Oh my goodness! I spent forever on this one-shot! :O

Okay, to those of you who haven't read my writings before, this is my first time writing anything SunnyxOcxSides. And I apologize if anyone is out of character at all. I think I save myself with the fact that guys tend to be a little nervous around girls. I am telling you! Some of them get so shy it's adorable.. :) So, this story is pretty much about Sunny and his feelings. I figure during and before the war he and Sides were pretty much womanizers..er, femmenizers? eh, anyways. This takes place after the War, and they are trying to turn a new leaf.. but it's kind of hard for them to when they're split-spark twins.

Okay, I do not own Transformers! I only own my OC. :)

::Crush::

Sunstreaker paused in his painting of the mural in front of him as a familiar femme appeared on the other side of the street. His brush stopped in mid stroke as he turned to get a glance at her before she was swarmed by the group surrounding her. He barely caught a glimpse of her, but in that glimpse she had looked in his direction and he quickly turned away. Her bright blue optics had looked at him. Well, perhaps not at him, but in his direction. But even that made him feel self conscious. His face heat up in embarrassment when he looked down at himself, noticing that he was covered in different shades of green and blue paint. Oh! How unfair that the first time she actually looked in his direction he was a mess! He tried to ignore the feelings of self loathing building up in his spark and went back to work on his painting, but he found that he just couldn't. His servos were shaking.

Setting down the brush on his stand, he clasped one of his servos around the other, praying and beggin Primus to let him find his calm again. He couldn't believe that something as simple as a femme could make him feel like this. Every time she walked by on her way to the diner she worked at, which just happened to be across the street from where he was working, he would see her and feel sick. His tanks would churn, he felt dizzy, and he shook all over. But when she looked at him the feeling seemed to have tripled in intensity. How that was possible he would never know…

Of course, a blind mech could see how beautiful she was. Her slender frame was something femmes would all desire to have, and all mechs flocked to her. Her armor was bright and clean, white with blue accenting tones to match her optics. Yes, she was attractive, but that was not all that made her beautiful. In all the time he had spent on the mural across from the diner she was employed at, he watched her. Even if it was as creepy as Sideswipe had pointed out, he couldn't keep his optics from straying over to her. She worked cheerfully, a smile ever present on her lips. She spoke to the Cybertronians inside as equals, past Autobot or Decepticon, she didn't seem to care about what they had done. And they all loved her for that. She was kind to them.

On slow days, he would see her singing as she cleaned the tables and dance as she swept. Her cheery expression never left her. When a close friend would come in she would pull them into an embrace and dance with them to whatever music was playing inside. She would laugh, joke, and go about her duties like no one else did. And because of that, he couldn't help but notice her.

When he had expressed this to his twin, Sideswipe had laughed and shoved his shoulder. "You have a crush!" he had poked fun at him, asking him if he spoke with her. When the answer was no he had been slightly disappointed, but then continued to blatantly tease him.

But it was true. He had a crush. He didn't even try to deny it. But the fact that he didn't even know her name was torturing him. He had considered going into the diner to find out, but every time he attempted to gather the courage to do it he lost his nerve at the last second and passed the building to continue home. That thought in its self was embarrassing. He had faced off against Decepticons without fear for stellar-cycles but was halted in his intentions by one femme. He was intimidated by her!

Swallowing thickly, he picked his brush up again with more steady servos. She had long disappeared into the diner with the crowd, leaving him once again alone outside. But he could still see her out of the corner of his optic. The building front was made of a sturdy Plexiglas, allowing outsiders to see in. And thus, he was able to see her all day. So close, but so far out of reach.

With a sigh, he started where he had left off, trying to get her out of his mind. But she stayed ever present in his thoughts, surfacing again and again every time he dipped his brush into the white or blue paint…

"So that's the femme you were talking about."

Servo slipping in surprise, a bright green smudged over the painting, ruining a good three vorns work. "Sideswipe!" he turned to glare at his twin, furious. "How many times do I have to tell you not to make me jump while I'm working?!"

The red mech shrugged with a chuckle. "Obviously more times than you have already." He smirked, leaning against a bare patch of wall as his split-spark brother fumed. "It thought you said you'd be finished with this mural last week." He made idle conversation, taking a glance over his shoulder back at the diner. Sunstreaker made no attempt to comment back, but jumped again at his next words. "She is pretty."

"Will you stop staring?" He pulled his brother behind him roughly, almost causing him to trip and fall. "She could look over here and see you gawking at her!" he hissed, glancing over his shoulder to look at her. She was still working diligently. Perhaps she hadn't noticed.

