The stasis room was quiet and empty, vibrations from the ships engine made it seem like they were in an organ of someone else's body. The lights were off and the only comforts, the only sign of remote life, were the stars twinkling ever so far away from the rest of each other, yet still connected. The constellations intertwined them in the civil circle of the universe. The steady thrum and hum of the two sparks under laid the ships vibrations than echoed wherever one could go. The idle one twiddled his thumbs and pretended the little incident didn't happen.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." Cyclonus spoke first, which almost never happened. It was a sure sign that he was trying. The heat practically gushed off in thick heavy waves, spilling and over lapping each other. Tailgate perked up and shrugged, he was used to harsh remarks from the older bot, but never an apology, this confession of Cyclonuses startled him.
"I-it's alright…I don't really expect anything less or more from you really. I've gotten used to that glossia of yours." Tailgate added with a nervous chuckle, but when he looked up he could only see remorse in the others optics, like a dull fire almost extinguished yet it glowed. Tailgate let out a small whimper and sunk into his berth. "s-sorry." He mumbled inadequately, lamely and somehow stunningly it made the other bot flinch. Flinch.
Tailgate the Minnie-bot had made the former Decepticon Cyclonus…flinch. In an odd way he was almost pleased with himself. Not one bot- in the entire universe it seemed- could even make him shiver. It was like discovering a mystery that plagued science for decades upon decades and rejoicing. However the celebration was short lived when scraping screeches of metal claws cutting the metal berth on the other side of the chamber startled Tailgate like a thunder crack. Cyclonus was normally calm, level headed and stoic above all.
This display of such raw agony said otherwise; though Cyclonus was capable of getting angry beyond all reason, he was never capable (or so went Tailgates unvoiced thought) of being in so much emotional pain. Tailgate hopped down from his berth and with much persuasion, tried to comfort the weeping giant. He made himself comfortable in-between Cyclonuses thighs, on his stomach curled with his head on the others chassis. Up close Cyclonus looked hollow and empty as if there was nothing inside him but air; cold, stale, old air. It took all of Tailgates will power not to reach up and see if his predictions were true, but by the looks of Cyclonuses current state, it was most evident that there was something if anything held up inside of his cold stoic shell. The scars, jagged and horrifying, raced across his face like rivers of deadening Energon deposits.
"Hey…Cyclonus…remember that song you taught me? The one that made you feel better? Do you want me to…sing it to you?" Tailgate timidly asked, like he was speaking to a delicate butterfly, careful not to startle it into shutting down and holing itself up in deep dark corners of the ship. The deep lavender and purple hues decorating and clashing like title waves on Cyclonuses armor, collided with the gentle star light that filtered through the large over helm window. What used to be blazing crimson optics now glimmered with fluid, looked down at the younger smaller bot with a raised optic ridge.
"Why?" he asked so out of the blue, Tailgate couldn't even respond right away.
"Why? Oh well I thought the song would he-" a clawed digit hushed him.
"I mean why are you trying to comfort me? I was so cruel to you." The claw slipped away from Tailgates mouth and he stammered with what to say next.
"Because…b-because I…I don't know why, but it feels right to do it. Like I need to, it's my job. I mean you don't degrade me all the time! You're not that bad, really you're not; I promise." The younger mech paused searching for some sort of reaction from the older, tougher, stronger, and all around more confident bot. The list could go on, but a callused servo came and rested itself on Tailgates shoulder.
"You are perfect Tailgate, in more ways than just one or a few. You have flaws, but that's what makes you so…you; absolute and refined to the point of exhaustion, but wonderful all the same."
"…really?" instead of thank-you or wow, It's just the answer Cyclonus had anticipated from the shy but friendly bot. When the silence was to point of uncomfortable and Tailgate couldn't take much more of it he spoke up.
"Well? Are you being serious?" his voice wavered as he spoke as if it may break at any moment. Steady foot falls and doors shifting open warned the two of an evening checkup that happened at 9:00 pm every night. A knock reverberated through the room and the door slid open not a moment too soon, naturally not waiting for an answer. They could have been fragging for all primus knew and Chromdome would have still walked in. His blank yet sarcastic stare only provoked a growl from a now disturbed and most certainly un-happy Cyclonus. Chromdome strutted in and surveyed the room, then looked at the two bots on the other side.
"Am I interrupting?" he asked incredulously. Tailgate had to hold an irked Cyclonus from trashing not only the room, but Chrome as well.
"Um, yeah actually could you give us some privacy?" Tailgate asked both servos on his companion's chassis; after some moments of contemplating Chrome left with an absent minded wave of the servo.
"He had better be glad you were here or I would've turned him to scrap…" Cyclonus growled out, a deep more so angered rumble emanating from his chest.
"Hey, how's about we sleep on this huh?" Tailgate asked to distract Cyclonus from tearing the entire ship to shreds. The rumbling softened to a gentle purr as Tailgate made himself comfortable in Cyclonuses lap.
That night in the dim star light as the ship passed through the intergalactic sea of stars, planets and black-hole's, a pair of bot's curled into one another slumbered in the hopes of a better tomorrow.
The light, ever so distant can be comforting. It can hold hope that no matter how far away you may seem, your love, your one and only love will see the same light. The constellation's link not only stars, but the lost fragments drifting in the galaxy like an ocean.