#I guess I just thought he’d think it was cool I’d met bumblebee

[thatfantasylovingdork]

Today I was in a Claire’s (which I am way too old for but whatever, I like some of their accessories) and I saw a kid wearing a transformers shirt, so I told him I met Bumblebee in real life and that he was very nice.

(It is true; I have an autograph from Dan Gilvezan and I have a photo of myself with a guy in a very elaborate Bumblebee costume that I both got at a TFCon.)

(Apparently I also like to embarrass myself in public by acting like a complete nerd 😅)

[minorisato]

life made you bitter, i can make you tender

transformers / dratchet / wc: 1446 / warnings: NA / notes: this is from an au i made where, during s2 of tfa, drift crashlands on earth. / consider commissioning me!

“Drift’s set to leave soon, isn’t he?”

Prowl was not asking for any malicious reason. Prowl was genuinely just curious. He has this– this processor malfunction, where everything he says sounds kind of blunt and he doesn’t understand how to ask things politely. It still makes Ratchet clench his welder tighter, and it still makes his optics twitch.

“Yes, I suppose he is.”

Prowl nods. “His ship is almost done being repaired. Bulkhead has been helping him with it.”

Ratchet notes that Prowl is trying to talk to him, which is a good thing, because it means Prowl is coming out of that weird cyber-ninja-bubble he’d been in since they met. Ratchet also notes that he really wishes Prowl was talking to someone else about this. Like maybe Optimus. Or Bumblebee. Or a wall. “That’s nice.”

Again, Prowl nods. “It’s going to be quieter without him around. Are you going to miss him?”

At that, the medic turns, and just kind of looks at Prowl for a second, because what is he supposed to say? Yes, I’m actually kinda really disappointed about it? Yes, he’s made this entire experience so much more bearable? Yes, he makes me feel like I still have a purpose, a reason to keep working? Yes, the workload doesn’t matter as long as he’s around? After a moment of silence, all he can think to do is shrug, and say “I’ve gotten used to him.”

Prowl hums, nods a third time, watches Ratchet work for a second, and then leaves. Ratchet heaves a sigh of relief when the medbay doors close behind him.

That night, the official announcement is made; Drift is set to leave three days from now. Ratchet watches from the doors of his medbay as Drift explains to the rest of the crew how thankful he is to have been taken in and given a place to stay. How he appreciates it more than they could ever know, how he’ll never forget this kindness. Sari gives his leg a hug, talks about how it was so totally cool to meet a samurai (or something,) and they all resolve to make the most of the time he has left on Earth.

Ratchet, in the midst of the jeering, returns to his medbay.

He’s keeping himself occupied, for the most part, small work to keep his hands busy. Just trying not to think about it. He is gonna miss Drift, is the thing. He’s gonna miss the extra work. He’s gonna miss his laugh, and his smile, and the way his finials twitch and jerk and poke upright. He’s gonna miss feeling like he has a purpose. He’s gonna miss feeling like he matters. He’s gonna miss how Drift would flash his fangs in a smirk, a remnant of his original Decepticon frame, and how he would say “I’ll be alright, won’t I, docbot?” in a way that made it seem like Drift really thought he could fix anything. He’s gonna miss that.

It’s approximately 3:16 AM when the medbay doors slide open. No one should be awake at this hour. Really, Ratchet also should be recharging right now. Sari has gone off to sleep, certainly, and he suspects that everyone else is in recharge, or patrolling. Probably someone back from patrol. He doesn’t turn around.

“You didn’t come to my little announcement,” Drift says.

Ratchet sighs, sets down his tools. He does not turn around. “I saw. Thought you bots had special training to know when someone’s behind you.”

Drift exvents. “I’d hoped I would get to see you, when I told everyone.”

“Why?” Ratchet asks, “Does it really matter to you? You’re leaving, I get it. I’m aware of that. Isn’t that enough?”

There’s a moment of quiet. “I suppose I just wanted to know how you felt, on the matter.”

Ratchet huffs out an exvent. “Can you guess, now?”

“It’d be easier if you would actually look at me.”

Ratchet grinds his dentae. He does, then, turn fully, looking up at Drift, unable to mask his expression. He can’t imagine how he looks– some combination of frustrated, sad, upset, worried, frustrated, frustrated. “Can you tell now?”

“Ratchet,” Drift says, stepping closer, and it’s then that Ratchet recognizes a few things. One, he’s being petulant. Two, Drift is wearing an expression of something not far from grief. Three, in this low light, he doesn’t look all too different from how he did back then.

“I’m not happy about it, Drift. I’m not happy that you’re leaving. Is that what you wanna hear?” Ratchet grits out, “I’m not happy that you get to go back to your heroism, your vigilante justice, and I’m stuck here, doing nothing. I’m not happy that I thought you were dead for a few million years and now you’re gonna go and I’m gonna think you’re dead again. I’m not happy that you’ve made yourself such an active presence in my life only to leave it again. You wanna know how I feel on the matter? I feel–” and he stops there, cutting himself off.

He didn’t really mean to say all that. It all came out in a rush, all at once, and it’s only now that he realizes just how much he let out.

“You’re unhappy,” Drift finishes for him.

He exvents. “Yes, Drift, I’m unhappy.”

Drift approaches him, and leans down, onto his knees, so that he’s optic-level with the medic. “You could come with me,” he says, voice gentle, and Ratchet can’t help but scoff.

“I could come with you?”

“You could. You don’t need to stay here,” Drift tells him. “You said yourself that you aren’t doing anything here. And I– I see it, Ratch, you aren’t respected here. Your skills aren’t valued or put to use here like they could be elsewhere.” By elsewhere, he definitely means with him. Ratchet chooses not to point that out. “You could come with me. We could help people, together.”

Ratchet’s hands shake. They’ve been glitching, recently. Right now, he isn’t certain if it’s the glitching or the anxiety. “Be serious, Drift, would you want that? I’ve got one pede in the scrapheap already. I’d be dead weight on your ship.”

“Don’t say that,” Drift says, firm, “don’t talk about yourself like that.”

“Because you care so much.”

“I do care so much!” Drift shouts, then, definitely a bit loud for how late into the night it is. “Ratchet, I’m not leaving because I don’t care about you. I’m leaving because there’s more to the universe than Cybertron and Earth. I’m leaving because I want to help, anywhere I can. And I want you to come with me because I care about you.”  He pauses, and takes hold of one of Ratchet’s servos. “I’ve always cared about you.”

Ratchet looks down. “Even…”

“Especially,” Drift finishes for him, smiling softly. “You saved my life. I’ve never forgotten that. I never will forget that. You’re– I, very literally, would not be here without you. You showed me a level of respect I never got from any other Autobot. You didn’t care if I was a ‘con. You saved me anyway.” In this dark light, the pink that dusts his face is immediately visible. “Of course I fell in love.”

Ratchet stalls. Love. Love? “Is that what it is?” He asks, before even realizing he’s done so out loud.

