Love

Starlight/Optimus Prime

(Stories: Hidden Secrets & Shattered Happiness)

Starlight sat in the back of the rec room alone. In all truth she was 'hiding' but she didn't want to be alone so sitting in the further most corner of a crowded room seemed the best way to go. The strangest thing was though she was trying to hide from herself, which was probably why she didn't want to be alone. That was until he walked in and she suddenly wished she picked a better hiding spot, perhaps she could slip out before he spotted her. Too late, he'd seen her and now if she tried to escape he'd know something was wrong.

"Starlight." The mech said as he walked up to her table energon cube in hand.

"Prime." She replied politely.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Better thank you." She hoped he would leave after asking how she was but to her dismay saw him take a the seat opposite her.

"Is there some reason you're sitting here on your own away from everyone?"

"No reason." She lied "just observing things. I guess nearly dying does that to you." Looking out at the room and hoping he wouldn't notice how she wouldn't look at him.

"Have you spoken to Storm?" The semi asked.

"Seen, yes. Spoken, no. I guess she's still getting over it almost as much as I am." She explained still not looking at him.

"Starlight," Optimus began. He did not begin again until she was looking at him. "May I know the reason you refuse to look at me?"

The light yellow leerjet bit back the squeak that threatened to come out at the question put to her. "What are you talking about, Prime? I'm looking at you right now." Her hands, though hidden from view, were holding on to her legs so tightly she was sure they were leaving dents.

"I would like to show you something." He began.

"I'd like to, Prime, but Lightning's calling me. Another time perhaps." Starlight lied politely declining and walked out faster than she released not unaware she was being watched.

"Starlight!" The femme screamed in surprise and jumped to whoever was called her name. "A little jumpy aren't we, Star?" Lightning commented coming up beside her teammate. "You better watch that or you'll have Ratchet on your aft." The blue-grey jet chuckled.

"Sorry Light. I just wasn't expecting anybody to sneak up on me." Starlight explained.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Storm is, would you?"

"Haven't seen her." Starlight replied "though she maybe outside, you know how she loves her morning flights."

"Then it seems you're going to have attend the meeting in her place." Lightning informed her humorously.

"Meeting? What meeting?" The light yellow femme asked both surprised and scared.

"The meeting Storm arranged with Prime about how things will go now that everyone knows of your brothers and how Skywarp saved your life." Seeing the amazed look on her teammate's face she added, "Storm didn't tell you?"

"We haven't had a chance to chat, I've only seen her a couple of times but she'd been busy."

"Okay, well, this is awkward. Maybe I should go out and find her. I would attend myself but it's about the two of you."

"When was this meeting suppose to start?" Starlight asked curious.

"Five minutes ago." A voice answered from behind the light yellow leerjet.

The femme froze upon hearing the voice she'd just 'ran away' from minutes before. She regained her composure, or at least tried to, and turned to him an amused smile on her face. "Oh so that's why you walked over to me. Should have realised that when you asked about her. I maybe her best friend but even I don't know where she is all the time."

Lightning noticed the hurt that flashed through the Autobot leader's optics at her teammates claim that he only seeked her out to ask about Storm's whereabouts. Is it possible? Could they have… she wondered I suppose that would explain how he managed to calm her down when Storm was missing that time.

"though, it's not like her not to show up for a meeting. Especially is she's the one who asked for it." Starlight mused looking away in thought "I think we better go look for her, Lightning. She might be in trouble." She said looking over at her teammate a concerned tone in her voice.

"W-what?" the blue-grey femme asked coming out of her thoughts.

"Isn't that what happened to you? You went to think and ended up in Starscream's clutches."

"Oh…yeah." Lightning replied looking away and not wanting to relive the memory.

"Then let's go." Starlight said grabbing the femme's wrist and pulling her along.

Lightning looked back giving the semi an apologetic look. "We'll be back when we've found Storm." She told him.

As they neared the entrance Lightning said, "you can stop pulling now."

