"Do not pity the dead. Pity the living and, above all, those who live without love." - J.K Rowling.
~Definitions~
Apogee: The point in orbit of the moon or satellite at which it is nearest to the earth.
Perigee: The closest point of two objects being together.
**Warning**
Character death. It is not explained that it is happening in detail, however it is heavily implied!
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The music was loud as Drift walked into Swerve's bar. Many of the bots were dancing, others were happily chatting away at the booths with their friends. Despite the upbeat atmosphere, it was almost calming to him. Nothing was going wrong. There were no fights, no one being injured or dying.
He'd walked over to the bar and sat down, ordering a high grade when Swerve asked what his poison would be. After the drink was dropped off, he was alone again. Everyone else seemed to pair off, or was in a larger group with their friends and yet Drift was alone in such a crowded place. He took a long pull from the high grade, his lips pursed as they touched the container and a slight burn working its way down his intake. His servo moved to cover his face as he pulled his drink away, sighing.
It had been like this since he returned from his 'exile,' hardly anyone trusted him. Even fewer talked to him, much less anything else. All except for one mech.
There was a 'hmph' as he heard someone sit next to him, not caring to open his optics as a small smirk began to creep up on his face. "Finally free from work and this is the place you choose to spend your time?"
There was a clink and then silence. From the corner of his still half covered optic, he caught the mech taking a quick swig of his own drink before those beautiful but tired optics settled on him. "I'd much prefer to be getting some rest in my berth after the cycle I've had." The mech huffed.
Drifts smirk then broke into a full smile, tearing his servo away from his face. 'Grumpy as always,' but Drift could hear that endearing note in the old medics voice. Ratchet may not ever say anything but Drift could tell. He was here for one simple reason, because Drift was.
He took his drink and downed it in one fluid motion before grabbing the medics servo and tugging on it with a 'lets go then,' and the smile he was greeted with on the medics face made his spark spin. Every damn time.
~
It was so loud in his processor. Drifts optics shuddered as he tried to open them, as he tried to focus on something other than that noise. Beeping and buzzing. Then there were the distant sounds of mechs yelling in the background. He was tired, he could feel it creeping on him more and more. Then there was a flash.
~
His optics opened and he groaned as he made a half assed attempt to sit up. To be fair, the arm around him had a grip that made it difficult to fight against. There was a low, gruff growl as the arm tightened around him and he felt a helm nuzzle against him. "Go back to sleep, Ratchet." Finally, he managed to sit up but that was as far as he made it.
"Not until you lie back down."
It was like this every morning. Drift would wake up and get ready for his morning meditation, however his efforts were all but immediately halted by his conjunx every time. Ratchet was always so tired, usually because he pushed himself in the medbay trying to help others. Drift would have to go make a visit just to pull the medic away and make him take a break. Ratchet was usually grumpy and would try to fight against Drift but the sword mech could hear the soft, gentle, loving tone that played under Ratchets words, finally giving in with a huff every time.
They would refuel, take to the wash racks and then get comfortable within each other's arms and rest. In the morning, it was Ratchet's turn to fight Drift and try to keep him in berth to rest longer. He had more than enough time to do things the rest of the cycle. Right now, there was no better place for him than in the berth with his conjunx. Ratchet always managed to win and drag him back down. Drift usually couldn't go back to sleep, however that didn't stop him from cuddling up to Ratchet as much as possible, letting his digits wander on the mechs frame, tracing transformation seams and dipping beneath them to rub at the soft protoform beneath. A happy rumble emanating from the medic as Drift kissed and rubbed wherever he could reach with his touch.
~
How long had it been since he had last touched Ratchet? Since he had last heard his voice? Since he had last held servos with him?
Drifts optics shuddered again, trying to make sense of what was going on as his spark ached, clenching tightly in its chamber. He couldn't hear the voices around him well enough to figure out who they belonged to. However, he could tell that not a single one of them was who his spark yearned for.
'Where...where's my Ratchet?' Had something happened to him? No...that was impossible.
He felt a sharp pain as he gasped, ventless and unable to move.
There was another flash and he found himself standing. He couldn't move before though, right? Had he been standing the whole time though? Bright lights all but blinded him as he saw the silhouette of a figure before him. It looked familiar but how so? There was that ache again as his spark pulled towards the figure shrouded in darkness, even amongst all this light.
Pain again, a jolt of electricity washing over him as he tried to maintain focus. However he found his focus fading quicker than he'd like. The figures arm moved, their servo outstretched towards him. His spark spun and a familiarity rushed over him. A warmth, a happiness he remembered from the past that he yearned for once again.
His optics shuddered lazily as he tried to look around the room, but found it difficult. There were lights, so bright. Machines flashing all sorts of colors. The scrambling of pedes on the floor, the yelling of so many different mechs.
"Don't worry Drift, everything's going to be okay."
That sounded like..First Aid maybe? How long had it been since he'd seen him last? That's when it all came rushing back to him.
He was in the medbay, injured due to his last job and oh so very tired.
Drift shook his helm the best he could. His servo shaky as it reached out, First Aid taking hold of it. "I miss him, First Aid. I...I want to be with him again." It was hard to get out, his chest felt heavy but the silence amongst a room that had just been so loud made things clear.
A gentle, constant squeeze on his own servo was all he needed to know what was coming.
There was a soft 'I know,' as he felt something poke him and then nothing. He couldn't hear the sounds of the machines or the other mechs any longer. All he could feel was the servo still holding tightly onto his as he slowly faded into the darkness.
His optics opened suddenly. It was quiet and yet it was so damned bright. He had to put his servo in front of his optics to try to make it easier to see. Wasn't someone holding his servo before?
Drift heard the soft steps of someone closing in on him. He squinted his optics as he saw that same silhouetted figure from before. Once they were only but a foot away, their servo was outstretched before Drift again. He rubbed his optics before finally letting the light fill everything in around him. His spark pulled more as the figure became more clear.
Standing there before him was his Ratchet, just as he remembered him. Tired and gruff but full of love. Drift couldn't help the smile that immediately found its perch on his face-plates. His servo reaching out to the one offered to him, digits ghosting over those that seemed foreign, yet so familiar. He was afraid that one wrong move and all of this would disappear. That he would be left alone again.
"Lets go, Drift." His servo quickly took hold of Ratchets, any lingering hesitation immediately dissipating. Their digits intertwined, pulling one another close, desperately clasping onto one another, both afraid that if they let go, they would lose each other again.
No, this was the start of their forever.
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*Authors Notes*
This fan-fiction actually came to be due to a conversation with a friend on Discord!
I have been having some major Dratchet feelings as of late. I simply dont know that I can express just how much I love these two, whether as a pairing or just them by themselves.
I dont believe I've ever wrote a fan-fiction along the lines of this, I usually add some angst in to most of my works but this takes it on a whole new level.