A week passed and somehow, things really didn't get that much better.
Yes, he'd gotten everything off his chest, and it had been less of a distraction. But that didn't mean Cade didn't still miss Optimus like a dog without a bone. The world felt empty without his enormous presence taking up the sky. Every time Cade thought about it, he'd chide himself, feeling ridiculous. How could a bot he'd known for such a short time make such a big difference?
That was just Optimus for you. Brave, kind, gentle, selfless, and so damn charismatic the bot just about made you love him from the start. How could you not? He was too good not to. Cade never stood a chance.
Still, he had a life to live, and he couldn't spend it pining for the long-gone bot.
"Suck it up, Cade," He told himself one morning over his second cup of coffee, after a long night of little sleep. "You've got work to do."
He kept himself busy.
Working meant less thinking, and that meant less feeling lost and empty and more alone than he'd ever been. The house was so damn quiet he could hardly stand it. Most days he'd blast his music over the custom music player, a headache to make, but a blessing - instead of playing CD's or the radio, it took music directly from the internet. Not exactly legal, but… it did drown the silence out.
It was exhausting, but that was better than the loneliness.
He didn't have to stay at the house of course; he could've gone to the Autobot base, joined them on their vacation… but somehow he just didn't feel up to the effort, to pretending all was well. Seeing his daughter would've been wonderful, but a short blessing before another long departure. It would almost hurt more. And the Autobots, much as he liked them, were just reminders of who wasn't there…
So, no. He didn't feel like leaving the house. He stayed, he worked night and day, struggled to sleep a few hours at night, then woke up and repeated the cycle.
Until the day the Autobots called.
The phone rang, and Cade jumped, head ramming against the inside of the sink. "Damn it!" Rubbing the spot, he scooted out from under the cabinet, digging into his pants as he did. "Hello?"
"Hey there – long time no see – what's up?"
"Bumblebee?" Smiling, the man began to stand, wiping a hand on his jeans. He wavered a bit as he stood, dizziness assaulting him. Whew… maybe he needed to it… what time was it? "Hey, big guy."
"How you doin'?"
Unable to keep from laughing at hearing the voice of Joey from Friends out of the phone, Cade grinned. "Doing good. How's everybody?"
"Just fine, dear."
"Uh huh. Is my daughter there yet?"
"Hi, dad!"
"Hey, sweetheart!" Grinning ear to ear, Cade let his exhausted body lean against the countertop. "How're you? Enjoying your break so far?"
"It's been a blast, you should see this place, it's amazing! And there's even more Autobots arriving every day, you won't believe who showed up last night –"
Her words were interrupted by a cacophony of noise, as what sounded like more bots entered into the room she and Bumblebee were in. It sounded like they were having a blast. That was good. Tired eyes sunk low, and his head drooped forward. That was really good…
"Dad?"
"Yeah!" Snapping up, Cade rubbed his head. "Yeah, I'm here."
"You okay?"
"Just – working on the house. Tinkering."
"You still haven't finished it? I thought Joshua would've had you in a mansion by now."
"Oh, I mean, it's done, I'm just – changing things up a bit, you know."
"Uh huh. Well, if you need anything, call, okay?"
"Sure, you know I will."
"I'll believe it when I see it." They both laughed at that, and said their goodbyes, and Cade hung up the phone with a vague sense of loss and ever growing emptiness. But the exhaustion burned at the forefront of his mind, as he stretched tired muscles and decided to indulge in a very short nap.
Tessa frowned at the computer, arms across her chest. Bumblebee turned to look back at her with a puzzled expression.
"What's on your mind monkey butt?"
She scowled playfully at him, gently kicking his leg with her foot. "I'm just worried, is all. If I know my dad – and I do – then he's probably working himself to death and not taking anywhere near as good care of himself as he should. He'd starve without somebody to remind him to eat once in a while."
