Swerve peered down at the kicking and cooing mess in front of him. Veer squealed in delight as solvent splashed everywhere. He bit his bottom lip, trying not to smile at her antics. Primus, she was just too cute!
"I'm glad you like bath time Veer, but I need you to stop squirming so I can clean you up! We're on a tight schedule!"
Swerve carefully wiped a rag between her seams earning a delighted squeal as she kicked more cleaning solvent into his face. He huffed, using his dry servo to wipe away the droplets. Swerve peered down at her happy face before sighing in defeat. "You're too ticklish- just like carri, huh? Well, luckily for you, I deem you cleaning enough. Now, let's get you all nice and shiny!"
Swerve snagged a towel off the counter. He picked her up from the bathing bassinet and swaddled her. Veer, delighted by being held, waved her arms around.
"You're just a widdle wiggle worm huh?" Swerve cooed as he walked out of the washing unit. Very carefully he placed her on his berth, then unwrapped her from the little cocoon and started to dry her. She squealed out, rolling around to the best of her abilities. Once satisfied, Swerve grabbed the sparkling grade polish from his side table. He scooped the goo out of the little jar and rubbed it onto his daughter's armor. Still too young and fragile for a real buffer, Swerve instead opted to gently start buffing the polish out with a microfiber cloth, which earned a displeased noise and some squirming from Veer. Swerve made little faces at her as his servos worked. Veer would coo when Swerve would cover his visor, "Where's Veer…?" He'd remove his servo with a gasp. "There She is!"
Swerve's would grin as she burst into giggles, too distracted to fight off his attempts at polishing her. He'd repeat the process until he thought her armor looked perfect. He pulled away to inspect his beautiful sparkling.
Veer's blue glistened brighter than any Praxian crystal. Her optics shone like cybertron's constellations. Swerve felt pride bubble in his spark. Swerve might be a little biased, but he was sure that Veer was the best sparkling in existence. Swerve gently cupped her chubby little cheek. Blurr better recognize that or he'll fight the racer himself! He sighed and leaned down to nuzzle the side of her helm.
Today was the day. The Wreckers were well within the range of the Lost Light. Which meant they, along with Blurr, would be docking soon. Swerve buried his nose against her tiny frame and breathed in her scent. It helped calm down his haywire carrier protocols. Primus, he was on edge.
He couldn't help it! There was just so much that could go wrong! Swerve snuggled his face further against her frame as he tried to push his worries aside. He had a plan. He had to keep reminding himself that. Things were going to be okay.
Swerve kissed the side of her helm before he reluctantly pulled away. Part of that plan included him getting ready. He really didn't want to. Really, he would rather turn on some cartoons and have a lazy day with Veer.
No luck in that department. Maybe after all of this, no matter the outcome, Swerve would close the bar early and he'd introduce Veer to some classics. The real question was should he start off with cartoon network or nick? Both sound good.
Swerve smiled to himself. Yeah. Veer and Swerve bonding time. That's what they'll do. Never mind all this Blurr business! At the end of the cycle the only thing that mattered was Swerve's relation with his creation. That's what he'll focus on.
A ping from his door snapped him back to attention. Oh. It was time already. Swerve sent the command to unlock the door.
"Hey guys, come on in," Swerve said as he gathered Veer into his arms.
Whirl stepped in with his claws extended in a grabby motion. "Way ahead of you short stack. Now where's the package?"
"She's right here. All sparkly and clean, and I expect her to stay that way until after introductions. Okay Whirl? I mean it. No glitter or confetti cannons!"
Whirl waved him off as he got closer to Veer. "Yeah yeah, I hear you. Now gimme the tiny wrecker!"
Swerve rolled his optics and placed her in Whirl's waiting arms. He chuckled watching Veer instantly grab a hold of Whirl's mounted guns. Whirl optic brightened in delight.
"See, she's ready for a shoot out. My kind of gal,"
"Whirl, your weapons take up half your chassis. She's simply grabbing a hold of the easiest thing." Cyclonus said, walking over to pat Veer's helm.
"I don't know, Cyclonus. I think she grabs that one because it's the closet one to his spark," Tailgate chimed in.
"Aah, finding my weaknesses. Clever little thing."
That earned a laugh from Tailgate, "You know that's not what I meant. She likes you Whirl. Your spark has good vibes."
"You take that back and stop hanging with Drift. My vibes are murdery and nasty. Right Veer?" Whirl said, while tickling her tummy.
