Title: Lonesome
Warnings: fluff, h/c
Continuity: Shattered Glass (Disillusion AU), pre-comic
Characters: Blast Off, Vortex
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Sadly, nothing is mine.
Summary: Blast Off has to leave for a trip to space, and Vortex has to stay alone at base.
Blast Off headed towards the base's exit, his energon cube empty, focusing on mission details.
He was about to push the button to open the front gate when he heard steps. With a frown behind the visor, he turned, and saw Vortex hurrying towards him.
"Where are you going?" the 'copter ask before he'd even stopped.
"I have to fly into space today. You know that." Blast Off tilted his head a little, taking in a stance that said so much.
"Ah right." The shoulders were slumped, rotor blades wilted. Vortex shifted from one foot to the other. "And you have to leave now?"
Blast Off sighed. They'd been freed from the Detention Centre quite some time ago, but it still got to Vortex when he was left alone at their base. The others were gone, too. Onslaught was at the main base with Starscream, and Brawl and Swindle were on a special ops mission with Spinister.
"Onslaught will be back soon," Blast Off said, but knew it wouldn't make Vortex any more comfortable. He sent soothing sensations over the gestalt link, causing the white rotor blades to twitch once.
"Yeah, probably. Uh, anyway… Sorry. You have to go, I'll just… stay here." Vortex' attempt to sound cheerful failed miserably, and Blast Off vented air deeply.
"Can't you distract yourself for a while till they come back?"
"I… uh, could. I guess." The 'copter didn't look at Blast Off. He shrugged, the discomfort of the idea of being alone in the huge base very clear through their shared bond. It hurt, and Blast Off would have loved to stay. But he couldn't.
"I mean what do you usually do while we're gone?" the shuttle asked, trying to calm the boding panic.
Another shrug, and Vortex still didn't look at him but at the floor, scratching his tail rotor on his elbow. "I dunno. Wait for one of you to come back…"
At that Blast Off couldn't just keep standing there. He crossed the short distance to the obviously upset mech, and closed his arms around him. Vortex leant into him instantly.
There were apologetic sensations through the gestalt bond, wordlessly telling Blast Off how sorry Vortex was for being so weak, but it was okay. The shuttle extended his energy field soothingly. They all dealt differently with the horrible experience of the Detention Centre, and Blast Off would have liked to stay.
Vortex' white fingers curled against Blast Off's teal plating, and from above the shuttle saw how hard the other tried to hinder his rotor blades from trembling. This probably wouldn't have been too bad, and Vortex wouldn't have been about to panic had they not had to fight the Protectobots just a few cycles ago. The sight of First Aid alone made Vortex tremble in horror, and Blast Off could understand that. He just wasn't as open with his fears and concerns.
"We could ask Onslaught if you can come with me into space," Blast Off suggested after a few kliks had passed. He could practically see how Vortex was frowning, even though the other's face was hidden by the visor and battle mask and buried in Blast Off's chest plating.
"How long would we be gone?"
"The mission log says for about thirteen joors."
Blast Off felt Vortex thinking, and he grinned when he sensed the other having already made a decision without accepting it to himself. The shuttle stopped himself from laughing softly, and merely grinned.
"I'm fine with that. But control your tanks while lift off this time, okay?"
Vortex punched the shuttle's side playfully. "That wasn't on purpose, you know that."
This time, Blast Off did laugh, and flared his field again. "Whatever you say."
He knew Vortex was grinning.
