A/N: This chapter is beta'd. Huge thanks for you Gixxer Pilot. :D Also thanks for the reviews and for the several Alerts and faves.
This chapter is dedicated to my universe Ironhide toy which pointed me with a gun while I was writing. Actually he's still pointing me with the gun - Probably wants me to either continue writing this thing soon or stop writing it right now. XD
They were getting along really well, which made the time fly for Ironhide. He was looking forward to meeting Ratchet each day at school, but the two had also started a habit of hanging around each other in their free time. He hadn't even realized how much he had been longing for a company.
Other bots in the group soon learned Ratchet too was living in the 3rd district. That fact led quickly grouping with Ironhide as scum. You could tell it easily from the way they started acting around him. Amazingly enough nobody did give verbal insults to his friend and Ironhide figured it was because of his intimidating presence. One day that changed.
"They seem to build all the slumbots from the same mold," a youngling with red and green custom paintjob insulted Ratchet, which had made Ironhide furious. He had so badly wanted to slag the youngling for insulting his friend, but Ratchet had stopped him before any harm was done. Nobody did dare to do that any more after that, but they did treat him exactly like they had treated Ironhide before. He had apologized to Ratchet that his presence was the reason he was treated badly, but the white youngling had just shrugged it off and told him that it was not his fault.
For Ironhide, it was fun to see the other youngling smiling and it saddened him to see Ratchet upset, but he soon noticed that the white youngling was actually very tough bot. His friend didn't let the glares the other younglings were sending all the time affect him in any way. Considering the way his friend lived, was it really any surprise that he could withstand treatment like that? Most of the others wouldn't last even for a day in Ratchet's position.
The red youngling had started getting used to his friend's obsession on studying. Actually some of Ratchet's motivation seemed to have attached itself to him, and for a really long time he actually tried processing the information given to them during the lessons. He still wasn't sure what he wanted to do, but for the first time he thought that studying could bring some good. Besides, Ratchet had also promised to help him if he wanted. So there was nothing to worry about, since the other youngling knew the curriculum upside down.
He still had his own domestic issues to deal with, but he had Ratchet to always put some patches on him. The white youngling repaired him without asking annoying questions about where he had gotten himself damaged, which Ironhide appreciated. They had a wordless deal; he didn't ask unnecessary questions from Ratchet and Ratchet wouldn't ask unnecessary questions from him, while both the parties were satisfied.
Once they climbed on a hill just outside the Iacon for studying. They could see down to the slums and even to the central area. It was quiet there, except for the occasional seekers or other fliers flying over the area. It was peaceful, without any sight of slum gangs or other menaces. Why they hadn't come here earlier was a question Ironhide asked himself.
They sat on the ground next to each other and took their datapads from their subspaces. Ironhide needed help with catching up to other students because he hadn't been doing anything for a really long time in the lessons. It was also a good opportunity for Ratchet to revise some of the things.
"You need to connect the x to the y and then reverse the whole thing," Ratchet explained patiently.
Ironhide concentrated on scribbling things to his own datapad. He was determined to get it right. He really did appreciate Ratchet helping him even though the job was endless. He had missed so much information before the white youngling had appeared into the picture. He was still unsure what he was going to do afterwards, but he thought that whatever it was he needed passable grades or otherwise he would be stuck on the slums for the rest of his life.
His thinking was interrupted when he felt Ratchet suddenly lean on him with all of his weight. Ironhide looked surprised over his shoulder to his left side to see what his friend was doing. Ratchet was recharging peacefully, optics powered down and a calm expression on his facial plating. When he saw what was going on a smile spread on his face. He thought he had never seen the white youngling so serene, because he was always worrying about other bots and not caring for himself. His friend had his hands curled up funnily and Ironhide knew why. The white youngling was always watching out for his hands, which didn't go unnoticed to him. He also remembered the first encounter he had had with Ratchet, when he had run to see the other youngling crying for his hands. He wasn't stupid and he had quickly connected the dots with the conclusion that there was something special about those hands.
