Oh hi, finally poking more otp at my inactivity over here.
Warnings: Heaps of angst, some fluff, slash, character death Note: This is what happens when I listen to An deiner Seite by Unheilig on repeat at four in the morning when I can't sleep due to sinuses. I sorta got an idea to use it as inspiration, especially when I looked up the translation since I still really really fail at German. I ended up making myself cry WHICH DID NOT HELP MY ALLERGIES AT ALL. 8|; But uh. Yeah.
He stood by the small memorial. It was a modest display- nothing flashy or overdone. It was suiting, really. Skyfire wouldn't have wanted a huge, gaudy display.
Even if Starscream wanted to give that to him. Even though the Seeker wanted it to resound through all the towers and halls of Cybertron that he'd lost someone so precious, so dear to him.
Skyfire.
Skyfire who'd been the only one to think he merited anything. Skyfire who taught him so much. Skyfire who braved the unknown by his side.
Skyfire who had loved him. Or, more importantly, Skyfire whom he'd loved.
Skyfire, lost on a remote planet.
A few kind-sparked mechs who saw the downward curve of the downtrodden Seeker's wings offered words of comfort. His friend, his partner, was in a better place. Nevermind the cold and ice in which his last moments were spent. His spark was with the Allspark, his being reunited with Primus.
Starscream clenched his jaw in bitterness. He rebelled against the idea. He had memories of Skyfire; his day-to-day mannerisms, his smile, his attention to detail, his comforting warm arms, the way he absently traced his large hands soothingly over and between the Seeker's wings...
They were his and his alone. Not the Allspark's. Not Primus's. His.
Skyfire would stay by his side that way.
---
It was amazing, really. Despite that they had recovered him in the arctic, and that he had left Starscream's side in favor of the Seeker's enemies... it was almost as though Skyfire never left him.
There were so many "accidental" meetings. They would "just happen" to haunt the same neglected areas on the organic planet. And as was wont to happen with the pair, they formed a habit.
Awkwardness. Sparkache. Inevitable clashings. The fear of discovery.
Yet it was a strangely happy time.
But how was it strange? Starscream could wonder. It was hard not to be happy when there was a gentle shuttle near his side.
---
What did the humans call it? Déjà vu. He had experienced this before. He'd known this pain before.
He wondered if he was better or worse off for that.
What was the graceful thing to do at this moment? Your bondmate dying, fading out, right in your arms. Or the other way around, rather. How was he to do it?
In many ways, Starscream was the same in immaturity as he had been vorns and vorns ago. He didn't want to let go. He wanted Skyfire to stay. He wanted to cry 'Don't leave me again.' How was he supposed to continue on? Skyfire was his anchor. Giant hands wrapping around his own had been his guiding compass. How...
But after countless vorns...
The Seeker didn't want his selfishness to hurt his beloved. Not ever. Not now, in his last moments, did he want Skyfire to worry over him.
But he saw it in the shuttle's optics. He knew. Not simply because of their bond, but because he knew Starscream: from wingtips to thruster heels, from sparkcore to the outer corona. And he smiled.
It nearly killed him.
The smile said It's okay. Because his vocal processors could not.
His spark gave one more warm pulse. Think of me; you'll never be alone.
I will always be by your side.