldn't believe he thought this highly of her and yet she could believe it. Because that was Ratchet. Only he would downplay his own heroics in order to put her own over with all sincerity. Rivet gripped his hand.
"Don't do that, Ratchet. Don't sell yourself so short."
"I'm just speaking the truth," he grinned lightly. He then bit the inside of his lip before saying, "You know, I haven't really bothered much with the Dimensionator and even trying to find the other lombaxes lately. Clank would always ask me about it but I said there was a never a rush. I never really could figure out why until recently."
Rivet had also expressed wonder as to why they hadn't been looking into any clues or tips as to where the lombaxes could be. It dawned on her that it had been a long while since she had even thought about the Dimensonator as well. Finding the lombaxes had always been important to him despite his fears. What could be keeping him from achieving that goal? Ratchet cast his eyes out to the galaxy, watching a star twinkle in the light-years away.
"Because even if we never find them...That's okay." He returned his attention back to her. "Because you're here. Everything I wanted the lombaxes to be...you're it, Rivet. Being with you is like being where I belong. And every moment we're separated, I feel like I'm that lost kid on Veldin again. We'll keep looking for them, I'm not giving up, but...if we don't...All I'll need to do is look at you...and I'll find them. In your eyes, your laugh, your touch...I can even just say your name out loud...and I'll be home."
Ratchet had never been skillful with words. He would tell you that himself and Rivet had seen him turn into a babbling mess sometimes when trying to avoid talking about something that unsettled him or, in recent events lately, try to convey his emotions. But that...That was perhaps the most powerful thing she had ever hear him say. Rivet could not even comprehend finding any words she could offer that would do him justice and the emotions she was previously feeling increased ten fold. Ratchet, on the other hand, suddenly panicked as he felt like he had completely over done it and he shot his hands up again as if to push away the verbal load he had dumped on her.
"Gah! I didn't mean to lay that on so thick! That was too much, right? It was too much. Aw cripes..." Ratchet moaned, slapping a hand over his forehead.
The Hero of Bogon turned to apologize to her but was caught off guard when she threw her arms around him, burying her face in the side of his neck. Ratchet was frozen until his ears twitched at the soft sound of her sobbing and the dampness his fur was taking on from her tears. He immediately returned her embrace and held her tight. Ratchet honestly did not know what to make of this and he gently rubbed her back.
"Um...Is this a good cry or a bad cry?" he asked, more so to himself. Rivet sobbed out a laugh, her hot breath on his skin sent goosebumps all over his body.
"You goofball..." she muffled into his fur. She pushed away and he saw tear stricken blue eyes, a wet sliver of fur on one cheek where one had slid down. "That was pretty damn thick," she smiled.
Ratchet could not resist the smile that formed on his own muzzle and the two lombaxes softly laughed with one another. Rivet leaned her forehead against his chest, googles pressing into the fabric of his trademark orange shirt. She shook her head and sighed.
"This is all my fault," she sniffed.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Ratchet inquired, his face scrunching up as he softly pushed her away so that he could look at her.
Rivet had a difficult time holding his gaze as she turned away from him, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "You've carried that with you all this time...Your feelings. That must have been so hard...And all because I couldn't be honest with you..."
Ratchet felt his heart drop. As previously stated, he was no expert in any of this but that sounded like...a rejection. He knew it wasn't a sure thing and to be prepared for the worst, but after what just happened, he had become overly hopeful. His chest felt...empty. Like it had been deflated in mere seconds. It was soon filled with a sting the likes he had never felt before. Not even when Alister blasted a hole right through him so long ago. He silently cursed himself and tried to keep the heart broken disappointment out of his voice when he spoke.
"That's okay, Riv. You don't have to say anything else. Kinda figured I was seeing things that weren't really there and-"
"Ratchet, I love you."
