re_alignment | video;

Entry tags:

✘ tf: bayverse | sideswipe

video;

[Well, contrary to all his talk and all his... well. Arguing with people. When Sideswipe's video feed turns on, he's curled in a ball of silver misery. He's buried himself under a tarp and... ]

[... appears to be shaking.]

It's cold. It's not supposed to be cold on this planet. Is it?

[Wow he sounds crankier than usual. Something's got to be wrong.]

I haven't had a decent fight in weeks and everything is just... it hurts.

[Yeah that's a whine. He curls under the tarp a little more, looking pathetic as possible. Which may not actually be an act.]

[Looks like someone smashed themselves into that nifty robot flu.]

I want a medic.

[One more whine before he turns off the feed.]

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[He probably was moping about it. When he got sick, anyway. Now, he's just seeing if he can use this to his advantage.]

[It does help. He does stop shivering a little.]

It needs to get out of me, that's all I know.

Then you need to rest.

[It's amazing how quickly he came back. How fast he responded. As if he were waiting for Sideswipe to do something to get his attention.

Maybe this was that something.]

...

[He'll run that engine a little warmer, to build up heat under the two blankets]

[He almost says something smart-ass, but he suddenly shudders hard, intakes shuddering and ... coughing... for lack of a better word.]

[Well. It's one way to get Mirage back. And keep him close.]

It's still cold.

[Which is what he figures he needs to say, to keep Mirage here, and not wandering off on his stealth-opps to get needled or whatever.]

... Why did you come back?

[Mirage takes the tarp, wrapping it full circle around them so heat couldn't escape.

Although, Sideswipe's question is a difficult one to answer, so he has to think on it a moment.]

...

Because, argento. No matter how much you irritate me, or disagree with me, or get into trouble... no matter how many buttons you push...

You're what I have left.

[And it was true in more ways than one.]

[It takes the silence for his shaking to slow down, and settle into intermittent shivering. During which, he just watches Mirage, waiting.]

[A little afraid of what he's going to say.]

[The answer is far better than he expected, and he turns his head, pressing it into Mirage's shoulder. He's... relieved. Oddly so.]

[This is just supposed to be a fling, right? Not mean anything...]

... I looked for you. For whatever that's worth.

Your cloaking is cheating, just so you know.

[Just the contact is enough. To feel Sideswipe reciprocating to what he's giving.

It's more welcoming than anything that could be said.]

Argento...

[There's a soft chuckle, running a finger along one of those drooped doorwings.]

That is worth more than you know.

[He keeps his face planted where it is. He doesn't want to meet Mirage's optics -- out of shame, annoyance. All kinds of mixed emotions that shouldn't be there.]

[But there's a ragged, weary thrum of his engine, all the same.]

Well.

There. You have it now. Just don't go spreading it around.

[He doesn't ask anything from the bot, grateful enough that things are on the mend.

Or, more accurately described, held off on dealing with.]

You know I keep my secrets.

[He makes a quiet noise of acceptance. All right. He can buy that.]

[Another shiver drives him closer to Mirage's side.]

Good. So. I can say...

Thanks.

For coming back.

[Those last words warm him more than any engine could. The fact that Sideswipe needed him...he shouldn't feel this desperate to be wanted by the bot...

But here he is.

Barricade told him, this, didn't he? To not waste time on petty things. That tarp wraps tighter around them as he puffs air against the bot's forehead.]

We're in this together, argento.

[Maybe he can blame the way he feels -- the pain and the cold. But, as much as it pains him to admit, he needs Mirage. Needs the familiar face and the teasing.]

[He just can't bring himself to agree with this. As much as he relies on the red bot, he can't agree. To go against another Autobot? To listen to the words of a Decepticon? How could he?]

[He shakes his head a little, too tired to say any of this, all of the sudden.]

So don't go anywhere, then.

Stay right there.

[I need you.]

[He knew from the start Sideswipe would be against it. He'd be lying if he said that he expected it to go well.

It just went worse than he intended, is all. Not that he wants to bring that up just yet, it was still sensitive.]

