(no subject)

[positiveenergy]

Who: Drift and the Autobots
Where: The Autobot home base
When: Sometime after the Space Jam fight at least.
What: More drama. Honestly, what else can you expect at this point?
Warnings: Nothing so far.

{Thread starters below!}

Comments

HERE WE GO

[positiveenergy]

It feels like it’s been a long time since he and Arcee have actually properly talked at all. She’s never been far away or out of reach since they’d returned with Rodimus and Optimus…but there’s always an obvious distance all the same. Drift knows that neither of them have been actively avoiding each other, although there’s never a short supply of convenient excuses to keep them from speaking either.

He’s been careful to give Arcee space, too – not wanting to force her into talking if she’s not ready or willing to. But even that reason’s been starting to feel like an excuse to him. If things continued to carry on as they have been, Drift knows he’ll have to at least try something different.

There’s a somewhat faraway look on his face before Arcee’s words startle him out of his thoughts. He tenses, but only minimally as he turns towards her and nods. “Sure. More than a minute even - as many as you want.”

MMMHMMM

[deadpartners]

Under ordinary circumstances, the little bit of levity in Drift's comment might have eased up the mood. But this is already hard enough. A ghost of a smile flashes across Arcee's face and then it's gone, her face looking weary and a little resigned. She heaves out a rush of air through her vents, figuring the best way to have this conversation is...not to drag it out too much.

"I don't want to fight about what happened, Drift," Arcee says, rubbing at her forehelm. She turns her optics on his face, a little dim but still brilliant blue; there's a trace of hurt in there, still, but the hope's not all gone. She wants to fix this. "What's done is done, and I think you and Rodimus both understand the consequences of what you did. I just want to know why."

Her voice isn't hard, edged like it had been in that last conversation they'd had, before the big fight. Before Optimus had come back. Now it's just -- entreating. A genuine request for -- something. Give her something, Drift. Anything.

"Why lock me out like that, Drift? I know you and Rodimus are close, but that -- it wasn't just a minor indiscretion. I get why Rodimus didn't trust me, but -- you?"

[positiveenergy]

The hurt in her optics is worse - much worse than the hard gaze she’d fitted him with during their last talk.

Drift crosses his arms and vents a small puff of air – optics downcast he tries to collect his thoughts. He’s been wondering, this whole time, about what he could say to Arcee once this moment came. But…naturally, there weren’t going to be any easy or obvious answers. The truth is - there was never a point at which Drift consciously felt like he couldn’t trust Arcee…but what else could you call it, really? He’d been positive that Arcee wouldn’t approve of what they were doing, and hadn’t been willing to take that risk.

“I don’t…know if this will make things any better or worse. But I never wanted to lie to you, Arcee. Rodimus…he’s the only one I would’ve done that for.”

[deadpartners]

Arcee's optics dim, as if in disappointment, but the hurt isn't entirely gone, either. She vents out slowly, shaking her head.

"But you still did," she says heavily, her shoulders sagging. "That's what this is about, Drift -- you did, and I want to know why. Since when does your friendship with Rodimus outrank the priority of the mission for you, Drift? The safety of the team? If you didn't want to lie to me, then why did you? Just to -- what, appease one of Rodimus' whims? You've got field experience. You had to know this was a shoddy plan."

[positiveenergy]

“It’s not like he doesn’t have any experience either.” The words come out more defensively than he’d meant them to, and he winces – pressing a hand against his forehelm.

No one’s actually directly asked him why he’d gone along with Rodimus. Or at least, no one’s asked for any explanation beyond simply accepting that they’re both close. Now that someone is, he finds himself strangely…reluctant to get to the heart of the matter. But he owes Arcee an explanation, and wants to give her one. Right now, he’s just not sure how… and when he tries to speak up again, his throat feels tight.

“I… I did it because it's not just that we're friends. I...rely on him. And I want him to know that he can rely on me too…for whatever he needs.”

[deadpartners]

Arcee looks more tired than anything, rubbing her fingers along her own forehelm as she vents out a long, slow sigh. "Sometimes what he needs isn't always what he wants, Drift. What happened back there was a bad plan, and you know it was. I get wanting to have Rodimus's back -- I do. But maybe what he needs sometimes is someone to help him find the line."

[positiveenergy]

“I know where you’re coming from, but…what if I had told him no? Or if I’d ratted him out? He still would’ve found some way to leave again. And then he really would have been on his own. I wouldn’t-…I won’t let that happen.”

Drift crosses his arms uncomfortably – getting the feeling that nothing he’s saying is really helping matters much. “I’m not trying to use this as an excuse for lying, it’s just…it’s not a chance I want to take.”