I finally got around to starting this fic! I usually don't write slash fics, but this plot bunny bit me and just wouldn't let go!

The prompt is, Sentinel X Optimus, and the song is Used To by Daughtry

WARNING!!!!: This chapter contains light slash, no smex, just fluffy, but if you don't like, don't read.

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Animated or the characters, Hasbro owns that. I also don't own the song Used To, Daughtry owns that.

Used To

Sentinel growled in frustration and leaned back in his chair, he HATED paperwork! He glared in contempt at the datapads littering his desk and for a moment considered just throwing them all out the window.

Sentinel's mind drifted back to a much simpler time in his life, when he didn't have paperwork to do and meetings to go to, back to his time at the Academy when it was just him, Elita, and….Optimus. Sentinel's spark ached at the thought of Optimus, good old Optimus.

Contrary to what the other mechs believed, he didn't hate Optimus, he….loved him. He only acted like he did so the others wouldn't get suspicious. None of them would understand what he felt for Optimus, and they would probably laugh if they found out.

Then there was also the problem of Elita one, Sentinel had never really loved Elita the way Optimus thought he did, he had really only dated her to keep her away from Optimus. Optimus, on the other hand, had loved Elita; he had talked about her constantly and whispered her name in his recharge.

Hearing Optimus merely say her name had hurt his spark, but watching him run to her had nearly shattered it.

Sentinel laid his helm on his burly arms and squeezed his optic covers shut, Optimus may not belong to him in real life, but he did in his dreams…

You used to talk to me like
I was the only one around.
You used to lean on me like
The only other choice was falling down.
You used to walk with me like
We had nowhere we needed to go,
Nice and slow, to no place in particular.

We used to have this figured out;
We used to breathe without a doubt.
When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see.
We used to have this under control.
We never thought.
We used to know.
At least there's you, and at least there's me.
Can we get this back?
Can we get this back to how it used to be?

Optimus walked past the common room straight to his office/quarters, he didn't think he could deal with Bumblebee, Sari, or Bulkhead asking him questions about what he had to go do with that 'slaghead' Sentinel.

Most of the time, it was pretty easy to pretend he hated Sentinel as much as the rest of them when Sentinel was taunting him or making him angry, but when there was no reason to be mad at Sentinel, his real feelings for the big, pompous, blue mech flooded his spark.

He had no idea why he loved Sentinel, the mech was nothing but hateful toward him, no matter what he did or said. It was like Sentinel WANTED Optimus to hate him. Why couldn't they be the friends they were back at the Academy? What happened to them? Oh yeah, Elita happened….

Ever since the femme had walked into their lives and Optimus had started to take an interest in her, Sentinel had started acting a bit…different. He always got irritable and snappy when Optimus would go to see Elita or bring her up in a conversation.

Then, all of a sudden, he asked Elita on a date and she accepted.

Optimus had gotten angry with him, yelling at him and asking why he had stolen Elita when he OBVIOUSLY knew how Optimus felt about her. He had simply replied that Optimus "took too long".

At first Optimus had really thought Sentinel had stolen Elita because the other mech had feelings for the femme as well, he had been too blinded by jealousy and hurt to see the real reason even though it was right in front of his optics.

Then, one day after Optimus came back to the quarters he and Sentinel shared during their days at the academy he heard Sentinel talking in recharge mode. He wouldn't have thought much of it if it weren't for WHAT Sentinel was saying; "Love you….Optimus," He had whispered, and the red mech's jaw dropped. Sentinel was in LOVE with him? But, wait, If that were true, then WHY was he dating Elita?

Then it all hit Optimus like a wall. This was the reason for Sentinel's odd behavior, and why he was dating Elita. He was jealous of the femme and was dating her to keep her from being able to love Optimus.

Even thought Optimus knew he should be angry with Sentinel, he couldn't muster up one ounce of hate for the burly blue Autobot. How could he after Sentinel had -sort of- just confessed his love for him?

Something else had bothered Optimus, how long had Sentinel harbored these feelings for him? For how long had he watched Optimus flirt with femmes and feel jealous? Optimus had realized something else too, it made HIM jealous to see SENTINEL with someone else. Did he maybe, just maybe, feel the same way about the blue mech? It would be hard NOT to, seeing as they lived together and spent most of their time together.

He had turned back to Sentinel and hesitantly, bent down and laid a soft kiss upon Sentinel's helm, then whispered softly, "Maybe someday Sentinel." He had then returned to his side of the room and laid down on his rechargeberth.

Of course, 'someday' seemed a lot farther off after Elita One's 'death', when the two friends stopped speaking, but Optimus never gave up hope that 'Someday' would come…

Optimus stood up and shook his helm, he needed to go see Sentinel and clear the air with him. He knew by the way Sentinel looked at him when he thought Optimus was looking away that the mech still loved him and he was only hurting himself by trying to deny that….

I used to reach for you when
I got lost along the way.
I used to listen.
You always had just the right thing to say.
I used to follow you.
Never really cared where we would go,
Fast or slow, to anywhere at all.

