TF: Worth It
Rating: PG-13
Series: G1
Pairings: Optimus Prime/Ironhide
Summary: … I am really struggling to think of a summary for this. Apologies.
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 - "And in the end, it is not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." ~ Abraham Lincoln. I think I managed to shoehorn the prompt in there… just. The story kinda tried to run in a different direction, and I let it.
Feedback makes friends. Flames dealt with by the masters of paranoia and fire, Red Alert and Inferno.
“Keep up old mech.”
“Young upstart.” Ironhide half-grumbled as he chased after Optimus. “We’re meant ta be a team here.”
“And we are.” Optimus pulled Ironhide down behind cover as the red mech came level with him. The drones of the assault course rained fire down on their position before they both fired back. Within a few shots, they’d disabled most of the drones.
“Wheeljack isn’t going to be happy with us.” Optimus observed.
“When you’ve been in the game as long as we have…” Ironhide shook his head. “He’s gotta expect someone’s gonna trash this course.”
“I just don’t think he expected it to be us.”
“No one expected it to be you.” Ratchet stepped onto the course, hands on his hips. “Now, Teletraan’s picking up signs of possible Decepticon activity.”
“And ya were sent ta get us?” Ironhide heaved himself upright.
“I lost the bet.” Ratchet retorted. “Jazz thought you’d be interfacing out here.”
“Primus, once. It was only ever once!” Ironhide protested, holding out his hand to help Optimus to his feet.
“It’ll never be forgotten though.” Optimus’ optics twinkled. “It was rather memorable.”
“I’m sure half the Autobots will never be the same again. There’s just something about seeing your leader flat on his back, chassis steaming from an overload that…”
“Ratchet.” Ironhide cut across Ratchet, stopping the medic from continuing. Ratchet just laughed and led them back to the Ark.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I’m too old fer this slag.” Ironhide grunted, hefting his gun in one hand. The other hand lay uselessly at his side, the shoulder plating partially melted and severely restricting movement.
“And yet you still keep going.” Sunstreaker muttered.
“They’ve got us pinned down here.”
“So we fight our way out.” Feral grins greeted Ironhide’s words and they all checked their weapons one last time before emerging from their cover.
A hail of laserfire and bombs assaulted their sensors as they fought their way out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Ironhide, you can’t keep doing this.” Optimus kept his voice low, not wanting to disturb the other patients in the medbay.
“I understand why you do it, but don’t you realise that I can’t live without you?”
“Don’t be daft.” Ironhide’s voice was hoarse. Optimus started as Ironhide spoke, not quite having realised he was online. “I do what I do because it’s mah job ta protect ya.”
“But…”
“I love ya, ya know I do. But ya know that this war is bigger than us.”
“I don’t want to lose you to this war.”
“Ya know I can’t promise ya that.” Ironhide struggled to pull himself to a sitting position. “I’m old enough already. I’ve made mah peace ‘bout dying in this war.”
“It’s not the years in your life…”
“I know, I know. It’s the life in yer years. An’ believe me, I intend ta make every year count.”
“But…”
“But I’m still gonna do mah job. Ya can’t stop me from doin’ that. Yer too important. Ta both me and the rest a the Autobots.”
“Ironhide…” Optimus squeezed his hand, lost for words.