#tf slug

While out on one of his usual scrapyard runs, grabbing spare parts to recycle or slap into his next project, Wheeljack definitely did not scream when five pairs of glowing optics blinked at him from the shadows. Nope. Not a single yelp of surprise. Once he got a closer look (after maybe tripping over a broken exhaust pipe and landing more at eye-level to them), he realized they were… they were sparklings. Tiny, beastformer sparklings.

They seemed to be alone.

No creators or guardians in sight. Just five scrappy little things huddled among the junk.

…Well he- he couldn’t just leave them there, right? it was getting dark, the scrapyard was no place for sparklings, they looked to not be in the best state, they were in need of help. And since nobody else was around, he was going to be that help.

After some bribery with some energon snacks he found in his subspace, and enduring a few bites and scratches from the biggest one (who seemed to be trying to protect the others), he finally managed to gather them all up, shove them gently into an empty crate, and drive home.

Once at base, he made a beeline to his and Ratchet’s quarters. Still processing. Definitely not panicking. He just… wasn’t sure what to do or say yet. So he waited. Waited for Ratchet to get off shift. Not because he was stalling, no, of course not, but because he needed time to figure out what to do with the sparklings, he was the one that found them, he felt kind of responsible for their wellbeing now.

And in the meantime… well, the sparklings were filthy. A quick wash wouldn’t hurt, right? And while he was at it, they probably needed actual energon, not just leftover snacks as bribes. Feeding them seemed like the logical next step. Oh, and names he couldn’t just call them One through Five, that felt wrong, so temporary names it is. Placeholder names. Nothing serious. Nothing official.

Now they were full, clean, and drowsy. Naturally, the best move was to keep them close, they calmed down when near his EM field just like a sparkling with their creators, snuggling into his plating like he was some kind of walking heater, which made him think they probably couldn’t fully regulate their temperature yet. The tiniest one, Swoop managed to claw his way up to snuggle next to his neck cables, where it was warmer, that was adorable okay. He went to sit in his berth while keeping them close, it’d be better, more comfortable for them. It seemed like they liked it, they were starting to settle down, well, all except Grimlock, the biggest one, who was fighting recharge for some reason, and gnawing on Wheeljack’s pedes just to stay awake, which ow. But the others seemed content though, just a few more breems and they’d-

Whoosh. The door slid open.

And there stood Ratchet, frozen in place, optic twitching as he took in the sight: Wheeljack in their berth, covered by five beastformer sparklings.

alt version without the text because they look cute