It's late and I'm sooooo tired. But I cannot sleep 'cause I have al this in my mind! Enjoy it!
AN: alla the character don't belong to me!
Sooner or later
"Hey ... are you okay?" Miko started to be really worried about her dear friend. She waved a hand in front of Jack's face, but the boy didn't seem to realize it. She turned true Raf, who shrugged, adjusted his glasses and continued to beat on the keys of his laptop.
The three kids were waiting for Bumblebee to come and take them to the Autobot base. Arcee and Bulkhead were engaged in a reconnaissance mission with Optimus ... or so said a Ratchet, more annoyed than usual.
But the really weird thing was that, since they were out of school that afternoon, the raven teenger had said only a few monosyllables. And even those few sounds coming from his throat were almost completely incomprehensible. Something must have happened, since on his lips, for the past hour, was printed a stupid smile. And plus, he seemed 1000Km away with his head. And Miko was determined to find out why.
But after 20 minutes and after two dozen of questions and the only answers the young man had been said were "Yes... No. .. maybe ..." Miko had no choice but to surrender, sit on the steps and puffing, bored and angry.
Eventually down the road they heard a loud screech. Raf immediately closed his laptop and put it in the backpack. Miko stood up with a feline leap, while Jack stood still in his fairy world.
The yellow and black muscle car stopped in front of the three kids. Raf and Miko didn't hesitate to get in the car, while Jack was left sitting on the step with his head resting on a hand, sighing deeply.
"Cheerp ... beep ... CIRP?" said Bee.
Raf, as before, shrugged before answering "I don't know Bee ... yes, he has a very strange behavior, but ...".
"Strange? Dude, he is completely out of his head!" Miko continued, as she stepped out of the car, grabbed Jack by the arm and dragged him into the car.
"I think it will be a looooong trip ..." murmured the young hacker.
"Beep!" confirmed his guardian.
The trip up to the Autobot base was not long, but it was definitely weird. Raf had reopened his laptop, Miko drummed on the window the track number 7 (for Bee's great joy!) And Jack ... well, he still had that look on his face of someone who was on another planet.
When Bumblebee stopped in the middle of the main hangar, the rest of Team Prime had just crossed the ground bridge.
"Hey Bulk!" Miko yelled, just jumped out of the door of the young scouts.
"Hey Miko ... how was school?" asked the big green mech, as he leaned toward the girl.
"Hmm ..." not only the lips, but even her pigtails sagged down "never mind ...".
"I realized: other punishment coming!" Bulkhead's laughter filled the room.
"Maybe...but that is not what worries me" Miko put a hand near the mouth and leaned toward her guardian, as to whisper something in his audio receptor "Have not you noticed how strange is Jack today?".
Bulkhead glanced at Jack who was, very slowly, coming out of the back door of Bumblebee. The scout, finally, could transform and reach Raf. The raven boy looked ... different, strange.
"Hey 'Cee!" the former Wrecker attracted the femme's attention, and with a nod, directed her towards her charge.
Arcee was listening to a discussion between Optimus and Ratchet, but she immediately turned to her fellow soldier and then to Jack.
The femme immediately noticed the strangeness of his friend and went to see what was going on.
"Partner ... what's up?" the voice of his guardian seemed to awaken the young human.
"Oh ... hey Arcee ... hello" Jack said as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Are you all right, Jack?" asked the femme as she knelt in front of the teenager.
"Yes, yes ... why?" he asked confused.
"You look a bit strange ..." continued femme, pinning him with her optics.
"Ah, yes mhmm ... I ..." he tried to stammer.
"Yes?" Arcee invited him to continue.
"I have an appointment with Sierra tomorrow night!" Jack said in one breath.
Arcee stared at him quizzically.
"Tomorrow is Valentine's Arcee!" Jack tried to explain.
The expression of Arcee remained the same.
Jack took a deep breath and began to explain, not only to his guardian. All the Autobots had placed around him and stared at him with curiosity. Even Raf and Miko staring at him. Raf looked amused, Miko's expression was unreadable.
The boy ran a hand over his face "Okay ..." another deep breath "On Earth Valentine is a very special day. It's a day very special for all lovers" when he saw that all the Autobots continued to stare at him without expression change (all except Ratchet that already seemed annoyed and bored). So he continued "And it's customary exchange gifts ... chocolates, flowers ... stuff like that".
"Now I'm going to vomit!" Miko's comment went almost completely unnoticed.
"And the couple of lovers in the evening, usually comes to dinner!" Jack said.
"But then you and Sierra are...How do you tell ...?" Arcee asked.