We used to have this figured out;
We used to breathe without a doubt.
When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see.
We used to have this under control.
We never thought.
We used to know.
At least there's you, and at least there's me.
Can we get this back?
Can we get this back to how it used to be?

Sentinel lifted his helm from his arms, his optics were red-rimmed from crying in his recharge. He always seemed to wake like this nowadays, and it made him want Optimus by his side to wipe his tears and tell him it would be alright, but it was a hopeless thing to hope for, or so he thought.

He started to pick up a datapad to distract his thoughts from the handsome red mech when his com.-link buzzed. He sighed and lifted a finger to the side of his helm, "Hello?"

"Sentinel, it's Optimus, I-I need to talk to you..in person."

Sentinel's spark leapt with joy and he had to force himself to sneer, "WHY would I want to talk to a Grease-Grunt like you Optimus PRIME?" he said, saying the name prime with fake respect.

Optimus sighed, "Sentinel, just come out here." He said and cut off the link.

Sentinel bolted for his door, waited impatiently for it to slide open, then shot out into the hallway, yelling to Jazz as he passed, "Tell Ultra Magnus that there is something important Optimus needs to discuss with me." The smooth mech raised an optic ridge, but nodded and went on his way.

The large hatch that led outside the ship fell down with a loud hiss and Sentinel's intakes hitched as he saw Optimus waiting at the bottom of the ramp with his arms crossed and a tiny smile gracing his lips.


I look around me,
And I want you to be there
'Cause I miss the things that we shared.
Look around you.
It's empty, and you're sad
'Cause you miss the love that we had.

You used to talk to me like
I was the only one around,
The only one around.

Optimus couldn't help but smile at how quickly Sentinel had gotten here and that the other mech didn't even realize it.

Sentinel walked casually over to Optimus and said with an arrogant tone to his voice, "So what was so important that you had to drag me away from my VERY IMPORTANT work for?"

Optimus rolled his optics "yep, same old Sentinel," He thought before answering, "Follow me, I don't want us to be overheard."

Sentinel raised an optic ridge, but didn't object as Optimus feared he would before transforming and following Optimus to a large hill that overlooked the entire city of Detroit.

Optimus transformed and slowly turned to face Sentinel, who still had a questioning look on his face. "How long?" He asked

Sentinel looked bewildered before asking "How long WHAT?"

"How long have you…loved me?" Optimus asked, looking Sentinel straight in the optics.

Sentinel froze, staring at Optimus with wide optics, "What are you-I mean-how did you- I mean, What makes you think I would be in love with someone like YOU, A lowly REPAIRBOT?" He sneered, but it wasn't convincing Optimus.

The other mech sighed and put his hand on Sentinel's shoulder, not surprised when he shrugged it off, "Sentinel, I know how you feel for me, and, if you tell me, I swear I won't laugh at you." He said seriously

Sentinel tried to look as if he didn't know what Optimus was talking about, but he was failing miserably and he slumped forward sighing, "Ever since I met you. I tried to ignore it, telling myself the feelings weren't right, but they never went away, they've gotten stronger, if anything." He whispered, then looked up and Optimus, expecting him to look disgusted, but instead the mech looked guilty.

"I'm so sorry Sentinel, if I had noticed what was right in front of my face sooner; you wouldn't have had to hurt for so long." Optimus said, his face now downcast and his shoulders slumped. "I was a terrible friend to not realize how you were suffering."

Sentinel smiled softly, that was his Optimus, so quick to blame himself for everything. He grasped the other mech's chin and made Optimus look at him, "None of this was ever your fault," He smirked, "You can't help it if you're so fraggin' sexy." He said and did what he had wanted to do ever since Optimus walked into his life; he wrapped his arms around Optimus' lithe waist and placed a gentle but possessive kiss on Optimus's full blue lips.

Instead of rejecting the kiss and running away as Sentinel had feared Optimus would do, the crimson mech put his blue hands on Sentinel's broad shoulders and deepened the lip-lock. All Sentinel's fears of rejection and Optimus not loving him back vanished immediately as Optimus fully kissed him back.

He broke the kiss and looked almost shyly at Optimus, who smiled gently back at him. Optimus placed a hand gently on the side of Sentinel's face and said, "I love you Sentinel, and as hard as it's going to be, I'm willing to try to get us back to the way we used to be and erase all of the hurtful words and feelings that have passed between us if you are."

Sentinel pressed his forehead against Optimus's, his once-bitter spark now filled contentment now that he could finally hold Optimus in his arms, he whispered, "I am," before claiming Optimus's lips in another passionate kiss.

We used to have this figured out;
We used to breathe without a doubt.
When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see.
We used to have this under control.
We never thought.
We used to know.
At least there's you, and at least there's me.
Can we get this back?
Can we get this back to how it used to be? Yeah.
To how it used to be….

I'm actually pretty happy with how this turned out. The ending was a bit hard, as well as how to place the song in the story, but when it's all said and done, I really liked the first chapter of this story.

For all of those who are reading my other fic Love, Maybe I HAVE NOT abandoned it, I have just gotten a small writer's block and I will get the next chapter up as soon as possible.

Oh, and please review!