#bugy

“Reave?”

 Bugy peeked into the darkened quarters. It was unfamiliar to her, despite her passing through these halls before. Whereas that wasn’t unusual—as it hadn’t been opened until now—what was unusual was the sight of her caretaker lurking around in said unfamiliar territory, tidying it up. He looked like he knew what he was doing, but it was still odd.

“Hm?” Her caretaker perked up, picking up a tablet and setting it on what looked to be a writing desk; Bugy couldn’t tell, as it was far too dim to notice. “Is your training done for today?”

“Yeah!” She jumped, her wings twitching. “I got bored, so I tried to find you. What’re you doing?”

“Cleaning.” Reave answered plainly, picking up something from the floor. It looked like a paint-buffer, not unlike the one the medical officer used. It looked worn.

Despite Shadowglide not being one to be picky about her appearance, after it became apparent that her having a pitch-black coat was an advantage in the night, Reave suggested to her to keep herself looking neat, so that no stains on her paint would ruin her stealth. It looked like she appreciated the gift.

“What is this room, anyway?” The young soldier cocked her head to one side.

Reave froze, his breath hitching. For a split second, Bugy swore she could hear his circuits whirring.

“Shadowglide’s room.” He turned around to meet his surrogate child’s eyes. His usual luster had long been gone, but it was even dimmer at that moment. “I don’t think you know her. She’s not someone that would be mentioned by one of the captains.”

“Why not?” His lips aren’t colored... Bugy thought.

“To them, she died a traitor.” He gripped the buffer. He snarled at no one but himself. “‘Bad for your education’ or something.”

“She seems pretty cool, though!”

Reave froze again, his audials twitching downwards.

“How would you know?” He set the buffer down, confused. She didn’t look like she messed up her words. “Or… did you hear me talking about her?”

“Huh?”

“Hear me pathetically crying about her like I’m some kind of abandoned pet?” 

Bugy flinched, not used to hearing Reave so snappy.

“Hear me grieve over the fact that she’ll never come back?” His fists balled up. “That she’ll never know how I feel about her? That she’ll never know how much I…”

He abruptly stopped himself, unfurling his fingers. She’s not Flux. She’s not Flux.

“…How much I love her?” He shook his head. He looked like he was about to cry.

It wasn’t an unfamiliar sight to see him emotionally vulnerable, but it was frightening how fast he switched between his feelings.

Oh gee. Bugy blinked rapidly for a few moments before fiddling with her fingers. “No, I… I can see her.”

Frag.

Like mother like daughter, huh? That’s how that phrase goes, right? Reave’s expression turned strange and unreadable for a few moments. “...Ah.” I can’t believe she can do that, too…

“You don’t believe me either, do you?” The younger ‘Con looked disappointed.

“No, no, I do.” Her guardian sighed, wiping his eyes in case they had tears in them, but it looked like he was pinching where the bridge of his nose would be if he were a human. “Either”? He squinted. “I know someone else that can, too. You’re…”

He shook his head again, then patted hers. “You’re not unusual.”

“I’m not?!” She perked back up, her wings fluttering.

“No, Little Bug, you’re not.” Reave couldn’t bring it within him to tell her how he felt about her parents. She isn’t anyone’s fault. “So, she… talks to you?”

“Yeah!”

“Does she just follow you around?”

“She’s with me! Just… not all the time!” She hummed, rocking back and forth on her feet. “But she’s here now, so…”

Reave sat down, suddenly feeling weary.

“Oh Primus.”

“She wants to know more about your… feelings, she said.”

“Oh Primus.” He pulled at his audials, looking like he was going to tear them off. “She heard the whole thing?!”

Bugy suddenly took one of Reave’s hands and cupped it in both of her own small palms. As she knelt down alongside him, a blue light could be seen from Reave’s peripherals.

“You didn’t really leave much for interpretation.”

There she was.

Reave slowly looked up. He knew this was possible—in fact, he’s seen Flux do it before. He even thought it was cool for a time. However, seeing the spirit of someone he held some kind of attachment to derailed his already unstable emotional rhythm.

Her mask was off, and her lower face was badly mangled, but…

“Shadowglide…” The grieving bot breathed, just barely loud enough for the two other bots to hear. The door to Shadowglide’s room suddenly closed, the timer that held it open running out.