The sound of someone approaching from behind bid both of them turn round, to see Optimus Prime walking towards them.
"Is Cade unwell?"
"No… but," Tessa admitted with a shrug. "He's just very tied up in his work. I was supposed to go spend break with him…" A guilty yet reluctant expression appeared on her face. "Maybe I should head over there."
Optimus held up a hand. "No need." He told her. "I had hoped to see him myself, in the next few days; but if you fear for Cade's health, I can depart in the morning."
"Really?" Tessa sent a grin his way. "You're the best, big guy."
Building a house was the stupidest idea he'd ever had in his life.
Cursing under his breath, Cade angled the hammer towards the gutter, and kept banging away. The sound was giving him a headache after a good hour or so of attaching the shit. Who knew houses had so much goddamn work in them? And with all the time he spent tweaking and toying with, well, everything, he barely had time to sleep.
But it was getting done, slowly and surely, and that was the important part. He'd gotten lucky over winter break, but in the summer, he had to have a place for Tessa to stay, safely and comfortably. He'd figure it out, somehow… even if it did almost kill him.
He felt like death warmed over, baking under the Texan sun on the roof of his new home. He finished the stretch of gutter he was attaching, and leaned away with an achy sigh. His whole back protested the movement, stiff from bending over so long and repeatedly. But he still had a ways to go. Grumbling, the man began to stand, to approach the rest of the supplies, and as he did, something caught his eye…
He froze, turning his gaze to the long path leading to the house. Someone was turning into the driveway. From such a distance it was hard to tell who, but it had to be an Autobot. His mood began to lift somewhat at the thought of company. But who was it? Squinting, he stepped forward slightly, trying to make out the shape… he saw red… red and blue? But who was red and blue and…
Cade's whole body went still, mouth dropping open in numb shock. "Optimus?"
He moved a moment later, foot slipping forward slightly, onto an unstable piece of roofing. It cracked beneath him, and his leg slipped away from him, slamming him painfully against the roof on his left side. Giving a loud curse, Cade dropped his hammer and grabbed at the roof, but he was already slipping away. Hands scrambling for grip, he just barely managed to grab hold of the gutter, gripping for dear life with his heart pounding in his throat.
But it was a gutter, and not even a fully finished one, and it didn't have the strength to hold a human's weight. It gave a loud, echoing creak, then another, bending in the middle, before it shattered with a sharp snap.
"SHIT!"
The breath flew out of him as panic flooded his mind. Cade hit the air in free fall, tumbling twenty feet down, aimed to the ground below – the ground which he never met.
Instead, he fell against warm metal, cradled in two giant hands the length of his whole body. It sounded like thunder rumbling across the sky as Optimus dived for him, knees slamming into the ground, the big bot tumbling forward from the momentum. He tucked in, holding Cade close to his chest, rolling into the ground before finally sliding to a halt.
It was as if the whole world stopped spinning.
Cade sat there, held by warm hands he knew so well, engulfed in the presence he could so easily recognize, shell shocked and gasping for breath. Half of him was sure it was a dream. The other half dismissed the notion because of how real the whole thing was: he could feel the smooth, warm metallic surface beneath him, pulsing with life; hear Optimus's "breath" making his chest rising and fall; smell the tangy scent of oil and grease and metal.
Breathlessly, he managed to mutter, "Optimus?"
The cage protecting him parted, hands drifting aside, to reveal a smiling face with wide concerned optics. "Are you alright, Cade Yaeger?"
For a moment, Cade just stared at them. Then he burst into bright laughter. "I'm great, big guy." He finally said. "I'm doing great."
It turned out that 'great' was something of an exaggeration.
Cade had known he'd been… pushing it, the last few weeks, but hadn't really realized how far he'd been pushing it. Optimus had quickly alerted him, with great alarm, to the fact that his blood sugar was dangerously low and his body was in desperate need of sleep. He'd tried to insist that he was fine and the bot was overreacting, but didn't put up much of a fight, being too overwhelmed by the fact that Optimus was back.
