[G1] Misconstruction - Part Two
Jul. 25th, 2015 11:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dracoqueen22a/n: Another day, another flash fic. This one did not turn out at all like I expected it would. But I'm ridiculously proud of it anyway. There's some Sunstreaker headcanon stuff here. I hope you enjoy. Beware the self-beta.
Characters: Sunstreaker, Skyfire, Sideswipe and Ratchet mentioned in passing
Rated: K+
Description: Social interaction is not Sunstreaker's strong suit.
For fuzipenguin's flash fiction prompt of Skyfire/Sideswipe/Sunstreaker, “Steady Now,” Brandon Heath
Misconstruction – Part Two
Sunstreaker was in the awkward position of having to thank a mech he did not like. He wasn't sure how to handle this.
But Skyfire had plucked Sideswipe out of the sky when his Primus-damned jetpack had failed him and he'd saved Sideswipe's spark as a result. He'd kept Sunstreaker's most precious object from splattering on the hard rock despite the fact he and Sideswipe had all but threatened Skyfire two weeks ago.
It had been effective though. It had stopped the creepy staring. Sunstreaker's armor stopped crawling. Sideswipe stopped jumping at shadows.
Whatever reason Skyfire was submitting them to so much scrutiny, they hadn't cared. They just wanted him to stop. Mechs didn't usually pay that much attention to the Twins unless they wanted something.
Sunstreaker knew frag well what that something was, too.
No, they weren't for sale. Frag that. And no, they weren't looking for an easy fight. And no, they weren't fragging Decepticons. Any other stupid questions?
Anyway. Skyfire could have let Sideswipe fall. No one would have blamed him. No one would have noticed. Skyfire wasn't even supposed to be on this side of the battlefield. He was supposed to be distracting Starscream.
He'd swooped out of nowhere, plucked Sideswipe from a freefall, and had been nothing but polite when he'd deposited Sideswipe into Ratchet's cursing arms. Sideswipe was still in the medbay. He wasn't in danger of offlining, but he was bored and in a Pitload of pain and Sunstreaker had to shut down their bond to quiet the whining.
The glitching jetpack had fried some wiring in his locomotive circuits, which left Sideswipe berthbound and all but paralyzed. But he was alive. He would live. Ratchet would fix him up soon enough and if it hadn't been for Skyfire, Sideswipe would be dead and Sunstreaker probably, too.
He wasn't sure how to reconcile that. Except Ratchet had told him to thank Skyfire and he'd used that tone that Sunstreaker knew frag well not to argue with. Ratchet had looked angry, too. Not like he was mad because Sideswipe was playing tag with the Seekers again. Or because the glitching jetpack glitched. Or because Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were being idiots.
He looked offended on Skyfire's behalf. Like he'd heard what happened and he didn't approve, but he wasn't going to say anything because it wasn't his place. Maybe. At least, that was what Sunstreaker thought the reason could be. He'd probably ask Sideswipe about it later when his brother was a little less sedative loopy.
For now, Sunstreaker had gratitude to deliver. Sideswipe would have to say it, too. Ratchet said he'd make sure of it. But he wanted them to do it separately. To prove they meant it or some such slag.
Whatever.
Sunstreaker paced back and forth in front of Skyfire's door again. He didn't want to do this. Skyfire made him feel twitchy. Like glitchmice under his armor. He didn't like the way Skyfire looked at him. Like he and Sideswipe were what was wrong with Skyfire's perfect idea of Cybertron or something.
Sunstreaker ex-vented sharply and spun on a heelstrut.
He didn't talk to mechs without Sideswipe. He usually let Sideswipe take the lead so Sunstreaker didn't say something stupid or read the situation wrong. He did not like this. He especially did not like that it was fragging Skyfire.
Sunstreaker growled. His hands curled into fists at his side as he slammed to a halt and glared at Skyfire's door.
He couldn't put this off anymore. He slammed his palm on the call panel and jerked back several steps, folding his arms over his chestplate. His armor rustled. He was fully aware he looked more than a little defensive and didn't fragging care. He was uncomfortable. He didn't like this.
He waited, vents becoming increasingly stuttered, until finally the door opened. Skyfire stood just behind it, stooping a little to see outside it. He blinked and Sunstreaker could see his optics searching the hallway like Sideswipe was hiding in the shadows to pop out and scare him or something.
Skyfire gripped the doorway with one hand. Sunstreaker watched his grip tighten, the slight shake to his fingers. The way his knuckles creaked. Ratchet should probably look at that.
They stared at each other.
“Yes?” Skyfire finally ventured.
“You saved Sideswipe,” Sunstreaker said, words ground out from a vocalizer that he'd had to prod back to life. Primus, he was terrible at this.
Skyfire cycled his optics. Nothing in his posture relaxed. “I assisted him,” he said in that infuriatingly even tone. “It was the same any Autobot would have done.”
Sunstreaker flinched. “Don't give me that slag. Most woulda let him fall.”
His arms tightened. His shoulders hunched. Sunstreaker made himself look away because his spark was hammering in his chest and the flickering was coming through his optics, betraying his weakness.
