Chapter Text
“There’s a ghost on the ship,” Megatron heard Rodimus say one morning.
Whether their doors slid open on their own, the lights flickered erratically for no apparent reason (even though their systems were fine), or something—they were not sure what—seemed to have shifted in the shadows, every one of the crew have been wondering if the ship was haunted. Some of them, namely Megatron, brushed these odd occurrences off and went about their life unbothered. However, those things kept happening and kept getting increasingly unsettling.
Rodimus decided it was time to consider the possibility of paranormal activity.
Though Megatron would usually like to question his co-captain’s sanity, he could not deny the signs that suggested that something was amiss, especially around him.
There was a distinct smell, and he couldn’t find the source.
Not a bad smelling one, though. In this case, it was an extremely specific smell that would not otherwise exist in the ship, yet one that Megatron seemed to recognize. A type of expensive polish and wax that soothed his senses. Last time he checked, none of the crew used it. However, there was only one Cybertronian he knew that used to endorse such a product.
“Starscream…” he muttered his former second-in-command’s designation with unintended fondness and nostalgia.
He remembered the scent, as well as the warmth that accompanied with it. During those cold, lonely nights amid the war, he would sneak him into his quarters and claim his lips. The seeker would welcome him with the same passion and ardor, and they would cuddle afterwards, enjoying the closeness.
Megatron shook his head at those memories. Starscream was long gone.
“And the weird noises too,” Brainstorm chimed in, which most of the crew agreed on.
Every single member of the crew had heard footsteps at one point, even though no one else was there. It reached to a point where something collided with a few of them, Megatron included.
As the crew listed down the things they’ve seen and felt about these hauntings, Megatron has some episodes he wasn’t willing to share. More often than not, he would regularly feel a strange sensation on the back of his neck, on his lap, and against the plating of his chest. It was as if there was a presence around him.
But it was by no means creepy or chilling.
A touch so light and feathery, it felt like a soothing balm upon his plating. At times when he felt down and lost, the sweet aroma of a tender embrace filled his spark with warmth and comfort. Another familiarity he could only acquire from his seeker. Megatron had reasoned himself into believing that the whole thing was a hallucination, but at the same time, a wild longing swelled in his spark for its recurrence.
“Hmph. About time these lug-heads notice my presence.”
Megatron’s spark raced. Did he just hear a voice? He looked at the crew, but they were oblivious, still discussing about their ghost problem. Megatron spun around, searching for the source of the voice.
“I’ll make a detector,” Brainstorm volunteered.
“Sounds good. Don’t you agree?” Rodimus said, turning to Megatron.
Megatron didn’t even hear his co-captain. All he heard was the voice.
“I doubt these nimrods can actually invent something to detect me.”
“Hello? Lost Light to Megatron?”
Even though it had stopped as suddenly it had started, Megatron couldn’t help thinking about the haunting voice. “I think I’ll turn in for today.”
Rodimus could see that something wasn’t right. “Are you okay?”
Megatron paused in the doorway and nodded. “Just tired. See you tomorrow.” He left the room and headed down the hallway to his quarters.
00000
Later that night, dreams filled Megatron’s processor.
His Elite Trine, united and working together again, were in a race against time to get an alien artifact to the planet-eater’s surface. Unicron’s minions were determined to stand in their way. Thundercracker was soon wounded and surrounded, urging Skywarp to rush to his aid. Skywarp teleported in and took a strike meant for Thundercracker to protect him. With both of his Trine-mates injured and overwhelmed by minions, it was up to Starscream to deliver the package, much to his utter dismay.
But Starscream quickly realized he would be unable to reach Unicron’s core without Skywarp’s teleportation abilities. He was left with no other options.
Megatron could only watch helplessly, knowing what the seeker intended to do. He tried to move, but his pedes seemed stuck to the ground. “No… No! Starscream, don’t!” His spark ached as he continued to call out to him out of desperation. His servo thrust forward in a futile attempt to reach for the seeker. But it was hopeless. The events continued to unfold.
Starscream activated the Talisman, its magical properties and overwhelming energy consuming him completely.
Megatron woke up with a start, panting for breath. He sat up and willed himself to a calm. He wasn’t present during those moments, yet the dream he saw felt so real, like an actual memory.
A memory that didn’t belong to him.