Swerve gathered the sparkling bag with a smile. Whirl wasn't fooling anyone. The mech was a complete softie when it came to bitlets.
He handed over the bag to Cyclonus, "Well, she likes you and that's all that matters. Now, here are her things. There should be some spare bottles, blankets, her injections, and a couple of toys. I'll comm the nursery ahead if I decide to introduce Blurr, okay? And, once again, thank you guys for watching her till I get this mess fixed. And don't hesitate to call me if anything happens."
"Yeah, of course! You know we love spending time with Veer. And we were going to lay low anyway. Whirl's still angry at the other Wreckers," said Tailgate.
"The frag I am!" Whirl hissed.
Veer startled in his arms. Her optics widened and her face twisted into an upset frown. Whirl, realizing his mistake, quickly distracted by bouncing his frame. Her upset beeps morphed into thrilled trills.
Cyclonus sighed, "Whirl, it's a different universe. They are different mechs."
"And I bet they still had the nerve to kick me out! Frag them, I got a better squad anyway. I got tiny tot here to defend my honor."
Swerve had to agree. For the most part all the bots from this universe acted the same. In all likelihood they did boot their Whirl. Yet, this Blurr joined the Lost Light, so there were some differences. Anything was possible he supposed. Well, he was about to find out.
Swerve went over and placed a goodbye kiss on Veer's helm, "Be good sweet spark. I'll pick you up soon."
He stepped away, feeling a little ping in his spark, as he did so. Swerve suppressed the urge to frown. Things would be different after this. He just hoped it was for the better.
Cyclonus noticed. He crossed his arms, which looked slightly ridiculous while holding a petrol rabbit pattern sparkling bag, and frowned. "If he has honor, he will not abandon you and Veer. If he does not, then I will ensure he cannot ever do this again."
Swerve paused, taken aback. "Did…you just threaten to sterilize Blurr?"
Cyclonus grunted before turning to face the door. He walked out with the grace of a dedicated warrior. Tailgate, waved goodbye, and followed him out. Whirl, not far behind cackled at what Cyclonus said. Swerve suddenly felt very worried for the racer.
He stood there watching as the door closed. Swerve rubbed his own arm not sure what to do with himself. He should get ready, he supposed.
The bartender made his way back into the washing unit. He paused at the amount of water Veer managed to splash on the floor. This made him wonder if she was secretly a boat instead of a racer frame. Nautica would be delighted if she was.
Swerve placed a towel down to soak up the mess before turning to face the mirror. He frowned, taking in his own form. Yep, he was still the same chunky mini bot with zero charisma. Now with the added bonus of a big ugly weld scar on his middle. He touched the healing mark with a sigh.
No amount of cosmetic work would hide the ugly grey color. According to Ratchet, it just had to heal naturally. Swerve just wished it would repair itself faster.
It made him feel more self conscious. He wasn't a looker on his best of days. He knew that. This ugly scar just made that worse.
Swerve looked away. It wasn't like he was trying to impress anyone. Blurr was too far above him for them to really even talk. He just wanted to appear decent for Veer's sake. She deserves a relationship with her sire. Swerve didn't want to scare the racer away.
It's okay, he reminded himself. His injuries weren't even going to be part of this equation. He had a plan to hide them.
Granted, he got inspired after binging some sitcoms again, but it was still a decent idea. He'll just stand behind the bar the entire time. The counter was high enough it would hide his lower half while still letting him chat. He has an apron too that would help cover it up.
Okay, maybe it wasn't perfect, but it was a plan. There were some flaws like he wouldn't be able to deliver drinks without limping. He was still technically on berth rest. He got the okay to stand for a few hours. Though Ratchet threatened to glue his aft to his seat if he reopens that weld.
But! That's why he enlisted the help of his best buddies. Bluestreak was to be on drink crafting duty since Swerve was still a big sluggish. Ten would ten it up by delivering drinks and being an awesome bouncer. Which was good, because you never know what chaos wreckers would cause. And, Skids would stand by for moral support.
Swerve nodded to himself as he jumped in the shower. It was going to be okay. Things would go off without a hitch!
Everything was going way too slow. Blurr tapped his foot rapidly as they stood in front of the ship's docking chamber. He glared at the door wanting it to open already.
"Kid, staring at it ain't gonna make it go faster," Kup inhaled his cy-gar slowly.
Impactor slung an arm around the racer. "The old mech is right. 'Sides you're more jittery than a dead end mech on circuit boosters. Gonna scare away your lover-bot all hopped up like that."
