Disclaimer: Transformers (Generation 1) and everything related belongs to the rightful company Hasbro. I am in no way shape or form making money off this.

Author's Notes: A trip to the Artic circle leaves Skyfire and Bumblebee stranded, and with no choice but to await a rescue. Things go from bad to worse when Bee's systems start to freeze over. However, Skyfire can only thing of one way to keep the minibot warm long enough for help to arrive.

Title: Staying Warm

Pairing: SkyfirexBumblebee (G1)

Request: 02bumblebeefan (FF)

Skyfire enjoyed the times he was able to fly, feeling the wind against his plating, his wings touching the top of the clouds, seeing more of the organic world from a unique perspective. So different from his home Cybertron, but he wished that the circumstances had been more favorable. Thrust into an unknown war, forced to join a fraction that went against everything he believed in, betrayed by somebot he once considered his best friend, then enduring being buried in an icy tomb once more. As much as the scientist enjoyed exploration, the last thing he had ever hoped to see was his frozen prison that had kept him in stasis for hundreds of vorns. But Preceptor and the others needed some samples and since he knew what they were looking for, he was asked to go. He could have declined, but he knew it was important. And he wasn't going alone.

"How are you doing, Bumblebee?"

"I'm good, Skyfire. But I feel like I should be asking you that!" the minibot said from his seat.

"I'm doing quite alright. I'm used to flying for long distances, and this time I don't have to worry about being shot down."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." The scout/spy couldn't help but look out the window once more, watching as they flew over the icy landscape below. Everything about Earth was—was amazing! Cybertron didn't have seasons, everything was always the same, but witnessing the landscape changing and exploring the different regions was something he would never grow tired of. "How much further until we reach our destination?" he asked after a few kliks of silence.

"Within a breem. I've been monitoring the weather patterns as well. There looks to be storm rising but I don't believe we'll be here long enough to be affected by it," the large seeker explained.

"I really hope not. I'm not exactly built for this kind of terrain!"

True to word, Skyfire began to descend until he was safely on the ground. Opening his hatch, he waited until bumblebee was out before transforming into root mode. He glanced around the area, resisting the urge to shiver as a strong icy wind blew past them. His wings trembled ever so slightly in remembrance, though. He withdrew the scanner Perceptor gave him and did a sweep of the area. "We're near, we'll have to walk the rest of the way."

"Let's get moving, I can feel the snow melting in between my gears." The two mechs trudge through the snow and ice, which was just enough to cover their peds. Bumblebee was glad he was able to convince his friend Spike into not coming. The last thing he wanted to do was lose him out here. After a bit of walking the large seeker stopped and after withdrawing some tools from his subspace, began digging into the frozen terrain. The scout did the same and once they were deep enough, began collecting samples. The scout didn't pretend to know what the scientist was looking for, so he did as he was asked.

'Wonder if Spike would like a snowball,' the yellow bot smiled to himself, remembering his first ever snowball fight.

The two filled in the hole they had dug up, not wanting to risk any of the wildlife to get caught and move into another location, and once more dug down. They were out in the freezing cold for a joor when a harsh wind suddenly blew across the snow, actually blinding them for a klik.

"H-hey! What's with the wind? I thought you said the storm wouldn't affect us?" Bee asked, trying to shield his faceplates with his upper stabilizers.

"It's true what the organics say, you cannot rely on accurate weather predictions," the shuttle said but the sensors in his wings were giving him more than enough information. There was a very strong storm heading their way, much faster than he expected. Part of him wanted to transform and fly the both of them out and away, but with the temperature rapidly declining it would leave them vulnerable. "Run!"

The scout didn't argue and tried to keep up, trying to follow the bigger mech but now another wind was battering them in the front, stealing the heat from their frames. Being buffered from both ends, snow blinding their optics, an icy chill working its way beneath their plating, the two struggled to find some sort of shelter they failed to hear the cracking of ice beneath their peds until it was too late. Any trace of them was gone, their tracks in the snow gone, swallowed by the hollowing winds.

Bumblebee groaned as his systems rebooted themselves, his heads-up-display showing he was fairly undamaged but his temperature was alarming lowering. He was also aware of his sore and numb backplates. "I thought snow was suppose to be soft," he groaned, frowning at the displeasure of feeling the snow melting and chilling his protoform. "Skyfire?"

"… I-I'm here," came the low grunt. Wiping away the frost from his optics, the shuttle was slowly pushing himself into a sitting position, but he hissed in pain and reach over his pauldron to grab at a wing. "I think, my wing is damaged."

"H-Hold on, I can check." Trying to ignore the cold, Bumblebee managed to get to his peds and came to the other mech's side. He was worried when he felt how icy the other's plating felt but saw that the wind was indeed bend. While he was far from an expert, he knew that seeker's wings were incredibly sensitive. But noticing a thin stream of energon was running from his back plates. "I'm no medic, but I think you cracked something back here."

