TF: Accidents Happen
Rating: PG
Series: G1
Pairings: None
Summary: Red Alert responds to an emergency. And finds himself fearing the worst as a result.
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 prompt - Firestar/Red Alert: rapid response. *whistles* Rare Pairings don’t always require a pairing in the conventional sense This is set in the same ‘verse as Bright Lights, Big City, where Flareup is Inferno’s sparkling. I should probably apologise to the person prompting these Flareup ones because I’m likely not writing what they’re envisioning. Unless they’re prompting for more in this ‘verse, in which case, keep on prompting!
Feedback makes friends. Flames dealt with by the masters of paranoia and fire, Red Alert and Inferno.
The scream had him racing out of his office, audial sensors immediately fixing on and locating the source of the sound. Flareup was kneeling on the floor, clutching her hand, broken shards of a crystal vase lying around her.
“Flareup!” He skidded to a stop and dropped to his knees in front of her, not heeding the shards grinding against his plating.
“I jus’ wanted ta look…” She sniffled, looking up at Red Alert with wide, scared optics.
“I know, hush…” Carefully, he reached out to examine her hand. A shard had sliced the delicate plating of her palm.
“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up, shall we?” He lifted her into his arms when she didn’t put up any protest, her weight a surprising comfort as always. He’d known what he was getting in to when Inferno had walked into his office. But he hadn’t realised quite how deeply Flareup would worm her way into his spark. He loved her as if she were his own.
“Didn’t mean ta drop it.” Flareup mumbled, snuggling against Red Alert’s plating.
“I know you didn’t. Accidents happen, bitlet.” He murmured, stroking one hand down her back. He crossed into the kitchen area, setting her down on the countertop.
“Now, let’s see that hand…” He grabbed the medikit he always had on hand (and had resupplied far more often since Inferno and Flareup had moved in) and pulled out a small cloth impregnated with medical cleanser.
“This might sting a little.” He warned. “But you’re such a big brave bitlet you can handle it, can’t you Flareup?” The sparkling nodded, holding out her hand.
“I brave like Carrier.”
“Yes, yes you are. And your carrier is very brave.” And he was, Red Alert knew that. He also knew that this was Inferno’s first full shift with the Iacon Fire Department. And he’d trusted Red Alert to look after his sparkling. And here she was, injured.
“Oh Primus…” He muttered, swiping the cloth over her palm, looking carefully to see if there were any crystal shards in the wound. There weren’t, and he put a small plasti-patch over it to aid her self-repair.
“See, such a brave sparkling.” He complimented her, trying to ignore the worry threatening to strangle his spark. Inferno had trusted him with Flareup. And Flareup had gotten injured while he was looking after her.
“And brave sparklings deserve a treat.” He continued, not letting his fear enter his voice.
“Treat?” Flareup perked up at the mention of one of her favorite words.
“Yes.” Red Alert nodded, crossing the kitchen to open a box of gelled energon candies. He gave Flareup two before lifting her off the counter.
“Now, why don’t you sit quietly and eat those while I clean up the mess.” He watched as Flareup toddled across the room, happily eating one of her treats. Once satisfied she was sitting down safely, he collected a brush and pan to sweep up the remains of his crystal vase.
When Inferno arrived home that evening, he found Flareup recharging on the couch, and a frantic Red Alert.
“I’m sorry!” Were the first words Red Alert blurted out. Inferno stared at him, confused.
“What ya sorry for?”
“Flareup…” At the mention of his sparkling, Inferno crossed the room quicker than Red Alert would have thought a mech his size could move. He swept Flareup up into his arms, carefully checking her over.
“She knocked over a vase… it broke and she cut her palm.” Red Alert explained, wringing his hands. He wasn’t expecting Inferno to chuckle and then apologise.
“Sorry she broke yer vase, Red.”
“It’s fine…” Red Alert brushed it off, more concerned with the fact that Flareup had been injured whilst in his care.
“Ah can replace it. Heh, even take it outta her allowance.”
“The cut wasn’t bad.”
“Red, I trust ya. I know you’ll have checked it over and if it’d been bad, ya’d have taken her to a medic.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“Well then. Sorry about yer vase.” Red Alert stared, quite unable to believe that Inferno wasn’t annoyed or upset with him. He’d been telling himself that Inferno would be upset, that he’d refuse to let Red Alert look after her again, or worse, move out altogether. None of which Red Alert wanted.
“Red, it’s fine. She’s okay. I ain’t mad at ya.” Inferno looked at him shrewdly, as though he was able to read Red Alert’s thought process. The thought briefly flashed through his processor before he disregarded it.
“You’re not?”
“Didja think I would be? Wait, don’t answer that, I’m guessin’ ya did. Sparklings injure themselves all the time when they’re growin’ up. All part of the learning process. I’m gonna bet she ain’t gonna touch yer crystal vases for a long while.”
“Probably…” Red Alert had to concede that point. Flareup had been so upset by breaking it that she probably wouldn’t go near them… at least for a while.
“Exactly… listen, I’m gonna put her down fer the night cycle, and then you and me, we’re gonna share tales of what we both got up ta as sparklings. I’m betting ya got a few good stories.”
“Perhaps…” Red Alert said, a small smile on his face. “I shall get energon ready for us.” He watched Inferno settle Flareup more comfortably in his arms, all without waking her, and walk to her room to put her in her berth. Only when Inferno was out of sight did Red Alert move, preparing their energon with shaky hands.
It was only minutes later than Inferno returned, and Red Alert handed him the cube he’d just finished preparing.
“Now, let’s sit down an’ I’ll tell ya ‘bout the time I went swimmin’ in the Rust Sea…”