Hidden In Plain Sight p. 13
Rating: Mild
Words: 832
Have some Ratchet today. =)
Now that they were safely back inside the Medical Center, seated in a private waiting room, Ratchet was annoyed. Reacting like that because of the crowd was...irritating and embarrassing. Crowds were really nothing new and that situation should have merely been disrupting and annoying. Not nearly so...worrysome. And now Ultra and Optimus were hovering because of it. Ratchet internally berated himself, again, for not being more forceful and escaping by himself.
"Ratchet? Do you need anything?" Optimus asked softly.
"I'm fine." Ratchet grumped.
Optimus and Ultra glanced at each other, and Ratchet just knew they were texting and who they were discussing.
"Don't fuss." Ratchet told them. "Those bots just..." Ratchet looked away from them, arms crossed, "startled me."
"Don't worry Ratchet. We will keep them away next time." Ultra reassured.
Ratchet vented a sigh. They misunderstood, but they were worried so it came as little surprise. Mechs worried so much when it came to their femmes and even possibly dangerous or distressing situations. Ratchet definitely had been that worried and protective when Arcee was vulnerable. Less than effective, but worried.
"Are you mechs harrassing Ratchet?" Arcee's voice came from the doorway, interrupting Ratchet's line of processing.
"No, they're just overly concerned." Ratchet mumbled in answer.
Arcee smiled. "So they're behaving like typical mechs." She concluded.
"Yeah, sure." Ratchet softly agreed. Conflicting emotions made Ratchet alternately pleased and embarrassed that Arcee was there.
Arcee walked over, gently patting Ratchet's shoulder plates.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. The first time I got noticed in a crowd, as a mature bot, I hid behind my creators. The first is always terrifying, and you were in a much bigger crowd with no companions as a buffer." Arcee pointed out. "You shouldn't be ashamed."
Ratchet huffed. Arcee had a point, not that it made accepting it any easier.
"Now, come on." Arcee demanded. "The crowd is mostly dispersed by now. We're taking you home."
Ratchet fought a grimace. The apartment Ratchet called home was...not the greatest. Actually, Ratchet didn't even know if it still belonged to him. Technically it should, being paid for vorns still, but building owners didn't always stick to that practice. Especially if a building changed ownership, or was in need of serious repairs and the tenant was out and unreachable when their part of the building was rebuilt. High class apartments had no such issues, but Ratchet had never been able to afford those.
"Alright." Ratchet sighed in agreement. "It's a bit of a distance so we should probably transform to get there faster."
The others quickly transformed around him and Ratchet followed at a much slower rate. Having his 'outer' protoform breaking down meant some of the gears were beginning to slip out of alignment, but while it was still attached to his frame that outer portion needed to actually transform. Ratchet hoped that there wouldn't come a sol where something slipped or broke so transformation was impossible for a while. His mechs would fuss non-stop over that.
Once they exited the front doors, Ratchet was joined by Arcee, the femme driving so close their paint scraped several times, the both of them flanked by Optimus and Ultra Magnus. The bots on the street moved out of the way easily, staring the whole time. Likely most had never seen two 'femmes' in one place, at one time before. Ratchet tried to ignore them. It wasn't long before they were leaving the nicer neighborhoods and entering the more run-down. Ultra and Optimus' engines rumbled unhappily and Ratchet slid a careful optic over the both of them, guaging their moods. Neither were happy, and Ratchet knew it would not get any better. The apartment building was even deeper in the run-down sector.
"Slag." Ratchet cursed when they rounded the last corner...and the building was only rubble. It had probably been demolished at some point. As Ratchet recalled, it had been halfway there already.
"Was that your building?" Optimus asked, transforming and staring at the rubble.
"Yeah. Looks like it was finally torn down." Ratchet said, trying not to sound sad. It was unlikely most of Ratchet's belongings had been saved. There were a few irreplacable items somewhere in that pile.
"You'll need a new place it looks like." Arcee said, transforming as well and walking closer to the building site. "And to find out what they did with your belongings."
"They're probably somewhere in there." Ratchet admitted, staying in vehicle form. They weren't going to stay here long anyway.
"Until we find you a suitable home you will stay with me." Ultra Magnus decided. "The Magnus Manor has plenty of empty guest rooms in it."
"I wouldn't want to impose." Ratchet said only to be quickly vetoed.
"That is an excellent suggestion, Ultra Magnus." Arcee beamed. "And Ratchet will be protected from any mechs who think she is unclaimed."
"I agree." Optimus said, and that was that.
