Fic- Local Flora, Tap-Out/Glyph, December Challenge Response
Title/Prompt: Local Flora
Writer: Left_eye_better
Rating: K+
Characters: Glyph, Tap-Out, and the Wreckers
Summary: Life is never easy for our hero Tap-Out, but at least this time he was a pretty femme worried about him, and she has the Wreckers backing her up.
Prompt: Glyph/Tap-Out: Live every moment as if it's your last, because it is.
Warning: None really this time.
Continuity: G1, Post Cartoon
Word Count: 3936
Beta’d by: unbeta’d, I have it being worked on and will update it with the beta’d version when it is available.
Disclaimer: Transformers © Hasbro/Takara.
______________________
She cycled air in a sigh. She knew better than to run ahead of Tap-Out. Glyph had been in a hurry to reach the site that Optimus had arranged their access to on Nebulos. This did mean having to trek through dense jungle in root-mode carrying any equipment in their subspace but it was worth it, or it usually was.
She’d been moving ahead steadily putting a growing amount of distance between herself and her green painted bodyguard without realizing it until she heard the booby-trap go off. Glyph had worked her way back to Tap-Out’s position, and cleared the debris from the large boulder that had smashed into him. Nervously she took a seat on the jungle floor and pulled the sturdier built mech into her lap. Perhaps thinking back she should have warned him of the Nebulans had a bad habit of rigging passages to their ancient sites with various perils.
The femme made a small sad sound. Tap-Out was going to be mad when he woke of course more at himself for leaving her unguarded, than at her for running ahead and not warning him of the dangers. Her delicate finger gently pulled the broken glass of his chest window away from the opening. There was no need for glass to work its way into his systems causing complications. She placed the pieces in a tiny pile to her right side. The sun of the Nebulos system filtered through the leaves and hit the shards causing them to glint beautiful in the light that dappled the ground.
Glyph knew according to her maps their destination was only a few kliks away but there was no way for her to move him, and his attitude would not be any better if she did try. It was best just to wait. She pulled him higher into her lap letting his helm rest at her hip. She inspected his damages. While he didn’t look his usual dashing self he was in no serious trouble according to her estimate. The joint had probably shocked his systems into rebooting, meaning a defrag would be done and if the mech was in need of any recharge he’d be allowed it. Her fingers trailed along his helm tracing the old scars of small dents and gouges, and taking note of some that ventured to continue from the helm to the soft pliable metal that comprised their faceplates. Without thought her fingers continued onto those lines as well.
Tap-Out stirred slightly and the blue minibot pulled her hand from the mech’s faceplates. Behind her mask she shyly nipped at her bottom lip. As he settled back into deep recharge she vented air. Glyph knew her bodyguard after so many missions together. She didn’t mind arriving slightly behind schedule to the site if it allow Tap-Out the rest he deserved. She craned over him trying to see his face from a different angle. He looked so peaceful, and so, so tired but he seemed to always look somewhat tired. She pulled a couple more pieces of glass from his chest and deposited them on the pile.
Looking around them to take in the situation, Glyph doubted they would place two booby-traps in the same location. That boulder would’ve been enough to keep the organic inhabitants of the planet way from ancient collection of tombs. Her optics fell upon the green mech’s laser pistol that must’ve been knocked from his hand. Trying to reach without disturbing the mech on her lap. She picked up the gun with her index finger and thumb acting as though it would bite her only to move it closer. She knew how to use it, but it would just be better if it did not come down to that. The weapon was deposited next to her leg.
She soon got bored of the local floral. As pretty as it was, her attention kept returning to the damaged mech resting on her lap. Gently she stroked his helm. If it hadn’t been for the circumstance that cause Tap-Out’s sudden unconsciousness this could be deemed pleasant. The corners of Glyph’s hidden mouth were turned up in a shy smile at the thought of this happening in a controlled situation, Tap-Out choosing to seek comfort, Tap-Out choosing to let his carefully constructed and firmly held guard down, Tap-Out choosing to rest for one Primus-given moment. Her fingers had again wandered to the sensitive facial plating, running the knuckle of her forefinger down his cheekplate noticing an imperfection in the plating, yet another scar.
The hidden smile slowly wilted. He had so many scars. The femme didn’t understand why he’d kept them. The war was over. Cybertron had entered its second golden age, and had the supplies for such superficial repairs. Her optical shutters closed briefly as if to clean dust from the lenses. Her poor bodyguard, it didn’t seem like he ever had it easy. It was obvious he had his glitches, but after that war who didn’t? Her hand rested on his helm and her thumb petted one of the horns. He had to deal with whatever had scarred him so bad, and now her had to deal with her. He never told her anything, not if he was tired, or if he felt like fueling, or what had happened to him and she couldn’t bring herself to ask others take may have known, not when it was his story to tell.
