Chapter Text
The second time Noah wakes up that day, he's alone again. The spot that Mirage had taken up was empty, replaced with pillows that he had cuddled into as a replacement. He groaned, flipping from his stomach onto his side and he glanced over at the small digital clock on his bedside table. It was already 3:15pm. He then glanced down at the other items on his table: a note and a small medicine bottle with water. He laid there for a few seconds before forcing himself up. Much like earlier, slowly propping up onto his elbow and then onto his rear.
He reached over, picking up the paper and reading it slowly to himself.
We tried waking you up earlier, but you just went back to sleep and you were warm to the touch. Make sure to take the medicine and there's soup for you in the fridge - Ma <3
He sighed, placing the note down and glancing at the medicine. He hated medicine, he always had and it was mostly because he had a sensitive gag reflex. He picked up the bottle, uncapping it with a little difficulty and pouring a small amount into the cap itself. He waited a few seconds, taking a deep shaky breath in and then letting it out.
Was it childish to mentally prepare for medicine? Sure. But fuck man, it was nasty. He shook his head and then finally, he downed the thick liquid. He forced himself to swallow, gagging a little towards the end and shivering violently for a second. Oh, nasty. Why could medicine never taste good?
Noah wore a scowl as he resealed the bottle and instead, opened up his bottled water. He took a few gulps, practically drinking half of it, but it soothed his sore throat.
He sat there for a few seconds, trying to collect his thoughts as he shut the water bottle. He wondered when Mirage had left, if he had stayed for long or if he had possibly left shortly after Noah fell asleep. It was nice though. You know. To sleep with someone else. Especially since it was Mirage.
He felt his cheeks warm up a little before he shook his head, huffing to himself quietly. He finally stood up, knees wobbling for a moment before he made his way out of his room. He walked down the hall, clothes sticking to his sweaty body as he padded over to the kitchen. He moved to the fridge, opening it up and eyes blindly searching for the container of soup. That'd likely help his throat too. Even though he wasn't really hungry.
Noah knows his Ma is already at work and Kris was likely in his room, playing his video games. Hopefully not for long, he didn't want his wrist to start hurting again. Luckily, it hadn't been too bad lately, as Kris was finally getting the healthcare he deserved. Even though he should've been since the beginning.
Finally, he found the container of soup and picked it up. He bumped the fridge close and shuffled over to the microwave. He undid the lid, but kept it on and stuck it into the microwave. Tiredly, he pressed the buttons for two minutes and stood there, listening to the soft 'vrrr' noise of the microwave. Thankfully, his head didn't hurt, but it felt slow and sluggish. Really, he only had a sore throat, a stuffy nose and the aches.
"You look like shit." Noah jolted at the voice, yelping and turning swiftly around with a hand over his chest. He narrowed his eyes at Kris, who stood at the opening of the hallway with a smug smirk. He rolled his eyes and pointed a finger at him.
"Language, first of all. Second of all, thank you for pointing out the obvious." Kris held his hands up in defense, moving closer and leaning up against the dining table. He'd move closer, but he knew Noah would advise against it, considering his illness.
The two stood in silence for a few moments, the only noise being the soft 'vrrrr' of the microwave when Kris spoke up again.
"Are you and Mirage together?" He tilted his head, crossing his arms over his chest as Noah practically choked on his spit. His face flushed to a bright red as he stared at his brother in bewilderment.
"Wh- Together?! What made you think that?" He narrowed his eyes at Kris, who shrugged.
"I mean. I kinda caught him in your bed earlier, so I just, you know, figured you were together." It was his turn to narrow his eyes as he raised a brow. "You are, aren't you?"
Noah sighed, rubbing a hand over his forehead, which was hot to the touch.
"No, Kris, we're not together. He was just sleeping with me because I was really warm." He looked up at Kris, who seemed to not be believing his answers.
"Kris, seriously, we're not together." He then leaned back, crossing his arms over one another with a neutral face. Or as neutral as can be, considering his cheeks were still bright red.
"Uh-huh..But," He paused, scratching his head with his better hand, "You like him, don't you?"
Noah was sure if he could be warmer, he would be.
"No, I do not like Mirage like that. What - why are you even asking?"
