Author's Note: Thank you readers for reviewing and sticking with me on this story! Now, while you read and hopefully enjoy this update, I am going to bed. This chapter had me staying up later then I thought.
Servos clasped together as they made their way down the bustling street, Bumblebee and Arcee were in no hurry to go anywhere. They had no clear destination in mind as they walked. Both were just content with in the honest moment. There were no secrets, no hidden feelings. While this revelation was new to the both of them, it certainly felt much better once it was all out in the open.
With one action had come a confession. With one confession, many burdens were released and caste aside to the wind.
No one knew who they were here in the bustling town. No one here could call them out for breaking the rules of the Selection. It was just the two of them in the peaceful moment. Just two normal, regular citizens of Cybertron enjoying the outside world of the everyday life.
Bumblebee smiled when he felt Arcee lean into him, marvelling at how she seemed to fit in his arms, like she belonged there. She looked up, catching his smile.
She blinked. "What?"
His smile just grew as he placed a kiss on her helm. "Nothing," he said simply.
She tilted her helm up at him with a small grin. "You missed," she said teasingly.
He felt his faceplates heat up at the thought of kissing her again. "I guess I'll have to practice with my aim," he said with a nervous grin.
She laughed, playfully jabbing his side. "You're cute," she said. "Don't ever change."
"Seeing as my current personality is what won you over," he mused. "No, I don't think I will change."
They found a small spot in a courtyard where many other folk stopped to socialize. They both sat down on a bench that overlooked many of the shops and busy citizens. Bumblebee's arm remained around Arcee who was snuggled against his side. They just watched other Cybertronians mingle about, both relaxed and at ease in each others presence.
"Why were we such idiots?" Arcee questioned suddenly. "Why did we put ourselves through so much grief?"
"I think it was because we were not ready to confront what we were feeling," he said, musing thoughtfully. "I do not think we were aware of the possibilities and how to approach or address what we were feeling. We had to be honest with ourselves before we could be honest with each other. Admitting what we felt was a first step." He hesitated. "Truth be told," he confessed. "I was also a bit scared."
Arcee smirked, though he could not see her expression as se observed the bustling people. "Oh? Did I terrify you?"
"You are one of the few femmes who has actually made my spark go still with fear," he stated with a grin. "You made me confused, so all this grief I was feeling was all your fault."
"Sure, because I could tell you were really upset with the outcomes of all that 'grief' that brought you to this moment," she commented dryly.
No, he was not upset with the outcomes at all. In fact, if he could freeze this moment and stay like this forever with her at his side, he would. But he could not. He would have to face Optimus Prime and the senators. He would have to state his case and present his terms. Yes, he would remain the Autobot Heir; he had no choice. He would fulfill his duties as an Autobot and one who was striving for peace. Yes, he would remain open to an alliance with the Decepticons. But he would do it all with his chosen mate at his side. No exceptions whatsoever.
He was not looking forward to such a confrontation with the Prime and others, but he knew it would come eventually. He would have to prepare, and remain clear headed and reasonable. He could feel a brief moment of panic build in his spark, but the femme at his side reminded him of why he was taking such actions in the first place.
Music started up in the courtyard, a playful tune reaching his audio receptors. He smiled as he saw a few couples dancing to the upbeat melody, a few sires and carriers even dancing with their young sparklings. Laughter and smiles were on everyone's faces. Stolen glances were shared among couples as the free Cybertron teemed with a hesitant, new life.
Bumblebee stood up, dragging Arcee with him. "Come on," he encouraged with a smile. "It'll be fun."
She blinked as she stumbled into his arms, holding onto him as they followed the beat of the music. She looked up at him with a small smile, her stance relaxing as the alertness left her optics. Was she suspecting of being caught? By whom? Who would catch them? No one would find them out here, of that he was sure.
He enjoyed the feeling her of in his arms as they danced, a more relaxed and playful movement between them as they followed the beat. There was no one to judge them, no one to observe and prevent them from expressing their feelings. It might as well have just been Bumblebee and Arcee here in the courtyard, two young Cybertronians as a couple who were enjoying a dance. A young couple with no burdens and responsibilities.
Arcee tugged at his servo as the beat picked up once more. Soon, she was leading in the dance, a joyful smile on her face. He laughed as they followed the tune to the music as he spun her around in his arms, hearing her laughter fill his audio receptors. The crowd of dancers increased around them as they danced, yet he only had optics for the femme in his arms.
The last time they had danced, she had given him hope with her talk of a possible future with him as the pilot, and her the assassin turned teacher. Such a possibility of a normal future was enticing to him, and it had filled him with hope then. It still did now. That hope and future was in his arms, if only he would hold on and fight for it. He was willing to make the necessary sacrifices. Arcee was worth it, everything about her was worth it.
Meeting her had been a complete chance, but befriending her had been so easy for him. Yet falling in love, that was something he had never anticipated.
He looked at her, unwilling to break the moment he had with her, unwilling to shatter it.
"Arcee," he started, feeling the truth of who he was coming out. There was so much to tell her. So much to confess. "I am going to speak with Optimus, and I want to tell him about...about us. But I also need to tell you that-"
He was cut off when she kissed him fiercely, silencing him and cutting off the truth that he was willing to share. Not rejecting her kiss, he returned it, opening his optics when she pulled back. He stared at her, blinking his optics.
"Not now," she pleaded, placing her helm on his chassis. "Please. I'm not ready to deal with Megatron, Optimus Prime, or any Selection talk. Not now, and certainly not with this moment I have with you." She looked back up at him. "They can wait. They have all the time in the world."
He could feel the truth he wanted to share with her slowly ebb away, and he felt a helplessness fill him, but he merely nodded his helm. "Alright," he said, holding her servo. He did not like the hidden secrets, it felt like a barrier that he alone could see. But he would respect her wishes and wait.