“I’m sorry, Tap-Out.” She bowed her helm lightly touching the crest of her helm to his. She shuttered her optics letting her helm rest there briefly. Her systems only drew air seldom, and with her optics shut she could hear the sounds of the natural life of the jungle all the more clearly. Suddenly a hand came down on the back of her helm making her jerk her helm away from Tap-Out’s and her optical shutters retract back with a snap.
“Heh, what are you sorry about? Not like you threw the rock at me.” The green mech’s hand kept her from retreating further, leaving her bent over his form. His optics were lit and he gazed up at the femme with a small smile visible on his face plates. Tap-Out drew up one of his legs to bend and placed his pede flat on the ground. He shifted in the blue minibot’s lap. “Oh that stings a bit.” He lifted a hand to his dented chest plate, near to the broken window. Another piece of glass broken from the window frame and fell into his chest.
Glyph tenderly took hold of her bodyguard's hand and keeping hold of it moved it to the ground. Her other hand fished out the piece of glass and set it with the small mound of shards. "Don't do that. The glass could get hung up in your chest." Her warning didn't hold much bite, but it was enough to keep warrior still, and more than enough for him to turn a handsome smile her way.
The green mech chuckled and she frowned at him behind her mask. The idea of his insides getting torn by glass wasn't funny at all. The femme's displeasure at his reaction must of shown in her optics because he quieted. Tap-Out glanced away. He always took injury to himself lightly, after what he'd seen, done and lived through it didn't benefit anyone to overreact to the damages. Soft touches traced where the glass met his frame and a shiver ran through him.
"Sorry!" The blue femme pulled her hand away from the damage. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you..." She seemed to shrink away from him at that point as if fearing causing him more damage.
Tap-Out shook his helm. "Don't worry about it. I barely feel it." His pain receptors had never been properly calibrated after he had been rescued from the pits of Polyhex. The green mech was actually surprised he'd been able to feel the light touches to start with. He started to sit up, taking a large draw of air into his systems before completing the motion." We probably should remove the rest of that window, and tape some plastic over it. This planet's too wet to run around with my internals open to contaminants."
The femme nervously moved beside him as he sat up. "Are you sure you should be moving? That boulder knocked you into a reboot. That can't be any good for your systems, no matter how much you need to recharge..." Her hand rested on his shoulder and she visibly winced at Tap-Out's decision to run his hand along the rest of the window edge to remove the rest of the glass that remove. Glyph’s hand moved onto his back plates rubbing soothingly as he leaned forward to left the glass fall to the jungle floor.
"I'll be fine." He swept out more of the glass. "Do you have the medkit?" Tap-Out looked over his shoulder at the femme, the light filtering through the canopy caused dappled spots that seemed to dance on her plating. The green mech vented air. She'd never know how grateful he was that nothing happened to her while he was rebooting. He didn't want to think about what he'd do if he lost someone as innocent as her.
"Umm... Yes!" She turned slightly reaching behind her into her subspace to retrieve the kit. Pausing she looked back at him, “You sure it doesn’t hurt?” Glyph never understood why but whenever he said he was “fine,” “okay,” or “Just fine and dandy” it only made her worry more. She pulled out the kit, and set it in Tap-Out’s lap.
The next few minutes involved a good deal of awkwardness of the blue minibot attempting to measure a sheet of plastic against his front, and marking it, then trying to as neatly and securely as possible tape the rectangle around the open area. Immediately after it was done the bodyguard started posturing that they needed to get moving again, to illustrate the fact he started to lever himself to stand. Glyph buzzed around him as he made his way to his pedes. His vision abruptly tilted to the right, and the mech had to wonder why the ground seemed a lot closure than it should before he kissed it again.
Glyph had tried to catch him and had at least managed to lessen his impact. She’s tried telling him to rest but it was obvious his bravado had gotten in his way. Mechs, can’t live with them, and can’t live four million years without them and not miss the dunces. Moving into a more controlled sitting position she pulled him back to her, pillowing his helm in her lap once more. She’d have to make sure he saw a medic when they had the next opportunity. Her little big bad bodyguard was a handful at times. The femme’s hand had taken up the position of stroking his helmet once more. It was going to be a long day.
By the time Tap-Out’s systems had seemed to recover enough to allow the mech to come out of forced recharged it was evening. He groaned and rubbed his helm. His charge came over beside him and knelt. “Glyph I’m really failing you this mission aren’t it? I swear come morning we’ll-” His words were cut short as the femme’s arm managed to slip under his shoulders to raise him to a more appropriate half sitting position before pressing a ration cube to his lips.