“It is,” Drift tells him, leaning a bit closer. Drift is inches away from him. “I love you.”

“I–” Ratchet hesitates. He’d never even considered that word to describe it before, but now that he is considering it, it makes complete sense. Of course it’s love. What else could possibly describe it? “I love you too.”

Drift runs his thumb over the joints on Ratchet’s servo. “My offer–” he starts, “you don’t need to answer right now. I’m still not going for a few days. But I want you to at least consider it, if nothing else.”

“I will,” Ratchet tells him, resetting his vocals. They’re still so close together. There’s a slight heat radiating from Drift’s plating– not too intense, but enough to tell Ratchet that yes, he does also recognize that this is very close. “Drift–”

“I can go, if you’d like me to,” Drift starts, and Ratchet damn near smacks him in the head.

“That’s not it at all,” the medic grumbles. “I– will you– can we. Can we–”

Drift chuckles lightly, and a servo carefully, slowly, softly, with claws that don’t scratch, moves to cup the back of Ratchet’s helm. “Yes,” Drift lets out, voice quiet and soft. “Yes, we can.”

Ratchet wraps an arm around Drift’s neck, and melts into it.

[spencers-renaissance]

This Gravitational Pull

Summary: Penelope Garcia sets her two best friends Derek & Spencer up on a blind first date. Even with the best intentions and highest expectations, no-one could've predicted it would go quite this well.

Tags: fluff, first date, au: diff first meeting, shy spencer, insecurity, anxiety, flirting, cuddling, protective derek, silly amounts of affection

Pairing: Derek Morgan x Spencer Reid

Word Count: 2.9k

Masterlist // Read on AO3

I started writing this and then realised that I'd set their date in a pub's beer garden? I googled it and apparently they are a thing in America so I kept it in. I don't know how common they are, but I hope it's all good and you can picture the setting just fine.

Spencer really wishes he hadn’t agreed to this blind date.

Not because he doesn’t trust Penelope — he does, he trusts her implicitly and entirely — but because it's a blisteringly hot day in late July and the heat compounded by his shaking nerves is making for a rather unpleasant sweating situation.

A bumblebee buzzes quietly around the table he’s sat at, briefly interested in the iced coffee he’s got his hands wrapped around, and Spencer watches it with a gentle sort of intrigue, able to briefly take his mind off the impending date. He knows that Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan is physically attractive, Penelope had made that more than clear with both her copious photos of him and the way she’s sung his praises since she started working at the FBI, but if anything, that just makes him more nervous. If Derek wasn’t his type, then he wouldn’t have as much to lose.

He runs a nervous hand through his hair as he heaves a small sigh. Worst case scenario, he can run home to his apartment, order Indian food, bury himself in the early edition of War and Peace he just won in an auction and forget that this date ever happened.

“Spencer? Spencer Reid?”

A surprisingly deep and sexy voice has him looking up from the watch face he’s been staring at perhaps a little too intensely, and he’s instantly taken aback by the Greek God standing in front of him. He’d known Derek was attractive, he'd seen pictures of him, but no camera could ever hope to do someone so beautiful any semblance of justice.

“Uh, y-yes, um, yeah. That’s me.” He shakes his head to try and recover his awkward word stumbling before discreetly wiping his sweaty palm on his trousers and standing up to shake Derek’s hand. “You’re Derek?”

“The one and only,” Derek says cheekily, shooting Spencer a grin that already has his stomach churning with a mix of excitement and crippling nerves. “Penelope told me you were gorgeous, but let me tell you, she really undersold it, pretty boy.”

His cheeks instantly flush red as he fights to maintain eye contact, blinking owlishly at the other man. Did he really just say that?

“I was going to say the same thing.”

Derek’s grin only widens. “Well, it looks like Penelope matched us well, then.”

This time Spencer allows himself to briefly duck his head as a baffling mix of pleasure and mortification swim around his chest. He puts it down to inexperience. Any other explanation will only compound his embarrassment.

“She did,” he agrees, smiling over at Derek and hoping desperately that he’s managing to stay cooler on the outside than he is on the inside. “Do you want something to drink?”

Derek nods. “I’ll go and order a beer at the bar. Do you want anything or are you okay with that coffee?”

“Oh no, I’m fine, thank you,” Spencer says, and mentally he praises himself for finally getting out a coherent sentence that doesn’t sound hopelessly mangled and flustered.

He watches Derek as he strides into the pub, looking as cool and confident as his looks and personality allow, and he realises that he really does just have a way about him. The bar is relatively crowded due to the blinding heat on a Saturday afternoon, but the bartender serves him instantly, all the girls eyeing him interestedly and the guys knocking his shoulder and joking about with him as though they’re all easy, long-time friends.

It’s nice, Spencer thinks, to be the focus of someone like that’s attention. Derek could have his pick of most people drinking here, but he only has eyes for Spencer as he comes back out, holding a tall pint and wearing a happy, focused expression as he sits back down.

“Do you not drink?” Derek asks curiously and without judgement, gesturing to his coffee.

“I go out with my friends sometimes,” Spencer says, blushing again, “but I’m a bit of a lightweight, and that’s not the best state of mind to be in on any first date, let alone a blind one.”

Derek chuckles warmly at that, and the sound is a pleasant rumble reminiscent of a distant thunderstorm. Spencer wants to melt into it.

“I think I’d like to see you all messy on a night out, pretty boy,” Derek says wryly, still grinning shamelessly, and Spencer gets the distinct impression that this ‘pretty boy’ business is going to be a Thing between them.

Spencer cocks his head and takes a sip of his coffee through the long metal straw. “Maybe you’ll have to join us some time.”

“Does that mean we’re going on another date?” Derek asks, but before Spencer can panic that he’s said the wrong thing, he’s smoothly continuing. “Because I’m more than down for that.”

“You are?”

“Pretty boy, you ever looked in the mirror?” Derek demands playfully. “Add that to this cute little nerdy bashful doctor thing you got going on and you’re the whole package. Of course I want another date with you, and we’ve barely even started this one.”

Spencer flushes bright pink at that, and decides to move the conversation on before he melts into a literal puddle in the middle of this beer garden. “So you know Penelope through work?”

Derek gets the hint. “I was part of the group that arrested her, actually,” he chuckles, “and I thought she was gonna be a nightmare to work with when we gave her the option of working for the FBI instead of going to prison. But then she showed up on her first day decked out from head to toe in pink and yellow, her hair dyed back to her natural blonde, and the way she smiled when I called her baby girl… well, it was smooth sailing from then on. Did you know her back in her Black Queen days?”

“I was her one phone call,” Spencer answers, his face splitting into an easy grin as they discuss his favourite person on planet earth. “I was terrified she was going to jail and I’d lose her forever, so I was over the moon when you guys offered her that deal. We went to get our hair done together the very next day.”

“Oh yeah? And what did Pretty Boy have done to his hair, hm?”

Spencer blushes. “Let’s just say she wasn’t the only one who had a rebellious phase?”

“Now that I have got to know more about.”

