Title: Dense Scientist
Universe: G1
Characters/Pairing: Skyfire/Perceptor
Rating: K
Warnings: fluffy (pre)-slash? bad grammar
Notes: Urgh... need more writing juice...

While it was Wheeljack who was famous for explosions, Perceptor did make some explosions on his own - although much rarer than Wheeljack's, the degree of explosion much more serious and hazardous.

BOOM! Krrrrrr... BAM! BAM! A loud series of explosions echoed the Ark and its surroundings. Many Autobots who were shocked and panicked by the explosions those were utterly beyond the normal magnitude.

"WHEELJACK!"

"It's not me!"

"Then who is it?"

Ratchet's loud yelling and Wheeljack's surprised shout hung in the atmosphere. Then who made the explosions...? Wheeljack-cross the name out, he is here and is confused as well. Beachcomber-cross the name out, he does not make explosions. Skyfire-cross the name out, he is currently running down the corridor-what?

"Oh no, PERCE!"

Skyfire screamed in panic as he raced down the corridor of the Ark, heading towards Perceptor's laboratory. Ratchet just shuttered his optics couple of times until he got the idea that Perceptor's laboratory blew up. So today's explosion maker was Perceptor. Ratchet grunted and cursed and he ran down to the laboratory, or to where he knew that there was a laboratory.

"Primus. What did he do?"

That part of the Ark was very cleanly gone, the exposed insides of the walls slightly scorched with imperfect combustion. Some dust and ashes on the floor, but no rubbles anywhere and Ratchet just stood there dumbfounded while Skyfire was looking madly for Perceptor. This was not an explosion. It was annihilation. At the back of Ratchet's processor was the calculation that Perceptor is not likely alive, he could have just turned into dust. Ratchet shook his head and joined the search for Perceptor.

Huff. One of the dust piles made a sound and moved slightly. Skyfire and Ratchet ran to that pile and took the dust off. They saw Perceptor's arm first, then torso, and then Perceptor's helm. Perceptor was in emergency statis but alive. They sighed in relief and tried to uncover Perceptor's lower body as well... Except it was not there...

Perceptor's lower body, cutting diagonally from the left pelvic plating to right mid-thigh and down, was gone. It was some luck out of misfortune that the intensity of the explosion welded the energon lines as annihilation occurred. As the energon lines were blocked, Perceptor did not die from energon loss, which would have happened considering the seriousness of the injury.

"Okay. Do you feel any pain?"

Ratchet was irritated. They did not have enough parts now to replace Perceptor's missing legs. There wasn't much for Ratchet to perform repairs as most damages were welded on their own and all Perceptor required until the legs were made was resting. Although Perceptor was online, Perceptor seemed dumbfounded by the failed experiment and his missing legs. When Perceptor gained all his senses, he began to explain in that verbose scientific way he always do.

"No. The explosion annihilated my lower body fast enough that my processors did not recognize the damage. My processors are still relaying the information that my lower body is still attached and functioning, except there is no true signal coming from and going there. There is no pain but I do feel uneasy as my mobility is reduced and while I recognize my legs are gone, my processors are not computing the information."

"Well thanks for the explanation. So can I have the explanation about what happened?"

"Before the explosion went off, I was working on making antimatter for weapons. However, I don't know how the explosion occurred though. It was working fine and the amount of antimatter I produced is not supposed to be enough to destroy that much. According to my calculation, even if I failed the explosion was supposed to destroy the lab bench only."

"And..? Frag it Percy, I am certain that that is not all of your experiment since you are still online."

"Well... You are right, I was also working on massive instantaneous electron shielding device as a side project. It did not work too well either. It did not cover my lower body and I was unconscious from the impact. I calculated that it could withstand force up to .1 kiloton, which is significantly larger than the explosion. I assume that since I made it to be fitted on individuals and therefore lightweight, the shielding did not work to optimal efficiency."

Ratchet was not happy to hear all these. If Perceptor was working on such dangerous experiment, he should have notified the officers about it. It could annihilate the entire Ark at the very worst and they should be prepared for it. Outing an annoyed huff through his vents, Ratchet was partly glad that the worst did not happen.

"Well, at least you are online... I'm not happy to say it, but I must, that at the moment we don't have spare parts to make you a set of new legs, so you will be... disabled until we make the parts. You may be on medical leave for today but you will have paperwork. You just don't have legs and no other problems, so you will work. But don't do lab work! No experiments until I say so. Got it?"

"But-"

Ratchet slapped Perceptor's helm with his wrench. "Got it?"

"Yes Ratchet."

At Perceptor's reluctant reply, Ratchet grunted few curses and went back into his medical office. Perceptor just stared at the ceiling lying down on the medical berth thinking about what he should do to improve the experiment. While Perceptor was deep in thought, Skyfire poked in to the med bay to pay a visit.

"Hey Perce, are you alright? You gave me a spark attack there."

"Hello Sky'. I think I'm fine... Except that I don't have legs." Perceptor stared down his body, where his legs are supposed to be. "I don't know how I should go back to my quarters. Since I'm not in any pain or serious threat of off lining, I'm supposed to go back to duty tomorrow but how am I supposed to move? I thought not having wheels or thrusters were bad, but this is worse."