He would dwell on his choice later when he was alone, and he would wonder what the best course of action was. Yet, in the dark and alone in his berth room, he was certain of his steps in moving forward. He would confess to Optimus Prime and Elita-One of what he felt and what he had done, he knew what to say, just as sure as he knew what future he wanted.
To Arcee, the truth that she was hiding was not merely a barrier between them, but a chasm. But it was one she was willing to cross, it was one she was going to overcome.
She clenched her servo, still feeling Bumblebee's large servo holding hers. If she closed her optics, she would be transported back to that courtyard when he had held her close as they had danced. It hadn't been like their first dance when they had been so uncertain and dared to even hope for something different in their lives. In the courtyard, he had held her close, and they never stopped staring into each other's optics. She had not noticed how his optics were such a different blue. They were unique and stood out, just like he did. Only she could identify what set him apart and understand how she felt whenever he would look at her with his open and honest gaze.
She strode down the halls, reading the articles before her with a tired sigh. Most of her downtime was spent with Bumblebee not as they would journey to the town together. Giving Ark the slip had been something she had mastered a long time ago, and she had felt confident that no one could track her. She enjoyed those moments of peace, spending time with Bumblebee and letting him hold her close. He was so easy to tease and pull into her adventures.
She had been very pleased when she got him to zipline again. It had not been hard, as he had been eager to zipline again. His optics had lit up with a challenge, and it soon became a race between the two of them, a competition of some sorts.
"Loser has to carry all the equipment," he had called out as he got ready for the zipline.
"You don't want to challenge me," she had said with a smirk.
"Bring it on Cee, bring it on," he had challenged with a smirk. "Bring it on."
He had won, and his laughter as they had both crashed into each other filled her audio receptors.
"You cheated," she had moaned. She then let out a startled gasp when he quickly kissed her, pulling back before she could recover.
"You get to carry the equipment!" he had said with a laugh, scrambling up as she chased after him with an enraged yell, promising her revenge.
She grinned at the memory, the words on the reports she was holding blurring together as she got lost in thought. She absent mindedly flipped through the articles before freezing in her tracks, optics wide as she looked at what she was holding.
It was an image of a courtyard, taken a few days ago.
In that image was mech and femme, dancing with the other couples in the courtyard. The mech and femme were smiling and holding each other close, obviously more than just friends in the image.
But what caught her attention was the identity of the mech and femme, the happy couple who was unaware then of the spy watching them.
The mech and femme was her and Bumblebee.
"Ah, Arcee," a voice in the hallway said, causing her to look up at Starscream who was leaning against a column with his arms folded, as if he had been waiting for her. "I see you received my report that I had slipped into your office. Quite interesting, is it not?"
Her expression turned icey as she stared at the seeker. If he had slipped this into her office, then he wanted her to see it, he wanted her to know he had the upper hand in this.
"But I cannot take all the credit," he continued in a poor attempt at remaining humble. "After all, I could not have acquired the images you see before you without Soundwave's help. Nothing can be hidden from a mech like him.
A stab of betrayal pierced through her. Soundwave had been the one to take the images? She understood that Starscream outranked Soundwave, but could he not have done something else other than informing the slimy seeker?
But after all, she realized, Soundwave was loyal to no one but Megatron, and her actions would be seen as a betrayal to Megatron himself. That was something a mech like Soundwave would not tolerate.
But that did not lessen the sting of betrayal Arcee herself was feeling.
"I do wonder what such a impact these scandalous images would have on the Selection," Starscream mused.
She scoffed, a picture of indifference sliding into place. "Oh please, Starscream," she said. "These are hardly scandalous." She raised an optic ridge. "Or perhaps you were hoping for something more." She tilted her helm up. "Maybe you should stop looking for leverage that does not exist."
His cocky arrogance did not waver in the slightest as he smirked. "Oh, but I do think these images will bring me the results I need."
Images. So there was more than what she held in her servos. Of course there was. Her spark dropped, but all she could focus on was Starscream and his threats. She pushed the betrayal she was feeling about Soundwave out of sight and mind, reining in her emotions as a cold fury filled her.
Starscream dared to interfere with her personal life. He dared to threaten her with the very moments she held dear.
He dared to threaten Bumblebee.
Her optics narrowed as the cold fury suddenly made way for an icy torrent as she turned to level her stare at Starscream. She would not let him have the upper hand. She refused to let him take this from her. She refused to let him take something precious, and turn it into her downfall.
"Always a pleasure to see you, Starscream," she said, striding past him. But not before she dropped the image into his grasp. "I have matters to deal with," she said simply.
She was always able to think on her pedes. When a situation presented itself, she was able to think fast and come up with the most logical solution. She could maintain a clear and focused helm and a strong will.
She would not lose her composure now. She was not going to let panic fill her.
Panic was the least she was feeling now, though. What she was feeling was an icy calmness as her steps determinedly carried her to her destination.
As she strode down the hall, she had one goal in mind; to beat Starscream to Megatron and hope she was not too late in informing him of what had transpired. She would hate to have Starscream be the one to drop what could be a bombshell on Megatron. If anyone was going to inform the Decepticon leader of Bumblebee and herself, it was going to be her.
She was the Decepticon Heir, she would not lose this.
These thoughts filled her as she rested a servo on the access codes. The doors to Megatron's private office slid open, and she beheld the former warlord ss he stood before her, his silver armor gleaming in the dim light if the room.
He turned his red optics on her, regarding her with a blank expression.
"Lord Megatron," she said. "I believe there are matters we need to discuss."
His mouth curled into a grin, exposing his fangs as his red optics glimmered. "Yes, I believe we do."