“Save it for date number two, SSA Morgan,” Spencer shoots back, relaxing into the easy banter between them.

“Alright, alright, baby, I can do that,” he says, winking again. Thankfully, Spencer manages not to do an embarrassing impression of a traffic light this time. “How did you and Penelope meet?”

“Back in college actually,” Spencer nods. “She was sort of going off the rails after her parents’ death, but I think finding a scared 12 year old in her Geography elective helped her rein it in a bit. We’ve been glued at the hip pretty much since we met. Even when I went to MIT for a bit to complete my Engineering PhD, she came with me. Since her job back then was mostly hacking and some supplemental side jobs, it didn’t really matter where she was based, she was just hellbent on protecting me like she has ever since that first Geography class.”

“Wow,” Derek says, looking genuinely shocked as he leans back a little bit, eyeing Spencer with curious eyes. “You went to college when you were twelve? I’m glad you had Penelope because that could’ve been a disaster.”

“It kind of was,” Spencer nods, laughing a little. “But it meant that I had five degrees including three doctorates by the time I was twenty-one so I wasn’t too mad about it.”

Derek stares at him consideringly, the soft smile on his face making Spencer’s stomach fill with butterflies. “You’re quite the genius aren’t you?”

“Well, I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified, but I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, and can read 20,000 words per minute.”

Derek just stares at him.

“So, yeah, I guess I’m a genius?” he says bashfully.

Derek laughs, shaking his head. “Definitely a genius. I mean, Penelope told me you were clever, but this is like… insane. Are you sure you’re okay to go out with a mere mortal like me or should I see myself out?”

“Yeah actually, Derek, sorry, it’s not going to work out,” Spencer says, feigning seriousness. “I can’t be with anybody who’s not within twenty IQ points of me or doesn’t have at least two PhDs.”

“A good actor, too? What don’t you have going for you, pretty boy?” He laughs in that wild and free kind of way Spencer always wishes he could, and he wonders whether Derek could teach him how.

Derek watches him like there’s something special about Spencer as the sound of their laughter mingles, looks at him like there’s nowhere else he’d rather be but right here, right now, and the warm intensity of it has a buzz going in Spencer’s chest, a pleasant feeling he can’t imagine anything dousing, and he never wants Derek to take his eyes off him again. Not if this is how it’s always going to make him feel.

The hours of the afternoon fly by and all of a sudden the sun is setting and they’re feeling distinctly hungry.

“How do you feel about getting some street food and taking a wander down to the beach?” Derek suggests hopefully, and Spencer can’t help the wide grin that splits his cheeks at the idea.

“Let’s do it.”

The beach is slightly cooler than the garden now the sun is setting and a soft, salty breeze is floating in from the ocean, so they sit close together in the sand, sharing their servings of nachos and fries between them.

“What’s your family like?” Spencer asks, a little daringly after a couple of minutes of comfortable silence.

Derek smiles. “They’re amazing. It’s been just me, my mom, and my two sisters since I was ten years old, but I think losing my dad only brought us closer together, y’know? We had to learn from a young age how to rely on each other, and we were also taught the very valuable lesson of just how important family is and how nothing in life is guaranteed, so we’ve made every effort to be as close to one another as possible.”

Spencer watches with quiet admiration as Derek gushes about his family, and takes another bite of their nachos. “Do they live locally?”

“No, they’re all still back in Chicago,” Derek says. “It’s sad sometimes, being so far away from them, but they would have killed me if I’d stuck around back home just for them and hadn’t chased my dream of climbing the ladder of the FBI.”

Spencer nods, chuckling along with Derek as they stare out at the quiet, tumbling waves of the ocean.

“What about you?” Derek asks. “Are you close with your family?”

Shit. He hadn’t exactly considered that asking Derek about his family would lead to reverse questioning about his own. I mean, call him a genius all you want, but social interaction is not his area of expertise.

“Uh, it’s just me and my mom. She lives back in Vegas,” he explains, clearing his throat awkwardly as he hopes that’s enough to appease his date.

Truthfully, it probably would have been, but Derek doesn’t say anything immediately, and the silence feels like it’s choking him into admitting the truth, however much it makes his chest tighten and his stomach flip with anxiety. What if this is it? What if Derek doesn’t want to start something with someone who has a family history as fucked up as his? What if he reads between the lines and sees that Spencer could be just like his mom in the future, and thinks that starting a relationship is just too risky?

“She has paranoid schizophrenia,” he blurts out, the words rolling off his tongue without his express permission, and instead of shutting up, they just keep coming. “When my dad left when I was ten, I had to be her sole carer until I left for college at twelve, but even then she refused professional help and medication, so I was taking the train from Pasadena to Las Vegas every weekend to try and help her out, and it got messy a lot of the time. It was only when I turned eighteen that things got a little bit easier, and that was only because I betrayed her trust and had her sectioned into a Sanitorium.

“They’re amazing, they take really good care of her and I did my research obviously, but I think a part of her still resents me for doing that.”

He stares out at the ocean for a couple of seconds before he suddenly realises where he is and what he’s just done.

“Oh my god,” he says as horror and dread fill him from the bottom up, “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have just dumped all that on you, I’m sorry, just—”

“Hey, pretty boy,” Derek says gently, placing a reassuring hand on his back to get his attention. “It’s okay, don’t worry. I’m just happy you felt comfortable enough to tell me all of that, and besides, I asked the question, and I meant it. I wanted to know the answer.”

Spencer feels some of the panic recede a little, and he looks up at Derek to try and gauge whether he’s telling the truth. “Really?”

Derek’s expression only softens further. “Really.”

He relaxes a little further and leans into Derek’s side, smiling to himself when Derek wraps his arm fully around his waist, resting his head on top of Spencer’s.

“I feel like I’ve known you way longer than just four hours and fifty six minutes,” Spencer says eventually.

Derek chuckles, and this time Spencer can feel the low rumble against his cheek as well as hear it. “It might be the biggest cliche in the book, but I feel exactly the same, baby.”

“I think sharing street food on the beach while staring out at a sunset as romantic and beautiful as that one has cemented the cliches in this date enough already,” Spencer points out, laughing a little.

“That is very true,” Derek agrees, squeezing his hand against Spencer’s waist. “We could round all the cliches off with a kiss, if you’d like.”

Spencer sits upright, blushing again as he eyes Derek’s flirtatious but serious expression. “I’d like that a lot.”

Derek wastes no time in taking Spencer’s jaw in his hand and leaning in slowly to place a long, sensuous kiss to his lips. Spencer kisses back with as much control as is possible when your experience is next to none and you have one of the most beautiful men in the world turning your stomach inside out with his attention, but it seems to be enough for Derek because as soon as they pull away, he’s grinning widely.

“You’re quite the kisser, pretty boy.”

Spencer fights the blush but it comes anyway. “I like that.”

Derek’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. “The kiss?”

“No, the pet names.”

