TF Rare Pairing Challenge: Galvatron/Cyclonus
Title: Like This
Author: dfastback68
Pairing: Galvatron/Cyclonus
Rating: Strong T
Notes: I wimped out on going above a strong T, but the ending turned out kind of fluffy anyways. Hope you like it!
Prompt: After Torkulon Galvatron can't recharge very well, and often wakes up screaming because of the pain and nightmares. Cyclonus is the only one who is allowed to know and tries to take care of him.
Three things you want in your story: Hurt/comfort. Maybe some guilt on Cyclonus's part at having betrayed his leader. Also, if it's easy to work in (you don't have to force it) some sort of exploration of how Galvatron's mind/subconscious works - what are his nightmares about - that sort of thing, would be nice.
Three things you do NOT want in your story: Galvatron being too physically abusive; it's fine if he's a little rough with Cyclonus, but please, no rape or Cyclonus ending up in the medbay half dead afterwards. Apart from that anything is fine. Please feel free to go where your muse takes you.
It was the same every night.
The thing started with the barest of whispers, delicately spreading over his neural networks with such grace it hardly seemed threatening. Even when he had begun to learn that it never stayed innocent, never stayed docile, he still wasn't ready for it. It didn't hurt until it wrapped into his circuitry, and by then it was too late to get it off.
Itching, crawling, pawing and twisting its web through his mind, he could feel it getting closer and closer to him. It was looking for him, at the same time it was consuming him bit by bit. When it found him, when it saw him, it would have him completely. There would be nothing left of him but a hollow shell and the monster that had devoured his mind.
His struggles intensified as it drew nearer, and his screams were heard by no one. He could shout and beg all he wanted, but no one would come. No one but the thing, its senor network roving about, probing for his central cortex. It tightened its hold and crushed his circuits, rendering him helpless. Panic welled up in him when he felt it ghost over his central processor, then dig in when it realized what it had found.
Everything came to a terrible standstill when it finally saw him. The webbing in his circuits and wires went taut, trembling in anticipation of a delicious meal. A single, great mechanical eye looked down at him, looked through him, and stripped him bare. The first time it had seen him, it had gone mad; now it knew him, and it knew how to deal with him. Paralyzed both from fear and the tendrils of purple webbing wrapped around him, he could do nothing to stop it this time.
Torkulon would gorge itself on his mind, and Galvatron could do nothing but scream.
Cyclonus wrenched out of recharge and was on his feet before his processors even registered the screaming, or why it was important. He was halfway down the hall before clarity caught up with him, and was punching in the code to Galvatron's quarters when he remembered who was screaming. The howls got louder when the door slid open, and he rushed inside so he could close it again. No one else was near enough to hear it, but paranoia made him practical.
“Galvatron!” Cyclonus' shouting fell on deaf audios, as his leader was too busy clawing at his armor and screaming in abject horror.
“Get it out!” Galvatron howled, slamming himself into the wall. He ricocheted off of it, immediately going back to trying to rip the wires out of his chassis. Cyclonus tried and failed to catch him, having to back off when Galvatron lashed out at him. “Get it off of me, get it out, get it out, get it out!”
“Galvatron, please!” Cyclonus lunged forward when he saw his chance, grabbing Galvatron from behind and pinning his arms to his sides. “It's gone, every last bit of the web is gone! We made certain of it mighty Galvatron -”
“I still feel it!” Galvatron continued struggling, but had at least stopped trying to rip his own armor off. “It's not gone!
“It is. It's gone, I swear it!” Desperate, Cyclonus half-dragged the struggling 'Con towards the private bathing chambers. Sometimes the water would calm him down, and sometimes it wouldn't. Galvatron had nearly stripped his own wiring upon returning from the machine-planet of Torkulon, and Cyclonus had been the one to ensure every thread of webbing was gone. It had not been a pleasant experience for either of them.
The moment they stepped into the bathing chambers Galvatron broke away from him, making a mad dash for the control panel. Cyclonus felt a wave of relief when the shower head rained the cleansing solution down on Galvatron, who stood under it like a statue. It was unusual that he wasn't scrubbing himself, and Cyclonus considered reaching out to him, to help him, but thought better of it.
Instead he rubbed his face with one hand, tension building in his circuits now that things had calmed down somewhat. Peaceful and decent recharges had become a thing of the past since the failed psychotherapy session on Torkulon. The memories of what had happened kept Galvatron awake - or woke him up. It was left to Cyclonus to deal with the aftermath, which meant neither of them had had a full night of uninterrupted recharge.
