TFA 'verse. Autobot base. Peace.
"Why are you sitting on me?" Optimus frowned bemusedly at the tiny femme who'd set up camp on his chestplate as soon as he'd gotten settled on his berth.
"Because you're comfortable." Blackarachnia's voice held the smile that her face couldn't show.
The young Prime lifted a brow plate at her reply, but found himself lifting a hand and offering it to her as his spark beat quietly. He still didn't fully trust her, but being around her was starting to be a whole lot less painful.
Her small, crude hand closed around his finger as her optic band brightened. "Myrrh was here while you were out on patrol."
"Really?" Optimus frowned at missing his daughter. "Did she look okay, I mean...."
Blackarachnia chuckled at him. "She's fine. She came to check on me. I guess visiting the prisoners is part of being a Primus servant."
Optimus' frown deepened at the reminder of her status, and his hand moved unconciously to protectively encircle her frail form.
"I don't care," said Blackarachnia softly. "I'm finally free of that cursed organic contamination. Now I can take whatever happens to me, even paying for what I've done."
"Though...." She looked away, her voice dropping further. "I'll... miss you when the Elite Guard finally gets their afts in gear and comes to get me."
She's manipulating you! yelled a voice inside Optimus' processor. Trying to make you feel bad so you don't hand her over to be tried!
We both know that won't happen, he replied to it. She knows I'll do what's right, no matter how it makes me feel.
"I... think I'll miss you too," he admitted, dropping the shutters over his optics.
"Hey...." She let go his hand and moved up to touch his cheek. "It won't be forever. And good behavior will get me less time. If... you still want me around after that...."
He put his hand on her back, feeling a mixture of guilt and contentment as her arms went around his neck and she snuggled close. "If you really mean it... I... think I'd like that."
"What about your career?" Her voice was a whisper. "Consorting with the enemy?"
"I've already thrown it away more than once." He rubbed her back gently, feeling the tension slowly fade from her shell. "I won't leave you behind again."
Blackarachnia gave a low chuckle and turned her face toward his neck. "Boyscout. Always."
Then she sighed. "I'm glad."
Optimus just stilled his hand, but left it laying protectively over her. "Get some stasis. There's no telling what'll come up tonight."
She chuckled and nuzzled close, then went still.
And Optimus stared at the ceiling long after Bumblebee and Witchblade finally stopped chattering out in the common room and went to bed, his mind and spark in a turmoil as he tried to figure out just exactly how he felt about this tiny femme, and what she could want from him now.
"Because you're comfortable." Blackarachnia's voice held the smile that her face couldn't show.
The young Prime lifted a brow plate at her reply, but found himself lifting a hand and offering it to her as his spark beat quietly. He still didn't fully trust her, but being around her was starting to be a whole lot less painful.
Her small, crude hand closed around his finger as her optic band brightened. "Myrrh was here while you were out on patrol."
"Really?" Optimus frowned at missing his daughter. "Did she look okay, I mean...."
Blackarachnia chuckled at him. "She's fine. She came to check on me. I guess visiting the prisoners is part of being a Primus servant."
Optimus' frown deepened at the reminder of her status, and his hand moved unconciously to protectively encircle her frail form.
"I don't care," said Blackarachnia softly. "I'm finally free of that cursed organic contamination. Now I can take whatever happens to me, even paying for what I've done."
"Though...." She looked away, her voice dropping further. "I'll... miss you when the Elite Guard finally gets their afts in gear and comes to get me."
She's manipulating you! yelled a voice inside Optimus' processor. Trying to make you feel bad so you don't hand her over to be tried!
We both know that won't happen, he replied to it. She knows I'll do what's right, no matter how it makes me feel.
"I... think I'll miss you too," he admitted, dropping the shutters over his optics.
"Hey...." She let go his hand and moved up to touch his cheek. "It won't be forever. And good behavior will get me less time. If... you still want me around after that...."
He put his hand on her back, feeling a mixture of guilt and contentment as her arms went around his neck and she snuggled close. "If you really mean it... I... think I'd like that."
"What about your career?" Her voice was a whisper. "Consorting with the enemy?"
"I've already thrown it away more than once." He rubbed her back gently, feeling the tension slowly fade from her shell. "I won't leave you behind again."
Blackarachnia gave a low chuckle and turned her face toward his neck. "Boyscout. Always."
Then she sighed. "I'm glad."
Optimus just stilled his hand, but left it laying protectively over her. "Get some stasis. There's no telling what'll come up tonight."
She chuckled and nuzzled close, then went still.
And Optimus stared at the ceiling long after Bumblebee and Witchblade finally stopped chattering out in the common room and went to bed, his mind and spark in a turmoil as he tried to figure out just exactly how he felt about this tiny femme, and what she could want from him now.