CHAPTER 21
Quality Time

Josh stretched slightly as he stood from his bed, focusing his eyes a bit. He had to hand it to Ratchet, he felt much better than he had the day before. His body still ached however, his joints still felt stiff too. But he could now at least stand, and walk around, despite his condition. The first thing he did was drag himself out of the bedroom, starting down the hallway, and towards the kitchen. "You're up." Josh turned his head as Magnus stepped out of his room "I'd have thought you'd at least sleep longer than that."

Josh rubbed his reddened nose, shaking his head. "I'm okay." Josh muttered "I'm still not perfect, but I'm not as bad as yesterday." He added, then stared up at Magnus "Did you... Recharge okay?"

Magnus nodded his head, following Josh as he continued down the hallway. It was clear from the way they interacted that both still felt a bit strange after what Magnus had admitted the previous night. After all, it was a big step to drop the "l" word on someone, even if it was in a fatherly way. "Joshua... About last night." He paused, and turned toward him "I hope I did not cause you to feel any awkwardness... I merely wanted you to understand the level at which I have come to care about you."

Josh looked up at his guardian quietly, and for a moment, a small smile appeared in the corner of his mouth. It made Magnus's spark well up to think that Josh wasn't likely feeling too awkward about it. "It's okay... I just... I don't want to jump the gun." He paused "But hearing it... It felt good." He paused "No one's ever told me they loved me before." He explained.

Magnus's spark once again flared up with hatred towards his parents. As in his opinion, no child, or sparkling, should ever go without hearing the words "I love you" from someone, parent or otherwise. "Hmmm." Magnus mused quietly "That is disgusting to think about, so I think we need a change of subject." He explained politely "I've taken the day off from my duties in hopes that you might feel better."

"Why would you do that?"

"We haven't had quite enough time together lately." Magnus stopped "I get a chance to spend sparring moments with you lately. But I thought perhaps I can keep you company while you recover." He told him "Would you mind terribly?" He questioned.

Josh stared at Magnus, he wanted to take a day off to keep him company? The boy tried to calculate it, but realized yet again, it was an action he had attributed to a fatherly action. But why now? What had changed in Magnus to start the "I love you", or the hovering, or even this? "No, I... Guess I don't mind, if you don't care." Josh looked at him, placing his hands in his pockets "But isn't that a bad idea? Couldn't the government crumple, or something?"

"After one day? Hardly." Magnus snorted "I have taken plenty of "vacation days", Joshua." He paused a moment "As of now, I am yours for the day."

Josh had never had anyone for the day. Other than Proteus, but even then, he had picked the activity. From the way Magnus seemed to be talking, it seemed as though he was taking the time to spend doing what he wanted. "We can do anything?" Josh asked, Magnus nodded his head "I... I don't know. I can't leave the house, can I?"

"Not while you're sick, no." Magnus shook his head "But there is plenty to do within the perimeters of my home as well." He pointed out at the disappointed look on Josh's face "You don't like being confined here, do you?" Josh shook his head slightly, though Magnus noted the tightness at which Josh clenched his jaw "Mind sharing what's wrong?"

Finally, Josh breathed out, his eyes moving up towards Magnus. "You're not going to make me... Stay in my bedroom all day again, are you?"

Magnus understood at once, his eyes softening. Some days he forgot that Josh had been locked up in his own bed, and likely forced to stay in his cage for long periods of time. Carefully he approached Josh, and scooped him up into his palm. "You won't even need to step foot into it to get dressed if you don't want to." He told him with a smile as he carefully placed him onto his shoulder "So please, do tell what you would like to do."

Josh slowly let a smile escape his lips at this, his heart beating a little faster. "Can we watch movies or something?" Josh asked "Maybe play a video game? I like games... Smokescreen even taught me to play Mario Kart." He added "Do you play Mario Kart, Magnus?" He asked.

Magnus admittedly wasn't even sure what a "Mario Kart" was. He rubbed the back of his helm slightly, and chuckled, giving the faintest of grins. "I can't say I have. I have never been into video games." Magnus admitted "Movies, however, I do have. So I suppose we can begin our day with those. Which would you prefer?" He questioned, as he stepped into his den and towards a shelf of holovids "Schindler's List? The Shawshank Redemption? The Green... Mile."

It was only now that Magnus realized that most, if not all, of his movies were far from appropriate. He grimaced slightly, and eyed Josh on his shoulder, who looked confused at his own embarrassment, and grunted. "I suppose sometimes I forget." Magnus said as he chuckled "That I never got any children's movies. I will need to make a note to do so." He paused on another movie and made an "O" motion with his mouth "Here's a good one. Even I enjoyed this film for children..." He noted "ET."

"E.T.?" Josh asked curiously.

"The story of an extraordinary "alien"." Magnus explained "If anything, in my research on Earth, it was good for a laugh. Given its many inaccuracies."