"Oh, you've got it bad…" Sideswipe laughed. "Sunny, you have to go talk to her. It'll be hilarious!"

"Don't call me that." He grumbled, ignoring his suggestion and getting back to work. Mixing the right paints he continued what he had been doing, waiting for the mistake to dry before painting over it again. He remained impassive on the outside, but inside his spark was hammering painfully in his chest. He was franticly trying to pull himself together. Why? Why did Sides have to show up now? He was only going to make things worse than they already were.

"Well, if you won't talk to her maybe I should-"

"No!" He rounded on his brother, knocking him off his feet and onto the hard ground before he could take two steps in the direction of the diner. Sideswipe didn't go down alone though, grabbing a hold on his golden twin they both were sent sprawled onto the sidewalk. They tussled a bit before Sunstreaker ended on top as victor. "Don't you dare! If she meets you first she'll never even notice me!" his voice cracked slightly in panic when he said that. It was true that every time they met a femme of interest to either of them, when she met fun-loving and charming Sideswipe she acted like he didn't even exist. When they met him first though he stood a chance to actually be remembered after they met his twin. The injustice of it all! Why did femmes flock to his twin and ignore him completely? They were the same person for crying out loud!

Coming back to reality, he successfully pinned Sides to the ground, refusing to let him move. "I can't take being shoved aside and rejected anymore, Sideswipe. It's painful. Even when a femme claims to be interested in the both of us they always flock to you! I can't stand it!"

Sideswipe's expression became somewhat serious. "Then grow some bearings and go talk to her!" he spat, pushing him off of his chassis and standing up. "You think you're the only one that doesn't like being thought little of? You're my other half! If people reject you, they're rejecting me too! Why do you think we've never settled down with a femme for more than a stellar-cycle? I want someone that will accept us as much as you do." Brushing himself off, he leaned against the bare wall again. The two of them stared each other down, and Sunstreaker suddenly felt guilty. Of course his twin would understand. They were two parts of one whole. Everything one felt was shared with the other. They were of two minds but only one spark. One soul. Alone they were incomplete, and they could not bond with a femme. But together… Alas, that was a lot of baggage for a femme to accept.

"I'm sorry…" He mumbled, slumping against the wall next to his twin. Thankfully, he felt comfort radiating through their spark-connection as Sideswipe punched his arm affectionately.

"I'm sorry too."

The silence grew between them, but they didn't have to say a word to know what the other was thinking. They were both in deep thought. Sunstreaker couldn't help but think over some of the things that his twin had said. Was he truly being a coward? He couldn't comprehend how he had ever thought that Sideswipe didn't know how he felt. Of course he would have detected his dejected vibes. That considered, it was no surprise why eventually every femme they had ever met eventually left. Except now, he began to wonder if it was Sides who actually broke it off to look after him. It seemed that he didn't want himself to get hurt. The thought that he would always have his back gave him some comfort in the fact that no matter what happened he would always be there. In all seriousness, what did he have to lose?

"Maybe I could-…I mean…" He trailed off into silence again, feeling the sudden burst of confidence fade away.

Sideswipe smirked, giving him another nudge. But this time he simply shoved him in the direction of the diner. "Go on." He coaxed, shooing him like a sparkling. "Go get her!"

Sunstreaker turned around, nearly falling down on his aft. "What?! No! I-I can't!" he looked pleadingly at his brother, trying to think of an excuse. The colors on his previously solidly colored paint caught his optic and he suddenly felt sick to his tanks. "I-I'm a mess! I can't meet her for the first time looking like this!" he gestured to himself, panic nearly making his breakfast energon make a reappearance.

Sideswipe merely shrugged. "It's a good conversation starter."

"No. no-no-no! I can't.. I just can't…" he leaned against the building beside him, trying to catch his breath to cool down. He was feeling dizzy.

"Bro, just go over there before I drag you there myself. Honestly! You're so pathetic…" Although the words were meant in jest, Sunstreaker couldn't help but feel hurt by them. Perhaps that was the reason femmes didn't like him. Was he truly pathetic? His sudden hurting spark must have been felt by his twin, but he didn't listen to the mech's attempt at an apology. "C'mon Sunny, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Don't call me that…" he grumbled half heartedly, turning away from his twin to put away his paints. There was no way that he would be able to paint now with all the conflicting feelings inside him. His muse was officially murdered…

When he finished packing up his stuff, he pushed past his twin and started down the sidewalk.

