Domestic Disturbance

Chapter 27 : Roomies

"So, how are you today, Prime?"

Optimus jumped slightly, started by the voice of his medic. He had been so absorbed in what he was reading that he hadn't heard Ratchet come into his quarters. The blue and red bot lowered his kicked up pedes from corner of his desk, laying his dark grey data pad on the cleanly polished surface.

"Ratchet." He moved to stand so that he could greet the other Autobot properly, but settled back into his comfortable arm chair when the medic smiled and raised a servo.

"Don't bother getting up. No need for formalities with me." He took his own seat in one of the empty chairs that occupied the room. "I just came by to see how you're doing today."

"I'm doing just fine." Optimus said cheerfully. "Actually, I am enjoying a very good read."

"I noticed." The white bot chuckled. "Sorry for startling you, by the way."

"Oh never mind that." Prime reassured. "My mind was miles away. I had forgotten that literature could be so entertaining."

Ratchet smiled, happy to see that his friend was finally on the right track. He had seemed so much better since they had found him four days ago. It had taken a long time to undo the damage the electro-disruptor pads had inflicted, but the semi was strong and determined to get back to his feet. Once he was, he had reassumed his position once again with all his spark. With hardly a hesitation, Prime had apologized to his comrades for his earlier behavior, confessing that he had failed to act responsibly as a leader. They of course had forgiven him, all very eager to forget the whole experience.

Things had gone back to normal very smoothly afterwards. With Megatron injured and the Decepticons leaderless the Autobots took advantage of the blessed peace and quiet to build up their personal supplies and continue to repay their host planet with favors and assistance.

However, for the briefest of moments on some days, those who knew Prime the best could see a glimpse of sadness from their proud leader. Bright blue optics dulling for a moment and staring off into the distance as if he were waiting for something. He would shake his helm, as if reminding himself that it wasn't to come and as soon as it had appeared, the sadness was gone.

The ambulance looked upon his friend and commander with pride. He had healed remarkably well considering everything that he been through and everything he had lost. Ratchet was the only mech to which Prime had confided in. He was the only one who knew of the semi's relations with the jet, and the only bot he had told what it was that Megatron had attempted. However, after casually conversing with Jazz one day, Ratchet had a sneaking suspicion that the sub commander knew a little more then he lead on when it came to the red and white seeker. Thankfully, Jazz never pressed for more information then what he was allowed to know. He didn't need to really. He and Prowl knew Prime better than any other Autobot. There was a possibility the black and white mech knew as well, however he hid it very well. Or he just simply did not want to entertain the idea.

"You've done so well, Optimus." Ratchet smiled. "I know Starscream was a hard loss to swallow. I'm glad that you've finally seen what needs to be done and the right way to go about it."

Optimus sighed and shifted in his seat.

"It still hurts. Every day I feel an emptiness in my spark that I cannot seem to fill. However, he is safer without my interference. Besides, this war has to be resolved first."

"Don't forget that you too are safer." The white bot reminded him. "Megatron cannot continue to come after you and juggle the seekers all at once. He's got to prioritize as well. I know it's disturbing to hear, but now that you aren't messing with what he has claimed for himself, he's less likely to feel the need to protect it. Getting you under his control won't be necessary."

Prime's optics narrowed and dulled to a deep cyan.

"Perhaps you're right, Ratchet. He had been content to keep his servos to himself until I got involved. However, I'm not going to give him another chance to do what he almost did. For Starscream's sake I cannot allow it. I'd rather die."

"He would be foolish to try it again." The medic tapped his digits against the arm of his chair idly. "However it would be even more foolish for you to drop your guard."

"I won't. I've learned that lesson." He promised, servo suddenly clenching as if sur pressing a shudder of rage. "Besides, Starscream doesn't wish to see me captured. Even though he's a treasonous, spiteful mech, he'll obey when he needs to. He will most likely....distract Megatron to the point where he won't have time to think of me."

"It bothers you still." Ratchet didn't fail to notice the slight disturbance in the other mech. "Are you truly at peace with leaving Starscream to his own fate?"

"It haunts me every time I fall into recharge." The general spoke honestly. "I've only ever had a brief...encounter of that kind. I can't imagine what his life has been like. I really don't want to either."

The tension suddenly eased from Prime's body as he relaxed. Cyan optics brightening to a far more serene sky blue.

"I'd rather remember him for the brief time that he was here."

He chuckled, shaking his head and glancing up to Ratchet, his face guard hiding what would have been a smile.

"Can you believe I let that little slagger seduce me?"

"Not really." The white mech smirked. "I always thought you were smarter than that."

"I did too." Optimus mused. "I honestly didn't think we had it in us to actually go through with it. But...it just happened. I'll never regret it."

"You're still such a protoform, Prime." The medic laughed and shook his head. He stood up to leave the mech to his private reminiscing. "All a-flutter like some love struck child. I'd better go before you start feeding me details."

"I can't help it." The semi leaned back into his chair and kicked his pedes back up and onto the surface of his desk. "I've never felt this way about someone. And a Decepticon at that."

"That's right." Ratchet pointed a menacing digit at the Prime. "Don't forget that. Until this war is over he is you enemy. I don't care how flustered you still are about him, you have to move on."

"I won't forget, my friend." Prime picked up his data pad to resume his reading. "Thanks for stopping by."

"I'll see you later." The white bot waved and left the Autobot leader to his privacy.

Optimus chuckled as he heard the ambulance mutter something about "darn kids these days" through the door before the sounds of his pedes faded down the hall. Readjusting his data pad in his lap, the red and white bot continued where he left off.

"These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume."

~ ~ ~

The sudden jolt of pain brought him awake.

