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afoxintheuniverse · 30 days ago

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Merry Christmas everyone and happy end of 2024! Good father in heaven help me this year has been a lot… but for now I’d like to share with you all a gift that I wrote for one of the best friends I could have hoped to make this year and in this new fandom: Transformers War Chronicles. Please check out her content on both instagram and YouTube as she is seriously so overwhelmingly talented! She loved this gift and insisted I share it with the world. So, without further ado, I hope you all enjoy this little geeky gift from me to you! Happy Holidays and God Bless!

“Mistletoes’ meaning” An Opilita Christmas fic Inspired by Transformers War Chronicles! Merry Christmas Bestie!!! Written By CJ The Fox

“Finally…” Elita groaned practically slumping through the door as Optimus held it open for her. “Thanks…” she sighed pulling together enough strength to smile up at him. He smiled back though not able to hide the exhaustion in his eyes any better than she could have. He slid the wooden door closed behind them before sweeping a bit of the fallen snow off his shoulders and arms. He glanced back at Elita who immediately flashed a look that paused his hand in the air beside her. “Fine…” she relented quietly, aggressive smirk fading into a soft smile and head tilting to the side, plumes of the snow to falling off and onto the ground. The faintest blue glow flushed against her cheeks as she quirked her eyebrow up at him. Internally, she fought to decide if she should avoid eye contact or maintain it harder. They both knew if he’d brought it up, she would try to blame it on the cold. They had just come inside after all! Oh, she would try~ They also both knew even with his battle mask still pulled up above his sinuses Optimus was no doubt giving her a delighted scrap eating grin beneath it. She huffed, smile still on her face as she jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow. The two chuckled quietly together as he finished brushing the last little bits of snow off the top of helmet. His digits slid down the side of her helm just a bit to hold her chin up between his fingers. Elita gulped at his touch the glow of her face brightening ever further as he looked at her. Seemingly satisfied, eyes still alight with his hidden and certainly smugger smile, he slid his fingertips back up the side of her helm brushing the last bit of snow off her glowing cheek.

“The erm… The festival hall truly is something special…” He pondered aloud glancing to the side at the room they now stood in. Elita followed his gaze falling into silent agreement. It wasn’t any of the meeting halls of Cybertron. Hell, it wasn’t even one of the castles these humans had, but she couldn’t deny…they’d definitely put in some work for their guests. According to Optimus or at the very least what he said the officers had told him; this had been a bomb shelter that had been refurbished into a deluxe garage. What was once an obscure base in the middle of nowhere had become where farm equipment, racing and show horses and military balls would be held. The building had been decorated for just such an occasion and then some. Despite the minimal to nonexistent furniture, the room had a removable wooden floor placed covered in faded footprints of occasions come and gone. On both sides of the building were thick panel windows showing the regrowing storm outside. Since they were still bulletproof, the howls of the wind instead became whispering ambience against the swirly sky outside. Finally, there were the lights, hundreds of thousands of twinkling white bulbs wrapped around the cornering support beams and wooden roofing. Alongside more lights, a stone fireplace had been hollowed out in the final thicker support beam at the center of the room, glowing with the warm blaze crackling inside.

“I’m not sure if you bots need beds or anything but uhhhh here…” Optimus had remembered the building director saying as he’d showed him the giant gymnastic pads laid out in front of the fire. It was no recharge slab, but the thought was considerate. And sure, there was enough room for them to have their own mats to themselves… Optimus glanced back at Elita as she still slowly spun staring at the humble yet festive display surrounding them. Maybe it was that the snow had melted, making an already glistening paint job that much more reflective. Maybe it was that the humans had truly outdone themselves with the decorating for a place intended for mere safety. Maybe it was that it was just the two of them. Maybe… Maybe it was just her. As if in a trance he took slow yet purposeful steps toward her. The beams danced across her figure, like the fireflies they had seen in the summers on this strange new planet. Or the neon ribbons that decorated buildings almost matching Iacon’s own advertising. The shimmer seemed to accentuate all of the strength and beauty that made Elita well… Elita. From the scars and scrapes to the way she carried herself with the authority of a leader alongside the wonder of seeing this world for the very first time to the gentle elegance of what it meant to be a femme. She smiled again up at him before he even realized he had crossed the room over to her. She returned her optics to the wooden rafters now covered with glittering beams and fake yet lush foliage. Her expression and physique together were giving the glow of the fire and even Op’s own spark some serious competition. Yeah… separate mats… like that was gonna happen.

