[TFP] "HOPE" Breakdown
another old fic i had on ao3, its mr. mcnormal who just so happens to work on the nemesis! idk why but i love kobd x reader a lot more than just breakdown x reader or knockout x reader. the more the merrier!
scenario: you're moody and its unlike you which has your dearest friend trying to cheer you up
Things were beginning to get boring on The Nemesis as your commander-turned-lord Starscream didn't have any missions for you currently and your partner Knockout has been constantly working tirelessly on what is rumoured to be Megatron's severely damaged body. Not that Screamer has ever given you the chance to view your past leader’s body in the first place. You figured this might as well be a ploy to make sure Megs stays dead, not that you care though. Megatron isn’t the best leader but between him and Screamer? You’d pick Megs any day.
You, Breakdown and Knockout were a trio. Knockout was the doctor, Breakdown was the close range combatant and nurse while you were a long-range seeker and scout, you mainly brought supplies or were on the lookout for them— Warning them about incoming soldiers, locations of injured Cons and such. You provide the arial superiority they need and as well as support despite being constantly under-played and underestimated. Your frame lacked the strength that Breakdown’s had and you lacked the skill Knockout had. But your two wonderful ‘friends’ never did so however, the others around you did not hesitate on showing how weak they thought you were. Knockout does underestimate you but that's just to get under your circuits, he’s a snarky bastard doing it to rile you up but you had grown immune to it... But when others did it? It pissed you off. Frankly, it was annoying and right now that was exactly what was happening.
You sincerely wished that Starscream had never summoned the three of you onboard his ship to help him finish his ‘business’ in this disgusting organic ball of dirt. You’ve only been looked down upon since... only being viewed as some sort of discardable scout. Starscream getting to lead the Deceptions has inflated his ego. Naturally, it made him even more insufferable than usual. His screeching and smug orders never ceasing to give you a splitting helmache.
Starscream believed that since you had no medical background, you shouldn't be permitted into the med bay where Megatron's remains were kept which you thought was absolute scrap metal. Instead, Starscream assigned you with the most gruelling missions where you had your tailpipe handed to you every time by the Autobots. It would've been easier if the forsaken Vehicons had any actual combat training but of course, the mighty Lord Starscream has no thought about any internal reform. Just another Megatron but more cowardly and even lesser on the smart side but at least Screamer was sane.
And that's why you were here, in some random hallway, sitting on the floor absolutely defeated. You were scouting for dark energon on Starscream's command when you came up with a faint signal near a volcanic mountain, Starscream mentioned that this was a "classified mission" so you couldn't really rely on communications either, and it turns out, it wasn't just you who learnt about the whereabouts of said dark energon. You once again had your aft handed to you by the Autobots and had to face yet another raging lecture and array of threats from Starscream. You vented deeply as you recollected memories of the day, your limbs felt sore and painful. You traced your digits over your scratched up paint job on your chest and as you did, you often circled around the dents, hoping it would relieve you. Your initial injuries had been taken care of by Knockout, some of your neck cables had been slightly damaged.
Hopelessness consumed you. You sat down in some random hallway of the Nemesis, pondering your fate and failures. Your head cocked sideways as you heard the sound of faint pede-steps, large ones heading your way. Breakdown. His steps are easily recognizable, the metal clanks from his heavy frame is a dead give away. It had to be Breakdown. He was one of the only mechs who often took notice of your annoyance and tries to make you feel better. He would often assist you with missions when he could. He was a real sweet mech as long as you didn't get on his bad side.
Breakdown stood in front of you, absolutely towering over your sitting figure. He noticed the dents and scratches here and there, you must’ve encountered the Autobots. "Which one of ‘em?" Breakdown asked half-teasing with a smile as he knelt to your side, his yellow glowing optics shining with concern.
"Bulkhead and that yellow glitch." You muttered as you ex-vented. You swore one day that you would have that stupid scout's head on a platter. You also purposefully refused to mention the intervention of that painfully annoying young human female. Oh, how you wished to squash her like the pathetic organic bug she is. If anyone knew that a human was the vital cause of the downfall to your mission, you were sure that Starscream would've had you banished or exiled... Or maybe even executed.
"Please tell me that you landed a number on that big scrap heap." Breakdown snickered.
You looked into Breakdown's optics momentarily before resuming to stare at the ground as if it had all the answers to the universe to which Breakdown's optics momentarily went wide.
Now Breakdown was... Stumped. This was unlike you. You were cocky and bold, you weren't the type to simply just sit idle and disappointed. Starscream must’ve decided to really go ballistic on you, that runt. Either way, something really bad must've happened and Breakdown figured that he should be a little more considerate about it.
"Hey, uhm... do you want to talk about it?" He asked, a certain warmth in his tone as he placed a servo on your shoulder plates, large noises of metal clanking could be heard as he took a seat on the cold floor of The Nemesis. He sounded unsure of what he was doing.
"No..." You mumbled. Honestly, you were tired- not just physically. You had a really long day and Starscream's discouraging words did not help one bit. For the past few mission, it was like someone cursed you with the worst luck possible. Each time you were so close to completing a mission, some Autobot scum would literally come out of nowhere and screw you over. It was starting to get to the point where you began doubting your abilities.
You were really useless, weren't you? Even if Breakdown and Knockout thought otherwise. Their thoughts really don’t count because you knew that they would only say good about you unless they were in a playful mood to tease.
There was a moment of silence between the two of you. Breakdown, for all his sweetness, struggled to show kindness just like every other Decepticon. He did feel bad for you, not only because he was hopelessly in love with you but due to the fact that you got your tailpipe hand to you by Bulkhead of all Bots! Naturally, he wanted you to feel better. Even if you felt that you didn't deserve this, he would make you feel better nonetheless.
“You... you up for a race?" Breakdown asked rather sheepishly, offering a servo to help you stand up. Despite Breakdown's large frame, you were still able to look at his face without breaking your neck-cables due to you being almost the same size as Knockout.
He knew that you and Knockout would often race together to let off some steam and it was always a tie between you and him which was impressive, especially from Knockout’s side considering he’s in a racing competition against a seeker. He might've not been the fastest bot around due his more bulky frame but he did care about his dearest friend and if there was even the slightest chance that racing with him would make you feel better, Breakdown would take it. As long as he got to spend time with the Decepticon that stole his spark, he was alright with it.
You vented in deeply. "Alright. But what’s the stakes?" You asked, looking into his glowing yellow optics.
Breakdown paused, thinking.
“Energon treats.” Breakdown replied. He didn’t mind losing his energon treats to you, as long as it meant that you were your happy self again. Even if it was from the already scarce energon rations. He briefly saw that forsaken stupid smile again as your wings twitched up a little and swore his spark would explode on spot.
Breakdown can’t remember when he fell for you but he remembers how. There was never a ‘Con who went into battle with such a big smile on their face. Initially, Breakdown found it annoying. There was nothing to smile for, everything was lost— Cybertron, Velocitron and their comrades. He just couldn’t get it. But you smiled through it all, whether it was defeat or victory. Slowly, you gave him hope that somehow, in someway, all of this would be worth it. All of their efforts wouldn’t be for nothing— that this war was worth fighting. After he met you, he finally had some hope.
Now it would seem as if its his turn to bring back the hope to you and he isn’t going to back down. Your spark-stealing smile was worth everything to him. Even losing to you.
And if that wasn’t love, Breakdown doesn’t know what love is.