Victory will cry Rivers
by SMYGO4EVA
"How long has it been, Optimus?" Ratchet asked to the Prime, long after the others had left for their recon mission. "Since the war has started. How long?"
"Too long, old friend." Optimus answered, weariness made apparent in his vocal processor. It had been too long since the war for Cybertron had ended, and when the conflict upon Earth had begun. Optimus couldn't even begin to remember what it was like before, almost as if it was all he had ever known. "This conflict has existed as long as the Decepticons have willed it to continue, and as long as our forces have fallen."
He let his servos fall idle at his sides, his fists instinctively curling and uncurling.
"Optimus, I'm certain that this war will end. As the humans have said, come hell or high water, we might be able the light of another day. The question is, when that time will arrive, that always escapes us." The medic admitted, a solemn intonation in his voice, considering the matter. He had saved lives, but also did what he could to end countless soldiers' suffering. Optimus seemed to be his constant, and what kept him from going off the deep end.
As if to hang on to his only remaining anchor, his servo came to rest on Optimus's shoulder. The Prime had gone through a lot since they had arrived on Earth, much worse, but sometimes the smallest scars carried so much in him. He held many marks and scratches, many that had been welded and buffed since then. In the end, they were expected to be replaced by new ones, more to hang onto.
It was an aspect of Optimus that Ratchet had no control over. That aspect scared him.
Optimus turned to his medic, and his gaze softened. "You're right to remain optimistic, even after so much has happened." He then smiled at Ratchet; he didn't even want the medic to remove his servo. "It could be possible that we need to be taking our time, to remember that."
"Yes, I'd like to believe that's possible." Ratchet smiled back, his weary optics lit up, if only for a short moment.
The Prime and the medic let the moment pass between then; silence that was sorely needed for now, in this moment. After all the chaos that had long been gone, it was necessary.
They both fought long and hard to get to the place where that choice was possible to make. They wouldn't give that up easily. Maybe time was on their side after all.