“We can camp here however long till you are actually ready. I do want to reach the dig site but I’d prefer both of us reach the dig site. Now drink.” The cube made another nudge at the green mech’s lips. The tightness in the frame dissipated as Tap-Out followed her instruction. His hand left the ground beside him to overlap her hand, and foolishly she felt her systems heat slightly.
This trip was slowly becoming an exercise in patience for both of them. There was something between them. It was an underlying force that was slowly surfacing causing their missions together to be pleasant albeit awkward. Neither of them mentioned it. Casual touches were exchanged, comfort was given when needed, and neither of them wished to stop.
_______________
Glyph’s ventilation systems hitched as she sat on the floor of the Xantium’s cargo hold. Her arms still pulling Tap-Out’s dented form against her chassis. Her helm was tucked into his shoulder. They’d spent two weeks on Nebulos and while they had made it to the dig site, Tap-Out’s condition had worsened. Something was dreadfully wrong with him. She shuddered and her hand clutched at the back of her bodyguard’s helm. The blue femme hadn’t known what to do. He just kept getting worse, and claiming he was fine. Finally his temperature reached critical and he entered a stasis lock that she hadn’t been able to rouse him from. He was still warm it was as him his ventilation and cooling system weren’t even functional.
Topspin crouched beside her, placing a large hand on her shoulder. The femme raised her helm, her visor flickering with emotion. She’d called the Wreckers. She knew it was foolish, but they knew Tap-Out. They’d help him. Glyph nodded to Topspin’s words and allowed the Jumpstarter to take the green mech from her grasp. It took an amazing amount of control to keep herself from latching onto her fellow minibot and making Wrecker carry them both.
Her hand went to her mask, and the other was pulled still clenched to her chest plate. She felt like someone had made the gravity in the cargo hold too great for her to stand. Glyph looked around the large cargo with a blank weary expression. Heavy steps jolted her out of her stupor as she was swept but from the ground by a mech of similar build to the one that had taken Tap-Out away.
“Come on, Little Lady.” Twin Twist playful dipped her over his knee as if they had been dancing and shot her a smile in an attempt to cheer her up. “I know your Beau is laid up, but there are plenty mech’s here to keep you happy.” Their size difference was displayed to Glyph once more as the driller swung her from the dip into a bridal style hold. The blue femme looked as though she was contemplating being ill herself. “Let’s get you some fuel, and someone can show you to the spare quarters while my Brother gets Tap-Out sorted.”
With an exhale of air from her ventilation system, the scientist nodded and slouched against the Wrecker’s chest as he started to make his way deeper into the Xantium. Again she had the feeling it was going to be a long day.
The blue minibot sat on a bench in the common area of the Xantium between two much larger mechs, that if she had to guess were most likely triplechangers. They were friendly enough and had saved her from the blue and white mech that seemed to have a thing for treating her as a ragdoll to be picked up and thrown around. To her left sat an orange mech a cross between a buggy and a helicopter and looking up to her right was an impressively sized mech grey and maroon in color. She held her cube close to her mouth her helm tilted back in order to see the battleship and flyer composite’s helm.
Broadside looked down at her and noticed her embarrassed mien. His hand shook her helm teasingly. It was nice to have a femme on board for a change. He wasn’t going to abuse the opportunity, and he wasn’t about to let Twin Twist abuse it either. The Jumpstarter sat dejectedly across the table from them.
They sat silently for the most part besides going over the plans to return to Cyberton to drop their guests off, or make jokes at their absent Captain’s expense. After a while still holding the cube close to her lips Glyph spoke up. “So,” It was startling how quickly one word from her had gathered the attention of the mechs at the table. Her helm ducked and she took a sip of her cube. Under the table her pedes crossed out of nervous habit. “How do you know Tap-Out?”
The jovial expression on the Wreckers’ facial plates around her seemed to wither, and for a moment she thought perhaps she’s asked an inappropriate question. Broadside gently placed a hand on her back plates, prompting her to turn her gaze back up at him. “It’s not really a story fit for femme audials, and if he hasn’t told you… well It’s really not our business to.”
The blue and white mech across the table chimed in leaning forward. “Let’s just say we got him outta a tight spot even for a minibot build. There are some places that only us, Wreckers dare to tread.” Twin Twist jabbed a thumb to his chest plate to indicate him as one of the said Wreckers.
Glyph looked expectantly to the orange mech to her left and the triplechanger shrugged before replying. “It was before I was apart of the Kamikaze crew.”