"Hey wait! Where are you going?" Sideswipe called after him, his feet seemingly glued where he was.

"Home." he said dryly, his spark pulsing sorrowfully. His brother tried to radiate comfort through their bond but he shut him out, blocking his side of the bond from him. It was something they rarely ever did to each other, but he was just that upset. He was surprised however when he didn't hear footsteps chasing after him or a verbal objection to his actions. When he turned around to look at his twin, he found the mech gone. In his place a stray cyberhound had appeared, darting into the alley. It was of no matter to him though. He would return home before dark, he always did.

Starting in that direction again, he stopped when he considered something else. Sideswipe was gone. He was alone. And he was only half a block away from the diner wherein was the femme that their entire argument had been over. Sideswipe did want me to go speak with her… perhaps.. perhaps I should… Before he could consider it or change his mind, he crossed the street in the building's direction. Just don't think about it. It can't be that hard. Just don't think about it. You're not a coward. He told himself these words with every step he took. And finally, he pulled the Plexiglas door open and stepped inside.

He was met instantly with a verbal welcoming, but was too nervous to care who had said it. He instead forced himself further into the establishment, finding himself a vacant table farther away from everyone else and near a window. Setting his belongings under the table, he fumbled into the booth shakily. His tanks turned in anxiety, and he might have up and left right on the spot had he not been trapped there by a new presence.

His spark jumped and his glossa seemed to get stuck on the roof of his mouth when he saw the white and sky blue femme in front of him. She was even prettier up close! Her frame was slender and petite, the curves of her hips and chassis accentuated by the blue highlights in her armor. Following her form from foot to helm, he couldn't help but get stuck at her optics. They were beautiful. Bright orbs full of joy and happiness, untainted by stellar-cycles of war and destruction. She is so young… he thought, his spark sinking at the idea. Why would she ever even look in his direction with interest? She would want a younger mech, someone more energetic and without so many scars. Why the pit did I even come in here?! Am I stupid? I should never have come to talk to her… wait. Talk? She's talking. What did she say?

"W-what?" he stammered, instantly feeling like a fool. His gaze dropped from her optics, down to a datapad she was handing him. He heard her giggle quietly as he took it and he looked back up just as she smiled.

"You look a little distracted." She looked down at him kindly, her smile never fading. "You okay?" he nodded, holding the options menu she had given him on his lap underneath the table so she couldn't see his shaking servos. He didn't look at her directly instead fiddling with some paint that had stuck to his armor, chipping it off with the tip of his finger. "I haven't seen you in here before, is this your first time?" again he nodded, but forcing out a small 'yes' as he did so, making her giggle. "Well, I'll let you look over the menu for a bit then. Can I start you off with a spiced cup of hot energon? It's really good."

"Sure." He spoke a little more firmly, finally finding his glossa again. He felt a little more calmed when she left, taking the time to pull himself together. Going over the conversation in his head he concluded that his first impression left much to be desired. He hadn't even heard her name. "Oh Primus, why is this so hard?" he groaned, slumping forward onto the table, burying his helm in his arms. It had never been very hard to talk to femmes before. But most of the time he had had his twin by his side to help him out with his charming foolhardy confidence. And of course, most of the femmes they talked to were only interested in one night stands. That made things simple. Looking for someone to settle down with and stay committed to was a lot harder. Only a few femmes had ever given them a chance and, well, all incidences ended badly. All leaving him with a broken spark. Pit! Was he really going to put himself through that again?

He groaned, banging his helm on the table hard enough to make him wince. "I am such an idiot. I should just stick to painting and live alone for the rest of my miserable existence." He sat up straight again and pulled his work case up onto the table instead. When opened he was met with the disastrous packing job he had done in his hurry to avoid his brother. He sighed, taking things out one by one and setting them in a row on the table, careful not to get the table full of paint he lay down disposable napkins to protect it first. He lined up his brushes from smallest to largest and set about cleaning them up. He was in the middle of cleaning the paint out of the third one when she came back, carefully setting his drink far enough away from him to keep from spilling it as he worked. He expected her to leave, but to his surprise (and secretly dismay) she stayed.

"Oh my goodness, you're that mech!" she exclaimed, her servos clasping over her mouth so quickly that it made him jump. Her surprise was so evident in her optics that he didn't need to see her mouth agape to know that she recognized him. "You're the mech that's painting the mural across the street! I've seen you out there painting every day. Goodness, I can't believe I didn't recognize you." Her smile brightened even more (if that was even possible) and she fiddled her servos with undirected energy. But he hardly noticed. He was too busy thinking about what she said.

