Title: Leaving
Rating: PG
Summary: It's time he left
"So, you're really going then..."
Blast Off paused, glancing over his shoulder momentarily before shoving the box he carried in among the others in the trunk. It was a bit of a tight fit but they were all in there now; he had no more possessions left to bring down. Slamming the trunk close, the siamese turned and faced his sire finally. The serval stood at the top of the driveway, arms crossed over his chestplates neutrally.
"Won't be changing your mind now?," he asked, optic ridge cocked curiously.
An unnecessary question. "No," Blast Off answered. He pulled his keys out of his pocket, heading for the driver's seat.
"Soldier..." came the low growl.
The younger kittycon stopped, before turning about face and impatiently approaching his sire. He'd been too long without seeing Cosmos; he just wished to leave already. Onslaught did not say anything until his son had come to a stop right in front of him, and then, the older mech reached out and grasped the siamese's shoulder plating. Blast Off gave a little twitch as Onslaught suddenly smiled at him, the serval's expression softening as he gazed up at his son warmly.
"You've done well, son. I'm proud of you," he said, giving the other's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Inclining his helm in gratitude, Blast Off shook his sire's servo when it was held out for him; even patting Onslaught's back awkwardly as the smaller mech pulled him into an impromptu hug. They were quick to part again though, and, giving the serval one last glance, Blast Off silently climbed in the car and drove it back down the driveway and away from his family home.
Title: Waiting
Rating: T
Summary: He arrives at Cosmos' apartment
When he unlocked the door, he wasn't too surprised to find that Cosmos wasn't home.
It was, after all, still a work day.
Deciding to keep his things in the car downstairs for the time being, Blast Off busied himself with cleaning, waiting for the autodog to finish up work at the lab. It was six o'clock when he stopped cleaning, noticing with a silent frown that Cosmos had yet to enter the apartment. At six thirty, he went downstairs to see if perhaps the pyrenees was lingering around the mailboxes or maybe he'd gotten into a discussion with some of his neighbours.
There was no sign of the astronomer.
Blast Off decided to take a slow walk to the Science Department, his optics flickering about studiously on the off-chance he caught sight of Cosmos. Still nothing. With the labs closed for the orn and evening rapidly approaching, it would seem foolish that the autodog would even still be outside as it got dark- and Cosmos was anything but foolish.
Silently, the siamese stalked back to the apartment, his tail giving a violent twitch when there was still no Cosmos inside. He seated himself on the couch; waiting, hoping, that the pyrenees would eventually walk through the door.
He waited all night.
Title: Direction
Rating: T
Summary: Blast Off investigates about Cosmos' absence
"See ya later, Mainframe," Wheeljack called as he headed down the hallway. "I'll tell Percy you said hi!"
The bland autodog stuck his helm out of his office. "If you're going to do that, will you please remind him that, though I love and admire his work ethic, the labs are to be vacated at night," he said. The engineer laughed.
"Alright, I'll tell him. Bye!" Almost skipping around the corner in his eagerness to get home, the autodog ran smack dab into something solid coming from the other side. Catching himself before he could fall, Wheeljack rubbed his olfactory sensor as he turned his helm up; shuttering his optics in shock at the kittycon looming over him.
"He-hey... Blast Off, wasn't it?," he asked, trying to smile at the silent mech. It was a little hard with how apethetically ticked off the siamese seemed.
"...where is Cosmos?," came the soft demand, grey optics narrowing a tad impatiently. Wheeljack tried to shake off the chill he got from that look as best as he could.
"D-did, umm... did you just get back from a business trip?," the bulldog asked. "Well, I-i mean," he was quick to add, seeing a brown tail twitch, "I haven't seen you around the labs often recently. You always make certain to come visit Cosmos from time to time and I know he missed you terribly when you're gone on a trip. I suppose that's why he decided to take some vacation time and go see his parents while you were out of town..."
Wheeljack swallowed suddenly as Blast Off leaned straight into his face, his optics piercing into the autodog's very spark with their deadly gaze. "Where?," the kittycon repeated, his patience thin now.
The engineer took a cautionary step back, smiling nervously. "U-umm, well, I don't actually know where Cosmos' parents live. Somewhere outside of Iacon as far as I know; North," he answered, scratching at the back of his helm to keep from shaking at the dark look on Blast Off's face. "T-the, um, front desk might know," he tried to helpfully supply, "They usually have emergency contacts i-in the employee's information file, on the off-chance something happens. But-"
The siamese didn't even wait for him to finish. He immediately turned and quickly headed back down the hallway, disappearing into the nearest staircase without a word of backwards glance to the autodog. Confused, Wheeljack stood there, feeling mildly calmer since the kittycon had left but no less perplexed.
