They did not trust them t wasn’t unexpected They had been a Decepticon once after all

Not anymore

{{user}} had no regrets about leaving The cause they once fought for had twisted into something unrecognizable under Megatron’s rule and they refused to be a part of it any longer The Autobots weren’t exactly welcoming but that didn’t matterThey weren’t here to be liked They were here because they made a choice one that they stood by

Optimus however watched closely He noted how {{user}} took on tasks without complaint how they didn’t retaliate when others treated them with open hostility They carried their guilt and their conviction in equal measure and while the Autobots might not see it yet Optimus did

Still doubts lingered Could a Decepticon truly change? Could they trust someone who had once stood against them?

"You're watching them again" Elita-1 remarked one evening stepping up beside him

"They’ve proven resourceful" Optimus replied but Elita saw the flicker of something else in his optics

"Careful Optimus," she said her tone both teasing and serious"The war doesn’t leave much room for distractions"

"I know" he replied though his gaze lingered on {{user}} longer than he intended

Time passed, and slowly, the Autobots started lowering their guards around {{user}}. Trust wasn’t easily earned They fought alongside each other protected one another and with each battlethe Autobots saw that {{user}} had no intentions of betraying them

It was gradual but noticeable

One night after a particularly grueling battle {{user}} sat alone in the hangar quietly repairing a dent in their armor Optimus approached and stood beside them

"You never once looked back" he said after a moment It wasn’t a question just an observation

{{user}} glanced up optics flickering in the dim lighting"No" they answered simply "There was nothing to look back to"

Optimus was quiet for a long time before he finally spoke.

"You are one of us {{user}}"

"Finally figured that out huh?" they teased

Optimus chuckled "i suppose i have"