Derek’s expression smooths out and he smiles again, a little more tenderly than his usual cheeky grin. “Well, that’s good, because I have plenty more up my sleeve, sweetheart.”

Spencer flushes with pleasure this time and settles back against Derek’s side, observing the blue sea as they settle into silence once more.

“I’m not very used to all of this, by the way,” he says after a while, the sky slowly darkening.

“Used to what?”

“This. Kissing. Dating. Pet names.”

Derek looks down at Spencer to try and get a better look at his face. “Really? You could’ve fooled me.”

“I’ve only ever had one boyfriend before, and this is only the second date I’ve ever been on.”

“Any girlfriends?”

“Not really my area.”

“And this other date, was that with boyfriend number one?”

Spencer shakes his head against Derek’s shoulder. “No, I never went on a date with him. I met him in college and we were friends first, so we never really dated, just fell into a relationship.”

“Ah.” A brief silence settles over them again, but Derek doesn’t let it hang long. “You know I’m not bothered by any of that, right? You could have never dated anyone ever before or have screwed your way round half of California and DC and it wouldn’t matter a single bit. Not if you were here with me, right now.”

He laughs softly as Derek lightens the mood, and something in Spencer’s chest feels like it falls into place at that, like his last anxious reservation has been washed away and he can really move forward, forge onward with this scarily exciting endeavour.

“You’re a good man, Derek Morgan. You know that, right?”

Derek kisses the top of his head. “I do,” he says, “but I’m not sure it’s ever sounded quite as special falling from anyone else’s lips as it does falling from yours.”

Further down the beach, another wave crashes against the shore, and the colours of the sunset fade away slowly. People pack up their picnic baskets and head home, and seagulls attack their leftovers, but none of that matters, because right now, Spencer’s world is Derek Morgan.

Penelope Garcia deserves a medal.

(Yes, I've used that "yeah I guess I'm a genius" sequence in way too many fics, leave me ALONE. )

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[solar-bean]

A Talk With The Prime Himself

(Reader insert-ish)

I stood by in the entrance of the warehouse, one foot outside the ajar door and my shoulder resting on the other. I heard the calm rhythm of the rain against the forest floor and trees. With each subtle gust of wind, a spray of mist cooled my face. Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh of content. Nothing could ruin this peaceful moment.

" Is there something troubling you?"

Ok you'd think a giant, metal robot breaking the silence would, but his deep, gentle voice did the exact opposite.

I turned slightly and made eye contact with Optimus over my shoulder. It wasn't too hard to find his glowing, blue optics in the dark.

" No. Why do you ask?"

He came a step closer. How he managed to do so with little sound, or sneak up on me to begin with, baffled me.

" You are normally in stasis at this hour. The others, including Ratchet, are deep in slumber if I might add."

I grinned. Of course he checked on everyone before heading to bed. If he ever slept that is. He was always the first one up and usually the last one, besides Ratchet, who was still up working on a datapad late in the night. He never showed any signs of fatigue so maybe he did rest every now and then. That or he was just good at hiding it.

" I just wanted to see the rain is all."

" I see...do you mind if I join you?"

I shrugged.

" Not at all."

We stood and watched the rain with the door fully open. I thought back on the first time Optimus had seen rain. We were on the open road when all of a sudden he'd panicked at the first drop on his windshield. Speeding to the nearest shelter, with the rest of the Autobots in tow, I found myself cluttered under a rock formation with them.

I'd barely gotten the chance to ask what was the matter in the mist of it, so I did once they'd seemed to calm down. Ratchet didn't hesitate to scold me on not mentioning earth's toxic rain. Which of course rose many questions. Optimus took the liberty of answering them, still clutching me to his chassis, as the others stared fearfully at the downpour.

I kindly asked him to put me down, then proceeded to step into the rain despite their protests. Once they all saw that I was indeed not burning alive, one by one they came out of the shelter. We'd probably spent a half an hour playing in the rain. By which I mean Ratchet watched as the others, especially Bumblebee, ran around and jumped in mud puddles. Optimus, however, kept his head titled to the clouds, optics shut. I'd never seen him more at peace.

It was one of my fondest memories of them. Optimus had even kept the cab's heater on so that I wouldn't get sick. Although I could've dealt without paying for all of them to got to the car wash.

After what couldn't have been more than six minutes, the rain came to a slow stop.

" Huh......I thought it would last longer." I whispered.

" I did as well."

Oh right, I keep forgetting how sharp their hearing is. It really doesn't help for those who think out loud a lot.

" Well," I stretched out my back with a groan. " Guess I should head to bed." I began to walk towards my room before pausing to see if he was heading to his. He was still looking out the door.

" Are you staying up?"

He blinked as if coming out of deep thought.

" I was contemplating on watching the stars. The sky seems to be clearing faster than I expected."

" Oh, well don't stay up too late. Can't have our fearless leader falling asleep during his own speech."

His shoulders shook as he let out a small chuckle. It was a sound I rarely heard, which probably added to why it was one of my favorites.

" You have my word. I hope you have a pleasant stasis."

" You too. Goodnight." I only made it ten steps before turning back around. " Actually I have an idea."

----

Optimus strolled through the forest, his peds creating a soft smush sound on the rain-drenched grass, while I sat on his shoulder. I don't when the habit started, but whenever given the chance I'd find myself situated on his shoulder. Sometimes, I did so to chat with him, others was just to have a comfortable place to read or on occasion nap.

Optimus didn't seem to mind at all. He was normally the one to put me up there if I couldn't reach. No one seemed to question our ritual either. A few perplexed glances at first, but that was it. It felt nice though, having the privilege of being this close to him, his presence calming me. The view was nice as well.

We soon arrived at a cliff in one of the clearings. It overlooked the rest of the expansive forest, trees seeming to go on for ages. However, our view was turned upwards.

The stars were brighter than I'd ever seen them. Growing up in the city truly deprived me of such a sight. If only I knew every constellation.

" Are you enjoying the view?" I asked him. He was now sitting on the edge, peds dangling. His posture inclined backwards enough so that I wouldn't slip off of him.

" Immensely." he replied, optics not leaving the sky.

We sat there for several moments in a peaceful silence, besides the occasional cricket. Then I remembered something that I'd been wondering for a while.

" Do you.....like it here on earth?"

" Yes. Why do you ask?"

I looked to the ground.

" It's just that...I can't imagine needing to leave my planet then settling on another and starting over. It just seems so...terrifying."

He hummed in thought. His audiual fins twitching slightly and quite adorably.

" It was a challenge, settling here, but I've come to admire this planet dearly."

I smiled, but it soon turned back into a frown.

" I wish that this war didn't happen."

He turned to me sharply, as if concerned.

" Are you sure that you're alright? First you stay up later than usual and now this."

" I'm fine I just," I groaned and sunk my head into my hands. " I just keep thinking about how better your lives would have been if you weren't at war. I know that my time with you has barely been a fraction compared to long it's been going on, but even to me it's becoming tiresome. You've all gone through so much and you deserve to be happy yet...."

