Queen's note: I should be in bed. But my wisdom tooth is moving and it hurts… a looooot. So have a crossroad cute thing.

Crossroads

Chapter Two

What is it?

"Whyyy?" Crosshairs drew the word out, making a face as he followed the slightly shorter mech. Ducking to avoid one branch, only to get his helm smacked from another tree. The trooper had to stop, not really freezing as he flexed his blunted talons in the air, struggling not to burst out...

"Cross," Roadbuster chuckled, glancing back and his voice snagged the trooper's attention back. The visor was shifting in shades of blue and green, a few bits of purple shining through.

The paratrooper started back, twitching before his arms dropped and shoulders slumped. Crosshairs would never admit to the helpless look he sent his leader and friend, but the small annoyances just built up on top of the larger stresses of human poacher-hunters. Crosshairs wanted to go back and sit in his space in the recovery base and chew on crystals.

"Almost there mech," Roadbuster said walking back over, not quiet his normal stride as he was being careful with a passenger. The Foreman reached out, pulling the offending braches away, careful not to snap and give away more of their path. He hocked his claws on the lighter green armor and pulled, guiding the other through. "Once in there, we can use the wash racks... an' yea can have some more twists while the lass sleeps."

Crosshairs followed again, the thought of the soft metal twists that Roadbuster made was promising-

Wait.

"Whyyy?"

Roadbuster rolled his optics under his visor, feeling hands starting to poke at his lowered launchers, and then one grabbed onto as they walked into thicker trees. Dispite being the slightly shorter one he was being used as branch shield.

"Yea've asked that far too much in the last day," Roadbuster snorted, shaking his head, even as he lifted his free hand to his chest. Aware of slight movement under the thick armor, where the armor pocket was, it was just big enough for the stray human he had shamelessly picked up.

Nabbed.

"But why Foreman, its, they are a human. Those organics are after us." Crosshairs was shameless as he ducked, using the other as a shield. A branch still smacked the paratrooper over the head and he let out a frustrated sound- that cut off into a startled sound.

Roadbuster had turned and pulled Crosshairs down some more, deftly pulling the twigs off and out of the mech's goggle like lenses. "Organics, rightfully scared but being lead wrong. Almost ta the bolt hole," he pushed the mech's helm, not exactly lightly.

"Don't ya...need to feed and water humans?" Crosshairs grumbled, trailing after, hocking his blunted talons on the back of the Wrecker to be pulled after.

"There might have been some supplies stashed with the energon." Just in case they had local allies that needed to be protected too. With the half talk, half sulky questioning from the trip in mind still, Roadbuster rolled a shoulder and tapped his chest. "I think yea'll like the lass."

"Just a human," Crosshairs tried to sneer, but it came out more on the side of a whine. He was on his last leg so to say, and just wanted somewhere to recharge safely.

The lighter mech rolled his shoulder again, this time using the motion to lightly smack the Crosshairs with a launcher. "Relax, the lass is just a youngling, and fell asleep a bit ago. If it makes you feel better, we can put her in a box."

"Yes." Crosshairs said, paused as he was pulled along, and then vented as he really thought about it. That, even to him seemed cruel. "No..."

"Desk?" Roadbuster chuckled, oddly proud as he pinged a code to the first opening. It was one of the Aubotbot made bolt-holes, likely one Ironhide made before the Wreckers arrived and started making more.

This followed the basic Autobot pattern, an opening Roadbuster and Crosshairs could walk into, then a short tunnel that dropped away in a slope that went deeper. By the time they got to the main lift that would take the two down the tunnel network a mile below, that first hatch was closing.

Crosshairs paused just before the lift, looking around the smaller tunnel that was lit by Roadbuster's headlights alone. Teal optics dimmed as the paratrooper hummed, suddenly realizing he liked this sort of darkness. It was…. Suddenly a lot more peaceful with the hatch closed. Even if it was only twenty or thrifty feet under the surface, it was a good sign. The base below itself would feel more like home, the levels from Cybertron.

