TW: mention of starvation and med stuff!
Knee deep in the transformers autism, I can't help but wonder what would happen if the TFP group was found by like an Autobot ship or something, and then proceed to get put on mandatory sick leave because they're all in varying states of starvation due to low resources, and the team has to cope with suddenly taking a backseat and having to let other Autobots take on the Decepticons after handling it alone for so long.
Like, Optimus is losing his mind because the ship captain and generals keep shooing him out of meetings and telling him to just relax. Ratchet huffing and pouting because the medical staff insist that he stop limiting his Energon intake because he no longer 'needs' to go without to make sure there's enough. Arcee goes stir crazy when she's not allowed to go on patrols and is ordered to focus on recovering. Bumblebee is frazzled when he finds fellow scouts who are all fascinated by him and wanna be friends. Bulkhead has a crisis because if he's not breaking stuff, he's just useless, right?
Bonus points if cybertronians actually have a wide variety of foods, and when poor Op has a near meltdown in the cafeteria because choosing from so many options after only having plain liquid Energon is overwhelming as heck, the humans realize just how rough their bots have had it. Raf and June panicking during the mandatory medical exam when the doctors ordered immediate bed rest and an IV for Ratchet because he restricted his Energon intake so much his systems have started shutting down.
The Autobots being given the equivalent of small hotel rooms on the ship and feeling awkward in the space. Not knowing what to do with their own kitchen, being surprised by the inclusion of personal washracks, and the beds being far too soft after recharging on metal slabs.
Bonus x2 if the bots try to sleep in separate quarters, but the rapid changes leave them stressed and unable to rest. It starts with Bumblebee carrying a yawning Raf up to Ratchet's door and knocking timidly. IV hooked up to his arm, Ratchet sighs when he sees them and ushers the scout in. Then Arcee shows up with Jack in tow. She was just worried about Ratchet, she's just here to check on him!
Sure thing, he says, patting the couch on the side that isn't taken up by a sleepy Bumblebee. Bulkhead finds them cuddling on the couch, and Miko very quickly joins her human friends in curling up on Ratchet's chest. By the time Optimus sheepishly appears, everyone is in a half-asleep daze. That's how they're found the next morning; a medic checking in on Ratchet finds the entire team in a big cuddle pile on the floor in front of the couch. They smile fondly, check on his IV, then leave the exhausted team to rest.
Because Primus knows they've earned it.
Feel free to do something with this idea, I'd actually love to see how others interpret the concept!