“You see, Lord Galvatron? It's gone,” he said. “All of it is gone. And Torkulon suffers, thanks to you.”
“It's not gone,” Galvatron snapped. “No thanks to you.”
Cyclonus winced. Perhaps they should invest the time to destroy the planet properly, instead of letting it torture its own caretakers and roil in insanity. He had thought Galvatron would prefer to see it suffer, but killing it might be a step towards healing his own pain. Galvatron was never very clear what the nightmares were about - just that they hurt, and they would never end.
“This,” Galvatron ground out, and Cyclonus braced himself, knowing what was coming. “Is all your fault!”
“Mighty Galvatron, please.” What could he possibly say that he hadn't said over and over already? “I was merely trying to help you, to make you a greater leader. When they turned against you, I tried to stop them, I tried everything I could!”
Except you didn't try hard enough, some horrible part of him said. You were too late, and they still ripped his mind open. Only a fool would have taken the advise of a Quintesson.
“I don't care what you tried,” Galvatron growled, slamming his fist on the control panel to stop the water flow. “It wasn't good enough.”
Cyclonus was shoved into the wall as Galvatron stalked past him, leaving a trail of water as he went. He didn't follow immediately, wondering if he was going to walk right into his cannon if he did. When he did reenter the room, there was no cannon, but a deep scowl parked on Galvatron's face.
“Mighty Galvatron,” Cyclonus started, intending to lay on another apology. Like the water, it sometimes helped, and sometimes didn't.
“I am tired of your simpering apologies!” Galvatron exploded before he got any further, and Cyclonus recoiled, expecting an attack. “You don't know what it's like, what happened when that thing invaded my mind! I can still feel it watching me, waiting for me and then consuming me! It's your fault.”
Cyclonus said nothing, holding his ground as Galvatron's rant brought them face-to-face.
“You started this!” Galvatron snapped. “Fix it!”
“Galvatron, I -” Cyclonus shook his head. “I can't. I don't know how.”
“Well then do something!”
Considering all of the sane, logical and practical things to do, Cyclonus could not fathom why his only response was to close the distance between them and kiss Galvatron. He felt him stiffen, but he was not rejected, and after a moment Galvatron's hands closed around his head, deepening the kiss.
This is what he needs, Cyclonus thought, even as Galvatron herded him back to the recharge berth. Breaking the kiss, Cyclonus sat down on the berth, and Galvatron pushed him all the way down when he joined him. Pleasure to erase the pain, to forget it ever happened.
It was that simple. He had to believe it was that simple. When Galvatron came down to kiss him again, Cyclonus rose up to meet him without hesitation.
It hadn't worked. Nothing had changed.
When plans had been made to crash a comet into Metroplex, Cyclonus had been more than ready to assist with the engines. Scourge had held him back, thinking that enough damage had been done, and that they ought to let Galvatron do things his way for a change. He had not agreed at first, but Scourge had a point. The other Decepticons would see that Galvatron was the leader that they needed, and the threats to their position would end.
Except the Decepticons had come back from Eurythma worse off then when they'd left. Metroplex had not been destroyed, Soundwave had promptly locked himself in his quarters, and Galvatron's nightmares continued that very night. It was a small relief that the night terrors hadn't intensified, as Galvatron had channeled his anger back to the Autobots. Fuming about Ultra Magnus and Soundwave's failure effectively distracted him from thinking about Torkulon. That seemed to keep the dreams at bay when he finally succumbed to exhaustion.
Cyclonus made a habit of staying with Galvatron after the yelling and screaming and fuming abated. He considered coming before it started, but didn't think his leader would be open to the idea. It wasn't always easy to guess what Galvatron was thinking or what he needed, so he just waited to be told what to do. At least he managed to recharge once Cyclonus joined him, even if Cyclonus himself suffered another sleepless night.
He spent his days agonizing over solutions, coming up with nothing other than calming him in the night. Asking another doctor or medic was out of the question - not only did Cyclonus distrust them now, but Galvatron would probably kill them without a second thought. Combined with running a faction that was constantly ready to split at the seams, Cyclonus felt himself wearing thin, rapidly approaching a breaking point.
At the very least, those that had challenged him in the first place had backed off. Laserbeak went into seclusion with Soundwave and Swindle had more than likely found a more prospective business deal. The only one he still worried about was Motormaster, though even he had been silent as of late. Perhaps he had been satisfied with Cyclonus' attempt, and came to realize that there was no changing Galvatron. He was the best they were going to get, and Cyclonus knew Galvatron was the best they would ever have.
All he had to do was keep him sane enough to lead the faction.