"Well... I could give you a lift. I mean any number of lifts 'til you get your legs back."

Perceptor shifted his optics to peer at Skyfire. Skyfire was unnerved by the intense stare and just slightly, turned his head away shyly. How odd that such a large mech is being shy and unnerved by a small mech like Perceptor. To Skyfire's relief, Perceptor gave him a soft smile.

"I'll take that gratefully. Thank you Skyfire."

When Perceptor left the med bay, Skyfire carried him on his arms to Skyfire's lab. Skyfire brought the paperwork that Perceptor needed to work on to his lab and as an unasked favour for Perceptor, Skyfire did not do any experiments of his own. Skyfire sat beside Perceptor and helped him despite Perceptor saying that he could do it on his own.

"Don't you have projects to work on?"

"Well... I do, but I thought that doing them would look like teasing you when you are not allowed to do any experiments."

"Hmm... I'm sorry that I'm hindering your work."

"No! Not at all!"

Maybe that was too eager; Skyfire thought as Perceptor turned his gaze from the paperwork to Skyfire. Feeling embarrassed, Skyfire cleared his vents and avoided optic contact but he could feel the intense stare.

"Alright then. If you don't mind, I'll work now."

Skyfire felt Perceptor's attention went back to paperwork. It was relieving, but a bit disappointing too. Now it was Skyfire who was staring at the other's face but Perceptor ignored him completely and kept working.

They worked in silence until the papers for that day was all done. Skyfire stretched after long duration of no exercise, and Perceptor habitually stretched – but lost his balance and toppled over... Thankfully, Skyfire caught him before Perceptor hit the floor.

"Thank you Skyfire. I forgot that I don't have legs."

"No problem Perce. Hey, do you want to refuel now?"

"Sure. Carry me there please."

"With pleasure."

Skyfire gently carried Perceptor on the crook of his arm, Perceptor's smaller chassis fitted quite comfortably. While Skyfire walked carefully to the rec room Perceptor's bored digits unconsciously roamed around Skyfire's forearm. In that idle fiddling, Skyfire slowly heated up, his faceplate was flustered, but Perceptor did not seem to mind and continued his fiddling. When they were almost there, Skyfire spoke hesitantly.

"Perce... Can you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"You are tracing my forearm."

"Was it bothering you?"

"... A bit..."

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"No... You can if you want to... Just not in front of others..."

Perceptor blankly stared at Skyfire. He did stop his fingers moving around and now just rested his palm on Skyfire's plating. Skyfire shifted his footing waiting for any other response but there was none. He sighed silently and entered the rec room.

Skyfire carefully placed Perceptor on one of the tables and went to the energon dispenser to fetch two cubes. Few 'bots said hi to Skyfire and Perceptor, and many asked Perceptor about how he was doing, which Perceptor replied simply. After few breems, the greetings were all done and Skyfire and Perceptor drank their energon, having a light conversation between them.

"Skyfire."

"Yeah Perce?"

"Can I recharge in your room tonight?"

Skyfire sputtered his energon at the question. With a very stupid expression on his face, Skyfire questioned Perceptor in his gaze.

"Well, I just thought that it would be more efficient if we recharge in the same room until I gain my mobility. It would be bothersome to come to my quarters and go back everyday."

"Uhh... Sure?"

"You don't sound too sure."

"No! I'm just surprised, Perce. I didn't think you would suggest that..."

"Why would it? It is common for close friends to sleepover, is it not?"

To Perceptor's statement, Skyfire's expression faltered slightly. But he regained his usual peaceful smile and told Perceptor that they were indeed close friends and that he is welcome anytime.

"Your room is neat."

"Uh- Thank you?"

"When you see my room, you will probably faint from the shock as mine is chaotic. I was hoping a bit that you would be disorganized too, but I guess this is better."

"Your room is messy?"

"Yes, but not on purpose though. I just don't have enough space in my room to organize all of my belongings."

"What kind of things do you have?"

"Specimens, old essays, old thesis, data catalogue, lab recordings... and stuff."

As Skyfire placed Perceptor on the berth Skyfire tried to imagine Perceptor's quarters, but it was without success. It was just too much gap from Perceptor's neat workplace to imagine. But the idea of having countless resources, that sounded like Perceptor. Imagining about library-like room, Skyfire grinned.

"I'd like to see your room."

"You can see at a later date and I am very certain that you will crash."

"That bad?"

"Considering that Wheeljack made an awkward expression, it must be."

Skyfire quickly glanced at Perceptor to pick if there were any implications in Perceptor's statement but there seemed to be none. With a slight tinge of jealousy, Skyfire nudged a question.

"Wheeljack has seen your room? I haven't heard any mech, including Wheeljack, talk about your room, so I thought you didn't let anyone in..."

"I don't. The only reason Wheeljack came in once was that he gave me his design for something, which... I lost track of, and we had to search for it."

So it was nothing personal? He did not vocalize that inquiry. However, true to his name, Perceptor might have seen that thought and answered.

"No... While he is a good friend, I wouldn't invite him personally to my private quarters."

With a faint hopeful glint in his optics, Skyfire glanced at Perceptor, but Perceptor seemed that he was done with answering and did not explain further. In silence, they recharged peacefully for the night.