She nodded meekly in reply. Maybe, Glyph glanced between the three mechs, they would understand her concern, and maybe, if they wouldn’t tell her anymore about Tap-Out’s past, they could at least help her understand him. “I worry about him sometimes, Tap-Out I mean. He always is running into danger, and when he gets himself twisted like scrap he just smiles and laughs it off.” She hunched more and dragged one pede than the other onto the oversized bench. “He says he can’t feel it but I know he’s lying. He gets so mad when I do anything dangerous, but…” Her arms wrapped around her legs, pulling them closer. The hand on her back rubbed as gently as possible. Her visor flickered again from her welling emotions. “I’m so scared he’s going to jump in a die because of me. This mission I wasn’t even doing anything, just cause he was with me he, he…” A keen broke her speech and the mechs around her cringed.
A voice cut through the tension that had built in the common area. “I leave you mechs with a femme for a couple joors, and look what happens.” The Wreckers didn’t need to look at who had arrived. They recognized their leader’s voice perfectly fine. Twin Twist’s helm clunked against the table. Glyph didn’t look up from where she’d bowed her helm. Springer came over trying to assess the damage his troops had caused. He took a knee beside the spot where there guest was situate on the bench and tilted his helm attempting to met her gaze at a distance through the gap between her arm and leg. “Hey, Now, I know my crew aren’t the smoothest mechs around but they didn’t mean to make you upset.” Sandstorm rolled his optics at Springer’s words.
“I don’t take it that you’d believe us if we told you she actually made herself upset?” Twin Twist asked rather flatly with his helm still against the table.
Deciding it was probably better at least to remove her from the company that had tipped her over the emotion breaking point, Springer gently wrapped an arm around the minibot’s midsection and pulled her from the bench standing as he did such pulling a surprised yelp from the femme. “Your invited to the bridge. Rack‘n’Ruin will probably be better company.” Glyph allowed herself to hang in the triplechanger’s grasp, as her ventilation systems hiccupped.
The two made their way through the corridors of the ship to the bridge. The green mech deposited the scientist in the command chair and went to check on the ship’s status with the combined mechs that were at the forward console. The blue minibot grew curious as she looked at the combined mech. She didn’t dare ask how they had end up with that configuration, since she determined she had already asked one too many dumb questions for the day already. Leaning against the armrest of the chair she shuttered her optics.
_______________
Glyph wasn’t entirely surprised when she next unshuttered her optics and notices the large difference between the timestamp at the bottom right of her vision and the one she last remembered. Springer was the only one on the bridge and the lights were dimmed indicating that they had gone into the designated recharge cycle. She pushed against the arm of the chair and sat up.
“Hey,” The captain wasn’t even looking in her direction but seemed to know that she had come out of recharge. Looking over at him she realized he’d spotted her movement in glass of the forward bridge monitors. “Topspin got Tap-Out stabilized. He’d like to keep him out most of the way to Cybertron to keep him that way. Don’t have the parts to get him running smooth with us.”
The blue femme nodded before moving to the edge seat and hoping down. She walked over beside the leader of the Wreckers. “Thank you, Captain. I can’t tell you how much Tap-Out scared me…” She looked downward, then remember with much embarrassment her breakdown. “Oh, and don’t be too hard on those three I was with, I really was the one that had made myself upset, not them.”
The triplechanger chuckled, “Don’t worry about them, I already had a chat about what happened back there. You really like that rough and tumble mech don’t ya?” Springer looked out at the image from the outside being projected on the monitors rather that down at the minibot, trying to not make the femme feel any smaller than she probably already was.
“I do. I want to know him, but the closer I get…” She clenched and unclenched her hands several times as if trying to grasp the words she wanted. “He keeps me at an arm’s length, and it’s always about his duty.” She shook her helm. “I know this has something to do with his past. It had to have been rough. He’s so scarred.”
“You Don’t Know the Half of It.” Springer interjected and crossed his arms over his chest plate.
“I want to! I don’t know why he doesn’t tell me. He’s so willing to lay his life on the line for me… I just want to understand him. I want to be closer than an arm’s length.” The femme hugged herself and stubbornly following suit to Springer looked to the monitors.
“Have you actually told him that? Have you told him you love him?” Springer asked in a kind tone sparing a glance down at the scientist beside him. “I know the war is over, at least for most of us, but take it from me; any moment could still be your, or more likely his, last. Tell him if you love him ‘cause imagine if the worst does happen, and he never knew.”
Glyph placed a hand over her facemask, while the other arm was still wrapped tight around her chestplate, her hand tight on her upper arm of the opposite limb. “But what if… what if he doesn’t think off me that way?” Her voice was small.
Springer chuckled, which caused the femme to look up at him. She didn’t particularly find anything funny about her question. “Hun, if you’d heard him when Topspin had him on the good painkillers you wouldn’t have any doubts about his feelings for you.”