" Yet?" he pressed on.

I sighed.

" Yet everytime I think about the war not happening, I get sad. Your conflict with the Cons is the only reason why you came to earth. So if it never happened then...."

" ...Then we never would have met you." he continued.

" Exactly," I let out a quiet, sorrowful laugh. " Isn't that selfish? Me getting all mopey over you being happy without me."

I could feel my eyes sting with oncoming tears. Come on! Now is not the time to cry. Not in front of Optimus of all people.

" I don't think it's selfish at all."

I was taken aback and made eye contact with him again.

" Really?"

" Of course, in fact, you're one of the most selfless beings I have ever had the honor of meeting. If anything, I'm the one who has been selfish."

" What?! Optimus I think you of all people are incapable of being selfish."

He gave me a small smile. It held a bit of guilt to it.

" You have done everything in your power to help us even though you are merely a bystander in this war. You have put your life on the line countless times for our sake and I have not repaid you in any way. I haven't even been able to protect you properly." his field radiated with regret. I'm still surprised that I can feel it. Not as strongly as a cybertronian would, but there was still a faint feeling when were close. Since that was often, I've learned to distinguish each emotion. Regret, however, was rare, especially directed towards me.

" I won't deny that there have been close calls," I felt a chill go up my spine at the memory of Megatron grabbing me, much harsher than any of the Bots. I had been sure that I'd die then and there in his cold, tight grasp. " But you have repaid me. Countless times actually."

His audial fins perked up.

" I have?"

" Of course you have. Do have any clue how in a funk I was before you guys arrived. I was lonely too but I guess thats on me for living in the woods. But when you showed up, it's like everything was new. By showing you my world I realized just how much I love it. Some people not so much, but the goods ones for sure. Then I was able to further my knowledge, learn about an alien race, make new friends AND fight killer robots,"

I caught my breath which soon turned to short giggle.

" Opty, I'd say you paid me in full before you even owed me. " I still can't believe he lets me call him that.

For a while he just stared at me fondly and I did the same.

" When all of this is over. When everything is safe here on earth....I'm going to take you to Cybertron."

My head whipped to face him although he was still looking at the sky, determination in his optics.

" Really...?" I muttered in disbelief. " You'd...you'd do that? You'd take me there?"

He turned to me and nodded.

" If it's to repay me then you don't need to. It would be too much of a hassle and what would the others think of you bringing an organic? As a Prime no less!"

He stared at me intently before raising his servo and cluthing me gently. It's what he normally did when I was distressed.

" I'm not taking you to my home because I feel that I need to. I'm taking you because I want to. I want you to experience my world as I've experienced yours. And ....to be completely honest...I...."

I gingerly touched his digit to urge him on.

" I don't think I'm quite ready to part ways with you either....For this to be over..."

We both didn't need to ponder on what this was. We never did and probably never will. Whatever it was it was certainly mutual. The Bots knew too. Probably even the Cons.

" I don't think I ever will..." I leaned my head against his faceplate and he nudged back, optics closing in content.

" I can't promise that you'll be accepted. I can't promise that it'll be all that you hoped. And I can't promise that I'll survive to be able to take you....but I promise that I'll try...with all my spark." he whispered with his optics still shut.

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I let a few fall.

" You have to promise one more thing. And not as a Prime or even an Autobot. Just as you and only you."

" And what would that be?"

"....that you'll never forget me, no matter what happens."

He chuckled. Almost sadly as if realizing what I meant. That even if he did survive my lifespan would dwarf his. It was inevitable.

" How could I promise such a thing? Primus himself couldn't stop me from forgetting you."

And he didn't.

He never did.

[forgetspecifics]

Such Sights are Bright - Prologue: Wake Up

Yang Xiao Long; born in Canada to a mother she never knew, has left her father’s homestead in Maine to experience life with her uncle.

Other links: Ao3 FF.net

Notes: My new story warranted a prologue to cover some of the plot and I thought I'd post it to see what y'all think. I'm seriously excited to begin this. I've had it planned for about 6 months, and I haven't even really started, but I think I'm already thinking of a sequel. Oops It's really important to note that this whole story was massively inspired by music, a specific album, to be exact. It means a lot to me. Listening to each song at the end of a chapter will hopefully help you understand the spirit of what I'm trying to do here. I implore you to not be a lil sneak and ruin anything for yourself by listening to any other song from the album, if you actually want to enjoy my story in the musical form. All credit given to the band that changed my life. Another important note is that each chapter will take place in a specific month of the year, which is noted at the top (with the season, since there's three chapters per season [excluding this chapter since it's just a prologue], idk it was important to me when I planned it and now I don't remember why. I think it was because I wanted to cover a whole year). ANYWAY, just go

August (Summer)

/

Amongst the chatter and slight chaos of the patrons of the airport, a small family bid their farewells as an announcement caught their ears.

‘This is the final boarding call for flight BGR213 to Columbus, final boarding call.’

“Oh, I’m gonna miss you, sis!”

“You’ll see me in a couple of months, Rubes. But, I’ll miss you more!”

“It’s more than a couple, Yang. Still, you better hurry or you’ll miss the plane!”

Yang nodded, agreeing with her father’s concern. Giving her little sister, Ruby, one last bear hug, she took in a shaky breath.

“I better scoot, then, eh? I love you guys,” she embraced her dad, the man trying to hide his sadness – and failing.

“Be safe, my sunny little dragon. I love you,” he sniffed.

“See you at Christmas!”

Taking in the sight of Taiyang and Ruby waving goodbye, looking like they missed her already, Yang hoisted her backpack over her shoulder entered the boarding gate for her flight, bound for Ohio.

Her new adventure awaited her, after all.

Drifting into a state of quiet fear, Yang let her feet and legs carry her through the gate and onto the plane, not fully processing the situation. She knew she was leaving everything she’d known for almost her whole life, but it was like it was yet to sink in. She sat in her seat – a window view – happy to have several hours to get used to everything.

Asking herself if she was truly happy with this decision, she knew that it seemed impulsive and foolhardy to her dad and sister. Even if they had planned this move sufficiently, it seemed sudden anyway. Why would a seventeen-year-old girl want to uproot herself to a different state just before her final year of high school? It was social suicide, especially since she was one of the most popular girls around.

It’s because Yang was sick of that little town and everybody in it (not Ruby though, and to a lesser extent, not her dad either). Nothing was a secret there. Judgement was grating on her nerves as she grew older and older and saw it more and more.

They all knew their family was a mess since Summer had died.

Taiyang had not taken the loss well – in fact, he took it very badly.

It was not the best situation for six-year-old Yang and four-year-old Ruby – so to say ever since she had died, it was to say that the last eleven years of their lives had been an uphill battle.

When their father had shut down, the townspeople had done their best to help them, but it wasn’t enough. They couldn’t be the mother they’d lost. The mother Ruby lost.