Josh nodded his head as Magnus carried him to the human-sized couch and set him down. Magnus looked down at him with a nod. "I'll go and get you something to eat and a blanket." Magnus noted "Then we can start the movie."

As Josh curled up on the couch, he had an unusually good feeling about the situation.

...

"I still can't believe you're watching this."

Magnus chuckled, it was several hours later, and he and Josh had still settled on the couch. Josh was curled up with a blanket in the corner, watching the movie intently. Magnus had gone out and rented a brood of interesting looking movies that were age appropriate while his holoform and Josh watched ET. Currently, the movie of choice was "Frozen", and while as ridiculous to the mech as it had sounded, even he could not deny the underlying charm in the movie. "Mmm." Magnus grunted "You're enjoying it, and that's what counts. It really is not that bad a film, either."

Josh nodded, coughing gently, as he looked over at Magnus. "You really must not like seeing me sick." He sniffled.

"That, and I enjoy spending time with you."

Josh stared at Magnus, who then returned his attention to the movie. Though he quickly found himself once again zoning in and out of attention. After a moment, he found extra body warmth against his side, and turned his head. Josh had crawled his way towards Magnus, and leaned his head gently against his holoform's shoulder. "I like it too." Josh replied "You know you scared me a lot when I met you... But you're cool.. I keep trying to tell you that."

Magnus rested his holoform's hand on Josh's hair and tossed his hair gently. He knew it was true, but it made him feel even better each time that Josh reiterated that he now trusted and respected him, at least to a certain point. "Any idea what you'd like to view after this?" Magnus asked, looking over their choices "I went out and got you enough choices to last you the week."

Josh laughed at that, looking over the choices himself. "I don't know. Maybe one of your movies?"

"Maybe when you're much older."

"You know, this all feels weird..." Josh muttered "A good weird... But... I've never... No one's ever."

"Spent time with you like this?" Magnus asked, Josh nodded "Well, I'm of the opinion that there is nothing wrong with a little father-son time like this." He explained, a smile lingering on his face "I think we need more of it, in fact." He noted "Perhaps not always indoors, but... Alone time together, none-the-less. Without anyone following us, or any prying optics."

Josh nodded his head slowly, he definitely liked the sound of that. Which was odd, given he didn't always think that spending alone time with adults was anywhere near a good thing. "C-Cool." Josh replied "I'd be okay with that." He sneezed again, rubbing his nose "Magnus?" The mech stared down at him "Promise me something..."

Promises, Magnus didn't like making those. Promises were so easily broken, promises felt so absolute, something he tried to refrain from with Josh. "Well, Joshua... I suppose I'll need to hear what I'm promising before I can do so." Magnus noted, looking down on him "So what, pray tell, do you wish for me to promise?" He questioned.

It took Magnus a moment to realize that Josh had carefully entwined his fingers with his. Many children held their parents hands, but this was the first time that Josh had made any indication of doing so. "... I'm not making a mistake." Josh's eyes looked up at Magnus "I just wanna know you really love me and that this... Is real." He muttered "I don't wanna get hurt again, Magnus."

Magnus stared at Josh, his eyes lifting to stare at the wall. He could feel Josh's wide, hope-filled eyes on him even as he averted his gaze. By promising this, he promised Josh that this home was "forever" as most adoption groups would put it. Slowly, he squeezed the smaller hand in a gentle, yet firm way. "I will never betray your trust, Joshua." He replied calmly "I am a tactical, some would even say, "stoic" mech..." He placed his holoform's hand onto his chest "But I still have a spark." He paused "One which feels and embraces what you do to it."

After a moment, Josh gently removed his hand from Magnus's. There was great hesitancy, but Josh's arms wrapped around him. Magnus yet again took some time to register the hug, something he had never expected a child to give him. Let alone a child like Josh, who had every reason to distrust him, every reason to distrust the world really. Yet he slowly, surely, placed his own around around the thick of his back. But rather than the "I love you too" that he almost suspected Josh to grace him with, Josh opened his mouth to other words.

"You're a great dad."

It was spoken in just a whisper, but the words were clear to Magnus. Josh's arms unwrapped from him, and he carefully returned to his position from before. And now, it was Magnus's turn to feel stunned. Josh hadn't called him "dad", and he tried to recognize that. But he had referred to him as a "great dad". He had called him his dad. "Joshua...?" Magnus spoke up as the boy looked at him "You're a great son too."

"Thanks Magnus."

Magnus tried not to be disappointed by the return statement. After all, as he had mused seconds before, he was still not "dad" yet. But they were on the path to getting there, Josh had looked at him, not thinking of him as a guardian, but rather as a father. And that was more than a start for him, it was the biggest step that the boy had taken since they had met. And his spark embraced the thought wholeheartedly.

...

A/N: I know, a little short. But this is where my idea for this chapter ended, so. :P Enjoy the fluff!