He was skeptical, of course. Though occasionally he did dream of Starscream, the dreams sometimes including intimate moments with him, others were less savory, which he was not proud of. Given how dreams often evoked strong emotions to make them feel more real, perhaps his processor merely constructed the scenarios involving his Elite Trine based on facts and stories he perceived firsthand.
His jaw tightened after a moment and a sigh escaped his lips before he pinched the bridge of his nose, his exhaustion apparent. Sleep seemed so far away from him now that he barely registered that warmth that enveloped the free servo on his lap.
00000
“I’m still working the kinks out of the system,” Brainstorm said, looking very enthusiastic. “Once I get it running, we’ll get that ghost in no time.”
Rodimus shared his crewmate’s excitement, looking quite chipper himself. “I wonder what kind of ghost we’re gonna catch.”
Megatron sighed into his energon drink. It was still early in the morning and already he felt like getting a processor-ache. He would rather not get tangled up in their shenanigans, though it was hard not to eavesdrop on their conversation considering they were in the refueling area. So, before Rodimus got any bright ideas of roping him into their ghost hunting, Megatron finished up and quietly slipped away.
The day went by as usual, nothing out of the ordinary. The ship was on course to their next destination, there were no unwanted or hostile encounters, and all systems were working at optimal efficiency.
Too peaceful it seemed, like the calm before the storm, and Megatron didn’t like it.
Even so, Megatron was recharging more peacefully by the time night rolled in. Once again, his sleep filled with complicated dreams.
He could not tell where the dreams were leading him, but after a while, he was aware Starscream was walking along his side. He looked quite young, sporting the frame when he first met him, that familiar white, red, and blue with a black helm. A classic look. He seemed smug and relaxed, and he turned toward him with a cunning grin.
“Starscream?”
“Grown senile in my absence? You used to be as sharp as a knife.” There was playful arrogance in Starscream’s tone, and his expression was exceptionally confident.
Megatron was aware this was a dream, though he felt more awake than asleep. He hoped this dream would not end any time soon, because he had always wanted to properly talk to Starscream again. “It’s good to see you, Starscream.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Starscream scoffed, rolling his optics. “Though, I can’t say the same to you. Regardless, your misadventures with these insufferable Autobots seemed to have done you good.”
“Do you really think so?”
“You should write a book, a memoir even.” Starscream did a graceful twirl and opened his arms wide. “Former warlord embarking on an expedition with a rag tag team of misfits? Wouldn’t that make for an interesting tale?”
The seeker’s usual flair for dramatics stirred nostalgia within Megatron. “I suppose… Though I would much prefer to dabble about the former ruler of Cyberton, who gave up his life to save everyone.”
Starscream seemed amused by the idea. “It was the Prime, not me. I hardly deserve any credit.”
“You do, and everyone knows what you did that day. Bumblebee, Windblade, Thundercracker, Skywarp… They all made sure you got the recognition you deserved.”
“Is that so?” Starscream’s smile had a touch of sadness, but his tone was quite haughty as he continued. “Hmph. What fun is there in being a hero if you’re already dead? To make matters worse, I’m stuck with you.”
“Stuck with me?”
“Apparently, I still have work to do,” Starscream said, sounding exasperated.
“What kind of work do you have to do?” Megatron asked him, sounding curious.
“I don’t know!” Starscream threw his blue servos up in frustration. “They haven’t told me the specifics. What I do know it has something to do with you, and it’s making me pissed.”
Megatron never realized until now how much he missed hearing Starscream complain and pout. He didn’t bother trying to hide his smile.
“Oh, you think this is funny, you overgrown rust bucket?!”
It felt good to hear Starscream insult him and call him names. Megatron thought he would never get to hear that again. He missed arguing with Starscream, who always challenged his orders and questioned his decisions. He missed his boldness, his cunningness, his way with words, and their banters…
Missed having the right to touch him, to hold him in his arms…
“I miss you…” His yearning was so great that the words were out before Megatron knew it. Clamping down his lips, he averted his optics and did not say anything else.
A tense silence descended upon them like heavy frost, only to be broken by Starscream’s sigh moments later.
“Don’t go sentimental on me,” Starscream commented. “Whatever you think you feel for me is not worth considering.” He sounded more serious and seemed very sincere. “We parted on bad terms, and I’ve moved on.”
“I never wanted—”
“Never wanted what?!” Starscream’s crimson optics flashed bright with sudden anger. He looked like he wanted to lash out, but he lifted his chin instead and steadied his voice. “Don’t start spewing nonsense as if you never intended to hurt me all those mega-cycles ago. You wanted to see me fail and suffer, didn’t you? You wanted me beaten and broken. When things didn’t go your way, you lash out, and I was often at the receiving end of your cannon and fists.”