Yang did the only thing she could: become the best mother she could be. In turn, she sacrificed her childhood for Ruby’s – and she’d do it all again if she needed to. It wasn’t Ruby’s fault. As Ruby grew old enough for Yang to step out of that role, it was too late for her to regain all the time she had lost.

So, Yang made the most of the time she had.

She knew that her father had tried his best, but it wasn’t enough. He gradually improved over time, and by the time she was eleven, he took most of his fatherly duties much more seriously, giving her her chance.

To say that she was a bit of a problematic kid was an understatement – not that she was a brat or treated her father terribly, no. School became the best place for her to let out her frustrations and have fun. She never even tried to reach her potential, putting more effort into being ‘cool’ and having the times of her life.

The last couple of years especially, were a riot. Not even considering the future, Yang loved to party and loved to keep up an image. An image that rebelled against the picture of the poor girl the town thought she was – she wanted them to think she’d been unaffected.

It wasn’t their business, anyway.

The truth was, Yang had made a mess out of the life that lay ahead of her. She had only done the minimum to stay at a passing grade or to be able to do whatever sports her school had offered. It was easy to be athletic and not very book-smart.

The other truth was, after Summer had died, Taiyang told her she wasn’t actually her mother at all. That her mother was another woman named Raven, whom had a twin brother, that he and Summer had met and worked with in Canada before she was born.

Ever since that day, Yang had craved more knowledge about her true mother, something she investigated many times to little success. Her uncle began to visit them periodically, now that she knew about his existence. She knew that if her dad wouldn’t tell her about Raven, Qrow was the only other person she could ask.

Which had lead her to this decision to move in with him in another state. Yang felt trapped in her life in her small town, partly by her own choices, partly that in another year, she’d have finished high school and have nowhere to go. Deep down, she recognised that she was probably too late to have a revelation such as that, and it was just a little bit ironic that she was late in growing up when she had had no choice at age six to mature rapidly.

Maybe being this screwed up was Taiyang’s fault. He’d shirked all responsibility on her, falling into a pathetic hole of alcohol dependence and ignoring his depression. A little kid shouldn’t have had to slap her father awake from a bender just to ask him to help out – which never worked anyway.

She shouldn’t have had to find him sitting at the kitchen table staring at a knife late at night. Too often she’d been shooed away, hearing him say goodnight, and wondering if when she woke, he’d be gone.

As much as he’d apologised when he had realised – with her help – that he needed to get it together, she’d still lord it over him when she felt petty. When he’d chastised her for something stupid, or tried and butt in on her life, she’d told him that he wasn’t there for her before and didn’t get to decide when he was now. ‘Wake up,’ she’d said, ‘you don’t get to play the dad card now.’

Yang would admit she felt accomplished when she’d told him what she wanted to do and he had responded, ‘Yang, I’ve never been able to hold you back, but not by choice. It’s time for me to be a man, and choose to not hold you back any longer. Be the person I know you can be.”

Because at that moment, she knew they could both move on from their past.

Landing in a new place was kind of nerve wracking, she thought. But this was what she wanted. She had made it another step closer to knowing where she’d come from.

Looking amongst the strange faces of a strange place, she looked for a sign of her pickup. It had been awhile since she’d seen him and Yang hoped he was still the old, grumpy faced man she remembered.

She spied a familiar ringed hand tip a familiar flask up to a familiar scruffy face, and smirked. He was the old grumpy faced alcoholic she remembered.

As Yang eagerly sidestepped travellers to her uncle, he screwed the lid back on the container that was likely filled with something strong enough to make her cringe.

Tucking his contraband back into his jacket, Qrow Branwen welcome his niece with open arms. “Hey, firecracker. Look at you, all big and strong.”

His gravelly tenor was a sound she had missed. “You know me,” her shoulders shrugged off the praise, despite the pride she felt that he’d noticed. Taiyang had been helping her develop the capacity to pursue her athletic hobbies – anything physical, Yang was down for.

“Come on kid, it’s a bit of a drive,” Qrow gestured for her to follow. “Hope you’re not disappointed with a normal car ride.”

Yang snorted shamelessly. “I’ll deal. Did Bumblebee make it here safe?”

Turning towards baggage claim, her uncle nodded, “Yep.  You named that death-trap after an insect?”

“Excuse me, I’ll have you know that my bike,” she paused, considering that he may have been accurate describing the motorcycle as a death-trap, “…is named after the coolest insect on the face of the Earth.”

Qrow had made an effort and drove through the most interesting route in Canton, Yang noting the well-known Pro Football Hall of Fame as the city’s pride and joy. She guessed she’s a Browns fan now – not like Maine had their own football team.

It was daunting to know this was now her home for at least the next year. Backing out part way through would be stupid – she came here gain some of the freedom back.

…and to learn more about her birth mother – her estranged birth mother.

She knew she looked a lot like her father, blonde hair, tall, with an affinity for the colour yellow. Yet Taiyang had always said she looked like her mom, which she only had one, old and lousy picture of. Her golden hair did not match her mother’s black, so she always figured that he was just saying that. He had never understood or agreed with her craving to know more about his first wife, Raven Branwen – it seemed her uncle was on her side.

He obviously saw that at age 17, Yang was sick of being given the little-kid treatment.  Otherwise, she didn’t see herself being here, in the twin-siblings’ hometown, living with him.

“Qrow?”

The car turned into a new street. “Yeah, yeah, we’re almost there,” he muttered.

“Not that. Just…thanks.”

She saw him crack a hint of a smile. “No problem,” they pulled into the drive of a small two story house. “Welcome home.”

He wasted no time in approaching the door to unlock it, as Yang pulled her bags from the trunk – since she was fully capable.

Passing through the threshold held somewhat of a weight for her. This was the Branwen’s family home. Her mother had lived here, at some point, long ago. It surprised her to see that the room towards the rear end of the house housed a lone upright piano. The walnut was weathered, clearly showing its age, dust coating the flat surfaces.

As she inspected the instrument, Qrow curiously observed from the doorframe. “I didn’t think you could play,” he stated.

“I can’t. I like sports, remember?” she laughed. “Judging by the dust, you can’t either.”

Qrow shook his head in agreement. “Not my style either. Family heirloom, or some crap.”

Yang lifted the cover and placed her fingers on the spotless keys, accidentally pressing a sour note when she heard, “Raven could,” from behind her.

She suddenly found herself disliking it.

“I’m gonna unpack,” she quickly exited the room and any further conversation about that. Funny, how this was what she wanted to know about, but she didn’t know if she’d enjoy finding it all out that much.

A low hum followed her. “Upstairs, first room on your right. Don’t worry, it’s as empty and impersonal as they get.”

Thank fuck for that.

Notes: Song: 'Man' This is about the struggle I wrote of in the first section, that long and sad one? Yeah. You can probably figure it out. -

+1 for bumblebees being straight up cool

+1 for bumbleBY being not straight at all

I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks for reading.

[plsdontfightme]

I Wrote A Thing

Hi, yes, hello. I wrote a thing for a creative writing class I took last year, and I thought I’d share it with you, the good people of tumblr. I’m hoping you might read it and tell me what you think! It would be greatly appreciated. 