Ratchet's head snapped over to her so fast that he was pretty certain he gave himself whiplash. His eyes were as wide as Clank's and his jaw hung open as if it had become unhinged. Rivet remained in her current position, her face reflecting remorse as half lidded, still watery eyes focused downward at her boots. Ratchet felt frozen but eventually found his voice.
"...Wazzat?" he croaked, his voice sounding like a squeaky teenage kid that just hit puberty. He wasn't quite confident he heard right.
"You were right. I knew how you felt about me. You were...well, you know. I was the one who should have said something. I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have tried to make you think I didn't feel the same."
There was a brief pause, and then happiness that couldn't be explained exploded inside of Ratchet like a thousand Warmongers going off at once. He felt like slapping himself just to make sure this wasn't some figment of his imagination. This beautiful, intelligent, wonderful creature who he had fallen head over heels in love for reciprocated his feelings. His heart that had earlier sank now skyrocketed up into his chest, making him want to burst with joy. He wanted to pick her up in his arms and spin her around but Rivet did not appear to share his happiness. His euphoria soon dissipated into worriment as he placed a hand on her back.
"You...didn't want to feel that way about me?" he asked, a bit perplexed with her statement especially after her utterance of the three big words.
"No, not at all," Rivet answered. "Ratchet, you have no idea how badly I wanted to let things happen. All those years by myself, the loneliness and silence that never seemed to fade...You took that all away and replaced it with life and adventure. You gave me a family; a hole that not even the Morts could fully fill. You give me all this credit for being a hero and so little for yourself...and you aren't just a hero, Ratchet...You're my hero."
It was Ratchet's turn to blush now as he looked down at his feet. He tried to think of one of his on brand witty (at least to him) comebacks or something comedic to reply with but his brain was still trying to grasp her admission. Luckily for him, Rivet was still in the process of letting all that she had held back flow out and so he remained silent.
"I could see you wanting to get closer every time we were together," she mumbled, closing her eyes as if attempting to replay the memories behind her eyelids like some ancient projection screen. "I screamed at myself to let you, but..."
When Ratchet realized that she had trailed off, he returned his attention to her. The female lombax's eyes were screwed shut tightly as if something was physically hurting her. "But what?" he asked delicately.
Rivet felt that all familiar fear rush through her again. With it came the temptation to just clam up and try to avoid it but it was too late. She had come this far. Rivet could hear Kit's words in her head and she had to trust in her She had to trust in herself. Sighing, Rivet opened her eyes and brought her knees back to hanging over the edge while lifting up her robotic hand to look at it.
"But I thought I was...damaged goods."
Ratchet's visage twisted into that of perplexity. He then saw the way she was looking at her arm and it was then that he understood. "Your...? Oh, Rivet...You thought I wouldn't-"
"No," she spoke truthfully. "You've never made me feel uncomfortable with it. In fact...When I'm with you, I sometimes forget what it really is. Everyone else always stares at it, and even when I know they are being polite, it's like I can see them thinking about it. Not you though. I know that it wouldn't have bothered you...for now."
"What do you mean 'for now'?"
"...I...I couldn't stop thinking about when...if we find the lombaxes..." Rivet could feel her emotions winding up again but she forced them back down with a dry swallow. "You would realize that you settled. Settled for less."
"...What?" Ratchet whispered. What had just been told to him was like some kind of foreign language coming from Rivet.
"I know you won't admit it but you are not a bad looking guy, Ratchet," Rivet stated.
In fact, Ratchet was far from it. Despite never meeting another of her kind, Rivet was taken aback the first time she saw his image through Clank's memory files. He was quite handsome and she thought even more so when she met him in person. His boyish charm and laid back nature only highlighted it the more she got to know him. And from a physical standpoint...Ratchet was no slouch. Much like her (though she like to think she was little more cut) the Fastoon local had built a strong body through countless adventures over the years. Even more impressive was that he maintained it after an apparent ten years of inactivity between adventures.
