Build a New Tomorrow
by SMYGO4EVA
"Heatwave, can I talk to you?" Cody asked, as he stepped into the bunker. The Rescue Bot leader had just finished with sparring when he arrived, and he jumped to the ground below him.
"Sure, Cody. What's up?" Heatwave replied, kneeling down to better hear the youngest member of the Rescue Team.
After a moment, Cody said, "Well, uh, I know…you might have heard this from me before, but…I wanted to say thank you."
Heatwave blinked and arched an eyeridge "Um, for what?"
"You know, for all the times you saved me, especially when you and the bots first started being a part of our team. Things were happening, a lot of crazy things, and I didn't say that enough. I realized that, and I just wanted you to know that you're…" Cody struggled to find the right words, looked down at his feet, and then said, "appreciated, you're appreciated." The boy stuffed his hands into his jacket, almost bashfully, before looking back up at Heatwave again.
"Cody," Heatwave's optics widened. "Thanks, that…that means a lot. Really." The Rescue Bot leader then smiled at the boy, a truly grateful smile that really appreciated the kind words spoken to him.
Cody nodded and smiled. "I just thought you wanted to hear from me, that's all."
"Well, unlike Kade, I can't take all the credit."
Cody soon realized his blunder and held his hands out in front of him. "Oh, uh, don't get me wrong. Chase, Blades, and Boulder really do a lot for the team, too, I mean it! They really do! It's just that..."
"I get it, Cody."
"You do?"
"Yup. Being a leader isn't easy, believe me. I've had to learn that the hard way. I'm pretty sure Optimus knows that as well." Heatwave said just before he put a servo on Cody's shoulder. "We don't get to hear words like thank you a lot. But when we do hear it, that does make it worthwhile."
Cody nodded again, and he looked up at Heatwave. "For what it's worth, I think that you and Optimus should definitely hear a thank you more often."
Heatwave then couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "You can say that again."
(A/N: 900? Oh my gosh, 900 fanfics?! I honestly never thought I'd write so much, and yet here we are! Thank you all so much for sticking with me all this time. Here's to more stories in the future!)
