Chapter Text
One: A Long Time Ago
~During the War~
“So I said to him… I don’t care who you are, Shockwave said he wants the air conditioning to the lab sorted… you sort it… then he went and punched me! Its ridiculous Link… no one gives us the respect we deserve. You’re awfully quiet?” Bitstream queried, looking towards his companion who was doing something far too secretive on his bunk for Bitstream’s liking. In fact, if Bitstream was thinking about it, since they’d been trapped on the dying Cybertron with Shockwave’s Rainmakers, Hotlink had been acting pretty weird. Bit couldn’t blame him of course, how could he when they were in a situation where if they said or did anything that was not relating to Shockwave’s work and set instructions outside their suites… they were at risk of being stripped of parts or put in one of the more horrific experiments. Most of the other seeker guard here were so fearful that as soon as they were in their suites, they’d fight each other or scream and cry and well… it took so much to stop you going mad when you felt that one red optic watching you all the time. “You deciding to dig down into the Well of All Sparks to get out of here?”
“You haven’t been on the systems in a while have you, Bit, otherwise you’d be less provocative.” Hotlink stated with a grunt, straightening up from the bottom bunk in their berth and then putting something into his cockpit gently. He then turned to look towards Bitstream with a soft sighing vent, there was a funny smile on his faceplates that caught Bitstream by surprise and then his optics widened. Fear gripped him and he slipped off his top bunk on the opposite side of the room and then grasped Hotlink by the shoulders, shaking his head.
“You have gone mad… Hotlink… you know what will happen if Shockwave even gets a hint of what you’re feeling. You may have made a dampener for your fields to stop anyone else sensing it but… going this far… if Shockwave senses it then he’ll put you through that experiment! Remember what he said… Do not engage in personal activities outside of your suites, interfacing and relationships provide illogical areas for sloppy workmanship, distraction and will be dissolved upon discovery… possibly with one of the offending bots… remember how fraggin’ scared we all were? Heck we’ve practically all taken a vow of celibacy being up here and I wonder if my spike even knows how to inflate but… please don’t.” Friendships were the only thing Shockwave did not get too bothered by, he understood they were important for morale and for loyalty, that cohesive units worked faster, but that was all the seekers in his care were allowed. Bitstream almost looked like he was going to leak his fluids as he looked to his best friend in the entire universe with despair. “You can’t… if he finds out… I can’t be here on my own… I need you to keep me stable and keep the world from flitting into the artificial one!”
“Bit… I only told you about the situation because I knew you would never put either of us at risk. I love you bro, you’re my brother more than a friend and… and I want you to understand that its only because our love is just… just unending… that we thought to take the risk….” Hotlink knew they were actually taking a ridiculous risk in order to have the intimate connection of conjunx endurae, especially when it was a situation of commander and subordinate… something even the other Decepticons thought was a bit off. Hotlink was so happy and joyful at this moment that he really was going to make a bond that would be beyond anything else. He even wanted to shed lubricant himself because it had been a shock when his lover had agreed to it. “Bitstream… you are more capable than you think and… and I made something in case that happens.”
“What… no… Link…” Hotlink lifted his servos to take hold of Bitstream’s hands and bring them away from him and to and object he passed onto him. It was just a simple clip that could be put inside his helm that generated a field that would stop him interacting with an artificial reality, giving his HUD a message that something was trying to activate that was unnecessary. It had taken a lot of work, a lot of sneaking in scraps when out on patrol flights, or personal time in the darkness with his welding tool to make Bitstream this item and get it to work but, what best gift could he give if he was about to do something that would lead to his death? Bitstream shivered and shuddered, gripping his roommate in a tight hug and whimpering against him. “This is so unfair… why couldn’t they keep us with Starscream and Nacelle? Why are we stuck here with Shockwave… why?”
“I do not know the answer to that, it seems so illogical as he would say… but if we hadn’t been bought here, I’d never have met him. I’m sorry Bitstream…” Hotlink began, squeezing his companion back in a tight hug as he felt lubricant drip onto his shoulder before Bitstream whined.