Ratchet was staying at the Magnus' Manor for the time being.
Words: 832
Have some Ratchet today. =)
Now that they were safely back inside the Medical Center, seated in a private waiting room, Ratchet was annoyed. Reacting like that because of the crowd was...irritating and embarrassing. Crowds were really nothing new and that situation should have merely been disrupting and annoying. Not nearly so...worrysome. And now Ultra and Optimus were hovering because of it. Ratchet internally berated himself, again, for not being more forceful and escaping by himself.
"Ratchet? Do you need anything?" Optimus asked softly.
"I'm fine." Ratchet grumped.
Optimus and Ultra glanced at each other, and Ratchet just knew they were texting and who they were discussing.
"Don't fuss." Ratchet told them. "Those bots just..." Ratchet looked away from them, arms crossed, "startled me."
"Don't worry Ratchet. We will keep them away next time." Ultra reassured.
Ratchet vented a sigh. They misunderstood, but they were worried so it came as little surprise. Mechs worried so much when it came to their femmes and even possibly dangerous or distressing situations. Ratchet definitely had been that worried and protective when Arcee was vulnerable. Less than effective, but worried.
"Are you mechs harrassing Ratchet?" Arcee's voice came from the doorway, interrupting Ratchet's line of processing.
"No, they're just overly concerned." Ratchet mumbled in answer.
Arcee smiled. "So they're behaving like typical mechs." She concluded.
"Yeah, sure." Ratchet softly agreed. Conflicting emotions made Ratchet alternately pleased and embarrassed that Arcee was there.
Arcee walked over, gently patting Ratchet's shoulder plates.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. The first time I got noticed in a crowd, as a mature bot, I hid behind my creators. The first is always terrifying, and you were in a much bigger crowd with no companions as a buffer." Arcee pointed out. "You shouldn't be ashamed."
Ratchet huffed. Arcee had a point, not that it made accepting it any easier.
"Now, come on." Arcee demanded. "The crowd is mostly dispersed by now. We're taking you home."
Ratchet fought a grimace. The apartment Ratchet called home was...not the greatest. Actually, Ratchet didn't even know if it still belonged to him. Technically it should, being paid for vorns still, but building owners didn't always stick to that practice. Especially if a building changed ownership, or was in need of serious repairs and the tenant was out and unreachable when their part of the building was rebuilt. High class apartments had no such issues, but Ratchet had never been able to afford those.
"Alright." Ratchet sighed in agreement. "It's a bit of a distance so we should probably transform to get there faster."
The others quickly transformed around him and Ratchet followed at a much slower rate. Having his 'outer' protoform breaking down meant some of the gears were beginning to slip out of alignment, but while it was still attached to his frame that outer portion needed to actually transform. Ratchet hoped that there wouldn't come a sol where something slipped or broke so transformation was impossible for a while. His mechs would fuss non-stop over that.
Once they exited the front doors, Ratchet was joined by Arcee, the femme driving so close their paint scraped several times, the both of them flanked by Optimus and Ultra Magnus. The bots on the street moved out of the way easily, staring the whole time. Likely most had never seen two 'femmes' in one place, at one time before. Ratchet tried to ignore them. It wasn't long before they were leaving the nicer neighborhoods and entering the more run-down. Ultra and Optimus' engines rumbled unhappily and Ratchet slid a careful optic over the both of them, guaging their moods. Neither were happy, and Ratchet knew it would not get any better. The apartment building was even deeper in the run-down sector.
"Slag." Ratchet cursed when they rounded the last corner...and the building was only rubble. It had probably been demolished at some point. As Ratchet recalled, it had been halfway there already.
"Was that your building?" Optimus asked, transforming and staring at the rubble.
"Yeah. Looks like it was finally torn down." Ratchet said, trying not to sound sad. It was unlikely most of Ratchet's belongings had been saved. There were a few irreplacable items somewhere in that pile.
"You'll need a new place it looks like." Arcee said, transforming as well and walking closer to the building site. "And to find out what they did with your belongings."
"They're probably somewhere in there." Ratchet admitted, staying in vehicle form. They weren't going to stay here long anyway.
"Until we find you a suitable home you will stay with me." Ultra Magnus decided. "The Magnus Manor has plenty of empty guest rooms in it."
"I wouldn't want to impose." Ratchet said only to be quickly vetoed.
"That is an excellent suggestion, Ultra Magnus." Arcee beamed. "And Ratchet will be protected from any mechs who think she is unclaimed."
"I agree." Optimus said, and that was that.
Ratchet was staying at the Magnus' Manor for the time being.