Raindrops - VI

(Two drabbles in this one today because I had two ways to write the same thing and I was advised by friends to not delete either. I didn't want to post them in separate chapters since they are based around the same subject so... two for one today.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank of any of its characters. And yes, I am aware of today's date.

Raindrops

VI

Drabble 1

The rain pattered against the red umbrella over their heads. Puddles formed around their feet, water pooling in all the little divots and cracks of the sidewalk.

"Come on Clank! I got ya!"

A large gloved hand grabbed onto one of Clank's arms as the robot's feet slipped out from under him. The hand held firm onto his metal arm, and the robot gave a little "Whoa!" as he was lifted over the enormous puddle and onto less flooded ground.

"You okay, pal?"

A clap of thunder echoed over their heads, and Clank strayed closer to Ratchet as he looked up at his friend. The rain fell harder, now a loud drone filling the air. The sidewalk in front of them disappeared, and walls of rain closed off their fields of vision.

"I am alright!" Clank shouted over the increasing patter of the rain. "I do hope we can locate Aphelion before this storm worsens!"

Ratchet kept the umbrella over both their heads, crouching over a bit more than usual to make sure that Clank was kept as dry as possible in the weather. "I think she should be just after this next block!" he yelled back.

They picked up their pace, and as their feet splashes through deep puddles, a soft flash of lightning lit up the sky. A clap of thunder followed a few beats after, urging the heroes to keep their pace.

Ratchet's breathing grew ragged as he lifted Clank away from another puddle. The backpack with their late-night groceries, heavier than usual, bounced against his back. The Lombax wiped away rain water from his forehead as he squinted in front of them.

A streetlamp lit up a small area in front of them. The two rushed as quickly as they could to the light, Ratchet's shoes soaked through and Clank's feet slick with mud and water.

As they entered the tiny area the light covered, Ratchet slowed down to catch his breath. Clank stayed close to his friend, careful not to step into any running stream that could sweep him away.

After a few moments, the Lombax straightened. He wiped the rainwater running into his eyes away and sighed as he looked over at Clank.

The robot felt a tap on his shoulder. Clank looked up, the little robot smiling as he looked up at Ratchet. The rain pattered around them, keeping the duo covered in a blanket of rain.

The robot nodded in front of them and pointed. His giggle reached Ratchet's ears as the Lombax followed Clank's pointer finger.

The bright blues of Aphelion glowed through the rainy curtain. Ratchet's eyes picked up the outline of the ship, and a short laugh of relief came form the Lombax as his muscles relaxed.

Another flash of lightning sparked over their heads. Clank's hand quickly slipped into Ratchet's as another thunderclap bellowed out over their heads.

Ratchet gave Clank's hand a comforting squeeze, and as the robot looked up at Ratchet, the Lombax smiled down. Clank saw Ratchet's lips move, and even though the Lombax spoke at normal volume, the robot read what the Lombax said.

"I got you, pal. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."

A soft grin appeared on Clank's face before it was replaced with a look of determination. Ratchet winked at his friend before turning towards Aphelion's outline.

As the weather grew wilder, the two plunged into the maelstrom. Their hands stayed locked together, making sure they wouldn't lose each other to the monstrous storm around them.

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Drabble 2

A mimicked sigh echoed out of Clank's mouth as he studied the growing puddle in front of him.

Normally the robot would have been scared of the rain. Too much water that could flood his circuits, too much thunder that scared the gigawatts out of him, and too much lightning that... well, his metal was something that kept him from staying outside for too long.

This rain was a little softer. No lightning had come yet, and there was barely any thunder. Raindrops, tiny little drops compared to some of the ones he had seen in previous storms, drizzled down from above and painted the street with perfect little puddles.

His eyelids blinked open-and-shut as Clank tried to keep the water out of his optics. His fingers tapped against his legs, and thoughts rolled through his mind as he watched the rain disturb the puddle.

The rain hitting his metal suddenly stopped.

"Hey pal... you okay?"

Clank turned to his right and looked up with a small smile. "I am alright, Ratchet. I just do not wish to be around creatures at the moment."

The Lombax adjusted his grip on the red umbrella as a concerned expression appeared on his face. "Is everything okay? You usually don't leave parties so suddenly."

Clank nodded. "The sounds and activity of the party were getting too much for my processors to handle, so I decided to step outside for a moment of serenity and contemplation."

"Oh, that's it then?" Relief flooded the Lombax's face. "I'm glad to hear you aren't sad or anything. If anyone was bugging you, I would have said something. But if you just needed a moment to yourself..."

The little robot nodded again. He turned back around to face the street, the rain a steady cadence that relaxed Clank with every passing second.

"I enjoy this type of rain. It is not dangerous, nor too much for my processors to handle. I do not need to worry about my inner circuits risking damage, and there is no lightning to threaten my safety. It does not cause me worry, and there is not much to fear in this type of storm."

Clank mimicked a sigh. "I like this. This weather calms me."

He heard a shuffle next to him. "Do you want me to leave you alone?" Ratchet asked.

Clank thought it over for a moment before shaking his head. "No, you may stay if you wish. I would not mind your company, and you would not bother me in any way if you are here."

Ratchet crouched down, then sat next to Clank. He held the umbrella between them, their eyes turning on to the rainy street in front of them.

For a moment in time, with the rain as the only sound in the space, everything went calm.

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Two years ago today, "Under My Umbrella" was published. It's one of the stories that a lot of my readers seem to like, and I've been so glad for all the support on it over the years. Fanart from windydreams of Tumblr, 4 reviews, and 15 Favorites (as of May 5th, 2019). Y'all... thank you so freaking much.

The reason why there are two drabbles- the first drabble was inspired by the plot of UMU; the second drabble was inspired by the original image I had in my mind when I wrote UMU. It was Ratchet standing over Clank holding a red umbrella to keep the robot safe from rain, and that image hasn't left my mind since then.

Thank you all for reading, and I promise to get to the pirates drabble next time! I've got finals to attend to, so I'll do what I can to get it out as soon as possible. See you all in the next chapter!

XD