Chapter Text
Update
“And you’re sure you want to keep that paint scheme?” Knock Out stared at Breakdown’s bright yellow chassis, resisting the urge to gag. It had always been a rather lurid color, but now, in the middle of their increasingly dingy apartment — the war had already taken its toll on some things — it was abhorrent.
“It’s functional.”
“It’s hideous.”
“It’s visible.”
“No offense, Breakdown,” Knock Out grimaced “But you’re not a construction worker any more. You’re a Wrecker. A soldier.”
“Oh.”
“It’s alright. Just trust me, lie back, and I’ll have it updated before you can say 'Knock Out was right.'”
Time
They (the ever-present, anonymous judgers) always said that a medical school washout and a construction worker-turned-soldier would never make it together. Time would wear them down, wear them out, turn them against each other like similarly-polarized magnets. They said that he was too harsh, sarcastic; he was too acquiescing, too curious for his own good. But what did they know? They didn’t see the soft looks, the even softer touches in dimmed-down lights.
Time hadn’t broken them, and honestly, didn’t anyone ever tell them that all you have to do is flip the magnet over?
Broken
Knock Out knelt on the bridge beside the blue construction worker, ignoring his messed-up paint. This mech had pushed Knock Out out of the way when a beam had broken free and fallen to the ground below with shouts accompanying it. Knock Out hadn’t been paying much attention to his surroundings, and so, seemingly out of nowhere, this mech had shoved him to the side and the beam had fallen on him instead. Nothing seemed to be broken, but the mech’s optics were closed.
“Ow.” He said, finally, to the relief of bystanders, colleagues, and (surprisingly), Knock Out.
What?
Dialogue
“So you’re sure that you didn’t put the wrench in the drawer by the door?”
“I told you, it wasn’t there.”
“Really, I have to do everything around here, don’t I?…It’s not here.”
“I told you!”
“Then where did you put it?”
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be asking you.”
“You may be good with a buffer, but really.”
“It’s so tiny!”
“So am I, and you don’t manage to misplace me.”
“I think if I did, you’d make yourself known.”
“Fragging right.”
“I love you.”
“Mmm.”
“…I left it in the berthroom.”
“Love you too, you idiot.”
Arrogant
“Of all the arrogant, self-important…” Knock Out muttered as he stomped into his and Breakdown’s shared quarters, locking the door behind him.
“Starscream?” Breakdown wrapped his arms around Knock Out from behind, dropping a kiss to the top of his helm. Knock Out leaned back into the touch.
“Who else? Oh, Knock Out, I’ve lost my arm again, I’ve gone and gotten it ripped off again in some explosion or another.” Knock Out mocked, pitching his voice higher in an imitation of Starscream that, if he had chosen to do so, might have fooled anyone but Soundwave.
Breakdown laughed.