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I held my glare on Optimus for as long as I could. Silently I cursed myself for being so attracted to those bright sky-blue optics of his. So intricate, the color of refined energon and the midsummer sky. Immediately I turned my helm away. "Well then I suppose we must leave somehow," I said, pretending to examine the rock wall, when I was really trying to hide my blush,"Your fellow Autobots will prepare a ground-bridge I'm sure." "Unfortunately we are too deep now for the commlink's signal to work, and the iron in the stone is interfering with my device," Optimus replied,"Can't you open a portal?" "Even if I had the strength," I began, flexing my digits,"Dimension slashes are too dangerous for one who has been mortal their whole lives." Optimus was silent for a while, then said,"I...suppose we're both stuck down here then." I nodded,"A painfully true statement." "What do you find so repulsive about me?" Optimus asked. I didn't answer, only turned and walked past him. "There's a tunnel leading this way," I said instead,"With any luck it'll bring us closer to the surface." Optimus sighed behind me, then followed. Not that he had any choice really, and neither did I. We walked in silence, the only sound was our ped-steps on the rock. "How many of you are there?" Optimus suddenly asked. "Pardon?" I asked. "How many other gods and goddesses are there? Are they all real or legend?" Optimus clarified. I was quiet for a while, then decided it couldn't hurt to answer him. At least it was better than silence. "Most are real," I replied,"We are...let's put it...sub-gods. Or children. Some of us were created by Primus, others by Unicron." "And you created you?" Optimus asked. "You'd hate me if I told you," I replied, then smacked face-plates-first into an unseen boulder. Optimus switched on a light, which shone brighter than my small biolights decorating my frame. "I'm going to guess Unicron created you then," Optimus assumed correctly,"And your mission is to awaken him again." I rubbed my sore fore-helm and sighed,"The first part you were correct...the second one depends on who I..." I immediately shut my intake. I had revealed too much already. Suddenly silence was much more preferable. "On who you what?" Optimus asked,"Kill?" I flinched at the word. It sounded rather harsh coming from the Prime. "No," I replied,"That is all I can tell you. I have answered too many questions already." I heard Optimus exhale heavily,"You're very difficult." "Cautious," I corrected, then almost fell into a pit I hadn't noticed as we'd talked. Optimus caught my wrist and yanked me back against his chest-plate, one servo lightly resting on my lower back-plate. We were both breathing heavily, and I could barely hear Optimus' spark racing over the energon pounding in my audio receptors. "Cautious indeed," Optimus said with a slightly amused smile. Energon rushed to my cheeks, turning them a bright blue as I shoved Optimus away. "Aft," I muttered, then turned to look down the pit. It was awfully deep, with sharp-looking stalagmites at the bottom. If Optimus hadn't acted quickly I could've been seriously injured. Perhaps I owed him that. "See what I saved you from?" Optimus asked from directly beside my helm, making me jump. "For Pit's sake, Optimus!" I yelped angrily, then wacked him on the shoulder-plate. Optimus rubbed his armor, then began climbing down. "What are you doing?" I asked. "There's no way across, so our best chance is to walk across the bottom," Optimus replied, then glanced at me,"Unless you have a better idea." I hated that he was right. "Fine, but I'm not a good climber," I admitted, my face-plates turning an angry blue. "That's alright, I'll catch you when I reach the bottom," Optimus reassured me. The idea of letting the Prime come in physical contact with me made me inwardly cringe, but also excited me for some reason. Cursing Joyspark to the high heavens, I waited for Optimus' shout that would signal he was at the bottom. All too soon Optimus cried,"Ready!?" A shiver ran up and down my back-plates and I blamed it on the cold, dampness of the cave instead of...something else. I looked down the pit and saw Optimus standing at the bottom, arms open. "I'll catch you, don't worry," he shouted. Taking a deep breath, I jumped. I was falling for much longer than I expected, then suddenly I was in Optimus' arms. "You can open your optics, Chardirakii," Optimus said, a touch of amusement in his voice. I hadn't even realized I'd closed them. Quickly I struggled out of Optimus' arms and stepped away from him. "We are never doing that again," I told him. Optimus inclined his helm slightly,"As you wish." Those three words sent more shivers down my spinal strut. Mechs or femmes usually said that to bots they had a special interest in. "Which way now?" I asked. "So I'm leading the way now?" Optimus said with a slightly-raised optic ridge. I crossed my arms,"Which way?" "Straight across,"Optimus said, turning and pointing,"We should reach the other side then." We started walking, with me keeping a fair enough distance from the Prime, but also close enough the light allowed me to see if I was going to trip over any rocks or small stalagmites. We walked for a good long while in silence, then it was broken by the yawn I was trying so desperately to squash in my throat. "Should we rest?" Optimus asked, turning and shining the light directly in my face-plates. "Auugh!" I screamed, throwing up my servos,"Too bright!" "Sorry," Optimus murmered, dropping the light lower,"Should we stop and rest?" I wanted to say no, but my optics were slowly closing, so instead I nodded drowsily. Optimus nodded back, then sat down with his back-plates to a stalagmite. I sat down across from him and curled into a ball. The air in the cave had gotten considerably chillier, and my breath was coming out in little clouds. "Are you cold?" Optimus asked. I bit my bottom derma and glared at him,"I do not cuddle." "I'm not asking you to," Optimus replied,"I am merely offering you warmth." I glared at him a minute longer, then decided I'd rather be warm than freeze. "Alright," I sighed begrudgingly and crawled over. Optimus put an arm around my shoulder-plates and tucked me against his side. I pressed myself closer to the mech and closed my optics as his body warmth seeped into me. "Pretty smooth move, for a Prime," I said after a little bit. I heard Optimus lightly chuckle,"Thank you."