“I love you Link… please don’t go… can’t it wait just a bit longer?” The blue bot whimpered, before his purple companion straightened up in front of him, patted his shoulders and then beckoned him to settle back on his bunk and rest. He knew though that Bitstream would curl up into a ball and rock himself calm or just into insanity waiting up for them. He was going to be terrified for quite a while over this, even if Hotlink came back tonight. With a steady heaving sigh, Hotlink patted his best friend, his brother of the sky, and stepped out of their suite. He paced out calmly and then almost came head-to-head with Ion Storm, the two bots almost bumping before they paused. Hotlink greeted the blue seeker before carrying on, only for Ion Storm to grab him by the wrist.
“Where are you going? You do know that you’ve got that damn ground bridge to start working on tomorrow and should be resting…” Ion Storm often came across as lazy, the bot that hid away and didn’t really have to do much because he was just there to aid the other two. The truth was, Ion Storm tried to keep a low profile, kept obedient and played dumb… walking into the stupid situations Shockwave would send them into and getting injured if only because it was the safest way to be and that was why he questioned. He did not want to walk into a short circuiting ground bridge because Hotlink decided to go on a wander!
“Just going to Sunstorm, he’s asked me to come and sort out one of his guns that aren’t quite working properly and just going over tomorrows tasks for Bitstream, he’s been flicking back and forth a lot.” Hotlink partially lied, but he was damn good at lying and Ion Storm gave a vent and then let him go, heading off to where Acid Storm and Nova Storm would be waiting for him to check on them and give them a little strength against their current fears. Hotlink ignored them and stepped over to Sunstorm’s suite, knocking on it gently, being beckoned in and he stepped inside waiting for the door to shut. As soon as it shut he locked it tight and then was suddenly slammed against the wall, his intake smothered by Sunstorm’s as he was held tightly to the brilliant yellow bot who moaned and sighed lovingly into their kiss.
The pair vented hot, excited jets as they relaxed, Sunstorm releasing Hotlink but looking almost drunk from their kiss. Hotlink was flushed, startled for Sunstorm to be so upfront until he noticed the data pad with the Word of Primus open upon it. Sunstorm was a firm believer in Primus, despite the fact there were rumours he was actually from the same mould and make as Starscream and almost made as a clone attempt, though hit with a desire for total loyalty to his masters. This loyalty had become a loyalty to theology and with it, an understanding that the Decepticon way was the way to purify the world according to Primus and though Shockwave argued his beliefs regularly, Sunstorm was devoted to his duty. He was terrifying at times, he’d massacred an Autobot battalion all by himself and then basked in the sunrise after, but somehow he and Hotlink had found themselves connecting at such a deep level that after two decades in Shockwave’s care, their love had reached such a height they were willing for the ultimate step.
“I was fearful that you had lost your faith in my words… Primus will protect us Hotlink, our union is under his influence and he will give us blessings for waiting until this bonding to indulge in the intimate act. You are the light in this darkness to me, your skilled digits guided by Primus to change the world for the better... I love you so much Hotlink." Sunstorm was sighing, his vocaliser always lyrical and his words almost always poetic. There was that Starscream charisma and charm to him, but Hotlink had never given a click to how Starscream was. As Sunstorm held his servos around Hotlink tightly, it was clear he was on the verge of crying too with the joy they felt in this moment when he dragged Hotlink over to the pad. “We’ll place our hands to the pad, announce our intentions, share our secrets, give our gifts and then… with the blessing of Primus… we will join physically and with our spark chambers.”
“I’m looking forward to it… you don’t know how much it means to know our feelings will be united and… and I’ll never have to be afraid of where you go because we’ll always be with each other. You’re the proof of Primus to me Sunstorm, you’re also the only thing in this whole damn war that’s ever reminded me what it’s like to enjoy what was made and the simple things and… oh scrud here I am trying to give some ridiculous speech like I’m at an official spark bonding ceremony. Sorry, Stormy.” Hotlink was flushing, feeling his spark rolling and boiling with utter delight and joy. He was always made to talk and say stupid things around Sunstorm, he’d once even said that butterflies were kinda cool in front of him once after they’d learnt about them… something he would not even say to Bitstream. Sunstorm was looking utterly overwhelmed by the words as he rushed to grab him into another hungry kiss. The pair of them grabbing at each other desperately before then shuddering and separating as they put their hands to the pad and Sunstorm took a deep intake before speaking the oath.