He had been in stasis for surgery for the better part of three days. It had been a blessing to not feel the pain of their servos. However his processor was still ticking away, trapped to the dark confines of his own mind. Sometimes he would dream a pleasant dream. However, those loving and hopeful visions of a desired future were always tarnished when that bastard's sentience invaded. It would taint and twist every pleasant image into a nightmare to which he could not escape.

So in a way, the painful awakening was welcomed even though he had longed to be rid of the physical agony for days before hand. Such cruel irony.

Immediately Starscream noticed a vast improvement since he was last awake. Glancing around the room, he noticed the absence of the Constructicons. Obviously they had gone for a break as his condition was significantly better. He sniffed the sanitized air and no longer smelled that putrid burned scent of bloody energon discharge that had painted the walls and floor an ugly purple. The room had been cleaned.

Daring to test his mobility, Starscream flexed his servos. Gears groaned and circuits hummed as they came back to life after lying dormant. So far so good. He could lift his hand and examine his digits. Phantom sensations of legs returned as he attempted to flex his lower half. He could almost sense them again, and risked a glance to see how far the repairs had gone. He sighed and let his helm fall back against the table with dull thunk as relief washed through him. His lower half was reattached. Although, many of his internals were still exposed and hanging out. There was pain. Dull throbbing pain. It was less then before, but still rather uncomfortable.

He was still a few days away from being fully repaired. And that didn't include recovery time. He wouldn't be moving for at least another week or two.

A small groan escaped his lips as a sudden thirst for fresh energon grabbed him violently by the throat. It had been too long since he tasted the sweet fuel and already he hungered for a proper meal.

Testing his boundaries, the seeker flattened his palms against his berth and shoved. He nearly sat himself up right when a familiar gravelly voice sounded from somewhere in the room.

"Well, look who's awake."

A loud, comical squeal of metal rang through the repair bay as the red and white jet slipped and fell back with a startled gasp. Floundering in fear on the large, exposed table Starscream realized that nobody had advanced towards him. Struggling to sit back up, he looked around the room with wide optics until they fell on the still form laying on table similar to his in the corner to his right.
Megatron's helm was tilted towards him, his optics dim as he watched the spooked seeker prop himself up on one elbow.

"How long have you been there!?" Starscream asked stupidly, feeling almost embarrassed that he had failed to notice the other mech in the room.

"I've been stuck here for four days. Only yesterday did I awake to find that you had finally been repaired sufficiently for the others to tend to me."

"Oh." He replied even more stupidly, slack jawed expression tightening to an amused smirk. "You look like slag, by the way."

"I feel like slag." Megatron sighed as he gazed up at the ceiling, fatigue written all over his face.

The room suddenly grew awkwardly quiet. The silver tyrant half expected a snide comment from the other Con, and was a little disappointed by the mech's silence. He had been lying here for one day too many, awake and completely unaware of what had happened in his absence. The Constructicons, annoyingly professional as always, refused to strain their leader any more then necessary. They hadn't fully explained to him how he had ended up in repair bay with an energon drip hooked to his tanks when he should have been servos deep in Prime's burning hot center. The only information he had managed to gain was that the mission had failed and the Autobots had attacked him.

Seeing as how Megatron couldn't remember anything past prying Prime's chassis open, he had to take their word for it. After a few moments of feeble rants and thrashing, a quick EMP had calmed him enough for them to begin some of the internal repairs on the back of his aching head. Luckily, that shot had only grazed some vital circuitry.

They had managed to repair his helm in between their work on the seeker. His back, that was another story.

"So, I guess we're room mates for the time being." The silver mech groaned and tried to alleviate some stress from his support column. He had refused to be rolled to his front. He would take the pain over the loss of dignity.

"Great..." The jet muttered. "I have the pleasure of your wretched company on top of your disgusting sentience within my core. Haven't I suffered enough with your heinous mockery of a merge?"

"Believe me, Starscream, I do not enjoy being trapped in the same room as you when you're on your back and I'm not the one keeping you there."

The jet bristled like a bird with his feather's ruffled.

"You can at least do us BOTH a favor and keep your vocalizer silent."

"Unfortunately I'm already bored of silence. You're far more entertaining when your furious and helpless to do anything about it."

"You want furious? I'll show you furious! Now what the slag can I throw at you?!"

"That's enough! Both of you!"

Starscream stopped his feeble attempts to reach the med table, frustratingly out of reach, with all it's lovely sharp and pointy objects. He turned towards the disturbance with an infuriated glare. Hook had returned at such an inopportune moment. Megatron glanced to the door with one brow cocked disturbed at the tone used by his inferior.

The Constructicon stood in the door way with his servos on his hips, looking for all the world like a pissy mother hen who had just found her chicks squabbling.

"By the Pit, Megatron! You should know better then to work Starscream up when he's still in such crucial recovery stages! And Starscream! Stop reaching for that laser scalpel! I swear to Primus I'm going to stick you both in stasis! You can scrap each other once you're fully repaired!"

Both mechs seemed to settle at the thought of being put back into stasis, however the Decepticon leader wasn't too thrilled with being scolded.

"Maybe I'll scrap you for your insolent tongue, Hook." Megatron growled and watched the purple and green Con rush to move the med table with all those pointy sharp things away from the jet.

"Forgive me, but until you are back on your feet, my Lord, I must insist that you behave yourself while you are in my repair bay! It's for your own good. Now, SETTLE! Both of you! I'll be back with some energon in a minute."

Once he was satisfied that both patients were going to stay put, Hook rushed out of the room to fetch fresh energon.

Starscream listened as his pede steps faded down the hall.

"This is going to be one of those long and infuriating experiences, isn't it?" He groaned and slammed his sore helm back into the table, almost wishing it would have knocked him senseless.

"Yep."