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He had seen the shuttle flying overhead a few more times since he spotted his miraculously revived former partner the first time, but he had tried not to think too hard about what it meant. Or what he wanted to do about it. Or if he even actually wanted to do anything about it.
After all, the mech was obviously living in Autobot territory with everything that implied.
Though, today was the first time he had seen Skyfire anywhere near the scene of a battle. And really, that was Megatron’s fault not Sky’s; the warlord had insisted on attacking when he spotted the group of Autobot scientists wandering around the Redwood forest.
It hurt more than expected, to see the way his gentle partner shrank back in fear when the blaster bolts started flying.
And then his spark stopped pulsing as Starscream watched Megatron lift his fusion cannon toward the shuttle.
“NO!” He was moving before he was fully conscious of it, placing himself between Skyfire and a fusion blast that would certainly kill him.
“What?” Skywarp and Thundercracker exchanged confused looks, and he felt a flurry of confused communication across their section of the quantum bond. Another time, he would be irritated, but right now Skyfire was more important.
Megatron fired.
Skyfire wrapped an arm around Starscream’s midsection and pulled them both to the ground.
Skywarp teleported next to Megatron and kicked his arm, throwing off the trajectory of the fusion blast.
The blast still burned across his wing as they fell to the ground, but that was infinitely preferable to taking it full to the chest the way he had been planning. As Starscream’s optics flickered off from the pain, he thought he saw Thundercracker punch Megatron in the face.
“Starscream?” Skyfire’s voice wasn’t quite the same as it had been, it was rough around the edges like he had vocalizer damage, but it was still as gentle as it ever had been. “You’re here?”
“I've been here! Didn’t those idiot Autobots tell you anything?”
“They told me that you’d become a soldier and allied yourself with their opponents in their war.” Skyfirre sat up slowly, bringing Starscream with him. “Perceptor told me that the Board accused you of my murder.”
“They did. You see why I couldn't take their side in this infernal war.” Starscream rebooted his optics and looked up into Skyfire’s face, memorizing the way it looked after aging in the ice for so long. If this was the last time he was going to see his former partner looking down at him so gently, he never wanted to forget it.
Even if it would always break his spark.
“I do.” Skyfire hugged him gently, careful of his damaged wing. “I couldn’t either. I agreed to help Perceptor and Beachcomber with their research, but I won’t fight for them.”
“Hey, this is real sweet,” Skywarp interrupted. “But can you explain what the frag is going on? Cause Megs is gonna be real fragged off when he wakes up.”
“This is Skyfire.” Starscream didn’t move from where the larger mech had him cradled against his chest. Skyfire was warm and comforting in ways he didn’t want to think about right now, and he was going to enjoy it for as long as he could.
“Skyfire?” Thundercracker sounded as shocked as Star himself had been the first time he’d seen Skyfire flying overhead. “Your missing partner, Skyfire?”
“Yes.”
“Frag.” Thundercracker laughed once, almost bitterly. “Well, I hope he’s worth that fusion damage.”
“You’re not angry?” Starscream turned just enough to peer at his Trinemates with one optic.
“I might be later.” Thundercracker shrugged. “Depends on what happens, I guess.”
“Yeah,” Skywarp agreed. “Not mad, just kinda confused.”
“Well.” All three Seekers reflexively turned their weapons on Perceptor when the Autobot spoke, though Starscream lowed his immediately. “If you will accompany us back to the Ark, Optimus has offered a truce and medical care for Starscream’s wing, and I will tell you everything I know about Skyfire’s survival.”
Starscream glanced back at his Trine for a moment. Skywarp and Thundercracker both nodded and lowered their weapons. “We accept.”
He just hoped that they weren’t about to walk into a trap.
“Don’t worry, Star. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Skyfire squeezed him gently and Starscream let himself hope.