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Breakdown looks around the living room in satisfaction. He’s finally gotten their new apartment on Cybertron arranged, and with the last of their possessions having arrived from Velocitron, it actually looks like home. Knock Out should be back any moment and he’s going to get to see the home that Breakdown has set up for them.
He hopes Knock Out likes it.
“Breakdown, you will not believe the absolute slag that Starscream was going on about to--oh.” Knock Out is, as usual, already complaining about Starscream as he walks in the door, but he falls completely silent when he sees the room. “It looks amazing! Everything showed up from Velocitron today?”
“Yes, finally.” Breakdown comes over to greet his conjunx with a hug and a kiss. “I tried to set it up like home, but this apartment is actually bigger. Pros of having an entire planet to live on, I guess.” He kisses Knock Out’s helm and then does it again when the first kiss earns him a purr from Knock Out’s engine.
“It looks perfect.” Knock Out smiles up at him. “You must have been at this all day.”
Breakdown shrugs. “I don’t have too much else to do right now since you’re not racing much. A diplomat doesn’t need a pit crew,” he continues when sees Knock Out’s face fall. “That’s not a complaint. It’s just the way it is.”
Knock Out still seems concerned as he goes to fetch a cube for each of them. Breakdown settles himself on the couch, turning so Knock Out can fit more easily against him. He’s rewarded for his efforts when Knock Out returns and joins him, tucked in against Breakdown’s side and comfortably wedged under Breakdown’s front bumper. Breakdown gratefully accepts the cube Knock Out offers. They sit in a comfortable silence for a long moment, sipping their cubes. It’s nice to have Knock Out home again, to feel his warm spark humming so close to Breakdown’s own.
“Are you happy here?” Knock Out asks finally. “If you want to return to Velocitron, I certainly won’t stop you. I would miss you, though.” He fondly kisses the bumper that his head is resting against.
“No. I don’t want to leave you, for one. Second...I like it here better.” Breakdown has been hesitant to admit it. He knows how much Knock Out loves their home colony’s racing culture.
“You do?” Knock Out looks up in surprise. “Really? This place is a dump. It feels like every other day it’s about to get blown up by someone.”
“Yeah. It’s definitely a dump,” Breakdown agrees. Velocitron’s infrastructure is far and away superior to anything currently on Cybertron.
“Not to mention that Starscream is here,” Knock Out mutters into his cube.
“That too.” Breakdown kisses Knock Out’s helm again. “But here...there’s a lot of different frame types here. No one looks at me weird.”
Knock Out looks up at Breakdown for a long moment, bright optics piercing. “Darling, if any mechs have said things to you, just give me their names. I’ll ruin them.”
“You can’t protect me from everyone on Velocitron,” Breakdown purrs his engine at his offended conjunx. “We’ve talked about this. But that’s not what I’m saying. No one here has looked at me twice about my frame. A lot of mechs look like me. No one honks because I’m driving too slow.” Knock Out looks utterly sparkbroken. “What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t know you were so unhappy on Velocitron. Why didn’t you say? I know mechs were saying things when we first got together, but I thought it had stopped.”
“It mostly did. It was getting better. But I didn’t say anything because there was nothing you could do. No one said anything with you there and I wasn’t going to give you a list of everyone who gave me looks.” Breakdown sets down his cube so he can better haul Knock Out into his lap to cuddle him.
“Why are you the one comforting me?” Knock Out stretches up to kiss Breakdown properly. “I’m not the mech who has people treat him badly for no reason.”
“Yeah, but you’re the one who’s upset about it even though I was just trying to tell you that I’m happy here with you.” Breakdown kisses Knock Out back. “Even if we are sharing a planet with Starscream.”
Knock Out groans dramatically. “Why did you have to remind me that Starscream exists anywhere near us? I was enjoying having you here.”
“You still have me here, I promise. I’m not going anywhere.” Breakdown hugs Knock Out tight until his conjunx squeaks and laughs at the pressure.
“You had better not. If I have to deal with Starscream and I don’t get to have you, I’d go insane.” Knock Out pats Breakdown’s chest.
“Do you want to go for a drive on this dump of a planet?” Breakdown asks, chuckling. “You can burn off some of that anger at Starscream.” He knows he’s made a good suggestion when Knock Out brightens.
“Only if you come too.”
“Yeah, I’ll come if you don’t mind that I’m slow,” Breakdown teases.
“I love my big slow conjunx. Let me go show you off to this entire dump of a planet. Starscream will be jealous.” Knock Out is practically preening as he stretches up to kiss Breakdown again. He slides off of Breakdown’s lap and tugs him to his feet. His face is suddenly serious again. “Breakdown, you know that I love you, right? No matter your speed?”
“I know. I’ve always known that.” Breakdown cups Knock Out’s face in his hands to kiss him again.
Knock Out purrs.