Even now, Rivet couldn't help but steal a glance at him as he patiently awaited her to continue. Due to his short stature that was always the first thing everyone notice about him, it was easy to miss those broad shoulders and well developed arms that slightly stretched his sleeves. His chest outlined nicely against the front of his shirt, and while she had yet to see them revealed , Rivet could sometimes see the impression of a sextuplet of muscles on his stomach whenever he reached both arms up to grab something. Heat flushed her cheeks thinking about it but this was neither the time or place for such distractions. Reality brought her back to the current moment in time and she placed both hands on the edge of the platform, softly rocking herself back and forth.
"You're going to meet lots of other lombaxes...a lot of female ones too. I just...didn't want to rob you of your options. I didn't want to...make you feel that you were trapped with me...when you realized you could be with someone who wouldn't crush your hand into dust at some random point...someone who didn't malfunction..."
Ratchet could hardly believe what he was hearing. It was so uncharacteristic and alien to hear her of all people say that. Never once had Ratchet considered Rivet to be self conscience about her arm. He never considered her to be self conscience period. She always displayed such confidence and assurance that trying to wrap his head around it was like trying to solve a riddle that made no sense. That was nothing, however, compared to the pain his heart felt for her.
The fact that she thought something so...unfathomable rocked him to his core. Shame and guilt sliced into him like a hot knife as he thought that if he hadn't been such a coward and confessed sooner; she wouldn't have spent so long feeling that way. Ratchet closed his eyes and shook his head, defying a self loathing moan that wanted to escape his lips. He opened them and looked over Rivet who had yet to meet his, looking out to blanket of space.
"Riv...You really thought that?" he asked, finding it difficult to keep the incredulous ring out of his tone. Rivet winced, blowing a shame ridden breath out her nose.
"I was scared...I didn't want to find my happiness only for it to be taken away later..."
Ratchet's brain had to take a brief moment to filter what he had just been told to him. He wanted to yell and holler at the top of his lungs about how ridiculous that was and how she could ever think such a thing. But this was a strangely unique situation; one that required finesse and gentleness. Not exactly habits Ratchet had mastered but he kept his emotions under wraps, and instead reached over the take her robotic hand in his. He thought deeply for a minute, large ears twitching at points.
"Do you want to know what I really think about your arm?" he finally asked, his question catching her off guard. She managed to muster a nervous half smile at him.
"Um...Do I?"
"I think it's incredibly special."
"Pfft, not the word I would pick. It's dented and worn. The colors are stripping and-"
"It's the nature of a thing that makes it special...not it's form," Ratchet stated tenderly before bringing it up to his lips and planting a small kiss on the back of her palm. Despite being unable to feel it, Rivet sucked in a breath. Ratchet affectionately rubbed his thumb over the set of screws that formed her knuckles before returning his focus to her eyes. "You could do all kinds of things with this arm, Riv. But you choose to protect people with it. To do good with it. It is an extension of you and who you are as a person."
Rivet bit her bottom lip and looked away, her face breaking out in a reddish hue that could be seen from under her fur. Again, Ratchet had managed to lasso another power packed set of words that hit her like an imperial cruiser. She had been the subject of many a grand and kind toasts of praise from her fellow resistance fighters over the years; kind gestures that she appreciated but never really gave much thought to. But hearing it from Ratchet...It never ceased to cause that flutter of her heart and allowed herself to feel pride in what she had done. Only he could do that to her. Regardless, Rivet shook her head and found the courage to meet his gaze again.
"Ratchet...I..." Rivet realized that she had no real response. She wanted to hold him again. Feels his arms around her. Breathe in his powerful scent. Ratchet turned, sitting with one leg half crossed between them, and he placed her mechanical hand on his chest, right over his heart. His own came over top and pressed it firmly against him.
"I don't care about what's real or what's artificial. In the end, it's just you. That's..." Ratchet paused, his throat constricting as he know what he wanted and had to say. It still made him a jumble of nerves despite the major fact that she had already said it. "...That's who I fell in love with. You. All of you."
