"So, you're not going to kiss. Great… Now, can we go home?" asked Daniel as he looked back and forth between them.
"Can we?" looked Elisabeth at Megatron for answers, because she didn't really want to push him if he's to enjoy himself a little more here.
"We can" he shrugged his shoulders eventually as he finished his sandwich.
So, they packed everything and started to go back to their cycles on the edge of the field.
"What are you with Daniel? Are your friends gonna take you home?"
"We came with our bikes too and planned that after this we will sleep at Steve's. But since it's really dark and I'm not with them… Can I sleep at your place?" explained Daniel as he tiredly rubbed his eyes.
"Yeah, sure, but in the morning, I'm taking you home if you don't mind."
"Thanks!" he said as he hugged his sister tightly. "Let me get my bike. It's only a minute" said Daniel then a moment later he was gone, leaving Elisabeth and Megatron together alone.
"Sorry for my brother. He gets too much sometimes" apologised Elisabeth as she put the picnic basket into her bike's basket.
"No need to apologise, he is quite the company" Megatron answered thinking about Daniel. He, in mind, fully resembled a sparkling with his curious and blatant nature. The young boy reminded him of his home and because of this he unconsciously started to like him.
"Then I'm relieved that you two get along well. Did you like it? I mean, the shooting stars."
"It was fine. I liked your sandwich. Though why is it called…"
"Here we go again. You taking every word literally" rolled Elisabeth her eyes as Megatron snorted in annoyance. "The sandwich has no connection to sand. Its name comes from the lord who loved to eat it during card parties."
"So, there was someone who was named Lord Sandwich? What kind of name is that?"
"Asks the one who is named Megatron" snickered Elisabeth carefully nudging his side, but it seemed he wasn't really in a playing mood.
"I'm back!" called out Daniel as he arrived with his blue coloured bike. "I even called mom and dad and talked about this all. They send their regards and are happy that you will come tomorrow. By the way, what did you wish for Megatron?" he asked, looking up at the young man.
"Hey, you know that the wish won't come true if you tell it, so don't ask him about it!" she said immediately as they were pushing their bikes towards the road.
"Okay…" Daniel rolled his eyes and took a curious glance at Megatron, who seemed to be quietly thinking.
"Wishes are silly things. Why trust our wants at the hands of fate when we could make our destiny? The most hilarious thing is that despite this I still wished… I wished for something so absurd that I cannot still wrap my head around how I could think that. Yet how could I wish to have her smile forever? What a sentimental thought… Being a human must have taken its toll on me…"
"Now let's go home!" exclaimed Daniel excitedly as he jumped on his bike.
On the way home Daniel was constantly speaking about anything that was on his mind. He explained a lot of things to Megatron, who now seemed to be closer to understanding humanity. And when they finally arrived at home, he went straight to take a shower, then went to sleep in Elisabeth's room.
"So, it's not a big problem that I sleep in your room?" he asked as his sister tucked him in the bed.
"No, not at all. I gladly sleep on the couch."
"Then goodnight, Elisabeth."
"Goodnight you too, Daniel," she said back while kissing her brother's forehead. After she took her stuff and headed for the living room. But after she stepped out of the room, closing the door, she saw Megatron sitting on his bed, drawing something. "Are you still awake?"
"Yes," he answered, looking up briefly. "What are those things in your arms?"
"Just my blanket and pillow. I gave my bed to Daniel for tonight, so I will sleep on the couch."
"But that is uncomfortable" he said remembering that, yes you can sleep, but it's not that good. "I cannot let you be uncomfortable." Then a sudden idea hit him as he looked around and saw a lot of space next to him. "I share my bed with you."
"Be calm Beth, he's just a robot-car alien. He couldn't possibly even know what reproduction is. And that now he sounds like a shameless flirt" wondered Elisabeth as a little blush appeared on her face. "But anyway, this offer is too tempting to turn down" So she stepped into his room and threw her stuff on the bed. "Thanks for letting me stay. I hope I won't distract you or anything."
"Unless you come barging into my personal space, I think we will be alright."
A few minutes of silence was all that Elisabeth could endure before being curious again and asking questions from him.
"Hey, Megatron… Do you have a family?"
"We don't reproduce the same way as your kind" he explained as he was making the final touches of his drawing on Orion.
"Then how were you born? If you are born."
"We all emerge from the Well of all Sparks. Spark is our term for soul. So, this means in your view we are all siblings. Though we rarely call each other like that and have strong connections like between you two."
"Being an alien must suck. No food variety, no freedom, an endless war and you don't even have families" said Elisabeth while stretching and yawning.
"You do not notice if something is wrong unless you see that there is another way. And if we take this your way, I was lucky to have someone to call my brother" he looked at her with a bittersweet smile as the memories came flooding in.
"You have one?"
"Had one. He is dead." In that very moment he saw Elisabeth look down in sadness, he couldn't hold the urge and took her chin, making her look straight at him. "Do not be sad about something you have nothing to do with."
"I am sad, but not for him. For you and for what you have to endure" she whispered as she looked away while trying to calm her fast-beating heart.
"I do not need your pity," Megatron growled, letting her chin go and looking the other way.
"Whatever you say…" scoffed Elisabeth laying down on the bed, her back facing Megatron.
"His name was Orion Pax" he said suddenly. "He was a data clerk. Always calm and collected, but most notably naïve."
"Merlin was like that too" she exclaimed while thinking about her friend. "Although he liked to complain a lot."
"Tell me about it!" he snickered. "But all things aside, come closer, I want to show you something" he waved his arm and after a quite surprised Elisabeth was next to him. "This is him" he showed her his drawing, making her awe.
"He looks cute," she smiled while looking at the picture. "He and Merlin would definitely be friends."
"And I?" he suddenly asked, and didn't know why.