Megatron knew that no apology from him could ever be enough for Starscream. He had caused Starscream fear and pain and had suppressed him. He did unspeakable things that warranted much of the seeker’s hatred and resentment.
“So, no. Don’t expect me to believe that you never wanted to,” Starscream hissed.
Megatron lowered his gaze, regret clenching his spark like a vice. He stood there for a klik, maybe two. There was so much to say and all of it ran too deep. “I won’t ask you to forgive me. My sins are far too great, and so was your pain. But I swear I do not wish to be that kind of person anymore. Whether you believe me or not, I am trying to change.”
Again, there was a moment’s silence. Then surprisingly in a quiet voice, Starscream said, “And I believe you.”
Megatron blinked at him in surprise.
“I’ve been watching closely, listening...” As soon as he had said it, Starscream turned on his heel and walked off.
Megatron wanted to run after him, but suddenly found he couldn’t. It was as though a barrier had come up, and he had to stop. He watched Starscream disappear, and he felt his spark ache with longing.
00000
Last night’s dream came back to Megatron with stark clarity when he woke up the next morning. Every word, every scene, every emotion—he remembered them all. It felt real.
Starscream felt so real.
“You look like scrap.”
Megatron froze in place, recognizing that voice and feeling his sharp gaze fixed on him. He looked up and saw a familiar face with a familiar set of wings at the end of his berth, poised with his hips cocked. “Impossible… How can you be here?”
Mild surprise registered Starscream’s face. “So, you can finally see me. Interesting.”
“I must be still dreaming.” Megatron was confused. Maybe it was a hallucination.
“Or crazy… But yeah, I’m real,” Starscream assured before looking at himself. He did not have a physical presence. His body was transparent and intangible. “Not completely though… Anyway, I’ve been lurking on this ship for a long time. You guys just never noticed.”
Realization dawned on Megatron. “You’re the ghost haunting the ship,” he accused.
“Yeah, so?” Starscream shrugged. “Not like I’ve done any real damage. Just some little pranks here and there. I’ve recently learned how to touch and move objects.” He sat down on the berth and patted the sheet to further prove his point. “It’s not as easy as it seems when you’re a ghost. And the dream thing, by the way, is pretty recent too. Quite the nifty trick, don’t you think?”
Megatron was still trying to wrap his mind around everything that was happening. Situations with Starscream have always been with complicated, but this one was downright bizarre. “Last night’s dream was real?”
Starscream chuckled. “It’s quite amusing to see you having a hard time believing this.”
“And you say you’re stuck with me? Why?”
“Ping me if you find the answer for that.”
“Wait, if you’ve been here for some time, why can I only see you now?”
“Ugh, how should I know?” Starscream crossed his arms, turning his head away with a pout. “Blame it on Primus for all I care. If I’d known you were going to be this annoying, I would’ve much preferred staying invisible.”
Megatron groaned, palming a servo to this face. This was going to be a long cycle.
00000
“Turns out you’re the only one who can see and hear me.”
Megatron raised a brow at him, the corner of his mouth curving in amusement as he detected the hint of relief in Starscream’s voice. “Yes, you’ve made that very clear when you were making faces at Rodimus when he came by to talk.”
They were headed to the mess hall, walking side by side at a leisure pace, shoulders almost brushing. Though Starscream’s body was transparent, Megatron felt warmth radiating from his frame, almost as if he were alive.
“The amount of pranks I can still do.” Starscream was giddy with excitement, his grin mischievous as he cupped his chin. “I should try placing dye tablets in the wash racks or replace their spray polish with paint.”
The rumors of the ship being haunted was not going away anytime soon. His former second was a known menace, so it came as no surprise that he reveled in mischief. Megatron spared himself from the trouble of trying to dissuade him from his tomfooleries, aware that the seeker hardly ever listened to him.
“As long as you stay away from mine and not hurt anyone,” Megatron told him.
“Wouldn’t you like to see yourself in gold or red?”
Megatron recognized mild teasing at best and rolled his optics. “No paints, all right? Honestly, Starscream, are you that bored?”
“What do you expect? When you’re a ghost, there’s nothing much else to do.”
As Starscream whined about their current situation, Megatron kept stealing glances at him, admiring his stunning profile, the way those crimson optics sparkled when he pouted. It had been a long time since the seeker had affected him this way. Starscream has always been an exciting mixture of cunningness and sensuality.
