Mirage had locked himself in his quarters trying his best to focus on the datapad in his hand as his fingers drummed his desk's smooth surface. He couldn't focus, he knew why but he refused to admit it, like every single other time this had happened. Trying his very best to keep focused, he continued scrolling through the contents of the report he was revising that must be turned into Prowl the next cycle's afternoon. He knew-as well as every other Autobot on the Ark-how the tactician was obsessed about order and organization and didn't allow petty excuses get to him when a report was due. Managing to read several more sentences he gave up with a long sigh of exhaustion, literally he had been playing this game for the past few hours and should really try recharging now. The report could wait until the next morning, as he shoved it into a drawer and mingled his way over to his berth. Offlining his optics he laid in the same position he did every night, the one he always found comfort in and just laid there for several minutes trying to drift away from his thoughts.
As he continued to lie there he felt as if the minutes that ticked by had formed into hours and he finally gave into it. He was too tired by now and decided to quit fighting it and admit defeat already. It was the best option anyways, especially since this was a losing battle anyways. Sighing he onlined his optics and crawl of his berth, briskly walking over to the door he punched in the unlocking codes. As it slid open he looked down both sides of the vacant hallways cautiously before activating his inviability field. He still didn't feel comfortable about being on Earth and he was still fairly uncomfortable around the other Autobots even after so many millions of years of fighting by their sides, even though they countlessly tried to make friends with him he refused their offers but they always kept on trying anyways.
He mingled the hallways carefully even though he knew no one could see him, not even Red Alert. He tried avoiding his true intended destination as long as possible but he knew he couldn't keep it up all night. The first place he decided to check out was the rec room. It was completely barren aside from the two 'bots that sat on the couch, Blaster and Bluestreak as the two of them quietly chatted as they flicked through the channels of the TV. Mirage never understood what was so interesting about the humans' entertainment stations and interests, though he had once watched a movie before after it had carefully been converted to Cybertronian for them to understand it better, but he never saw or understood why Blaster and Jazz had liked it so much, he didn't obviously and he because of that he didn't even remember the name or a single detail to the movie. But then again both Blaster and Jazz had taken a deep adoption to the human cultures and customs so he understood that much how they enjoyed it so much.
Next he went to the medibay. Silently creeping in he wanted to check out how Ratchet was doing. He knew that the old field medic also stayed up way too late and he sometimes felt the need to just walk in and tell him to go recharge it could wait until the morning, especially since Ratchet always sent First Aid to bed once it got late. Looking around his searched out for the medic until he reached his office and he quickly typed in the codes as it slid open. First he had accepted Ratchet to look up from his work out of shock, surprise or both that his door had open and no one was there-that he knew of anyways-but Mirage was quite surprised instead. Ratchet, resting his helm on his arms fast asleep with a datapad still clinging in his servo. And somehow the sight made Mirage smile softly as he took the 'pad away and pulled over a large old worn cloak and gently set it on the medic before leaving him to rest. Maybe he could befriend Ratchet a lot better than he could with other 'bots but it was because he had a sense of moral respect for the old doctor. But now his thoughts were somewhere else.
The thought of rest was dead set in his processor, he couldn't make anymore detours tonight, else he'd collapse and he wasn't sure if his invisibility field would stay on or off if he did so. So instead he marched his way down to his last stop for the night and quietly knocked on the door. He wasn't sure if he had been loud enough as he stood in the hallway for about a minute. Maybe he wasn't in, had he been sent on a mission without his knowing? Well then again the both of them did do that a lot, seeing as Optimus had different schedule for each portal thanks to Prowl no doubt. He decided to wait a few more moments before he was about to leave, a little saddened that he had gotten no answer. He wisped around on his heels when he heard the faint click of the locks and he twirled around again as the door slid open. Hound. Thank Primus no other answered, Mirage silently prayed in thankfulness.
"'Raj? What's up buddy?" Hound asked casually with a bit of a yawn. Never had the spy been able to sneak up on Hound without his knowing, the tracker always seemed to know when he was coming or where he was if they were in the same general area or room. Mirage finally turned his invisibility field off, letting the green mech see him with his own optics instead of his infrared sensors. However the blue white mech didn't reply, but the tired glow of his golden optics just gave Hound the impression of his need. "Oh okay, I see, come on in." The answer caused Mirage to falter, Hound had always accepted the spy's company and always tended to his needs when he needed a friend to talk to,-or cuddle or be a shoulder to cry on or recharge with the list goes on-never had the tracker pushed him away and it always made him feel warm inside, regardless that if was his third time coming to Hound in the last two months. He hesitated for a few moments rendering him unable to move, Hound taking much notice to this. Reaching out, Hound gently took the spy's servo and gave him a squeeze trying to pull him away from his thoughts before guiding him over to the berth and taking a seat. He tugged at Mirage silently asking him to sit in which he obliged. "So what's up?" There was another moment's hesitation before the spy sighed out and answered.
"I guess... I've just been too wired up for the past few days." Mirage murmured softly. Hound gave his servo another gentle squeeze, his plea way of asking him to continue. "I assume its just all the missions lately." Mirage's golden optics blinked a few times but he didn't seem to notice it much. He really was wired up from all those back to back; spy on this Decepticon's activity go spy on that Decepticon's activity day after day, his reports probably were piling up on him, he looked like he hadn't recharged properly in cycles which was probably the case. Hound waited another few moments, wondering if the spy would go on but he remained quiet this time and Hound didn't want to force his friend's hand on this. The tracker patted him on the shoulder gently before motioning him to lie down in which he didn't hesitate, his processor screaming at him to rest. Hound laid down next to him, Mirage curling up around him, arms wrapped around the green mech's waist and his optics flickered off. He smiled and traced his fingers along Mirage's helm, barely making any real touch contact though. After short several minutes he felt Mirage's clinging grip loosen a tad bit, his engine purring softly as he finally hit a recharge state and Hound placed a gentle kiss on his helm before snuggling a little closer, wishing him a good night and slipping away into his own recharge.
When Hound woke up he half expected Mirage to be gone, he always was, leaving him a note of thanks as he returned to his own quarters to work. The tracker was about to sit up to check the time when he felt the warmth of another mech and arms still loosely clinging around his waist that he froze and tilted his gaze down to see Mirage still there, using his chassis as a pillow. A smile formed on his lips and he eased down from his prior quite shocked state he was in before as he stroked the back of Mirage's helm. The moment seemed timeless and he held the blue white mech closer to him, thinking to himself that all those reports could wait until there, because this, was the best moment of the cycle. Nothing would change that, even if he had to throw something at an intruder-even if it was Megatron himself-in order to make this last longer.