Chapter 2|Poke|

A/N

Sorry I wanted to write a flashback first before going back to reality. As Ultra Magnus would say 'I can't deal with this now!'

|Flashback|

"Ugh if you have nothing else to do other than annoy the frag out of me then get OUT!"

Ratchet jabbed at the Medbay's exit with a servo. The other wielding a wrench tapping it against the wall with his cliche agitated face.

"Yessir! I'll *duck* be on my way!"

I jumped out to avoid the second flying wrench to my helm. The door slamming behind me.

A sigh escaped my lip components. Oh well there went my chance on telling Ratchet how I felt about him. I couldn't help but smile each time the medic entered the rec-room. Or when I bump into him walking along the hallways.

Ratchet was special and I wanted to get to know him... More.

Sideswipe used to tease me about it. My crush. On a medic? Whatever he'll never notice me. That's why I came up with a prank. To get him to notice me. Feel my presence.

Maybe I overdid it sometimes but who the slag cared.

Ratchet seemed to enjoy my presence. Minusing the pranks that I pull. I see the smile tugging across his faceplate every night when I come to deliver his much needed energon share that he had so nicely forgotten.

Yeah he screams and yells... And yells and screams but as Bluestreak had said. 'The more he exerts his voice box, the more he cares.' Besides I didn't mind. No not at all!

Ratchet had saved Sideswipe and I as many times as the stars in the sky.

Well we knew the risk of being Optimus' frontliners. But Ratchet would take extra care of us. He might be a big fierce 'grizzly bear' as humans say on the outside but he had a spark of gold hidden deep in his lazer core.

If only I could get into his medbay without getting whacked on the helm by his wrench. Or chased out of his domain like a fool...

*WAMP*

Slaggit! I staggered back clutching my helm as I glared at the bot infront of me.

"Dude! Watch where you fragging put your fat af-" I stopped short.

The SIC was sprawled on the Ark's floor. My superior bulky armor literally threw him off me. Wincing I took two steps back. Debating if I should help or not.

"Oh... Hey Prowl... Umm.. sorry."

I gulped as a casual servo reached and scratched the back of my neck wires.

Prowl shook his helm. Waving off the apology or more like not caring about my apology as he picked himself ungraciously off the floor. Doorwings held stiffly in an upward 'v' position he narrowed his optics at me.

"Sunstreaker I had recent reports that someone had glued all of Red Alert's equipment onto his table. Data pads and all." The former Pracian vented in frustration.

"He nearly had a glitch attack. Do you want Ratchet to be defragging his processor all day?"

Slaggit! How did he manage to trace back to me? No way was I about to let Ratchet frazzle on that crazed Security Director!

"No sir I'll fix this problem immediately."

"Good I'll see that you do so."

I tried not to growl as the Datsun started writing into a datapad.

Oh snap that only ment...

"Sunstreaker you are now assigned to 24 hours of surveillance duty at the security monitors of Telaatram 1 whist Red take a good break from the screen."

Prowl checked his internal chronometer. And I sworn I saw the normal stoic SIC grin.

"Oh it's 2100 so you have exactly 3 hours before your shift starts. You wouldn't want to be late because Red Alert would definitely fritz out about the lack of security and all that jazz..."

I had to reboot my audios and my optics. Making sure it was the real Prowl I was seeing. Well... He just talked slang! And cracked a joke! Prowl... I never knew the two words existed in his databanks!

Oh Primus he was actually enjoying this!

Son of a glitch! That freakin SIC had been literally ticketing me or sending me to the brig almost every Cycle!

Trying not to hiss in pure annoyance I snatched the datapad and spun around, ignoring the SIC's smirk and snigger.

Ugh if only there was no Prowl. Life would be SO much more simpler.

I headed off to my quarter. Must as well spend my last three hours meaningfully... only to bump into three minibots blocking my way.

My pissed off meter was going way of the scale now.

"What do YOU want now midgets?"

Brawn cracked his knuckles as Huffer curled his lip components into a snarl.

"What did you call us?"

"Are your audios malfunctioning? I said move aside MIDGETS!"

"Oh he's just ASKING for it ain't he Windcharger."

"Uh huh. He would look like a piece of shredded cheese when we're done with him!" Huffer gritted his dentals and nodded to Windcharger.

