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Ever since the first time Orion Pax and D-16 met they had been inseparable. To others it had been annoying to see the two bots cling to each other almost every second of the cycle. It was honestly endearing some would think and others would think they had been welded together at the hips. Some even tried to start rumors. Not that either of them cared.
Orion would laugh it off and say how funny it was that bots thought they were together and D-16…well he tried to laugh alongside his best friend…of course he would. What never helped these accusations was the fact Orion had been trying to get hound to switch pods with him for 3 days now and it was starting to really get on his wires about it.
“I will give..one…no TWO!! Yes two extra rations if you please-”
“Oh for the love of primus Pax, would you shut up already!”he snapped, turning around from where he was seated trying to fix his drill from where it had gotten dented from him gripping it so hard. Because of the bot currently sitting behind him and poking him in the back plates.
Others snickered and Orion frowned. He had been trying to get the bot to agree to switching because he wanted to be closer to D-16 who was currently out on a late night drilling team. It honestly made Orion a bit nervous since he had already worked earlier today but to only get a couple of hours of rest before going back out into the mines was dangerous. But they needed to meet their quota and if they didnt there would be dire consequences for the bots of cybertron.
So he had tried to distract himself by talking to other bots but it was clear they were tired and trying to wind down after a long day, but that never stopped Pax. Nothing did and he just wished when he got his late night sleepless thoughts D would be a bit closer.
He couldn't even say how many times he had woken up bots because of the fact he had been sneaking around in the night trying to find his best friend. But if they were closer together then maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He could reach him much easier and since they would also be closer to the door then they could even sneak out onto the roof. It was PERFECT but how did he get someone as grumpy as hound to see that?
“Oh why don't you let him have it hound? You sleep like the dead no matter where ya sleep so what does it matter to you” Pax perked as Jazz slid behind him and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him a bit. He smiled at Jazz before cranking out his best pleading look. He knows it only really worked on D who had the softest spark despite what he says. Hound glared up at them, looking both of them over before settling on Orion. He lets out a very long…looong vent before he asks.
“Are you really not going to leave me alone until I agree?” And Orion smiled, shooting finger guns at the bot.
“You know it!!” and got a few chuckles and rolls of optics. Hound grumbled something under his breath before setting the drill down and standing up.
“Fine lets make this quick before we get in trouble” and Orion and Jazz cheered as they went to try and pry the name plates off the top of the pods as they moved things around.
By the time D-16 got back he was dead on his pedes. He worked two shits and managed to get them a bit more ahead for the quota but not by much. He was aching and he was sure he would need to stop by Ratchet in the morning but when he got to his pod and stepped in he was surprised to look up and see Orion in the dark. Those baby bright blue optics boring into his yellow ones.
He gasped and Orion's smile got wider at being noticed as they reached for each other. A pleasant surprise indeed.
The nights became easier for them. They reached for each other constantly meeting halfway in between their pods before heading up to the roof. It was so easy, so freeing to go to sleep being able to look at each other and they both hoped nothing would ever change that.
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“Optimus your new berth room” crawler said…he thinks that's what his name is at least. It has been nothing but stressful becoming a new prime and trying to rebuild a half destroyed city while trying to deal with the Quintessons and make a new better government that the bots of cybertron could trust.
He was a bit surprised to see a flat berth pushed against the wall. It was wide and polished as it reflected the dim lights of his new living quarters. The Iacon tower had been pretty much demolished from where the old council had taken place which had to be rebuilt but now that most of the construction was done his new residence had been moved up here. He turned to Crawler and put a servo on his shoulder pauldron.
“Thank you, friend” He said behind his battle mask. He hadn't even bothered retracting it much lately before heading in the room. Crawler had only stared up at him with wide yellow optics before stumbling over his words and leaving the Prime to his new space. He looked around the room. The art and architecture of the building would always amaze him, as he walked over to the windows. To be the one standing here as a Prime had never once crossed his mind.
