So, I found this post while perusing tumblr by jessicatheshark in response to an ask, and when I saw it I knew I had to do it. So yeah, a five plus one that was supposed to be cute but ended up probably being more angsty than I'd wanted, but OH WELL.

This spans from AoE to TLK, just so you know. I wanted more for TLK, but (SPOILERS if you haven't already figured out by now) they didn't exactly have many scenes or time with Optimus and Cade in the same group and being nighttime. So this is mostly AoE.

This is dedicated to all the fans who are missing the Optimus and Cade interactions, and the lack of fanfics for it after TLK!

I don't own anything!

1)

It had only been a few hours since Cade had met the Autobot leader, and he immediately had gotten to work, gathering his tools, welding plates, connecting wires, and in general losing himself much like he does when on a large project. It didn't help that he was already freaking out (read: giddy with excitement) that holy crap he has a transformer in his barn! He couldn't help but wonder at the mechanics of the sentient being, how he moved, how he was alive. It took those few hours for Cade to even take a quick break, and to notice the faint rumbling noise going through the barn. He looked up towards the barn door, only to see Tessa and Lucas lingering near the door, hesitation, fear and confusion on their faces.

He felt a twinge of annoyance go through him, though he tried stop it. Yes, they had a transformer in their barn, and yes, they were hunted by the government, so they could technically get in trouble, but seriously! Optimus had already shown that he wasn't going to hurt them, and he'd shown that he needed help. Were they that scared that they didn't want to help an injured being, transformer or not? Cade wasn't surprised at Lucas' actions, but Tessa, well. He thought he taught her better than that. A sharp rumble pierced the relative silence of the barn, startling Cade.

"What is that noise?" Cade mumbled looking around. It didn't take him long to find the source. Crouched there, one knee bent and an arm resting on that knee while the other propped him up, Optimus' face was one of troubled peace. His optics were offline but his face was still set in that frown like position that constantly makes Cade wonder what exactly the Autobot had been through.

"Is he...asleep?" Tessa whisper-yelled to her dad, still not moving from the door. Cade, a little amazed, only nodded.

"Yeah. He fell asleep in a crouch."

"Is that...good for him?" Lucas asked, and when Cade gave him a look he continued, "you know, like, how sleeping like that would be bad for a human's back, you know?" Cade dropped his head, shaking his head. Ignoring Lucas and his muttered "it's a legitimate question," Cade turned back to what he was doing, opting to ignore the two at the door and Optimus'...odd sleeping arrangements. The big guy had obviously been through enough, he didn't need to be woken up for nothing. Not when he was already so injured and practically running on fumes.

2)

The huge, unfinished building felt almost open to Cade, after the everything they had been through so far, and Cade wasn't surprised to find the bots a little uncomfortable in it too. But, shelter was shelter, and it provided good cover for Cade, Tessa, and Shane to grab what they need. What Cade was surprised about, was how Optimus slept. He really shouldn't have been, but he was.

He hadn't felt the need to ask before, but seeing the sight before him, and remembering the incident in the barn, he went to Bee to pose the question.

"So, ah, is that...common? Optimus, sleeping like that?" Bumblebee looked over at Optimus, then gave a small laugh. He nodded.

"The big boss-has always been able to do that- just sleeps-wherever he wants." Bee stated, and Cade hummed. Looking back over at the large, sentient robot, Cade had to admire the skill necessary to fit inside the small crate that Optimus had placed himself into, over in the corner. Though, it wasn't a crate so much as a boxed area outlined by poles and tarp, clearly used by construction workers before, that was propped up in the corner. Somehow, Optimus had managed to snuggle himself inside of it, without toppling the whole thing, and fell promptly to sleep, much to Cade's amusement. Cade walked over and crouched down, leaning against the wall as he surveyed the room. Bumblebee crooked his head to the side, and Cade just smiled.

"Keeping lookout. You wanna get some rest, go ahead. I'll keep watch." Bee nodded, eyes soft as he walked over to where he'd claimed as his 'bed'. Cade peered over at the center of the room, where Shane and Tessa slept. He felt really tempted to go over and separate the two, but he'd already yelled at them today, and doing so would probably disturb everyone, especially Optimus. So he restrained himself. Crosshairs was sitting against the wall near the two humans, his head nodding off. Hound was in his alt mode, and Drift was on lookout by the door, sharpening his swords. Cade smiled, letting his body relax. For one short moment, he could chill out, not worry about the government, or rogue Cybertronians hunting them, or anything. He could just, breath.

"Cade?" He heard, mumbled by a groggy Optimus next to him. It was so quiet he almost didn't hear it, but he caught it, and looked over to the dim optics that glowed blue in the dark night.

"Hey," Cade answered.

"Is everything...alright?"