No wandering, then?

[There's a small, almost minuscule part of him that knows Sideswipe's half doing this to stall him.

It's...oddly touching.]

[He's against it with everything in him. Autobots just... don't work against each other. Not that they're all perfect and harmonious or whatever. But backstabbing, spying, manipulating...? That's not what they do.]

[Mirage doesn't bring it up, though, so neither does he.]

I'll freeze if you do.

[Transparent stalling, sure. But illness and genuine fatigue conspire to make him not care in the slightest.]

[He wished he could believe that. Sideswipe was too early in the timeline to really understand. And even just hinting at it now was causing the Autobot to get panicked. He'd have to tread lightly from now on with how he approaches that topic.

But for now...Sideswipe is distracted with his sickness, as awful as that is to say.]

I can't have that, now can I.

[He uses his helm to tilt the other's up, and when it's pushed, he presses his faceplate to the others. A puff of air.]

[It goes against everything he knows. Everything he was brought up to know. Ironhide believed it. Why shouldn't he?]

[He curls closer, though, like being nearer to Mirage will keep him from storming out again. Maybe it's mostly him feeling ill. But... there's apology in the clinging. Sort of.]

Nope. You'd be less fabulous, then.

[There's a whine, as his head is moved, a whine that turns into a gradual purr.]

[Which is what makes this so hard. Sideswipe was loyal to a fault. Mirage was too, until...

Until things weren't so black and white anymore.]

And you wouldn't want anything to do with me if I was less fabulous, mm?

[His voice is soft as he presses against him again, puffing air to warm him up.]

[And there's the problem. He was made to function in a world of black and white -- built to be a soldier, raised to be a soldier by Optimus' right hand. Nothing in his life ever prepared him for a world made of shades of grey.]

[He starts to answer, but a particularly violent tremor shakes his frame. His cooling vents backfire, sharply. Several times. Until he slumps against Mirage, fight and snark drained out of him.]

Nope...

It's getting worse.

[That, at least, isn't an act.]

[It was amazing Mirage adjusted to it at all. Maybe the moment had prepared him for it. Seeing Ironhide die...he didn't have time to panic about it.

And in turn, he'd become jaded.]

Argento...

[Arms wrap around him, pulling him into his lap as he continues to run his engine. The blanket curls like a cocoon around them.]

I'm here.

[He could think about how insane this all was. How it doesn't make any sense for Mirage to be backing a Decepticon. How he wants to go back to the fight and stop lying around doing nothing and...]

[Instead, he leans heavily into the red bot's hold, too tired and too ill to do anything more than that.]

[The warmth starts to seep into his frame, and the more violent tremors ease.]

... so stay.

All right?

[If his old self could see him now, he'd probably be smacked. For going against what was supposed to be a clean cut alliance.

But grey had mixed itself in here somewhere. Somehow.

He'll try not to think about it yet. Not with Sideswipe needing to be tended to. He curls closer, practically snuggled into the other bot now, eyes flickering.]

Si.

[And even softer.]

Ti amo.

[Maybe this is best for both of them. Some distraction -- some time to patch things up a little. Reaffirm bonds before the real problems hit. Before Mirage did something Sideswipe considered abominably stupid.]

[His head is resting on Mirage's shoulder, focusing only on the offered warmth. On keeping his engine running smooth.]

I don't know what that means...

[But it comes out drowsy. As he's inevitably lulled to drift off, still wrapped up in and clinging to Mirage.]

[He wouldn't have asked for anything more, really. Fighting with Sideswipe just didn't feel right on any level. As if to avoid thinking further on it, he buries his face into the bot's neck, huffing out one more breath of air.

And he couldn't have been happier to know that Sideswipe's translator was never installed.]

[That's really all it takes, for now. He's so exhausted by this strange illness, he doesn't think twice about curling up and dozing off in the red bot's hold.]

[Though, he does grip a panel on that red armor more tightly. As if to keep Mirage by his side.]

[To make sure he's there, when he wakes up again.]

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