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“Is this really necessary, Doc?”
Ratchet groaned. “What have I told you about calling me Doc?”
A deep chuckle answered him. “Whatever you say, Sunshine. Seriously though, why are the two of us doing this? Surely your boss knows how our last team-up went.”
Ratchet sighed. “Because everyone else is preoccupied with other assignments. Smokescreen and Optimus are in Europe, Arcee is in South America, and Bulkhead and Bumblebee is somewhere with the humans. Which leaves the two of us for this assignment.”
“You don’t sound too happy about that Doc.”
“Wheeljack, call me Doc one more time, I swear I’ll-“
Ratchet’s threat was cut off as the Jackhammer jerked abruptly. He heard Wheeljack curse beside him, and gripped his seat. “Wheeljack?”
“Turbulence, Doc. Just a little,” Wheeljack grunted as he tried to stabilize them. “Stormy!”
Thunder shook the Jackhammer, lightning sizzling on all sides around them. Ratchet locked his optics straight in front of him, watching as lightning flashed every second. He shouldn’t be worried; an Earth storm was no match for a Cybertronian vessel. Still, one shock in the wrong place, and-
BOOM!
Ratchet gasped as lightning struck the Jackhammer. It shook, the lights and displays flickering off and back on. Wheeljack grunted beside him, trying to stabilize the ship. The lights flickered again, and this time they stayed off.
“Ratchet…” Wheeljack looked over at him.
“Primus, the one time you actually use my name-“
Ratchet was cut off as the ship suddenly seemed to drop out from under them, free falling towards the earth. Both bots were thrown from their seats, knocking against each other as the Jackhammer flipped and turned in its descent. Wheeljack struggled to his feet, rushing back to the controls. He flicked a few switches, a few screens humming back to life.
“You’re gonna want to brace yourself, Doc. This ain’t gonna be pretty.”
Ratchet stood, stumbling forward as the ship jolted again. He grabbed the back of Wheeljack’s seat, looking over his shoulder. “And what, exactly, is not going not be pretty?”
Wheeljack looked at him. “Crash landing. Steering’s back, but it’s pretty much useless without the thrusters.”
Ratchet looked out the large window in front of them. He could see the ground rapidly approaching, dark and very rocky. “We’re crashing into the mountain!”
Wheeljack growled. He grabbed the medic’s arm, roughly shoving him over to the other seat. “Shut up and sit down. I know what I’m doing.”
“I hope so.” Ratchet mumbled, watching the ground approach with increasing apprehension. The ship jolted again as lightning struck it, going dark again.
“Frag!” Wheeljack yelled. He jumped up, grabbing Ratchet and pulling him towards the back.
“What are you doing?” Ratchet protested.
“The front’s gonna hit first. If we’re in the back, we’ll have a better chance of survival.” Wheeljack pressed Ratchet the floor, pinning him with his body.
“Survival? Are you saying this could kill us? And why are you laying on me?”
“Doc… you know as well as I do what crash-landing victims end up like.” Wheeljack locked his optics with the medic’s. “Better chance of your survival if I do this. You won’t go flying into anything, and nothing will go flying into you. You’re safest this way.”
“Wheeljack!” Ratchet shouted, just as the ship crashed full force into the mountain.
Ratchet onlined with a groan. There was a very soft green and blue glow coming from somewhere, but other than that it was dark. He jumped, startled as a servo touched his shoulder.
“Whoa, easy medic. ‘S just me.”
“Wheeljack?” Ratchet flipped over so that he was looking at Wheeljack. “Are you alright?”
Wheeljack nodded. “I’m fine. Not my first crash landing.” He held out a servo. “Are you though?”
Ratchet took the servo, letting Wheeljack pull him up. “I am… unharmed. A little rattled.”
“Yeah, that’s to be expected.” Wheeljack replied, nodding absentmindedly. He was too busy touching, patting Ratchet down, looking him over to make sure he was okay with his own optics. He paused, letting his servo rest flat against the plates that protected the medic’s spark. Ratchet was silent, staring at Wheeljack’s face and trying to discern what he was thinking.
“You know,” The Wrecker began, almost a little breathless. “this used to be mine.”
Ratchet looked down. Ah. That.
“It still is.” He whispered. He grabbed Wheeljack’s wrist in one servo, holding it gently. With the other, he cupped the Wrecker’s face. “It still could be, if you want it to.” He said a little louder.
Wheeljack groaned. “Yes, I want it.”
Ratchet chuckled. “You never change, do you?”
Wheeljack smirked, leaning towards Ratchet. “Never.” He pressed their lips together, sighing contently. He had missed this, more than he thought. Ratchet groaned, his servos tracing the Wrecker’s sides. It was familiar, achingly so, and his spark flipped oddly at the thought. Wheeljack pulled back, staring at the medic.
“Prime said he’d be here in a couple breems.” He slipped his fingers into a seam, tweaking a wire. “You think…?”
