A/N: This the is the sequel to Heartache. I hope you all enjoy. R&R. Enjoy!
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Hope
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"W-what?" Cade asked, not sure if he had heard Optimus right or not.
He had been so sure about it, about this, about them and where they were headed. It wasn't as though he had missed the signs: the looks of longing, the soft tone of voice, the small smiles that only he seemed to receive, the subtle, slight touches… Cade knew that he wasn't wrong. His entire body, his heart, and even his soul, knew that he hadn't been wrong. Optimus shared his feelings, he knew it, and while Cade could agree that it would be hard for them, he was still willing to try. For Optimus, he'd be willing to try and do anything.
And he had thought that Optimus would be willing to do the same. They had grown close, very close, during the long battle with Lockdown and Attinger and Galvatron. When Optimus went away, Cade looked after the Autobots as they did him and Tessa and Shane. He had to deal with more CIA agents who wanted to kill the Autobots and his little girl, her boyfriend, and himself. Not to mention the constant threat of Galvatron returning at any given moment to wage war. Then, when Optimus had returned, Cade treated his wounds and injuries as best as he could with help from Drift and the others. Their bond only seemed to grow his then.
But now…
"I am…very…sorry, Cade," Optimus told him, not looking him in the eye. He had been able to since he had called Cade out into the empty hanger. "But…such relations would not…succeed between us."
"How do you know that?" Cade countered. He was getting upset and when he got upset, he got angry. "You don't know everything, Optimus."
"That may be true, but I will not risk your safety, your life, on this matter," Optimus said.
"It's not your choice, Optimus. It's mine," Cade said, standing his ground and being stubborn, refusing to back down. "And I've already made it. I made it when I decided to help you instead of turning you in that first day. I'm not backing down now."
"Do you not understand, Cade Yeager? My very existence puts you and your family in danger?" Optimus said, his voice beginning to rumble with frustration. "My merely being here, on your farm, could very well kill you all. I will not endanger you further by allowing this…bond between us…to grow."
"So even though we both know this bond is here, even though we both know that it's not going away, we can't be together?" Cade asked him. "Who the hell does that work for, Optimus, huh?"
Optimus remained quiet for what seemed like a long time. It was killing Cade. His heart had been breaking since Optimus had asked to speak with him privately. He had had this…strange feeling for the past couple of days that something was going wrong. When he followed Optimus into the hanger, his stomach had started sinking. Now, it was sunk and his heart was crumbling now too. Breaking. Shattering. For the second time in his life this was happening to him.
He couldn't live like this. Cade knew that things would be hard for them both if they decided to be together. However, he was willing to work through all of that. Making sacrifices and being willing and wanting to see through difficult times with someone else was what relationships were about. It wasn't as though he was going to back out on a whim; it wasn't as though this was a passing fancy. Whether Optimus liked it or not, Cade was in it for the long haul, consequences be damned. He had managed to get his family out of dangerous and life threatening situations before; this was nothing new. Being under threat was nothing new – weren't they all constantly under threat anyway?
God damn it. He just wanted to scream until his lungs collapsed.
"I am sorry, Cade" Optimus said. Cade sighed and turned away from him, running his hands through his hair.
Wow. Just…wow.
"Optimus, you can't tell me that you don't feel the same way I do," Cade said as he turned back to him. "I know you do. I see it."
Optimus still refused to look at him. He looked tired, worn out, exhausted, and much, much older than Cade had ever seen him. It was a looking and a feeling he understood all too well.
And he didn't say anything. Not a word. Silence fell upon them again. It was suffocating and killing Cade. His heart was a torn, shattered mess and his hope was dwindling by the second. Hope for a brighter future, a brighter love than he could have ever hoped for, and it was evaporating. And there was nothing he could do about it, it seemed.
"Fine," he said at last, casting his gaze downwards. Optimus, it seemed, was far more stubborn than he was. He should have seen that coming. They were a lot alike, after all.
Optimus finally looked at him. He could feel those bright blue optics boring into him. It would almost make him laugh he had any heart left to do so. Unfortunately, it was a crumbled pile of remains that would blow away any minute now if a fierce wind were to come by.
"Fine. You win, Optimus," Cade told him.
Without looking at Optimus or saying another word, Cade left the hanger. And Optimus.