Optimus Prime was really back.
He could've jumped for joy, if he'd had the strength in his legs. The truth was, Optimus was right. Cade had a bad habit of forgetting to take care of himself during a project. But usually, his projects might last a few hours to a few days. The house had already been in the works for months.
Not to mention, his drama about Optimus and Tessa and everything else had driven him to work harder, to forget his problems for a while. It all added up to a not-so-pretty-picture when Optimus showed up.
"You're really making a mountain out of a molehill here, Prime," Cade tried to insist for the third time. He was sitting on some lumber outside the construction area, with Optimus kneeling in front of him, a stern expression on his face. The human frowned at the look, that was one part disappointed, one part concerned, and one part determined. It said he was in a whole heap of trouble.
"I disagree." Optimus replied dryly, and his voice, as deep and tremulous as Cade remembered, made him shudder. He desperately hoped the bot didn't notice. "Your daughter feared you were pushing yourself too hard, and I believe she is right."
"Tessa?" Oh he should've known. She was such a worrier, like her mother. "She always worries. I'm just a little tired and worn out from the sun. Give me an hour and I'll be back to work."
"I don't think that's a wise course of action." Crossing his arms, Optimus cocked a metal eyebrow. "Considering you just slipped off the roof."
"I was distracted!" The man threw up his arms. "Can you blame me? I didn't think I'd ever get to see you again!" Immediately, the man flushed scarlet. He hadn't meant to be quite that frank. But by the way Prime's optics softened at his confession, the words meant something to him.
"At least rest for tonight." Optimus asked him. "Since I am here, now, we can – how do humans say it – make up for lost time?"
A grin slowly spread across Cade's face. "Sounds good to me."
Consciousness returned slowly and painfully to him the next morning, like a blanket being tugged off him, leaving him cold. He blinked fitfully, sitting up and groaning at the pain that assaulted him head to foot. Maybe he had been pushing it too hard…
Glancing at the clock, his eyes went wide. "Fuck!" It was already 4 in the afternoon. Leaping out of bed, he scrambled down the hall and out of the trailer (which he didn't even remember getting into the night before). Outside, bare feet brushed across dry Texan earth, scratchy and coarse, but Cade ignored it as he started for the kitchen… only to halt a second later.
"O – Optimus?"
The large figure looming over his house stood up. "Good afternoon, Cade."
He… the human stalled, mind reeling, mouth dry. The events of the night before came flooding back to him – it hadn't been a dream? Optimus was really here?
Why…?
"You – what are you doing?" Cade stepped forward, moving around to the front of the house.
The bot was standing by the front wall, his hands gently maneuvering the glass of one of the windows. A strange, alien tool appeared at the end of one finger and seemed to be sealing the glass into the frame. Shocked, Cade took the sight in, then found his eyes darting about the construction site, noticing a lot of new things. The gutter was completely finished, the siding was up, the roof was done, the railings on the front porch were put up…
"Optimus, you –" Stunned beyond belief, he looked up. "You didn't have to do this."
"Neither did you," Optimus told him. The tool shut off with a fwip, and he turned to the man. "That is, you did not need to do this alone. Why did you not ask for help?"
A blush stole over his face. Fidgeting, he shrugged. "I can handle it, boss."
"I do not doubt your ability, Cade." Sounding like a stern father himself, Optimus sighed. "Tell me you have not been working on your own since I left."
"Not… entirely." Just mostly. Almost entirely. "I tried working with a crew, but they weren't keen on my – alterations."
"You were tinkering." Optimus said the word with clear amusement and fondness, and Cade's cheeks darkened further. "You need not worry about me getting in the way of your experimenting, Cade. I only wish to help." The sincerity in his voice touched Cade, made him feel humbled and all too overwhelmed. What had he done to earn Optimus Prime's kindness?