Blurr's engine growled. He pushed Impactor off of him. "Frag off 'Pactor"
That only earned a grin from the harpoon wielding mech. He crossed his arms, an air of smugness seeping through his field, as he stared Blurr down. He whistled. "Somebody has it bad. Can't wait to meet the mini that got your belt in a bunch. "
Blurr scowled, "If you try anything I'll put you in that grave you made for yourself, you fragging narcissist!"
Much to his annoyance, Impactor only chuckled at the threat. Blurr ground his denta together in frustration. His pedes tapping sped up till he heard the hissing of the latch. Finally!
He sped out the door as soon as the ramp descended. Only to be stopped in his tracks by the group of mechs waiting to greet them. There, and very much alive, was Rodimus, Ultra Magnus, and, ugh, Bucket Head. Shame, it was almost a pleasant sight to see.
Suddenly Blurr stumbled back as he was decked in the face. Blurr swore and grabbed ahold of his now bruised nasal ridge. He glared at Rodimus. "The frag was that for?!"
"That's for the other version of you for being a glitch." Rodimus suddenly brought Blurr into a big hug. "This is because I'm happy you're still kicking, you glitch!"
Confused, Blurr decided it was easier to just hug Rodimus back. He could admit he was relieved to see his friend again. He was glad to see them all alive.
Rodimus only pulled away when Kup made his way down. He audibly gasped before pushing Blurr out of the way so he could hug the older mech. Blurr crosses his arms a bit offended he was forgotten so quickly.
"Kup, you're alive! Awe, frag. I think I'm gunna cry!"
Kup patted the spot between Rodimus' spoilers, "Of course I'm still kicking kid. I'm not that easy to get rid of!"
Ultra Magnus gave their party a respectable nod. He stood there still professional as always. Though his mouth, if you squint, almost looked like a smile.
Megatron, much to Blurr's surprise, actually put a servo out towards Impactor. He watched as Impactor cocked his helm but nevertheless took and shook his hand.
"It's good to see you again," Megatron admitted.
"This ship making you all touchy and Feely again, Megs? Surprised you are even here to say hello."
The ex-war lord grunted in acknowledgment, "Yes, Well. My priorities have changed."
"Now that's a dangerous sentiment. Last time that happened a war broke out" Impactor said squeezing the gladiator's servo tight.
Megatron didn't rise up to the bait. He let go of his ex-amica's servo and nodded towards the exit.
"Let's not get confrontational, Impactor. We have too much to discuss before we delve into petty squabble. Besides, the crew is eager to meet the fabled Wreckers. They even set up a little celebration at Swerve's."
Impactor was about to open his big mouth so Blurr interrupted him before he could ruin any good will. "Swerve, is he alright?"
Megatron paused. His mouth pinched into a flat line. He folded his servos together as if he was contemplating the question. "I think it would be better to ask him that directly."
Rodimus nodded in agreement. He put his servo on his cocked hip, regarding Blurr with an unimpressed look.
Blurr bristled at the stares they were throwing his way.
"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" He demanded.
"Yeah, actually. Before we go in there I'm giving you this one warning. Don't. Frag. This. Up." Rodimus poked the center of his chassis with every word then turned towards the exit.
Blurr swallowed down any rude comments he was going to throw Rodimus' way. Blurr knew him well enough to know when Rodimus was feeling protective. He only acts this way when something's gone wrong.
A sense of foreboding clung to the air. Already, just by how the others were reacting, he felt like his suspensions were confirmed. There was something wrong with Swerve.
The image of that sparkling came to the front of his mind. He balled up his fist and followed Rodimus out of the bay. Almost every step towards the bar felt heavy and too slow. He needed to know.
Swerve's visor was glued to a stubborn stain on his otherwise immaculate bar. He'd already given up on trying to use a rag and cleaning spray. This thing was way too stubborn. Instead he decided to scrape away at it with his digit.
"Swerve, it's fine," said Bluestreak as he fixed a slightly out of place cube.
"I almost got it Blue. Just needs a little attention is all,"
Swerve kept scratching at it. He just wanted his perfect was all. He totally wasn't using it as a distraction.
"Uh huh, well I'm pretty sure you're just peeling off the paint."
That- might actually be true. Swerve paused to assess the damage he'd done. Looking at it now, Bluestreak was totally right. He frowned.
"Coulda told me sooner, Blue."
"Yeah, but then you would have broken your vocalizer from panic talking before Blurr even got here. Better the paint than you," Bluestreak said gently nudging Swerve.
