Title: The perfect life
Universe: Transformers: Cybertron (probably AU)
Characters: Vector Prime & Safeguard
Prompt: "This is not what I had in mind"
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, I make no profit from this, I'm just having fun.
Safeguard smiled as he settled back into his altmode positioned on Vector Prime's forearm, listening to Jolt's questions about why he did not spend more time with the rest of them, why he was always so quick to hide away again, why he almost never even spoke to anyone other than Prime.
The answer, in short, was that that was how Safeguard liked it. But to understand why they needed to know how he had ended up here in the first place, and that was a story he had no intention of sharing.
It started with a simple fact: Vector Prime had once been a minibot.
Prime's predecessor had visited Gigantion a few short decades ago in chronological time from the current date but more than three millennia ago in experienced time. Such qualifications on time measurements became necessary in their line of work.
In any case, he had come to visit when he knew his death was imminent. He had swapped his own consciousness into the frame of his chosen successor, who then became the current Vector Prime. Not the original Vector Prime, and not even the second Vector Prime, but for all important purposes the only Vector Prime.
The problem was, Safeguard had seen it all happen.
The chosen one - whose memory had been honoured when the spark in his frame had guttered - did not recall his previous life. Safeguard was not even sure he remembered that he had ever had a previous life.
Jolt and the others had come along after the exchange, had accepted what they were told and did not have any reason to question it. Vector Prime was the guardian, and Safeguard was his chosen companion.
Not his lover as they had initially assumed, never that. That would have been too weird, regardless of the fact the Prime did not recall his past, but close.
Back when it had happened, the older Vector Prime had been startled to realise he had been observed and had briefly explained what he intended.
"I am sorry." he had apologised, the offline form of his successor-to-be cradled offline in his hands. "This is not what I had in mind. I thought I had chosen well, but now if I have not I have little time to amend my mistake. Even I must obey some laws of time."
"What did you have in mind?" Safeguard had asked curiously.
"I was looking for one with no family."
"He has no family." Safeguard assured him.
"But he has you to miss him."
"But I will not miss him. I will go with him."
"That would be... unusual. Will no-one miss you?"
"No."
It was a question he had no need to consider before answering.
He had lived the life of a hermit for so long he was unsure whether anyone realised he still functioned.
They had never exchanged names - the little one either did not know his own designation or the accident had corrupted that part of his programming. If he had not collapsed, starving, right in Safeguard's path he would have perished before reaching adulthood. Instead they had lived together, not quite as guardian and foundling but more as acquaintances. A few short vorns of doing chores together, speaking sparingly, respecting each other's need for solitude. And now this.
It amused Safeguard somewhat to think that Vector Prime - the new one - now considered himself Safeguard's own guardian. And it amused him even more that his humour confused the larger mech.
He could not have said himself why he had chosen to go with Prime. Perhaps for the same reason he had gone into seclusion: weariness with life as it was, desire for a life less complicated.
His life now was perfect. Vector Prime waded into crises and dealt with complications, but Safeguard's role was simple: he was there as companion, as assistant, as confidante, as supporter. And it was the most rewarding job in the universe.
It was the perfect job, the perfect life, and the best part of all was that since they lived outside of the timestream it need never come to an end.