"You've..seen me?" Ha! As if she actually would bother to look in his direction…

"Yeah!" she nodded, pointing out the window at his unfinished artwork. "I mean, you're right there for hours. It's hard not to watch you sometimes…" she suddenly blushed, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment when he stared at her in shock. "Is that weird? I'm sorry, I just like watching you work. Your painting is beautiful." She trailed off, her fingers reaching up to play with a pendant tied around her neck.

"Thank-you." His spark did a little flip in his chest at her appreciation. It gave him just a little more courage to look her in the face.

"How long have you been painting? You look like you've been doing it a while."

At that, he looked down at his brushes again, working out the paint. "I've been painting since long before the War for Cybertron. Probably a lot longer than you've even been alive…"

She laughed softly, and it seemed like she was about to comment when a bell sounded, signaling that someone had entered. "Oh, hey Bluestreak! I'll be right with you!" turning back to him she gave him a small smile and her servo ghosted over his shoulder for a brief moment, making him still. "I'll be right back."

His spark seemed to burst like a dam. Panic filled every fiber of his being and his tanks churned painfully. He quickly took up the cube of energon that she had brought and nearly downed the entire thing in a few gulps, gasping for a cooling breath when he finally put it down again. Oh why? Why did she have to recognize him? She obviously knew much more about him than he did about her already. Oh, why did he put himself into this situation?!

He finished cleaning his brushes with haste, becoming eager to just leave the establishment before he humiliated himself. But, just as he was about to stand up to pay for his drink, someone plopped down into the booth beside him.

"So, how's it going?"

Sunstreaker jumped, his face heating up with mixed emotions. He turned to seethe at his brother. "Sideswipe!"

The red mech made an exaggerated glare, mocking his own actions. "Sunstreaker! See, I can do it too." He smirked, looking around the diner to find the person of their interest. "I felt through the spark that you were getting cold feet, so I thought I'd come in to give you some help."

"I don't need your help. I was doing just fine." His denial sounded weak even to his audios. He had been practically a basket case. Many feelings of self-loathing entered his spark, and all of them were responded too with disgust from his brother. But then, as if to stop his verbal self-abuse, another thought came to mind. "How did you even know I was here?"

Sideswipe shrugged. "I was about to leave, but a cyberhound darted around me and I turned and saw you." His smirk grew knowingly. "And I saw you, talking with her…" he teased, shoving him on the shoulder.

Sunstreaker groaned, looking away to where the femme had disappeared to take care of another customer. She was speaking with a Seeker only all too familiar to him and his twin. The mere sight made his spark burn and a soft growl to irrupt in his throat. Thundercracker was smiling at her, speaking with her in what seemed like a joking manner. His trine brothers Skywarp and Starscream were with him, all laughing along with her to whatever he had said. He was so focused on them that he didn't notice that his twin had stopped talking altogether and was watching as well. A growl had started to form in the depths of his chest as well. What could you say? Old habits die hard.

"No! He's what?" The sudden raising of the femme's voice caught their attention, but not as much as when all optics turned to him and his twin. The Seeker trine laughed along with her again as she trotted away from him, Starscream giving her a lingering look before shaking his helm with a sigh.

She stopped back in front of the now twice occupied booth. "You two are twins?" she pointed between the two of them, her optics lingering on Sideswipe for a moment longer than him. His spark skipped a few beats in uneasiness. But his twin didn't seem to notice.

"You bet!" he gave her a sly smirk, standing up to take her servo in his own. "Split-spark twins: two of the same, but twice the fun." He gave her a wink, bringing her servo up to his lips. She blushed, weather in embarrassment or astonishment he couldn't be sure. "And you look simply wonderful when you blush."

"Oh wow…" she giggled as he sat down again, this time in the chair across from him. "You're just a charmer aren't you?" Sunstreaker ducked his helm when his twin shrugged playfully in a carefree way. "What's your name?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter who I am right now. I'm sure we'll get to know each other some other time." Sideswipe blew off her inquiry, making him jump in shock. "This mech however-" he pointed at him, directing all attention at him. "-is Sunstreaker, and he thinks that you are drop-dead-gorgeous."