Finally, Cade sighed. "Alright. You sure you're not needed elsewhere?" Like, across the universe? But Optimus shook his head.
"There is nowhere I need to be – and nowhere I would rather be."
O… kay. "Um. Right." It became suddenly clear to Cade that he was only half dressed and wearing his boxers. "I'll, uh – go dress." He turned and went right back from where he'd come, heart pounding in his chest and feeling decidedly light headed.
A two-man crew would not typically get much done on a daily basis on a project so large as this one – but when one of the "men" was a forty-foot tall alien robot, that changed things up a bit.
Progress on the house started to go amazingly quickly in just a week. Things that would've taken Cade days took the two of them mere hours. It was still exhausting work, but it was made easier with help and much-needed company.
Cade would never have admitted it aloud, but he was so pleased to have Optimus back. Not only from how much he'd been missing him, but from how lonely he'd been in general. Cutting everyone out of his life had taken a larger toll than he'd care to admit. Having someone to share time with was a great blessing, even if it wasn't quite the same as being able to sit down to breakfast with Tessa, or watching movies together in the evening…
But it was slightly – awkward. Cade found himself walking on eggshells around the bot, because it occurred to him… what if Optimus had gotten his message? What if he hadn't? Should he say something? Should he keep it to himself?
"Is something wrong, Cade?"
The man jumped, glancing at his partner. "Nah, just tired." He dug back into his fried egg sandwich. It was lunchtime, and he was sitting on the finished front porch, covered in sweat and exhausted but mostly satisfied. He'd spent the last hour putting the finishing touches on the pocket-screen door (an idea he got from an informercial, but his was way better). Optimus was sitting nearby in the yard, digging into an energon cube. Well, hardly "digging". Optimus was always so precise and polite about what he did. He sat watching the bot injest the shimmering blue liquid, until optics that were almost the same color blue met his. Cade's face went scarlet and he ducked down.
To his horror, the bot chuckled, his deep timbre shaking him to the bone. "Given my experience with humans, I've learned that such a reaction tends to imply embarrassment."
Cade about choked on his sandwich. Coughing, he wiped at his mouth and swallowed before giving a reply. "You know how hot it is out here? Skin gets red under the sun, Op."
"Hmm." The thoughtful sound had an edge to it, as did Optimus's smirk. The big guy didn't believe him at all. Jerk.
"What are you playing at?"
"Nothing at all." Still smirking, the asshole. Cade's heart was going a mile a minute.
They finished lunch, and Cade set his plate aside, stood and brushed his hands off on his messy jeans. "That's it for the outside of the house." He started, stepping down the stairs. "You've been a great help, big guy, but now that all the work's inside…" Coming to stand just beneath the bot, Cade shrugged. "I'm not sure there's much you can do."
Optimus chuckled again, and as close as they were, Cade could have sworn his body actually did shake with the strength of it. His face heated up again, and looking at Optimus' optics, he could've sworn the jackass knew. By the burning look in his eyes, the heated smirk, he… he couldn't know…?
"You would be surprised." The Autobot leader murmured, before transforming. Once the truck settled into place, Cade stood in expectation, waiting for… what?
A guy walked out from behind the truck, and Cade cussed up a storm. Why didn't he have his gun on him? Grabbing the nearest hammer, he waved it in the man's direction, storming forward.
"Who the hell are you?" Furious, Cade moved in front of Optimus, forcibly putting himself between the stranger and his friend. "Are you CIA? I swear to god, if you put one finger on Prime –"
"Cade, calm yourself!" The man had his hands up, but he didn't look afraid for himself. And it hit Cade. That voice – it was …
"Optimus?" Cheeks flushed red and chest tightened, Cade dropped the hammer and swore. "God, I'm sorry, I – okay now? This is blushing from embarrassment."
Optimus laughed at that, and it was so fucking weird hearing that voice coming out of a person. "It is fine, Cade. I should have warned you."
