Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters - Ignition

7. Departure

        “Fang . . .” A warning laced my voice as I stood up, facing him. NightFang and I might be ruling alphas, but he didn’t have control over me, much less who I was or who I interacted with. I understood that he didn’t like that I had affections for Optimus, but I just didn’t care.

        Fang’s instincts dulled in comparison to what I felt for Optimus.

        Raven rushed into the base, slowing slightly when she saw me awake, but continued to her destination: NightFang. “C’mon, Fuzzball, let’s go.” She grabbed at his neck armor and tugged lightly but he didn’t budge. NightFang didn’t even take his optics off Optimus. “Hey! Furball!” She called out, grabbing his audio receptor and tugging at it. NightFang promptly turned his helm to snap at her, his sharp denta narrowly missing her arm. Fang growled deeply at her, snarling, but Raven never so much as flinched. “I said: Let’s go.” She tugged again and this time he followed her lead.

        He was reluctant and obviously annoyed, but she managed to lead him back out of the base, leaving Optimus and I alone with only each other’s company yet again.

        “Well that was . . . Odd,” I muttered, my faceplate contorting a bit in confusion.

        Optimus stood up next to me, as calm as ever. Somehow, he was even taller than before. “While you were unconscious, Raven started taking responsibility for the wolves,” Optimus explained gently. “It hasn’t been an easy given she has only one-way communication, but she has managed to do quite well.”

        “Wow . . .” I murmured, thinking about how much effort that must’ve taken on Raven’s part. The wolves weren’t low-maintenance in the least. “They’re a handful, too.”

        Optimus placed his hand on my shoulder servo, his presence strong. Dominant. “Maiden?” He called gently. While he was larger, and indefinitely more powerful, this mech was still as kind and gentle as mild-tempered dog.

        “Yeah, Optimus?” I asked, glancing up at his optics. He wasn’t looking at me, he wasn’t looking at the ceiling or the floor, but straight ahead, directly at the wall.

        “You say you love me, correct?” He asked, his gaze still focused elsewhere. I wasn’t sure if his processor was just that busy, or if he simply couldn’t stand to look at me right now.

        “No, Optimus,” I told him firmly. An awkward silence fell. I let it sit there for a moment. I wanted my next words to stay with him. “I do love you.” It was so important that I got it through to him as more than just words that were spoken. This mech was far more than just a mech. He was a wonderful being who I couldn’t deny my unnatural connection to.

        His vocalizer seemed to come back to him, and he gave a curt nod. “And you are going a trip that could take quite some time.”

        “That’s right,” I murmured, feeling awkward that he was bringing up the unknown duration of this trip. I’d now averted my attention to the same wall Optimus had been studying so intently just moments before.

        “When you return, would you mind if I inquire something?” Optimus asked, his gaze inquisitive as I looked back up at him now. He was smiling.

        I gave him a small smile in return. “Well you’re already asking questions, why not ask me now?”

        His smile grew, seeming amused with my curious nature. “I wish to give it time.”

        I vented, and he lowered himself to kiss my forehelm. I decided to take a lighter route with our conversation, trying to keep my processor off whatever it was the Prime was contemplating. I wanted to know, the abruptness of had piqued my interest, but if he didn’t want to talk about it, then odds were, we wouldn’t. “Whatever, Prime,” I told him. “You’re just crazy and you’re hoping it’ll go away before I come back so I don’t have to drag you off to a looney bin or something.” He raised an optic ridge at me and I couldn’t help but laugh. “C’mon, they’re probably thinking we’re doing something explicit in here.”

        It was a poor excuse riddled with sarcasm, but it was the best thing I had to get out of being alone with him any longer. We left the base together, facing random looks and questions from our teammates, but it seemed that no one actually went along the line of thought of us doing anything ‘explicit’.

        Unless, of course you counted NightFang. I was fairly certain he would believe something explicit would pass between any of the other ‘Bots and I if we were alone long enough.

        Those two days before we left passed faster, much faster, than I thought they would. Faster than I thought was even possible by the laws of physics. I kind of wanted to stay here. I didn’t want to leave him or the others. I liked being around Optimus. I loved it, really. They were home. They were safe.

        But Aura was still on Cybertron.

        I vented. Everything had been prepared to exact specifications. We were ready to go and my personalized team was waiting. I had to leave, even though it was the last thing my spark wanted.

         ~~~

        I stood in front of Optimus now, trying to fumble through our departure. “Well, I’d say goodbye, but we know it’s not. Not really, anyway.” After all we’d been through, especially after all we’d been through, I didn’t want to say goodbye and risk the chance of jinxing it.

        “All is well, Maiden,” Optimus assured me. “The nights will still belong to us.”

        I smiled, thinking of the dreams where I would still see him at night, deep in recharge. The real him that would do things I could never dream up. “Then I’ll see you soon.”

        “Do you promise?” He raised an optic ridge, prodding me. Our longstanding promises seemed to be permanent between us. And I couldn’t imagine it a better way.

        I laughed lightly. “Yes, Optimus, I promise.”

        He smiled gently, then took my hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed the back of it softly. “Come back safely.”

        “Always have, always will,” I told him with a small shrug.

        Somehow, we managed to part ways, and my team left shortly after. I waved out the window as we took off, not just to Optimus but to all the Autobots.

        ‘We’re coming, Aura.’ She was all I could think about as we departed, all I could afford to think about, as we flew past space, past stars, past planets, past suns. I had no idea how long we’d be gone, but we’d made progress just days later, however small it was.