Home ❀ Ironhide

- 23. macey -

"As some of you know, during the mission in Shanghai, we have acquired some new information about the Decepticons," the room was dead silent while Optimus spoke; you could hear a pin drop. "We have learned of something, more so someone, called 'The Fallen'," murmurs were heard all around the room, but the Autobots and I stayed silent.

One of the soldiers standing on the cat-walk spoke up, "and who exactly is this 'Fallen'?"

"By legend, he was one of the first original Primes. He came here, to Earth, to steal the power of your sun for his own use."

A different man spoke up this time, "and what does this have to do with us?"

Ironhide was the one to answer, "well, fleshy, if you'd like your planets population to die out completely, be my guest and don't do anything about it," I had to refrain myself from laughing at his sarcastic tone, it was pretty funny.

I looked up at him and mouthed the words 'be nice' and he immediately shut himself up.

"Oh look at that, Ironhide's girl can control him better than anyone else. Dude, you're whipped," to add to his statement, he made a whip sound effect and the land motion. Ironhide just grumbled and muttered 'I am not whipped' under his breath. Everyone noticed Optimus looking in our direction and they all stopped laughing.

After a while, I stopped listening to the conversation. Ironhide most likely would just tell me later.

•••

The meeting went on for an hour, and by the end everyone was getting restless of being in a confined room for so long, especially Ironhide.

When Optimus was done speaking, Will spoke, "Oh! And one last thing: we're moving the base. We will no longer be in Washington state, rather we will be in Washington D.C. We move everything in two days time. Sorry for the short notice."

Geez, Will might as well have told us that we were leaving later tonight. That is such short notice to move everything. I started making a mental list of the things I needed to do in order to prepare for this move across country. Ironhide snapped me out of my thoughts by poking me in the back.

"You good, Stubbs?"

"What? Yeah. Sorry just zoned out," Ironhide's facial expressions showed me he didn't quite believe me, so I added onto my original statement, "I'm just thinking about everything that needs to be done before we leave here."

He set me down onto the ground and transformed, his holoform stepping out of the drivers side. He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, swaying us back and forth in a comfortable motion. He buried his face into the crook of my neck and said something, but I couldn't understand him.

"What?"

He lifted his head up and looked at me, "remember our deal. We're not doing anything tonight. Just you and me."

A wave of guilt passed over me, there was absolutely no way I could do that now, not with having to pack everything.

"'Hide, you know-"

"Shush, I don't want to hear it."

"-I have to pack tonight. There's so much that needs to be done. I not only need to pack my whole apartment, but also my whole classroom. That means getting papers graded, organizing, and then packing everything on top of that. I'm so sorry, Ironhide, but it just can't happen tonight."

I could see the sadness clouding his eyes, making me feel even worse.

"Fine then. I guess in helping you," I was about to say something, but he beat me to it, "no if, ands, or buts."

•••

"Why the frag is there so many things in this tiny room?" It was the voice I've been hearing complain for the past three hours: Ironhide. He walked over to me, holding my enormous collection of cap erasers, "do you really need five hundred of these?"

I grabbed them out of his hands and held them in my arms, "actually, yes I do," there was a goofy smile on my face, showing him I was joking. "Do you realize how quickly the kids go through these things? I'm surprised they've lasted this long." 'Hide didn't respond, just grunted, as normal, and walked back over to his side of the room.

It's been three hours and I've gotten a decent amount of work done, Ironhide on the other hand, not so much. For the first fifteen minutes, he was working harder than a bee, after that, it was as if his sugar high ended. All I've heard was him complain and trying a get me to stop.

I put my box of odds and ends down on the ground and mumbled to myself, "okay, now that's done." Of course, Ironhide heard that statement from across the room.

"We're done? Thank Primus we're done!" He started making his way towards me, with a smile on his face acting all triumphant. I held a hand to his chest, making him stop.

"Not so fast, lover boy, we ain't done yet," he just groaned and moved past my arm, wrapping his own around my waist. He slumped down in my arms, clearly wanting to be done. After he laid his head down on my shoulder, I was done for and gave in. "Fine!"

I could feel his cheeks move against my shoulder, feeling him smile. He moved his head back and gave me a quick peck on my cheek, but I pulled him back for on on the lips. This was one of our first times being in contact like this since he came back from the mission. After we pulled away, he rested his forehead on mine, "never gets old," I just giggled in response.

"Ready to head back now?"

"Stubbs, I've been ready for the past three hours to head back," I just shook my head and grabbed ahold of his hand, leading him back to my apartment.

For once, there wasn't anyone in the hallways. Ironhide and I basically had the run of the place. We were currently walking, hand-in-hand, back to my room.

He suddenly spoke up, "you know what would be really fun?" I hummed in response, "if we raced back to your room."

"Okay, even though you have an unfair advantage."

"What advantage?" I just pointed to my legs and then to his and raised my eyebrows, "oh right. That advantage. Well do you want me to give you a head start?"

"Nope, I'm winning this race fair and square," I challenged him.

"Okay then. Just so you know, I do love you, but I am not going easy on you," I nodded, it seemed fair.

"Ready...1...2...3...Go!" We took off in the direction down the hallway. Ironhide was clearly ahead of me and showed no intention of slowing down anytime soon.

I kept running until I realized there was a short cut from here to my place. I quickly turned down the corner down a more narrow and dimly lit hallway. I slowed my pace to a jog right before I turned another corner and slammed into a chest. And it wasn't Ironhide.

It was him. The man, I shouldn't even call him that, the thing I never wanted to see ever again.