“Alright I’ll admit it. This is pretty nice…” She smirked crossing her arms and tilting her hips to the side. Optimus closed the rest of the gap between them, placing a hand on her shoulder as she shifted her weight onto her other hip against him. She leaned her head into the side of his chest plate, closing her optics for a moment before looking up at him then passed him. “It’s… Beautiful…” She sighed as if admitting defeat to the beauty of their building. Optimus leaned back warm eyes ever present, sliding his hand across her back before letting it drape across the other shoulder, thumb gently rubbing where her shoulder met her chest. “Huh… What’s that?” Elita piped, suddenly pulling away from Optimus yet also grabbing him by the hand.

“Hm?” Optimus blinked trying to process her having been so close, pressed up against him to suddenly pull him to the middle of the room optics still on the ceiling.

“That! Right there That plant’s different from the others. Is it supposed to be there? Or is it a ‘weed’ as humans call it? Or is the plant just blooming?” While still slightly confused, Optimus followed her fingertip, sure enough on one of the rafters, the false foliage had come to a stop to leave a small section of bare wood. Tied on the bark was what appeared to be a small upside-down bush with white berries or seeds sprouting in the leaves. The base had been tied with a shiny red bow that looped up around the wood plank as if turning it into a present.

“Oh!” Optimus blinked again in recollection; he had seen this plant before as well had its meaning explained to him. “O-oh…” He repeated, needing to clear his throat a bit.

“What?” Elita perked up at him. “What is it?” I can cut it out if it’s invading the other plant life. Or does the whole bush need to be disposed of?” Without skipping a beat, she pulled her laser pistol from her hip and aimed it at the foreign fauna as it hummed to life.

“Ah! No no! No no no!” Optimus half yelped half laughed reaching up to stop her weapon. “Th-That won’t be necessary my dear!” Besides it wasn’t exactly like they needed to test the durability of this place from the inside. Even if they were still learning about how earth worked, shooting a hole in the ceiling didn’t seem like the most polite thing to do… “There’s nothing wrong I can assure you!” He spoke as calmly and cheerfully as he could manage, nervousness not quite hidden from his voice.

“Oh ok.” Elita shrugged nonchalantly giving the gun a quick twirl in her hand before sliding it back into her holster. “So, what is it then?” “Well…” Optimus put a free hand behind his head nervously glancing at the floor. The building director had explained the meaning of this plant to him when he’d been shown where he and Elita could be staying to wait out the winter storm.

“Sorry sir, I think that was just left over from our usual holiday decoration set up. But we can take it down! I didn’t know if you and your uh… your friend there- Well, is she? Uh- sorry I shouldn’t have assumed-”

“Its fine.” Optimus had laughed, albeit a bit flustered at the topic, but shame was never an emotion that registered in his sensors. There was nothing to be ashamed of. He could NEVER be ashamed. Not of her. Not ever. “She… She is.”

“Oh thank, God…” The director heaved more to himself than to the massive living machine now harboring an entire event hall like a hotel. Ever since that conversation, a small part of Optimus both expected and hoped that she would find the spirited sprout on that ceiling just to have this very talk.

“It’s called a Mistletoe.” Optimus began. Sliding his palm and fingertips carefully down her arm until it once again connected with her hand. “Obviously it’s a type of plant here on this planet but the ones in here are all fake as to not extinguish any resources as well as save time on cleaning. I’ve done some research on the real blooms though!”

