Two weeks later...
___
I couldn't sleep.
It was a cold night, and I was tossing and turning on the couch.
Jack, Miko, and Raph had already left the base, and everyone was in self-induced stasis. Well, except for one.
I groaned with frustration, turning my head on my pillow once more.
Everything that had went on plagued my mind. I couldn't ignore it.
Since Prime went back to normal, there was something weird about him.
He invited me with him more often, he openly sang songs with me and one time, we both even sang together while in the company of the other Autobots, including when our new recruit, Wheeljack, would check in.
'I know he doesn't remember anything.
But why is he embracing, encouraging even, my presence alongside him now?
Nothing's changed, has it?'
...So, what happened last night.
It was freezing cold, and he invited me to sleep next to him. And I did.
'I don't know.'
He said if I needed company tonight, I could rest next to him again.
I abruptly sat up from the couch.
'Yes. I think, I may get him to remember something. Then maybe.. maybe he still...'
I sighed, pulling the covers off of me.
'Why am I so lovesick for him now?'
I took my pillow and blanket, walking out of the room.
I walked to Optimus' chamber, thinking over what I was planning to do. I placed my hand on the door, and it opened for me.
Optimus was sitting on his stasis slab, thinking about something. He heard the noise and looked over to the door, seeing me.
I couldn't see it, but he lightly smiled at my presence. "You need company again?"
I nodded slowly. "hm-nm."
I walked over to his stasis slab, the sounds of my footsteps being the only nosie that was permeating the air.
He reached a servo down to me, and I sat down so he could lift me up. He placed me down on the top part of the slab, and layed down. I put my pillow and blanket down, and sat down on the slab. Optimus watched me do so.
It was quiet.
I pulled the blanket over my legs, and for a minute, I was silent.
"You don't remember anything?"
He didn't think much of the question. "No. Apologetically, I don't."
I was silent for another moment.
"Does it bother you?"
"What?" He turned his helm to me, unsure if I was asking about his memory.
I began. "Does being called Orion bother you?"
"I-"
I interrupted him, turning my head to look at him. "Does it?"
Optimus took a short second to respond. ".. Orion was gullible."
"See there?" I pointed out. "You refered the name to someone else."
"What are you trying to say (y/n)?" Optimus was genuinely questioning what I was getting at.
I sat up straight. "Are you ashamed of your past self? Why do keep letting Megatron probe at your skin?"
I corrected myself. "Metaphorically."
Optimus looked up to the ceiling. "He was a file clerk. Who-"
"Prime, please stop."
"Stop?" He turned to you again, placing a servo on the slab and slightly lifting himself up.
I continued, more frustrated with care than anything. "Stop thinking both sides of you are different bots. Your name now was given as a title. You still value your creation name, don't you? Or is that something you gave up entirely?"
Optimus glanced to one side, before his optics traveled back to me.
"When one becomes a Prime, you become someone new in the optics of others. Your old self becomes, shame in it, disheartening or not, irrelevant. Especially since this war started, there's been no reason for..."
He suddenly trailed off, actually taking my previous questions into consideration.
I took the opportunity to give my opinion. "It was because of Orion Pax that you now call yourself Optimus Prime. I don't think you should let that name go."
He took a moment of thought before speaking. His attention kept on me. "You seem to care about this a lot."
I relented slightly. "Well I do. I believe that you, ether Orion or Optimus, it still you. I just think.. it shouldn't matter... Pax."
Optimus was surprised slightly, though I couldn't tell. He looked up at the ceiling again.
"No one has called me by my creation name since I was granted the power of a Prime.."
He sighed, admitting a little. "You're right. It's just me. A name. It shouldn't leave such bitterness."
I gave a smile of relief. "Expect me to be using both your names interchangeably."
He looked to me with a small smile. He layed down again, and I finally decided to do the same.
After some time Optimus spoke once more, but softer in his tone of voice.
"You still haven't explained why it matters to you so much in particular."
I sighed. 'I guess I have to tell him about it.'
He turned his helm to me, and I turned my head to him.
"Do you remember when I asked if you recall anything when you were your past self?"
"Yes?"
I closed my eyes. "Well... I remember."
"You... remember?" Optimus was curious to where this was going.
I was serious with him. "I was there. On the Decepticon ship. When you arrived."
"You were?" He was very surprised, and now wanting to know more.
"Yes. They caught me after you left the Autobot base. I don't think they expected you to find me. You were fascinated by me, and asked for Megatron's permission to keep me in your lab. He was super reluctant, but rationalized that you wouldn't remember me."
I abruptly sighed. This wasn't really going anywhere. "Can't you remember anything?"
All of a sudden, Prime felt immensely guilty by this new information he had obtained.
I sighed again at the guilt in his faceplates. "Not even a feeling? The song notes we shared?"
Pax blinked. "Songs?"
Suddenly, something connected.
He could remember a fuzzy tune.
