you know you are as small as the things you let annoy you {backdated before robot prom}

[asafepairofhands]

It's a little while after Sixshot has dug all of the medics up from whatever underground art bunker they had been briefly trapped in, miraculously without anyone killing each other, and Ratchet is back in the medibay at work. He is still half-legless and especially foul-tempered, especially considering the upcoming festivities, which he plans to avoid as completely as possible.

COME BOTHER HIM



[CLOSED TO RODIMUS]
It's not long after the medics are back that Ratchet sends a message to Rodimus privately, apropos of what seems like nothing.

Come to the medibay. I need to check something.

Comments

[asafepairofhands]

Ratchet's vocalizer spits a crackling, undignified yelp as his crutches clatter to the floor, single leg flailing briefly before he recognizes the arms holding him and goes passive-aggressively limp instead.

"Megatron," he says, attempting to sound severe and mostly failing. "You're going to send me into spark failure! Warn a mech before you do something like that!" Never mind Ironhide attempted the same thing and got a crutch to the solar plexus. "What the hell's the occasion?"

[aminerproblem]

Despite his protests (which Megatron is aware at this point aren't legitimately bothering him), Ratchet gets a surprisingly affectionate(perhaps overly affectionate) squeeze before he's let down. When the hell did he get from this to bashing skulls together?

Nonetheless, he then kneels down to help Ratchet pick up one of the crutches and hand it to him, looking positively elated,"I'm merely glad I was wrong to assume Cybertron had swallowed you up is all."

He takes a step back,"That was quite the detour."

[asafepairofhands]

Ratchet's fans whine slightly in protest as he's compressed, but he only staggers a little as he's set back down, grabbing at his crutches a little indignantly--until he looks up at Megatron's face. The naked, happy relief there makes him stop cold. Its an odd, jolting realization that he cares so much about someone who would go on to make his life a living hell for four million years, but somehow the realization that that someone cares just as much about him is almost worse. He falters for a long moment and all the fight drains out of him, leaving him weirdly subdued.

"Yeah. Bit of the building we were in collapsed and stuck us in some kind of fallout shelter--s'why we couldn't comm anybody." His optics light after a moment, the corners of his mouth pulling up almost despite himself.

"You seem to have done all right in our absence."

[aminerproblem]

Megatron picks up on his fatique and almost smile. He quirks a non-eyebrow, but leaves it at that. He knows better than to push it, whatever it was.

"I should be thanking the volunteers that helped staff the clinic. Spinister left his own base to help, you know."

He rests his hands on his hips,"And your instruction definitely helped."

[asafepairofhands]

"Well." Ratchet settles into his crutches and lets his expression relax, looking almost fond. "Glad to know I don't have to worry so much now. I'm used to being perpetually understaffed--this is a nice change."

[aminerproblem]

There's an warmth in his eyes that has been absent for a long time since his last night on Messatine,"The clinic is turning out to be quite something from where it started, isn't it?"

He gives one of the doctor's shoulders a gentle squeeze,"No sense in having our resources split down faction lines."

[asafepairofhands]

"Yeah, it's shaping up. I've sure as hell worked in worse."

Ratchet manages a crooked smile up at Megatron, watching that warmth in his face.

"I've certainly had worse colleagues."