The universe has this funny way of placing him in the most unexpected situation—like steering him right back to the seeker. Whether he was losing his mind or not, this was his chance to finally make things right with him.
Starscream felt him staring, because he cocked his head to the side and frowned. “You’ve been staring at me this whole time. Do I have something on my face?”
Megatron wasn’t even going to deny it. “Nothing at all. I’m simply admiring your visage. You’re as beautiful as I remember.” And he meant every word.
Starscream faltered, his wings hiking up in surprise. “You’re creeping me out.”
Noticing the shade of pink that had bloomed on the seeker’s face, a grin tugged Megatron’s mouth. “The color on your cheeks says otherwise. You were always quick to blush.”
“What?! I am not blushing!” Starscream quickly denied and marched away in a huff. “The audacity!”
Some things never change, Megatron thought. It was easy to get Starscream riled up and his reaction was so endearing.
00000
“Ever the great poet, huh?” Starscream was holding one of Megatron’s datapad in his servos. It contained some of the poems he had written.
If anyone would so happen to walk into the room in that moment, they would no doubt be horrified to see a datapad just floating randomly in the air.
It’s been days since Megatron was graced with Starscream’s presence, and while the seeker was free to roam around the ship, much of his time was spent hanging around him. Starscream preferred it that way and confessed that he’d been doing that long before Megatron could see him.
Things would still go bump in the night and sometimes personal belongings would get misplaced, much to the crew’s dismay. Brainstorm has tried and failed to detect Starscream, who was clever enough to avoid him, and Rodimus still had some green paint on his servos, a product of Starscream’s pranks.
Megatron had been careful when speaking to him outside the confines of his room, always checking if anyone would hear them if they wandered by. It didn’t take much effort not to react whenever the seeker chose to show up during his work or interactions with the crew members. Starscream absolutely enjoyed taking every opportunity to tease and mock him for whatever reason he could find—no matter how petty the matter.
Normally, he would be annoyed. He should be. But he felt none of the sort.
“It’s great that you’re writing poems again,” Starscream said, setting the datapad back on the desk he’d been leaning on. “Your poems have always been inspiring.”
“Good to know I still have a fan in you,” Megatron said with a smile, watching him from the edge of the berth he was sitting on. The seeker looked different today, sporting a modern, lustrous frame of deep red and black colors. His legs were longer, his waist slimmer, possessing all the enticing curves and linings.
Megatron had already seen brief glimpses of this frame before, and now he was grateful for the opportunity to appreciate it up close. Starscream has always been attractive, no matter the frame, and it has always been something he never tried to underplay.
Starscream groaned. “Don’t flatter yourself. I was merely acknowledging the quality of your work.”
“Close enough,” Megatron said, feeling more than a little pleased. “It still amazes me that you’re here.”
“You must realize how crazy this is, right? If anyone heard you talking to me like this, they’d probably call you insane.”
“Well, no one’s here to hear me, and they can’t see you, so everything’s fine.” Ever since their peculiar reunion, Megatron felt better than he had in ages. It was incredible what a familiar presence did for him. “I still have no idea why this is happening, but for what it’s worth, I’m truly glad you’re here.”
Starscream met Megatron’s gaze with his usual look of haughty derision. “You don’t object to my constant presence, yet not once have you praised my new look.”
“Fishing for compliments, Starscream?” Megatron said amusedly, getting up and walking over to him.
“You wouldn’t know taste if it hit you in the face,” Starscream replied, almost angry-looking.
Ever the narcissist his former Air Commander was, Megatron mused, stopping just a feet from him. The constant need to satisfy the sense of pride in oneself was not uncommon for Starscream that it often came off as desperate. However, given the time he had to reflect, Megatron sensed that Starscream’s relentless pursuit for validation probably came from a place of deep emotional issues, like feeling unfulfilled or lacking a sense of purpose in life. Considering the terrible things he did, he definitely did contribute to his former subordinate’s self-esteem.
“I did notice, you know,” Megatron told him. “Quite intriguing you’re able to change frames as a ghost.”
“Just learning as I go. No manuals, you see.”
“I remember this frame well.”
Starscream smirked. “At the trial where I humiliated you, surely?”
“I take no offense in that. I deserved it, though I still do have personal grievance.”
“Because I thwarted your long-awaited execution?” Starscream was goading him, trying to gauge his reaction.