"Engaged? No. But many people think that Valentine's Day is the most auspicious time to declare your love to the girl or boy you love. Or, in your case, mech or femme."
All Autobot nodded.
"I sent flowers to Sierra with an invitation to dinner ... and she said yes" finally said the young human, while his smile grew bigger.
"Well then, congratulations Jack!" Arcee said. Optimus just nodded, Bee and Bulk raised both thumbs, while Ratchet rolled his eyes up and cursed something incomprehensible. Raf continued to smile at her friend, while Miko kept her straight face.
"All this ... romance ... made me turn the stomach!" finally said the girl as she walked to the lift leading to the roof of the base.
"Miko wait ... where are you going?" Bulkhead asked.
"To get some fresh air ... alone!" the girl said as the doors behind her closed.
All present seemed perplexed.
"Well ... anyone who wanna play basketball with me?" said the big green mech. And all resumed their activities.
All but Arcee, who continued to stare at the lift. After a few minutes, she decided to get Miko to understand what was going on.
When Miko want to think or be alone, reached the most prominent rock on the roof of the base, sat down and let her legs dangle in a vacuüm. She had never been afraid of heights. Tsk, she had never been afraid of anything ... until today.
"May I sit down?" a voice form behind made her get out of her thoughts.
She didn't answer and shrugged.
"I'll take that as a yes" Arcee said as she sat next to the girl "What's happening Miko?" she asked bluntly "It's about Jack and Sierra ... it isn't?".
The femme immediately noticed that Miko's eyes were becoming shiny and were filling with tears.
"You will not lose Jack ... he will always be your friend" began Arcee "Unless ..." a doubt passed her in processors "You're in love with Jack... or not?"
The girl once again answered with silence, but nodded her head slightly.
"Miko ... Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't understand it, until now!" Arcee said with all the understanding she could have.
"No matter" said Miko passing the index under the nose "No one knows ... not even Bulkhead! But I thought to tell Jack ... sooner or later ..." continued sobbing "But then he comes out with this story of Sierra ... he ruined everything."
The femme put a hand gently around her shoulders. For several minutes they sat in silence.
"Arcee, can I ask you a very personal question? Feel free not to answer it ..." she asked in a low voice.
"Of course Miko, shoot!" replied the Autobot femme with the intention to bring back the good mood of the young Asian.
"Have you ever been in love?"
Arcee didn't answer immediately. First she smiled to Miko, then looked toward the huge desert that opened in front of them.
"Yes, Miko ... I was in love ... and I'm still so!" the femme replied.
Miko's eyes widened "Whose? Tailgate? No, no, no ... wait! Bet it's Cliffjumper".
Arcee continued to smile "I loved Tailgate and Cliff ... but as brothers".
"And who is it then? Do not tell me it's a Decepticon? Knockout? Nah, too narcissistic! Screamer? The old Megs?".
Arcee shook his head, still smiling.
"So it is one of our team? Let's see ... Bumblebee?" the femme shook her head "Yeah, he is too young ... Rachet? Too old! There's Wheeljack!" but Arcee once again shook her head "Do not tell me it's Bulkhead ... I could not stand another bad news today!" the girl said as she lowered her shoulders resignedly.
"No Miko, he isn't Bulkhea!".
"So ... he is ..." the girl's eyes were opened until seemed go out of their sockets "No way ..." whispered and looked up at the femme "Boss Bot."
Arcee's smile grew larger as she nodded her head.
"And does he know it? Ooohhh bet he does... and I bet he loves you as well... and how could he not? You're strong, determined, selfless ... without adding that you're beautiful!"
"Miko ... he does not know!" said the femme "And he will not have to know"
"But ... how? Why?" the enthusiasm of the girl vanished in a millisecond.
Arcee took on an expression so serious as to seem sad "You can not build loving relationships during a war ..."
"But why?".
"Because that's how things are!" Arcee said harshly. But then she softened when she saw that Miko's eyes became shiny again,"But I promise you that, sooner or later, I'll tell Optimus the whole truth ... and you? Are you going to do the same with Jack?" challenged Arcee.
Miko wiped her tears with the sleeve of th shirt and smiled "Of course I will ... sooner or later ...".
The two remained on the roof until late evening. In silence.
Bulkhead offered to bring home the humans that evening, while Arcee was on the roof watching the sky.
"Arcee ..." the deep voice of Optimus brought a smile on the face of the femme "It 's late".
The SIC Autobots stood up and turned to the commander.
Prime was standing near the door's lift and he was smiling. "Yeah ... sooner or later ..." Arcee muttered, as she reached his friend "Optimus, listen ... I should tell you something ..." and the doors closed behind them.
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