"Yeah, no worries. Everything's quiet," he reassured the tired leader, "just go back to sleep. I'm keeping watch with Drift." Optimus stared at him for a moment, and Cade wondered what went through his processors. Did he not feel safe with him as watch? Did he worry about Cade not getting enough sleep? Or was he debating Cade's words? Finally, Optimus nodded, and offlined his optics once more. Cade felt a sense of joy that the big guy trusted him enough, after all this time, and went back to being a silent watcher, letting his newfound friend rest, even if for a short time.

3)

The train yard was almost deathly silent as Cade walked out the tunnel, sleep evading him for now. His mind was racing from all the things they had discovered, from the KSI-Cemetary Wind alliance, to Galvatron, to Lockdown. It was a lot to take in, and Cade's mind was racing. He spotted the bots, most resting in their alt forms in little nooks and crannies, except for two. One was Crosshairs, who was probably the one on watch then, and Optimus, who'd managed to, once again, find the oddest position to fall asleep in. He was nearly atop a pile of gravel, his arms wrapped around the peak, while his legs trailed off to the bottom of the mound. His head was cushioned by his arms and the dirt, and a light rumble could be heard from his direction.

"Does he always do that?" Cade asked Crosshairs quietly. He gestured to Optimus, so the Autobot knew who he was referring to. Crosshairs tilted his head a bit.

"Do wha'?"

"Sleep in weird places or forms?" Understand lit the bot's face up, and he began to nod.

"Ah, I see, yeah, pretty sure 'e does that often."

"Huh," Cade said, leaning against the train Crosshairs was currently sitting on, "so, he just, finds a place to sleep and passes out?"

"Well, 'e is the leader, Optimus needs ta be alert at all times. 'E's always been good at that, falling asleep fast, waking up faster. Just a leader thing, I s'pose." Cade nodded, knowing the feeling. He was like that himself, having to raise Tessa practically alone since her mother passed away. Though, Cade was pretty sure that Optimus took it to the next level. First it was the barn, then the box in that abandoned building, and now this? That takes skill, or desperate exhaustion, either one not being the greatest in Cade's opinion.

"Ey, shouldn't you be sleepin' too?" Crosshairs questioned, and Cade smiled. Under the tough facade, the green Autobot wasn't all that bad.

"Yeah, probably. Just couldn't sleep. Came to check on all of you guys."

"Then focus on ya self. We care for ourselves, no prob. You jus' worry about you, ok?" Cade rolled his eyes but nodded, lifting himself up to pad back into the tunnel, waving a hand as he mumbled 'night' to Crosshairs in farewell. He heard the bot snort, but nothing was said, and Cade headed on in. He probably should get some sleep right now, who knew when he would get a break next?

4)

As they crossed the ocean in the ship the Autobots and co. had commandeered, the day quickly turned to night, messing with Cade's internal clock. Thus, feeling no need for sleep, he took to exploring the ship. He stayed well away from the section with the cages, as Optimus and the others had advised, but took to taking stock of any weapons or unfamiliar machines on board. It didn't take too long, even for him, so Cade was quickly left very, very bored. So, he decided to go find Optimus, the statement made earlier by the big bot coming to the forefront of his mind. He spotted Shane wandering about, and when the barely-adult gave him an awkward look, Cade just groaned and pointed to the front, where he knew Tessa was resting. Shane grinned, and trotted off. He watched them, admittedly smiling slightly when they started cuddling together, before going back to his original goal.

He saw Hound at the 'driving seat', and padded over.

"Hey, seen Optimus?" Hound gave a scratch of his beard, then pointed vaguely towards the back.

"Think he's over there somewhere, not sure," Hound replied rather vaguely, and Cade sighed before heading back there. He glanced over to Crosshairs and Drift, who were conversing among themselves, and at Bee who'd sat himself near the two lovebirds. He decided not to bother any of them, and set about to finding the wayward bot himself. The ship wasn't that big, he'd already explored it once so far, he could walk around again. He headed towards the back, and his search quickly came to a close. Cade nearly snorted at the sight, clamping a hand over his mouth.

Optimus was sprawled out on the floor, head leaning off the step-like platform. His optics were offlined, but the faint whirring and lack of snoring told Cade that Optimus wasn't in total recharge mode, at least not yet. He sat nearby, not too close in case the Autobot woke up violently, but close enough to hear his internal mechanics buzzing away. He leaned his chin on one hand, losing himself to thought as he waited for the bot to catch some rest.

How on earth did Optimus fall asleep so easily, or in such odd positions? It was both weird and oddly endearing. But, also sad, that he was so tired all the time that he could so easily pass out anywhere. It was these little moments, Cade knew, that made the Autobots more trustworthy to him. To see them so vulnerable and tired, it hurt Cade more than he'd like to admit.

"Cade." The father turned to the Cybertronian, smirking a little as the bot had to crane his head up to see him.

"Hey there. Get a good nap?"

"...while I would have preferred longer, I obtained an adequate amount of recharge, yes. Are you alright?" Optimus answered, in a quiet tone Cade had grown to recognize as his 'sleepy' voice.