“Of course, you did...” Elita giggled, rolling her eyes ever so slightly as she leaned closer letting the backs of their arms slide and softly bump against one another in their swaying postures. “I wouldn’t have expected anything less from you book bot.” She could tell he grinned that typical yet classical geeky grin beneath his mask. Bashful yet not embarrassed of his knowledge nor the work he had put in to gain it. For that her respect renewed thought she would never admit it out loud… at least not right now… No matter how much of a fighter he had become deep down he would always be that shy archivist and student ready to learn and to cherish anything and everything he could see. “Heh…” So that was how she’d fallen for a geek…

“It can actually grow on common human foods such as the apple trees we saw on the way here!” He continued his voice carrying that usual professionalism he had acquired from leading teams but unable to mask the genuine excitement as he gestured with his free hand. “Or oak trees which as you already know provide them with portions of their atmosphere. You weren’t completely wrong in calling it ‘weed like’ though, as it is actually an invasive species.”

“Really?”

“Mhm!” He nodded. “It can actually cause a disease for the base plant leading to weakened sprouts, that need to be cut out or…” He pointed back to her holster. “What you had suggested. Though shotguns are typically the human’s choices for removal.”

“Well damn! I guess it’s a good thing they’re all plastic then, huh? Elita laughed bumping her hip against the side of his thigh before leaning completely against him. The back of her head was almost nuzzling his chest as she made herself comfortable, hand never leaving his.

“Indeed.” Optimus laughed as well though softer, almost politely as he lingered his gaze on her before returning it to the plant. “Yet despite that, it’s become a symbol on this planet. A signal of tradition.”

“Oh yeah? What of?” Elita mused, finally letting her weight fully against him and lifting their intertwined hands up to her shoulder. Op smiled closing his grasp and leaning a bit of his own weight atop her though cautious to not become too heavy.

“It’s meant to be a sign of… of connection, good will… or love.”

“O-Oh?” Elita stuttered suddenly. Optimus could feel her grip twitch in his own at the last word her entire body engaging in a split-second jolt against him. She tried to cover it up and act as if it hadn’t happened with that firm voice remark. Oh, she tried. He had to fight the urge to tease her, not wanting to risk ruining the moment or receiving one of her impressive right hooks in his arm. His smile practically peeking over the mask he kept going.

“And… when two people who just so happen to love one another… at least romantically…” Elita’s eyes widened. Yet another key word seemed to strike her like a blow, her face illuminating instantaneously. “…Stand beneath this plant, it is customary for them…to also… exchange a kiss.” Elita tensed in his grip her hand tightening slightly again, not quite a squeeze. It was the noticeable pressure and stiffness of her body locking in place.

“Huh…” It was all she could manage to get out and it was still a hoarse squeak. The attempt at nonchalance failed worse than one of StarScream’s leadership endeavors. He could feel the hum of her spark as it began to quicken its pace against his palm. She stared intently at the plant desperate to not look at him. Her eyes practically burned into it as much as her pistol would have, maybe even more so. It felt so obvious now… During the entire conversation she could feel his pulse rising too! Slower and calmer than hers, yes but still… She had just figured it was because he always showed that sweet excitement when sharing his knowledge with her. Or maybe it was because she had been enjoying it, like every time he did so. No... she should have seen this coming... She should… She looked up at him, just like at the door, it was a sight to behold. The lights sparkling around them tracing his every distinguished feature from the tips of his antenna to the base of that sharp jaw. Yet of course those lights could never compare to those eyes as they glistened in the gentle darkness. The humans were right, eyes truly were the windows to the soul or in their case, spark. Those eyes could tell his entire legacy without a single word in any language in any universe. They showed the exhaustion of maintaining so much and so many at once. The hours upon hours of research, reading and learning. The knowledge of so much good and bad in the galaxy. Secrets and truths that belonged to both of them and probably all of their loved ones too. Information that he would take to his grave if that’s what it took. The quiet sorrow of knowing too much and not knowing enough and seeming to wish for neither and both simultaneously. And despite all of it, the blue glow remained bright, just as it had when she had first met that geeky archivist all those cycles ago. It showed the intense focus it took to be quick thinking and deeply pondering. The curiosity of always being ready to learn something new and to share that knowledge with others. It showed wisdom gained from periods of lessons learned in easy and hard ways. It showed kindness, patience and composure, though there was clearly a silent joy gleaming beneath all that stupid stoicism. So powerful… eyes certainly belonging to someone with this level of strength. Not just the physical strength he had obtained over the years, not even the mental strength he had had before that, but the strength of his character. The strength of what it meant to be Optimus Prime. And yet his gaze was soft as if the massive hulking strength he possessed was merely an illusion as he gently rubbed his thumb along the top of her hand. She had almost forgotten she was holding it. Almost…