It was then that it felt as if an enormousness weight had lifted from the lombax. All this time he had kept it bottled up, building over and over. To finally say to her what he had yearned to for so long was nothing short of bliss. Rivet's ears drooped as her eyes began to water again. Even though she had long known how he felt, hearing it out loud...She had no idea just how badly she need to hear him say it.
"Do you feel that?" Ratchet asked her, pressing her hand tighter against him.
Rivet slightly furrowed her brow at his question. Feel his heart? With her robotic hand? At first she thought he was setting her up for some kind of silly joke but the serious yet loving look that veiled his face told her otherwise. Rivet was about to say she didn't understand when she suddenly felt it.
It wasn't a real feeling in the organic nervous system sense, but through the metal of her hand, she felt something. It was if her arm was a conduit, passing energy from Ratchet's body to her own. A steady warm pulse softly rippled through her body. His heartbeat. Rivet could not keep the shocked and awed look that formed on her features.
"I can feel it..." she whispered, choking out a smile with a few tears sliding down her cheeks. Ratchet beamed at her.
"I knew you could. And that's why no other lombax in this universe or the next will ever take me away from you. Only you deserve this heartbeat...and I will give it you forever if you will give me yours."
Rivet squeezed her eyes shut, more tears freeing themselves. For the first time in a long time, they were tears of joy. There was nothing but truth and sincerity in Ratchet's eyes when he spoke. All her fears and self doubt were suddenly extinguished like a swamp fire in the rain on Sargasso. Rivet felt free. Free from her own personal torment, and she was now free to love the only man she had ever wanted.
The emotional former resistance fighter was about to say something when a thought hit her. His latest words sounded familiar and her eyes slowly opened to look at him. "Wait...Was that a line from that stupid holo-film we riffed? Sleepless in Torren IV?"
Ratchet's smile disappeared as he could only muster a blank look for a second before his ears dropped and he looked away sheepishly.
"Crap. You remembered."
Rivet could only stare at him before her head fell back as she began laughing. She believed that if any other person in the universe used a line from a bad rom-com to confess their feelings; most would have probably called it quits there. But Rivet loved it. She loved it because it was such a Ratchet thing to do. It couldn't have been more perfect.
"Wow, Ratchet, just...wow," she giggled heavily.
"Hey, I like that movie," Ratchet defended though unable to resist a smile. "It's not that bad."
"Oh, it's bad," Rivet snickered.
"Well, regardless of my tastes in cinema...It doesn't change the fact that it's true. Every word, Riv...I meant it."
Rivet nodded and said, "I know...I did too." Both lombaxes remained locked with each other's eyes in silence. Rivet knew that something obvious should be happening here but she became extremely nervous at the thought for one specific reason. In order to buy herself time to ready her nerves, she awkwardly rubbed her organic arm with her robotic one, clearing her throat and saying, "I guess we wasted a lot of time, huh? You know...time we could of had together..."
"Yeah...No doubt," Ratchet replied, looking diffident himself.
"I'm sorry about that..."
"Riv, no. We're not starting that again. I'm just as much at fault here. In fact...there was one other thing that kept me from saying anything. Something that...scared me."
"What?" Rivet appealed.
"I couldn't stop thinking about what could happen if...it didn't work out. You know...Like...what if things go bad?" It was Ratchet's turn to look away now, embarrassment and shame creeping across his face. "I know I can be a bit strong headed at times...Brash...Jump into things without thinking all the way through..."
"You know you're also describing me, right?" Rivet pointed out, half a grin plastered on her muzzle. Ratchet laughed softly.
"Yeah, I know. I think it's more...Having you in my life is something I need. If things don't work out...I'd still need you. I don't want to ruin that because of something stupid or something stupid I did..."
Rivet had a pensive stare as she pondered what had just been told to her. She could sympathize with Ratchet. It was a scary thought. However, with everything that had just happened, with their out pour of feelings and desires; the thought of things not working out made her angry. In a quick flash, Rivet took hold of Ratchet's face in both her hands, forcing him to look at her.