The events at the trial brought forth such destructive thoughts and emotions, but there were things Megatron had long since settled and buried. “You were striking back then, brimming with pride and confidence, and I can see that hasn’t changed.”
Starscream looked at him skeptically, searching his eyes for any sign of dishonesty, but all he saw was sincerity. There was no hesitation, no flicker of doubt in Megatron’s expression.
“You always look stunning, Starscream, no matter what frame or colors.”
A crimson shade rose to the seeker’s cheeks. He looked annoyed, yet his wings seemed to flutter in delight. It must have pissed him off that he couldn’t even accuse Megatron of lying, because they knew each other far too well at this point. He cleared his vocalizer, gathering whatever composure he could muster. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were flirting with me.”
Megatron smiled back. “What if that was really my intention?”
“Then it’s a shame your sweet words cannot lure me to your berth this time. You can’t even touch me.”
“I wish I could…” Megatron muttered as he reached out. His spark raced as his servo hovered ever so slightly against the seeker’s face.
Starscream smiled, but there was something sad behind it, and his wings lowered in contemplation. He pushed himself away from the desk then, phasing through Megatron’s servo, and walked to the door. He stood there in silence for a few moments as Megatron watched him. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he said before phasing through the door and left.
00000
In total blackness he stood there, alone, surrounded by a plethora of images playing on holographic screens. He saw faces and places he recognized. Scenes and events played out, hitting him with a deluge of information.
Megatron saw glimpses of the past, recollections of the seeker who ruled over Cybertron in the aftermath of the war, memories he shouldn’t be privy to.
And yet here he was…
The seeker and Bumblebee were discussing a serious matter that eventually led to arguing. Starscream’s frame was a modern revision of his earliest classic style, sporting the traditional white, red, blue combination, but with a sleeker, pristine finish that complimented his ample hips and narrow waist. Angular wings of white rested on his back, streaked with a crimson lining, and his forearm to his palm was painted blue while his long slender digits were black.
Seeing through Starscream’s deceptions and half-truths, Bumblebee did not hesitate to call him out on his bullshit.
“Fine. Let’s cut the scrap! How long are you going to cling to this worn-out, narcissistic mask? Starscream the ruthless, the grand schemer… You haven’t been that—just that—for a long time now.” Bumblebee’s tone was stern, and his annoyance seems to come from a place of concern rather than animosity.
Starscream was visibly stunned. Bumblebee’s words hit him like a hammer.
“People expect things from you because they believe in you,” the yellow Autobot continued, poking his chest with a digit, “and that should be something you’re proud of. Not something you’re determined to destroy.”
Starscream clenched his dentas. Frustration was building up inside him.
“Why is it so important for you to be alone?” Bumblebee demanded harshly.
Then Starscream yelled back with so much pain and resentment in his voice. “Because I am alone! Because the nanosecond I forget that, life—most often in the shape of Megatron—beat the truth back into me. Literally!”
“Starscream…” Megatron lifted a servo, wanting to reach out. He felt like a tank of ice-cold water was dumped on his helm. Starscream’s last words rang in his ears, as shock completely paralyzed him. He could only blame himself for allowing their relationship to deteriorate to this state. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way…”
A flash of light suddenly blinded him and before he knew it, he found himself witnessing another memory with stunning clarity.
One of the most shocking acts of bravery he had ever seen from the seeker.
In front of the whole planet, Starscream confessed to everything. Starscream sacrificed himself, his ambitions, and his position—so that the world can do better without him.
Megatron’s spark went out to him.
In a blink of an eye, Megatron was thrust back into the room of blackness surrounded by the images.
“You weren’t supposed to see all that.”
Megatron turned to face the seeker and fell silent.
With his arms crossed, Starscream stood there wearing the same modern revision frame as the one in the memories, looking at him for a long, agonizing moment, and then finally he spoke: “Forget what you saw here. I was simply trying to enter your dreams again, but somehow you ended up in my mine instead.”
“Starscream… What I did to you... I should have—”
“Nothing you do or say could ever make up for what you’ve done. I’m already dead anyway.” Starscream turned away from him, his arms wrapped around himself, his wings drooping. He almost looked smaller, vulnerable. “It’s time to wake up, so go.”
Megatron did not want to wake up. He did not have to yet. If nothing else, these past cycles had reinforced the fact that Starscream was a crucial factor in his life. He wanted to reach out to him. He wanted to embrace him and comfort him.