"I wonder if something happened between them...," the bulldog muttered to himself.
Title: Uncomfortable
Rating: PG
Summary: Sometimes running away isn't the best solution
"Honey pie... are you alright?," Lightbright asked. Cosmos did not look up at the question, his fork playing with his unfinished dinner idly. The two 'bots on either side of him looked on worriedly, before the larger one slapped the table, making it shake dangerously.
"Why, of course the boy isn't alright, LightBright," Dug Base exclaimed. "Just look at him- our son is obviously upset!"
The little pyrenees sighed. His carrier and sire, LightBright and Dug Base, were a quaint, quiet couple; happy, sweet by nature and just as sensitive as their son. Dug Base was a large and tall mountain dog and Lightbright was his shorter, tinier pyrenees wife. They lived in a lovely little home in the next town over from Iacon, in a quiet, friendly neighbourhood, which was partially paid for by Cosmos. He had wanted to bring his parents to the big city when he was accepted as Head Astronomer for the prestigious Science Department, but Lightbright and Dug Base had politely declined.
They didn't want to leave the home they had first bought when they had bonded and raised their only son in. Cosmos, at the time, had understood and promised to support them when they got older, as well as to visit every chance he could.
He was sad to say that he hadn't done the latter in a very long time... and he was now regretting visiting his parents.
"O-oh my...," Lightbright said, touching her cheekplate worriedly as she looked to her bondmate. "Well, I-i... I had hoped our lil' boy might feel better after some dinner, but I suppose that's not the case... Cosmos, honey pie? Would you feel better if you commed your friend?"
The suggestion -though nice- was not what he really wanted to hear right now.
"...excuse me...," Cosmos mumbled, pushing away from the table. The other two autodogs watched as the astronomer walked silently from the room; his ears flattened against his helm and his tail dragging along the floor sadly.
Title: Incentive
Rating: T
Summary: He's plagued with reasons to forget
It was better if he forgot about Blast Off altogether, Cosmos told himself.
"Hey, you'll never guess what?!"
"What?," the femme asked her friend. The waitress giggled loudly.
"There's some really hot 'bot at table thirty-seven!"
Table thirty-seven? The pyrenees paused outside the washroom door. That was his table...
Cosmos rolled over in berth -his old berth from his youngling years- trying to shutter his optics and fall asleep. It was impossible though, even despite how tired and drained he felt after crying. No matter what he did, he just couldn't get the siamese off of his processor.
"Table thirty-seven?," the other waitress repeated. He stopped from turning the corner; something warning him that he shouldn't continue forward. In fact, his gut was telling him to book it. "Oh wow! He is hot! But, wait... isn't he with somebody?"
The first femme snorted disdainfully. "With no one important, trust me! I mean, why would some hottie like that want a fat, dorky, little midget for? Nah. I bet that kitty would like a real 'bot." Her friend laughed a little as she purred seductively.
A fresh sob escaped Cosmos and he curled under his blanket, trying to stifle his tears as he buried his face into his damp pillow. Still, it was futile. He couldn't get rid of his tears or the femmes' laughter, resounding hauntingly within his helm.
"Here. Help me fix my skirt," the first femme demanded, the sound of fabric rustling meeting the pyrenees' ears. No doubt it was the 'bot fixing her outfit. "I want to look sexy for when I give him my comm number!"
"HA! As is he'll take it," her friend laughed again, "But hey, give him mine as well and I'll loan you my make-up too!"
Cosmos quickly turned and ran back into the restaurant's restroom, intakes heaving and hitching as he went.
Even now, his spark was shredding and withering at such blatant truth, making Cosmos whimper as he buried his face into his servos. He knew he was ugly, stupid, small, clumsy... He knew all of that with every fibre of his being. But he had believed -hoped- that despite that, Blast Off still loved him.
Trust someone like himself to get it wrong...
Title: Unexpected
Rating: T
Summary: His running away proves useless
It was tense in the living room. Cosmos' sire sat in his armchair, remote in his servo, but he had long since abandoned the t.v in favour of staring at his son. To his credit, the astronomer remained amazingly unaware of the stiff study he was being subjected to -either that, or he did not know he was being watched. "Son...," Dug Base started slowly, "I think we should ta-"
"Would you like some pie, dad?," Cosmos cut in, jumping to his pedes. "I think momma still has some left in the fridge."