“Under the optics of Primus, with spark bared…” Sunstorm then opened up his chest plating to show off his spark chamber as Hotlink copied. They took deep excited breaths, their sparks crackling and trying to be together with long stretching tendrils that crackled and spat towards each other in excitement. It made them both vent in anticipation before Sunstorm took Hotlink’s hands together again with a gentle sighing vent, before taking a deep intake and continuing again. “…I pledge my existence, my frame, my future and my very spark to you… Hotlink … until the day Primus summons it back to his side. I pledge to protect you from the forces of destruction and aid you on your path to Primus’ great vision if you’ll aid me in my own. My dearest Hotlink, I offer you a vial of my innermost energon as a physical gift of our bonding, I offer the use of my frame for whatever you seek whether pleasure or pain, I offer my deepest secret to you…. This secret is that, at times, I have doubted the existence of Primus and my own existence, but in having met you I have known there is a purpose and… and I don’t think I could have survived thus far without having known you. So… with these offerings... will you accept my proposal for us to be conjunx endurae until our sparks are recalled by him.”
“Okay…” Hotlink took a deep intake, knowing he would have to repeat the pledge too but feeling utterly excited as Sunstorm passed him the little vial of the strange greenish looking energon from the spark chamber. He was smiling comfortably as he passed him a little vial of his own that he’d stashed into his cockpit, making Sunstorm smile even more lovingly. It was hard to believe that this seeker, who tended to be a lot like the priests of Primus at the best of times, had ever once thought Primus had not existed. Hotlink then was blushing in embarrassment before smiling. “Under the Optics of Primus with spark bared, I, Hotlink, accept your proposal and ask you to accept my proposal for be conjunx endurae. I pledge my frame, my future, my existence and my spark to you, Sunstorm, until the day Primus calls me back from you. I pledge to protect you from the forces of chaos and destruction and aid you on your path to Primus’ great vision and I hope you’re going to aid me on my own. I offer this vial of my innermost energon, I offer my frame for whatever you wish of it and I offer my deepest secret to you. That secret… that I…”
“You don’t have to rush it Hotlink.” Sunstorm stated, kissing the vial of energon and placing it into his spark chamber as Hotlink flushed and did the same. He took a deep intake and then vented slowly, holding servos with Sunstorm and looking rather eager to have a kiss with him already. But there was a routine to this, the announcement of proposal, the physical gift, the admission of a secret and then the physical intimacy. It made him tremble as he felt Sunstorm stroking his faceplates gently and lovingly as their red optics seemed to melt into one another.
“Despite what everyone thinks, I was designed to be another battle bot like my mould-mates, like Terrorfin. I was never supposed to be an engineer, but when I was being trained to dismantle a blaster and rebuild it, something was… well sparked and I was able to make it more efficient and it was pure luck… I feel like the only reason I didn’t die with the others was… pure luck.” Hotlink lowered his helm with a look of shame. He’d made it out for centuries that he was a gifted technician and this was his calling, but like the so-called ‘Purple Lady’ who’d been a mentor to him, he’d been designed for war and should have died in an attack with the rest of them. The guilt hung heavy, it always had and Bitstream had been the only one he’d confessed such things to in the past. He looked to Sunstorm expecting the worst.
“It wasn’t pure luck, it was Primus’ will… Hotlink, you were meant to meet me and I was meant to meet you…” Sunstorm stated, lifting a hand from where he was holding Hotlink’s and stroking the other’s faceplates tenderly once more. Hotlink gave a loving vent, nuzzling into the hand and turning his face into it, kissing the pleasantly warm palm and making Sunstorm vent in relief. He shook their hands again and urged his companion to face him with a loving expression. “…watching you make something out of nothing is akin to the power of Primus and, even if that verges on blasphemy, that would only be because I love you and what you do so much. I accept your proposal and I love you.”
