Author's Note: Happy Birthday to me, five days late! It's been a year (and five days) since my last birthday post, revolving around Knock Out from Transformers Prime, and the surprise party guest for this year is... MTMTE Drift! Or Driftwood, as he was known when Starscream the feared, powerful Seeker was his best friend.
"Screamy!"
Starscream jumped as he felt a familiar pair of hands around his optics.
"Driftwood, stop that!"
"Okay, okay. Sorry for being late, I had to help Mum water her cyberflowers."
"Whatever. Just stop doing that, you really scare me."
"Sorry, Screamy."
"Apology accepted."
Starscream turned to Driftwood, an evil glint suddenly in his optics. His friend appeared to not notice, until Starscream lunged forwards and tackled him to the ground, tickling him with his tapered fingers.
"Hey- AAAAGH! SCREAMY! STOP!"
"Nuh-uh! What's the magic word?" Starscream taunted, moving his fingers under Driftwood's neck and causing him to writhe under his weight.
"Please! Starscream, PLEASE!"
The young Seeker rolled off his friend and sat on the grass beside him.
"Serves you right," he muttered.
A looming shadow suddenly enveloped him.
"Think you're so high and mighty, kid?"
"The Stunticons..." Driftwood whispered, instantly scrambling away.
Starscream stared up at Motormaster in fear.
"What do you want?" he asked bravely, staying where he was. Driftwood could escape if he wanted.
The leader of the street gang stepped on his chest, cracking the glass to his chestplate. Behind him, the other Stunticons stood fearful in Breakdown's case, indifferent in Dead End's case and completely excited in the cases of Wildrider and Drag Strip.
Driftwood lay hidden behind a bush, watching helplessly as he gang continued taunting his friend, feeling the rage burning inside him. His anger turned to fear when Motormaster stepped back and let Wildrider at his friend.
Unable to watch, he turned around and hoped for the best, unable to block out the awful sounds from behind him. They ceased after a few minutes and Driftwood made sure that the gang had gone before running over to his friend.
"Starscream! Tell me you're okay, please..."
His optics fell at the sight of the young Seeker. Wildrider hadn't hit him hard- bullies never did, they just wanted the satisfaction- but he'd focused his attack on his wings. Starscream's beautiful, delicate wings, all torn and bleeding.
"Drift...wood?"
"Screamy, are you okay? Can you stand? "
"No... I can't... Driftwood, I can't see, the world... it's spinning... and it hurts, Driftwood..."
The sparkling crouched beside him felt a wave of panic rush through him.
"Please be okay, Star, please..."
Driftwood opened a comm link to Starscream's parents, informing them quickly of their situation, before trying to reassure a near-unconscious Starscream.
"Sorry I couldn't help... I don't ever want to be a teenager!"
Deadlock steered away from a group of extremely excited Constructicons to seek a spot in the room where he could get even a tiny bit of peace and what passed for quiet in the Decepticon rec room when everyone was drinking way too much energon.
The Seekers were piled awkwardly on top of each other in a corner of the room, save one. Starscream stood alone beside them, looking somewhat disturbed.
Deadlock didn't linger on him. The two of them barely communicated with each other anymore. They were rivals, fighting for Megatron's favour. Everyone was enemy in the Decepticon ranks. The ones who had a group to belong to were lucky. Deadlock, being one of the loners, was constantly on the lookout for danger.
Of course, nobody dared to cross paths with the second-most feared warrior (after Megatron) apart from the best of the best, but those lower than him had it bad. They could often be found lying hurt on the ground or limping to the medbay, but of course nobody helped them. It was considered un-Decepticonlike to help others.
Deadlock felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to find a parcel placed in his hands.
"Happy birthday."
And then Starscream was gone, back to sentry duty beside his absent-minded trinemates.
Drift landed a final blow and Starscream lay at his feet, flightless and bleeding. The duel was over, and he sheathed one of his swords, holding the other steady in one hand.