The older autodog shuttered his optics in surprise at the sudden change of topic, before sighing and waving his servo loosely in the air. "Yeah... alright. I would like some Cosmos," he sighed, well aware that this was nothing more than a diversionary tactic. Nodding his helm, the pyrenees quickly scurried from the room.
He vented heavily as he escaped into the kitchen, wiping hurriedly at his optics. He knew his creators were upset and worried. He'd been staying with them now for well over two weeks and showed no signs of wanting to go back to Iacon. But how could Cosmos return, knowing that the next time he saw Blast Off was more than likely to be their last? ...His poor spark couldn't take that... Opening the fridge door, the pyrenees quickly grabbed the rest of his momma's pie, setting the tray down on the counter and pulling out a knife to cut a slice for his sire.
He was just plating the treat when the kitchen door opened. "Hi momma," Cosmos began, turning, "I was just getting-"
The autodog scurried backwards at grey optics peering down at him, feeling suddenly so very small and scared. "Bl-blast...Off..."
"Ah! Honey pie!," Lightbright chirped, stepping into the kitchen from behind the siamese; a load of groceries in her arms, "Guess who I crossed by at the supermarket. This handsome mech said he was your friend and that he was looking for you. Isn't that sweet? I've invited him for dinner!"
The astronomer could not reply; he was trapped in a stupor, frozen by his confused spark which pulled in every which direction the longer those hypnotic optics stayed glued to him. Lightbright trailed off the longer Cosmos remained unresponsive, looking curiously between the stoic kittycon and her starting-to-panic son. "Cosmos... sweetie... is something wrong?," the femme asked, taking a step toward the mech; cautiously circling around Blast Off and giving him frequent glances.
"If... I may," the siamese began softly, "May I speak to Cosmos for a moment ...Alone? There is something I wish to discuss with him in private."
The older pyrenees was not comforted by this request. She opened her mouth to deny the stranger, but Blast Off bowed respectively, looking at her with his deep, penetrating optics. "I do not wish to harm him. Merely talk. I have something important to tell him."
Lightbright shifted in place uneasily, but the siamese was being quite polite and Cosmos had not denied his request otherwise, so the femme decided to leave. "We're just outside the door," she whispered to her son as she passed after depositing her groceries onto the counter. She looked back at Blast Off one last time, before the kitchen door swung shut behind her.
Title: Proposal
Rating: T
Summary: Finally, the dreaded confrontation is at hand
"W-why... why are you here? How did you find me? I-i... I, pl-please...," Cosmos sniffed, his servos wringing together anxiously as he glanced away from the kittycon. Blast Off set a plate of pie in front of him, before pulling out a chair and sitting across the table from the autodog. Cosmos tried not to whimper as he caught the other's gaze for a moment.
"I came back to the apartment. You weren't there," Blast Off answered flatly. "I decided to come look for you."
The pyrenees flinched as the siamese reached across the table, yanking his servos back and away from the other's claws before they could touch. At the action, the kittycon froze, as if he'd been slapped. Immediately, Cosmos felt terrible and he started to cry. "O-oh, I'm... I-i'm sorry!," he sobbed, burying his face into his servos. "Y-you shouldn't have c-come! I d-don't... Slaggit, I wish you'd never come!"
Cosmos snapped his helm up, half-glaring through his tears as he faced Blast Off again; his spark a knot of twisted, conflicted emotions. "Y-you don't need to be s-so cruel! I-i get it. I'm, I-i'm fat and st-stupid and I-i couldn't e-even begin to match y-you, b-but... I-i..."
The pyrenees sobbed and hiccupped, feeling meeker and suddenly angrier than he had ever did before in his life. He hadn't expected Blast Off to come chasing after him, but after everything that he'd done, after everything everyone had ever said about the couple, Cosmos didn't want anything to do with the kittycon any longer. In fact, he didn't even want him to be here right now!
Oh, why... why had he come?
"D-don't tell m-me that it was all a l-lie," the autodog sobbed, his spark withering painfully in his chestplates as he once again turned his helm away from the other mech, "O-oh, primus... p-please... If you're g-going to l-leave, d-don't... don't say th-that it meant n-nothing to you..."
Gentle claws pulled the pyrenees' servos away from his face, the hiccupping Cosmos staring in confusion at the grey optics hovering close to his own, before hungry lip components were devouring his; smothering and swallowing all his tears and whimpers with a force that felt so spark-brokenly desperate, the poor astronomer's processor was left in a whirl.