“Optimus?” She spoke before registering the words leaving her lips. Swallowing again almost as if wishing she hadn’t said anything. Her face showed all of the indecision and jumbled thoughts her mind was trying and failing to organize as her eyes itched to look away but didn’t. Optimus stared back at her; face as serene as ever. He tilted his head slightly to the side allowing his antenna to wiggle slightly at the movement as he waited for her to continue in the silence following his name. “Uh…Do you think that… that uh…” Her mouth hung slightly open with unspoken words before she swallowed the rest of the sentence. He quirked up an eyebrow at her before looking down to their hands as slowly grabbed the other one. Elita followed his gaze, trembling slightly as he intertwined the second set of digits between his own.

“Yes…” Optimus knelt onto one knee, his face now level with hers. He cupped both of her hands within his and pulled her slightly closer to him. Keeping her hands wrapped up snugly in his grasp, he raised his other arm to place it on her shoulder. “…Elita?” If she wasn’t at a loss for words before, she sure as hell was now. “Strong enough to be gentle” he had said once… In this moment, those words described him perfectly. His eyes overflowed with the most overwhelming yet soothing presence in the universe: Love. And that love, that presence that power, was directed at her. The glow of her face was making a mockery of the surrounding bulbs and flames. She could feel her Energon prickling behind her cheeks and spark pounding wildly in her chest as it echoed in her audials.

“A- ahh… Uhm…” Her failing words were going to give Starscream competition at this rate.

“Are you alright?” His brow furrowed eyes glinting in concern, He leaned in pulling her almost completely to his chest as he placed his hand holding hers just above his spark. Elita shivered at the touch of him tracing his thumb up the side of her neck to cup the side of her face in his palm needing to bite her lip and squeeze her optics shut to keep from making any noises. Well… at least more than the squeak that slipped out…How could something tickle so badly and feel like a massage at the same time?! She was gonna be as good as a smelting pot… He tilted her face towards his own as she vented shakily letting her eyes reopen to be met with his worried visage. He studied her lifting her chin with his fingertips before returning them to his hand at the side of her helm again. Primus, he HAD to know how sweet it was! It was the same way he always checked on her after a battle, making sure she was unharmed before making sure Ratchet examined her anyway. He cared for all his soldiers and friends, yes. He didn’t even treat her better than anyone else, no favoritism or biases to the best of his abilities. And still, the urgency, the protectiveness the compassion, even if it was just as strong as he carried it for all his allies, a difference was there, and it was obvious.