Skids, who was nursing a drink, chimed in, "He has a point."
Swerve gave his friends a weak smile. "Okay, yeah. But in my defense, I have the right to be nervous. The fragging Wreckers are going to be in my bar! That's-that's just crazy!"
Not to mention the sire of his sparkling. The ultra famous racer and best pity frag Swerve has ever had, Blurr. No big deal. "I mean- suck it, Mirage. My bar is obviously better. I already got a picture of Optimus hanging out here. Now I'm getting like- All the Wreckers! Who else, besides Maccadams, can say that they've had that many famous bots patronizing there?" Swerve couldn't help himself. He just kept on talking.
"Guys, I won't lie to you, this feels like some kind of crazy dream. The Wreckers are here, our friends are alive, and I have a daughter. A heckin cute one. Which, by the way, Blurr better find her cute or I might set my bar on fire as a form of protest. Okay, maybe not I-"
Skids interrupted him with a chuckle, "Swerve, breath!"
Swerve was doing it again. His mouth was running off without him already, before Blurr even got here! He needed to calm down. Man, he was regretting turning down Drift's offer to teach him meditation.
"Swerve, I'm telling you, it's going to be okay" Skids gave him a reassuring smile, "He's going to love Veer. And he's just going to be happy to see you again."
That's what scared him. Blurr was expecting a version of him that no longer exists. He didn't want to disappoint the racer or ruin Veer's chance.
Bluestreak threw the cloth he was using over his shoulder, "If he's a glitch then I'll just get Ten to kick him out."
Skids nodded in agreement, "We have your back Swerve, okay?"
Swerve upper lip twitched into a small smile, "Right, well I hope we don't have to kick him out. Bad look for my business."
Bluestreak hummed, "If we do I can cash in a few favors to get a better racer to pose in the bar for some photos?"
Swerve gasped, "No- what? Nobody is better than Blurr!"
That was heresy! In this bar the best racer around was, and forever would be Blurr. It didn't matter his relationship with the racer.
Bluestreak shrugged. "I don't know. Those colony bots from Velocitron looked pretty fast.."
Swerve was about to argue his case when he heard the front door open. His mouth snapped shut as Rodimus stepped inside. The captain waltz like he owned the place. He stopped in the center of the bar.
Rodimus cleared his vocalizer, "Alright glitches, the party has arrived! Make way for the one and only Wreckers!" The effect on the bar was instantaneous: loud whooping and cheers from patrons. One by one the different squad members walked in.
Swerve felt star-struck. He knew already that Kup, Impactor, and Springer were coming thanks to that call with Skids. He hadn't expected freaking Roadbuster, Topspin and Twintist, and was that Rack'n'Ruin?! The fan bot inside of him was absolutely losing it right now.
Would it be weird if he asked all of them to sign a table or something? Or maybe the banner? That way he could have it proudly displayed in the bar.
Swerve was about to ask Skids to fetch it from where it hung on the ceiling when a familiar bot caught his attention. He jerked forward and gasped loudly. He reset his visor to make sure he wasn't glitching. He knew that blue and yellow paint job anywhere.
"Ironfist?!"
The bot in question turned in his direction. He blinked at Swerve before his optics brightened. He weaved his way towards the bar. "Swerve-! I haven't seen you since-"
"Kimia! Holy frag, I can't believe-"
"That you're alive!" Swerve smiled so hard his cheeks hurt.
Swerve should have guessed the scientist somehow found a way around that cerebro bullet in this universe! He remembered how devastating it was to hear Fisitron's last broadcast. Swerve regretted not doing more to help his friend.
"Finally opened that bar, eh?" asked Ironfist as he sat next to Skids.
"Yep, like how you obsessed over the wreckers so hard somehow you became one. Like, you glitch! You never told me!"
Ironfist rubbed the back of his helm, "That's because things got a bit complicated after I left Kimia.."
Swerve understood that. In a span of a couple of months so much had already happened. He still smiled at his buddy before realizing he hadn't introduced Ironfist to his other two friends.
"Oh! Skids, Bluestreak, this is an old science buddy of mine, Ironfist. We go waaay back- went to the academy together. We were roommates. Ironfist, this is Bluestreak, my friend and employee, and this is my amica, Skids!"
Bluestreak flickered his wings as a greeting, "Nice to meet you."
Skids went for a hand shake, "Always nice to meet friends of my amica."
Ironfist shook his hand in return and nodded at Bluestreak, "Nice to meet you two. Wow, Swerve you're moving up in the world. You got two more friends than I have."