"I'm fine big guy, don't worry about me. I'm used to long nights and little sleep. You should get some more rest, you probably have a big fight ahead of you, if everything we've been through so far is any indicator." Optimus looked at him for a moment, then sat up, obviously ignoring Cade's advice. Cade sighed, looking down. The question that was bothering Cade burned in his mind now, and he decided to take the plunge.

"Optimus... when you said you were done fighting for humans, you didn't mean that, did you?"

5)

Cade yawned widely, rubbing his eyes. He'd managed to get a couple hours sleep (finally), but now he was feeling slightly restless, not knowing how the Autobots were doing back on Cybertron. He chose to take a walk around the makeshift camp that had been set up, for everyone to stay while the wounded were healed and the rest sorted out the entire situation. They had a whole world to calm down and appeal to, after all. Exiting his tent, where he left a snoring Izabel (who'd decided to become a barnacle to his side after the battle, not that he minded), he decided to go to the edge of the camp, where he'd be able to see the sunrise on both earth and Cybertron.

"Man, crazy week, huh?" Cade laughed to himself, looking up at the metal planet that was now forever connected to his own. In only a few short days, the world nearly ended, humanity extinguished, and now, nearly a week later, an entire alien planet was intimately connected to his own, neither able to survive without the other now. It was a little mind-blowing. He quietly trekked the camp, waving or nodding to the few soldiers or guards he'd see here and there.

Once near the edge, he spotted Lennox on top of a slight hill, and began to jog over to him. He called out to the soldier, but he seemed occupied but something. Which was odd. He called out again.

"Lennox?" The captain spun around and gestured wildly for Cade to be quiet, which increased his suspicion. He caught up with the man, about to question him when he spotted what had caught the soldier's attention.

"Again." Cade couldn't help but chuckle, as he saw Optimus on the ground, curled up in a fetal position as he slept away. His back as towards the camp, and he seemed to have chosen the position with the goal of guarding the entrance in mind. Cade smiled, then patted Lennox's shoulder.

"He just, showed up during the night we think, nobody knew until a patrol stumbled upon him. None of us really want to wake him up..." Lennox explained, and Cade nodded.

"Yeah, no worries. I'll stay with him until he wakes up, no sweat. You go back, get some rest or something, whatever." Cade walked down the small slope to the sleeping Autobot, while Lennox just sighed, taking his leave. Cade nearly stumbled a bit at the bottom, but his exhausted friend didn't wake up at any point.

"Thought you were supposed to be rebuilding Cybertron, big guy," Cade said quietly, "You don't need to be worrying about us." Cade moved towards the bot's front, and in a moment's decision, began to sat himself in the little space between Optimus' hand and chest. It was a little tight, but comfortable, giving Cade a sense of safety. He closed his eyes, as a side note hoping that he wouldn't get mushed in his sleep.

+1)

Optimus felt his sensors come online slowly, sluggish and bleary thoughts starting to take form in his mind. He nearly went into panic, when he realized he didn't recognize where he was. Where were his Autobots, was Quintessa actually destroyed, had he imagined the entire thing, was Earth dead, where were his friends, were they safe, were they dead because of him, oh primus what had he done-

A little movement in his palm halted Optimus' racing mind, and he peered down to see Cade awkwardly sleeping beside him, half in his hand and half in the small space between his arm and chest. The human's arms were resting on top of Cade, as there wasn't enough space to rest them beside his body. A bit of drool was at the side of his mouth, and he was snoring ever so slightly, head lolled at an odd angle to lay on the Autobot's hand. Seeing his small friend immediately calmed Optimus, and he began to collect his thoughts.

Everything was fine, the others were on Cybertron currently, still rebuilding. However, as of late, Optimus had grown to be restless and nervous for some unknown reason, and it gnawed away at him. Bumblebee noticed, of course, and suggested that the leader take a break, disguising it by asking Optimus to go check on their human allies. Optimus took the request gladly, as he himself had wondered for the human's well-being, especially Cade's, being that nearly a week had gone by already since the battle with Quintessa. He used one of the branches connecting his planet to earth to get down, and when he arrived and saw no one was awake, chose to rest as well. Apparently, he had been discovered whilst asleep.

Optimus spent a moment to marvel at the tenacity and strength Cade possessed, to sacrifice so much for a species not even his own. Ever since the beginning, Cade had let him into his house, defended him, aided him in his fight against Lockdown, and saved his life many times, not just by stopping the knights but also by believing in him, convincing him to believe again. He took care of his family, and gave him a place to call home.

"Cade?" Optimus said quietly, gently nudging the man with his thumb. Cade grumbled, shifting to his side now instead of his back, and continued to sleep. Smiling ever so slightly, Optimus put his head back down, not sleeping but resting his tired body all the same, hugging Cade a tiny bit closer to him as he shifted his other hand to cover his human friend. He could let him rest for a little longer, it was enough to know Cade was safe and sound beside him.

It was the least he could do for Cade, after everything the man had done for them.