Before you all attack me with various sharp and blunt objects, let me just say that I know I'm behind on updating both my other fanfictions. ButI was brutally assaulted by Saberstorm and made to do this fic while held at shoe point.
Honestly…
Ok, so maybe I wasn't. But is it my fault I like CobyxLori so much my brain came up with this fic? Or that my muse only started working after Saberstorm PM'd me about the Coby and Lori community? I think not. It's out of my control. Mostly. So anyway, here's the mini-fic that I managed to suck out of my thumb in record time. The scene it revolves around is by far one of my absolute favourites and it's from a movie called The Runaway Bride. But I hope it's up to some form of standard…
Disclaimer: I do not own either Transformers or the movie The Runaway Bride.
Note: This fic is based on the Transformers: Cybertron series.
Chapter One
He couldn't hear his own footsteps over the music that was blaring in his ears. He didn't know if he liked the harsh music yet, and so he was playing the song over and over, until he decided. Having played it enough times already to know the tune to the chorus he started humming along to it, absently flicking his blond fringe out of his eyes as he continued down the passage. He passed a window and absently looked into it, catching a glimpse of a tall teen with green eyes with a beanie hiding most of his blond hair before he looked away, uninterested.
He finally neared his destination; two big double doors not unlike the others that lead off the corridor. He switched his MP3 Player off whilst simultaneously nudging open one of the doors with his shoulder. The silence of the place seemed even quieter after his blaring music and his ears welcomed the small noises that made the stillness incomplete.
"Hey Coby."
He directed his greeting to the only other boy in the room who was currently seated at a table with his nose buried in some or other mechanical part. At his brother's voice he looked up, startled and confused. He looked at his watch, his eyebrows pulling together and Bud hastily explained.
"I came early. There was nothing to do."
"Oh. Jeez for a moment there I thought I was running late," Coby replied, relieved.
Bud rolled his eyes and straddled a second chair watching his older brother fiddle with the many wires of the object in front of him. Coby had let his hair grow out a little, making him look much more attractive but also annoying him by hanging in his eyes a great deal. He had most definitely grown up from the twelve-year-old boy he had once been, both physically and emotionally. Bud sighed regretfully to himself as he remembered the times a few years ago when Coby had still been afraid of ghosts. It had been so much fun…
"So what did you do today that it was so boring?" Coby broke through his thoughts.
Bud suddenly became weary, although Coby was too busy to notice.
"Nothing much," the younger boy replied carefully. "I hung around with Jolt, played some video games, watched some TV; the usual."
Coby was very perceptive to some things. One of them was his brother's tones. He knew immediately something was up and his eyes shot up to Bud's face, trying to read it.
"Oh? Was Mom home all day?"
Bud, aware what Coby was trying to do, looked away.
"Yea. She was there but we didn't speak much," he replied, making sure Coby knew it wasn't a fight with their mother that was bugging him. "She was speaking on the phone most of the time."
"Uh-huh…"
Coby was still suspicious, but he knew his brother; Bud would spill when he was ready. He therefore turned back to his work. Bud rocked his chair for a little bit before turning to his brother again. He watched Coby very carefully, waiting for a reaction to his over-casual remark.
"So, uhm… Lori's coming home tomorrow."
Coby stiffened as if someone had made his muscles lock together. Bud winced and wished he hadn't said anything. Coby was aware of his brother's gaze and so he kept his face expressionless even as he was able to unlock his muscles and start working again.
"Oh."
"Just thought… You know…" Bud mumbled, shrugging and looking at the ground.
"Thanks Bud," Coby said calmly, seeming quite genuine; it was better to hear it from Bud then to find out form his parents.
Or worse, to not find out at all until she walked in with…
Bud saw the flash of emotion on his brother's face and quickly started babbling about other, unimportant things. By the time they left, Coby was relaxed again.
***
Hot Shot really liked Bud's new music.
"This stuff is golden!" he announced as he cruised down the main street with Coby and Bud as passengers.
Coby was unconvinced but didn't complain as he could see Bud, as well as Hot Shot, was warming to the music. He'd endure it in silence, especially seeing as Hot Shot was doing him a favour by agreeing to get the two Hansen boys to their weekly ice-cream quicker and with less chance of injury. However, he couldn't deny relief when they stopped outside the café and the music was turned off.
"Coby Hansen!" a male voice called, quite shocked.
"Oh hey, Mr Freeland. How's the retired life treating you?"
Coby stopped to talk to his old teacher and Bud, drawn by curiosity, stopped too.
"Fine, just fine," the man replied, casting a look at Hot Shot as he stood in a parking space just next to Coby and Bud. "Er… Was it you driving that car?"
