Hummingbird

A Transformers: Prime one-shot by haloangel21

(10/8/13) Author's Note: I really should be working on other fanfics, but I am in college now and I just felt like writing something new, so please don't blame me if I haven't updated anything. Playboy will be updated at some point when I get over my writer's block.

Warning: Contains some Ratchet oocness.

"Well, look who's nodded off into recharge," Ratchet's voice interrupted his trail of thoughts. Optimus Prime paused from his work into decoding the Iacon database and turned to find out what exactly Ratchet was talking about. When he did, he found Arcee nearby, her head bobbed down and her optics shut; her arms crossed and her back leaning on the wall. Ratchet was right.

She was asleep.

"Tough day on her?" The CMO asked with an optic ridge raised as he set his gaze on the Prime's massive frame. It was only a couple hours into the night since Arcee and Bumblebee's return from New York with Jack, Miko and one of the recovered relics. It wore the femme out by battling an Insecticon and frying it with static electricity.

Optimus let out a long "hmm" as he observed her reposition herself around before falling back into deep sleep. There was something intriguing about her that had him both enlightened and confused. For some reason, since their stranding in the Arctic before being rescued, he couldn't get her out of his head. It was like, "Hey, look at me! I'm pretty!" He didn't know since then, if staying close friends was the right choice. Perhaps it was something more?

Ratchet carefully observed his oldest friend with interest as the Autobot leader watched Arcee recharging. The medic had no doubt that Optimus had some type of feeling for her. He just didn't know what it was. Eventually, Optimus snapped out of his small fantasy and resumed his work.

Does Optimus have a crush on Arcee? The medic wondered.

As if Optimus had sensed his thoughts, he stopped and glanced at the medic with an expression that read, "What?" Ratchet shook it off by shrugging and looking at something else fascinating in the room. So it was true. Optimus liked Arcee.

The only question was, did she like him back? Ratchet snorted to himself. Of course she does! I've seen the way she looks at him when he doesn't. Perhaps I should find out for myself…

"Optimus?"

Optimus didn't even stop decoding, yet he still asked as he typed on the keyboard, "Yes, Ratchet?"

"Put her to bed."

That made him pause his activity. What did he mean? "…What?"

"I said: Put. Her. To. Bed." When a still stunned Optimus didn't comply, Ratchet grabbed his Wrench of Doom and whacked the Prime's helm so hard that it left a dent.

"Ow!"

"What part of that did you not fully understand?!" Ratchet growled.

"Ratchet, you could do it, if you wanted to," Optimus rubbed the sore spot on his helm, wincing as it throbbed.

"Oh no, no! I couldn't. I'm too…old," Ratchet pretended to sigh sadly, getting an optic ridge raised in return from Optimus. Then a flame reignited in his optics as he stared his old friend down. "She sleeps better when she's around you. You know that! Anyway, here's the key to her quarters. Goodbye," he shoved Arcee's key into Optimus's other palm and turned away before the Commander could say anything.

Optimus looked down at Arcee's key and frowned. "Ratchet, why do you have Arcee's key with you?"

The medic nearly fell when he heard that, "W-well, because uh... Just because! Now get cracking. Chop, chop." He clapped his servos and glared at Optimus, who sighed. Fine. Ratchet won this round. But if he so much did it again, he would be the one to chase the medic all over town until Ratchet swore to do anything for him to avoid being gunned down the road.

He tucked the key away for storage nearing his pulsing spark and made his way over to the sleeping femme, slowly picking her off the ground. He jumped back when she moaned a little, as if she was dreaming a nightmare. Once she calmed down, Optimus took his chance and carefully picked her up into his arms. She was a very small creature, no taller than half of his legs and much more fragile.

Here, she was simply a little toy that could break so easily. As he held her in his massive arms, he was given an upclose view of her faceplates. It was more peaceful and relaxing than her usual mother stern-like expression she wore so often. He let out a soft gasp as he took in her beauty. Her helm was polished perfectly to a point where it reflected his own faceplates. Her optics were still shut tight, but he could imagine the blue and purple circles already glowing at him. He suddenly wished they would open, so that he'd melt into a puddle of goo.