"You and I are getting along pretty well now," she answered, nudging his side.
"Really?" he asked playfully. "You tried to kill me. Twice" he said while moving closer.
"So do you" she replied letting out a teasing smile as she moved closer too. "But we are still together after this, which means that we might like each other."
"You are right. I might like you."
"Happy to hear that" she said as her heartbeat started to speed up again. "But I'll go to sleep if you don't mind. Tomorrow will be a long day. For both of us."
"Then goodnight, Elisabeth" he said as he put down the book and wanted to turn off the lights.
"Goodnight, Megatron," she said, but looking at his calm form she couldn't hold herself and suddenly hugged him from the back. "And thank you for talking about yourself" she whispered, letting go of him a few moments later and finally going to sleep.
It was strange, how gentle she treated him and how joyful she sounded about him telling of his life. However, her hug was still strange, but at the same time it wasn't unpleasant like before.
Then it hit him. He started to like her… Which wasn't good at all. Because if three days needed for him to start to feel something for her, what would happen if it stays longer this way? He might start to enjoy being a human, because if nothing more, they knew how to use their limited time and space to make the most of it. Their entertainment industry is the most advanced in the whole galaxy. Then he will be just a few steps away from wanting to be a human. But he never will be one, he always will be a stranger to this world. And he will suffer much if he ever wants to be one of these fleshies.
And now looking at Elisabeth's sleeping form made him realise it was a mistake to talk about Orion. It was painful to think about him, because it reminds him how he's dead and how he's stuck with Optimus. So, he tried to bury these thoughts away by letting him indulge this strange urge to touch her. He swept away her red hair and for a short time he played with one of her locks. She looked so vulnerable in this state, so pure. And he was here to witness this. She trusted him to keep her safe. Trust… it felt as familiar as unknown to him.
He felt tired so to end this he stroked her face then finally went to sleep.
Next day they both woke up to the sound of Daniel, whose face was twisted in disgust.
"Euch, you should have at least closed the door if you two have sex!"
This sentence alone was enough to wake Elisabeth up to see herself cuddled up next to Megatron, who still slept peacefully. All of this made Elisabeth jump in surprise, falling out of the bed, which made Megatron wake up.
"This is not what it seems!" she shouted embarrassed, waving her arms in front of her.
"Jeez Betsy, just leave me out of making my nephew or niece!" he giggled as he made his sister even more embarrassed. "I know how this works, we learnt it last week!"
"You…" she hissed angrily, having enough of Daniel's game "I will take you home right now, little man!"
"I am not little!" protested Daniel, but despite all his resistance Elisabeth just picked him up. "Put me down!"
"No, because I'm taking you home!"
"In pyjamas!?"
"Yes!" Elisabeth looked at the stunned Megatron with an apologising face before she took her brother towards the garage and took him home. "Can you try not to embarrass me?" she said as they were driving home.
"You two looked way too cosy in each other's arms to be a coincidence" chuckled Daniel as he was playing on his phone.
"But it was a coincidence!" snapped Elisabeth as her eyes were fixated on the roads. "The couch is a shitty place to sleep and his offer was too tempting for me to turn down. It was nothing more, nothing less. If you want to brag with this knowledge of yours, just do it with mom and dad."
"Then sorry" he said, rolling his eyes. "It's not like you want to always please him. I mean he's cool and everything, but you want Merlin back, don't you?"
"Yes, I want Merlin back, but without suffering the wrath of an alien, thank you very much!" It wasn't that true… Yeah, she sure wanted her best friend back, but she didn't just pleased Megatron just to avoid any confrontation with him if he's ever going to be himself. She did this because she liked him as a person. She liked his confidence, his upfront personality and how he was like an unstoppable force.
"We're home!" her brother shouted as they arrived. After Elisabeth parked Daniel happily ran towards the front door and pushed the doorbell.
"Welcome home!" said their mother as she opened the door for them.
"Hi mom!" greeted her Daniel then he ran into the kitchen. "What's for breakfast?"
"Scrambled eggs, dear!" she said turning towards her son, but before Elisabeth could leave, she snapped towards her quite angry. "You won't go anywhere my dear daughter! Not without explaining why I got to know that you're in town by your brother, rather you telling me this!"
"I was busy, mom!" Elisabeth defended herself while crossing her hands.
"With Merlin! In the bedroom!" chimed in Daniel while eating, making her embarrassed again.
"My god! You finally came to your senses!" sighed her mother in happiness. "George! Elisabeth finally came to her senses and started to date Merlin!" she shouted excitedly to her arriving husband.
"Really? She finally dates a normal man who gives her emotional support and secure financial background?"
"No! Him and I are not a thing!" she protested fiercely. "First he's my best friend and not my best boyfriend! Second, yes, I am with him, but because he had an accident and has full amnesia. He doesn't remember anything. That's the reason I was busy for the past few days" she explained, hoping her parents would understand. Though she knew they wouldn't. Once you plant something in their head, you can't get rid of it. She knew it because it wasn't the first time they thought she and Merlin were dating.
"Amnesia? That's really sad, we wish him a fast recovery" said her mother as her voice softened. "Do you want to have breakfast with us?"
"Maybe next time, but I want to change clothes, because I don't wish to go back in pyjamas."
"Yes, of course. But anyway, I'm glad to see you" she said, hugging Elisabeth.
"Me too mom. Sorry but I really have to hurry, I promised Meg-Merlin to make breakfast" she almost said Megatron, which would have been really bad…
So, after a fast change she was on her way to him, while being really frustrated by her family. She hated how her parents always tried to 'guide' her and how her little brother liked to pour oil on the fire. It made her very angry. That's why this was the first thing she said upon stepping into the house and seeing Megatron:
"I take back what I said yesterday. You are very lucky that you don't have a family."