You can't tell a girl you like her; it makes you look like an idiot.
Up had read those words in a story growing up, and he always struggled with them. Not telling somebody how you felt seemed like a cowardly thing to do, and he was no coward. He was the toughest son of a bitch around. He didn't blink twice at blood and gore, so a silly little thing like love didn't ever seem like a challenge.
Looking back on it now, Up wondered how he could have been so naïve.
He'd never been in love before, never had butterflies in his stomach, never daydreamed about anyone. It was only now that he realized that he was in love. He was in love with his lieutenant. Up didn't know when this feeling started, but he believed that it had been for a long time. He just had never known what he was feeling. Back on Qo'noS, Taz was the reason he risked his life. She was the reason he survived. Taz was the reason for every decision he made.
After what happened on Bug Planet, Up knew he would have to tell her what he was feeling. If he didn't, he would never know her answer. At least, he didn't think he knew her answer. There was a time once, long before his injury, that they were stuck on a planet together. Fortunately it was hospitable, but they both tried their hardest to contact the G.L.E.E. The planet was filled with colorful forests and water was plentiful. They built a small shelter and waited to be rescued.
It was on the fifth night that Taz brought up another option.
"Up," she'd whispered, the light from the moons seeping through the cracks in the walls. "do you really think they're coming for us?"
"Of course they are, Taz. I'm the toughest commander out there, and you're on your way to becoming a lieutenant. They'll be here soon."
"Are you sure?" her voice had sounded worried. It wasn't like Taz to be worried.
"Yep."
"You know," she'd said hesitantly, "maybe it wouldn't be terrible to live out here. We'd be away from the robots, away from the estupido war, away from the death." Taz paused and Up heard her turn away from him. "I mean, if we had the choice. We don't have the choice though, do we? We don't have the choice to do anything."
Up was silent and the conversation was over. A starship took them away from the planet the next morning, and the discussion was never mentioned again. Thinking of it now, he wasn't sure why he didn't answer her. Maybe he was scared, scared of what she was suggesting. She wanted to spend her life with him then; would she still want to now? They'd been through the worst together, they went through hell with each other, they heard each other scream in pain when the robots tried to end their lives. Didn't they deserve the best of times now that the war was over?
They weren't always there for each other over the past two years. His injury and failed confidence drove a wedge between them, and Up was worried that it would be permanent. What happened on Bug Planet helped them, and it certainly helped him boost his confidence. Up looked at his reflection in the starship window. He saw a strong man who had been through troubles. The man looking back at him had been through battles and wore his scars in public. The scars proved that he had made mistakes, he wasn't careful at times. The reflection didn't show that he was only half a man, and it didn't need to; that part of him wasn't important. What was important was that he had a heart, and it was beating for a woman who changed him for the better.
Up turned around and faced Taz's door. Standing straight and tall, he knocked on her door twice.
"Krayonder, if you don't leave me alone for uno segundo, I swear I'm going to use you as target practice!" Taz yelled through the door. Up chuckled.
"It's not Krayonder," he answered, and the door slid open. Taz stood before him, her cheeks turning crimson.
"Up, what are you doing here?" she asked, motioning for him to come inside.
"There's um, there's something I need to talk to you about," he said as he stepped through the doorway. "It's not easy to say, but I've gotta say it."
Taz looked up at him, her eyes telling him that she didn't understand. "Something bad?"
Up shook his head. "Something good." He opened his mouth to say more, but that's when it happened.
His stomach was filled with butterflies and his mind went into panic mode. Robots seemed easy. Optimus Prime was suddenly a joke. Telling Taz that he loved her was definitely not going to be easy and the situation was far from a joke. "Uh, Taz, I guess I've been meaning to tell you this for some time," he muttered, trying to find any words that would make sense in this situation. "Or at least, I think I have."
Taz folded her arms across her chest. "Up, are you alright?"
"No- yes- I, I don't know!" Up could feel his heart beat faster. Calm down, Ranger, you can do this. "Taz, I'm going to be honest with you, I don't know what you're going to say."
"Just tell me what's going on."
I love you, he thought to himself. Now why were those three little words so hard to say? Up carefully placed his hands on Taz's shoulders. The adventure on Bug Planet had given them many cuts and bruises, but somehow Taz managed to still look... Up tried to find the right word in his head. Beautiful. Taz was beautiful, and right now her beautiful brown eyes were staring at him with a million questions, and he only hoped that he had the right answers. "Taz, I-"
He was cut off by a pair of beautiful lips pressing against his own. They were only there briefly, but for that one moment, the world made sense. Up looked down and saw Taz smiling back at him.
"I, um, I heard once that if a guy told a girl he liked her, he looked like an idiot," Up confessed.
"Well why do you think I kissed you, idiota?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. He shrugged and Taz pulled him in closer. "It's because I like you too."
Up barely had the chance to smile before Taz's lips met his again. As he shut his eyes, he felt that every question in the universe was answered, but this was the only answer he would ever need.