Swerve laughed, "Ha! Yep, beating your record. But it's alright, I'm sure they are willing to befriend you."
Ironfist happily drummed his digits on the counter in acknowledgment. He hummed then slightly nodded his helm behind him. "Speaking of friends- I thought you were full of slag about knowing Blurr. Mech has been staring at you since we walked in."
Swerve froze. He looked past Ironfist to see a certain blue racer staring right at him. He was standing next to Kup who was chatting with Rodimus. Yet, his attention was directly on Swerve. Their optics met. Then he started to walk towards the bar.
Swerve did the only thing he could think of. He quickly ducked down behind the bar out of pure panic.
Oh frag, oh frag, oh frag. This was happening!
Bluestreak, bless his face plate, pretended to knock over a rag. Swerve knew he was just trying to make it look like he was retrieving it for Blue instead of hiding. Swerve tried to stop his frame from trembling as he grabbed the cloth.
He heard Ironfist greet the racer, "Hey Blurr, want a drink?"
Blurr said something Swerve didn't quite catch. In all fairness, he was trying to calm his nerves. He could do this.
He stood back up with a plastered on smile, "Here you go Blu-"
Swerve froze. There was Blurr, right there in front of him. The gorgeous racer did a once over on Swerve's frame and for a second, and Swerve thought he was going to faint.
"Uhh…" he swallowed down his anxiety. "What can I get ya?" Blurr didn't say anything. He just kept staring at Swerve. He shifted, feeling uncomfortable. "Not sure? Then- uh let me suggest our newest drink-the 'Wreck n Rule'. It's bold and tangy- just like victory feels, you know? Came up with it myself. Not really an original name but I can promise it makes up for it in flavor," Swerve fidgeted with his digit and stared at the counter. "If that isn't to your liking we got some classics like a Outliner blast, or Interface on the beach-"
Swerve snapped his mouth shut at the last one. His face plate heated. He cleared his throat as he tried not to freak out. Way to be subtle Swerve!
He was about to find an excuse to abort this whole conversation. Maybe pretend he left something important in his habsuite or go hide at the observation deck for a few hours? All those thoughts left his processor when a hand gently tilted his chin up.
Blurr, with his lips pursed, and optics settled on him, used his digit to rub his face. It was so..caring? The racer bowed his helm as if he was relieved. Swerve couldn't believe his audio receptors when Blurr breathed out.
"You're really alive.."
The racer stilled his servo as if he just realized what he did. Swerve stood there unsure what to say as Blurr mumbled out an apology. He flushed, already missing that little bit of contact.
"It's okay- I am used to being touched," he mumbled out before slapping a servo over his mouth. "Not what I meant! That came out wrong. I just meant as a bartender. Wait no, that seems worse-" Swerve groaned wanting to disappear.
Blurr didn't laugh, though he did appear amused. He smiled at Swerve, such a spark melting smile too, and took a seat in front of him. Swerve flushed further at his intense gaze.
He glanced away in Bluestreak's direction for help. Only to find the mech left to deliver a tray of drinks. Oh awesome, there goes one of his safety nets.
Skids cleared his intakes, "Hey Swerve, I'm going to go introduce Ironfist here to Nautica. I think she'll enjoy to talk science "
Swerve pleaded with his optics for Skids to stay. He knew his amica was just trying to give him space but his anxiety was so bad he was afraid he'll purge. Skids only threw him his typical reassuring smile. Swerve wanted to vent in frustration when he saw Skids mouth 'you got this'.
Ironfist followed behind the theoretican, "We'll catch up later Swerve. I'll show you my latest piece from my Vanguard collection."
Then there was none. It was just him and Blurr. It felt weird being the center of attention. He felt awkward.
Swerve needed to busy his servos so he decided to make the racer a free drink. Maybe that would help ease the tension.
"There are some things I'd like to talk to you about, if that's okay?" Blurr, with his stupid husky voice asked.
"Yeah, uh sure! I'm an open book. Ask away!"
Blurr leaned against his servo and took Swerve in. The minibot tried his best to calm his frantic spark. Which he was finding to be an impossible task.
"I'll be blunt then, what was our relationship?"
What was their…? Oh, that was a loaded question. Swerve's face heated further as he tried to form the right words. Frag buddies? Semi friendly berth amigos? Luke warm wrestle comrades? None of those things really fitted their relationship.
"Um-We knew each other?" He said very unsure.
Even that sounded like they were closer than they were. Swerve distracted himself from Blurr's thoughtful expression by handing him the finished drink. He rubbed the back of his helm and sighed.
