Summary: Starscream's optics widened. Danny was… leaking?

"What is happening? Why are you—" He gestured vaguely at Danny's face, at the unnatural moisture gathering along his cheeks. "Are you broken?"

Notes:

Gift for 'TheGatorsGoose' They really wanted to have a scene where the Cons discover crying for the first time and have no idea what's going on and are very concerned about the leaking human. We talked about this concept and made a whole plot idea, and I wrote this, and they did an artwork for it that you can find on their Tumblr!

Let's just say for plot reasons, the Cons have never encountered crying, and there is not a Cybertronian alternative. If they are sad, they feel it in their sparks and field. But their optics are unaffected.

Starscream sat in his quarters, holding a datapad in his servo as he idly listened to the human rambling in front of him, sitting on his desk. "I mean, space is just so cool," Danny gushed. "I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid, y'know? Just imagine it. Flying out there, seeing new planets, visiting an alien world! Ugh, it would've been amazing."

Starscream huffed a small chuckle, digit tapping on the datapad, which had nothing on it. Not that Danny knew that. "As if your kind would last a single cycle on an alien planet."

Danny waved a dismissive hand. "Okay, sure, we kinda suck at space travel right now, but still! Can you imagine being the first person—er, being—to step onto an unknown world? Studying landscapes no one's ever seen before, finding new lifeforms —"

Starscream raised an optic ridge.

Danny blinked and looked the seeker up and down, mind suddenly dawning in realization. "Wait! You're an alien!"

"To you, I am." Starscream tilted his helm, surprised by the sheer admiration in Danny's voice.

"You're literally on another planet right now with other aliens. I'm an alien to you. Wow . Even if it is under upsetting circumstances, but you're literally living my dream." Danny went on, grinning. "You've been to other planets! What's it like? What's the weirdest thing you've seen? Do other planets have, like, space cows?"

The words kept coming, excitement bubbling over. The enthusiasm, the curiosity, the sheer wonder in Danny's voice… he had seen it before. Felt it before .

For the briefest moment, he was back on Cybertron, sitting beside his partner, looking up at the stars, listening to his boundless excitement about the endless possibilities beyond their homeworld.

"Think of it, Starscream," Skyfire had once said. "A universe filled with life, waiting to be discovered!" And now, he was hearing those same words from a very different voice. From a human.

A fragile, reckless, frustratingly stubborn human who should have had no place among the Decepticons. Who had no reason to trust him, to talk to him, to sit on his desk and ramble about the universe with stars in his eyes.

Starscream's spark clenched. He scoffed and turned his gaze back to his blank datapad. "You talk too much."

Danny snickered. "You're the one listening."

"I'm not. You're distracting me from my work."

"Uh-huh."

Danny just kept talking.

And, despite himself, Starscream kept listening.

x

Danny eventually tired himself out. Now he lay slumped against Starscream's arm, fast asleep. Starscream stared down at the human, wings twitching slightly. He sighed but made no effort to move Danny. He was small. Barely weighed anything at all.

Starscream didn't realize how much Danny liked space. Now, he knew that the human built models of rocket ships as a kid. He wanted to explore human space command centers on his vacations rather than relax. He knew every Earth constellation by heart and could tell Starscream exactly where they were.

Starscream wondered what he would think about Cybertron's constellations. Would he even be interested? What was Starscream thinking, of course he would be. Maybe… Starscream glanced over at one of his storage lockers, narrowing his optics before glancing down at the human again.

With a quiet ex-vent, Starscream carefully shifted, ensuring he didn't disturb Danny and slid the human off of his arm and onto the desk. He debated grabbing a piece of fabric or something to prop the human onto, but he figured if he were sleeping on Starscream's arm, he wouldn't notice the difference. Besides, Starscream would only be gone for a moment anyway.

He stepped lightly across the room, coming to a stop before a storage compartment he hadn't opened in… a long time. His servos hesitated over the panel before he finally pressed it open. Inside, neatly stacked amongst a collection of forgotten trinkets and data pads, was a small cube.

Starscream's optics narrowed as he reached for it, his fingers ghosting over the object before finally picking it up. He turned it over in his palm, studying its smooth, polished surface. It had been vorns since he last touched this. Since he last even thought about it.

A gift. Given to him long ago, meant to be shared with someone who was no longer here. He glanced over his shoulder. Danny was still curled up on the desk, his breathing slow and even. Starscream ex-vented sharply and tucked the cube into his subspace. This was ridiculous. Sentimental nonsense.

But when he sat back down, he gently tucked his arm back against the human for him to rest more comfortably. Only so that the human wouldn't notice that Starscream moved, mind you. Not for any other reason.

x

Danny woke slowly, blinking blearily at his surroundings. He sat up with a quiet groan, rubbing at his eyes, only to see Starscream also fast asleep on the desk, Danny still leaning up against his arm. Danny glanced over to the Seeker's berth, Wondering why he didn't go there to recharge. Sleeping at the desk couldn't be comfortable for him.