"I was afraid of that," the shuttle ex-vented, looking around. They had fallen into what looked like an underground ice cave, the walls took smooth for them to climb out but with the winds howling above them, even if he wasn't injured, he knew he wouldn't be able to get them out safely. "We have no choice, we're trapped here until the storm passes, or the others realize something has happened and come looking for us."

"Well, hopefully they'll figure it out soon," Bumblebee said as he went about repairing the damage to the best of his ability. He wasn't a medic like Ratchet, and luckily the damage wasn't too severe but his meager field repairs did stop the leaking. Moving back, he sat next to the mech, a frown on his faceplates. "I tried sending a comm, but all I'm getting is static. I sent out a distress signal, but there's no telling if anybot will notice it this far out."

The two mechs were trapped but they didn't move away from one another. Outside the cave the winds continued to howl angrily, like a beast was roaming the snow and ice. The minibot was starting to have second thoughts about the frozen water, especially when his temperature dropped so low his HUD alerted him of pending danger. He tried to rev his engine, to warm up his frame but his system was struggling. Bee jumped as he felt servos wrap around him and was pulled against a chassis onto a lap. "H-Hey! What are you doing?" he asked, confused but heat began to spread from behind him, pushing away some of the cold back.

"You shouldn't force your engine for too long, you could end up damaging it or something vital," Skyfire explained, holding the scout as close as possible. His own engines continued to rumble, vents expelling heat directly at the yellow frame. He felt Bee's trembling stop and smiled as he even leaned into him, venting softly. "Better?"

"Yeah, a lot better. Thanks." It actually felt really nice even as he brought his knees to his chassis, trying to take in as much heat as possible. He shuddered his optics and leaned his helm back, looking up at the taller mech. "What about you? Wouldn't your engines suffer damage?" Bee was taken back when the shuttle let out a quiet chuckle but he was also taken back at how handsome he looked. He had to tell himself he was blushing because he was warm and not anything else.

"I'm a shuttle-class seeker, Bumblebee. I was built and modified for deep-space exploration all in the name of science, which means my plating can withstand below freezing temperatures." He shrugged, wincing as said motion shifted his bent wind. "When I crashed into the ice, I knew my plating would be able to withstand the temperatures."

"Oh. That, makes perfect sense." Bee settled back into the other mech, not even realizing he was hugging the mech's servos that were still wrapped around him. Checking his temperature gauge, he found that it was low, but not so low that his alerts were being triggered. The warmth was nice, comforting; part of hoped that their friends wouldn't find them quite so quickly. "I bet you got to explore a lot before arriving here on Earth, do you miss it?"

"I do at times… the first time, I admit, I was afraid. Cybertron was all I had ever known, but the excitement was more than enough to help me overcome my fear. If it hadn't been for him, I might have never left Cybertron…"

"'Him'?"

"… Starscream." Even now thinking about the other seeker brought a surge of mixed and conflicting emotions. "He's not the same mech I remember back then… yes he was self-assured, and always thought he was right, but he had a thirst for knowledge that knew no limit. He wanted to know about everything, and the more that somebot said no, the more he wanted to rebel against it, even if meant his safety." But, he didn't think that mech existed any longer. "Sometimes I wonder, if it would have been better if I had never been found, then I wouldn't learn what became of the one who I once called a friend."

"Skyfire." Bumblebee had never heard the shuttle sound like this, but he wasn't going to lie and say he knew what he was feeling. He tried to picture the Decepticon SIC as a scientist, an explorer, but he was finding it difficult. "Everything that you had discovered and studied, before the war, the places you explored, do you think—do you think they're still around?"

The large seeker shuddered his optics, looking out of the opening of their cave, pondering it for several kliks. "The scientific and logical part of my processor seems to think it is possible, but learning of the war and how many lifecycles were affected, I am not so certain… I, would like to believe, that they still exist. That in some way, they were spared." He ex-vented and leaned his helm back, offlining his optics. "Starscream used to say I think too much with my spark, and not enough with my processor."

"Maybe… but you wouldn't be the mech you are today," the yellow minibot said quietly. He opened his lip plates to say more, but a sudden alert popped up and he bit back a curse. His temperature was dropping but now his engine was sputtering. His systems were registering that the oil in his system was beginning to thicken, and ice crystals were beginning to form within his cables, slowing the process of energon. He tried to tell his friend, but his frame gave an almost violent shudder.

"Bumblebee." Skyfire clutched at the smaller mech even tighter, increasing the power to his engine but the safety to his thrusters cut off. Due to his damage, his systems cut the power least he worsen the injury. Part of him wanted to transform and have the minibot safely in his cargo hold, but there was not enough room to transform and even so it would not keep him warm. 'There must be a way to help him!' His processor searched everything he had learned, pre-war and post war, comparing notes when he stumbled across something. He ignored the rush of heat to his faceplates and found himself stalling, but when the smaller frame gave another plate-rattling shudder, he found his grip tightening around him, almost cradling him. "Bumblebee, I… I may know of a way that can keep your systems warm. Hopefully long enough for either the storm to pass, or for the Autobots to find us."