"Sides…" He groaned, burying his face in his arms to hide the heating of his cheeks. He tried to become as small and unnoticeable as possible, but it seemed that her optics were drilling holes into the back of his helm. She said something that his twin laughed at, but he couldn't hear it over the ringing in his audios. How could his twin openly humiliate him? Was this payback for something he had done? Nay! What could he possibly have done to deserve this?!

"Yeah, he's wanted to talk to you for forever. He kept telling me how beautiful you were, and how you were always smiling, but he was nervous to come in here and ask you what your name was. Honestly, I can't believe he's such a coward. I'm sad to be his other half sometimes!" he shook his helm disapprovingly. "I mean, the guy could fend off all three of your Seeker buddies over there during the War, and he can't get the nerve to talk to you? That's pretty sad if you ask me."

As the insults and mockery continued he felt himself cave more and more into himself, hiding his shame. His twin was right of course. He would stand up against Starscream and his trine without even a smidgen of fright, but he couldn't hold a good conversation with a femme that he actually had respect for. He was hopeless…

"Well!" Sideswipe stood up and clapped his servos together, backing away from the booth. "I will leave you two to talk. Get out of your way so you two can get all acquainted." He smirked, turning around to leave quickly, but not before sending a death glare to the Seeker trine snickering on the other side of the diner.

He groaned, not daring to look up again. She was still standing next to him, as if waiting for him to face her. Finally, he mustered up enough dignity to take out a few credits to leave on the table to pay for his energon. Picking up his things, he got up to leave, but paused next to her. She was about his shoulder height, but still she was able to catch his optic easily. He stood still, stammering, trying to think of something to say. Finally, he came up with the easiest out. "I-I'm sorry." She must have thought he was a jerk. Amech that did nothing but use femmes, which was unfortunately partially true. In the past that was what he was. What they were. He didn't want to come off like that to her… "I will not bother you again…"

He practically darted for the door, his optics trained on the floor.

"Wait!"

At the sound of her voice he froze. She ran up from behind him, a piece of paper and a pen in her servos. Her blush had returned, and this time she wouldn't meet his gaze. "Here…" she scribbled something on the paper and handed it out to him almost nervously. "This is my personal com frequency." She explained, and he took the paper slowly, not believing what she had said. He kept his optics on her, and she fiddled with her order pad uncertainly. "Give me a call sometime… I-I don't give that out to just anyone so… make sure you use it." She said almost sternly, but it came out as a little shy, like she was afraid he would not take her seriously.

"Uh…" his mouth hung open a little lamely as he tried to find something to say. "I… I will."

"Good. Okay…" she gave him one last smile before scampering away back to the table of Seekers. Although they all looked at him and laughed, his lips actually formed a small smile. He left the diner with a little more pep in his step, his shoulders held up high… That all changed when he rounded the corner of the block and looked down at the paper she had given him. On it her number was written neatly underneath a word. A name. Her name!

"Oh scrap… I got her number…" he leaned against the wall, looking at the name numbly. In a way, her name fit everything that he had ever thought about her. "Chimera…" he whispered, feeling his spark tingle at the sound of it. "Her name is Chimera…" he laughed quietly at the irony, but suddenly he felt his energon run cold.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Sideswipe appeared next to him out of seemingly nowhere, his ever present smirk plastered to his features. He peered over his brother's shoulder to see the paper he was holding. "What's this?"

"I got her number…" he said numbly, his sparkrate quickening. "I got…" his legs felt weak and he grasped his brother's arm before he could collapse. "Oh scrap… I think I'm going to be sick."

His twin rolled his optics, trying to shrug him off. "Oh come on, get a hold of yourself." he shoved him back against the building. "Gees, and you say I'm the dramatic one-"

Sunstreaker dropped his things, turning around to face the wall as he regurgitated all of what had previously been in his tanks. He felt concern instantly radiate from his twin's spark, and also a pair of servos on his back. "Whoa, dude, okay…" he felt himself being pried away from the wall, and he followed without resistance.

"I… I got her number… that means I have to call her." he groaned, barely aware that his twin was supporting almost all of his bodyweight and carrying his things for him.

"Bro, it'll be okay. We'll take things one sparkling step at a time. Starting with getting you home… Ugh! And a shower!"

Okay, for those of you who don't know, Chimera is a word to describe a wildly unrealistic idea or hope or a completely impractical plan. I think the name fits well in the sense that Sunstreaker didn't think that he ever stood a chance with her. The idea was unrealistic to him... It's also a Fire-breathing monster from Greek Mythology... kinda cool.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this.

Leave a Review please! :)