Title: Got Your back
Fandom: Transformers Robots in Disguise '15 AU
Series: n/a
Author: FuziPenguin
Characters: Sideswipe, Grimlock
Pairing: n/a
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1450
Summary: Sideswipe is behaving oddly...
Warnings: schmoop, friendship
Notes: Love these two as buddies :)
Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction. No harm was intended in the creation of this work. All rights belong to the original creators.

He doesn't recharge much. It's not due to choice, it's just how he was built. So Bee assigns him nightly patrol more often than the others, especially as they've all adopted Earth's day as their own and tend to recharge after the sun goes down.

After relinquishing watch over to Strongarm a little after 3am, Grimlock heads over to his normal recharge spot in aisle four. The section of shelving at the far end nudges directly up against the mountainside and hosts Denny's collection of antique iceboxes. Grimlock likes it back there; it's one of the few places in the scrapyard without any smiling-faced statues of humans or humanized Earth animals.

He shudders. Those things can be damn creepy in the dark. He knows they're lifeless, but he still doesn't like it when they seem to stare at him.

FixIt's personal recharge berth in the Alchemor is still functional but the others generally recharge in their vehicle form scattered throughout the scrapyard. It's primitive to sleep on the ground instead of plugged into a berth and privacy is laughable, but it's all they have and no one complains.

Well. Much.

Gimlock's own alternative form is not very conducive to recharging in. His tail gets in the way if he tries to lie on his back, and it's difficult to get up quickly if he's lying on his side. He has to resort to a lot of noisy flopping around because his arms are too short to leverage his bulk up. All in all, it's just not worth it. So when he recharges, it's in his base form, either on his back with his head pillowed atop his crossed arms or curled up on his side.

Tonight he's still pretty restless so he settles on his back and stares up at the stars, connecting the dots to make little shapes in the sky. He's admiring Optimus Prime's profile off near the horizon when suddenly there's a scuff of sound off to his right. He startles and half raises up on one elbow, fists clenching.

"Sorry, big guy," Sideswipe's familiar voice whispers and his optics boot up to full power, pinpointing his location in the darkness. He's half crouched several feet away, hands held out in a non-threatening gesture. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"Didn't scare me," Grimlock returns defensively, ignoring his surging fuel pump. "You just move all quiet-like. We should put a bell on you. What's up?"

Sideswipe shrugs. "Thought you might like some company."

Grimlock considers his friend. Sideswipe was usually oblivious to the world at this time of night. He recharged deeply and wherever he felt like, never picking the same spot. Grimlock had nearly stepped on him more than once after coming in from nightly patrol.

Blinking in confusion, Grimlock gestures to his side. "Yeah, sure. Was just finding shapes in the stars."

Sideswipe eagerly moves forward, the glow of his optics illuminating his flash of a grin. "Sweet. One of my favorites. Although I like cloud watching a bit better, to be honest. They're always changing. Scoot over, will you? I'm not gonna fit."

Without any warning, Sideswipe lifts his leg over Grimlock's waist and steps into the small space between his side and the mountain. As Sideswipe finds his balance and begins to pull his other leg over, Grimlock hurriedly slides across the ground, raising up a small cloud of dust. He had assumed Sideswipe would sit next to him, maybe propped up against one of the scrapyard's shelves.

Not smush himself between Grimlock and the rock. Hadn't the other mech said his greatest fear was not being able to move?

Grimlock stares at Sideswipe as the mech plops down on his back, squirming around until he's comfortable. One hand hooks over his shoulder so he can prop his chin on the back of his wrist, looking up at the night sky. The other rests atop his Decepticon Hunter he had removed from his back and placed at his side. He looks the very picture of nonchalance, but Grimlock hadn't managed to move far enough over that they don't touch. Their shoulders are brushing, and Grimlock is more than a little alarmed to feel Sideswipe trembling.

Grimlock presses a little closer to confirm the shivers, and Sideswipe looks up at him questioningly.