Writer: Left_eye_better
Rating: K+
Characters: Glyph, Tap-Out, and the Wreckers
Summary: Life is never easy for our hero Tap-Out, but at least this time he was a pretty femme worried about him, and she has the Wreckers backing her up.
Prompt: Glyph/Tap-Out: Live every moment as if it's your last, because it is.
Warning: None really this time.
Continuity: G1, Post Cartoon
Word Count: 3936
Beta’d by: unbeta’d, I have it being worked on and will update it with the beta’d version when it is available.
Disclaimer: Transformers © Hasbro/Takara.
______________________
She cycled air in a sigh. She knew better than to run ahead of Tap-Out. Glyph had been in a hurry to reach the site that Optimus had arranged their access to on Nebulos. This did mean having to trek through dense jungle in root-mode carrying any equipment in their subspace but it was worth it, or it usually was.
She’d been moving ahead steadily putting a growing amount of distance between herself and her green painted bodyguard without realizing it until she heard the booby-trap go off. Glyph had worked her way back to Tap-Out’s position, and cleared the debris from the large boulder that had smashed into him. Nervously she took a seat on the jungle floor and pulled the sturdier built mech into her lap. Perhaps thinking back she should have warned him of the Nebulans had a bad habit of rigging passages to their ancient sites with various perils.
The femme made a small sad sound. Tap-Out was going to be mad when he woke of course more at himself for leaving her unguarded, than at her for running ahead and not warning him of the dangers. Her delicate finger gently pulled the broken glass of his chest window away from the opening. There was no need for glass to work its way into his systems causing complications. She placed the pieces in a tiny pile to her right side. The sun of the Nebulos system filtered through the leaves and hit the shards causing them to glint beautiful in the light that dappled the ground.
Glyph knew according to her maps their destination was only a few kliks away but there was no way for her to move him, and his attitude would not be any better if she did try. It was best just to wait. She pulled him higher into her lap letting his helm rest at her hip. She inspected his damages. While he didn’t look his usual dashing self he was in no serious trouble according to her estimate. The joint had probably shocked his systems into rebooting, meaning a defrag would be done and if the mech was in need of any recharge he’d be allowed it. Her fingers trailed along his helm tracing the old scars of small dents and gouges, and taking note of some that ventured to continue from the helm to the soft pliable metal that comprised their faceplates. Without thought her fingers continued onto those lines as well.
Tap-Out stirred slightly and the blue minibot pulled her hand from the mech’s faceplates. Behind her mask she shyly nipped at her bottom lip. As he settled back into deep recharge she vented air. Glyph knew her bodyguard after so many missions together. She didn’t mind arriving slightly behind schedule to the site if it allow Tap-Out the rest he deserved. She craned over him trying to see his face from a different angle. He looked so peaceful, and so, so tired but he seemed to always look somewhat tired. She pulled a couple more pieces of glass from his chest and deposited them on the pile.
Looking around them to take in the situation, Glyph doubted they would place two booby-traps in the same location. That boulder would’ve been enough to keep the organic inhabitants of the planet way from ancient collection of tombs. Her optics fell upon the green mech’s laser pistol that must’ve been knocked from his hand. Trying to reach without disturbing the mech on her lap. She picked up the gun with her index finger and thumb acting as though it would bite her only to move it closer. She knew how to use it, but it would just be better if it did not come down to that. The weapon was deposited next to her leg.
She soon got bored of the local floral. As pretty as it was, her attention kept returning to the damaged mech resting on her lap. Gently she stroked his helm. If it hadn’t been for the circumstance that cause Tap-Out’s sudden unconsciousness this could be deemed pleasant. The corners of Glyph’s hidden mouth were turned up in a shy smile at the thought of this happening in a controlled situation, Tap-Out choosing to seek comfort, Tap-Out choosing to let his carefully constructed and firmly held guard down, Tap-Out choosing to rest for one Primus-given moment. Her fingers had again wandered to the sensitive facial plating, running the knuckle of her forefinger down his cheekplate noticing an imperfection in the plating, yet another scar.
The hidden smile slowly wilted. He had so many scars. The femme didn’t understand why he’d kept them. The war was over. Cybertron had entered its second golden age, and had the supplies for such superficial repairs. Her optical shutters closed briefly as if to clean dust from the lenses. Her poor bodyguard, it didn’t seem like he ever had it easy. It was obvious he had his glitches, but after that war who didn’t? Her hand rested on his helm and her thumb petted one of the horns. He had to deal with whatever had scarred him so bad, and now her had to deal with her. He never told her anything, not if he was tired, or if he felt like fueling, or what had happened to him and she couldn’t bring herself to ask others take may have known, not when it was his story to tell.