Starscream must have felt Danny waking up because his optics slowly flickered online as he sat up slowly as well. Starscream's optics snapped to Danny before he pushed himself away from the desk. He stood up and stretched out his struts, flicking the kinks out of his wings. Danny chuckled at the movement.

"Why did you sleep on the desk?" Danny asked, tilting his head. He noticed one of Starscream's wings twitch ever so slightly.

"I simply did not wish to move. And moving you could have awoken you. Then, I would be forced to listen to more of your rambling." Starscream explained.

Danny chuckled before getting up to stretch himself. His back was a bit stiff, but he was used to horrible sleeping positions at this point. If he could fall asleep bleeding out in a dumpster, then he could also fall asleep leaning against his giant, metal, thirty-one-foot-tall friend.

Danny heard the sound of Starscream's plating shifting as he opened his subspace. By the time Danny turned around, Starscream was holding a small Cybertronian-looking cube, slightly smaller than the seeker's palm. He suddenly held it out towards Danny, who blinked at it, tilting his head.

"Take it," Starscream said impatiently.

Danny hesitated before gingerly accepting the cube, turning it over in his hands. It was cool to the touch, metallic, but oddly smooth. Thin seams ran along its surface, and he ran his finger along them carefully. "What is it?" he asked, glancing up at Starscream.

Starscream looked away, arms crossing. "Press the sensor on top."

Danny frowned in confusion but did as he was told, pressing his thumb against the nearly invisible indentation. The seams lining the cube lit up with a soft blue glow, and with a quiet whir, the device shifted, mechanical panels unfolding like the petals of a flower. Danny's breath caught as a small, glowing blue orb rose from its center, hovering just above the open casing.

Danny stared in awe as the space around him filled with countless points of light, constellations and stars blooming into existence like fireflies. Holograms flickered and danced in slow, deliberate motion, wrapping around him in a breathtaking panorama of deep space.

He recognized none of these constellations. None of these stars. These weren't from Earth's night sky. This was another part of the universe entirely.

…Cybertron?

Danny's core flickered. Starscream got this for him? Because Danny had talked about his love for space. Starscream had actually listened? Danny swallowed thickly, gaze tracing the swirling nebulae and unfamiliar celestial bodies. His hands tightened around the open casing of the device, the edges pressing lightly into his palms.

It was beautiful.

No one had ever gotten him something like this before.

Gifts weren't exactly common in his life. Sure, Jazz and his friends had given him birthday presents, but those were… normal. Expected. This was different. This wasn't an obligation. This wasn't someone picking something generic off a store shelf because it was the socially appropriate thing to do.

This was thoughtful. Personal.

Something burned at the back of his eyes.

He blinked rapidly, but the emotion building in his chest refused to be ignored. A tear slipped down his cheek, landing softly against the edge of the casing. Danny stared at the tiny wet spot as more tears welled up, threatening to spill over.

Oh.

He was crying.

x

Starscream watched in mounting horror as Danny's expression crumpled. A droplet of water slipped down his face, landing soundlessly on the casing of the holocube. Starscream's optics widened. Danny was… leaking?

Starscream took a step forward, wings twitching sharply. "What is happening? Why are you—" He gestured vaguely at Danny's face, at the unnatural moisture gathering along his cheeks.

Danny didn't answer. He just sniffled, rubbing at his face with the back of his hand. But the movement did little to stop the inexplicable flow of water. If anything, it seemed to make it worse.

Starscream's spark jolted with something alarmingly close to panic.

Had the holocube hurt him somehow? No, that was ridiculous. It was a simple data projection device. It was designed as a toy for younglings, no less. It wasn't capable of harming anyone! Unless… had it somehow emitted something undetectable to Cybertronian sensors? A frequency only organic creatures could perceive?

Danny was still leaking.

Starscream hastily reached down and closed the cube. Cutting off the holographic constellations. "Alright, that's enough of that—" Danny made a faint noise of protest, but Starscream ignored him, scooping the tiny human into his servos with little warning.

"Wha—? Star…—?!" The human choked on his words. Maybe it was affecting his airflow as well.

Starscream strode out of the room. "Something is clearly wrong with you! I am taking you to Knockout before you shrivel up from water loss!"

Danny made a garbled noise that might have been an attempt at words, but he was still visibly leaking. Starscream didn't slow down.

Knockout would fix this.

x

Knockout glanced up as the doors to the medbay hissed open, optics narrowing at the sight of Starscream barreling inside. Knockout put down one of his tools on the desk "What are you doing, Stars—?"

Starscream rushed over and placed the human in Knockout's servos. "Fix him!" The commander said simply.

Knockout frowned, gaze flicking between the two of them. "Fix him?"

Danny groaned, wiping his sleeve across his eyes. Starscream pointed at him accusingly. "He's leaking!"