He could hear himself and I singing a lyric.
"I.. think I can. We were singing while I dug through the Cybertronian texts possibly. But.. I can only recall that feeling of singing and happiness with you."
I needed more than that. "Anything else? Please?" I pleaded.
Optimus sighed, shutting his optics. "... I'm sorry."
I grew silent. I wasn't sure how to tell him.
"Well... ...something happened."
He opened his optics again to look at me. I was getting anxious.
"We grew close fast with the time we had. Megatron was going to take me away when you were getting close to the truth. But you pleaded with him to let me stay."
"I did?.."
I shuffled under my blanket, head staying still, eyes just barely staying on OP's attention."Yes. And afterwards, I asked why.."
"What did I say?"
That question stopped me.
I gulped. My face was quickly painted with a brushed pink.
Prime noticed.
I glanced down at the pillow my head rested on, lowering my voice.
"You said you wanted me to stay because... You loved me."
Prime exhaled audibly, shocked.
I turned my back fully away from him, my blush growing hotter as I spoke.
I gazed across the room, hand in front of my face. "I reached out a hand.. you held it with the upmost care... and all I can remember is the feeling that we were getting closer to each other. I.. don't know if you were trying to kiss me... or if I wanted to kiss you."
He didn't reply at all.
"M-maybe I was. I was just so comfortable with you. I've been comfortable around you. You make me feel so many emotions, during and after that time. Even now, I can feel my heartbeat so prominently, so loud and clear, yet I don't know if you'd consider the same in your spark; it mixes all around inside, and the only conclusion I can come to you is that I've fallen in love-..."
I couldn't stop the words coming out but as soon as I was able to, it was too late.
'He knows. He knows my secret now..'
Oh God.
I shut my eyes, embarrassment, shame flooding me.
The silence was defining.
A voice. His voice.
"...How such a little heart can hold such big emotions."
My eyes popped open. Another around of thinking came and went for Prime.
Suddenly I felt a servo wrap around my torso.
I gasped quietly.
He pulled me close as he spoke.
"You shouldn't give up on it so soon."
I turned myself back to face him, breathless.
"O-Optimus?"
Optimus closed his optics, and opened them again.
"Listen (y/n). I may not remember that, but I do remember you. Us. I know we have a deeper bond than friendship. And although I'm not ready to say that I love you, I will say, I'm willing to try."
Now I was confused. "What?.."
Prime explained. "If you do love me, I'm willing to enter a relationship with you. And, truth be told, I kinda like you too."
That renewed my blush.
He went on solidifying his statement:
"You're kind, energetic, compassionate, beautiful. You're very special to me."
His servo smoothed to my back. "I'm willing to support a relationship like this with you. But only if you want to."
"It's up to you."
I couldn't speak. Orion Pax, THE Optimus Prime, was giving ME an invitation to date him?? A different species? And he's being all gentlemanly about it?
My heart could melt right then and there. Eyes wide, cheeks red, breathless, speechless.
He waited patiently for my response.
Finally, I whispered.
"....Yes. I want to be with you. If you're being serious about wanting to be my boyfriend."
"Of course I am. Wouldn't have said so if I didn't."
A light smile cracked my beet red face. One of my hands touched the lower part of his cheekplate. "Thank you."
He grinned small, and his optics glowed.
"You look like a rose right now."
I giggled slightly, not wanting to move my hand. There was a now comfortable silence.
Until he spoke.
"You mentioned you wanted to kiss me?"
That's when my heart skipped two beats.
"Are you.. Do you?..."
"Go ahead."
My head went screaming.
'AHO MOY GODDD HESS INVITING ME TO KISSS HIMMM AHHHH'
I gulped, using my elbow to slightly sit up.
"Ar-are you sure?"
"I know you want to. It's okay."
'AWWWW HESS SOOO-'
I exhaled loudly, and gazed up into his optics.
They shone with care.
That's what melted my heart.
I tilted my head slightly up, and he lowered his face to meet me.
All I could feel was my heart soaring higher than it ever had before. There was nothing more perfect than this. His kiss was so gentle, so sweet, so true to his spark, it made me fall for him all over again.
He said he wasn't ready to say he loved me, but what was this, other than true uncompromising love?
We departed lightly, keeping close. When I gazed to him, his cheeks were was red as mine and was smiling the most sugar filled smile. It seems he enjoyed it as much as I did.
We both giggled in whispers. Slowly the laughter ceased, and I moved back in for another kiss. He obliged, and we shared another. There was much more push on this one, capturing breaths again and again, but sweetly and not hormone driven.
He started to smile into the kiss, making me chuckle in between breaths.
Finally I was ready to pull away, and we did so with smiles.
"Wow." OP whispered under his take, and I chuckled again.
I fully layed down, and he pulled me closer, under his chin.
He was warm, I liked that.
I rested a hand on his upper chest plates, and we fell into slumber.
I was happy.