#(I LOVE HOW RAY IS JUST LIKE: SERIOUS MODE. AND THEN IS LIKE: AWW LOOK AT HOW CUTE YUGO AND RIN ARE LMFAO

[universestreasures]

enterpainment​: (Zarc)

Zarc had stopped in his tracks. She was about to finally give him a damn order! But to his disappointment she approaches him with a gentle air that told him before she took his hand that he wasn’t about to get what he wanted out of her. That was just like Ray. 

But he allows the movement, her touch making his grip weak enough for her fingers to splay across his, molding them into whatever shape she wished. Whatever hope he had to let lose was gone by now, a snuffed match in the wind, so he simply allowed her to puppeteer his movements. May as well see where this took them… Perhaps he was just too quick to let the potential fun die out? Maybe Ray would surprise him with some form of entertainment yet.

❝ I see… ❞ Was this some sort of game humans played? Zarc follows along the path their finger’s drew before him. ❝ …Yuto. He seems to be humoring your siblings. ❞ At the end of the line he finds Yuto along with his weakling of a mistress and her uncouth brother. The two hardly seemed fit to be named nobles when compared to someone like Ray, who he based his entire definition of ‘noble’ on. But there they were, all coexisting without a care in the world… Smiling even… He can’t recall ever seeing Yuto like that before… The Yuto he knew was a terror-inducing dragon capable of mass amounts of destruction with razor-like claws and lightning discharges that could vaporize even mountains! But there his brother was… handling fragile wildlife as if forgetting he could crush it in an instant. He almost seemed…human.

Zarc’s arm suddenly seemed to regain autonomy, and with the slightest movement began to push back against what Ray was showing him.

❝ I don’t see the point in this game of yours. ❞ -

“Humoring them? I think spending meaningful time with my siblings is a more appropriate description of the sight before us.” Ray corrects, lavender hues focused on the trio. It was as happy a sight as it was shocking, especially considering Shun’s previous hostility towards the dark rebellious retainer. However, seeing them all engaging in a fun activity such as feeding the birds of the garden made Ray very happy. And she knew she was not the only one to share that opinion. 

Her grip on the man’s hand tightened slightly, the woman‘s determination to keep his focus where she would direct him on full display. No way in Hell she was going to let him stop her efforts. Ray wasn’t going to stop until Zarc saw what he needed to, and that meant seeing the results of everyone’s time here in the Akaba House. It was her duty.

“This is not a game.” Her voice grew softer yet more firm, the shift showing that he needed to pay attention and take this seriously. Ray then moves the retainer’s hand to another area of the garden. This time, she directs him to a large apple tree that the second eldest daughter Rin and Zarc’s little brother Yugo were appearing to take a nap under. In fact, the dragon was cuddling the green-haired girl so affectionately that it caused a light chuckle to escape Ray’s lips.

“What do you see now? I see something quite adorable, I think. I was not aware your kind were such cuddlebugs, Zarc.”

~

[pipermca]

Lost and Found Again - Part 9

Hound wasn’t sure when it happened. Then, once he realized that it had happened, he didn’t know what to do about it.

Should he tell him? Would he take it wrong? Did he feel the same way?

Hound’s spark fluttered just thinking about it.

He watched as the Praxian perched on the edge of the couch, his fingers flying over one of the large control pads that Wheeljack had made for the Autobots. Sideswipe had the other controller, and they were going one-on-one in some kind of fighting game.

Bluestreak tilted the control pad, his glossa sticking out slightly between his lips. He mashed the buttons furiously, his attention laser-focused on the screen. Hound watched him with rapt attention.

Suddenly Bluestreak gave a victory shout and threw a fist into the air, his door wings flaring outward. “Yes! I told you I could do that combo, Sideswipe!”

Sideswipe shook his helm. “That was complete and utter slag. You should never have been able to get that off,” he grumbled. “Best two out of three?”

Bluestreak glanced at Hound, and smiled. Hound felt the flutter in his spark again. Looking back at Sideswipe, Bluestreak set down his control pad. “Nah. I promised Hound we’d go for a drive. Maybe next time.”

Sideswipe tossed his control pad on the table and made a little pout. “Aww. All right, fine. But you owe me a rematch!”

Bluestreak waved his hand in agreement, then reached out to take Hound’s. “Let’s go,” he said with a smile and a flutter of his door wings.

