TF: Friends and Leaders
Rating: PG
Series: G1
Pairings: Red Alert/Optimus Prime
Summary: Inferno muses over Red Alert’s relationship
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: Written for tf_rare_pairing’s January Challenge Through Another’s Eyes
Feedback makes friends. Flames dealt with by the masters of paranoia and fire, Red Alert and Inferno.
Red Alert and Prime… It ain’t that I don’t think they’re a good match. I do. He’s better fer Red than anyone Red’s been with before. But… I still get… well, paranoid. Ya see, part of Red’s job, somethin’ he really excels at, is keepin’ mechs safe. An’ with Prime, well… it ain’t easy keeping him safe. Mech’s always trying to get himself killed. Well, not deliberately, but he’ll put himself in harm’s way - Megatron’s way - far often than any of us would like. Especially Red.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that Red’s found him. I just wish he could be a little more… well, little less self-sacrificing. And I know that’s rich comin’ from a mech like me, but I don’t get myself injured anywhere near as much as Prime does. He ain’t the one that has ta stand there and watch Red work himself into a panic over what damage Optimus will take this time. And with Red, it’s always ‘Optimus’. He never calls him Prime like the rest of us do. Not quite sure when I first noticed it, but I did. An’ I asked Red about it. First time I think I ever saw him blush like that. An’ that’s when things started getting serious. I tol’ Red that he oughta do something about it. And he did. Ain’t ever seen him quite so nervous as when he approached Prime fer that chat.
But things worked out well, and they started this slow courtship. Red’s a real traditionalist like that; don’t like rushing inta things. An’ Prime were more than happy ta indulge him. Guess it gave them both time ta get ta know one another properly. War don’t leave much time for mechs ta get ta know one another. Not really. Sure, ya know who will cover yer back in battle, but ta really get ta know someone? That takes time.
It’s been strange watchin’ them. Well, when they’re in public at any rate. Prime never authorised the use of security cameras in personal quarters and I don’t think I’d wanna watch that if I could. Prime’s always been the sort of mech to be with his troops, so it weren’t a surprise that he’d spend plenty a time in the rec room when he wasn’t in his office or outta the Ark. The real surprise was that Red would willingly spend time out of the security center. Without me dragging his aft outta there.
I remember the first time I saw the pair of them together after they got together. They entered the rec room together, Red just a step behind Prime because of the size difference. As usual, several mechs tried to coax Prime over to their tables, but he just shook his head and guided Red to the energon dispensers. I doubt anyone else would have known just how hard it was fer Red ta accept that gentle touch to his shoulder. But he did, and everyone just watched as they sat down at a table together. Sideswipe shot me a strange look, silently asking why Red wasn’t sitting with me. I just grinned back at him, letting him figure it out for himself. The splutter when he realised what it meant was worth waiting for. Never seen that mech look so… lost. Don’t think he thought that a mech like Red was capable of feelings. O’course, after I realised that, I made it my business to let Sideswipe know that jus’ because Red gets on and does his job, and does it well, it don’t mean that he don’t have needs like any other mech.
Anyways, it were nice just watching them. Like younglings in their first relationship it were; all subtle glances and gentle touches. And interesting to watch the way it progressed. To how Red wouldn’t hesitate to grab hold of Prime’s arm to make a point or to stop him from going somewhere. And that Prime would let him and listen. Didn’t always stop him going off to get himself injured, but it did work some times. I remember this one time where Prime was determined ta go rescue Cosmos after the mech had gotten shot down somewhere by Astrotrain. Red Alert was equally determined that Prime wasn’t ta go. And told him so. I swear, sometimes I think Red’s the only mech that can talk sense into Prime. O’course, that were when their relationship got out and everyone knew about it by the time Jazz and Perceptor came back with Cosmos.
An’ o’course, despite Red’s paranoia that it would change everything, it didn’t change a thing. Well except mebbe the way that Prime would look at Red when they were together, as though he could finally show how he felt. Never figured I’d be so happy that Red were happy. And a little jealous if I’m completely honest wit’ myself. I’ve known Red an awful long time, and I’ve seen him with his share of mechs. Frag, we even tried ta make a go of it together before we realised it just wouldn’t work. But no one’s made him as happy as Prime makes him. And fer that, I’m grateful. Now, if we could jus’ figure out a way ta stop Prime from trying ta sacrifice himself all the time.