"Uh… yea," the teen replied, opting for the easiest answer.
"Oh… Well… I…" Mr Freeland looked flustered. "Er… How old are you now, Mr Hansen?"
"Turning eighteen in four months," Coby replied, wondering why on earth the man was asking.
Mr Freeman's face cleared.
"Well! That old already? So then you'll be looking for a job soon?"
"Already got one," Coby grinned, fingering the key in his pocket.
"Marvellous! Well, I'd better be off. Sorry for the cross-examination; I didn't realize you had your licence."
"Not that not having one ever stopped him," Hot Shot snorted and Coby banged on his bonnet to make him shut it.
Mr Freeman shot Hot Shot an alarmed look and then walked off, looking rather confused.
"Nice going," Coby laughed.
"Look on the bright side," Bud replied. "You still look and act like you're fourteen."
Coby thumped him too.
***
"Bud, go and wake your brother up, please," Mrs Hansen sighed as she entered the kitchen.
Bud looked up from his comic with his spoon full of cereal halfway to his mouth.
"Aw but Mom, I'm just getting to the good part. Can't you?"
Mrs Hansen glowered and began attacking the breakfast dishes with more brutality then was needed.
"Never mind; going," Bud replied hastily, understanding what was going on.
Out of escort of the kitchen he began to chuckle. Would his mother ever learn? She was just so adamant that she, as Coby's mother, should be able to do it. She took her failures as a personal insult. She just wouldn't accept the fact of Coby's sleeping patterns. She had grudgingly admitted defeat with Tim, who could sleep through an entire war with ease and she found her youngest son a pure joy because he was as light a sleeper as she was. And she knew that Coby was in-between his brothers; a heavy sleeper except for a few things that could wake him in an instant. But try as Bud may, he could never get his mother to understand that neither her voice nor her touch were one of the things that could actually wake Coby.
His voice, on the other hand, was a different story.
He didn't need to be quiet as he loped towards Coby's room and he didn't try and stop the door from banging against the wall as he opened it. He knew Coby wouldn't even stir from these noises. Looking at his sleeping brother he grinned, picked up a shoe, and flung it at Coby. Nothing. So being hit with a shoe was another thing to add to his "Can't wake Coby Up" list. His last addition to the list had been full-blast heavy metal music.
"Co, time to get up," Bud said in a normal voice.
Coby stirred and opened his shocking green eyes.
"Whazzappening?" he asked groggily.
"Breakfast," Bud replied, trying not to laugh at Coby's bed-head.
Coby processed this for a moment and then asked, "Did mom…?"
"Yea. She's starting to think you were swapped at birth or something."
Coby pulled a face, feeling sorry for his mother. If he could choose, he would make it that his mother was able to wake him. As it was he had no say and had to live with his mother's disappointment.
"Don't eat my bacon again," Coby warned as he got out of bed and stretched.
Bud's eyes widened and he quickly turned to go. Coby caught his brother's expression.
"BUD!"
"It was all nice and crispy!" Bud defended himself.
Coby chucked the same shoe back at his brother.
"You suck," he announced.
"Family sucks sometimes," Bud defended himself primly. Then, before he could stop himself, he mumbled, "Parents tend to suck the most."
Coby turned away.
***
The sun's intense heat from its position directly in the middle of the sky didn't reach them in the coolness of the Autobot's base. Bud was the epitome of relaxation as he sprawled across a couch they had found on its way to the dump because the leather was worn. The Autobots all milled around doing their own specific tasks or lounged around and chatted to Bud. The sounds were peaceful too; conversation, laughter, heavy footsteps, computer keys and the slight buzzing noise of one of Coby's tools as he fixed something for the Transformers.
Even so, everybody knew of Lori's return that day and there was a tinge of apprehension in the air they all desperately tried to ignore.
"You seriously did that? What did Tim say?" Jolt asked in wonder.
"He threw a fit. How was I supposed to know that stuff cost over a thousand rand a litre? If Coby hadn't stopped him I think he might have actually strangled me."
Hot Shot roared with laughter and Override shook her head.
"Oh Bud," she sighed, hiding her amusement. "What are we going to do with you?"
"Send him to a zoo. I hear they're looking for rare breeds of monkey," a familiar voice said.
Bud sat up quickly and swivelled around to face the door, as did everybody else.
"Lori!" he yelled, a grin breaking across his face at the sight of her.
Lori was grinning back, her violet eyes bright as she held open her arms. Bud leapt up and hugged her, forgetting his apprehension and what had happened in his joy of seeing her again. The Autobots all called happy hellos, especially Override, but they, unlike Bud, were still all cautious; most of them did not know the whole story.
