Many bots would tell Ratchet that allowing one mech to save from his financial burden and pay for his new home is dangerous. He believes that so is taking the time to save enough money. Ensuring that he has the resources to escape if this situation goes bad.

Not to say that Deadlock has hurt him, Far from it. Despite him being apart of the Decepticons, he has never been violent towards him. In fact more times than not Deadlock is protecting him from recruits, Oilslick, and even himself. However, Ratchet knows that sometimes a mech can try to do everything in their power to stop the pain, but the can still hurt.

Even now, as both he and Deadlock are are sitting down on the sofa. Watching the last minute of sunlight that hits his almost unused appartment. All Ratchet can think about where are the exits and how would Deadlock react to him running away.

"Can we stay like this a little while longer?" Deadlock snuggles in closer to him. He doesn't change to look up at him but he stays silent waiting for him. What should he say, that he will stay as long as he wants. What is what he wants? What is the timeline and would Deadlock want to bond with him?

Would Ratchet even want to? Being linked to a bot until one of them dies, something like that frightened him. However moments like this, they really tempt him to stay. "I have a few more hours."

"Yeah, I can take that." Deadlock settles down. He holds him down as if he is devouring his touch. Maybe, he is but what fear does he carry?

More important, what is Deadlock's job with the Decepticons? As far as he tells him, he tracks down bots. Apparently he is good at finding mechs. What he does to them he won't say.

Ratchet also doesn't know where that will leave him. If his hire ups one day ask to get rid of him, what will he do. If Ratchet has to leave him, will he track him down. Will abandoning him for his safety cause the opposite effect. Is there a chance that Deadlock will hurt him?

Was the information that Deadlock is Megatron's personal assassin true? What will he do if Ratchet is one day the target of thier ire?

Ratchet has to make another plan, in case he chooses to pull the trigger.

----

Ratchet has a little extra time in the next visit he takes. Deadlock is still asleep at the moment, but Ratchet has managed to get out of his iron grip. So he goes to the kitchen and starts to wash dishes, as the light of dawn peaks through the curtain.

Reflecting on the time that passed, he wonders if they should become exclusive. Sure Ratchet hasn't actively looked for partners to spend his time away from Deadlock, but he also doesn't refuse mechs who give him attention. As of recently though, Ratchet has been saying no to those kinds of offers. Instead opting to stay the night with Deadlock.

Has Deadlock done the same, he doesn't know, not really. All Ratchet can do is take his word that he doesn't. That he is loyal to him while he is at work. Work that he hasn't been told what it is.

He picked up that Deadlock liked to sleep around with medics. If the con finds out that Ratchet is just a space bridge engineer, will he leave. He wouldn't blame him. Ratchet would want honesty from his lover, it's only fair to assume he will too.

"Hey." The voice coming from the room to the kitchen is soft. As if they speak any louder will wake him up. "I got a call from base. All personal have to return to their station." He rubs the back of his head, trying to look apologetic. "You can stay here longer if you like. I'll leave a spare key for you." He places the physical item on the counter in between them.

"Oh..." had he not realised that giving him permission to his appartment was dangerous. It also is something that only intimate lovers would do. "Thanks" he sets the container he was cleaning aside and picks up the next one. "But I will just stay until the dishes are done. I don't want to overstay my welcome."

Before he can put the foam cleanser onto the sponge, Deadlock rushes to his side and takes his hands. "You won't. Promise." He moves to intertwine their hands together. "If anything, I wish you would stay here. Maybe even move in together."

"I-" honest, Deadlock is being honest with him and all he can do is cower. Truth be told Deadlock being a Decepticon frightened him. Being apart of the war frightened him, and the fact that Deadlock is leaving at thier command is also fearful. "I can't."

He drops their hold. His field sends waves of resurgence but deep down he can feel hurt and contempt. It was faint as to be an anomaly, but Ratchet isn't one to let anomalies go unrecorded. It's how he will make sure to not get caught again.

"Okay" Deadlock pulls away making his way out. "Just know if you ever need to come in. You don't have to ask, just use the key and stay as long as you like." He doesn't look back, but he stays by the door, waiting for his response.

"I'll keep it in mind." With that Deadlock leaves. Leaves and returns to the Decepticons. As long as that mech is a part of that group and their war, Ratchet will always come in second. This would be the last time the world would leave them in peace. Had he know at the time this beauty would be so frail, he would have force him to stay longer.

The Dead End, damp, cold, unyielding and cruel to all of it's citizens. Old bots or new, here not even the light of the sun would give it's people hope.

Drift was a straggler, whatever whites he had were long soild. The aches, damage, pain on his frame have long pass the point of background static. Walking with no direction, walking because it made time move forward faster. Because it was harder than to let his thoughts take over.

"Like that one." An enforcer voice clip rang in Drift's microphone. "You there, we're investigating this rumor and would like your cooperation." They speed up to catch up to him.

Drift keeps walking, he stop caring a long time ago about bots trying to talk to him. "There's talk of a medic running an unauthorized medical center here in Dead End. Have you any information?"

"No." Primus, what kind of idiot would build a hospital here. They're just going to get their supplies stolen. That's not including whatever gang leader plan for them.

"Maybe we ought to smoke him out." The other bot following him to his left said. "Obviously these low lifes ain't gonna to tells us where their biggest hit will come from."

They push Drift to the ground, one of the microphones in his finals blew out. The metal crack in half, and one of the enforcers bent in his armor inwards. The exhaust goes up his throat, the fine grounded energon leave his mouth full of grit. The bands on in his engine snap, and it starts to click as the first warning of his system about to dying.

-----

There was a touch...

It was gentle, kind, coaxing him to wake up. Then a soft light enters his vision, too blurry to figure out where he is. Nothing really but a nice cyan blue against a faint gold aura. Drift didn't want to get up. You think being dead wouldn't hurt this much. Or even that you get to sleep in more but no, guess the universe doesn't work like that.

"Come on...", a voice came from the left side of his frame spoke. It too was soft, even though the it was on the lower register. "I know it hurts but please wake up." Melodic, cooing at his mic, making the fins flutter. However, it also carried a sorrow to it. As if it already knows that Drift has past away.

That soft touch turns into a gentle caress. It first pinches his dulled claws, then it moves to hold his hand. It feels so good that when it tries to move away Drift tightens around the retreating hand and pulls them closer. "Not yet..." Drift couldn't recognize his own voice. There was too much static, flipping through to many different stations to try to sound coherent. "Just a few more seconds..." he tries to plead with the kind touch.

Drift is not too sure about how he wakes up. All he sees is that bright cyan turn into a handsome face with the most divine smile. He can feel his intake start to go dry, and a hunger he's never known form. The way the other mech's field intermingled with his, relief joy and pride. It was all so beautiful and that's when he knows that he could never be full again, not without that wonderful field around him.

He finally opens his eyes and really looks back at the mech. "Oh thank Goodness." The mostly white bot squeezes their hands. "Your alright." His grey faceplate stopped worrying showing his true beauty.