“Sunstorm… heh, Stormy… I really don’t deserve the light you give me.” Hotlink whispered nervously, startled by how much love he felt in this moment with Sunstorm. He had never thought a conjunx ceremony would ever happen to him in his existence, and even when he’d met and fallen for the strength and serenity of Sunstorm, he’d never thought he could love him anymore than he already did. But right now, right now he did as they brought their dermas together in another hungry kiss. Their hands separated and Sunstorm’s servos stretched around Hotlink’s waist, pulling him close and venting gently as he pressed their frames together and then Hotlink dropped his head to Sunstorm’s shoulder, bringing their sparks together to meld and mingle.
“Oh Link…” The pair of them held each other, moaning as they came back into a desperate kiss. Between them both they could feel everything about the other, they could feel the love they held and better yet the truth of it. Neither of them could hide anything within a spark melding and they could read the other’s desires, wishes and more importantly their fears. The fears were the strongest and they could feel them together, share them and soothe them. Sunstorm’s fear was shocking, the image of the darkness swallowing him and purple eyes staring out of the cackling dark… the stories of the chaos being perhaps. But Hotlink’s were more physical… the cruelty of Shockwave and the fear of anyone ever hurting his beloved Sunstorm or his dear Bitstream because of him. It made them relax as Sunstorm then kissed Link more gently. “Perhaps we should mute ourselves… but you know the only things I will say is that I love you.”
“Alright… but if I’m having trouble, I’ll put my null ray to your neck.” Hotlink stated, feeling like he must have sounded a little aggressive at that. However, he could see and feel from their sparks still merging that Sunstorm knew he was scared of pain, knew he was scared of them getting into trouble too and just… panicking. He gave a soft vent, he knew Stormy was not going to do anything and so he leant forward, their dermas pressing together softly for a moment before his shoulders sagged. “I didn’t mean that like you were rushing me but… there’s no mistaking that there may be something wrong if I did that.”
“Of course… my love…” Sunstorm kissed his helm, unwilling to break their bond from the spark chambers but carefully he eased him over to the single berth of the trine commander and let Hotlink sit down. He then knelt in front of his partner, even though their chest plating was farther apart, the tendrils had shot out and were still battling with each other, sharing the emotions and the excitement. Sunstrom kissed the closed panelling, hearing the stuttering intake from Hotlink and then the sound of him nipping a digit in anticipation. Hotlink it seemed was so sensitive down there he'd never dared open the hatch save once and it made Sunstorm kiss the plating again, looking at Hotlink with a loving expression as the panel was then slowly opened for him. “Oh… oh Link…”
Hotlink swiftly hit his vocaliser, muting the volume and Sunstorm copied, he was grateful of it because he could not even look down to his… well… his conjunx right now. Sunstorm was looking at the crackling wet mesh of Hotlink’s valve, eager and pulsing and ready to be given its first test. Its little purple and white colours seemed to form stripes down it, not the typical honeycomb manner of most meshes and it made Sunstorm smile as he sensed it had made Hotlink a very self-conscious bot and another reason he’d kept the hatch closed.
Sunstrom brought his intake to the anterior node above, strolling his glossa against it very gently, but it was enough for Hotlink’s hips to buck and his spike to shoot out of the casing. His spike was not the inflating sort of most seekers either, it was a straight up shower, smooth with a slightly blocky build and a soft silicon edging that wheezed with lubricant, but there were green biolights against the curious white length to make Sunstorm chuckle. Hotlink was just offlining his optics, he was so embarrassed but he felt the soft kisses at his spike and he could hear the words whispered over his valve that made it crackle and dribble and his whole body rattle in delight.
“Primus made you perfect.” Primus indeed, those words seemed to make his whole body sing in pleasure as he felt Sunstorm’s mouth forming around his spike, pulling it in and then sucking gently, his glossa strolling and stroking around it. Hotlink couldn’t stand it, the sensation was intense and sent crackles up his cabling but he was desperate that his valve was the thing touched and he tried to rub himself up against Sunstorm’s chin, only to blush at the thought.
