He liked sleeping more than being awake.
Reality didn't have what he dreamed of.
A gentle hand rested on Bumblebee's shoulder.
"Would you mind having a second player?"
"I wouldn't mind you as my second player, if that's what you mean." The smaller Autobot flashed a toothy grin up at Prowl. "'Specially cause it's so rare you actually wanna play!"
"I don't mind the… Occasional video game."
"Uh-huh, sure. You just like them 'cause I do."
"That may be." It heated up Bumblebee's face when Prowl did not deny the reason for playing.
While Prowl had slowly let loose during their time together, Bumblebee mellowed out a bit. They gave each other new views. Nature and watching birds fly over Detroit was now something that the yellow mech found doing even when Prowl wasn't around. And Prowl might have beaten a few of his friend's highscores.
Their friendship strengthened quickly. Time spent together alone watching documentaries or playing video games or even just relaxing in Prowl's tree were things they enjoyed together. Bumblebee found himself longing for more hours in a day, because 24 were not enough.
No hours would be enough.
They spent little more than an hour playing some game that Sari had lent Bumblebee. Plumbers? Mushrooms? Green tubes and coins? Whatever it was, it was pretty fun. But the sun was setting, and it was time to save and quit.
No words needed to be said as the pair rose from the cement couch, making their way to the ninjabot's room. Significantly more graceful than Bumblebee, Prowl leapt to the lowest branch of his tree, climbing a few higher before looking down.
"We're going to miss it, Bumblebee."
"Hey! I'm not as good at this as you are!"
"Practice makes perfect," Prowl replied slowly, a small smile creeping onto his face when his partner finally heaved himself onto the same branch.
"Easy for you to say. It's like you were built for this! I think it's fair to say I wasn't."
"Don't put yourself down like that," murmured the black and gold mech, continuing his climb and offering a hand to pull Bumblebee up. "You won't get any better that way."
Finally, their climbing ceased. The pair were now on the roof of the abandoned assembly line, looking out over I-94 and to where the sun began dipping into Lake Erie. Sumdac tower was a black silhouette that reached high into the clouds, all other buildings falling under the shadow.
"Prowl?"
"Hm?"
"I really… I really like this. The sunset. You. Detroit…" The small bot slipped his hand into Prowl's. "I'm glad that we met." His head rested on his shoulder. "I'm glad that we get to see this. Together." His voice was rarely so quiet. So soft. Bumblebee heated up when he felt the gentle hold of their hands tighten. In all honesty, sharing raw emotions was something the yellow mech found himself to be not very good at. Another thing that Prowl helped him with. His vocal box felt tight as he awaited a response.
"The sunset makes you glow."
Not words he expected at all. Blue locked onto blue as they gazed at each other.
"Huh?"
"You, you're yellow. Much like the sun, or a dandelion, or a finch or canary. The light from the sun makes you look like you're glowing. Not to mention, you look awfully flustered." Prowl's grin made Bumblebee's spark flare up. "Could it be that you have… More feelings than you're admitting to?"
"I already said I like you," he muttered, pouting slightly and folding his arms. A move he regretted as soon as he was no longer in physical contact with the object of his affection. "Unless you're looking for a different L-word." Bumblebee shot Prowl a smug look.
"Perhaps," he answered, stepping closer until optics were less than millimeters apart.
"Prowl?"
"Bee?"
The shorter bot's grey face turned deep red as he turned away, small smile on his face. "Something wrong?" Bumblebee shook his head, turning slowly back to meet Prowl's visor.
"You never just call me… 'Bee'... You can't just say that!"
"Why not, Bee?" And the two shared a soft snicker, before leaning in.
Neither had kissed before. Good or bad, neither knew. What they did know was that this felt right.
Bumblebee stretched his arms between Prowl's neck and boosters, pulling him as close as he could because he knew that the second he let go…
Bumblebee jolted when he awoke. He'd fallen asleep in Prowl's- their tree again. Rarely it seemed did he ever sleep in his own room. Too lonely. Too cold. At least in here, he could sometimes make out a faint, familiar blue outline, glittering in the rays of the setting sun.
The Autobot replayed over and over what Jazz had told him. That Prowl gave up his own spark because there weren't enough fragments. Prowl was gone. Prowl was dead. Every time he woke up, he was slammed back into a Prowl-less reality. A reality that wasn't one he felt right living in. Maybe if Sari and Bulkhead were with him. But they weren't. They were on Cybertron with Arcee. Sure, they called in to make sure their friend hadn't done anything stupid in his grief, but it wasn't the same.
Jazz and Ironhide were just an extra stab in his spark. Jazz was at least somewhat of a comfort. Him and Prowl were practically brothers. Occasionally, Bumblebee and Jazz stayed up, swapping stories.
Ironhide, however, was not helpful. Ironhide felt little more than a replacement to Bulkhead. A fill-in. He was a jerk in bootcamp and although he matured, Bumblebee couldn't get around to being 'buddy-buddy' with him.
He sighed, and swung his legs so they dangled over a branch.
It was not sunset, so it was a shock when that blue outline shimmered before him. Bumblebee's spark flared.
"Prowl..?" he said, voicebox cracking.
Prowl offered a small smile, before he faded.
And that's when it clicked.
Prowl's spark was still around. His spark still existed. It was not destroyed, no. It was just… Removed.
"Not enough fragments…"
So what if there were too many fragments? What if he gave the All Spark more than it needed? Would… Would it give Prowl's spark back?
…
Would it give Prowl back?
A/N: here we go! Pleasant Dream back in action way later than expected. and with transformers. nice.
this is going to be a multi-chaptered fic! i don't have it all typed up yet, but consider this the prologue!