If there was one thing Ratchet never expected from Ironhide, it was that he never expected to take his nice gestures seriously, even if he knew that the medic was being serious or tried to follow them as directed. It was one evening a couple days after fixing up Ironhide, as the medic left the rec room to get his "dinner," looking over the report that FirstAid had given him after his intern had repaired a broken wire in Hound's leg; the fragger had been scouting around in a forest on a planet they landed on to refuel on, and accidentally tore it via tripping over something and a sharp and strong vine grabbing at the thin wire as he fell, making it easily split.
Ratchet was glad for the silence in the hallways; most everyone was either in their berth, assigned on some duty, or in the rec room relaxing until they felt it time to go back to their berths and recharge for the night. The medic sub-consciously punched in the code to get into his med bay, the quietness not disrupting him as he read the Datapad over. However, as he turned to punch the code in to his personal office, he realized that the door was indeed already open; and standing in front of his desk, his back to the medic, examining a holo-picture by picking it up and literally looking it over, was Ironhide, looking pretty content. After a moment, Ratchet cleared his throat, making Ironhide turn in surprise, however keeping a good hold on the object in his servo.
"And may I ask what the privilege is to have a mech such as you in my office?" asked Ratchet, walking into his office and around his desk, setting the Datapad in his hands on his desk as he walked. Ironhide merely stood there for a moment, before obviously realizing what he was in there for, or rather, that a question had been asked, and gave a sheepish chuckle.
"Sorry, doc," 'Hide apologized, getting the holo-picture gently back on the desk where he had found it. "Came in here t' talk t' ya. Aid let me in, said tha' you'd be 'ere in a few breems, said that I could wait in 'ere if I wanted."
"So you decided to invade my office looking for me?" Ratchet replied, a devilish smile on his face quickly playing out. Instantly Ironhide seemed baffled for a moment, trying to get his words out in an explanation so the doc wouldn't kill him.
"It was nuthin' like that doc, I swear, I-!" started the weapons speaclist, only to be cut off by a laugh and wave of the servo from the medic.
"It's alright, 'Hide, just sit down!" laughed Ratchet as he sat down at his desk, scooting in and wavering for Ironhide to sit down as well. "So can I ask why you're here, or are you not going to tell me and just stand here and be a baffled idiot like you usually are?" Ironhide gave Ratchet a look, however sat down in the chair across from the medic as he began to speak.
"Actually, Ah was here 'cause ah' th' offer ya made me a few days ago," said Ironhide, pulling in his chair a bit and resting his arms on the large desk. "'member? When ah had to get my arm fixed 'cause a' Kup?" Ratchet instantly knew what Ironhide was walking about; he was the one to offer to listen to him, of course. Plus, it was only a few days ago that the incident had occurred.
"And now you want to talk about it?" asked Ratchet, realization on both of their faces of how much of a therapist Ratchet seemed to be; Ironhide's in the form of leaning back and folding his servos over his chassis with a grin as he listened to the medic and Ratchet's in the form of a slightly darkened optic at the thought.
"Why yes, yes ah would, doc," Ironhide said, with that same sly smile on his face as he leaned forward again, placing his arms back on the desk. "But, not mahself in particular." When the CMO gave him a strange look, the mech continued with, "Well, Ah know tha' you know alotta 'bout Sparklin's, and ah was wonderin', well…" Ironhide trailed off for a moment, before beginning again with, "Well, ya see, 'Bee had asked me th' other night while we were tryin' t' go inta recharge if it was his fault that me n' Chromia went our separate ways, an-"
"Well is it?" Ratchet butt in, giving Ironhide a quizzical look. The mech merely stared at him for a moment, and Ratchet said, "He wouldn't be asking something like that if something didn't obviously lead him to believe that it was his fault, right?"
"Well, yeah," started Ironhide. "But, ya see, tha's that problem. It's not his fault, not in any manner at all!" 'Hide sighed and sat back in his chair again, thinking. The room was silent for a moment, and Ironhide finally said, "I dunno why he's blamin' himself, why he would think sumethin' like this. It makes me wanna punch the person that made 'im think this."
"Maybe it has something to do with what he did the day before Chromia left," Ratchet stated, a curious edge in his voice.