Danny let out a weak laugh. "'M not— leaking…"

Starscream whirled on him. "You are losing water at an alarming rate! Humans need water, do they not? How much have you already lost? What vital function is this compromising?"

Knockout stared for a long moment before slowly, his optics brightened with realization. A wide, amused smirk crept across his face. "Oh, it's just like when that harlot Mehreen cheated on Antonio," Knockout mused, placing a dramatic servo over his chassis. "The traitor. He was too good for her anyway."

Starscream scowled. "What are you talking about?!"

Knockout waved a dismissive servo, placing the human down on the medical berth next to them. "Relax, commander. He's not dying. Humans do this when they're upset."

Starscream froze. "Upset?"

Knockout arched an optic ridge. "Yes. Crying is an emotional response, not a fatal condition."

Starscream turned sharply toward Danny, who had mostly stopped "leaking" but was still looking distinctly red-eyed and miserable. His wings twitched. "I simply gave him a holocube . Why would that upset him?" Confusion leaked into his voice as he tilted his helm.

Knockout hummed thoughtfully "A holocube? Let me see it." He made a 'pass it to me' gesture.

Starscream's servos clenched. "No."

Knockout blinked at him. "No?"

"I said no, " Starscream snapped, wings flaring.

Knockout held his servos up in surrender. Someone was touchy. "Well, whatever you did," Knockout drawled, "you certainly left an impression."

Danny just sniffled, giving a watery chuckle. Those sniffles suddenly broke into a laugh soft at first, then growing louder, shaking his shoulders.

Starscream and Knockout both stared at him. Then more tears welled up in his eyes. Knockout's smirk faltered. "Wait," Knockout said, browplate scrunching. "Laughter and crying are supposed to be separate functions. Why are you doing both? "

Starscream's wings twitched with alarm. "You are broken."

Danny let out another wet laugh, shaking his head quickly. "I'm not—" He sucked in a breath. "I swear, I'm not broken. I—" He wiped at his face, failing to stop the tears as another laugh bubbled out. "I'm not hurt. I'm not even sad."

Starscream narrowed his optics. "You are leaking and making distressed noises. How is that not upset?!"

Danny let out another choked laugh. "I'm happy."

Starscream recoiled slightly, his wings shifting back. " This is happiness?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes, people cry when they're happy. I just… I wasn't expecting it. The gift. It means a lot."

Starscream faltered.

Danny sniffed again. "No one's ever given me something like this before," he said softly. "Not just a gift, but something so thoughtful." He hesitated, then glanced up at Starscream, his smile wobbly but warm. "You listened. And you cared enough to do something about it."

Starscream stiffened. "I—"

Before he could say anything else, Danny moved. He flung himself forward, wrapping his arms around the nearest part of Starscream he could reach—his arm, which was still hovering close to the berth. Starscream froze. "Thank you," he said softly.

Knockout groaned loudly, breaking the moment.

"Well, what a riveting waste of my time," he drawled. "If we're done with this little melodrama, I suggest you take it elsewhere. "

Starscream scowled, snapping his wings back into place as he stood straighter. "Please doctor, it's not like you were any help, the human explained everything on his own . " He waved a servo sharply, turning away.

Starscream lifted the human up and placed him on his shoulder as he left. Danny smiled as he did so. Knockout rolled his optics and went back to his work.

x

Danny sat cross-legged on Starscream's desk in the seeker's quarters, the dim glow of the holocube casting soft blue light across his hands.

Above him, Starscream had passed out at his desk again, slumped forward with one arm folded beneath his helm. His other arm rested on the surface, fingers slightly curled where a datapad had slipped from his grip.

Danny was once again leaning against Starscream's arm, absently rubbing his thumb along the smooth edges of the cube. He turned it over in his hands again and again, marvelling at the craftsmanship—at how something so small could contain something so vast.

As he turned it one more time, his eyes caught on a faint engraving on the bottom. Danny squinted. The markings were Cybertronian. He traced his fingers over them, recognizing enough of the symbols to piece together the meaning.

'For my shining Star. -Skyfire.'

Danny's breath hitched slightly as he looked up at Starscream's sleeping form. Starscream had brushed the cube off as nothing. A mere child's toy. But Danny could tell. This was something special. Something Starscream had kept for a long time. Danny swallowed, looking down at the cube again.

A quiet smile tugged at his lips as he nestled himself closer against Starscream. Lifting the cube, he pressed the button on top. It clicked softly, and the seams split apart, unfolding easily. The glowing blue orb floated up, hovering in the air as constellations and swirling galaxies filled the space around him.

Danny stared, entranced by the unfamiliar stars. Maybe, when Starscream woke up, he could explain them. Maybe they could talk about them together.

Danny placed the cube down beside him and tilted his head back, gazing up at the endless stars until he drifted to sleep.

Authors Notes:

Beta read by Arvensia and TheGatorsGoose.

I love my sweet little babies and Goose. I hope you enjoyed seeing your prompt come to life! This was so much fun.