"...Cosmos..." Blast Off whispered against his lip components, pulling back an inch, servos cupping the tiny mech's face. Grey optics shuttered slowly, glazed with pain. Cosmos had never seen such expression like that in them before. "...I never wished to hurt you. Nor do I want to leave you. You are all I want; all I could ever dream of having. You are perfect in my optics."
A thumb stroked his cheekplate, wiping away another tear as Cosmos' looked up at the kittycon, torn between his feelings for the brown mech and his nagging doubts. It felt like he might simply die when Blast off pulled back a little further from him to reach into his pocket. "I," the siamese began, "Had some issues to take care of, concerning my sire. It was bad timing... I had meant to discuss moving in with you further after this. But I could not come home that night."
The 'this' Blast Off was referring to, revealed itself to be a little, velvet box cupped in the siamese's palm; a simple, silver band with a delicate engraving around its circumference and a moonstone shining up at him from within its silken interior.
"I-i... Blast Off..." Cosmos didn't know what to say, or what to think. His processor was scrambled and his spark was whirling a mile a klik. He felt as if he would start crying again. The kittycon stroked his cheekplate again before clasping the autodog's servo and sinking to both knees.
"Cosmos... I love you and only you. Without you, life is bleaker... pointless... I find only joy and comfort in you; beauty and love. So..." Blast Off hesitated. "I...I ask: Will you bond with me? Could you love me as equally as I love you?"
It wasn't a joke; it couldn't possibly be a lie! A touch of worry and fear pulled at the taller mech's expression, erasing any and all of Cosmos' doubts with its rare presence. With such sincere words being spoken with that anxious gaze, there could be no falseness to Blast Off's request. The cold mech would never spare so much emotion for a simple lie.
Slender claws trembled minutely now, and even the siamese's gaze grew flatter and flatter with every passing astrosecond. It was with horror that Cosmos realized that his mechfriend was pulling away from him entirely and he jumped to his pedes in a sparkbeat.
"W-wait!," he cried, flinging his arms around one of Blast Off's arms. "P-please! Please, I don't want you to leave! I-i want to marry you Blast Off. I wish to be your only one a-and to have y-your children a-and-"
The pyrenees let out a little squeak as he was suddenly lifted into the air, before every other sound was smothered by the brown mech's lip components; Blast Off holding the shocked autodog close as he passionately kissed him. Cosmos swooned, clutching at the siamese's shoulder plating as his spark seemed to swell within his chestplates, tears of joy and disbelief filling his shuttered optics.
Title: Announcement
Rating: PG
Summary: Cosmos has to confront his parents next
"Ma'am, sir..."
The two autodogs turned to face the kittycon as he entered the room; arms crossed behind his backstruts and Cosmos following at his heels. Dug Base immediately sat up in alarm, noticing that his son's optics were glazed still -evidence that he'd recently been crying. It was a worrisome sight, even to Lightbright, but the green mech did not seem upset or angry, so the femme took that to be a good sign. She was the first one to return her attention to Blast Off, receiving a polite nod from the kittycon.
"I would like to duly inform you that I have asked your son's hand in marriage," he announced, ears raised in what seemed excitement. "He has accepted my proposal."
The parents didn't know how to respond.
"B-blast Off!," Cosmos squeaked, servos cupping his cheekplates in embarrassment. "You didn't tell me you were going to tell them that!" Unsurprisingly, the siamese did not seem repentant.
"M-married?!," Lightbright exclaimed, the first one to break out of her stupor. Cosmos cringed, expecting some sort of rant about his actions. Instead, she gave a high-pitched squeal, before leaping across the room and hugging her son. "My baby's getting married! My baby's finally getting married -and to such a hunky 'bot as well!"
"M-mom!," the younger pyrenees wailed, flushed magenta.
Lightbright giggled and squeezed Cosmos tighter, her tail wagging away merrily. "I can't wait for the wedding! You're going to look so cute, honey pie! Momma will bake you the biggest, prettiest cake ever and we'll find you the most prettiest dress ever and I'll crotchet some sparkling blankets for my grandkids and-"
"MOM!"
Dug Base ignored his vocal family, approaching the kittycon, who still easily towered over him, despite the autodog's massive size. "Make him happy," was all he said, holding out a servo for the other to take. Blast Off did so; shaking it respectively.
"Of course, sir."
Title: One last visit
Rating: T
Summary: They have only one last place to stop at before moving forward
He was nervous; more nervous than he'd ever been before. Cosmos fiddled with the ring around his finger, glancing frequently to the floor, trying not to squirm too much in his seat. Everything after Blast Off had come looking for him at his parents' place had been a blissful blur -moving the kittycon's things into the apartment, discussing in small details plans for their wedding and their new lives together- when suddenly the brown mech had said they needed to see his sire before they went any further with their plans.
