A/N: I am so sorry it took me forever to update another drabble. I will try to be better with updating these chapters. I hope this little baby makes up for it, though. R&R. Enjoy!
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Silence
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It was usually incredibly noisy at the Yeager residence. Whether it was because of the Autobots or not did not matter; noise was a constant that he had learned to live with before he even came to Earth. Before, Optimus used to think that noise was a bad thing. Noise meant fighting, battles, war, death, but now it meant training, an escape from boredom, happiness, life. And if it meant that, then Optimus would welcome whatever noise there was to be had on the Yeager farm.
As welcome as the noise may be, however, Optimus also enjoyed the quiet, the still silence. It was rarely ever quiet, so it was very relaxing and even comforting. Knowing that his family was not in danger, something he could tell by both the noise and the silence, was all that Optimus needed after an existence of war and hardship.
But the silence he was experiencing now was between himself and Cade.
Cade had been working in the barn ever since he woke up this morning and Optimus had come to join him after ensuring that everyone was doing fine. Since the barn was big enough to house the Autobots in their full forms, Optimus chose not to use his holoform. While his holoform allowed him to experience things with Cade on a level that was more human and intimate, he found that he didn't have to use it all of the time to feel close to his human, his spark mate. Regardless of if he was in his mech form or his vehicle mode, Optimus still felt the same pull, the same bond, the same connection that he had always felt with Cade, right from the beginning. It never changed, it never wavered, and that gave Optimus comforting because it meant that their bond was pure and destined, as much a part of them as their souls were.
And as much as he loved being intimate with Cade, Optimus loved just being there with him. He enjoyed just watching Cade work with his robots and his inventions and it never ceased to amaze him some of the things Cade's mind could come up with. Some of his ideas, while they may be – what was the human phrase? – 'far out there' were quite creative and unique. And he enjoyed seeing Cade's eyes light up whenever he made a breakthrough or was successful in fixing a mistake or problem. Optimus even liked it when Cade's brow was furrowed in concentration and thought.
Today was one of those days. Cade had been tinkering, wiring, attaching, detaching, and reattaching ever since Optimus had entered the barn earlier that morning. With his glasses on and lines in his brow, Cade hadn't said anything to him the whole time. But Optimus was not hurt by this. They had reached the point in their relationship where they needed to fill the empty silence long ago; now, the silence that fell between them was comforting. While they may not have said a word to one another, they acknowledged each other with looks or the occasional touch. Words, although usually exchanged, were not needed today. Today, all they needed was the presence of each other. Merely that and nothing more.
Optimus continued to watch Cade work away, scratching notes on his pad every so often as he did so. His body was wrought with tension and frustration. What Cade needed was a reminder that he was not alone and that he would work through all of the problems and troubles that he was encountering. A small smile stretched across his face plates and Optimus reached one large, metal finger down and ever so gently ran it down Cade's back. The response he received was instantaneous. A visible shiver ran down Cade's spine and his body relaxed, his shoulders slumping and the tension easing away.
He paused what he was doing and looked up at Optimus. They shared a loving smile before Cade went back to his work. The tension that had been in the barn evaporated and the atmosphere was relaxed and calm once again, just as it had been when Optimus had entered. Neither of them said a word and the silence still reigned down upon them.
That was fine for both of them, Optimus knew, because they still enjoyed each other's company even without the use of words. And that was what mattered in the end.