Enclosure
by SMYGO4EVA
Ratchet found that he could only be with Arcee in the dark. That was how he needed it, and Arcee accepted it, for now.
The medic didn't want her to see the rough parts, the dark parts, and the aura of melancholy that never left him alone, after all that they have both seen. Arcee had spent enough time making sure that Optimus didn't die in vain; Ratchet didn't want her to suffer any more than she already had.
He hid away the hurt that he felt, and he kept it in his spark almost to perfection, from countless cycles of practice.
They communicated through their words, their interactions, and the fact that they had known Optimus far too well.
They don't speak at times, but it was enough.
"I know, I miss him too," Arcee would always reassure him before they ventured back to Cybertron.
"Of course," Ratchet would always reply back.
From that point on, they knew that they would always be sharing loss, together, in the enclosure they made for themselves.