The other youngling probably hadn't had enough recharge lately, because of the stress inflicted on him by caring for his creators. Ironhide didn't want to wake him up. He left him recharge still leaning against him, so he could get at least some recharge. He knew it probably wouldn't be enough to cover for all the lost rest, but it was better than nothing. He could study on his own for a while.
Besides he enjoyed watching Ratchet recharge and the closeness he was feeling at the moment. He could hear the slow intakes of his friend, while feeling the warmth the other was radiating. Ironhide wished they just could remain like this forever, but he knew that sooner or later he would have to wake up his friend. Just to sit there with his best friend without having to worry about anything or anyone was so nice. He wanted to protect that feeling for the very first time in his life.
Then Ironhide realized something. It was like somebody had pulled all the clouds blurring his view to the sky. Why he hadn't seen it earlier, because now it seemed so clear to him. To protect was the key here and where he could protect something better than in the security forces? He had everything needed to become one of the enforcers. He could also keep close to his friend, if he took that up after basics.
While being extremely enthusiastic, he dove back to the studying. He really needed to get it right because now there was a reason for it.
Ratchet woke up from recharge when somebody was carefully shaking him. 'What had happened' he wondered, still feeling a bit hazy. Had he really fallen into recharge while he was supposed to be helping Ironhide? He cursed himself silently. Some friend he was, he thought to himself.
He was worried for his creators. If he had been recharging for too long, only Primus knows what was going to happen to them. He really didn't like leaving them alone because they couldn't take care of themselves. Somebody needed to give them their energon, and his mother had to be fed because she didn't function even that much anymore.
"How long I've been recharging," Ratchet asked while looking around. It was getting dark already.
"For about a cycle," Ironhide answered, seemingly carefree.
"Slag! Some friend and a son I am," an annoyed Ratchet cursed.
"I'm sorry. I just didn't have the spark to wake you up," Ironhide apologized to the angry youngling.
"It's not your fault that I can't stay awake even for a nanoclick."
The red youngling was shaking his head while offering his hand to Ratchet so he could stand up. Ratchet's expression grew terrified and he pulled his hands into a tight ball against his chest plate. He couldn't help it, but panic was trying to make its way to his CPU. He knew it didn't make any sense and that he wouldn't die of it, but still he was feeling so hysterical.
Ratchet had been like this ever since he could remember. He had much more sensors in his hands than an average bot which made them extremely sensitive. Usually others weren't aware of this and he had ended up hurting many times because of that. Even his own creators had caused him to suffer several times in the past. Over time it had become more and more difficult for him to trust other bots to touch his hands. Most of the time he could get away with it.
"It's okay. I won't hurt you Ratchet. I would never hurt you; you're my best friend ever," the red bot said calmly while still having his arm stretched out.
Ratchet gathered himself after hearing Ironhide's calm voice. He convinced himself to be reasonable, but remained a bit wary. He opened up the tangle he had made of his arms while eyeing Ironhide. The white and red youngling then reached out his arm until his hands connected with Ironhide's. Nothing happened. They remained silent while they had their optics locked at each other, searching for any kind of signs. Ironhide closed his hand over Ratchet's, which made the white youngling incredibly uneasy.
The panic was starting to come back to him. He didn't like the situation at all. He couldn't stop thinking how stupid he was, but also how he was going to purge his fuel tanks any nanoclick now. Ironhide seemed to notice the mental fight he was fighting because the red youngling remained still. He slapped himself mentally and tightened his expression – It was now or never. He was going to trust his friend right here because Ironhide really didn't deserve a friend who didn't trust something even as simple as this.
The red youngling stayed calm while smiling. Then Ratchet could feel how his body left the ground without him feeling even slightest bit of uncomfortable. Before he even had time to wonder what had happened, he was on his feet with stunned expression. He had done it. He had trusted somebody else, which made him feel joyous at the moment.
"Let's race back," he shouted enthusiastically at Ironhide, while he was already transforming.
Ironhide answered the challenge by transforming and hurrying after his friend. They were still after all just younglings.