Bombus

Chapter 8

  'Bee, where are we going?' I signed as Bumblebee carried me while walking through the woods. It was dark out, and Bee only chirped as a reply. 'Come on, you know I don't know what that means.'

  "~Meeting with....a friend.~" He answered, and I furrowed my brows. We'd been traveling a few days now, but not once had he mentioned seeing a friend.

  'Who?'

  "Greetings." My eyes went wide as I saw a robot almost twice the size of Bumblebee. "I see you've brought a friend...."

  "~Their....name is....Alex.~" Bee's radio jumped through stations as he gestured to me. I gave a small wave to the larger robot, and he nodded.

  "Old friend....you've kept this planet safe. Because of you, we have a future, B-127."

  "~My name....is....Bumblebee.~"

  'This is Optimus Prime, isn't it?' I asked Bee, and he nodded.

  "This one speaks with their hands?" Optimus pointed.

  "~Yeeeaaaah!~" There was a distant boom, and we looked at the sky to see seven flaming balls flying across the sky.

  'Should I be worried?'

  "~They're....friends~"

~

  The radio suddenly blaring jerked me awake as I sat in the backseat of the Camaro Bumblebee had transformed into. The volume lowered as I rubbed my face and sighed.

  "~Good morning~" Snorting, I crawled out of the vehicle while stretching. Bee changed shape, crouching behind me with his hands on his knees.

  'Good morning.' I signed to Bee, and he chirped. 'What time is it?'

  '11.' The robot signed back.

  'That explains why I'm hungry.'

  'Into the city?'

  'That's where food is.' I chuckled.

  'All right, let's go.' Bumblebee changed back into a car, and I took the driver's seat. Bee backed out of the trees and back onto the road before driving toward the city just a few miles ahead. Pulling up to a drive-through, I leaned back as Bee did his thing with the radio since a speaker couldn't hear ASL.

  He managed to find words to complete the order coherently before going up to the window. Exchanging cash for the food, I then stuffed my face as Bee drove off.

~

  Looking up at the stars while laying in tall grass, a warm breeze went past. Bumblebee was laying next to me as he pointed at stars to trace his own shapes like a game of connect-the-dots. He was happily chirping when I glanced at him. A small smile pulled at the corners of my mouth.

  Bee rolled over to face me, and he folded one arm under his head while the other lazily draped over his torso.

  "~Where do you....wanna go....from here?~"

  'Haven't really thought about it.'

  "~Let me know....when you doooo~" Bee gently tapped my nose, and I scoffed.

  'Will do.' Pausing, I looked at Bee's glowing blue optics. 'Where does Optimus need us....well, you, to go now?'

  "~Found a place....to....hide and....regroup~"

  'When will we get there?' I questioned, and Bee sat up while scooping me into his arms as I laughed.

  "~Just a....few days~" The big robot answered. "~I'm glad....you came~" He rubbed his forehead into my cheek.

  'Me, too.' I signed while grinning. 'The world is beautiful.'

  'You are, too.' Laughing, I lightly pushed Bee back.

  'Very funny, Bee.'

  'No. I mean it, Alex.' He chirped while signing, and I felt my ears turn red. 'I like spending time with you. It's why I didn't want to leave without you.'

  'You big sap!' I joked, and Bee's antennae wiggled.

  "~Don't take....me....lightly~" The robot stood up while lifting me into the air like a doll. "~I'm tellin' you....the honest truth~" He swung me around before setting me down on the ground. Bee took a few steps back before placing a hand on his chest. My brows furrowed, wondering where this was all coming from as I watched him and music began to play from his radio.

  "~When the night....has come....and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we'll see.~" Bee waved toward the sky to the nearly full moon. "~No, I won't....be afraid. Oh, I won't be afraid, just as long as you stand....stand by me.~" The robot seemed to smile from how his facial plates moved. "~So darlin', darlin' stand by me, oh, stand by me! Oh, stand....stand by me, stand by me! If the sky that we look upon....should tumble and fall, or the mountain should....crumble to the sea. I won't cry, I won't cry. No, I won't shed a tear, just as long as you stand, stand by me.~" He slid to the side while raising his arms at his sides.

  "~And darlin', darlin'! Stand by me! Oh, stand by me. Oh, stand now, stand by me. Stand by me.~" Bee grabbed my hand and spun me around, making me join his little dance. "~Darlin', darlin' stand by me! Oh, stand....by me. Oh, stand now, stand by me. Stand by me. Whenever you're in trouble, won't you stand by me? Oh, stand by me. Oh, won't you stand now? Oh, stand, stand by me!~" I couldn't help but laugh at his antics, but now, because of his song choice, it had me wondering....

  Was Bumblebee actually in love with me?

  He had definitely gotten more affectionate over the time we had spent together, but I had assumed that was just because he was more comfortable. However....maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was actually misreading it this whole time.

  Dancing around in the tall grass, Bee chirped happily while holding my hands so carefully in his own. The heat from my ears spread to my cheeks. As the song ended, I took a step back to sign to the big guy.

  'Bee....what do you mean?' I questioned, and he switched channels.

  "~Sometimes in our lives we all have pain, we all have sorrow. But if we are wise, we know that there's always tomorrow. Lean on me when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on for it won't be long 'til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on.~" Bee went down onto his knees in front of me to be closer to my level. "~The night we met, I knew I needed you so, and if I had the chance, I'd never let you go.~" My eyes went wide as my face flushed even more since I knew where this was going.

  "~So won't you say you love me? I'll make you so proud of me. We'll make 'em turn their heads every place we go. So won't you, please, be my little baby? Say you'll be my darlin'! Be my baby now. I'll make you happy, baby, just wait and see. For every kiss you give me, I'll give you three. Oh, since the day I saw you, I have been waiting for you. You know I will adore you 'til eternity.~"

  "~You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off you. You'd be like heaven to touch, I wanna hold you so much.~" Bee brushed the back of his finger across my cheek while changing stations again. "~But I can't help falling in love with you. Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? If I can't help....falling in love with you?~"

  'Bumblebee, do you even know-'

  "~I love you, baby! And if it's quite alright, I need you, baby! To warm a lonely night, I love you, baby! Trust in me when I say- Oh, pretty baby! Don't bring me down, I pray, oh pretty baby! Now that I found you, stay, and let me love you, baby. Let me love you.~"