"It was..complicated but not? I don't even know," he finally admitted. Swerve covered his face with his servo. He didn't want to say it. But it needed to be done so he could bring up Veer. "You pity fragged me a couple of times back on Cybertron, okay? We weren't whatever it is you had with your Swerve. You barely knew I existed and this is really overwhelming."
Swerve took a step back to put some distance between them. He wasn't worth more than just a pity frag. He was loud, ugly, and overall a pain in the aft. It hurt admitting it out loud.
Blurr brows knitted together. He sat up straight and leaned closer to Swerve. "How long ago was that?"
Swerve shrugged looking away. He subconsciously put a servo against where his hidden weld mark was. How old was Veer? Only a couple of months? …It was hard to think of the noise of the bar.
"I don't know? Time gets weird on the Lost Light. Does it matter?"
Blurr's optics flickered to the minibot's abdomen. He gripped the countertop as if to anchor himself. Oh, based on Blurr's frown, that was the wrong answer. The racer glanced at his drink before taking a sip of it.
"I see."
Swerve bit the bottom of his lip. Already Blurr's reaction had a bolt of rejection stabbing his spark. He pushed the pain down by forcing out a friendly laugh.
"Ha yeah, it was a short arrangement… Uh- so how's your drink. Does it need anything?"
Blurr optics flickered up to Swerve, "No, it's perfect like always. Thank you. Though I wouldn't mind some company, why not make yourself something while we chat?"
"Oh, I can't," Swerve blurted right away. He winced at how quickly he said that. Swerve, the only bot not drinking at a party. That was totally not suspicious. Good job.
It was true though. Ratchet would kill him if he had a drink in his servo. It slows down the healing process. He already wasn't happy Swerve was standing. Not only that but he was hoping to use his own feeding lines with Veer after the pain killers were out of his system. Feeding carriers were supposed to avoid highgrade.
"I uh- don't like drinking on the job. As a bartender you understand" Swerve lied with a polite smile. Blurr studied him for an uncomfortable amount of time. Swerve tried not to nervously fidget. For a moment the only sound was conversation taking place in the background. He picked up a nearby glass and pretended it needed polishing.
"We were lovers. Me and my Swerve" Blurr said casually. That was blunt and unexpected. Swerve fumbled, almost dropping the bottle. He luckily caught it before it landed on the floor.
"O-oh" Swerve choked out. "Congratulations?"
Blurr gave the bartender a sad smile. He took a deeper sip that time. Swerve blinked till it hit him.
Oh slag! How could he forget?! Blurr's Swerve was dead. He resisted the urge to slap himself for that comment.
The racer tilted his glass around to watch the liquid slosh side to side. Blurr took in a deep breath then sighed. "You act just like him," he said quietly.
Oh, the look he gave Swerve hurt his spark a bit. Swerve knew the look in his optics- it was that of loss. Countless times his own reflection would stare back at him in the mirror. Over and over again it taunted Swerve with its cruel whispers: why couldn't you save them?
In all counts he was basically a stranger, yet Swerve ached to rid him of that pain. Nobody deserved to have that gaping wound in their chassis. It was a silent killer of joy. Swerve should know, he almost lost his own life to it.
Swerve chewed on the inside of his cheek. Blurr looked so sad…Feeling a bit brave, and perhaps a bit idiotic, he reached over to grab a hold of Blurr's free servo. He gave it a little squeeze.
Blurr's optics brightened from the touch. He squeezed back before thumbing the back of Swerve's servo. It felt odd but pleasant. Though it was a bit more intimate than Swerve had expected. He tried his best to control his burning cheeks.
Blurr, realizing what he was doing, stilled his digit. "Sorry- I didn't mean.. Force of habit.." he mumbled but still didn't let go of the bartender's servo.
Swerve fiddled with the hem of his apron. "It's alright, trust me, I understand. They had to pry my huggy hands off of Skids and the rest of the bots two cycles ago. It's relieving and scary to see dead mechs walking around again."
"Not going to lie, I'm jealous to hear they got a Swerve hug before me. Yours are my favorite."
Swerve's lost all higher processor functions for a moment. He hugged Blurr? Blurr likes his hugs?
He cleared his dry intake and nodded at Blurr's drink. "Let me refill that for you."
Blurr thanked him then pushed over his empty glass with his cyan optics trained on Swerve. He picked it up and effortlessly started to mix the cocktail. Swerve tried focusing on that instead of the anxiety cramping his tanks.
