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[ou] ratchet

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[The video clicks on and shows nothing but the ceiling of a room for long moments before it rattles and a hand obscures the camera. There's a scrape and a soft groan as Ratchet hauls himself as much into a sitting position as he can manage and finally manages to pick up the communicator and turn the camera towards himself.]

[He looks exhausted, his optics dim and his mouth drawn down. The hand not holding the communicator up is pressed carefully to his windscreen and his ventilations are labored as he wakes up a little more, his optics focusing in the low light of his room. His voice is soft and fuzzy with static when he speaks.]

Hey. What did I miss?

LOCKED to Spinister
I need a status update on Krok. Now, please. I can't get up to go check on him myself.

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Not going anywhere.

[Wing arrives five minutes later. To his credit, he didn't throw open the door and dramatically stomp towards Ratchet's room, even though his instincts told him to. Instead he gently opens Ratchet's door and walks inside.]

What happened?

Krok.

[Ratchet manages to meet Wing's optics for a moment before he looks away, feeling tenderized. He takes a long, shaky vent of air before starting the explanation again, for what feels like the thousandth time that day.]

He was having... nightmares. Something Chromedome did to him, and they were awful. He wasn't sleeping, and it was killing him, so Spinister and I tried to manually put him in stasis to see if it would help. It nearly killed him instead--I nearly killed him. It was my idea. Instead of letting that happen, I... did something called a jump-start. I used my own spark to restart his, but of course we don't have the proper equipment here so I had to make do. It knocked us both out for a bit.

That was very brave of you.

[He gently sits down beside him, placing what he believes is a comforting hand on Ratchet's shoulder.]

Reckless perhaps, but I imagine I would have done the same if I had your knowledge. "Helping another is the highest calling one can aspire to." That's one of the first things I ever said to Drift.

[Ratchet chuffs a soft, pained laugh, relaxing a little under Wing's hand.]

I think you're the only person who hasn't yelled at me. I can't remember the last time I saw Magnus that upset.

Magnus has very strong feelings for you, it does not surprise me.

[Wing says with a soft smile.]

It would be hypocritical of me to yell at you when I would have done the same.

He--he what?

[Ratchet's head jerks up, his optics widening in helpless surprise.]

Did... he tell you that? ...did he tell you to tell me that?

Er, no?

[He seems vaguely confused by Ratchet's reaction.]

We were talking about you and it became blatantly obvious.

Then why would you--Wing!

[Ratchet looks almost pained, pressing a palm over his face.]sharing his feelings. What if he didn't want me to know? What if you're flat-out wrong? [Please let Wing be flat-out wrong.] Did you even check with him to see?

...Is it really such a bad thing to know?

[His smile fades completely. An unfamiliar expression of someone who realizes that he made a mistake takes its place. It's a rare feeling; Wing is almost never wrong.]

I know I'm not wrong, however.

[He feels very reluctant to explain why.]

It is if he doesn't want me to! Just--

[Ratchet slumps back and presses slightly unsteady hands over his face, his chest aching fiercely.]

How do you know you're not wrong? [He looks up again, his mouth thinning.] What makes you so damn sure?

[More hesitation.]

Our... conversation made it abundantly clear.

Wing, dammit.

[Ratchet shoves up into a sitting position, then stops to let out a slow, pained hiss of air, curling in around his chest and just venting hard for a moment.]

Fine, if you want to be so free with Magnus' secrets and then keep your own. But if he wanted me to know something like that, he would have told me. Himself. Not obliquely hinted to you to carry on the message.

Ratchet, please!

[He reaches over and attempts to push the medic back down.]

Magnus seems to be the type of person who would keep all intimate feelings to himself, regardless of what those feelings are. I don't understand why all of you seem to regard being open with your emotions so taboo.

Yeah, and that's his right! [He pushes impatiently at Wing's hands, his ventilations a little shaky as he unfolds himself.] I'm fine. Did you ever think there might be a reason for him being so reserved? That it might genuinely upset him if you pulled something outrageous and high-handed like this? At least I can move my own stuff back into my old room if I want to--you can't un-tell me that he's in love with me, if that's even the case.

I-I didn't say-

[He stops and closes his optics, taking in a deep vent and letting it out slowly. There's two seconds of silence before Wing speaks again.]

I'm sorry, Ratchet. I was wrong.

[Saying those words out loud pains him more than he expects. Is he really that proud? So convinced that he's right that admitting that he was wrong is such a challenge? Surely not!]

I never meant to cause either of you any distress.

[He leans over and gently puts his weight on Ratchet's chest, hopefully preventing the medic from going anywhere.]

Please forgive me.

[Ratchet makes a soft, pained sound as Wing's hand comes down on the front of his chassis, over his aching spark chamber, but he reaches up to cover Wing's palm with his, a lot of the frustration draining out of him.]

Yeah. Just--I'm worried about Magnus as it is. None of this has been easy for him, and I don't want to make it worse.

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