Rumbling noises came echoing over the hills, and soon a team of Autobots were assembled behind him.
"Are you hurt?"
"Of course he's okay, can't you see, Jazz?"
"Way to go, Drift!"
Drift stood silent through their greetings, staring down at Starscream, who refused to meet his optics.
"What are you waiting for? Kill him!"
"Do you know how many of our comrades he's slaughtered, Drift?"
"Hey, it's up to him-"
"Shut up, Jazz, you know we're all better off with that filthy Seeker dead and gone."
Drift continued staring at Starscream, who finally looked up.
"Driftwood," he choked through tears and his own energon.
"I know I'm a dead mech, but..."
He produced a parcel from his subspace.
"I just want to wish you a happy birthday, Driftwood."
Drift stood frozen, optics locked onto his gaze.
"Happy Birthday dear Driftwood,
Happy birthday to you!"
"Aww, Screamy, how come you're not singing?"
"You know I have a terrible singing voice, Driftwood!"
Drift started trembling at the flashback.
"Cool, a snow globe! I love snow globes! Thanks so much, Star, how long did it take you to make this?!"
"So long as you're happy, Driftwood. It's worth it."
Tears suddenly came streaming down his face, and he dropped his sword, kneeling to embrace his old friend. Starscream hugged him back with what energy he had left, a smile breaking over his face.
Neither of them said anything, and the Autobots quietened to watch the scene of happiness.
A gunshot rang through the air and ruined the moment of perfection.
Drift and Starscream jumped apart, looking up to the sky where a Decepticon army was arriving, shooting at the group of Autobots.
"They're targeting me!" Drift shouted, dodging a shot. "You all go and hide. I have to face this alone!"
Jazz twirled out his blasters.
"You really think we would do that?" he smirked, and shot back at their invaders. "You help Starscream. Take you buddy somewhere safe."
The Decepticons landed as Drift helped his friend to his feet and the shots rained down harder. Drift turned his back and faced Starscream, shielding him from any small bullets flying their way, determined to get him to safety.
Megatron raised his arm cannon and aimed a shot at the Decepticon traitor. Deadlock had been a mistake all along, and he was going to pay.
"Driftwood!" Starscream gasped, seeing the shot in Drift's blind spot behind him. With a quick twirl, he reversed their positions and let the shot hit him in the back.
Drift barely had time to work out what was going on as he found himself holding Starscream's shattered body in his arms. The battle seemed to freeze all around him. Megatron lowered his cannon, everyone stopped shooting and two terror-stricken Seekers were the only spot of motion on the battlefield as they sped towards their trinemate.
Drift stared, horrified, at his old friend lying dead, heat radiating off his cooling shell. Thundercracker and Skywarp were soon beside him, crowding over Starscream's corpse, too stunned to cry. Drift, in the same condition, was automatically accepted into their trine, both because of their shared sorrow and the need to have someone in the spot Starscream once occupied.
Skywarp transformed into jet mode and Drift promptly scanned him, and the three lifted their dead trinemate and flew to the Decepticon base.
Driftwood was lying on the berth the three Seekers shared, his two companions watching over him. Being a Decepticon again meant being once again at the receiving end of Megatron's fury- often resulting in frequent trips to the medbay and causing Thundercracker and Skywarp unnecessary worry as he recovered.
"Is he awake?" came a voice.
"He might be if you keep asking."
"Okay. Well, I want him to wake up, so... Is he awake?"
Driftwood groaned and sat up slowly.
"I'm awake, Skywarp. What is it?"
"It's your birthday," Skywarp smiled.
Thundercracker pressed a gift into his hands.
"Because Starscream cared so much, happy birthday, Driftwood."
In his hand, Driftwood held a small snow globe depicting the scene of the park he and Starscream used to play in. The base was engraved with the words, 'I Never Wanted to Be a Teenager.'
Driftwood smiled.
"I never did, but I got used to it eventually. Thanks, Thundercracker, Skywarp."
"You're welcome, Driftwood."