Work Text:
The apartment was silent when the yellow mech entered it. Closing and locking the door Bumblebee stilled to listen a moment; no TV, no Radio, nothing.
Knock Out was supposed to be home by now, and the medic hadn't send him a message that he would work longer, like he always did when it happened.
Putting the snacks down he picked up on his way home from the enforcer station he walked into the living room.
"There you are! I nearly thought you are working overtime and forgot to tell me... is everything alright?"
On their couch, engulfed in a black fluffy thermoblanked with a big cube of formerly hot energon in his servos, sat Knock Out. The way he stared into the cold drink would make one think something very interesting had to be in there... or his favourite medic was in a bad mood, lost in his thoughts. The latter was never a good thing. It most likely ment something unpleasant had occurred at work. Maybe a patient didn't make it?
At the enforcer's question a pair of sad red optics shot up and a moment later Knock Out's trademark smile appeared on the mech's face, it didn't reach his optics though.
"'Bee, I didn't realize that you've returned, what did you just say? I was... kinda spaced out I guess. Sorry"
Sitting down besides his mate, Bumblebee caressed a porcelain cheek with the back of one servo lovingly before leaning in for a kiss.
"I wanted to know what's wrong and don't even think of saying 'nothing'. Your field is upset enough to wake a recharging cityformer..."
The medic leaned heavy against his lover, still clutching the untouched energon cube in his servos. Silence stretched between the couple like molten rubber, but Bumblebee didn't press the issue. He waited patently trying to calm Knock Out with his own composed and devoted field.
"A patient refused to get treated by me today... because... because of who I am. 'I rather die than having a dirty piece of Decepticon scum get even close to me' he said..."
The instant the words left his intake a sob broke from the medic's lips and he lost his composure. The energon barely found it's way onto the small side table before Knock Out clung on to Bumblebee as if his life depended on it. The enforcer's arms found their way around the red mech immediately pulling him in a tight embrace.
"It's not fair! I did everything I could since the war ended! I worked my wheels off pulling more night shifts than everyone else, working overtime whenever I'm asked, tutoring one medical student after another.... and still! It's not enough! It will never be enough. I'll always just be that; a Decepticon, an enemy, a traitor, a turncoat... depending who you ask.... it's... it's just not fair..."
It took Bumblebee all his will to keep the boiling anger that he felt as he heard the medic's story out of his field. But all Knock Out needed right now was his calmness and love, nothing else. So the former scout took a few slow invents, collecting his thoughts before tipping his mate's chin up, red optics meeting his blue ones.
"A friend, a lover, my sparkmate, the mech with the most perfect finish ever functioning and a brilliant mind housed in that pretty frame of yours... a model Autobot since the war ended, one of cybertrons most devoted medics and a hell of a racer... that's what you are for me. You're my everything. And if someone refuses to see how good and perfect you are just because they can't see past your yesterday... then they don't deserve a second of your time"
"You just say that because you are my sparkmate and -"
The enforcer cut his lover off with another kiss, this time a longer, deeper one. Only breaking the contact between their lips as he felt that his lover had calmed down a little.
"I said it because it's true and now shush, give me your cold 'hot' energon, let me get us the sulfur snacks I got from Scrapper's on the way back home and then we'll watch some racing recordings from earth... oh and I could give you a nice, warm wax polishing... wouldn't you like that?"
"Like it? I'd love that"