Roadbuster hummed back, the sound not as smooth as it was for Crosshairs, then again the Foreman had almost always had bad vents. Putting his vents through the ringer with his constent work, or...when he did work.

The para trooper opened his optics, finding the light was only coming from the gravity lift. Backlighting the other mech as well as reflecting on the curves of his launchers. Then on His side, a hip strut as Roadbuster glanced back, the glow more making the Wrecker's outline predominate. The amount of semi hidden, the defiantly not hidden weapons the Wrecker had.

"Just gonna stand there?"

Crosshairs twitched blunted talons and moved onto the lift, almost hopped onto it as he belatedly realized he had got a glimpse of the optics under the glowing protective visor. "...desk is okay...you sure it's...that she's asleep?"

"Nearly in medical stasis," Roadbuster chuckled, starting the lift and lifted a hand to his chest where the armor pocket was, closed to keep his stray from falling out and hurting herself. "Human sparklings aren't that different from those on Cybertron. Give them better food, safe spot ta hide? The lass is younger then she admitted, dropped inta recharge half way through the day."

"Wot is it with yea and strays buster?" Crosshairs vented a sigh, coming over to bump his shoulder against Roadbuster's. He lasted a few moments before leaning fully on the heavier framed mech, craving touch and to be close to someone he trusted.

"Good Foreman habit," Roadbuster rolled his optics, he could have easily called crosshairs a stray as well. The Wrecker lifted an arm, supporting for a moment before pushing back with his shoulder. Forcing Crosshairs to stand on his own with a small sound only the Roadbuster was moving to sit down on the center of the lift.

And like the giant cyber-cat in a mech's body that h was, it was only a few moments later that Crosshairs was flopping down on him. The purring returned as the trooper relaxed, tension draining more the deeper they went. The over armor half flopped over Roadbuster, one side partly on on a launcher. Crosshairs was between the two, arms draped over Roadbuster's shoulders even as he pushed at the heavier framed mech.

It was a rough cuddle. But a cuddle nun the less, and bit by bit, as he listened to the becoming contented purring, Roadbuster started to relax as well. The visor, in shades of blue and green now, dimmed as he tilted his head back on Crosshairs' shoulder, making his shifting pause.

Roadbuster rumbled back, reaching up to poke crosshairs with the sides of his talons, a half pet. Even as the blunted claws of the other started to poke at the visor. "Stop that."

"...noo..." Crosshairs grinned, shifting again to try and put weight on Roadbuster as if trying to push or pin the Foreman down with his near flight frame. "Take it off 'Buster?"

Roadbuster shook his head, shaking off the offending hand, "Leave mah visor alone mech."

"But I want ta see yea without the visor," Crosshairs glanced around the lift passage, the blue-silver light reflecting on their armor. He was leaning fully against the other now, supported as he nuzzled against the wrecker leader. "Yea said we'd be safe in the bolt hole. No one's 'ere but us, ya? ...an' the stray..."

The Wrecker snorted, huffing softly as he tilted his head, at first he was going to be difficult and lean away. However Roadbuster leaned against the trooper's own head, shutting off his optics under the visor.

"Buster?" Crosshairs hummed as he rubbed the side of his helm against the other, a light motion that made a pleasant sound.

There was a hfm sound, and then a set of clicks as the mech shook his head a little, maybe rolled his optics as eager but gentle claws lifted the visor up. Green optics lit up and met the teal-blue, Crosshairs looking far too fascinated as the paratrooper made himself difficult for a few kliks.

"Pest." The Wrecker rolled a shoulder, pushing at Crosshairs until he got a better hand hold, and pulled. Fangs flashed in a grin as Roadbuster stretched his legs out, hands sliding under the over armor to poke at the flex metal lining. As fascinated with the over armor as Crosshairs was with his frame, and green optics.

"Always boss," Crosshairs grinned back, looping his arms over the other's shoulders, staring at the exposed green optics. Despite the straddling position, the two mechs were both tired, and with a passenger in Roadbuster's frame?

This was still nice.

Canoodling.

Even after the lift settled and turned off, the two mechs stayed sprawled on it. Relieved and just feeling safe, the two were able to doze in a light recharge.