Cyclonus stared at the door to Galvatron's quarters, though there was nothing but silence behind it. By all rights, he ought to be deep in recharge by now, letting his systems relax from being so overworked. He didn't know what he was waiting for; may be for Galvatron to scream, or may be he might knock and invite himself in. He didn't know.
It almost seemed reasonable to recharge right here. He wouldn't have far to run when the screaming started up, and being this close meant he could stop it faster. Recharging out here would be uncomfortable, but guilt still gnawed at his conscience. He hardly thought Galvatron would see this as suitable punishment, but he'd do this on top of whatever his leader might dish out on him. It was what he deserved for his failure and his betrayal.
Cyclonus started when the door opened on its own, and Galvatron glared at him across the threshold. Cyclonus opened his mouth to speak, found he had nothing to say, and closed it. Realizing he ought to say something, he tried again. He was left with his mouth hanging open when Galvatron turned around and walked back inside, without closing the door. Cyclonus hesitated a moment, then walked in, closing the door behind him and making certain it was locked.
Galvatron was already on the recharge berth, on his side with his back to the door - and Cyclonus. He wasn't going to fight the fact that he was exhausted, but he remained standing where he was, awkwardly watching Galvatron for any sign of movement. Nothing happened for a long stretch of time, and his weary systems finally forced him to approach the berth.
There was no reaction from Galvatron as he laid down, flat on his back and hands folded over his middle. He stared at the ceiling, wanting to recharge but not daring to let his guard down. There might be a reason he was here, and he didn't want to miss it. He needed to be ready, needed to be prepared -
“It's better,” Galvatron said, and Cyclonus barely kept himself from jumping in surprise. His tone was subdued, but he didn't sound tired. “Like this.”
Like...? Cyclonus knew better than to ask, and had to guess at what he was talking about. May be the simple presence of something other than his memories soothed the pain. May be not. Galvatron would tell him if he really wanted to.
“Good,” Cyclonus said, wishing there was something more profound, more meaningful he could say. He felt like one of those cracked psychologists, encouraging the patient to speak their mind. “That's good.”
Galvatron made no reply. In fact, after only a few moments, Cyclonus was certain he'd powered down into recharge. Finally letting himself relax, Cyclonus cycled out air he hadn't known he'd been holding in.
Galvatron was right. It was better like this.
Author: dfastback68
Pairing: Galvatron/Cyclonus
Rating: Strong T
Notes: I wimped out on going above a strong T, but the ending turned out kind of fluffy anyways. Hope you like it!
Prompt: After Torkulon Galvatron can't recharge very well, and often wakes up screaming because of the pain and nightmares. Cyclonus is the only one who is allowed to know and tries to take care of him.
Three things you want in your story: Hurt/comfort. Maybe some guilt on Cyclonus's part at having betrayed his leader. Also, if it's easy to work in (you don't have to force it) some sort of exploration of how Galvatron's mind/subconscious works - what are his nightmares about - that sort of thing, would be nice.
Three things you do NOT want in your story: Galvatron being too physically abusive; it's fine if he's a little rough with Cyclonus, but please, no rape or Cyclonus ending up in the medbay half dead afterwards. Apart from that anything is fine. Please feel free to go where your muse takes you.
It was the same every night.
The thing started with the barest of whispers, delicately spreading over his neural networks with such grace it hardly seemed threatening. Even when he had begun to learn that it never stayed innocent, never stayed docile, he still wasn't ready for it. It didn't hurt until it wrapped into his circuitry, and by then it was too late to get it off.
Itching, crawling, pawing and twisting its web through his mind, he could feel it getting closer and closer to him. It was looking for him, at the same time it was consuming him bit by bit. When it found him, when it saw him, it would have him completely. There would be nothing left of him but a hollow shell and the monster that had devoured his mind.
His struggles intensified as it drew nearer, and his screams were heard by no one. He could shout and beg all he wanted, but no one would come. No one but the thing, its senor network roving about, probing for his central cortex. It tightened its hold and crushed his circuits, rendering him helpless. Panic welled up in him when he felt it ghost over his central processor, then dig in when it realized what it had found.
Everything came to a terrible standstill when it finally saw him. The webbing in his circuits and wires went taut, trembling in anticipation of a delicious meal. A single, great mechanical eye looked down at him, looked through him, and stripped him bare. The first time it had seen him, it had gone mad; now it knew him, and it knew how to deal with him. Paralyzed both from fear and the tendrils of purple webbing wrapped around him, he could do nothing to stop it this time.