Kris narrowed his eyes a little, pointing a finger at him with as much sass a child could give.
"But you do."
"I don't."
"Right, and I don't like playing Mario."
Noah opened his mouth then shut it, eyes shifting away from Kris. He had barely come to terms that he was, in fact, crushing on his best friend. Who was a fifteen foot robot from outer space. He had come to terms with it about a week ago, but even then, he was still beating around that bush. It was embarrassing that Kris had caught on so early. Was it that obvious? Was he that obvious? Maybe Kris could just read his mind. He groaned, tilting his head back as he mumbled, "Okay, fine, fine. Yeah, I'm crushing on Mirage. Happy?"
He peaked down at Kris, who wore a smug smile as he did little finger guns.
"Ha, ha! I knew it!" Noah rolled his eyes at Kris' excitement, but it made him chuckle a little. Which then turned into a short coughing fit, covering his mouth with an arm and practically hunching over himself. It took a few moments to calm himself, sucking in air with raspy breaths. It's when he realized Kris was at his side, his small hand rubbing at his lower back and he was cradling his side.
He smiled, chuckling weakly before ruffling his hand through Kris' hair. "Hey, 'mm okay, just a little cough attack."
Kris frowned slightly, but nodded, still rubbing Noah's back. Noah always took care of him, it was only fair he returned the favor and helped when he could.
Noah then stood back up, slightly nudging Kris away from him with a tired smile. "Alright, alright, go back to playing your games, cool? I don't want you near me when I'm all sick like this."
Kris sighed, but nodded, "Fine, okay. Just- let me know if you need something, okay? If you take care of me, I take care of you. Home team." He held up his hand, closed in a fist and Noah chuckled lightly at the sight.
"Home team." He raised his hand, bumping his fist lightly into Kris' own, who then finally walked away. He waited a few seconds, listening as the bedroom door shut. He then let out a shuddering sigh, leaning back against the counter and pressing his hands into the rough edge. Home Team. Those two little words meant a lot to him: Something special between Kris and him, but now, it held different meaning with Mirage and him.
He frowned a little before forcing himself to stand up straight, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. No, not now. He is not going down a depressing rabbit hole, not when he’s already feeling like shit. Noah then peeked over at the microwave, which had already stopped. Shit, it must’ve stopped when he was busy coughing up a lung.
He pressed the little button, popping the door open and carefully picking up the container. It was a little hot, but hey, when you work with electronics that burn you, he’s gotten a bit used to the heat.
Before leaving the kitchen, he grabbed a spoon and headed straight back to his room. He always ate at the table, but with how he was beginning to feel after standing for so long, he just wanted to sit on his soft bed. He walked into his room and shut the door with his foot, shuffling over and plopping himself down on his messy bed. He should probably change the sheets, as he’s sure they’re soaked in his sweat, but later, not right now.
Noah slowly ate the soup, sighing in relief as the warmth soothed his sore throat and it warmed his stomach. He didn’t eat much, taking a few big bites before setting the container on his table. He shifted, moving to lay on his side and he curled up into the pillows that still laid where Mirage had been. He kinda wished he was still here - you know, because it was nice to have someone to chill with, but he was nice to cuddle. He paused at that thought, feeling the way his cheeks warmed and he wrapped an arm around a pillow. Shit, maybe he was clingy. He groaned, pushing that thought away and closed his eyes. He was exhausted, but his body ached and it was so warm. He’s slept in worse conditions before, so this shouldn’t be that much of a struggle.
__________________________________________
It turns out that Noah would eat his words, considering it was most definitely a struggle to get any proper sleep. He would fall asleep for, maybe, thirty to forty minutes and then be woken up for plenty of different reasons. He was thirsty, his nose was stuffy, he needed to piss, he was too warm and the list just seemed to go on. He grunted, his curls messy and sticking to his forehead from the sweat. He opened his eyes for the fifth time, peeking over at his clock and he practically whined when he saw that it was only 6:45pm. He had been stuck like this for hours and it was annoying. He had only gotten sleep when he felt cold earlier and that was when he cuddled with Mirage.
He paused at that realization. Then he huffed in frustration as he forced himself up. Shit, fine, he was clingy. He wobbled on his knees, shuffling over to his closet and sluggishly, he changed out of his sweaty clothes. If he’s gonna go down to see Mirage, he would rather not look like a wet dog.