"Ahem."

Optimus gave off a scowl that would send Megatron fleeing for his life when Ratchet tried to push him out of the med bay with a single word. He rolled his optics in annoyance and left. When he'd gone, Ratchet let a sigh of large relief escape his mouth as he relaxed. "Finally. I thought he'd never leave!" Now all he could do now was wait and hope for the best. With that, he picked up where Optimus left off and started to finish his old friend's hard work.

The hallway towards Arcee's quarters was dark, but luckily enough, he had his night sensors that allowed him to maneuver through this and that. Once he reached her door, he shifted Arcee onto one arm (while trying his best to not wake her up) and the other went digging through his storage chamber for her key.

He found it a minute later and inserted it. The door hissed as the hydraulics moved to open it and as he stepped in, the lights flickered on so suddenly, almost blinding Optimus. It took him several moments of blinking his optics rapidly to adjust to the brightness before he gently laid Arcee down on her berth.

Most of the time, he would leave right away. But instead this time, he lingered behind and focused on the recharging female in front of him. As he took in her sleeping form, his spark did a little flip when it came to her private parts. There was no question that whenever Arcee was sighted or even spoken of, it had sent his spark afluttering.

He couldn't help himself from raising a fore digit and a thumb to caressing her side faceplate lovingly. She didn't seem to notice it at all and slept on. Before long, Optimus had lowered himself further to her level, to a point where it was his lips grazing hers. As he got closer, his spark began to thump very loudly. He shut his optics off while his servos brushed over her cheek and waist, thus pulling her up to his face and holding her in the crook of his arm.

There was no one around to watch the scene unfold between him and Arcee and for that, he felt thankful. Because this was the first time in years he was allowed to express his growing feelings for the femme. He didn't think it was love, but rather something else. Here, he wasn't just Optimus Prime, a follower of Primus and noble figure to those who sought peace and justice, but his own person. The surface of Orion Pax had come to new heights. "I shouldn't…be doing…this..." he murmured. But he wanted to.

However, just before he could finally kiss her, the title of Prime screamed at him. It was telling him to not get involved in romantic relationships, especially his SIC and for that, Optimus hissed. So many years now going down the drain.

He pulled himself away from her face and sighed. He was torn between his duty as Prime and Orion Pax who still lived under the burden of the title. Was it worth it? Frag yes! Was it the right time? He hesitated to say no.

Slowly and gently, he lowered her back onto the berth and distanced himself away from her. The futher he was away from Arcee, the more angry he was becoming. Now he was really regretting of not having to have kissed her. From the time she joined his team, he held a strange fascination for her, which grew during their mission in the Arctic. He silently wished they would be more than friends, but the universe of that fantasy would take eons to achieve.

Optimus let his optics roll over at every curve of her figure; her strong legs; her peaceful expression; her beauty. He then released an exasperated sigh as he rubbed his optics tiredly. "Primus, help me…" He hadn't felt this way in a long time, not since his old flame and lover Elita-One had died in the beginning of the war.

Maybe he could settle for a little while longer as friends. Close friends. When the war was over or when it was the right time, he would confess how he felt about her. He smiled at the thought, returned to her side and gave her forehead crest a kiss, relishing in the sweet moment when he heard her humming as a warm smile came about her face.

"How much I've yet to tell you in time, Arcee." He whispered. "In time. Perhaps you will feel the same as I do. Until then, recharge well, my sweetspark." He gave her another kiss to the forehead, this time the kiss being so tender and fondled her cheekplate lovingly. He then rose to his normal height, whisked himself around and back to the door where he shut the lights off and shut her door with the key.

Optimus stood outside Arcee's quarters and thought over what he had said and done in the last few minutes. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, but couldn't formulate words.

"Primus, am I being a fool for love?" He wondered. "I cannot tell Arcee how much I care about her." It was then that Optimus Prime had fully returned to him, adjusting his internal mechanics to leadership mode as he dug his servo into his storage chamber for the key, looked at it for a few brief moments, moved to return it to Ratchet (who'd been wanting the details) and departed to his quarters for the night.

…Um, review? Should I continue this with Arcee's?

-Halo