Chapter Text
Blinding lights illuminate the race track. This is the final deciding round and you're competing against cybertrons fastest bots. You glance to the left and right of you, observing your competition closely. One gets used to the looming pressure and stress with time and now, you belong to cybertrons best. Looking around you see the thousands of fans blurring into colourful masses, cheering all around you in their stands. This was an indescribable feeling, one that never grows old. Your circuits were buzzing with excitement and you were more than determined to take this trophy home.
The sound to signal the race silences the crowd as you and the other racers ready themselves. Nothing else matters anymore as you're laser focused and wait for the start. Every fiber in your frame accelerates forwards the second you hear it and race around every coming obstacle and sharp corner like your life depends on it. You've fought your way to second place while everyone else fights for scraps behind you. The final lap comes to an end as you see the finish line on the horizon. You push yourself and speed up a final time to overtake the number one on the inside and replace him. High risk high reward as you pass the finish line first and the crowds mad cheers flood your audio receptors.
You're nearly in the heavens as you lift your arms up to cheer alongside your fans. This was not your first win, that was a long time ago but the experience of success is simply incomparable. Up on the podium, you gaze below at your team and accept the trophy. You flash an honest smile into the camera, thank your team and walk outside through the paparazzi and crowd.
"This is your 3rd win in a row! Congratulations! Many of us wonder what fuels your drive to win?" One interwiever shoves his mic a bit too close into your face but you lean back and answer relaxed.
"Well, you know its definitely my supporters that stand behind me. I can't disappoint them now can I? Oh and definitely my crew! Where would I be without them?"
While answering some more questions you politely take pictures and sign autographs for different bots behind the barrier.
"Hey here! I'm a big fan! Huge fan actually. Your numer one fan even."
One voice overtones quite literally every one elses and you, intrigued as you are, stare around till you see a red hand waving in your direction and follow it further down to a red and white mini bot.
You make eye contact and smile, quickly approaching him.
Oh God she actually heard him! She's approaching him right now. As in a couple of seconds. Swerve is sure that his spark is about burst out of his chassis, this is literally unreal. Hedidnotthinkthistrough. Staycalmbecool.
"Hey." You nearly blind him with your smile.
"Hey uhm I'm your biggest fan. I mean it. Not like in a weird obsessed deep level way like actually and uh my data pad. Could you sign it please? Thank you! The names Swerve."
He shakely hands his data pad over with a pen. He looks up at you and suddenly has the urge to tell you every little thing on his mind, he can't decide which topic to prioritize so he does what he can do best and spews out everything.
"Thank you very much for your support Swerve." You grin and make sure to give him your best signature and add a little heart at the end of it.
He feels faint.
Has his spark stopped beating?
"And could I shake your hand? Just for a second or two. Maybe a bit longer? I also own a bar you know. A super famous one actually! Definitely up to your standards." He stammers out at last.
The second your much larger hand encompasses his smaller one an electric current surges through both of you and he decides then, he never wants to let go.
"Aha you do?" Your guard starts to tap at your shoulder, that means time's up.
"Yeah you could come visit, its Swerves pretty big sign, you can't miss it. It would be an honor to have you, I mean I'd be very happy to have you. Well not in that way? You know what I mean!" He shouts his last bit as you loosen your grip and are tugged away from him.
"Bye Swerve!" Is all he hears before your frame vanishes.
He stands there behind the barrier in the sea of fans, beyond exhilarated that his limbs are shaking. He totally became best friends with his favorite racer and in fact she was totally going to visit his bar. He cannot wait to tell everybody else.
✧
"Where'd you get that data pad from?" Your body guard questions suspiciously, half a second away from taking it from you and destroying it.
"Hm? Oh scrap. This isn't mine."
His optics widen and he darts his hand out to snatch it but naturally you're quicker.
"Wait you didn't let me finish! I kept it by accident." You justify yourself.
You feel the grooves of your signature in the object that doesn't belong to you, but a mini bot named Swerve. In your rush to leave you somehow forgot to give it back to him. Well to be fair you were kind of distracted? You were just very focused on the things he was saying that you must've forgot. Admittedly his stammering was cute. Okay maybe you were distracted because he was cute.
"I say get rid of it. Not like you'll meet whoever again anyway." He mutters beside you.
"That's mean and no. I'll give it back to him." Swerve said he owns a bar right? The perfect opportunity to give it back and talk to him some more. You grinn a little, thinking about him. You meet hundreds of fans every race but this one, a short red and white bot managed to stick out and gain your interest.
"Tomorrow I'll give it back, he said he owns a bar." You’ve made up your mind.
"A bar? But I thought you didn't like crowded places. That sound like a nightmare to you, no?" He questions and he was right, kind of. When the camera was on and everyone was safely a distance away behind a barrier, you were able to play a character just fine. Around the clock it was the same, you were a champion, a racer and that’s what everyone wanted to see and that’s what you delivered. What was beyond that wasn’t lucrative and so off track you found it difficult to come across as just yourself.
"I'll manage don't worry."
✧
"So let me get this straight yea? You met her, she signed your data pad and you never got it back?"
Riptide and Trailcutter where cackling at Skids remark while Swerve is suppressing his urge to shove his glass down his intake.
"No see it's a gift. I gave it to her get it? A gift from me to her so she’ll never forget me. It’s that simple." Swerve gestures behind the bar as if he's explaining a mathematical equation and sets the glass down to clean another.
"Of course. Maybe if you hadn't talked so much you could've given her a chance to give it back buddy." Skids smirks behind his hand, slightly turning away at Nauticas disapproving look.