“We’ve got time.” Ratchet said. He stepped backwards, lying on his back on the floor. He propped himself up on his elbows, crooking one finger at Wheeljack and grinning coyly. Wheeljack chuckled, moving to settle between Ratchet’s legs.
“If you say so Sunshine.” Wheeljack said. Ratchet laughed, pressing their lips together again. They both moaned into the kiss, their servos resuming their searching. Fingers found seams, slipping in and stroking, tweaking wires, rubbing smoothly over heating plating. With a heated exhalation of air, Ratchet pulled back, his chest plates sliding open without hesitation. The light of his spark flooded the space between them. Wheeljack stared, his own chest plates opening and letting his own spark add to the glow.
“Ratchet.” He nuzzled against Ratchet’s face, anticipation running through him.
“You never do shut up.” Ratchet shivered. Wheeljack smiled, joining their lips as their sparks met for the first time in centuries. They both gasped, emotions and memories rushing through them in a tidal wave. There were dark patches of memory, coming with feelings of pain, remorse, and sorrow. But there were others: happier memories, friendship, love, joy. Older memories, of the time they shared together before the war, when life was happier and simpler.
Wheeljack could feel them shaking against each other. He onlined his optics, not realizing he had offlined them, memorizing the face below him. He raised a shaky servo, wiping coolant tears from the medic's face.
“Shh, it’s okay Doc. I gotcha.”
“Wheeljack…”
Ratchet cried out, sending a pulse of lust over their merged sparks. Wheeljack moaned, burying his face in Ratchet’s neck cables. The charge was building fast in their bodies, surging through them. Warnings flashed from all parts of their bodies, going unheeded by the two Autobots racing towards overload.
“Wh-Wheeljack!” Ratchet yelled as overload crashed through him. Wheeljack shuddered, feeling the overload through their merge. He moaned as his own overload ran full force through his body, the strength of it sending him crashing offline.
Wheeljack onlined to the feeling of fingers stroking his helm and a familiar, warm presence in his head with him.
“Enjoy your nap?”
Wheeljack chuckled quietly, rolling over onto his back and smirking up at the medic. “Your lap always has been comfortable to rest my head on.”
The medic smiled, a small flare of affection sparking through their bond. Wheeljack offlined his optics. “Primus, I’ve missed this.”
“I have as well.” Ratchet replied. “Optimus and the others are digging their way to us as we speak. Any moment now, we’ll start hearing them.”
“Does that mean I have to get up?”
“Unfortunately.”
Wheeljack sat up with a groan, standing and walking over to the glowing screens at the front of the ship. He pressed a few buttons, growling when one didn’t respond.
“Fragging piece of scrap. Can’t take a single crash into a mountain.”
Ratchet stroked Wheeljack’s back. “And you’re much better? You can’t take a single overload without offlining.”
Wheeljack turned around, glaring at Ratchet. “Now wait just a minute, Doc. I-“
“Ratchet? Wheeljack?”
Wheeljack cut himself off at the sound of a new voice. Ratchet turned, walking towards the back of the ship.
“Optimus? Is that you?”
“Indeed. Are you two alright?"
Ratchet looked at Wheeljack over his shoulder, smirking. "Never better." He answered.
"Very well, stand back from the wall of the ship."
Ratchet backed up, bumping into the Wrecker. There was a beat of silence, then a loud bang as a rather large dent appeared in the wall, followed by another, and another, before Optimus' fist broke through. It was replaced by two servos, grabbing a side of the hole each and pulling them apart to make a bigger tear. Finally, the hole was big enough for the two trapped bots to squeeze through. Ratchet went first, then Wheeljack.
"Hello, Optimus, Smokescreen." Ratchet greeted as he stood.
"Hey Doc! Hey Wheeljack!" Smokescreen said, smiling and bouncing in place.
"Ratchet." Optimus replied, nodding. Optimus looked over his shoulder. "Wheeljack."
"Prime! Good to see ya!" Wheeljack said, not turning his attention from his ship. "I'm not getting this out, am I?"
"It is highly unlikely." Optimus replied, though there was a small hint of amusement in his tone. "Bumblebee, send us a ground bridge." He said over his comm. line. There was a pause, before a swirling ground bridge appeared behind Smokescreen. They turned, walking through the vortex.
"Hey hold up a sec, Prime. I gotta get somethin’ from my ship." Wheeljack called.
"Very well." Optimus said, disappearing through the bridge.
Wheeljack smiled, wrapping his arm around Ratchet and pulling him close. He pressed their lips together, drawing a small groan from both of them as love and affection pulsed across their bond. Ratchet pulled back, resting his servos on Wheeljack's chestplates.
"So with your ship buried in a mountain, will you be staying with us then?" Ratchet asked, smirking.
Wheeljack grinned. "I guess you're gonna have ta put up with me for a while." He pecked a kiss to his lips. "Sunshine."
Ratchet rolled his optics. "Come on Wheeljack. Might as well go ahead and start getting you settled in."
"Aw, so I can't just share a berth with you?"
Ratchet chuckled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."