TF: Calming
Rating: PG-13
Series: G1
Pairings: Optimus Prime/Red Alert
Summary: Red Alert’s been a little more secretive than usual recently. Optimus Prime is determined to find out why.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: As per usual, the good things in life are not mine to have, but belong to someone else... in this case Hasbro, Takara and IDW and anyone else I’ve forgotten…
Authors Notes: For the tf_rare_pairing June Challenge prompt - Greenhouse
Feedback makes friends. Flames dealt with by the masters of paranoia and fire, Red Alert and Inferno.
It had been Hound and Beachcomber that had suggested the idea to him. They had said it would do him good to get out of the security office. That it would do him good to focus on something else aside from work. For weeks now, he’d been disappearing to a secluded spot on the other side of the volcano, where he’d set up everything just as Beachcomber and Hound had suggested. He’d added his own security to the site, determined that no prankster would damage it.
Optimus Prime entered the security office, looking for Red Alert.
“Hey Prime.” Inferno called over his shoulder, not taking his attention away from the monitors. Red Alert would have been proud of his friend, Optimus thought. “Red ain’t here at the moment.”
“I can see that…” Optimus frowned. Every time he’d decided to drop into the security center recently, Red Alert was nowhere to be found. It had been going on for a couple of weeks now, and Optimus found himself beginning to get a little paranoid. Maybe Red Alert was rubbing off on him?
“Where is he?”
“Uh… I ain’t quite sure on that one, Prime.” Inferno sounded hesitant.
“Inferno.” Optimus watched as Inferno cringed a little, warring between betraying his best friend or disobeying his commander.
“He’s out the other side a the volcano.” Inferno described how to get it.
“Thank you, Inferno.” Leaving the security center, Optimus headed in the direction Inferno had said. Inferno just offlined his optics and leant back in his chair, hoping that Red Alert wouldn’t be too annoyed with him for revealing his location.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Red Alert was bent over his newest seedling, careful fingers patting down the soil around it. He’d just transplanted it into a new container. Sitting back, he looked down at the green plant, satisfied with his work.
“Red?” At the sound of his name, he jumped, not having expected anyone to disturb him.
“Optimus!” He practically squeaked his lover’s name, optics focussed on the larger mech as he came closer.
“What is this?” Curiosity colored Optimus’ voice; he hadn’t expected Red Alert to be interested in horticulture, yet the mech was sitting before him, surrounded by plants in various stages of growth.
“My greenhouse.” Red Alert muttered, dropping his optics back to the seedling he’d just replanted.
“Yours?”
“Yes, mine.” Red Alert snapped, putting the seedling back on its shelf. “Hound and Beachcomber suggested it would be a good way for me to relax and focus on something other than work.”
“Ah…” Optimus knelt down under the glass roof the extended from the rock face. “And is it helping?”
“… yes.” Red Alert replied at length, gazing at the plants. “I find it keeps me from worrying too much. Although, I now worry about the safety of it all. With Hound’s help, I’m cultivating some rare plants that do particularly well in this sort of environment. And I’d hate for all my hard work to be ruined.”
“Hence why you’ve been rather secretive of it.” Optimus murmured, shuffling a little closer to Red Alert to wrap his arm around the smaller mech’s shoulders.
“I’m sorry.” Red Alert leant into the familiar warmth, feeling a little guilty at having kept this secret from Optimus.
“No matter.” Optimus kissed the top of Red Alert’s helm. “So, tell me what everything is?” Now he knew, he was determined to show an interest. Anything that kept his lover calmer had to be a good thing.