The Prime And His Little Bug

Treated Like A Child (Old Version)

A Short RID '15 Story About Optimus Prime and Bumblebee

Tensions were high at the Junkyard as the Bee Team began planning what to do about this "Decepticon Island" they'd been hearing so much about. Bumblebee and Optimus had been at each other's throats as the two of them couldn't seem to work together after some time apart.

"I believe we could wake up the 'Cons we've caught recently and question them about the Island, see what they'll give up." Bee starts, speaking to the team in front of the command center. "All of us questioning one 'Con should be enough to get some info out of them, but if not we may need to figure out some harsher methods." What he had implied bothered Optimus, so he spoke.

"No, we do not need to threaten or harm them. They are captured and wouldn't be able to take us all on." He explained, not seeing his former scout's face cringe in the background.

"But Optimus, if we don't do this, the 'Cons could cause some serious trouble. We don't know their motives or their plans but it has to be big and we can't risk that." Bumblebee insisted.

The rest of the team stared in silence. The tension between the two bots felt like it could be sliced with a blade.

"Bumblebee, I know that what you're-" Optimus starts before a groan escapes Bumblebee.

"No, you clearly don't know what I'm trying to do as you keep second guessing me." He snaps. "Why can't you just let me do this?" His voice was shaky as he stared at his former leader and mentor.

"Bumblebee I-"

"Why can't you let me prove to you that I know what I'm doing!?" He fumed as he moved towards Optimus, making the older bot back up slightly.

"Bumblebee it's not that I don't want to see you lead, it's that I think it's too much for you, can't you see I only want to help you?" Optimus insisted, sounding like a parent to their child, only seeming to enrage Bumblebee more.

"You don't want to help me! You keep treating me like I'm a sparkling or that I'm still as useless as I was without my voice! Well guess what, I can speak for myself now!" He yelled as his eyes became blurry from the tears forming in his optics. "I don't need you or anyone to explain my every move because you think I can't do it my-!" His voice crackled out as a bunch of high pitch beeping noises escaped his throat, startling him and everyone around him.

"Bumblebee..." Optimus' trailed off, at a loss for words at what he had heard, reaching a hand out to the young leader, only for it to be shoved down as Bumblebee pushed him away, mask now on his face as he transformed and sped off deep into the junkyard.

As the day goes by the team doesn't hear from it's leader, Optimus and the others growing more and more concerned of Bumblebee's well-being. So Optimus decides to check on his former scout, guilt and nervousness flooding his systems. 'What if he becomes more frustrated? What if he's caused himself harm to his voice box? How is he mentally?' So many thoughts began to pile up inside Optimus' processor as he found the group of storage containers he knew Bee claimed as his room of sorts, cut and melded together to create a safe space for the young leader to rest and recharge. Optimus knocked on the door to Bee's room, awaiting some sort of response, only to be met with silence.

"Bumblebee, it is I, Optimus." Optimus started, speaking in a calm tone hoping Bumblebee could hear him. "I wanted to come and apologize to you. I did not mean any offense to you or to cause you to become so upset. I admit I am still adjusting to you having your voice back and the fact that I am no longer your leader. But I should have done better, I should have stood back and let you lead as we had agreed on once I arrived here. I know it may not mean much but I am sorry Bumblebee and I truly mean that." He turned to walk away before the door swung open behind him and he felt himself being carefully pulled into the room by an arm.

::Wait, please... :: Bumblebee mumbles, pulling Optimus closer to him, his voice going from his old "beeping mode" to normal to static every time he spoke. ::Please don't leave. I'm sorry too. :: The two bots stayed in silence for a moment, Bumblebee fidgeting with his hands, unsure of what to say. ::I-I understand that you wanted to help me now Optimus but I just felt... embarrassed that you were treating me like your sparkling in front of everyone. I've grown a lot in your absence, maybe even before you were gone too. I just want to make you proud. :: He ranted, looking down at his peds as he spoke.

"Bumblebee... you believe you haven't made me proud already? You've overcome so many challenges in your life that I would have never could have expected of someone your age." He marveled, placing a servo on Bumblebee's shoulder. "I wanted to help you these past couple of cycles because I didn't want to see you overwhelmed. It took awhile for me to make a team this size work together. I didn't want to see you struggle like I had when I was younger and felt the need to take over and I apologize for that."

::I understand now. Thank you Optimus... for believing in me when I thought you didn't and for helping me out. I'll do better to talk to you next time instead of just snapping like that. :: He mumbled as he felt more tears escaping his optics. Optimus smiles as he's pulled into a hug by Bumblebee and begins to rub circles into his back, comforting him.

THE END

Quick Note:

This story was written while I was watching the S2 finale of RID and I was inspired by the arguments Op and Bee kept having during the episode.

I'd also like to leave this off with a quick shoutout to some peeps in a TF discord I'm in who helped me play around this idea! I love y'all! <3