The journey of his once second-in-command had been nothing but arduous and compelling. It drove home how much the seeker had changed during his absence, drove home how much he struggled with the idea of doing the right thing.
Starscream’s success in politics and leadership were based on shrewd and meticulously planned achievement. That outward success, however, had been effectively masking the trauma and loneliness he carried. Underneath all his brilliance and schemes was an individual who has never healed from the scars of his past.
Megatron was filled with more regret and longing, yearning for the bond that once was. Forgiveness was something Starscream was not willing to give. Megatron had no right to ask him of that. However, he believed it was never too late to make amends. He was prepared to make the effort.
00000
Starscream had been acting like nothing happened for the next few cycles—just being his usual mischievous, sarcastic, and sly self like usual. He seemed to be spending a lot of time watching the other crew members, and he looked unhappy late one night when he came back to his room, his frame still the same from the recent memories.
Megatron had been sitting right up on berth, scrolling through his datapad, before he looked up at the seeker. “Where have you been?” he asked him.
“Deadlock misses him…”
Megatron raised a brow. “His designation is Drift now,” he corrected. Drift was a former Decepticon and one of his most skilled warriors before he defected. “Were you stalking him?”
Ignoring his remark, Starscream sat down on the vacant side of the berth, his back facing Megatron. “Him and his conjunx—that Autobot medic… Were they happy together?”
“They were,” Megatron replied sincerely, sensing the sadness in the seeker’s voice. “A great mech Ratchet was. Not a cycle passes that Drift does not think of him. He is dearly missed.”
“Like how you miss me?” Starscream’s voice was low, slightly rough, but steady.
Megatron was a little taken aback by this. He didn’t expect Starscream to bring it up again. “Yes,” he answered sincerely not too long after, “and I mean it.”
“Do you always miss your subordinates like this?” Starscream said, tone sarcastic.
“You were more than just a subordinate to me, Starscream.”
Starscream let out a harsh scoff, then continued. “Because I was your personal whipping boy, right?”
Megatron almost balked at the remark. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I mean, it is only fair. I did try to kill and usurp you countless times. I had it coming. I wasn’t loyal to you at all.”
“Because I lost my way. I could not see that, but you did… You never lost sight of the Decepticon cause.”
Starscream let out a mocking laugh. “Far too late to be saying that to me, isn’t it?”
Megatron paused and stared at Starscream’s back for a tense moment. Letting out a deep vent, he got out of the berth and walked around to kneel in front of the seeker, who kept his gaze low and his face stoic. If it was possible, he would have taken his servos into his own. “I’m not proud of who I was, of the monster I have become. I’ve done many things I regretted, Primus knows, and there were times I wished I’d never met you.”
“Do you still feel that way now?”
Megatron shook his head. “No… I don’t think I’ll ever regret meeting you.”
“Meeting you was inevitable I suppose,” Starscream said, his tone low, his voice shaky. “What I do regret is knowing that serving you meant denying the things I needed to give myself. I regret sacrificing my happiness for yours and tolerating the ways you hurt me.”
Megatron’s processor swirled with guilt, a dull ache settled in the pit of his tank. Just looking at Starscream laying out his insecurities and pain felt like a personal torment.
“I almost envy Drift and the Medic…and I hate having these feelings for you…” Starscream shut his optics tight, his servos clutching at his helm. “I just want to delete them out of my system!”
Before he realized it Megatron grabbed ahold of Starscream’s wrist, his body moving of its own accord. He lunged forward, pushing the seeker down on the berth. Their optics locked together, their faces mere inches apart.
Starscream gasped, his optics widening in shock. “How…?”
Megatron shook his head, his own confusion and disbelief mirroring his. It was nothing short of a miracle that he was able to touch the seeker again. “I don’t know.” His words were barely audible over the pounding of his spark. “I just… I could not bear seeing you in pain again.”
Starscream reached up, his fingers tracing Megatron’s cheek. There was an enchanting glimmer in the seeker’s optics, but it glowed differently than any other time their lips or bodies had previously pressed together—no matter how sinful it may have been.
“Do I really…” Starscream’s voice cracked before he could string together a sentence. “…matter?”
“Yes,” Megatron answered sincerely, peering into the depths of his spark. “And I don’t want to let you go again.” He leaned down and kissed him on the temple.
One, solitary tear streamed down Starscream’s cheek. “It’s already too late…” he whispered before he vanished into thin air.