"Are you… you're shaking," Grimlock observes hesitantly.

Sideswipe lifts his head to glance down the length of his body and then shrugs. "It's a little chilly tonight."

Grimlock opens his mouth to comment on the fact that it's eighty five degrees and one of the warmest days they've experienced on Earth yet. Then his admittedly slow processor catches up and points out Sideswipe's guarded expression and the tense set of his shoulders.

And Grimlock gets it. This is one of those things he actually doesn't get, but should shut his mouth about anyway.

"Yeah, I was just thinking that. Hey, I can see Prime right there," Grimlock offers, and is relieved when Sideswipe relaxes again, turning his head to follow the line of Grimlock's pointing finger.

They spend at least another hour identifying funny shapes among the stars. Around 4:30, Sideswipe's optics start dimming and his words begin to slur. He looks to be on the verge of recharge, but with a shake, he fights it off and launches into a story about him racing on Cybertron.

Grimlock watches Sideswipe fight off recharge three more times, confused as to why his friend doesn't just sleep. Then Grimlock remembers the shivers which have since abated and the way Sideswipe had laid down, shielding his throat.

It all clicks, and Grimlock's pretty damn proud of himself for fitting the pieces of the puzzle together. It's only been two days since Vertebreak had removed Sideswipe's head from his body; he'd been relatively calm during the entire debacle and hadn't mentioned anything since, but Grimlock could see how such a thing could plague a bot's memory purges.

He nonchalantly stretches, oh so accidentally pressing closer to Sideswipe. "Think I need to call it a night, Sideswipe. 'm getting sleepy."

"Oh," Sideswipe replies after a pause. "Yeah, course. I'll just…"

Before he can raise himself more than a foot off the ground, he's halted by Grimlock's hand on his chest. Grimlock gives him a puppy dog stare, one which Sideswipe himself had taught Grimlock. "You're leaving? You've been keeping me warm."

Sideswipe stares at him in astonishment. Then something like a relived expression passes over his face and he relaxes back down. "Aw, poor widdle Dinobot chilly? Alright, I'll stay. But I'm not a cuddler," he warns, giving in easily.

"Dinobots don't cuddle," Grimlock replies, offended at the very idea.

Sideswipe chuckles and then the two of them quiet down. Grimlock hadn't been lying when he said he was tired. Recharge is creeping up on him, and he feels his optic shutters beginning to close as the minutes pass. Next to him, Sideswipe fidgets for a bit before turning over onto his side. He draws his Deception Hunter close to his chest and his shoulders gradually tense up again.

Grimlock watches him out of the corner of his optic, not sure what to do. Sideswipe's roll has moved him out of touching distance, but only just.

Debating with himself takes another minute, and then finally Grimlock makes a decision. Either he's about to get punched… or this'll work.

Grimlock rolls to his side as well and shifts about as if he's trying to get comfortable. He grumbles under his breath, twitching every few seconds before he finally scoots backwards until his back presses against Sideswipe's.

Sideswipe stiffens, and Grimlock stares wide-eyed down the length of aisle four, waiting for a smack to the back of his helm. Sideswipe's probably pretty squished up against the rock face; in his nervousness, Grimlock had slid across the ground a little harder than he had originally intended to.

The expected punch never comes. Instead, Sideswipe relaxes, going practically strutless against Grimlock's frame. Grimlock gradually relaxes too, actually enjoying the feeling of another body warming his back. It's kinda… nice. He trusts all the 'bots, but Sideswipe had stood up for him when none of the others had, and for that alone Grimlock will always have Sideswipe's back.

He just never thought it would be this literal.

Several minutes later, he's nearly three quarters of the way into recharge when he feels a light touch on his hip. At first he thinks he's imagining it. Then the touch turns into an affectionate pat.

"Thanks, buddy," Sideswipe whispers.

Grimlock doesn't reply. He doesn't think he was meant to hear. So he just smiles to himself and slips the rest of the way into sleep.

~ End