Noah slipped on a tank top, knee-length shorts and a hoodie with sandals. At the very least, if he was cold, he’d have the hoodie, but he doubted it, considering how warm and stuffy he’s been the last few hours. He then wandered around his room, picking up an empty backpack and packing it a bit. The water bottles he had collected, the container of soup, the unfortunate medicine bottle and his walkie-talkie. He even stuffed a pillow in there before zipping it up and lugging it on his shoulders. He then snagged a blanket off his bed, wrapping it around his shoulders and finally walking out of his room. He stopped by Kris’s door, knocking on it before peeking his head inside and spotting his brother on his bed. Of course, playing on his gameboy and he snorted a bit at the sight. That kid never stopped, huh?
“Yo, Kris, I’m heading down to the garage for the night. I’m locking the door and there’s some leftovers in the fridge. I’ll let you know if I’m coming back by the talkie, aight?” He leaned against the door frame as he spoke, sounding raspy and hoarse. Kris had been kind enough to pause his game, listening to Noah’s older brother speech, but he wore a slight pout.
“To the garage? You’re not gonna try and work, are you?” He narrowed his eyes at Noah, who held up his hands in defense and smiled.
“No, no, just..” He paused, unsure really how to explain himself. There was no way he could himself out of this one, so he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“I’m going down to see Mirage, that’s all.” If he left out the fact he was going down to try and cuddle with him again, then oh well. Kris stared at him for a moment before cackling a little and he had turned his sights back to his gameboy.
“Have fun with your boyfriend.” His tone was smug and teasing as he unpaused his game, not needing to look to know that Noah was flustered, especially when he made a choking noise in response to it.
“Wh- Mirage isn’t - He’s not my boyfriend.” He huffed, frowning at Kris who shrugged his shoulders.
“Not yet.” He then glanced at Noah, briefly with a smug smile and then looked back down at his game. Noah only groaned in response, mumbling a goodnight to him before leaving his room and shutting the door behind him. He wandered down the hall, heading straight to their front door and picking up his keys on the table full of family photos. He headed out, locking the door behind him and began making his way down the staircase in his apartment. It was luckily late enough that he didn’t run into anyone as he exited his apartment building and sighed in relief at the cool air. It felt nice against his skin, holding the blanket a little tighter around his shoulders and making his way down the sidewalk.
Thankfully, the garage wasn’t that far, but the longer he walked, the more he started to feel a bit worse for wear. His breath had gotten a little heavier, knees wobbling as he got closer to the garage.
When he turned down the alleyway, he immediately spotted the garage and sighed at the sight. He tugged his backpack a little closer, picking up the pace and easily reaching his destination. He turned down the little alley that led to the door, fiddling with his keys before finding the right one and unlocking the metal door. It opened with a creak, pushing it with his shoulder and quickly closing it behind him. He locked it again and when he turned around, flicking the lightswitch on, he frowned at the sight. The garage was empty.
He stood there, eyes shifting across the garage and sighing in frustration. He should’ve checked in first, to see if he was even here, but he was just in such a hurry to get over here. He walked over to the couch and practically dumped himself on it with a groan. His body was aching. Every limb felt heavy and sore, especially his knees after the walk. Noah leaned forward, shrugging his backpack off his shoulders and unzipping it to dig through the items he brought. He threw the pillow on the busted couch, along with the blanket that had still been around his shoulders. Next he grabbed a bottle, uncapping it and gulping it down with little bits dripping down his chin. Fuck, he was more thirsty than he thought. He wiped his chin with the back of his hand before capping the bottle again and setting it down on the floor.
Noah kicked off his sandals and tossed his bag on the floor, laying down on the couch. He shifted onto his stomach, awkwardly pulling the blanket over his body and curling his arms under his pillow. He practically buried his body into the couch and curled himself tightly into a ball. Maybe he could get some sleep now, considering it was already so much colder out here compared to his room. __________________________________________
It was late when Mirage returned to the garage, turning down the alleyway and slowly driving down the bumpy road. He had been stuck at a meeting for the last few hours, unfortunately. Optimus had wanted to go over the last week's patrols and update them on any recent news about possible other autobots. It was the same old, same old. No news, no sightings, it was quiet. It had been for the last few weeks. The meetings were pointless, but whatever, he didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter.
