Shattered Shenanigans

18: Like a Cozy Cottage

Ratchet Let of some grumbles as he cleaned off the energon and Optimus felt a little guilt. Only a little. "Here, let me-"

"Ep!" Ratchet slapped away Optimus' servo.

"They have washracks." Optimus added.

"Same place as we do I suppose?" Ratchet asked as he got the remainder of the energon of. "Argh, doesn't matter, I need to keep working on the-"

"Without getting into fights?" Optimus asked.

Ratchet rolled his optics, "Yes." He scowled, "Without getting into fights." And they headed back to the main room. "He's messing it up again." Ratchet growled and Optimus followed his line of sight to Soundwave.

"Hm?" Optimus asked, but Ratchet was already gone, slapping Soundwave away from a wire panel.

"Are you going to ask Knockout-" Megatron started from behind Optimus, causing him to jump. "Sorry." He added.

"Hmpf." Optimus huffed, "When is he back?"

"Who?"

"Knockout?"

"Should be on his way back now." Megatron noted, "Good idea." He added.

"Hm?" Optimus asked and Megatron nodded at his frame. "Oh, yes."

"Rather distasteful." He noted as Knockout raced in.

"I win, again." Knockout started and Breakdown followed, not looking at defeated as he should be.

"My tire popped." He started.

"What?" Soundwave started and raced over. Ratchet rolled his optics, tis but a scratch.

"Weakling." Knockout retorted and noticed Optimus watching him, "Yesss?" He asked.

"Can you please repaint me-"

"Thought you'd never ask!" Knockout said and bonded to his paints. "What will it be? Red on white, blue on silver-"

"What it was." Optimus cut him off before he got any ideas.

Knockout rolled his optics, "Fine, but only cause it's fun either way." He said and skipped over, "Sit, I can't reach the high bits when you're standing."

"Short!" Breakdown shouted.

"Thick." Knockout grumbled to himself and started painting. "Erm, no." He started.

"No?" Optimus asked and he got out a sander, "No!"

"Yes!" Knockout started. "I have to take of a layer, otherwise-"

"Alright." Optimus grumbled, he understands where he's coming from, kind of. He regretted agreeing when he was reminded of how a sander felt. So tickly. Optimus was a twitching mess.

"You're so quirky." Knockout snickered. "Next thing I know, is that you clear your throat by literally saying 'ahem'." He joked, was he joking? "Megatron does." He added.

Optimus let out a little grumble as Knockout sanded over more sensitive bits.

"I'm not interested in your frame by the way." He blurted out.

"Pardon?" Optimus asked but Ratchet already threw a wrench at Knockout.

"Hey!" He started as he almost threw his sander back at him. "I was trying to get you to loosen up." Knockout grumbled.

Optimus was still confused when Knockout finished the whole sanding process and started painting. He kept and optic on Ratchet too, and he was keeping an optic on Megatron. He better not do anything regrettable.

"What are you doing?" Ratchet snapped and Soundwave.

"Oh my- I'm going over Laserbeak's work." Soundwave shot back and Ratchet scrambled over to also, check Laserbeak's work. Laserbeak was sulking in a corner, unhappy they were doubting his skills.

"Ep!" Optimus started as Knockout painted his peds.

"Ticklish?" He asked with a sly grin.

"No-" Optimus started but Knockout continued to stab his brush at Optimus' ped. Luckily, Optimus had a decent amont of self control. It did not stop him looking over at Ratchet for help. His pleading optics went ignored. But Megatron watched in amusement.

Half an hour later, Knockout and Optimus watched paint dry. At least he looked normal agian.

Breakdown walked in a little later with Starscream in tow, "He broke a wall." Breakdown started.

"I broke the wall? You broke the wall!" Starscream argued and pointed a digit at Breakdown.

"They both broke the wall." Dreadwing piped up as he walk in.

"What wall?" Megatron asked.

"The one in the sparring room."

"I though Ratchet broke-" Optimus started but cut himself off.

"Hm?" Megatron asked.

"In our dimension." Optimus started and Ratchet rolled his optics.

"I fixed it!" Ratchet added.

"How'd you break the wall?" Knockout started.

"I threw Bulkhead into it." He grumbled and Soundwave nudged away in fear.

"Erm?" Breakdown asked in confusion.

"He was intoxicated." Optimus added.

"I was not- Synthetic energon-"

"You acted like you were." Optimus muttered and Ratchet huffed in surrender.

"Okaaay." Breakdown started, "But Starscream broke our wall-"

"They were sparring and threw each other into a wall." Dreadwing sighed.

Soundwave just rolled his optics, grabbed a welder and walked off. They stared after him. "We're still alive." Starscream said in surprise.

"Barely." Knockout added, "The paint's dry now." He added. "Come on Breaky, lets fetch the kiddos." He added and transformed. "They wanted to have a sleep over here."

"Wait." Breakdown and Starscream started but he was already gone. Breakdown was off in a hurry.

Starscream just grumbled, "Not like I can pick them up anyway."

"I thought-" Ratchet started.

"Knockout gets Jack and I just wait in the desert for him to drop him off and we go for a joy flight." He shot out before he left, Megatron followed, maybe to offer emotional support for what ever reason.

With Dreadwing left with Optimus and Ratchet, he grew uneasy. "What are you doing?" He asked Ratchet, trying to make up small talk.

"Stuff." Ratchet grumbled as he yawned.

"You're tired." Optimus noted and walked over to him.

"Oh for the love of- I'm fine!"

"It's getting late." He pointed out, only just checking his internal clock and noticing how long the sanding process took.

"It's only 8-" Dreadwing started but Optimus glared at him.

"He got two hours of recharge-"

"Three!"

"Still a insufficient amont." Optimus started and started packing his stuff away.

"Ep- Fine!" Ratchet yelped and stomped off. Optimus trailed him like a loyal dog.