"No," she said firmly, her face reflecting the authoritative tone in which she spoke.
"...No what?" Ratchet puzzled.
"We did not spend all that time torturing ourselves and denying what we wanted just for things 'not to work out'. I won't let it happen. I would go to this end of this dimension and every other dimension to make sure of that." Her face slightly softened as her real hand gently cupped his cheek. "But I can't do it alone. This ain't a solo mission, Ratchet. If we go all the way, we do it together. Yeah, we might stumble along the way a few times but when has that stopped us before? We've always come together in the end and overcome the odds. So if you have any doubts, tell me right now. Because if you don't, I am going to make damn sure this works out. Will you?"
Ratchet studied her eyes and saw determination and iron willed resolve in her blue irises. The same look she had when taking on the Emperor at the final battle. A look that said more about her than words ever could. In that moment, his fear of the matter was blasted away. Ratchet's arms automatically came up and gripped her sides, pulling her closer to him.
"On my father's legacy...I will fight for this like nothing I've ever fought for before."
His fingers tightened on her and Rivet's arms slid over his shoulders to embrace him as they closed the distance between each other. Ratchet's eyes began to close as their mouths drew nearer, her chest coming into contact with his and pressing against him. A blast of Rivet's breath breezed over his lips and he shuddered at their warmth. Just as they were about to connect, Rivet pulled away quickly and buried her very red face in her hands.
"Gah! Sorrysorrysorry!" she blurted into her palms. Ratchet blinked before letting out a nervous laugh.
"That's okay. Um...do I have bad breath or something?"
"Ngghhhh, if I tell you something, you promise you can't laugh," she ordered, peeking out from between her fingers.
"Of course."
Rivet sighed before dropping her hands and looking back to space, face still bright red. "I...um...don't have a lot of experience in...you know...the kissing department."
"Oh. Uh...How much have you had?"
"Almost none..."
"Really? Like, none at all?"
"...There was this one time when I was a teenager. I kinda had this crush on a Mort around my age and we tried it once...It didn't go well. I've...never really learned how...," she winced slightly as she looked over to see his reaction.
Ratchet just stared back calmly before shrugging his shoulders. "Okay. There's nothing wrong with that, Riv."
"No, it's sad, it's really sad," she moaned, covering her face again. Ratchet tenderly pulled her hands away so she could see him. His usual smile was on his lips and always present kindness in his eyes.
"No, it's not. All those years of fighting probably didn't leave you with a lot of time for dating, right? And to be honest, I'm barely as experienced as you are. I've only really had two girlfriends."
"I'd say that's a lot more experience than me," Rivet huffed, looking somewhat annoyed. Like a child seeing another playing with a better toy than theirs.
Ratchet's smile widened as it made her look all the more cuter. He then wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her right next to him so that their hips were touching. Rivet let out a small oop! and suddenly blushed once more when she saw how close their faces were again. Ratchet tipped her chin up with his index finger curled into his palm.
"Well...How about I share some of that experience?" he whispered lovingly. Ratchet was usually never this forward, or dare he say, suave; but with Rivet, he somehow found the courage to be a little bolder.
Rivet melted as the melodic inflection invaded her large ears and the fur on her tail slightly poofed out. Ratchet continued where they left off, leaning in close to her, their mouth just mere inches away. Rivet readied herself; excitement and anxiety pumping through her entire system. Ratchet hovered where he was, just out of reach. It appeared that he was waiting for something. The silver and purple striped lombax soon realized that he was allowing her to be the one to initiate contact. Pushing back the tsunami of self pressure and apprehension, Rivet closed that final gap and touched lips with Ratchet.
It was if a supernova had gone off in her brain.
There was nothing to compare the ecstasy she felt when finally fulfilling one of her deepest desires. His lips were softer than expected despite having no idea what to expect in the first place. There's was a comforting warmth to them that passed over to her and it bled into her whole body. The sensation drove her into determination. To give Ratchet the best kiss she could muster. Rivet tried her hardest to imitate the kisses she saw on the holo-tube and in films. Passionate, meaningful, raw; the kind of amazing first kiss that should be after such heartfelt confessions. It was raw. It was passionate. It was...