“Yeah! I- I’m fine!” Elita practically spluttered taking a slight step backwards yet not removing her hands from his chest, nor tilting her cheek from his touch. “I just…” She stared up at him, feeling his spark thrumming against her hands, her own still echoing in her audials. Though his face had lightened slightly at her reassurance, his eyes still wore the weight of a familiar concern, almost sadness. Even if that look was familiar to her, she hated seeing it in his eyes. Maybe she hated it because it was so familiar to her. It wasn’t like either of them had ever been given a choice for what gave him that expression… “It’s nothing” she sighed breaking their gaze to glance at her hands on his spark then the ground. “I’m sorry I- I shouldn’t have said anything…” Optimus drew back slightly at this, seeming slightly hurt as she’d gone silent again. He let out a quiet vent, closing his optics as Elita squeezed her own shut before hanging her head further towards the ground, guilt growing more apparent by the second. Optimus shifted his hand slightly lower on the side of her face letting one of the tips of her helmet slide between his fingers as he worked the others beneath her chin tilting her face back towards him but not pulling it up again either. Gathering her resolve Elita looked at him. His eyes still had the same softness, but it wasn’t quite sad, not anymore. Her brows lifted in surprise as face plate slid neatly into their slots alongside his neck and helmet allowing a full yet still mostly neutral expression to be shown. He exhaled softly again lips sliding up into a soft smile, then a full-on smirk as he playfully arched an eyebrow at her again. It was softer than how he’d looked at her before, but this was a face she knew all too well, one she’d seen him make and probably even made herself more times than she could count. It was the face he’d made when Bumblebee pulled off an impressive trick but got himself hurt in the process. It was the face he made as WheelJack would ramble on about his ideas for inventions before he’d need to be reminded of budget, limited amounts of fire extinguishers and sometimes even what was and wasn’t scientifically possible, whether he had something to say about it or not. It was the face he made as Ratchet would rant and rave about how this entire team was ‘comprised of idiots’ then work himself to the core making sure his patients recovered. Optimus didn’t need to say a single word as his expression said it all not quite mocking yet still slightly teasing. Not feeling sorry for her in a condescending way but certainly obvious sympathy even potential threads of pity. Yep… Optimus was giving her his best ‘Oh what are we going to do with you?’ face. Son of a- He was doing the slow head shake and even had the GALL to let out that stupid soft chuckle! Elita scrunched her face back up at him, letting out a little grumble under her breath of words she hadn’t come up with yet. Optimus only laughed louder, failing to keep his entertainment to a closed mouth anymore and making Elita’s eyebrow twitch in irritation. He composed himself again taking in another deep vent as Elita glared, though he could see the sides of her lips twitching slightly. She was clearly desperate not to give him the satisfaction of smiling or cracking up too. So, didn’t give her time to do so.

She could only gasp as in one soft yet fluid motion, Optimus pulled her hands back into his chest with one hand lifting her face slightly again with the other before leaning in and planting a kiss on her cheek. He firmly pressed then held his lips there, sleepily closing his eyes. Elita’s jaw dropped, and eyes widened as far as they could go. She could feel her spark practically doing summersaults within her chest. Slowly and hesitantly, he pulled back, blinking his optics open. Even though she could clearly see him smiling at her with his nose almost brushing against her own, she could still feel his lips on her face. Wordlessly she slid her hands out from Optimus’s to touch it to the side of her cheek where they had been almost as if not believing it had really happened. Optimus brought his now free hand back to the base of his helmet glancing away for a moment before reclosing his optics and laughing. It was a joyous yet sheepish expression of delight and with his optics reclosed it was now more obvious the glow of his face wasn’t just coming from his eyes. Elita remained silent as he composed himself again and stared a bit behind him at the ground while lowering his hand from his head.