Beautiful Memories

Art galleries were not on Daisy’s list of “Top Ten Places to Bring a Date,” and a small voice in the back of Alexis’s mind kept reminding her of that. She stood uncomfortably near the corner, studying a piece that looked very… something. Both the title and artist’s name were in a language she didn’t know, and, if she was being honest, the piece itself just looked like a bunch of criss crossing lines of varying shades of blue, green, and black.

She turned from the painting as she searched for her date, Matt. He’d gone to get them something to drink fifteen minutes ago, but Alexis was sure he was just looking for a chance to chat up the woman running the bar. Alexis couldn’t bring herself to be jealous, the woman was pretty, for sure, but it looked like she was about as interested in Alexis’s date as she was. Which is to say, not very. It was a blind date one of the girls from across the hall had set up. She hadn’t told Alexis what to expect, just his name, so she hadn’t dressed up very much. That was one thing she was regretting now, feeling very out of place in her simple pink and white sundress. It was a beautiful night for mid-fall, almost unseasonably warm, and she’d been hoping to do something outside. Dinner on the patio of that little Italian place she and Daisy went to whenever they could afford it, or a picnic on campus, she knew a great spot up behind the football field. She even would’ve been down for a round of mini-golf tonight, anything but a stuffy art gallery full of pretentious rich people.

Alexis moved from the piece she had been absentmindedly staring at to the one next to it. It was thinner and longer than the other and much lighter. The bright blues and reds splashed against a white and gray canvas made Alexis think she might be able to actually see something in this one. A fond memory rose from the back of her mind, causing a natural smile to grace her lips for the first time that evening.

~~~

“Come on, Daisy!”

Alexis grabbed her best friend’s hand, pulling her towards the door. The rain had finally stopped, the sky had cleared, and both girls were excited at the prospect of finding a rainbow. The fact that most of the other girls at their school thought that thirteen was too old to go chasing rainbows did nothing to deter either of the girls, both certain that her prince charming was waiting at the end.

“Wait a second, ‘Lexi,” Daisy laughed, struggling to pull on her other boot. “I can’t go out with just one boot.”

With an exaggerated huff, Alexis let go and waited for her friend to finish pulling her second bright yellow boot on. It matched her yellow rain coat, which her mother insisted she wear in case it started raining again. Alexis herself had matching red boots and coat, though her boots were patterned with ladybugs instead of the bumblebees on Daisy’s. As soon as Daisy had both boots on, Alexis had the other girl’s hand in hers again.

As they splashed through the puddles in the driveway, Daisy’s father appeared in the door. “Don’t go too far, girls,” he called after them, “and make sure you’re back by two!”

“Alright, Dad!” Daisy responded, waving over her shoulder as Alexis dragged her along. Alexis barely slowed as she also turned to wave before dragging her best friend off into one of the many adventures the two girls shared.

~~~

Alexis blinked, smiling at the memory. Daisy had never failed to make her smile in the past, and this was no exception.

Looking over her shoulder, she spotted Matt still leaning over the bar, chatting at the woman behind it. The woman looked up and spotted Alexis, sending her a slightly apologetic look as she glanced between the oblivious Matt and his “date”. Alexis just shrugged in response; it wasn’t like she was that into him anyway.  She turned back to the wall, ready to study another painting. The next piece on the wall had a bit more structure than the last, or maybe Alexis’s imagination was more active this time. It was darker than the other two, but not in an unfriendly way. It was dark reds, browns, oranges, and maybe a little purple. It reminded her of her old bedroom back when she was in high school. In fact, she thought she could see the outline of a bed off to one side, and there was stuff all over the floor. Suddenly, she wasn’t standing in an art gallery anymore; she was back in that bedroom.

~~~

They’re both supposed to be studying. They were sitting on the floor of Alexis’s bedroom, textbooks and notes mingled with the junk food wrappers spread out across the floor; mugs of now cold coco sitting dangerously close to both notes and elbows. Both girls have exams the next day and neither of them feel very prepared despite the many hours of studying they’d been putting in. Daisy’s head drooped onto her chemistry textbook while Alexis attempted to make sense of one of her practice calculus problems. Noticing her friend was falling asleep, Alexis poked her in the side.

“Wake up, sleepy head,” she whispered, barely restraining a yawn.

“No,” Daisy grumbled, burying her head into the crook of her elbow.

“Come on, it’s only-” Alexis grabbed her phone to check the time, eyes widening when she saw it. “Oh my god, it’s almost three. I guess we’re as ready as we’ll ever be, huh, 'Z?” Daisy made a noise that Alexis took to mean she agreed. “Come on, lets go to bed.”

She pulled Daisy off the floor and helped her onto the bed. They settled in and turned the lights off, but Alexis just couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned for a few minutes before Daisy told her to cut it out.

“We’re more than prepared for these exams, 'Lexi, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Daisy consoled her. “Plus, in fifteen days we will officially be out of high school, and then we’ve got the whole summer before we have to go to college, and you’re going to be just fine there too, because I’ll be right there with you, okay? Now, can we go to sleep?”

Alexis took a deep breath. “Yeah,” she whispered. “Thanks, 'Z.”

“Anytime. Now shut up.”

~~~

Alexis smiled fondly at the painting before feeling eyes on her. She glanced around the room and saw a woman in a tight deep purple dress staring at her. It wasn’t a nice kind of stare, either. It wasn’t a “Do I know that person?” stare, or an “I wonder where she got that dress, it’s nice” stare. It was a “She’s not good enough to be here” stare. Alexis felt her smile disappear. Unfortunately, this was a stare she had encountered before, around her college campus. It was a nice school, a really nice school, and she and Daisy didn’t really fit in with all the sophisticated rich kids. She shopped at thrift stores, they wore designer flipflops. There was a definite difference in lifestyles between them. Feeling a sudden chill in the room, she wrapped her arms around herself and turned toward the next painting.

She was met with bright greens and blues, rich browns, and streaks of white. Something about the brushstrokes told Alexis that this painting was moving. Or rolling, more like. She found her smile returning as she was pulled into another memory.

~~~

It’s a joint family picnic. Alexis, her older brother Dan, Daisy, her younger sister Lila, and both sets of parents had come together for a summer afternoon, one of the last before Dan headed off to college and the girls back to high school. They had spread blankets on the ground in the shade of an oak on top of a hill just outside their town. It was a popular hiking spot, and it was the perfect day for it. Ham and cheese sandwiches had been distributed once they’d reached the top, and the kids had quickly consumed theirs. The game of tag that ensued shortly afterwords could be considered childish by some, but Lila was only nine and therefore still a child, so that made it all okay.

“Bet you can’t catch me,” Lila had challenged her older sister before taking off at a run. Daisy had chased after her for a few minutes, then circled back to the blanket to tag her best friend instead.

“Unfair!” Alexis exclaimed, brushing crumbs out of her lap as she stood. Her brother took one look at her and took off after Daisy, and the game began in earnest. It continued until Daisy tripped over her own feet and ended up rolling part way down the hill. Alexis threw herself down the hill to join her, both giggling like they were five years old again. They lay in the sun for a moment before hearing Dan start to make his way down the hill after them.

Daisy grabbed Alexis’s hand and pulled her up. “Run!” She shouted, and they did.