A terrible first kiss.
Ratchet broke away and Rivet held his attention with an on edge expression. Ratchet squinted before rolling his shoulders like he was trying to shake off Amoeboid slime. He then met her eyes and made sure to give her a reassuring smile. "That was...a great first try!"
Rivet kept his gaze for what felt like forever before flopping down on her side and curling up into a ball, burying her face in her hands. She then made a high pitched noise like air escaping a balloon. Ratchet couldn't help but laugh at her display.
"I think you're being a bit over dramatic, Riv," he said, hand gently rubbing her shoulder in comfort.
"I'd like to be tossed out into the vacuum of space now, please," she cringed from behind her hands. Again, Ratchet laughed. He then tenderly pulled her back up into sitting position, nestled in at his side and slid his arm around her waist so she couldn't move away from him. His other hand came up and pried her fingers away from her face that was a shade of red he did not think he had never seen before. "Sorry..." she muttered, humiliation dripping off her tongue.
"You are way too hard on yourself, Riv. I think it's my fault really. I should of...taken the lead," Ratchet affirmed, his own voice resonating with some hesitation and unease.
Ratchet didn't really believe he was suited for such a responsibility but he was the more experienced of the two. That fact did little to settle his nerves but he was more than willing to do whatever it took to make Rivet feel as good as she made him feel. Clearing his throat, the male lombax tipped her chin back towards him so she could look at him. He smiled his smile and asked,
"You know what the best part about your inexperience is?"
"...No?"
"It just means we'll have to practice," he established with a hush.
Again, they kissed. Only this time; Ratchet was the one to close the gap. He could feel how tense Rivet was and so he just started out simple with some short closed mouth kisses on the lips. It took a few for her to see what it was like and began to return them. They would separate only to come back, lingering a bit longer each time before separating again with a quiet pop. Once she seemed comfortable with those, Ratchet became a little bolder and when their lips meant; his tongue slipped past her lips and slid across her teeth.
Rivet jumped a little, not expecting the action but not at all displeased by it. She assumed that Ratchet wanted her to open her mouth? Going with her assumption, she let her teeth separate, still locked in a kiss, and her tail suddenly poofed again when Ratchet's strong tongue caressed her own. She could feel her face explode with heat but not out of embarrassment. The way his mouth organ flicked and playfully wrestled with hers sent ripples of pleasure down her spine and her robotic hand gripped a chunk of his shirt from behind while her other one glided up his chest. The muscle she never saw but knew was there tensed from her touch and she let out a delighted moan from how they felt under her fingers.
Ratchet tightened his grip around her waist and his other hand slid through the silky fur on her cheek before moving down to caress her arm and eventually end up on her thigh. He gave it a slight squeeze, revealing in how strong it felt, much like the rest of her body. Cupping her behind the knee, Ratchet swung her legs up so that they were across his lap. As if reading his mind, Rivet scooched up onto his thigh not only for comfort but for the sheer pleasure to be touching more of him. Her toes clenched inside her boots when his hand squeezed the back of her thigh tightly and she moaned again in his mouth.
Their passions for each other increased, Rivet now fully getting the hang of their carnal activity. The kisses became longer and feverish, like they could not get enough of each other's taste. It was not far off from the truth as both lombaxes found themselves addicted to the other. Somewhere, amongst the haze of pleasure and lust, Ratchet managed to find his senses and finally broke away from her. Rivet leaned her head against his as they attempted to catch their breath. They did not speak, opting to bask in each other's touch with a squeeze or caress.
Finally, Ratchet managed to say, "That was much better." Rivet panted a small giggle.
"I guess I have a good teacher...and I'm definitely going to need some more practice later," she cooed, planting a short kiss on his lips.
"Most definitely," he grinned back.