He had wanted to visit Noah again, check-in to see if he was alright, but it was already 8:29pm and he would definitely be asleep. Or at least, he assumed so, considering how he looked the last he saw him. He’ll just visit him early in the morning!
Once he was in front of the shutters, he transformed back into his root mode and crouched down. As he opened the shutters, he paused briefly when dim lighting flooded out from the garage. Well, that’s weird. He doesn’t remember leaving the lights on. His optical ridge knitted together, opening it a further before ducking under and pushing the shutters back down swiftly. It was late, sure, but he still didn’t want to take the chance of being seen. He rather not have Optimus get on his aft again about being caught. Again.
Mirage stood up and stretched his arms above his helm, joints creaking a little as he lazily looked around the garage. He stopped when he spotted something balled up on the couch, bundled in a blanket and a little tuft of hair peeking out from underneath. What the scrap?
He shuffled over to the couch and crouched down again, tilting his helm in curiosity. He moved his servo over the curled up form, pinching the blanket between two digits and lifting it up slightly. His optics widened in surprise, staring down at the sleeping form of Noah.
“Noah?” He mumbled softly, dropping the blanket a little lower to properly look at Noah’s face. The human looked even worse. His curls were a mess, sticking to the sides of his face and his breathing was so ragged. He frowned slightly, pressing his index digit on Noah’s cheek and his optical ridge pulled together in worry. Primus, Noah was so warm!
Noah had leaned into Mirage’s touch, which was cool and smooth against his warm, sweaty skin. He groaned quietly and after a few seconds, he cracked open his eyes a bit. His vision was blurry as he looked up, the lights of the garage being blocked by a large figure in front of him. His brows knitted together, forcing his vision to slowly focus on the two bright glowing orbs in front of him. He blinked a few times when it clicked.
“..Mirage?” His voice was hoarse and rasp, sucking in a harsh gasp of air as he raised a hand to hold onto the back of Mirage’s servo. It was like intense relief washed through a little bit of his body, sighing and closing his eyes again.
“What are you doing in the garage, Noah? You should be in your bed.” His voice was oddly softer than normal, knees pulled close together as he pressed another digit on the side of Noah’s head and lightly stroked the curls there. Noah mumbled under his breath, suddenly holding onto Mirage’s servo a little tighter and gripping onto the edges of his servo that resembled a glove. He tugged his servo closer, passing the palm onto his cheek fully and he shuddered slightly. Mirage’s optics flickered briefly, a little surprised at the action, but he knew that when he had cuddled Noah earlier that day, his skin had been quite helpful. One of the few times where being metal was pretty handy, he must say. He cradled Noah’s head with his servo, waiting a few moments before speaking again.
“C’mon, Noah. Lemme take you back home, aight? You gotta rest in your bed man.” His response was met only with a low groan and Noah had pulled his servo closer, like he was trying to cuddle his entire limb. It was amusing to watch. But Noah finally spoke, barely able to rasp out the words he wanted to say.
“N- no, no man, I -” He sucked in a harsh piece of air, forcing his eyes open to look up at Mirage as he continued on. “I wa- wanted..to see you.”
Mirage might’ve found the moment sweet, if it wasn’t for Noah beginning to cough and struggle to breath. It had immediately sent him into a panic, optics wide and when he saw Noah trying to sit up, he scooped his servos under him. He held one servo against his lower back and the other on his side, helping him sit up as Noah coughed and coughed. It freaked him out, to say the least. He rubbed his servo on his back, unsure how else to help as Noah slowly calmed down. His breath was raspy, coming in and out as short gasps. He leaned into Mirage’s servos, vision a little blurry as he stared down at the concrete ground.
The two sat in silence for a few moments, the only sounds being Noah’s raspy breaths and the slight rumble of Mirage’s engine. Noah was the one to break the silence.
“..That sucked.” Noah chuckled weakly at his statement, glancing up at Mirage who had grinned, just a little. The mech shook his head as he murmured quietly.