“I’m sorry, Tap-Out.” She bowed her helm lightly touching the crest of her helm to his. She shuttered her optics letting her helm rest there briefly. Her systems only drew air seldom, and with her optics shut she could hear the sounds of the natural life of the jungle all the more clearly. Suddenly a hand came down on the back of her helm making her jerk her helm away from Tap-Out’s and her optical shutters retract back with a snap.
“Heh, what are you sorry about? Not like you threw the rock at me.” The green mech’s hand kept her from retreating further, leaving her bent over his form. His optics were lit and he gazed up at the femme with a small smile visible on his face plates. Tap-Out drew up one of his legs to bend and placed his pede flat on the ground. He shifted in the blue minibot’s lap. “Oh that stings a bit.” He lifted a hand to his dented chest plate, near to the broken window. Another piece of glass broken from the window frame and fell into his chest.
Glyph tenderly took hold of her bodyguard's hand and keeping hold of it moved it to the ground. Her other hand fished out the piece of glass and set it with the small mound of shards. "Don't do that. The glass could get hung up in your chest." Her warning didn't hold much bite, but it was enough to keep warrior still, and more than enough for him to turn a handsome smile her way.
The green mech chuckled and she frowned at him behind her mask. The idea of his insides getting torn by glass wasn't funny at all. The femme's displeasure at his reaction must of shown in her optics because he quieted. Tap-Out glanced away. He always took injury to himself lightly, after what he'd seen, done and lived through it didn't benefit anyone to overreact to the damages. Soft touches traced where the glass met his frame and a shiver ran through him.
"Sorry!" The blue femme pulled her hand away from the damage. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you..." She seemed to shrink away from him at that point as if fearing causing him more damage.
Tap-Out shook his helm. "Don't worry about it. I barely feel it." His pain receptors had never been properly calibrated after he had been rescued from the pits of Polyhex. The green mech was actually surprised he'd been able to feel the light touches to start with. He started to sit up, taking a large draw of air into his systems before completing the motion." We probably should remove the rest of that window, and tape some plastic over it. This planet's too wet to run around with my internals open to contaminants."
The femme nervously moved beside him as he sat up. "Are you sure you should be moving? That boulder knocked you into a reboot. That can't be any good for your systems, no matter how much you need to recharge..." Her hand rested on his shoulder and she visibly winced at Tap-Out's decision to run his hand along the rest of the window edge to remove the rest of the glass that remove. Glyph’s hand moved onto his back plates rubbing soothingly as he leaned forward to left the glass fall to the jungle floor.
"I'll be fine." He swept out more of the glass. "Do you have the medkit?" Tap-Out looked over his shoulder at the femme, the light filtering through the canopy caused dappled spots that seemed to dance on her plating. The green mech vented air. She'd never know how grateful he was that nothing happened to her while he was rebooting. He didn't want to think about what he'd do if he lost someone as innocent as her.
"Umm... Yes!" She turned slightly reaching behind her into her subspace to retrieve the kit. Pausing she looked back at him, “You sure it doesn’t hurt?” Glyph never understood why but whenever he said he was “fine,” “okay,” or “Just fine and dandy” it only made her worry more. She pulled out the kit, and set it in Tap-Out’s lap.
The next few minutes involved a good deal of awkwardness of the blue minibot attempting to measure a sheet of plastic against his front, and marking it, then trying to as neatly and securely as possible tape the rectangle around the open area. Immediately after it was done the bodyguard started posturing that they needed to get moving again, to illustrate the fact he started to lever himself to stand. Glyph buzzed around him as he made his way to his pedes. His vision abruptly tilted to the right, and the mech had to wonder why the ground seemed a lot closure than it should before he kissed it again.
Glyph had tried to catch him and had at least managed to lessen his impact. She’s tried telling him to rest but it was obvious his bravado had gotten in his way. Mechs, can’t live with them, and can’t live four million years without them and not miss the dunces. Moving into a more controlled sitting position she pulled him back to her, pillowing his helm in her lap once more. She’d have to make sure he saw a medic when they had the next opportunity. Her little big bad bodyguard was a handful at times. The femme’s hand had taken up the position of stroking his helmet once more. It was going to be a long day.
By the time Tap-Out’s systems had seemed to recover enough to allow the mech to come out of forced recharged it was evening. He groaned and rubbed his helm. His charge came over beside him and knelt. “Glyph I’m really failing you this mission aren’t it? I swear come morning we’ll-” His words were cut short as the femme’s arm managed to slip under his shoulders to raise him to a more appropriate half sitting position before pressing a ration cube to his lips.
