Author's Notes: -pumps fist in the air- Okay, I admit it. Even though this fic is under romance, it's a lot of friendship too. In fact, I think friendship will be taking up most of this fic no matter what I attempt to do otherwise. So for all you people who saw the 100themes mark and immediately assumed it was going to be one hundred wonderful, long, paperback novel-esque romances, I'm sorry. But forced fics always suck, so just try to enjoy my non forced, hopefully not too sucky chapters. Rest assured that at the very least, there shall be deep friendship.

In any case, reviews would be appreciated.

I own absolutely nothing, by the way. At all.

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Clank loved information.

Vid comics weren't so much his thing, but books, computer files, and any informative documentary was. Ratchet would watch, amused, as Clank shut out the world around him in a very un-robotic way and zeroed in on whatever he was doing. There was something about information that drew Clank in like a piece of metal to a magnet. He loved to sit there, getting smarter, until his mind filled up entirely. When he was finished with whatever it was, his face would have an expression that was similar to any geek's face, and Ratchet would think to himself that either nerds were like robots or robots were like nerds, because that look was identical.

Ratchet, for the most part, was the same way on certain subjects. Everyone has their interests, after all. The difference was that Ratchet was always multitasking. He might be reading, but he was thinking and talking at the same time. He would never be so utterly focused on one thing as to lose track of time or forget where he was. That was Clank's thing, because Clank was capable of that. Actually, Clank was capable of so many 'squishy' behaviors and 'fleshy' emotions it was mind boggling. The irony was that Ratchet was capable of shoving fear aside in an almost robotic manner and multitasking like a well run machine. However, no matter how into whatever he was reading he was, he was always aware of his surroundings.

Ratchet, therefore, had been aware of Clank watching him for at least two minutes. Why the little robot was just standing there, not moving or saying anything, Ratchet didn't know. All he knew was that he was only giving Clank three more minutes, then he was going to start asking why. Maybe Clank was lost in thought. Hey, if he could zone out reading, why shouldn't he be able to go into a daydream otherwise? Ratchet turned a page, thinking meditatively that some day, he'd like to have some sort of internal schematic of his friend just to figure out how all this weird behavior was possible. Not that he minded Clank's quirkiness. But right now it played on Ratchet's soldier sense, having someone hover over him. It caused him to tense up slightly, and annoyed him a little.

"Ratchet?" Clank finally asked.

"Yes?" Ratchet turned his head toward his friend, but continued to read. "What is it?"

Clank paused. "If I'm interrupting something, this can wait."

Just one, he wished Clank would be a bit more outspoken. "I can do this later." To prove the point, he put the bookmark in, stretched, stood, and turned to face Clank fully. "Now, what..."

Silence.

"Is that a cake?" Ratchet finally managed to ask, his eyebrows raised slightly. "I didn't know that you knew how to make that."

"I wished to try, and Sasha gave me her recipe," Clank explained, nervously shifting his weight from one side to the other. "I want you to try it first, if you don't mind."

Clank had gotten nervous, well, as nervous as a robot could be, over cake? Ratchet never would have thought it possible if hadn't happened in front of him. All these emotions from his robotic friend were starting to get to the strange point. Nonetheless, he smiled, took the plate offered him, and without hesitation took a bite. Even though a part of him had been expecting a robot to mess up the recipe or something, it was pretty good. In fact, he felt kind of bad for even half doubting his friend. It was sweet and light; for all Clank's doubts, the average cake. Nothing had gone wrong. In fact, there hadn't even been a problem baking it, because any noise would've been picked up by Rachet's sensitive ears. So why was Clank so worried? This was great.

"How much of this can I have?" Ratchet asked, a bit sheepishly.

"I need to save a piece for Sasha," Clank replied, then blinked. "I take it you enjoy my cooking?"

How could Ratchet explain what Clank looked like right then? He was like a small child seeking approval. His eyes were so open and honest. It was one of those moments in time where Ratchet completely forgot he was talking to a machine. Clank was rarely ever truly unnerved by something. This was almost surreal. Now he was practically begging for it to have been okay. He was vulnerable. If not for the taste of cake in his mouth, the Lombax would've sworn this was a dream. In that moment, for the first time in Ratchet's life, he became completely focused on something: Clank. No longer was he thinking about multiple things at once. His only thought was that Clank was, in this moment, actually kind of cute.

"I love it," Ratchet smiled at his friend. "But for the record, things that are homemade are always the best. I'd never hate anything you made me, Clank."

Clank smiled as he briefly took back the cake to save a piece.

He loved this information.

He loved it a lot.