“It looked like it. Here, you need - uh, water, right?” He didn’t wait for a response as he picked up the bottle on the floor. He was careful holding it between his digits, handing it off to Noah, who eagerly uncapped the bottle and started gulping down the cool water. Once again, little bits dribbled down his chin as he finished off the bottle. He sighed heavily in relief, wiping his chin and tossing the empty bottle somewhere off in the garage. He’ll pick it up later.
Mirage had been watching, one sevo still resting idly on Noah’s back and he was amused at just how fast he had drunk that. It made him chuckle a little, tilting his helm with a soft grin.
“That thirsty, huh?” He only got a hum in response from Noah, who had moved a hand onto Mirage’s arm and he swayed ever-so-slightly. It took him a few moments to respond before he sighed and looked up at Mirage. He just noticed too, his optics were a bit dimmer than normal.
“..You were right, by the way.” He mumbled a little, watching as Mirage looked at him in pure confusion. His optics blinked down at him, using his free servo to scratch at his helm like a lost puppy.
“Pretty sure I’m right about a loooot of things, but..uh, what exactly am I right about now?” Noah rolled his eyes at Mirage’s words, who in-turn had grinned and nudged his digits against Noah slightly.
“Definitely not, but you were right about me being clingy.” He felt his cheeks heat up a little, shifting on the couch and turning his vision away from the mech. Mirage stared down at him for a few moments, optics swirling as he processed Noah’s words and when he did, he couldn’t help the smug smile that grew on his faceplates. He leaned in closer, towering over the human on the couch and his digits nudged against him lightly again.
“Ohhh, that’s why you wanted to see me? You wanted some good ‘ol Mirage cuddles?” He watched in fond amusement as Noah’s face flushed in red, eyes shifting away from Mirage’s own and he huffed. Noah grumbled, shoving his hand lightly against Mirage’s arm before leaning back into the couch.
“Unfortunately, yeah. You’re..a nice cuddler.” Noah would physically facepalm himself if he could, especially when Mirage chuckled at him. The best at embarrassing himself, huh.
“How sappy, Noah.” He couldn’t help and smugly grin at Noah before he carefully cradled his servos on either side of Noah’s body. He picked him up (a habit that he often does), which earned a small squawk of shock and awkwardly, he shuffled over to the clearer part of the garage. He did make sure to grab his pillow and blanket though. He moved Noah in his arms, cradling his arm under his back as he sat down on his rear. Then he lowered himself down, laying carefully on his side and he held Noah close against his chassis. Normally, Noah would have complained about Mirage holding him, but truthfully, the moment he was cradled against his cool skin again, it was just washed away from thought.
Mirage curled up a little on the garage floor, bringing his knees up as he set Noah’s pillow against his arm. Noah quickly caught on, resting his head against the pillow and curling his own body up against Mirage’s own. He wrapped his arm around the mech’s frame and he hooked his leg over his hip, forcing him to stay as close as possible. He barely thought about the position, not when his brain was already melting in relief.
But Mirage, oh man. Mirage could feel his processor struggle to work, faceplates flushing in warmth at the way Noah held him close. It made his spark tingle in warmth. What do humans say, the warm and fuzzies? That’s what it felt like to him.
He let Noah cuddle against him, carefully shifting the blanket over his body and making sure he was fully covered. His optics focused on Noah, watching how his eyes had closed and how his breathing had slowed down. The tell-tale signs of him beginning to fall asleep. He had seen Noah do it countless times, whether it was on his workbench or in the car. Once, he had even seen him fall asleep after the two had gone a little outside the city and upon a hillside to watch the sunset. Noah had fallen asleep shortly after it fell, resting on his back with Mirage by his side and it was the most beautiful thing to Mirage.
He sighed to himself, shuttering his optics as he forced his mind to not focus on the human cuddled up against him. These feelings he had, they were not easy to live with and he struggled against them everyday. Truly, do you know how hard it is to watch the prettiest human walk into the garage everyday and not confess his undying love? To admit how much he loved his eyes? How much he loved his freckles and how he so badly wished to count every single one, no matter how long it took? It was a struggle, let’s just say.
Mirage let out a little puff of air, optics opening up to peek down at Noah. He was already asleep, mouth slightly open as he snored. He held back his laughter, grinning widely as he rubbed slow circles on Noah’s back with the servo that was still cradled there.