“Ha Ha Ha… Ahem… Ah... Merry Christmas Eli- mmMPH!” Elita had also given him no warning as she grabbed his shoulders and yanked him back down towards her, shoving her lips on his with a muffled grunt. It wasn’t quite ‘slamming’ into a kiss, but she definitely wasn’t being slow or gentle as he was either. Optimus’s optics snapped wide open while Elita seemed to be squeezing hers as tight as they could go, face pressed hard against his. She dared to peek an eye open slowly beginning to pull away as Optimus was now the one with his mouth hanging open, their lips still brushing against one another. She paused, opening her eyes the rest of the way as Optimus placed one hand on her hip the other slowly tracing its way back onto her arm and up her shoulder. Optimus’s own eyes were a question, a request for permission that he never would have needed to ask, yet he always did anyway. She answered with her smile and the whisper of laughter she finally let out. He smiled back before reclosing his optics and resealing their connection. Elita sighed peacefully, finally giving into him completely as he opened his mouth further to further secure the kiss. She reciprocated, soft mewls escaping between any gaps. Smiling against her, he pulled her closer to him their chests firmly pressed and sliding against one another. Elita arched her posture into the placement of his hand as he slid his open palm from her hips to glide across her back. She shivered again, not bothering to hide it this time. Her own arms slid down tracing her hands over his chest. His spark hummed strong against her caress before she reached back up his shoulders to wrap her arms around the back of his head. Whether the neck hug had pulled her higher or him lower couldn’t be deciphered, all they knew was that their chests were now perfectly aligned, sparks beating as one. Optimus tilted his head into the embrace, letting out a content sigh of his own. He shifted his weight slightly on his knees to lean further over her. Pressing his hand firmly between her shoulder blades, his fingers twitched as they tried not to curl and scrape against her plating. His other hand dragged down the side of her body, outlining the delicate form in his arms. Elita slowly raised her leg, starting to wrap it around Optimus’s waist as he continued his graceful glide from the top, side and finally to the base of her thigh. She leaned further into his supporting hand as he gave her thigh a gentle squeeze before lifting her into the air. The sudden rush of movement causing Elita to let out a surprised

“Oh!” Optimus laughed, leaning his helm against hers before raising his eyebrows in an expression that both teased yet also asked genuinely if she was alright. Elita blinked a few times before returning his laughter. She let out a sigh rolling her eyes. Whether the eyeroll was at herself or at him he couldn’t tell but didn’t care though. Her lips were on his again still slightly snickering against the contact. Optimus let out a half laugh, half exhale and continued to stand. In a single slow spin, he allowed both of their full weight to return to the bottoms of his feet. Both of their forms were silhouetted against the soft glow of the fireplace embers glinting against the metal figures. It was a dance that no one needed to see, not even the dancers. Especially not the dancers. He slid his forearm completely under both of Elita’s legs, lifting her to where she was now the one leaning over him. Optimus squeezed her legs snugly with the inside of his elbow while now supporting her uplifted leg below the knee. He arched his own back now as she leaned forward almost laying across his chest at an angle slowly lifting one of her feet. She wrapped her arms up and past his shoulders to hold his face in her hands. Elita murmured, her expression hardening slightly as she wrapped an arm around his head. She tilted her face to the side and pressed her face harder into his. She practically had his head in a locked hug, one arm wrapped all the way around to have her knuckles brushing her shoulder. The other arm traced up behind the first, lifting her fingers and twirling them around one of his antennae. Whether he was too polite or too shy to tell her how much he enjoyed it, the appreciative groan as she firmly massaged the tip between her digits was plenty. He slid his arm further around her back to better hold her up, his hand cradling the back of her helm. The two pressed in hard on one another one last time before finally breaking the kiss. Both bots held their optics closed as they slowly flickered back into their senses. Steam softly plumed from their vents and into one another’s gaping mouths, combining into single white puffs before fading into the air. Optimus opened his optics finally seeming to have caught his breath. His quirked, almost embarrassed grin perfectly reflected the irony in beings lacking lungs to have become so winded. Elita followed suit her eyes fluttering open now looking down at Optimus instead of up like usual. She took in a deep vent before blurting out the first thought that entered her mind.

“Merry Christmas Optimus…” she whispered, tilting her head to the side and tracing her fingers along the side of his face. Optimus beamed up at her, before closing his optics and smiling wider, leaning into her touch. Her faint smile began trickling its way further across her lips as she considered another silent conversation. His own raised eyebrows and questioning optics let her know just how little he minded the thought. “I love you…”

Thank you for making it to the end if you’ve read this far! I hope you got in some nice holiday opilita feels or even learned something new about mistletoe as I did writing this!

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