"I-I'll do j-j-just about-t a-anyth-th-thing-g," the scout stuttered, clutching at the servos as tightly as he could. He felt the taller mech ex-vent once more, heat once more washing over his backplates but when the shuttle told him his plan, well, Bee froze. Had, had he heard him right or were his audio sensors failing him?

"I know this is far from ideal, but you said so yourself, your frame is not built to withstand freezing temperatures, and your alt-mode is less than ideal," the former scientist explained, angling his vents in his direction as much as possible. "There is no guarantee it will work, but it is the only option that I can think of."

"…"

"… I know there are still some Autobots who, do not trust me, and view my pacifist nature as cowardly, but if you do not wish to proceed, I will respect your decision." He didn't want his friend to suffer, and if push came to shove, he would force himself to transform and pray to Primus someone would find them before it was too late. It was quiet save for the icy winds whistling outside their ice-coat cave, but a small black servo grasped the large white one, squeezing it tightly as it was guided further down.

No more words were said as they continued to move at a steady pace, trying to keep their temperatures as elevated as possible without burning themselves out but also trying to keep the frigid temperatures from damaging their internals. The two mechs fed off one another's charge, EM fields intertwining almost seamlessly, but despite trying to take their time, to make it last, their systems couldn't keep it forever and they hit their peak together. Fluids coated the inside of their stabilizers and servos, systems running hot but for Bumblebee his systems gave a warning that his levels were too low. He tried to warn the shuttle, but the last thing he registered was a concerned vocalizer asking if he was okay.

A large seeker sat motionless in the medbay, empty energon cubes sat on the table to the side but he was more concerned with the smaller yellow frame laying on the berth across from him. Ratchet had told him the scout would be fine, and he had no reason not to believe the medic, but he wanted to make sure with his own optics.

'How could I forget to check his levels?' he told himself, watching as the energon continued its drip. 'In order to keep our systems running, we need the energon to flow through. But, the more action we use, the more energon we use in return. Interfacing is no exception.' He ex-vented deeply and took a moment to offline his optics. He felt like a fool.

The steady beeping of the monitors was the first thing Bumblebee registered. The second was the feel of warm fluids running through his cables. The third was his HUD going through a full diagnostic, everything coming back as green. Thankfully he didn't have to wait too much longer as it completed with 100% and allowing his systems to start up. Venting deeply, he waited as systems booted up at his own pace but knew he was not alone. His EM field reached out, thinking it was Ratchet but he was surprised when he realized it wasn't him.

"Bumblebee, how are you doing?" Skyfire asked softly.

It took a bit for his vocalizer to start up with minimal static. "I'm fine. Don't think I ever crashed from an overload before," he tried joking.

"… actually, your systems entered emergency stasis due to low energon levels. The temperatures didn't help, either." He had already sent the medic a comm that the minibot was awake but leaning forward he reached out and covered the smaller servo with his own. "I'm sorry, I should have made sure your levels were good enough to continue. It was never my intention for you to get hurt."

"Hey, don't blame yourself, I shoulda kept track of my own levels myself," Bee smiled. Onlining his optics he turned his helm and waited as the pixels cleared and focus on the concerned soft gray faceplates. He turned his servos just enough to where he was able to squeeze the servo as tightly as he could. "You still saved me from freezing, though I don't think I want to see anything dealing with snow or ice for a long time."

The former scientist shuddered his optics before letting out a soft chuckle, his wings shaking behind him. They were quiet for a bit before he vented softly and made to stand. "I'll let you get some rest, I just wanted to make sure you were alright." The servo he was holding didn't let go, so instead he quietly lowered himself down in his seat once more and waited. After several kliks of silence he spoke up. "Bumblebee?"

"… I don't regret it," he said quietly, taking deep and steady vents. "So again, thank you for saving me. And… I-I know I'm not, exactly big, but if you ever need help… y'know."

One didn't need to read between those lines, and it was the seeker who fought the strong rush of energon to his faceplates, but there was a sincere and pleased smile as he nodded. "I'm grateful that I was able to save you. And thank you, for your help. I'll be sure to remember you the next time I need your, assistance."

Author's Notes: HAPPY BELATED NEW YEARS! (blows streamer) Here's hoping that 2022 will be better than 2021 (I'm on my knees praying here!) I'm really sorry, I mean to have this chapter up before the new year but yeah, that wasn't happening (scratches head)

This request is for 02bumblebeefan who wanted something between Skyfire and Bee. I knew from the beginning I wanted to go a slightly different route. Our loveable pacifist shuttle is usually seen as the on top, so to speak, so I changed it around. Different, but I like it. And I did do some research. Turns out vehicles in the north, like Alaska, it's a very real danger. Makes me glad where I live doesn't get that cold but still, nice to know what to do and how to prepare. I figure Skyfire isn't as adversely affected, only because he and Starscream were known to be inter-planet explorers and outer space is like over -450 below freezing, the artic is like not even a cool breeze (shrugs) What can I say, I like to be accurate as possible.

I hope you enjoy this, and looking back I posted a new chapter for the New Year! Yay me! :D Please enjoy, review, and stay tuned for the next chapter!

Next chapter: TracksxBumblebee