It must have travelled through their sparks because Sunstorm stopped, kissed the top of his spike and then brought his intake to Hotlink’s mesh. He kissed the anterior node that was erect and pulsing and then his glossa was probing the dribbling valve. Hotlink moaned silently, his hips grinding into the motions of the glossa as he whimpered and fussed in silence that he felt so shameful like this. Sunstorm would lift his head, his optics would be swimming with a curious lustful edge that only made Hotlink shudder into his wet glossa’s probing motions more as he grasped his spike with a hand and rubbed himself. He was shaking and desperate, he’d never felt so good or embarrassed and then Sunstorm paused and straightened up.
His dermas had closed on Hotlink, oddly the taste of himself on those dermas was not something that put him off as he accepted a hungry yet loving kiss. His servos swung around Sunstorm and he heard the slow wheeze of the panel pulling back and then felt the hot, inflated spike of Sunstorm resting against his valve. His audios were kissed and then down his neck cabling to his shoulders before their chest plates lay on top of each other and the sparks were merging vibrantly as Sunstorm locked eyes with Hotlink and it was clear what he was saying.
“You’re beautiful, don’t be shy… I’ve never done this before either.” Hotlink pulled him in for a firmer kiss and this Sunstorm took as the permission to put his spike in. Straightaway the callipers clapped about it, squeezing it almost as if it were not to enter, before Sunstorm’s hips rocked backwards and then the lubricant dribbled and Hotlink relaxed. He let him in, all the way in, gasping and panting as Sunstorm wrapped his body around Hotlink’s to keep him warm, safe, smothered. Their bodies moved with each other, their hips grinding and rolling against each other as Hotlink’s stabilisers spread wide and Sunstorm’s spike rubbed into the mesh and against every node that screamed and crackled. Lightning pleasure was running around Hotlink’s body and Sunstorm’s spike was vibrating against the charge, both could feel how good it was for the other and they were drowning in that pleasure and moaning to each other.
Hotlink’s brain was swimming, he felt like his processor was stuck, everything wanted to reset and he knew his overload… his very first overload… was going to come soon and it scared him. He didn’t want it to end as he felt Sunstorm want to bite his neck cabling and leave a mark, but instead lick it and kiss it, knowing they had to be careful. Hotlink couldn’t believe he had so much strength and ability to keep control… but then that was how he’d fallen for him. Their first time working together and the flamethrower Hotlink loved so much had been hit and blown, he’d been thrown with it amongst the field and been on fire. Bitstream had called out to him and then Sunstorm had landed beside him, using the gust from his landing to blow the fire out before then dropping foam onto his back… how he’d had it on hand had been a miracle. He’d picked Hotlink up in his arms and told him then, Primus wants you to live, Hotlink had never given a click about Primus before that moment.
Then their courtship had been slow, Hotlink had been wanting to thank Sunstorm for rescuing him, he’d gone and fixed some of Sunstorm’s things for him and then noticed him reading from the Primus book. He’d had him read it to him, Sunstorm would read and then explain each lesson… Hotlink had been entranced by his storytelling skills. They’d had quiet nights together reading, discussing and as they’d found common ground and places they argued, they’d still enjoyed the company. He could remember when Sunstorm had held his hand, how warm and wonderful it had felt as Sunstorm had told him that Primus did not need proof to be believed, he’d just needed faith. That moment had been it; their optics had locked and they had both known they’d wanted more from the other.
It had been so slow though, almost the full two decades of finding time, enjoying the world outside together, picking each other up in battle, easing the other’s fears and licking each other’s wounds. Bitstream had known and sanctioned it, helping them keep hidden, until he’d started to worry that others had noticed. Their first kiss had nearly outed them, Sunstorm had been shot down and Hotlink had gone to fetch him when the battle was over, Sunstorm’s arm had been taken off and his body badly mangled, Hotlink had begged him to stay with him and kissed him then… they’d almost been seen by Nova Storm when she’d landed, but thankfully they’d healed Sunstorm although Shockwave had put him through hell.