He hated it.
“But I did not,” Skyfire said, stupidly, because 'duh.'
“Yeah.” Sunstreaker ex-vented in a burst. “So, um, thank you. For catching my idiot brother before he cracked his cranial case on the ground.”
Silence.
Sunstreaker snuck a peek at Skyfire and the damn shuttle was staring at Sunstreaker as though he were something Skyfire had never seen before. His mouth had even fallen open a little.
“What?” Sunstreaker snapped.
Skyfire shook his helm. “No, I... I would do it again. Even though... just well. I'd do it again.” He looked at the ground at Sunstreaker's pedes and hunched his shoulders as though trying to come off smaller.
Yeah. Sunstreaker had fragged it up again. He was trying to be grateful and instead it seemed like he was threatening Skyfire. Ratchet was going to be so slagged.
Sunstreaker sighed and scraped a hand over his helm. He needed to visit the washracks and he needed to check on Sideswipe and he needed to get out of this uncomfortable situation.
“Anyway,” he said as he turned away. “That was it. Just wanted to, you know, let you know that I appreciated it. And, uh, we don't hate you, you know?” There. Maybe that helped.
There was a noise, the sound of hydraulics hissing, maybe Skyfire shifting his weight. It was weird how quiet he could be for how big he was. Sunstreaker never liked that about Skyfire. Plus, for a mech so big, he tried to be small way too often.
“Sunstreaker?”
He cringed and looked over his shoulder, wiping his faceplate clean of expression. “What?”
Skyfire was completely out of the doorway now. He stood a little straighter now, which was kind of better. His wings were twitching like Prowl's did when he was struggling to find something to say that wasn't going to make Sunstreaker angry.
“You're welcome,” he said.
Sunstreaker honestly didn't know what he was supposed to say that. His societal cues were coming up empty and Sideswipe wasn't here to prompt him. Adding another thank you seemed excessive. But he didn't want to prolong the conversation either.
So he just... didn't.
He jerked his helm in something like a nod – acknowledgment maybe? – and walked away. Maybe he moved too fast. Maybe he hurried. He hoped that Skyfire didn't call his name again. His backplate twitched and crawled.
Interaction. Sunstreaker loathed it. He wasn't good at it. Sideswipe owed him. Sideswipe owed him big time. Ratchet, too. All of them.
Sunstreaker wasn't any good at this, frag it.
****
a/n: This is an interesting pairing. You will probably see me poke again at this. In the process of trying to make it work in my head, Sunstreaker is becoming my vehicle for exploring it. lol Sorry for the lack of Sideswipe. Sunstreaker demanded this part of the story was his own to tell.
Anyway. Two more flash fics to go! Yay! *dances around in circles*
Characters: Sunstreaker, Skyfire, Sideswipe and Ratchet mentioned in passing
Rated: K+
Description: Social interaction is not Sunstreaker's strong suit.
For fuzipenguin's flash fiction prompt of Skyfire/Sideswipe/Sunstreaker, “Steady Now,” Brandon Heath
Misconstruction – Part Two
Sunstreaker was in the awkward position of having to thank a mech he did not like. He wasn't sure how to handle this.
But Skyfire had plucked Sideswipe out of the sky when his Primus-damned jetpack had failed him and he'd saved Sideswipe's spark as a result. He'd kept Sunstreaker's most precious object from splattering on the hard rock despite the fact he and Sideswipe had all but threatened Skyfire two weeks ago.
It had been effective though. It had stopped the creepy staring. Sunstreaker's armor stopped crawling. Sideswipe stopped jumping at shadows.
Whatever reason Skyfire was submitting them to so much scrutiny, they hadn't cared. They just wanted him to stop. Mechs didn't usually pay that much attention to the Twins unless they wanted something.
Sunstreaker knew frag well what that something was, too.
No, they weren't for sale. Frag that. And no, they weren't looking for an easy fight. And no, they weren't fragging Decepticons. Any other stupid questions?
Anyway. Skyfire could have let Sideswipe fall. No one would have blamed him. No one would have noticed. Skyfire wasn't even supposed to be on this side of the battlefield. He was supposed to be distracting Starscream.
He'd swooped out of nowhere, plucked Sideswipe from a freefall, and had been nothing but polite when he'd deposited Sideswipe into Ratchet's cursing arms. Sideswipe was still in the medbay. He wasn't in danger of offlining, but he was bored and in a Pitload of pain and Sunstreaker had to shut down their bond to quiet the whining.
The glitching jetpack had fried some wiring in his locomotive circuits, which left Sideswipe berthbound and all but paralyzed. But he was alive. He would live. Ratchet would fix him up soon enough and if it hadn't been for Skyfire, Sideswipe would be dead and Sunstreaker probably, too.
He wasn't sure how to reconcile that. Except Ratchet had told him to thank Skyfire and he'd used that tone that Sunstreaker knew frag well not to argue with. Ratchet had looked angry, too. Not like he was mad because Sideswipe was playing tag with the Seekers again. Or because the glitching jetpack glitched. Or because Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were being idiots.
