Work Text:
It was another cold night in downtown Detroit, the gentle patter of rain and cars rumbling by flooding Bumblebee’s audio receptors. He sat on his berth, yellow and black armor looking dull in the dim light as his knees were drawn close to his chest. He was running through the most recent mission the autobots had gone on - they had been called to a decepticon sighting, Blitzwing and Lugnut attempting (and failing) to steal more supplies for the spacebridge they were attempting to produce. Bumblebee had gone off to distract Blitzwing, as he always took to doing, chasing the larger mech around the construction zone they were at. It was going smoothly, until he was inevitably trapped by the triple-changer, simply being left to watch his team fight on - defenseless, weak, pathetic.
He shook his helm, optic lubricant welling up as he sat there, not making any attempts to move, go anywhere. He just let his processor wander, past missions and team fights filling his thoughts, insults and comments practically screaming at him from the confines of his processor, begging him to take some sort of action, do something to prove he can help the team. Eventually, Bumblebee sighed, letting his pedes his the cool concrete, exiting his berthroom. He had decided to seek out Prowl, whom he had always looked up to as a mentor almost - being one of the few bots on the team to give him a chance to sit and truly express his feelings. He had a way of warming sparks, something most of the others struggled to do.
He flinched as the door slid open, quietly peeking in. Prowl was perched beneath the tree that had overtaken most of his room, raindrops making almost inaudible noises as the met with his armor - he was meditating, eyes held shut (even if he had his visor firmly rested on his faceplate, it was easy enough to read), chassis slowly rising and falling. Bumblebee watched, and pulled away from the door, not wanting to interrupt Prowl in such a state - let alone anger him or annoy him. He turned from the door, before a soft voice pulled him back in, “Bumblebee?” The small whisper of his name confirmed suspicion of possibly being seen by the ninja bot. So, with a heavy outtake, he slid into the room.
"Hey, Prowl," Bumblebee said, staying by the now shut door. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Prowl let his servos fall from their raised position, gently patting the floor in front of him, “of course," he replied, "what’s on your mind?" The smaller bot walked over, clumsily sitting down. “I don't know," Bumblebee said, looking down at the concrete, small puddles of rainwater surrounding the two. "I just feel like I'm not good enough. I keep messing up on missions and I feel like I'm letting everyone down. I feel like a burden." He clasped his servos together, continuing, “I messed up on the mission. I put the whole team in danger - I made us lose that fight because I’m just… I’m so weak, Prowl. I’m tired of ruining every mission because of how weaker I am compared to the others - to you - I just…” he trailed off, lubricant welling up once again, rolling down his faceplate in globs.
Prowl looked at Bumblebee, concern rising as he allowed Bumblebee to continue speaking. “This team would’ve already captured those two and defeated Megatron if I just wasn’t here, none of you need me here, I’m just a burden, Prowl.” He raised his servos, scrubbing at his faceplate, whining softly as he sobbed, knees rising to his chest once again."Bumblebee, you are not a burden. You are a valued member of this team, I promise you. We all make mistakes, but that doesn't make us worthless. It is how we learn from those mistakes and move forward that counts." Prowl placed a servo on Bumblebee’s shoulder, gently massaging it as he continued with his reassurance, “Your quick thinking and speed have saved us more times than I can count, your stingers have helped take down enemies we never thought we could have, and… well, your personality has helped quite often against Blitzwing.”
“But what if I keep making the same mistakes? What if he finally realizes he doesn’t need me anymore- what if you realize you don’t need me anymore and leave me?” Bumblebee asked, feeling like Prowl's words weren't sinking in. Thoughts raced in his processor, servos fidgeting more aggressively, “I can’t lose you, Prowl. I’ve already lost so much of him and his affection - as little it was - because of our designations. I can’t…” he returns to his sobbing, optics locked onto Prowl for some type of sign, something from the ninja.
"Then we will work together to help you improve," Prowl said, moving forward to pull Bumblebee into a tight hug, speaking softly into his audial. "That's what a team is for, that is what I am here for. We support each other and help each other grow. I promise you are not alone in this, I will never leave your side, Bee." Bumblebee blinked, letting himself melt into the hug, sobbing into Prowl’s neck, mumbling and babbling small things. Prowl stayed where he was, carefully letting his servos trace the dips and curves in Bumblebee’s armor, humming softly.
After a few cycles, Bumblebee slowly pulled away, wiping his faceplate as he wore a weak smile, "Thanks, Prowl. I really needed to hear that… especially from you.”
"Anytime, Bumblebee," Prowl said kindly with a smile. "And remember, you are never worthless, nor weak. You have your own unique skills and talents that make you a valuable member of this team. Don't ever forget that." Bumblebee nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. He knew that he still had a lot to learn and improve on, but he also knew that deep down he would always have a team that supported him and believed in him. And that was enough to make him feel like he could overcome any challenge that came his way.