Rodney stared at him quietly, not saying anything. Ratchet was silent too, too shocked to speak. Did that actually happen? Was that the right thing to say?
Before Rodney could say anything, Ratchet said, "I-I mean that I am in love with your work! Hehe, yeah, that's what I meant..."
Rodney softened his gaze. "i know what you meant, Ratchet."
Ratchet gave a breath out in relief.
Rodney smiled. "I think I love you too."
Ratchet sucked his breath back in.
"I'm serious!" Rodney exclaimed. "I don't know what it is, but these last few weeks, I've been feeling differently about you. Because I've seen the real you, not someone corrupted by your mother. And I'm in love with the real you, and you proved to me that you are a better person than you used to be."
Rodney took Ratchet's hands in his own and looked at him in the eye. "I love you," he said. "I love you."
"Rodney..." Ratchet said quietly. "I don't understand."
"Maybe this will help."
Putting his hand on the side of Ratchet's face, he then pulled him into a kiss. Ratchet's eyes shot wide in surprise before he slowly started melting into it.
Ratchet couldn't believe it at first. Was he actually kissing Rodney? It seemed impossible. For a moment, he was hated for his mother's crimes, and a disgrace to Robot City. Now he was making out it his former enemy, and his crush? And not only that, he thought that Rodney wasn't even into guys, either!
The way that Ratchet was with Rodney right now, even all of the times before...well, Ratchet was hesitant to admit it, but he felt so much better. Better than all of that "upgraded" parts crap that he seemed to idolize so much for what seemed to be a long time ago now. All of that was in the past. Now there was just him and Rodney.
They continued to kiss. Ratchet wanted it to last forever. Then, suddenly, a flash of light spurred into the darkness of the building.
The door had opened, and standing there was none other than Cappy.
----
Rodney sat across from Cappy with his fingers tapping his coffee cup, glaring down at the black oil inside of it. Cappy sat up straight with arms folded like she meant business, but also looked at Rodney with confusion and pity. After she had found him and Ratchet kissing last night, she had pulled Rodney away and told Ratchet off in fear. Wherever he was now as a mystery to her, and all the same she didn't really care. She just wanted to make sure that Rodney was okay, but from the looks of it he looked depressed and disappointed now in the empty diner.
"You know I had to do this, right?" she said after a long moment of silence. "He is a bad person. I don't want you to get hurt."
Rodney didn't say anything.
Cappy tried again. "Don't you remember what he did?"
"I think you mean what his mother did."
"It wasn't just his mother, Rodney," Cappy said, raising her voice. "He went along with it."
"Because he was scared of her. He felt like he had no other choice and he regrets it!"
"At the time he certainly didn't look like he regretted anything!"
"He's changed! I've seen it happen with my own eyes, and whether or not you believe it doesn't matter to me." Rodney had tears in his eyes. "I love him."
Cappy frowned. "Do you, Rodney? Is it really love? Or are you loving him out of pity?"
Rodney didn't know what to say.
Cappy sighed and stood up from her seat. "I think it's best to stay away from him. I'm worried about you. I don't want you to get hurt."
Rodney still sat in silence. Cappy sighed again and walked out. When she was gone, Rodney put his head in his arms and started to cry.