The two feline space heroes remained in their embrace. Rivet nuzzling the fur in Ratchet's neck while he pressed his nose into her hair, taking in her amazing scent. No words were spoken as they savored each other physically and emotionally. Their past mistakes and fears that plagued them for so long were now permanently silent. Launched out to the space around them where they would be pulled out to the void and never haunt them again. That vacant spot inside that could only be filled by one another was finally whole, and the feeling it overtook their bodies with was unlike any other. A joyful happiness and content washed over Ratchet and Rivet that only increased with every display of affection they offered one another no matter how small.
The sweet and tender silence was suddenly broken when Ratchet began to chuckle.
"What? What's so funny?" Rivet asked softly, pecking the side of his mouth.
"It's stupid," he stated.
"When has that ever stopped you, Hotshot?"
"I was just...imagining what the Morts would say if they saw us right now," he grinned, squeezing her a little closer to him. Rivet leaned back to look him in the eyes before snorting a laugh out her nose.
"You really want to hear that impression, don't you?"
"It's so good. I can't help it."
Rivet laughed, shaking her head and gently rubbing his chest again. "Well, I imagine they'd probably say, 'Oh, Jeepers, would you look at that there. Those two are kissing with the tongue, dont'cha know. I don't think- That's just too spicy for me, I think we gotta slow things down here'."
Ratchet just about fell over as his body was racked with laughter. Rivet watched him, the fact that she could do that to him filling her body with affection and happiness. It didn't take long before she was laughing along side him. Once their merriment had calm down, Ratchet asked her, "So, um...Did you want to go back to the pub?"
"Not yet," she sighed, leaning into him. "I kinda like the view here."
"You're just looking at me, you know."
"I know what I said."
Ratchet smirked and leaned in to kiss her when he was interrupted by a grinding sound. Rivet rolled her eyes in annoyance and sat up to shake out her robotic arm and give it a few solid whacks with her good one. The sound dissipated and she blew her fluff of hair out of her face with an angry puff.
"Crushing your hand and killing the mood. A real technological marvel," she grumbled. Ratchet chuckled.
"I guess we should give it a good look over when we get back to Sargasso. Can't see it being too big of a job between the two of us." He then made a somewhat serious and concerned expression before questioning, "Does it ever...you know...hurt?"
"Not usually. It only really hurts...when I'm alone," she confessed. Ratchet presented her with a small but warm and gentle smile.
"I can fix that," he assured her softly.
Again, the two lombaxes embraced and engaged in another display of affection, the universe their backdrop to their love. Back towards the landing pads behind them, behind a few cargo crates, stood Clank and Kit. Both droids had been unable to keep from ease dropping on their respected partners. Despite considering it an invasion of privacy, they were overjoyed to witness what should have occurred long ago.
"How interesting. It seems Operation: H&O did work after all," Clank giggled.
"I am very happy," Kit declared, beaming a warm smile. "This was the most logical conclusion but it is a shame that it was delayed for such an extended period of time."
Clank nodded to his counterpart. "Agreed. There is so much life lost in waiting."
"But not anymore," Kit smiled.
"No. Not anymore."
Both robots decided to actually leave their friends to their privacy and made their way back to Zurkies. As they walked, Kit asked Clank, "Clank, would we be able to dance again? It was very enjoyable."
"Of course. What song would you like?"
"I would like to hear more of that Milky Way Galaxy music," Kit revealed. "It is very catchy."
"Yes, though there are times where a song begins but is replaced by another, and always the same one. The natives there refer to it as Rick Rolling, I think."
"What purpose does rolling this Rick individual serve?"
"I believe it is a way to inflict shame upon one another," Clank informed her as they disappeared into the gastropub's entrance.
"Oh. What an odd culture."
FIN
A/N: Welp, there ya go. Not my best work but it was fun to do after so many years away. Hope you all enjoyed it and thank you so much for reading. Maybe we'll see each other sooner than later? Here's hoping. Cya!