He looked offended on Skyfire's behalf. Like he'd heard what happened and he didn't approve, but he wasn't going to say anything because it wasn't his place. Maybe. At least, that was what Sunstreaker thought the reason could be. He'd probably ask Sideswipe about it later when his brother was a little less sedative loopy.
For now, Sunstreaker had gratitude to deliver. Sideswipe would have to say it, too. Ratchet said he'd make sure of it. But he wanted them to do it separately. To prove they meant it or some such slag.
Whatever.
Sunstreaker paced back and forth in front of Skyfire's door again. He didn't want to do this. Skyfire made him feel twitchy. Like glitchmice under his armor. He didn't like the way Skyfire looked at him. Like he and Sideswipe were what was wrong with Skyfire's perfect idea of Cybertron or something.
Sunstreaker ex-vented sharply and spun on a heelstrut.
He didn't talk to mechs without Sideswipe. He usually let Sideswipe take the lead so Sunstreaker didn't say something stupid or read the situation wrong. He did not like this. He especially did not like that it was fragging Skyfire.
Sunstreaker growled. His hands curled into fists at his side as he slammed to a halt and glared at Skyfire's door.
He couldn't put this off anymore. He slammed his palm on the call panel and jerked back several steps, folding his arms over his chestplate. His armor rustled. He was fully aware he looked more than a little defensive and didn't fragging care. He was uncomfortable. He didn't like this.
He waited, vents becoming increasingly stuttered, until finally the door opened. Skyfire stood just behind it, stooping a little to see outside it. He blinked and Sunstreaker could see his optics searching the hallway like Sideswipe was hiding in the shadows to pop out and scare him or something.
Skyfire gripped the doorway with one hand. Sunstreaker watched his grip tighten, the slight shake to his fingers. The way his knuckles creaked. Ratchet should probably look at that.
They stared at each other.
“Yes?” Skyfire finally ventured.
“You saved Sideswipe,” Sunstreaker said, words ground out from a vocalizer that he'd had to prod back to life. Primus, he was terrible at this.
Skyfire cycled his optics. Nothing in his posture relaxed. “I assisted him,” he said in that infuriatingly even tone. “It was the same any Autobot would have done.”
Sunstreaker flinched. “Don't give me that slag. Most woulda let him fall.”
His arms tightened. His shoulders hunched. Sunstreaker made himself look away because his spark was hammering in his chest and the flickering was coming through his optics, betraying his weakness.
He hated it.
“But I did not,” Skyfire said, stupidly, because 'duh.'
“Yeah.” Sunstreaker ex-vented in a burst. “So, um, thank you. For catching my idiot brother before he cracked his cranial case on the ground.”
Silence.
Sunstreaker snuck a peek at Skyfire and the damn shuttle was staring at Sunstreaker as though he were something Skyfire had never seen before. His mouth had even fallen open a little.
“What?” Sunstreaker snapped.
Skyfire shook his helm. “No, I... I would do it again. Even though... just well. I'd do it again.” He looked at the ground at Sunstreaker's pedes and hunched his shoulders as though trying to come off smaller.
Yeah. Sunstreaker had fragged it up again. He was trying to be grateful and instead it seemed like he was threatening Skyfire. Ratchet was going to be so slagged.
Sunstreaker sighed and scraped a hand over his helm. He needed to visit the washracks and he needed to check on Sideswipe and he needed to get out of this uncomfortable situation.
“Anyway,” he said as he turned away. “That was it. Just wanted to, you know, let you know that I appreciated it. And, uh, we don't hate you, you know?” There. Maybe that helped.
There was a noise, the sound of hydraulics hissing, maybe Skyfire shifting his weight. It was weird how quiet he could be for how big he was. Sunstreaker never liked that about Skyfire. Plus, for a mech so big, he tried to be small way too often.
“Sunstreaker?”
He cringed and looked over his shoulder, wiping his faceplate clean of expression. “What?”
Skyfire was completely out of the doorway now. He stood a little straighter now, which was kind of better. His wings were twitching like Prowl's did when he was struggling to find something to say that wasn't going to make Sunstreaker angry.
“You're welcome,” he said.
Sunstreaker honestly didn't know what he was supposed to say that. His societal cues were coming up empty and Sideswipe wasn't here to prompt him. Adding another thank you seemed excessive. But he didn't want to prolong the conversation either.
So he just... didn't.
He jerked his helm in something like a nod – acknowledgment maybe? – and walked away. Maybe he moved too fast. Maybe he hurried. He hoped that Skyfire didn't call his name again. His backplate twitched and crawled.
Interaction. Sunstreaker loathed it. He wasn't good at it. Sideswipe owed him. Sideswipe owed him big time. Ratchet, too. All of them.
Sunstreaker wasn't any good at this, frag it.
a/n: This is an interesting pairing. You will probably see me poke again at this. In the process of trying to make it work in my head, Sunstreaker is becoming my vehicle for exploring it. lol Sorry for the lack of Sideswipe. Sunstreaker demanded this part of the story was his own to tell.
Anyway. Two more flash fics to go! Yay! *dances around in circles*