Starlight looked back in surprise, she forgot she had been pulling the blue-grey femme along. "sorry." She apologised as she stopped walking and let the wrist go.

"That was really quite rude of you, Starlight. We only need one of us to look for her, you could have attended that meeting."

The femme leerjet sighed and looked over at the entrance. "We better get a move on. No telling what's happened to stormy Storm." She chuckled and continued on.

Lightning looked at her fellow leerjet confused. Was Starlight trying to avoid Prime, whereas before she virtually always seeked him out? Why would she though?

"I think ya scared her off." Jazz commented a small humorous smile on his face as he, Prowl and Skyfire heard what happened.

"Starlight does not seem to handle change well." Prowl observed.

"What is your opinion on all this, Skyfire?" Optimus asked seeing the jet had remained quiet.

After a while he said, "she is frightened."

"Frightened?" Jazz asked confused only to receive a nod. "why would she be frightened?"

"From what Lightning has told me there have only been two constants in their lives. Skywarp and Thundercracker, aside from each other and Lightning herself, those two have always been there for them. Then something happened that took that away…" he began.

"I assume you're talking about the war." Prowl interrupted.

Skyfire shook his head, "no. something much deeper, something that shook them to their very spark."

"Does Lightning know what happened to them?" Optimus asked.

"No, or she does not want to tell me."

"So ya saying that she's scared somethin' like that may happen again?"

"I'm saying everything she'd ever cared for has either been taken away or put in extreme danger. Add the fact the Skywarp is her twin and that he almost killed then saved her life only to be taken from her once more…"

"She's emotionally unstable." Prowl concluded.

"She's worried she'll lose everythin' if she opens up again." Jazz added.

"Then how can we assure her she will not?" the semi asked.

Prowl, Jazz and Skyfire looked at each other for a moment before looking away none of them having an answer.

Storm walked into Starlight's quarters annoyed, not caring to knock. "okay, Sol. What's the deal?" she demanded crossing her arms across her chest.

Starlight looked at the jet leader in complete shock. "St-Storm." She managed to stutter out, "you haven't called me that in centuries. Not since the settlement attack."

"You're avoiding Prime and I want to know why."

The light yellow leerjet sighed, turning her back on her friend and looking down at the floor. "I'm saving him." She replied quietly.

"Saving him? From what?"

"From me." Came a sad reply.

Storm walked over to her dear friend standing in front of her and gently lifting her head to look at her. "you've done it again, haven't you?" She asked softly.

A tear began to fall down Starlight's face. "you can't let him know." She told her "don't you remember what happened to Quazer?"

"That wasn't your fault, Starlight."

An angry look crossed the light yellow femme's face. "like slag it wasn't!" she virtually spat walking away from Storm and turning back to her as she said "he died because I told him I felt about him." More tears began to fall "only now it's ten times worse."

"Prime's not as stupid as Quazer, Star." Storm gave a small humorous smile at the glare sent her way. "he can take care of himself. He even told you that once, in the medbay I believe." Her smile grew as she saw the embarrassed look on her teammates face.

"He's the fragging leader of the Autobots, Lazer. I will not endanger his life like that. Do you know what would happen if the Decepticons ever found out? They'd try and use me against him every chance they got." She headed for the door.

Storm's fist shook in both frustration and annoyance. "So that's it then." She called out as Starlight went to walk out. "You're going to let the past ruin your happiness not even give it a chance."

Starlight turned back to her teammate angrily. "Are you even listening to yourself?! Our 'happiness' as you call it, Storm, died centuries ago. Stop denying it, until this war is over we can never be happy." She turned her back once again. "Did you ever think that I may be doing this out of love?"

"Starlight." Storm whispered out in surprise all anger suddenly gone.

"Yes, Storm. I have fallen for him and it is out of love that I now stay away. I know how is also harbouring feelings for me as well but I will not let them grow. I will not be the downfall of another mech's life, especially not this one's." she carried on out the door unaware that someone else had heard her speech.

(END)