“We can camp here however long till you are actually ready. I do want to reach the dig site but I’d prefer both of us reach the dig site. Now drink.” The cube made another nudge at the green mech’s lips. The tightness in the frame dissipated as Tap-Out followed her instruction. His hand left the ground beside him to overlap her hand, and foolishly she felt her systems heat slightly.
This trip was slowly becoming an exercise in patience for both of them. There was something between them. It was an underlying force that was slowly surfacing causing their missions together to be pleasant albeit awkward. Neither of them mentioned it. Casual touches were exchanged, comfort was given when needed, and neither of them wished to stop.
_______________
Glyph’s ventilation systems hitched as she sat on the floor of the Xantium’s cargo hold. Her arms still pulling Tap-Out’s dented form against her chassis. Her helm was tucked into his shoulder. They’d spent two weeks on Nebulos and while they had made it to the dig site, Tap-Out’s condition had worsened. Something was dreadfully wrong with him. She shuddered and her hand clutched at the back of her bodyguard’s helm. The blue femme hadn’t known what to do. He just kept getting worse, and claiming he was fine. Finally his temperature reached critical and he entered a stasis lock that she hadn’t been able to rouse him from. He was still warm it was as him his ventilation and cooling system weren’t even functional.
Topspin crouched beside her, placing a large hand on her shoulder. The femme raised her helm, her visor flickering with emotion. She’d called the Wreckers. She knew it was foolish, but they knew Tap-Out. They’d help him. Glyph nodded to Topspin’s words and allowed the Jumpstarter to take the green mech from her grasp. It took an amazing amount of control to keep herself from latching onto her fellow minibot and making Wrecker carry them both.
Her hand went to her mask, and the other was pulled still clenched to her chest plate. She felt like someone had made the gravity in the cargo hold too great for her to stand. Glyph looked around the large cargo with a blank weary expression. Heavy steps jolted her out of her stupor as she was swept but from the ground by a mech of similar build to the one that had taken Tap-Out away.
“Come on, Little Lady.” Twin Twist playful dipped her over his knee as if they had been dancing and shot her a smile in an attempt to cheer her up. “I know your Beau is laid up, but there are plenty mech’s here to keep you happy.” Their size difference was displayed to Glyph once more as the driller swung her from the dip into a bridal style hold. The blue femme looked as though she was contemplating being ill herself. “Let’s get you some fuel, and someone can show you to the spare quarters while my Brother gets Tap-Out sorted.”
With an exhale of air from her ventilation system, the scientist nodded and slouched against the Wrecker’s chest as he started to make his way deeper into the Xantium. Again she had the feeling it was going to be a long day.
The blue minibot sat on a bench in the common area of the Xantium between two much larger mechs, that if she had to guess were most likely triplechangers. They were friendly enough and had saved her from the blue and white mech that seemed to have a thing for treating her as a ragdoll to be picked up and thrown around. To her left sat an orange mech a cross between a buggy and a helicopter and looking up to her right was an impressively sized mech grey and maroon in color. She held her cube close to her mouth her helm tilted back in order to see the battleship and flyer composite’s helm.
Broadside looked down at her and noticed her embarrassed mien. His hand shook her helm teasingly. It was nice to have a femme on board for a change. He wasn’t going to abuse the opportunity, and he wasn’t about to let Twin Twist abuse it either. The Jumpstarter sat dejectedly across the table from them.
They sat silently for the most part besides going over the plans to return to Cyberton to drop their guests off, or make jokes at their absent Captain’s expense. After a while still holding the cube close to her lips Glyph spoke up. “So,” It was startling how quickly one word from her had gathered the attention of the mechs at the table. Her helm ducked and she took a sip of her cube. Under the table her pedes crossed out of nervous habit. “How do you know Tap-Out?”
The jovial expression on the Wreckers’ facial plates around her seemed to wither, and for a moment she thought perhaps she’s asked an inappropriate question. Broadside gently placed a hand on her back plates, prompting her to turn her gaze back up at him. “It’s not really a story fit for femme audials, and if he hasn’t told you… well It’s really not our business to.”
The blue and white mech across the table chimed in leaning forward. “Let’s just say we got him outta a tight spot even for a minibot build. There are some places that only us, Wreckers dare to tread.” Twin Twist jabbed a thumb to his chest plate to indicate him as one of the said Wreckers.
Glyph looked expectantly to the orange mech to her left and the triplechanger shrugged before replying. “It was before I was apart of the Kamikaze crew.”
