All following chapters take place before Chapter 1.

02. Happy

Backwards Time Skip - Ark 22

Sunstreaker sits in the dark, listening to the muffled clunking of 'bots passing by outside, watching Sideswipe try to stay upright. The red mech is slumped on the edge of his recharge berth, his optics just starting to dim. He's been going on for a few breems now. Sunstreaker isn't paying much attention anymore, just enough to make sure that the glitch doesn't slide off the berth. He knows it won't be too much longer before the high-grade burns out and his brother falls into stasis. He knows this because Sideswipe is chatty and he always gets chatty right before he goes offline. This is different from his regular schmoozing in two ways: One, he's rambling. He'll trail off into silence for a moment before picking back up, sometimes on a totally different topic. And two, he's being honest.

"I really missed you, you know," Sideswipe says.

Sunstreaker knows his brother. Despite what anyone says, despite that long separation and the scuffles that come up now and again, Sunstreaker knows Sideswipe better than any mech ever built. So he knows that while Sideswipe is not actively dishonest, he never tells the whole truth. Not usually. He knows that while Sideswipe presents himself as some kind of happy-go-lucky jokester, it's just another of his half-truths.

"You don't… you don't even know. When they found you and they were, they were gonna… and slaggit! Now I… I've fought some pretty, uh, pretty tough 'cons. Have you ever seen those Seekers of yours? Only, I guess they're not your Seekers, but… those slag-suckers are monsters! One almost squished me! Squished me, Sunny. Like… like…" Sideswipe claps his hands together and reels back. Sunstreaker knows that the short fall to the floor won't hurt him, but he watches him anyway, ready to haul his brother back up. "And they just… and I thought you were dead."

Sideswipe falls silent for a moment as his optics flicker. His overtaxed systems are starting to shut down. Sunstreaker tries to focus on that and not the memories that are being dredged up.

"They were just standing there," Sideswipe says. His vocalizer has quieted a little. It's hard to hear him over the humming of the ship. "I knew they weren't gonna let you… I've never been that scared. Never. And so I, I hit that one. Slagging mini-bot. Fragger's got a mouth on him. Got him pretty good, too. But then that rust-bucket Prowl shows up."

Sideswipe starts to lean forward, slow at first, but he doesn't right himself. Sunstreaker can see that he's on his way to the ground so he stands, catching the red 'bot just before he folds over his own lap. As he eases Sideswipe back, the red twin says, "Missed you. I… I really…glad. Thought I'd never…"

His optic covers go dark as Sideswipe loses his ability to keep his sensors and targeting systems online. But Sunstreaker can tell that the optics themselves are still active. His brother isn't offline yet. As he lifts Sideswipe's legs up onto the berth, his twin reaches up, his fingers brush down Sunstreaker's arm. Sunstreaker turns and in the dim light from his own optics, he can see the pained expression on his brother's face.

"I miss you," Sideswipe says.

One by one, non-vital systems fall silent until the only sound coming from Sideswipe is the soft whir of his coolant fans. Sunstreaker stares at the now limp hand lying next to his own. For a long moment, he doesn't move. When he does, it's to carefully sit down on the floor, back propped up against his brother's berth. He lets his head fall back and turns just a little, enough to feel Sideswipe's hand against his facial plating. In the dark, where no one can see, Sunstreaker allows himself a small smile.

Thanks to Thing With No Talent for the review!