Quickly, the man was overcome with curiosity. "How are you doing this?" He moved right into the bot's personal space, running his hands over the figure, eying it up and down and all around. "It's some kind of hologram, right? But it's solid, almost like a real body…" He ran his hands over Optimus's shoulders, marveling in the solidity of them. He felt really human, with the same warmth and give of human flesh. Even the clothes, the dark denim jeans and red flannel, felt real. "This is amazing!"
"I'm glad you approve." Optimus smiled as Cade moved back into his line of vision, and the man suddenly realizing he'd basically been feeling the bot up. Horrified, he dropped his hands quick.
The matter of fact was, Optimus made a handsome human. Dark skinned, with thick ebony hair falling in waves upon his shoulders, and a strong, full bodied frame right out of a magazine. The jeans were so tight it was practically sinful. But looking at it made Cade itch, and not in a good way.
"But – you…" It was just – so weird. So wrong. But how could he say that to him? "Uh, okay. I guess you can help in the house?"
Optimus nodded. "Lead the way."
Work kept going smoothly and steadily as the weeks wore on. Cade kept waiting for the moment it would happen, that something would force Optimus away, that greater duties would call upon him, that he'd simply grow tired and leave. Each day it didn't happen, Cade let out a small sigh of relief.
It continued to amaze him, how much time and energy Optimus was devoting to him, for nothing in return. It just didn't make sense.
"Surely you've got more important things you could be doing," He finally asked one morning, as they were nailing the kitchen linoleum down. After finishing a tile, Cade glanced up to find Optimus's eyes on him, steady and sure.
"Nothing is more important than helping a friend."
The words, the strength and intensity of them, made Cade's mouth go dry. "… right. Okay."
Things were better with Optimus around. There was someone to talk to, someone to share the day with, someone to remind him to take his meds. But he felt more and more that their relationship was dangerously skewed in his direction. So, one morning, he decided to try and return the favor.
In the early hours, he left the trailer and headed to the backyard with a bucket and sponge. Only last week Optimus had helped him set up the hose, and he was glad for it now. Filling the bucket, he lugged it back around the front, to where Optimus sat resting in his alt mode.
Something about this idea screamed stupid. Almost as stupid as building a radio to send a desperate message across the universe that basically was the equivalent of "do you like me, check yes or no". Still, Cade felt really guilty about how hard Optimus had been working for him, and he owed the big guy. Nothing like taking a risk, right?
Sighing, Cade shrugged. "Here goes nothing."
And he put the sponge in the water, soaked it up, and started giving Optimus a wash.
Optimus awoke slowly, to the feeling of little pricks of electric pleasure tingling through him. It only took a moment for him to completely break free of recharge, and become aware of his surroundings.
"Cade…?"
"Uh, hey, Boss." His tone of voice was obviously unsure, nervous. "Good morning, I hope? I don't know if this is okay – if it isn't, I am so sorry, I will stop, I just thought you deserved something for all you've been doing around here, and you know me, ADD as hell, leaps before looking –"
"Cade."
The man jumped, shoulders hunched, before giving a weak, "Yeah?"
"… thank you."
He could practically feel the joy and satisfaction radiating off the human, as he grinned and got back to work. The gentle rubbing was doing wonders for Optimus. As Prime, he had little time to relax, and rarely got such a pampering. It had been quite a long time. It felt much like a human message, soothing his sore frame.
As Cade worked, Optimus let his mind settle upon the topic which he had been pondering for some time. That was, the human just by his side. He had not forgotten Cade's message; in fact, it was constantly on his mind. Being on Earth had only solidified the truth for him – Cade did love him. It was clear in every word the man said, in every line of his body.
Love was a commonality between Cybertronians and humans. But could they share it? Optimus still wasn't sure. He cared deeply for Cade. The more time they spent together, the more he found to care for. He was kind, gentle, so unsure of himself and yet capable of giving others such support and enthusiasm that they believed in themselves more for it. He was a good man. And yes, Optimus did love him, but could he dare let that love grow into something even stronger…?