Swerve needed to get his processor straight. For Veer's sake, he needed to actually talk to the racer instead of being an awkward pile of garbage. Blurr needed to know about her. He took in a deep breath before straining the highgrade into its cup. He opened his mouth only to be interrupted by a large purple arm slinging across Blurr's shoulder.
Tailgate watched, amused, as Whirl laid next to Veer. The normally manic helicopter was laying on his stomach pushing different toys in front of the sparkling's view. Veer would grab her at her favorites and ignore others. Whirl would gather the ones she didn't like and 'banished' them to the other side of the room by throwing them against the wall. Every time Veer would giggle in delight at his antics.
So far, everything was going well. Veer hadn't cried once since her carrier had passed her off to them. In fact, Tailgate would dare to say, she was having the time of her life.
He hoped that Swerve was having a good time. Tailgate winced knowing how awkward it must be. The situation was like that human show Swerve showed him. What was it called again? Murray? Hopefully there would be less yelling and sparkling denying than that show had.
Who could deny Veer anyway? She was a heckin cutie! Tailgate leaned over to playfully tickle the bottom of her pede. Veer gasped out and squealed in delight.
"Hey pipsqueak! How dare you attack my charge!" Whirl said, knocking gently against Tailgate's plating.
Tailgate laughed, "I can't help it! She's so cute! Right Cyclonus?"
Cyclonus, who was sitting in the rocking chair, hummed. Tailgate smiled behind his mask. Cyclonus looked down right at home. Frankly, it was adorable.
Whirl huffed, "Doesn't matter how cute she is. Nobody touches my squad members without paying the price!"
Tailgates gasped. He glanced at Veer. "Please have mercy on me! I meant no harm princess co-captain!"
Whirl rolled his shoulders. "Sorry tiny, Veer here says mercy is for the weak."
The waste disposal bot yelps as he's suddenly tackled against the playmat. Two massive claws begin gently tickling his sides. He gasps and kicks out against the attack.
Whirl laughed at the violent onslaught. Tailgate wheezed trying to get some cold air in his vents, begging for Whirl to stop.
The helicopter only did after Tailgate was crying from laughing so hard. Tailgate gasped trying to regain his composure before a brilliant idea came to him. He looked into Whirl's golden optic before wrapping his arms around his neck. He pulled the ex-wrecker down so he could nuzzle the side of his helm.
Whirl froze. He doesn't pull away so Tailgate takes it as a sign to keep going. He disengages his mask and kisses him. Whirl melts into the touch. He cups the side of Tailgate's face before nuzzling him back.
"Fine, you win. I'll grant you mercy," Whirl whispered into his audio receptor.
Tailgate snuggled against his warm frame with a sense of victory. Whirl huffed before sitting up, gathering the minibot in his lap and leaning back to a more comfortable position. Together they both watched Veer, who was happily nomming on a plush.
Whirl scooted them both a bit closer to the rocking chair. Tailgate knew that he wanted to feel Cyclonus' field too, though Whirl would never admit it.
CRUNCH!
Everybody froze. Whirl glanced behind him only to realize he accidentally backed up into the sparkling bag. Whirl swore, Cyclonus grabbed the bag, and Tailgate gasped in surprise. Oh, scrap!
Tailgate winced seeing Cyclonus take out one of Veer's injections. Yeah, it was beyond shattered. And by the looks of it all of them were.
Veer, sensing their tension, began to cry.
"Solve your issues lover bot?" Impactor cooed.
"Frag off! Not now!" Blurr snarled.
The ex-miner only laughed and patted the racer's cheek. "Trouble in paradise? Awe, go easy on him, Swerve was it? He's been dying to see you since that call with Skids."
Blurr jerked Impactor off of him. He elbowed the fraggers gut hard. Impactor grunted before grinning wildly at Swerve.
"See? Super sensitive. Now, how about you two make up so the rest of us can grab a drink?"
Swerve flushed. Now that he mentioned it, nobody else had approached the counter since they started talking. He coughed into his servo.
"Sorry about that. We got wrapped up in our own conversation. How can I help you?"
"Got any nightmare brew?" Impactor said while leaning against the bar.
"Yeah, of course!", Swerve fished out a bottle from under the cabinet.
Blurr stiffened as he watched Swerve pour the shot. Impactor accepted it and threw it back with ease. He smacked his lips together then nudged Blurr.
"You were right about taking this bottle with you. Stuff is smooth!"
"ShutthefragupImpactor" Blurr hissed out.