Both had been on the receiving end of Shockwave’s weird curiosities being used as punishment, Sunstorm forced to be submerged and stay submerged, his body being fed with tubes that did the venting for him, the sensation of drowning in the dark liquid had not been halted and he had needed Hotlink’s soothing and keen hands to hold him after as he’d wept in terror. Hotlink had taken the blame for Bitstream making a hacking mistake, saving his best friend who had been trapped thinking everyone was some avatar of someone else and been unable to recognise them, so Shockwave had decided to see if attaching Hotlink to a set of factory machines to see if they’d work as intricately as his hands, having removed his hands to do it, would work… it hadn’t because the cables didn’t read the same signals… but Hotlink had thought he was going to be scrapped after that and Sunstorm had told him of a paradise beyond and that he was meant to keep his abilities as a gift of Primus, not a tool for Shockwave.
As their bodies conjoined and seemed to melt into each other, the pair couldn’t stop kissing as the memories of their shared pain and their earliest times came to them. They held on to each other so tightly, feeling as if in this moment they were as close to Primus as they possibly could be, their bodies melding into each other. They felt nothing but love swarm over them, filling their EM fields and heating the air between them, their sparks burning and melding and around them strands of brilliant light filled the gaps between them. For a moment, Sunstorm thought the must look almost like a star was building between them and Hotlink had felt so silly and so happy all at once until overload had hit them both and they’d felt only joy and love and that shared experience.
They slumped onto the berth as the light faded and their sparks separated. Something in that moment had felt more precious than others might have experienced and Sunstorm snuggled up against Hotlink as they both went into charge for only an hour… but it was a precious hour that no one interrupted and they felt safe.
“I don’t want to leave your berth… but if I don’t Bitstream will panic.” Hotlink had turned on his vocaliser, not liking the relentless silence that reminded him now of their dead world beyond this building and the fear that Shockwave put into everyone. He felt that Bitstream probably needed him too and… and if they were caught together then there was no telling what would happen and Hotlink knew he couldn’t do anything without Sunstorm… but he knew too that Bitstream was sometimes like his mentee and, and he was his only family. “Can we make a promise to each other, Sunstorm?”
“I’m at your disposal.” Sunstorm stated, giving a sighing vent as he kissed up Hotlink’s shoulder to his neck, resisting the urge to bite before then bringing his mouth to his. The pair of them shared a loving kiss, Hotlink stroking at Sunstorm’s face and sighing gently in relief. But it was clear that Hotlink felt a little… awkward with what was going on in his mind.
“Can we promise that should either one of us be taken and the worst happen to them, we won’t rush after them but… leave it to Primus?” Hotlink queried; it was not that he probably wouldn’t follow after Sunstorm into whatever end but, he would much rather leave it to the hands that had guided them together thus far. It made Sunstorm chuckle to hear it, sitting upwards to kiss Hotlink again before then sitting down properly upon the bed.
“I agree…” He stated lovingly, then Hotlink sat up beside him, leaning onto his shoulder as their hands intertwined. Sunstorm gave a soft vent of frustration over something that was in his mind too before he also asked for a promise. “…also, if anything were to happen that meant I couldn’t be with you as fully as we are like this… say I am just a head in a jar… don’t… don’t abandon me.”
“I couldn’t… I couldn’t….” Hotlink stated, never to know just what fate had in store.
~After the War~
“Ah frag… I fell asleep at the work desk… what is wrong with me… huh?” Hotlink had been down in his room at the Hangar, his head buried amongst collections of wires and switches and pieces that hummed or buzzed or smelt awful. He’d been trying to fix something all night, he could not even remember what it was now, but he pulled himself up from the desk and then slipped through his messages. There were a dozen missed calls from Bitstream, one from Sunstorm and then one that confused him for a moment. It was only as he selected the message sent from the ‘Coding Registry’ that he read it aloud and then gave a grunt. “To Hotlink, results of recent tests on your CNA and coding suggests you carry the coding to produce a sparkling. Please report to the Iacon Library to discuss moving forward and any concerns….”