He had tried the human holoform, to see how functioning as one would feel, and it was satisfactory. He enjoyed being able to look into Cade's eyes, to see Earth as he did. It was strange, being so soft, so easily hurt, but he was growing use to navigating in it. If he and Cade could connect in such a way, perhaps they could bond as lovers… and Cade could be happy. That would be enough for Optimus.
That evening found the two of them sitting in the finished kitchen, as Cade did the dishes from dinner. Optimus, being a hologram and not a human, could taste the food in a sense, and seemed to enjoy trying it out. Not that Cade was a very good cook. Tessa had always been the chef of the family, after…
Cade cleared his throat, shaking the memories away. He shut the faucet off, leaving a few dishes for later. It had been a long day, and he was tired. "Well, big guy, you heading to bed yet?" He asked, turning around to lean on the counter.
"I am still able to function." Optimus told him. "If you wish to remain awake."
The last few nights, they'd sat together in the living room – which was mostly finished – and Cade had introduced him to the wonders of human entertainment. It was fun, but… there was something missing. And tonight, Cade wanted it back.
"I have a better idea." He stepped out of the kitchen, past Optimus, and onto the front porch. He heard the hologram following him, but gave it little mind. Cade went straight for the truck parked a few feet away, and tapped on its hood. "Come on out, big guy."
There was a short hesitation – then, the grinding of gears as Optimus began transforming. Cade stepped back, watching with wide eyes the wonder that never grew old. It made him burn, head to toe, with curiosity and interest, to see such a thing.
"God, you're amazing."
"Thank you."
Cade choked. "Did I say that out loud?" He looked up, wide eyed and embarrassed, to see Optimus smiling gently. The real Optimus. He couldn't be too horrified for long, because it was just too good to see him again, in the flesh, so to speak. He'd spent too long with illusions lately.
"Cade?"
The man glanced back up. The sky was darkening, the brighter stars just beginning to shine down through the pale pink and blue shell above. Just beyond Optimus's shoulder, by his audial, was that star – the heart of Orion. Shimmering like a diamond in the heavens.
"Sorry, I'm easily distracted," Cade managed, trying to put some lightness in his voice. But the entirety of his body felt heavy, weighed down with the moment and its meaning and the thick desire clenching in his gut. Standing before Optimus then, he knew more than ever that he wanted, no needed, Optimus Prime in a way he hadn't needed anyone in a long time. And it ached like an open wound. "I thought we could hang out here tonight?"
Optimus looked him over for a moment, seemingly confused, his optics as bright as the star behind them. "Very well." He nodded, before taking a seat on the ground by his friend. Cade almost gave a sigh of relief, before sitting next to him.
They sat in tranquil silence for almost an hour as the nighttime sky drifted overhead. The world grew darker, to a deep midnight blue, as the crickets began to sing and lightning-bugs started dancing overhead. Optimus watched them with the wonder of a child, his hand gently lifting into the air after them, never coming close enough to touch or hurt. Cade watched with a small smile, until Optimus turned his way.
"They're fireflies." He began, standing up. "Or, lightning-bugs, as we call them around here." He took a step towards Optimus, hands on his leg, then hesitated, glancing up. With an indulgent smile, Optimus nodded, and Cade climbed up onto his leg. Unsteady feet led him over the metallic surface, that twisted and curved into such an elegant form. He managed to scramble over to Optimus's uplifted hand, using one hand on the mech's arm to balance himself.
A firefly flew by his head, and Cade watched it, letting it go. The next one he saw came closer, and he snatched it quick, hand gently closing around it, much as Optimus had cradled him only a few weeks ago. He turned and unfurled his hand in the mech's outstretched palm, and the bug swiftly crawled out, onto him. For a few moments it explored, crawling about the strange surface, and Optimus watched it with awe and wonder.