It was peaceful.
Until the little walkie-talkie in his arm buzzed to life. It startled him a little, awkwardly maneuving his arm to pop open the panel. He dialed the volume down a bit before pressing down on the small button to speak back.
“Wassup Tails, everything okay?” He whispered quietly into the talkie, letting go of the button and readjusting Noah against his chassis a little. Thankfully, he was still sleeping.
“Everything’s cool, Knuckles. Just wanted to make sure Sonic was okay.” Kris’s voice came through the other side after a few seconds, clearly worried for his older brother. Mirage frowned a bit before he spoke up again.
“Sonic is okay, promise. He’s sleeping right now, but I’m watching over him, don’t you worry lil guy.”
“I know he’s safe with you, Knuckles.” Mirage smiled at that and for a few moments, it was silent again. He knew Kris wasn’t done yet, considering he’d at least say goodbye, so he wondered what was going through that kid’s mind. His question would be answered soon though.
“Hey, Knuckles?”
“Yeah?”
“..Do you like my brother?” His voice came through a little accusatory yet curious. However, the question only confused Mirage who stared down at the walkie.
“Uhh, I mean. Yeah, I do? He’s my pal, my buddy, my boy. You know that.”
“No, no, I meant like. Do you like like him?” Mirage furrowed his optical ridge at that. He was silent for a few moments, processing what exactly Kris was trying to ask him. Did he like like Noah? It took him a little for it to click, faceplates suddenly turning warm as he spoke in a hushed tone.
“Wh- Kid, why are you asking me that? Little weird to ask, lil dude.”
"Don't try and change the subject man! You gotta answer my question." Mirage was silent, narrowing his optics a little at the walkie-talkie on his arm. This kid was determined. He glanced down at Noah and for a few moments, he thought over his answer. He sighed before speaking again.
"..Yeah, I do. How'd you even know?" He raised a ridge to that. He couldn't have been that obvious. Right?
"You flirt with Sonic. A lot. Like, a lot, a lot." His voice came through on the other side, a little casual like he had shrugged his shoulders too. Mirage felt his faceplates heat up a little, resetting his voice box before speaking again.
"Touché, you make a fair point."
"Just don't break his heart, cool? Or I'll actually scrap you."
Mirage chuckled at that. Again, the kid has balls, he'll say that. But he didn't have the spark to tell him that he'd likely not confess his feelings for Noah. Ever. The kid didn't need to know all of that anyway. The fact that he even figured out that he was crushing on his brother was embarrassing enough.
"I won't, promise. Cross my spark and hope to die." He paused briefly before shaking his helm.
"That's still really corny, wow."
"That was really corny."
Mirage faintly heard Kris's laughter over the talkie and he smiled. Kris was a good kid. However, it was getting late and if Noah knew he stayed up, chatting with his brother who should be sleeping, he'd most definitely get a lecture.
"Alright bud, go to bed. I don't wanna get lectured by your bro because I helped you stay awake." Mirage grinned when an annoyed groan came through the other side.
"Ugh, fine, okay. Goodnight Knuckles."
"Goodnight Tails. I'll make sure to have Sonic update you in the morning." And with that, he clicked the walkie-talkie off and closed the panel. He set his arm back down, comfortably curling under his head. His other arm curled around Noah, bringing his body close and keeping him pressed against his chassis. Noah must really be out of it if he didn't wake up during that. It was kinda cute.
He paused at that thought. Alright, enough Noah on the mind. Mirage settled himself on the floor, sighing slightly as his optics closed. This wasn't the most comfortable way to recharge, he'd admit. But he didn't mind it, not when Noah looked so comfortable curled up next him. He didn't want to ruin that for him.
Before he powered down for a recharge though, he thought back to his short conversation with Kris. If he had been that obvious, that Noah might possibly know. Which was a terrifying thought, really. He didn't want to risk his friendship with Noah, just because he was crushing on him.
He let out a small puff of air. He'll worry about that another day. With that, he slipped off into a recharge with his thoughts whirling of Noah.
Unbeknownst to them both, they were both simply dense and oblivious to the other's blatant crush. They are dumbasses.