Torkulon would gorge itself on his mind, and Galvatron could do nothing but scream.
Cyclonus wrenched out of recharge and was on his feet before his processors even registered the screaming, or why it was important. He was halfway down the hall before clarity caught up with him, and was punching in the code to Galvatron's quarters when he remembered who was screaming. The howls got louder when the door slid open, and he rushed inside so he could close it again. No one else was near enough to hear it, but paranoia made him practical.
“Galvatron!” Cyclonus' shouting fell on deaf audios, as his leader was too busy clawing at his armor and screaming in abject horror.
“Get it out!” Galvatron howled, slamming himself into the wall. He ricocheted off of it, immediately going back to trying to rip the wires out of his chassis. Cyclonus tried and failed to catch him, having to back off when Galvatron lashed out at him. “Get it off of me, get it out, get it out, get it out!”
“Galvatron, please!” Cyclonus lunged forward when he saw his chance, grabbing Galvatron from behind and pinning his arms to his sides. “It's gone, every last bit of the web is gone! We made certain of it mighty Galvatron -”
“I still feel it!” Galvatron continued struggling, but had at least stopped trying to rip his own armor off. “It's not gone!
“It is. It's gone, I swear it!” Desperate, Cyclonus half-dragged the struggling 'Con towards the private bathing chambers. Sometimes the water would calm him down, and sometimes it wouldn't. Galvatron had nearly stripped his own wiring upon returning from the machine-planet of Torkulon, and Cyclonus had been the one to ensure every thread of webbing was gone. It had not been a pleasant experience for either of them.
The moment they stepped into the bathing chambers Galvatron broke away from him, making a mad dash for the control panel. Cyclonus felt a wave of relief when the shower head rained the cleansing solution down on Galvatron, who stood under it like a statue. It was unusual that he wasn't scrubbing himself, and Cyclonus considered reaching out to him, to help him, but thought better of it.
Instead he rubbed his face with one hand, tension building in his circuits now that things had calmed down somewhat. Peaceful and decent recharges had become a thing of the past since the failed psychotherapy session on Torkulon. The memories of what had happened kept Galvatron awake - or woke him up. It was left to Cyclonus to deal with the aftermath, which meant neither of them had had a full night of uninterrupted recharge.
“You see, Lord Galvatron? It's gone,” he said. “All of it is gone. And Torkulon suffers, thanks to you.”
“It's not gone,” Galvatron snapped. “No thanks to you.”
Cyclonus winced. Perhaps they should invest the time to destroy the planet properly, instead of letting it torture its own caretakers and roil in insanity. He had thought Galvatron would prefer to see it suffer, but killing it might be a step towards healing his own pain. Galvatron was never very clear what the nightmares were about - just that they hurt, and they would never end.
“This,” Galvatron ground out, and Cyclonus braced himself, knowing what was coming. “Is all your fault!”
“Mighty Galvatron, please.” What could he possibly say that he hadn't said over and over already? “I was merely trying to help you, to make you a greater leader. When they turned against you, I tried to stop them, I tried everything I could!”
Except you didn't try hard enough, some horrible part of him said. You were too late, and they still ripped his mind open. Only a fool would have taken the advise of a Quintesson.
“I don't care what you tried,” Galvatron growled, slamming his fist on the control panel to stop the water flow. “It wasn't good enough.”
Cyclonus was shoved into the wall as Galvatron stalked past him, leaving a trail of water as he went. He didn't follow immediately, wondering if he was going to walk right into his cannon if he did. When he did reenter the room, there was no cannon, but a deep scowl parked on Galvatron's face.
“Mighty Galvatron,” Cyclonus started, intending to lay on another apology. Like the water, it sometimes helped, and sometimes didn't.
“I am tired of your simpering apologies!” Galvatron exploded before he got any further, and Cyclonus recoiled, expecting an attack. “You don't know what it's like, what happened when that thing invaded my mind! I can still feel it watching me, waiting for me and then consuming me! It's your fault.”
Cyclonus said nothing, holding his ground as Galvatron's rant brought them face-to-face.
“You started this!” Galvatron snapped. “Fix it!”
“Galvatron, I -” Cyclonus shook his head. “I can't. I don't know how.”
“Well then do something!”
Considering all of the sane, logical and practical things to do, Cyclonus could not fathom why his only response was to close the distance between them and kiss Galvatron. He felt him stiffen, but he was not rejected, and after a moment Galvatron's hands closed around his head, deepening the kiss.