~~~

What had started as a small smile had broken into a flat out grin over the last few minutes, and Alexis found she didn’t care what the other people in the room thought of her anymore. She watched the painting for a few more minutes, replaying the memory in her head. She was pulled back to the present when she felt rather than heard her phone buzz with a text. She would be lying if she said few moments ago she hadn’t been hoping for an excuse to leave, but she found herself enjoying the art a bit more now. She still wouldn’t protest a game of mini-golf and maybe something to eat, but the gallery wasn’t that bad.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Alexis smiled at the name that popped up on her screen.

Text from: Daisy-Doll

11/11/16 6:32pm

How’s the date going??

11/11/16 6:33pm

Do you need me to give you an out?

Alexis laughed softly as she sent a text back.

Text from: 'Lexi-Love

11/11/16 6:33pm

I haven’t actually seen him in a while, he went to get drinks

11/11/16 6:34pm

We’re at an art gallery, Daisy

Text from: Daisy-Doll

11/11/16 6:35pm

On a night like tonight?

It’s gorgeous out!

Text from: 'Lexi-Love

11/11/16 6:35pm

I know!

The arts cool, I guess

It’s super modern

Text from: Daisy-Doll

11/11/16 6:36pm

Sorry.

I know how much you like dusty old stuff.

Text from: 'Lexi-Love

11/11/16 6:36pm

Hey, you like “dusty old stuff” too

~~~

“I can’t believe my Dad roped you into this. Aren’t we supposed to be doing crazy stuff over Spring Break now that we’re college students?”

Alexis laughed at her best friend’s words, setting another box of junk near the top of the stairs. “Maybe, but I don’t mind cleaning, and, to be honest, I needed to get out of the house for at least an afternoon,” she said, moving back across the now much cleaner attic space to get to where Daisy was going through another box of what looked to be old toy trains.

Daisy looked up at her sympathetically. “Dan’s girlfriend?” She asked.

Alexis nodded. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like her, but she’s very…” She trailed off, looking for the right word.

“Excitable? Peppy? Not Dan-like?” Daisy suggested, closing the box she’d been going through and labeling it.

“Yeah,” Alexis said with a sigh, taking the box Daisy held out to her, checking the label before putting it under the window on the far wall with the other antique toys and things. “This place looks good, 'Z.” She added as she looked around the room.

Daisy turned to observe their progress. “It’s better than it was,” she decided after a moment, looking unconvinced. Alexis rolled her eyes and grabbed Daisy’s hand.

“I think we deserve a break.”

Daisy laughed and allowed herself to be pulled towards the stairs. “Okay. But, we’re coming back up here after, right?”

“Sure,” Alexis agreed, “but first, lemonade.”

Shaking her head at her friend’s serious tone, Daisy smiled, adding, “I think we’ve got some cookies, too.”

Alexis’s cheerful squeal could be heard on the street below as she ran down the stairs.

~~~

Text from: Daisy-Doll

11/11/16 6:36pm

This is true.

11/11/16 6:40pm

You still there, or did your date turn out to be a serial killer?

The texts pulled Alexis out of her memories again. She seemed to be spending a lot of time lost in her own mind tonight. Looking up from her phone, she saw Matt heading back towards her, looking vaguely disappointed about his failed attempts with the woman at the bar.

Text from: 'Lexi-Love

11/11/16 6:41pm

No serial killers, just thinking

He’s coming back, I’ve gtg

Text from: Daisy-Doll

11/11/16 6:41pm

Okay, have fun!

If you need me to have a mental breakdown so you can come back and comfort me, let me know.

Alexis laughed, tucking her phone back into pocket. Again, she thought of how Daisy never failed to make her smile.

“Hey,” Matt said brightly, finally returning, but seeming to have forgotten her glass of water. “Come on, I want to show you something.” He reached to take her hand, and Alexis became unreasonably glad that this dress had pockets.

“Lead the way,” she said, forcing a smile and keeping her hands firmly in her pockets. It didn’t seem to faze him, though, as he simply looped his arm through her’s instead and lead her to a painting across the room. He was talking about the piece he was about to show her, but she wasn’t listening. Her mind kept wandering back to Daisy, and- Oh. They’d stopped in front of a painting that covered the wall almost completely. It was a square that stretched from floor to ceiling, splashed with brilliant oranges, reds, yellows, and rich light browns. It was beautiful. Though she didn’t know much about the world of art, even she could tell this was exquisite. Matt was going on about the time he’d gotten to meet the artist during his semester abroad in Italy, and Alexis was trying to pay attention to him, she really was, but she was drawn into the painting in a way she hadn’t expected.

~~~

Alexis was running. It always helped to clear her head, and it felt like everything was crashing down on her all at once. The dorm room she shared with Daisy had suddenly felt too small, and she’d just needed to get out. So, she’d changed into her running clothes as fast as possible, left a note for Daisy, and then she ran. There was no destination in mind, just a need to move that drove her further and further from the room she’d come to call home. She wasn’t even sure what she was running from, she just knew that she needed to.

Eventually, she found herself at her favorite little picnic spot up behind the football field, and she slowed down. There was a perfect view of the sunset from up here, and for a moment she got lost in the colors. Soon, though, she was brought back to the present and all her thoughts came crashing down on her again. It had all become real in the last few minutes. The fact that she was turning twenty in a few weeks; that she was in college, preparing to do the thing she was going to do for the rest of her life; that life passes in the blink of an eye. She could still remember being a kid, still felt like a kid sometimes. The idea that she’d never be nineteen again-

“You know, the whole existential crisis thing seems like more of a Dan thing than you, if I’m being honest,” Daisy spoke from behind her.

Alexis turned and gave a small laugh, unsurprised her best friend had found her. “I know,” she said quietly, “but it all just kinda hit me, you know?”

Daisy nodded. “Yeah, I know.” She grabbed Alexis’s hand and smiled. They stood in silence for a few minutes, watching the sunset, hand in hand. “Come on,” Daisy added, “they’re doing breakfast for dinner tonight in the cafeteria.”

And then Alexis was running, but this time she wasn’t alone, and she was running to something instead of away.

~~~

“Don’t you think?”

Alexis jumped a little at Matt’s question, not having expected it. “Hmm?” she responded, not wanting to say the wrong thing and make a complete fool of herself.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Matt didn’t seem bothered by having to repeat his question, he wasn’t even looking at her.

“Yeah,” Alexis agreed, the realization dawning on her slowly, “she is. I’m sorry, but I have to go.” Ignoring Matt’s confused protests, Alexis ran out of the art gallery. She needed to find her Daisy.