Ironhide looked dead at him, remembering that moment; 'Bee had managed to escape from Jazz while he was watching him while he and Chromia had alone time, talking and such, - and a little more - and no one could find him. When Ironhide got word of this - and everyone was trying to keep it a secret for this very reason - he had stormed the Ark, trying to find his charge. It had taken two Cybertronian hours to find him; he had skillfully hid in one of the most unused storage closets on the Ark. Ratchet had said that it looked as if he had been crying, and he also caught a minor virus. After that - and ruining he and Chromia's future plans before she left the next day - Ironhide wouldn't let the sparkling out of his sight, not even for a nano-klick. And that whole time, Chromia didn't seem to mind; in fact, she seemed to think it both adorable and good that Ironhide had taken such fondness of a Sparkling he had adopted.
'Hide knew that Chromia simply adored the sparkling, so when they broke up, he knew that it was nothing to do with him. She said that she actually wanted to adopt Bumblebee fully as hers since he practically already belonged to Ironhide; however, they would never see an end to the paperwork that Prowl was bound to give them, and the femme had very little time to spend with her - now used to be - bonded before she had to make leave back for Cybertron. So Ironhide simply believed that it was the fact of he could die any day soon that they had split their spark bond.
"Ah' course it couldn't a' been," Ironhide answered, although he didn't sound very convincing to the medic. Ratchet leaned slightly back in his chair, servos still touching the table as he thought it over. 'Hide quickly got a word in before Ratchet could proceed. "Buh maybe….. Maybe it was 'cause I led 'im t' believe that, maybe doc?"
"Well, you did show in front of him that he loved her, and told him that you did when he asked, didn't you?" the medic questioned on, leaning forward.
"Well a'course," Ironhide replied. "Ah heard Jazz tried t' explain bondin' to him -" this instantly got a look from the medic, however he didn't say anything as Ironhide spoke, "- an' told 'im tha' tha's what me n' Chromia were and stuff like that."
"Maybe he thought that he was being replacing or jealous or something of that sort?" asked Ratchet, receiving a look from Ironhide.
"Fer th' one helping' me, ya sure are askin' a lot a questions, aren't cha?" Ironhide asked him, only receiving a gesture to continue on from Ratchet. Ironhide sighed and lean back further into his chair. "Well ah' dunno why he would think tha'. Ah mean, even Chromia knew that if ah moment came where ah had t' choose between th' two, I'd choose 'Bee."
Ratchet couldn't hold a smile back at that statement; as well as slight worry. For the next two Cybertronian hours - which the medic could have sworn flown by - they talked on the subject. What Ironhide got out of it, Ratch' could only know. But by the end of it, the brute was so tired he seemed to about to fall out of his seat, he was so tired. As he stood up, he stumbled slightly, stifling a yawn as he did so; getting help from the CMO in the process.
"Thanks fer th' help Ratch'," the mech thanked as he turned to go the door, Ratchet still having a gentle hold of his arm. "Yer a really nice mech, ya know that?" Ratchet smiled at the compliment as he tried to help Ironhide out of the office.
"Thanks, but you sure you don't want to stay here for the night?" Ratchet questioned, raising an optic ridge. They had to walk out sideways due to the fact that neither would fit through the door together.
"I'm fine, Ratchet," Ironhide assured, however let loose a loud yawn, giving away how tired he was. Ratchet could only smile at that tired face.
"Who is watching Bumblebee tonight?" questioned Ratchet, stopped the other mech near a berth before he could go any further. Ironhide made a funny sound, perhaps one telling that he was upset for Ratchet making him stop.
"Optimus," he grumbled, answering his question.
"Then you should be alright staying here until you wake up enough," Ratchet informed, helping Ironhide onto the berth next to him, even though the mech - even slightly - tried to stop this; ending up just going along with it. Once he was settling lying down, Ratchet grabbed a blanket as he spoke to him. "I'll wake you up before I leave," he promised, the other mech getting comfortable as he covered him up. "But for now, you'll sleep here, you got it?" Ironhide merely grumbled something inaudible, yet when Ratchet looked up at his face, he was half asleep, with a small smile on his face. "I'll come get you when I'm done with my work, okay?" he asked, patting the mech on his arm. Ironhide merely nodded in his sleep, close to passing out.
Ratchet again smiled and walked back into his office, making sure to dim the lights in the med bay to Ironhide could sleep better. However, Ratchet never expected that while he was doing his work, that he would fall asleep at his desk, nor did he expect to wake up with a blanket draped over his shoulders and a pillow under his head. Ironhide seemed strange like that, it seemed.
But then again, who was he to judge?