"Yes, well this is the Autobots' base," the voice of Lori's father came. "The main control room is through here."
He appeared in the doorway, looking the same as ever, and gestured around the room to his companion. Bud stiffened entirely when he saw the man's companion. It was a teenage boy Coby's age with brunette hair and hazel eyes. One couldn't deny that he was handsome, and it took just one look at his clothes to tell he was filthy rich too.
"It's a nice place," he said in a deep voice. "Very nice mechanics."
He looked around appreciatively, not seeming to notice Bud's hostility or Lori's sudden embarrassment.
"Ah Bud! Nice to see you again."
Bud only nodded at Lori's father, not trusting himself to speak.
"I'd like to introduce you to someone," he went on, clapping the brunette on the shoulder. "Everyone, this is Clint." He paused for a few moments. "He's Lori's fiancé."
Lori's hands clenched into fists but nobody else moved. You could taste the shock as it rolled off of everybody and a pin dropping would have been as loud as a bomb.
"Fiancé?" Hot Shot finally had to ask; just to make sure it wasn't a bizarre joke.
"Oh yes," Lori's dad said with a smile. "Didn't you hear that he and Lori got together?"
"Yes, we did," Optimus Prime replied. "We just weren't aware it was… Er…"
"This bad," Hot Shot finished for him, causing Optimus to shoot him a warning look.
"Well it was nice seeing you all again," Lori's father went on as if he hadn't heard Hot Shot. "but we must really get going. Lots of wedding arrangements to make."
"I'll see you guys later," Lori whispered before she left with her father and Clint.
Nobody said anything. The only sound was that of retreating footsteps and the opening and closing of doors. Then a car engine started and with the faintest sound of crunching gravel they were gone. Bud suddenly realized that it was too silent. He turned and looked at the open door that lead to the room Coby was busy working in. As if they sensed Bud's gaze the sounds of Coby working started up again. Wordlessly Bud walked over to the door and hovered in the doorway.
Coby was sitting on the floor, his face expressionless and every muscle in his body looking ready to snap. His green eyes were dull and full of something that made a lump rise in Bud's throat. He wanted, needed, to say something, but he had no clue what. He had no words to make that much pain go away.
"Coby?" he asked softly.
"What?" Coby's voice was harsh and it bit into Bud.
The younger boy flinched at the snap at the same time Coby sighed and closed his eyes.
"Sorry," he mumbled to his younger brother.
Bud didn't need to forgive him and so he just left, unable to do anything else. Coby continued to work. Fixing yet another broken thing but unable to fix what he wanted to.
"What's the full story?" Optimus asked Bud as he sat back down on the couch.
"Lori's dad thought that Coby and Lori were just friends who were pretending to be more, just for the status. He thought they barely ever hugged let alone kissed. When he found out he was wrong, he nearly blew his top. He didn't like the idea that they have been together for so long. He didn't like the idea of Coby." Bud scowled deeply. "And so he took his wife and daughter away on holiday so Lori could meet 'proper gentlemen'. Clint is the son of a friend and Lori's dad loves everything about him. Bottom line of the story is he used many methods to get Lori and Clint together. Not even I knew he got them engaged too." He stopped and shook his head.
"How could he do that to his daughter?' Override was appalled. "Is he after the money or what?"
"I don't think so. Apparently, Clint is a really nice guy." The words tasted sour in his mouth. "Lori's dad just isn't ready to see his little girl grow up her way. He wants to plot her life for her so she stays near him and still obeys his rules."
"If you love your daughter, force her to get married at seventeen," Hot Shot spat sarcastically.
"Can't she do anything about it?" Jolt asked worriedly.
"Lori is still a minor," Optimus replied heavily. "And from what I've heard Lori's dad has quite a few ways to make sure Lori doesn't fight him."
"If you love your daughter, blackmail her and make her get married at seventeen." Hot Shot was practically dripping sarcasm.
Override looked over her shoulder at the door where Coby was. A constant drone told them he was still working, this time with a noisier machine. She dropped her voice anyway.
"How's Coby taking it?" she asked softly.
Bud grimaced. He didn't have to say anything; that one facial expression said it all.
"The worst is, he's kinda blaming himself. Not really for the whole Clint thing coz he knows he did nothing wrong but for how he's reacting towards it. Every time he snaps at us he hates himself for it. It eats him up."
Bud stared miserably at the floor.
"Why can't grown-ups just understand that we do know some things? Sure we may not be as smart as they are, but we know emotions. We know how to love. Why can't they just let us?"
Nobody had any reply to that.