"Your world contains so much beauty."
A dark thought darted across Cade's mind, and he frowned. "A lot of nasty shit, too." He thought of Attinger, of those members of the CIA who had killed so many, and caused so much pain… his hands clenched into tight fists.
Optimus's large palm closed gently over Cade's that was still resting in his hand. "The sins of your brethren are not your own." Optimus told him. "It is over. You were never at fault."
"I almost did the same thing."
"But you did not. You made a different choice, and I owe you my life for it."
Still, he couldn't chase away the dark pit of loathing inside him, the emptiness that sometimes swelled in his heart and overtook him. Had he taken his meds in a while? It was about that time … but it could wait. He wasn't leaving Optimus. He would just put up with the depressive spell while it lasted.
Eyes drifted up to their hands, entwined. The difference was astounding when placed so close together. His hand, a mere fraction of the size of Optimus's. The metal surrounding it shone and almost glowed in the starlight, strong and unbending, so much more impressive than his weak, freckled flesh.
What in the world was he thinking?
Frowning, Cade tugged his hand free, and Optimus easily let him go. What strength he had, that he could crush him in an instant, but he was always so gentle and soft with Cade. It made his heart warm and flutter to think of, but those were foolish thoughts… foolish…
What was he doing? He was wasting time. Optimus was a Cybertronian, the leader of the Autobots, with his own duties and responsibilities, his own family, and he couldn't stay here forever. But here he was, for some reason, instead of on his great mission or with his people. He was here. Why? It couldn't be because… because…
Throat tightening, Cade looked to the stars.
"See that?" He pointed skyward, and Optimus's gaze followed. "That star there, we call it Rigel." Ever patient, Optimus simply waited as Cade pondered his words. "… when you were gone, that's the star I thought of as you, as your… soul." The words could barely get out, he was so choked up by it. By the foolishness of this, the vulnerability of it. He cleared his throat nervously. "I don't know why, I guess just because it's so bright and beautiful, and it's – it's part of a constellation of this great warrior, I don't know the stories, just that it's called Orion."
At that, Optimus finally spoke. "Orion?"
"Yeah, he," Cade tried to keep speaking over his pounding heart. His hands were starting to shake. Why was he doing this? "He was some Greek warrior that was honored by the Gods and placed in the sky. Supposedly. Who knows."
"That was my name, once."
"What?" He spun round to find the bot gazing at the sky, his optics distant and awed.
"My name, before I was Prime. It was Orion." Slowly, his half-lidded gaze turned back to Cade, filled with warm fondness. "We've known each other for such a short time, and yet you seemed to know my very spark. To be able to look up to the sky and pluck my name from the stars… you are truly a wonderful person, Cade Yaeger."
Cade went stock still, rigid head to foot, heart pounding in his ears. He couldn't think of anything to say, of anyway to respond. So he stood in the silence, warm heady joy pulsing in his veins. Before he could recover, he found himself yawning.
"It is quite late." The bot replied, as if he hadn't just dropped such a bombshell. "Perhaps you should rest."
"I'm about tired enough to just sleep right here." The human admitted. Every bone and joint in his body ached, and the walk back to his trailer almost seemed like too much.
"Or," Suddenly, the world around him spun, the sound of transformation echoing all around him. When it was through, he found himself laying on his back in a bed… inside Optimus's cab. Behind the front seats was a sleeper, long enough for Cade to stretch out pretty comfortably. "You could sleep here."
"Optimus, I," Sitting up, the man chuckled nervously. "I was only kidding." Well, half kidding. "You don't have to do this."
"I would like to. Unless it makes you uncomfortable?"
The exact opposite. The idea warmed his heart and, well – he shouldn't think about that. "If you're sure."
He fell back, reveling in the warmth of the bed, and when his eyes slipped shut, he was gone.