Swerve tilted his helm, "What do you mean..?"
Impactor glanced at the now fuming racer. That only made his grin wider. He slapped some shanix down in front of Swerve.
"Blurr didn't tell you? Took the bottle from the other ship. He was guarding it like a turbo fox with its pups. Now, kiss and make up. The rest of us want to drink till we black out."
Swerve watched, stunned, as he simply walked away. He glanced at the nightmare fuel in his hands then at Blurr. That was his favorite drink and Blurr took it with him…?
Blurr glared daggers until he was sure the warrior was out of his sight. He crossed his arms together with a scowl. It kind of reminded Swerve of two siblings fighting with each other.
"I hate to say it but uh," Swerve blushed, "I think he's right. We've been skirting around each other like freshly upgraded new sparks. Let's…just rip off the bandaid."
Blurr nodded in agreement. Both opened their mouths and started to talk.
"There's actually something I want to as-"
"There's something I need to tell-"
Their voices overlapped. They paused. Swerve nervously rubbed his helm.
"Oh scrap, sorry. Here, you go fir-"
Swerve frowned as he was interrupted by a call. His brows furrowed seeing it was from Cyclonus. His spark sped up with worry.
"I'm sorry, give me a second. I got a call," said Swerve.
He turned the other way before answering the call. "Cyclonus, is everything alright…?"
"Veer's injections broke. She's having an attack"
All color drained from Swerve's face. "Try to keep her cool. I'm on my way!"
Swerve scrambled to get out from behind the bar. He was yanked back by his apron which got caught on the corner. He smacked his tender middle in the process. He swore before yanking the stupid thing off of himself.
"Is everything alright?" Blurr asked, already standing from his seat.
Swerve whipped his helm in the speedster's direction. He couldn't think of anything to say. He panicked and threw him a thumbs up.
"Yep, yep, yep! Everything is perfect- uh Cyclonus just needs my help," he lied as he started to jog towards the exit.
That's when pain bloomed from his abdomen. He cursed, stumbling forward. His knees buckled under his own weight. He crumbled towards the floor. Blurr shot out and caught him.
"Swerve?! You're hurt!"
He scrambled against the racer, "Does matter- I need to go!"
Veer was overheating! She was in danger! Frag his stupid welds. He didn't have time for this.
His protocols were screaming at him. He could feel Veer's fear and pain through the bond. Frustration tears pooled in the corner of his optics.
Blurr stared at his injuries for a second before lifting the minibot off the ground to hold him bridal style in his arms. "Tell me where we're going!"
Swerve swallowed, "Near the docking bay. It's room 500C,"
Blurr nodded. He tightened his hold onto Swerve before taking off with lightning speed.
They zoomed down the halls, drifting past corners, and strolling mechs like it was nothing. The speed was dizzying. Swerve clung onto the racer for dear life. In what felt like a blink they were at the nursery.
The piercing sound of a sparkling's desperate cries filled the air. Swerve flared around in Blurr's arms like a desperate fish. Stunned by the sight it took Blurr a moment to actually set Swerve down.
Once his pedes touched the ground Swerve took off towards Cyclonus. The horned mech was rocking the screaming sparkling. Veer whined with tears streaming down her face. Swerve could hear her internal fans stuttering in a vain attempt to cool herself.
Swerve scooped her up in an instant. His fear grew tenfold at how hot she felt in his arms. His spark cracked seeing how red her face was. She looked miserable.
"Please tell me you have more of those injections!" Said Tailgate, who was definitely freaking out.
"I do, I do! Shh, it's okay. Carri is here. Vent for me," Swerve reached inside his subspace before yanking out one of his many spares. He pressed it against her main cooling line. "There's going to be a pinch, okay? It's going to be fine,"
Swerve blanked his field over his daughter. He then hit the plunger. Veer beeped unhappily. It took a moment for the coolant to flow through her system and for her to relax in his arms. Swerve did vent himself until her little face nuzzled against his chassis. He sighed in relief.
"We are so sorry Swerve! Everything was going fine but then we accidentally rolled onto her bag- that freaked her out and-" Tailgate rambled.
Swerve tuned them out. He was too busy searching over his daughter's frame for any possible damage. She looked okay but Swerve was still going to call Ratchet to make sure.
"Thank Primus you got here in time. I thought you weren't going to make it!"
Swerve paled. There was a reason he made it there so quickly. He swallowed down the lump in his throat before turning to look behind him. Blurr was standing there staring directly at Veer.
Oh, scrap.