Hound’s spark fluttered right along.

The drive was leisurely, and they drove mostly in silence. Even though they had not discussed the destination ahead of time, they both took the road to the hidden lake in the hills behind the Ark. It was a popular spot for Autobots who were off duty.

As they emerged from the trees, Hound was pleased to see that no other mechs were there. Bluestreak transformed into root mode and settled on their favourite spot, a grassy hill overlooking the lake.

The Praxian lay back in the grass and stretched indolently. His door wings flattened against the grass, and he pulled every cable in his frame taut as he flexed his pedes and fingers in opposite directions. His plating gaped open at the seams as he worked the tightness out of his struts.

Settling down in the grass next to him, Hound rested on his elbow, propping his helm up with a hand. He watched Bluestreak, taking in the way his optics squeezed shut when he got the stretch just right. Finally Bluestreak relaxed, and rolled his helm to the side to look at Hound. After a moment he asked, “All right, what is it? You’ve been staring at me all day with this funny little smile on your face.”

“I just like looking at you.” He reached a hand out and rested it on Bluestreak’s chest plate. “I like seeing you relax like this. I like spending time with you.”

Rolling on his side and mimicking Hound’s pose, Bluestreak rested his own helm on his hand, propped up on an elbow. “I like spending time with you, too,” he said. With a grin, he added, “And I can trade sweet little nothings with you all day if you want.”

Hound laughed a little.

He felt the flutter in his spark again.

He wanted to tell him.

But what he wanted to say was a lot more than a sweet little nothing.

A slight frown crossed Bluestreak’s face as Hound’s expression became serious. “What is it, pup?” he asked.

Flutter.

“I love you,” Hound said.

Bluestreak didn’t react. He just looked at Hound with a blank expression.

Hound’s spark lurched and drew in on itself.

After a moment, Hound sat up, resting his arms on his bent knees as he looked out over the placid lake. “I’m sorry,” Hound said quietly.

“For what?”

Hound turned and looked at Bluestreak. The Praxian’s expression was still blank, and his door wings were still. “I’m sorry for... I’m sorry if you weren’t ready to hear that.” He looked back at the lake.

Another minute of silence passed.

Hound heard Bluestreak sit up, and felt his arms go around him. Bluestreak rested his helm against Hound’s shoulder. “It’s not that I wasn’t ready to hear it,” he said quietly. “It’s that I never thought that I would hear it.”

Hound pulled back slightly so he could look at Bluestreak. The red and silver mech’s optics were solemn, holding none of their usual cheer. Instead, Hound could see flickers of the ghosts that he knew lived with Bluestreak every day. “Never?” Hound asked, feeling dumb. “Why?”

His optics flicking away from Hound’s, Bluestreak quietly said, “How can you love someone this broken?”

“Blue... Blue, listen to me.” Hound put a hand on Bluestreak’s cheek, gently turning his face so he could look into his optics again. “You are the most amazing mech I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing,” he said firmly. “You are talented. You have a great sense of humour. You take delight in everyday things. You face every day with an optimism that I don’t think I could ever muster if I’d been through what you have.” He let his helm fall forward to rest his forehelm on Bluestreak’s chevron. “You bring joy into my existence every day, and I love you for it.”

As he spoke, Hound could feel Bluestreak’s field flowing around him, unrestrained and unfiltered. Disbelief. Sadness. Doubt. Then... Like the sun rising in the morning, there was a beam of gratitude that washed over everything and lit his aura with affection.

Bluestreak’s vocalizer buzzed with quiet static, and he switched to comms. ::Hound, I... I don’t know what to say.::

“Don’t say anything, Blue,” Hound murmured, tracing his thumb over Bluestreak’s helm vent. He gently pressed his lips against Bluestreak’s, then smiled at him again. “You don’t have to say anything. I’m not expecting you to feel the same. I just wanted to tell you how I felt.”

Exventing softly, Bluestreak finally got his vocalizer under control. “You know me. I have to say something,” he said with a little laugh. “So... Thank you.” He rested his helm against Hound’s shoulder and curled into his embrace. “Thank you so much.”

They stayed there until the last rays of the sun lit the trees around them like towers of flame.

Originally posted on Archive of Our Own as “Falling in Love.”

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 10