She nodded meekly in reply. Maybe, Glyph glanced between the three mechs, they would understand her concern, and maybe, if they wouldn’t tell her anymore about Tap-Out’s past, they could at least help her understand him. “I worry about him sometimes, Tap-Out I mean. He always is running into danger, and when he gets himself twisted like scrap he just smiles and laughs it off.” She hunched more and dragged one pede than the other onto the oversized bench. “He says he can’t feel it but I know he’s lying. He gets so mad when I do anything dangerous, but…” Her arms wrapped around her legs, pulling them closer. The hand on her back rubbed as gently as possible. Her visor flickered again from her welling emotions. “I’m so scared he’s going to jump in a die because of me. This mission I wasn’t even doing anything, just cause he was with me he, he…” A keen broke her speech and the mechs around her cringed.
A voice cut through the tension that had built in the common area. “I leave you mechs with a femme for a couple joors, and look what happens.” The Wreckers didn’t need to look at who had arrived. They recognized their leader’s voice perfectly fine. Twin Twist’s helm clunked against the table. Glyph didn’t look up from where she’d bowed her helm. Springer came over trying to assess the damage his troops had caused. He took a knee beside the spot where there guest was situate on the bench and tilted his helm attempting to met her gaze at a distance through the gap between her arm and leg. “Hey, Now, I know my crew aren’t the smoothest mechs around but they didn’t mean to make you upset.” Sandstorm rolled his optics at Springer’s words.
“I don’t take it that you’d believe us if we told you she actually made herself upset?” Twin Twist asked rather flatly with his helm still against the table.
Deciding it was probably better at least to remove her from the company that had tipped her over the emotion breaking point, Springer gently wrapped an arm around the minibot’s midsection and pulled her from the bench standing as he did such pulling a surprised yelp from the femme. “Your invited to the bridge. Rack‘n’Ruin will probably be better company.” Glyph allowed herself to hang in the triplechanger’s grasp, as her ventilation systems hiccupped.
The two made their way through the corridors of the ship to the bridge. The green mech deposited the scientist in the command chair and went to check on the ship’s status with the combined mechs that were at the forward console. The blue minibot grew curious as she looked at the combined mech. She didn’t dare ask how they had end up with that configuration, since she determined she had already asked one too many dumb questions for the day already. Leaning against the armrest of the chair she shuttered her optics.
_______________
Glyph wasn’t entirely surprised when she next unshuttered her optics and notices the large difference between the timestamp at the bottom right of her vision and the one she last remembered. Springer was the only one on the bridge and the lights were dimmed indicating that they had gone into the designated recharge cycle. She pushed against the arm of the chair and sat up.
“Hey,” The captain wasn’t even looking in her direction but seemed to know that she had come out of recharge. Looking over at him she realized he’d spotted her movement in glass of the forward bridge monitors. “Topspin got Tap-Out stabilized. He’d like to keep him out most of the way to Cybertron to keep him that way. Don’t have the parts to get him running smooth with us.”
The blue femme nodded before moving to the edge seat and hoping down. She walked over beside the leader of the Wreckers. “Thank you, Captain. I can’t tell you how much Tap-Out scared me…” She looked downward, then remember with much embarrassment her breakdown. “Oh, and don’t be too hard on those three I was with, I really was the one that had made myself upset, not them.”
The triplechanger chuckled, “Don’t worry about them, I already had a chat about what happened back there. You really like that rough and tumble mech don’t ya?” Springer looked out at the image from the outside being projected on the monitors rather that down at the minibot, trying to not make the femme feel any smaller than she probably already was.
“I do. I want to know him, but the closer I get…” She clenched and unclenched her hands several times as if trying to grasp the words she wanted. “He keeps me at an arm’s length, and it’s always about his duty.” She shook her helm. “I know this has something to do with his past. It had to have been rough. He’s so scarred.”
“You Don’t Know the Half of It.” Springer interjected and crossed his arms over his chest plate.
“I want to! I don’t know why he doesn’t tell me. He’s so willing to lay his life on the line for me… I just want to understand him. I want to be closer than an arm’s length.” The femme hugged herself and stubbornly following suit to Springer looked to the monitors.
“Have you actually told him that? Have you told him you love him?” Springer asked in a kind tone sparing a glance down at the scientist beside him. “I know the war is over, at least for most of us, but take it from me; any moment could still be your, or more likely his, last. Tell him if you love him ‘cause imagine if the worst does happen, and he never knew.”
Glyph placed a hand over her facemask, while the other arm was still wrapped tight around her chestplate, her hand tight on her upper arm of the opposite limb. “But what if… what if he doesn’t think off me that way?” Her voice was small.
Springer chuckled, which caused the femme to look up at him. She didn’t particularly find anything funny about her question. “Hun, if you’d heard him when Topspin had him on the good painkillers you wouldn’t have any doubts about his feelings for you.”