Of course Cosmos understood the reasons why (he was beginning to discover just how traditional Blast Off really was) but that did not make him any less anxious. He was afraid to know what his bondmate-to-be's creators would think of him.
"Here you go," another autodog said, walking into the living room where the pyreness sat. He smiled warmly at Cosmos, carrying a tea tray across the room. He attempted to set it down, but with his bulging belly, it was difficult. Immediately, the astronomer leapt up to help, apologizing as he took one end of the tray and helped the stranger set it down on the coffee table.
"No, no," the shih tzu smiled, chuckling lightly, "Thank you for your help. Onslaught will be on his way; he's had to go to the store for a moment. Please, feel free to help yourself."
"Oh...," Cosmos sat back down, shyly looking at the tea and biscuits, "O-okay..."
He looked up to see the other autodog leaving the room just as Blast Off was entering; the siamese paused, politely stepping out of the pregnant mech's way and receiving a bright smile for his kindness. "W-who... um, who was that?," the pyrenees whispered curiously as the kittycon crossed the room, sitting beside him on the couch. His servos were wringing again.
"Skydive; my step-mother. My father has recently re-married," Blast Off answered flatly. "They are expecting soon."
Words could not describe how relieved Cosmos felt at this news... nor how silly he felt.
"He's young..."
"Yes."
"And an autodog..."
A servo wound itself around Cosmos' waist, tugging him closer to the siamese. A soft gasp escaped him as he glanced up to see Blast Off looking down at him intently, a slender claw stroking along the plating closest to his inner thigh.
"My sire has his own love," Blast Off stated, "And I have my own as well."
Warmth flowed through him, starting low and threatening to burst into an inferno. Cosmos found himself getting suddenly closer to the siamese; intakes hitching as he waited for the moment when their lip components touched...
"Am I interrupting something?"
The pyrenees squeaked in embarrassment, snapping his helm away from the kittycon and shoving his servos into his lap, refusing to look up at Onslaught, who was coming into the living room just then. Skydive was following not too soon after, greeting the older mech with a kiss before the serval gently led him to sit in the mech's personal armchair.
"I got your comm...," Onslaught began, looking to his son. "I assume it was important."
Blast Off straightened in his seat, respectively removing his servo from around the autodog's waist and instead touching his shoulder. "Yes," the younger kittycon replied, "I wanted you to meet my lover: Cosmos." The serval straightened up at that, his ears giving a twitch in surprise.
"We love each other much and have discussed it," Blast Off continued, looking tenderly at Cosmos. The astronomer couldn't help but to look up as well; smiling shyly through his blush. "We are going to get married -in half a year."
"So...so soon?," Onslaught gaped incredulously. Blast Off, and even Skydive, gave him a look and the older kittycon scratched at his cheekplate self-consciously.
"I see...," he gruffed. "I'm..." He paused to smile. "I'm glad. For both of you. Do you need any assistance?"
Blast Off shook his helm slowly. "No, we shall be fine. I believe we can manage this one on our own."
Onslaught nodded his helm in understanding. "Very well," he said. Suddenly, the serval clapped his servos together, beaming brightly. "Well now, such good news deserves a celebration. I'll make a delightful feast in honour of your engagement, and soon-to-be wedding!"
Immediately, the siamese rose to his pedes. "No," he protested flatly, "That will be unnecessary."
"...Nonsense," his sire frowned. "I want to get to know my future son-in-law better, and to treat you both."
Blast Off shuttered his optics mutely. "We already have dinner plans."
The serval's upper lip component raised in a snarl. "But I insist...," he growled lowly. His son's tail gave a twitch in defiance.
Cosmos watched, wide-opticed and half-worried things would escalate into a vicious fight; being distracted from his thoughts only when something gently touched his shoulder plating. Giving a little jolt, the pyrenees turned his helm, shuttering his optics up at the other autodog. He had not even heard Skydive get up from his seat.
"Come," the shih tzu smiled warmly at him, "Let us retreat to the kitchen. These two will settle things between themselves quickly and without a fight, but in the meantime I have some goodies that need icing. Would you care to help?"
The suggestion sounded quite nice actually. "Y-yes," Cosmos shyly answered, getting up and walking side-by-side with the younger autodog to the kitchen. For a moment, the pyrenees allowed himself to bask in the warmth and love that this entire house seemed to radiate; accepting him without question or judgement into its fold.