"Listen swerve I'm sure she’ll keep it and remember you." She says trying to console him.
✧
The establishment wasn't really full at this time you notice, this was great! Because you can't remember the last time you were this nervous. You've faced greater pressure in your profession, this isn't meant to be this nerve racking. What if you gave it back you talked and he noticed you weren't at all interesting, aside the fact that you where famous. What if you made a fool of yourself. What if-
"You entering or no?"
"Oh yeah. Sorry."
This was a fantastic start. You awkwardly enter and look around a little. The bar was dimly lit and at the front you spotted some bots and who you guessed was swerve with his back turned to you. Without drawing too much attention to yourself you walk up to the counter.
"I'm telling y-you I can handle one more drink -I'm barely- just one more." Trailcutter slurs, he can barely keep himself upright, head resting on the counter top.
"Alright alright, here." Swerve fills his glass with another but dilutes it a bit so his friend doesn't collapse, just as he’s about to turn and hand it to him it slips out of his hand and shatters on the floor, spilling it in the process.
You slightly flinch at the noise but collect yourself again. "Hey Swerve, everything okay?"
Said bots that are sitting by the counter simultaneously snap their heads in your direction, optics wide and taken aback.
You stand next to them, slightly leaning over the bar to maybe lend him a hand but he's surprisingly fast, cleaning the mess up. His head shoots back up and you both are face to face, noses nearly touching.
"How are you?" You peer down at him.
If he was to focus all his sensors, he could nearly feel you breathing and it's like all his brain functions stop. All he can manage is to gape at you, clearly in disbelief.
Cute.
"Good. Great and how are you? Would you like to sit? Anything I can get you, I'll give you a discount. No, you know what it's on the house."
He fumbles with his cloth and his coolers were working over time. Man your faces were so close and man did he want to be closer and wow his spark is jumping in joy because he can't believe his eyes. You actually came! Not that he doubted you.
Hesitantly you take a seat placing one of your hands on the table top and reach your other hand over to him. "Your data pad, I came to return it."
The other companions by the counter were wordlessly staring back at you, then Swerve and again back at you.
The square mini bot takes the data pad and lifts it up into the light, examining the signature. "You really came just to give it back? Wow that's..I thought you wouldn't even remember me. That's very nice of you and obviously I didn't think any less of you. You're just cool like that."
"Thank you and ofcourse I'd remember you. You're not easy to forget." You're a little bashful when it comes to compliments and coming from him it sounded very genuine.
Nautica rises almost too quickly, dragging the other two away and with her. "We will be off you two!"
"So..your the owner..." you glance around some more.
"Yeah all's mine. It's always been my dream to own a bar. It's not as cool as being a racer-"
"I think it's cool." You interrupt him.
"Oh y-yeah you do?" Swerve halts his movement wondering if he imagined your words.
"Yup I like your bar its really nice looking and besides it was your wish right? Running an establishment is not easy I imagine? You have to be responsible especially handling customers." Your watchful eyes while he moves around the bar, makes his fingers tremble and he absolutely tries everything to not embarrass himself further.
The best strategy is to hide your anxiety behind faux confidence, so he rests one hand on his hip and the other next to your hand on the counter to lean in. "Yes I'm incredibly responsible and probably the most reliable bot I know for sure."
✧
The evening passes like this, Swerve and you talking. It was mostly him telling outrageous stories, which you're certain aren't completely true but it didn't matter. You found him really charming in his own way, you’ve never seen any bot be so unapologetically themselves and in return he made you feel in place, normal. Like there was more to you than just your career. He was very interested in the things you like and your life outside of racing something you did not expect but you happily indulged in his questions.
"I should probably head home." The sun had long set and the hectic nightlife was flooding into the streets.
Swerve never wanted you to leave. While everyone may laugh at his jokes, they never particularly liked him. This proved itself whenever they had enough of his talking and either directly told him to shut it or simply left his near vicinity. There was a huge difference in the way you spoke and even in the way you looked at him. Your genuine curiosity made him feel hopeful.
"I'll follow you out, wait."
You both get up while he walks in front of you to open the door so you two can step outside. It takes you a short while to gather the words you want to say, when you peer down at him into his blue visor a warm feeling envelops your spark and so you gather enough courage.
"I'm glad I came.." Suddenly it becomes a bit hard to think. "I'd like to visit again and maybe just you, outside of the bar. Only if you'd like to-"
"Yes! I mean yeah I'd like to. Definitely." No one was going to believe this. No one! He can’t even belobe it himself. You just asked him indirectly out on a date. You! The famous racer he has countless posters of. The famous racer he's watched countless footage of.
You both sheepishly smile, two exited sparks beating in sync.
"Thank you for inviting me and your comm number can I have it?" You ask him.
"Oh right sure!" You hand him your data pad and he taps a series of numbers in.
"Say what about coming to my next race? I'll get you seats front row and you can come with me back stage. I could show you stuff no one else gets to see." You wink.
"Absolutely yes!" Was he already imagining you two as conjunx? Maybe.
✧
"You're not listening! I saw it with my own optics. It was her!" Cromedome, Rewind and Tailgate all came for confirmation from Skids and Trailcutter who currently sit by the bar. Swerve was absend at the moment, said his "conjunx" was calling him or something.
Cromedome stares at him skeptically.
"We all saw it. But that's not the craziest part! He's scored a date. Literally how?? Swerve of all bots..." Trailcutter complains.
"You'll get your moment buddy it's alright." Tailgate comforts him.