"Bring it on!" I smirked and pounced.

This ought to be fun. Punishments later I'll make this worth it!

*break*

Well that did no good at all. It needed Prowl, Ironhide, Jazz and Wheeljack and they nearly had to call Optimus to rip us apart. I had to admit.

Brawn, Huffer and Windcharger made a good team!

"Second time in my Medbay... really Sunstreaker. One more time and I'll reformat you into a toaster! Primus above STOP twitching Windcharger! Do you want to undo the dressing on your shoulder. Ugh! Brawn! Get your aft back here! I'm not done with you... Fragging youngsters don't you have anything else to do then fight like a bunch of maniacs..." Ratchet rambled on and on and on.

I sat quietly on the same berth I was on just 3 cycles ago. Just staring up at the ceiling blocking out Huffer's annoying squeals and 'Chargers complains.

If only they cease to exist. Slag you Primus for creating them!

The three minibots were soon discharged and sent immediately to Prowl's office. That strict-to-the-book commander was just going to chew their audios off again.

So I was just left with Ratchet. He picked up his lazer scaple and started working on my neglected wounds. Non of us talked. We just listened to each other's spark beats. Then Ratchet spoke up.

"Sunstreaker you've got to stop fighting among yourselves. There are bigger issues that stand in our way at this point.

I remained silent.

The medic took a long quivering intake. Optics clouding.

"Look. In a couple of solar cycles Optimus is assigning Prowl, Ironide, Brawn and I back to Cybertron. We need more supplies and energon. There would be little left to protect the Ark with."

"I may be staying there for good... I might be returning. But all the same I'll miss this place."

My optics widened in surprise. Slag! Their going to leave? "Is Optimus going back too?"

"Yeah it's part of the transfer. But then new bots would be coming down. Ultra Magnus, Kup, Springer, Hot Rod... Oh and maybe some femmes I'm not too sure."

I clenched my digits tightly. I shook of Ratchet's work and clutched his servo in my own.

This might be the only chance I'll get to finally tell Ratchet how I feel about him!

"You better come back to visit. I don't care if the rest doesn't but you better come back! Wheeljack might blow himself up and it might be unreparable! Or there might be a Decepticon ambush and then you're not here and somebody migh-"

Ratchet placed a gentle servo on my lip component. His servos crawled up my backstrut to embrace me in a tight hug.

"Chillax Sunny of course! We will borrow a shuttle and my team would come down to Autobot city once everything on Cybertron's cleared."

I vently hesitantly as if the air was suddenly stuck in my pipes.

"But what... What if something happens to you ? What if Decepticons come... What if..-OOFFF."

My optics almost popped out of its socket. CPU whirling like a army of cons had hit it. Never in my life cycle did I expect this to happen!

Ratchet pressed his lips on mine. Claiming it and accepting it. His glossa entered and explored my mouth inviting me to do the same. His arms wrapped around my chassis.

For the first time. In a long time.

I relaxed.

Love radiating off the both of us. I held his warm chassis close to my own. Feeling his precious spark beating rhythmically. My servos sliding up along his neck cables... To his beautiful helm as I crossed my digits behind it. The kiss deepened and it send a shuddered down my back.

So he did feel the same way about me. All this while! My spark swelled in pure happiness. Fluttering and hammering onto my chassis.

He loves me. He really do!

I offline my optics as our cooling fans clicked on in synth. I pushed Ratchet onto the berth ignoring my wounds. Our lips parted as I onlined my blue optics only to stare right into the medic's.

Oh what beautiful unique optics he had! It had a perfect mixture of pale azure and aqua. I smiled.

A real smile as he stroked my yellow armor softly making my engines purr in protest. My digits caressed his chevron playfully as he laughed pushing me away.

Our breaths came in short stuttering vents as intakes struggled to keep up.

Finally, I caught my vent.

"Promise?" I prompted resting my helm on his shoulder. Tickling his backstrut.

Ratchet vented slowly and held the sides of my helm. Pressing his own so it rested on mine.

"Always my love. I'll never leave you. Even if it takes a million light cycles I'll always return here to earth."

"Back to you."

My optics shuttered as he closed them gently. Only with the tenderness of a medic and lover.

"I'll be waiting Ratch."

|End of Flashback|