He did however always wonder what it would be like to see all of Iacon, to see the change that needed to be done. He just never imagined it would be him doing it. A sniffle caught him off guard and he jumped, realizing quickly with embarrassment that he had started tearing up while looking at the city.
His optics burned and the matrix let out a faint glow, maybe of disapproval as he stalked away from the window. Everything felt so unreal…like he was living a weird twisted dream he never thought possible. He sat down at the edge of the berth leaning forward so his elbow joints were on his stabilizers and propped up his helm on his balled servos.
“This was supposed to be us” He said in a glitchy broken tone and finally let the tears he had been holding back flow freely down his face plates.
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D-16 Megatron looked around at the broken ship the newly formed Decepticon faction had managed to procure. It wasn't much but it was enough to start his empire. He would lead them to victory; he just knew it. Pa-Prime was wrong. All Primes were wrong. He sat down on the small cramped berth. Red fiery optics glaring a hole into the wall. If Optimus wouldn't actually help the bots of Iacon then he would.
He laid down and tried to cycle off his optics but found it impossible to recharge. He hated himself from how much he had grown used to and was dependent on needing someone else to help him sleep. Brief images of hugs and kisses, soft words spoken under city lights before sneaking back down through mess halls and tunnels and slipping into recharge while looking at each other with smiles full of devotion and love….he hated it….he-he missed it.
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There was a brief moment Optimus had thought his spark stopped. His axe had found its way into his chest, cutting deep enough that when he stumbled back prying it, energon and blue light seeped through the gap. Megatron looked at him optics wide as he crumpled and even as the matrix screamed in his chest he found himself catching him. Explosions went off around them, bots screaming left and right and Optimus couldn't hear any of it.
He pressed on the gap like it would stop…please stop. He could breath even as he choked and gagged on the smoke and his mask retracted. He couldn't breath..he couldn't.
“Breath Pax” A voice spoke to him. He snapped his bleary optics open to see a beautiful color he hadn't seen in so long, too long. D-16 gazed at him from where he was laying bleeding out onto the both of them. He gently touched the side of Orion's face plate and he wailed.
He cried for the anger, the resentment, the love and the loss of it all. D-16 patiently waited for him to catch his breath before looking at each other.
“I missed you” D-16 managed to choke out, coughing up energon.
“Why didn't you stop me?” Orion said, gripping onto him hard enough to dent the metal.
“I’m…I'm tired” He said again, the yellow flickering as he looked around his face. He wanted to remember it, remember him for the rest of his life…even if it wasn't short.
“We're both so stupid” Pax said and D for the first time in vorns laughed. Nothing else needed to be said as they kissed for what felt like the first time, but really was a last goodbye.
Megeatron was defeated and the rest of the Decepticon faction would be brought to justice. Those who repented would make better for society and those who still chose to follow would either be banished or severely punished for their crimes.
Orion, despite the celebrations of Megatron's death, didn't celebrate. They think it was because he had been noble or even because he didn't drink. In reality he was relieved that Megatron was gone but in turn had taken D-16 away from him…he supposed he had already been gone. But in those final moments seeing him brought him back to when they were younger. Full of life and love and he was with D-16..he was tired.
Soon there was a new choosing of a Prime. He had been adamant about stepping down and now that they were at peace he finally was able to do so. The council had devastated the bots with it..but he needed to finally get some rest he supposed.
Some may think he never hid anything but he had a secret…a secret he hadn't shared but only with a few trusted bots. He walked through the forest and unto a beautiful clearing that could see the stars, he hoped when the pollution of weapons calmed generations could even see more as he walked to the middle of the patch. There was a marked spot on the earth where D-16 had been buried. He knows it had been wrong, selfish of him but as he powered down for the final time laying down to where he knows Elita would eventually find him he knows he made one good choice as he slipped away into oblivion. Seeking his rest.