This is what he needs, Cyclonus thought, even as Galvatron herded him back to the recharge berth. Breaking the kiss, Cyclonus sat down on the berth, and Galvatron pushed him all the way down when he joined him. Pleasure to erase the pain, to forget it ever happened.
It was that simple. He had to believe it was that simple. When Galvatron came down to kiss him again, Cyclonus rose up to meet him without hesitation.
It hadn't worked. Nothing had changed.
When plans had been made to crash a comet into Metroplex, Cyclonus had been more than ready to assist with the engines. Scourge had held him back, thinking that enough damage had been done, and that they ought to let Galvatron do things his way for a change. He had not agreed at first, but Scourge had a point. The other Decepticons would see that Galvatron was the leader that they needed, and the threats to their position would end.
Except the Decepticons had come back from Eurythma worse off then when they'd left. Metroplex had not been destroyed, Soundwave had promptly locked himself in his quarters, and Galvatron's nightmares continued that very night. It was a small relief that the night terrors hadn't intensified, as Galvatron had channeled his anger back to the Autobots. Fuming about Ultra Magnus and Soundwave's failure effectively distracted him from thinking about Torkulon. That seemed to keep the dreams at bay when he finally succumbed to exhaustion.
Cyclonus made a habit of staying with Galvatron after the yelling and screaming and fuming abated. He considered coming before it started, but didn't think his leader would be open to the idea. It wasn't always easy to guess what Galvatron was thinking or what he needed, so he just waited to be told what to do. At least he managed to recharge once Cyclonus joined him, even if Cyclonus himself suffered another sleepless night.
He spent his days agonizing over solutions, coming up with nothing other than calming him in the night. Asking another doctor or medic was out of the question - not only did Cyclonus distrust them now, but Galvatron would probably kill them without a second thought. Combined with running a faction that was constantly ready to split at the seams, Cyclonus felt himself wearing thin, rapidly approaching a breaking point.
At the very least, those that had challenged him in the first place had backed off. Laserbeak went into seclusion with Soundwave and Swindle had more than likely found a more prospective business deal. The only one he still worried about was Motormaster, though even he had been silent as of late. Perhaps he had been satisfied with Cyclonus' attempt, and came to realize that there was no changing Galvatron. He was the best they were going to get, and Cyclonus knew Galvatron was the best they would ever have.
All he had to do was keep him sane enough to lead the faction.
Cyclonus stared at the door to Galvatron's quarters, though there was nothing but silence behind it. By all rights, he ought to be deep in recharge by now, letting his systems relax from being so overworked. He didn't know what he was waiting for; may be for Galvatron to scream, or may be he might knock and invite himself in. He didn't know.
It almost seemed reasonable to recharge right here. He wouldn't have far to run when the screaming started up, and being this close meant he could stop it faster. Recharging out here would be uncomfortable, but guilt still gnawed at his conscience. He hardly thought Galvatron would see this as suitable punishment, but he'd do this on top of whatever his leader might dish out on him. It was what he deserved for his failure and his betrayal.
Cyclonus started when the door opened on its own, and Galvatron glared at him across the threshold. Cyclonus opened his mouth to speak, found he had nothing to say, and closed it. Realizing he ought to say something, he tried again. He was left with his mouth hanging open when Galvatron turned around and walked back inside, without closing the door. Cyclonus hesitated a moment, then walked in, closing the door behind him and making certain it was locked.
Galvatron was already on the recharge berth, on his side with his back to the door - and Cyclonus. He wasn't going to fight the fact that he was exhausted, but he remained standing where he was, awkwardly watching Galvatron for any sign of movement. Nothing happened for a long stretch of time, and his weary systems finally forced him to approach the berth.
There was no reaction from Galvatron as he laid down, flat on his back and hands folded over his middle. He stared at the ceiling, wanting to recharge but not daring to let his guard down. There might be a reason he was here, and he didn't want to miss it. He needed to be ready, needed to be prepared -
“It's better,” Galvatron said, and Cyclonus barely kept himself from jumping in surprise. His tone was subdued, but he didn't sound tired. “Like this.”
Like...? Cyclonus knew better than to ask, and had to guess at what he was talking about. May be the simple presence of something other than his memories soothed the pain. May be not. Galvatron would tell him if he really wanted to.
“Good,” Cyclonus said, wishing there was something more profound, more meaningful he could say. He felt like one of those cracked psychologists, encouraging the patient to speak their mind. “That's good.”
Galvatron made no reply. In fact, after only a few moments, Cyclonus was certain he'd powered down into recharge. Finally letting himself relax, Cyclonus cycled out air he hadn't known he'd been holding in.
Galvatron was right. It was better like this.