Chapter Title: Phobia
Disclaimer: I still don't make any money from this.
Challenge: Friendship through fear (Prompt from Megs on aim)
Rating: K
Characters/Pairings: Sam Witwicky, Silverbolt
Warnings/Comments: Unbeta'd Post-RoTF
Summary: Sam had acquired a lot of bad memories of falling from great heights due to Megatron, Silverbolt also has that fear from being shot down a few too many times. The greatest icebreaker ever?

Sam had never really been fond of heights growing up, and from Mission City on to today he had collected quite a few memories that equated height to the need to panic. But, surprisingly he never really found himself leaping to that when he did find himself up high, either by a walking platform or by a large metal hand offering him a lift. That didn't mean it didn't decide to be a pain and cause him trouble in life of course, he was never that lucky to have such a thing as a stupid fear disappear for good. No, it just tended to hide better and show up when the bundle of nervous energy that sits somewhere between his heart and his lungs gets too big. Then he can barely step on a stool to grab something out of a cupboard without his heartbeat making a staccato rhythm in his chest.

He tried to not be around any of the 'big guys' when that happened or else he'd find himself being bombarded by scans and a trip to Ratchet; and then, trying to fumble around the words on why it happened when he didn't really get it himself. That was okay though, because that ball of energy tended to stay small for the most part, especially when new arrivals showed up with only minor wounds for Ratchet to bitch about. That little ball of negativity of squashed fears tended to shrivel up quite nicely when he was with 'bee or any of the other bots running around base at any given time. And he wasn't going to question why that was.

This worked a lot better then he thought considering that he was constantly surrounded by the Cybertronians as more and more of them made planet fall. The Autobots almost tripping over one another until Optimus and Lennox managed to get permission to expand their main base and acquiring a smaller base back on the mainland to help relive the expanding population of giant alien robots running around the place. Something even Red Alert had cheered about when it was official, because they wouldn't be three mech deep to a room. (Sam had a feeling that was why he had not seen Red Alert, since he was certain Prowl had mentioned something about Red Alert and social awkwardness taken to a new level or such when he asked about the quiet and twitchy mech.)

So he was a bit surprised when the shuddering and body freeze happened while walking idly down one of the elevated walkways. Sweaty palms and shortness of breath being the party crashers that they were, soon followed and had him unconsciously clinging to the wall as if it was the only thing keeping him from making a lovely red splatter on the grey concrete below. Never mind he was standing on a thick and sturdy piece of steel that could hold all three Arcee units without squeaking under the pressure, his mind was completely believing that he was going to fall and die horribly any moment now, thank you very much.

Until he suddenly found himself being cradled in a silvery grey hand that was pretty large, considering he couldn't get his arms wrapped fully around a finger. Only then did he finally stop shaking and hyperventilating as he looked up into concerned blue optics of Silverbolt. The fact he was just being held and not being rushed to Ratchet or Medbay was enough of a novelty for him to gain the rest of his sanity, and stuff that stupid fear back in its box and underneath a mental bed as he stared back in an almost shock at this.

"I think I know what you're going through Sam."

Oh. Now he remembered. Overhearing Epps talking with Jazz and asking how anyone who was built to be in the air was afraid to be in the air. He hadn't really thought about it back then, as he had been mentally and emotionally batted around by the five new ones that had shown up together; and wondering just how so very different and warring personalities were a team and worked together so well. When they weren't of course bickering amongst themselves or with others (Well okay that was mostly the fault of one or two of the new guys, but they were normally seen together so it was hard not to be inclusive on that.) That though wasn't a train of thought he should be on since he was just staring dumbly at the guy holding him and he should probably say something.

"Don't you hate how uncool it is sometimes?"

The sudden blank look as the guy translated that sentence to be understandable had Sam mentally kicking himself for a bit. He sometimes forgot not everyone of the aliens took to human lingo as easily as 'bee or Jazz, or had been around long enough to pick it up.

"Especially when you have those around that won't ever let you live it down."

It wasn't even the words that had gotten to him but the tone used. That exasperated and fearful, but still light and able to laugh about it as well that just hit home with Sam. It just clicked as the two seemed to get it completely with each other and what that little ball of fear could do without fumbling and trying to vocalize the circling thoughts flying around.

Bumblebee would always be his best friend and the Cybertronian he trusted completely, no matter what; but Silverbolt had wormed his way into second place that day.

All because of an irrational fear of falling with no one there to catch you.

[Here's the Fish. Watch the Fish do shameless plugging. Advertise Fish, Advertise.]

So, as anyone who has looked at my profile lately has probably already noticed this, but...I have created another Big Idea. Only difference this time being I made it into a get together and am desperately and shamelessly going to ask people here to have a look and join my crazy adventure. This big adventure is known as tf_rallypoint over on livejournal and would really be happy if anyone should join and help get the ball rolling on it. For those who need a link my homepage link on the profile has been changed to direct you to this place as well.

So yeah, go look, join, play with me at tf_rallypoint I don't bite and I'd even love anyone that wants to help me run the place. So come on and check it out on livejournal