The room was silent. The clicks and whizzing of Reave’s and Bugy’s circuits could be heard clearly.

…She was just as beautiful as the day she fell.

“You really are hopeless, aren’t you?” Shadowglide, Reave’s partner and superior (by only slightly) sighed. A faint grin fell on her usually serious expression as she crossed her arms.

“I—”

“Listen. I get we have way too much to catch up on, and you probably have a million things to chew off my ear about.” The incorporeal flier’s wings flapped. “And… I have to thank you for cleaning my quarters.”

Reave bit his lower lip, looking away; she knew what he was thinking at all times, it seemed.

…Except. 

“But, I had no idea you liked me that much. Makes me want to hear that confession again.” She scoffed. “Look at me in my eyes this time.”

“What, just so you can reject me?” Reave half-joked, not hiding his shame well.

“I can’t answer an indirect confession.” His partner shrugged, purposefully avoiding responding. “You’ve already said it once. What’s one more?”

“I’ve already said it to your face once, when I was ‘practicing’ with you that one time.” 

“Oh, come on! Are you serious? You can’t blame me for not realizing that was real! That doesn’t count.”

“Does too!”

“Does not!”

Bugy’s slightly tired giggling interrupted the two. She hadn’t seen her guardian this energetic before. It was a new feeling.

“Fine!” Reave took a deep breath, closing his optics as he did. “Since you wanna hear it that badly.”

“I do.” Shadowglide spat back.

The younger of the two looked up—not standing as he felt Bugy’s weight press on his body—fixing his gaze on the eyes of the spirit in front of him. The spirit’s blue outline had started to fade.

“I… I love you.” His face scrunched again, his tone low and gentle. “Th…there.”

“Alright, good enough.” Shadowglide faded, an expression of satisfaction and relief covered her face, sprinkled with blushed cheeks. “Now I can mull it over properly.”

“Hey, wait—!”

Bugy’s strength left her body, collapsing in Reave’s arms.

“Agh!” He froze upon feeling the heat of his disciple’s hands and exposed arms on his own body. “Bugy?!”

Frag. The thought for the second time that day. Why didn’t you tell me this would happen? Does this hurt Flux, too?

He shook his head. He doesn’t care about her right now. He needed to get her checked immediately.

He barely was able to lift her up in his arms, let alone run with her in his arms to the medical station. His footsteps sounded much heavier at that moment—it sounded like he might’ve been strength training with weights on his ankles.

“Dad!” He burst in, trying not to throw Bugy as he set her on the examination table. It wasn’t abnormal for Reave to also pick up Earthling terms, being the spy of the team, but it wasn’t everyday he was able to use them. He never used them around the other pillars of the team.

“Well, I… haven’t seen you in a while.” The medic in charge put a hand on his hips. “You’re lucky I washed this chair; trust me, you don’t want to know.”

“Yeah, yeah, my bad.” Reave looked away. “Can you just… look at her?”

“The CNA-spliced kid, huh?” Knockout raised a brow, then chuckled. “I guess that human saying is true. ‘Birds of a feather, flock together’, or something, right?”

“What?”

“Oh come on, I know you’ve been sneaking through dear Shockwave’s experiment logs.” He then paused. “Aaaaand just about everything else. I know your antics with the Autobots.”

“Hrk…!” Reave shrunk, appearing small despite being larger than his father. It was true. He too, wasn’t exactly forged from normal, ethical means—and he also knew that he wasn’t a full Decepticon. Maybe it was in his CNA to defect.

“Best be careful. You don’t want to get caught.” Knockout fiddled around his workplace, checking Bugy’s body for external injuries. “I’m just glad you’re able to get along with someone with a similar upbringing to your own.”

The younger bot’s voice lowered again. “I just… dunno if I’m doing a good job or not.”

“Of taking care of a sparkling not your own?” The older hummed. “I think you’re doing just fine. I certainly wasn’t as calm as you are when I was raising you—and you’re my own.”

...Technically. Sure, Knockout's CNA was in his body, but Shockwave was the one that brought him into existence. It was a strange feeling, not being made to be loved, but to be efficient.

“How do you know? We haven’t talked in… a while.”

“She’s smiling.” The medical officer patted his kin on his back.

Upon Bugy’s tired face wasn’t that of pain or discomfort, but of content.

Would you look at that... Reave sighed in relief, placing his cold hand on Bugy’s overheated forehead.