Hotlink said something rude, stomping out of the room as the door only just opened in time. He marched down to the ground bridge room just further up the hall and then put in the coordinates for Seeker Heights on Velocitron. This was where the seekers had made their home and, as their trine had a special case to them, Hotlink’s trine was now based at the very top in the seeming penthouse of the third of the three towers… Thundercracker and Skywarp held the second tower’s and Astrotrain actually lived with Blitzwing in the first tower… he bridged over there and stepped right out into his living room with a grunt.
Hotlink rubbed his tired face as he then noticed that a familiar figure was lying crumpled up on their special radiation proof sofa. Clearly, Sunstorm had tried to wait up for him again and so Hotlink approached him with a miserable expression, stepping over to the being that was glowing even in the darkness. Normally Hotlink would check his shield was up, but he didn’t seem to care today and as he touched him, Sunstorm was at a stable temperature and his radiation was under control.
“Stormy…” Hotlink queried, dropping his hands to the figure’s shoulders and shaking him gently. He hated seeing Sunstorm out here, especially now that his beautiful yellow-gold plating had been stripped down to thin layers with gold coating to try and contain the radiation that should have killed him but instead just meant Sunstorm could not touch anything without help and seemed to be living off his own radiation rather than any energon! “Stormy are you awake a moment?”
“If you are here, Hotlink, Primus must have sent you… is my blessing becoming unstable again?” The figure queried, his vocals no longer rich and powerful as they had once been, instead the voice was meek and slightly dazed, like he was not used to speaking to other bots and had just been brought out of a hole somewhere. But he grasped hold of Hotlink’s hands, hugging them automatically as if that was how he should respond. It made Hotlink’s spark burn with pain as he gave a soft grunting vent.
“No… but I just wanted to tell you that I have to go to Iacon for a few cycles tomorrow, Bitstream will have the emergency diffuser on hand when you’re at work in the Hangar but…” Hotlink began, there was a part of him that wanted to tell Sunstorm that he could have children, that he was excited about it, but he held back.
“…do not fear, Primus will keep you safe.” Sunstorm had read the hesitation as a concern for his faith. He held him and spoke with the confidence of a preacher and suddenly, it hit Hotlink again what had happened, what Sunstorm was now and that… that Sunstorm did not even remember what they’d been. The sadness seemed harder to cope with suddenly and it made Sunstorm’s optics widen and he looked about anxiously towards his companion. “You are showing that sad look again… Hotlink, you are my dear friend and carer… why do you always have that sad look?”
“When I say I love you, Sunstorm… what does that mean to you?” Normally Bitstream would be on hand to grab Hotlink by the shoulder and lead his purple and white friend away from what was brewing inside him. Normally he would have someone hold him back from the obviously pointless argument he was trying to have for no reason other than the fact he hated himself terribly.
“I am your guide to the loving chassis of Primus thus I am your prophet… you love me because I am the closest link to Primus.” Sunstorm stated, standing up this time and looking quite proud of the fact he was a chosen prophet of Primus; hence he shone now even in the pitch black room. He held onto Hotlink’s hands all the same, unsure but assuming it was to give confidence as he nodded his head. “You are one of my flock and one of my brothers… one of my children… that is why you love me and I love you.”
“Nothing… you don’t think it’s for any other reason?” Hotlink could feel his vocaliser breaking, he felt desperate to hear something else from Sunstorm and he looked into the other’s optics, begging him to remember what they were. But Sunstorm started to become meek again and pulled his hands free with an anxious whimper.
“Ugh… I do not like it when you start to speak of these things… Primus has decreed I cannot be touched or I would risk making his blessing impure… please don’t tempt me.” Sunstorm turned as if to run away but then Hotlink bumped his head against Sunstorm’s back. Apologising to him before the other left to his actual room.
“I… I know… I know…” Hotlink stepped into his own room and closed the door, desperately lonely and wishing Sunstorm was the magnificent being he was before that stupid raid on that stupid base that had destroyed his personality and memories. “Frag you, Primus… you telling me I can have a baby and yet you stole my Sunstorm for that vessel… you’ve a sick sense of humour and I’m never forgiving you.”