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To Cade, there were few things that were more enjoyable than being outside, particularly at nighttime. Being so far from the lights and sounds of the city was just an added bonus. The stars were bright and clear, the air was clean and crisp, and the only sounds you could hear came from the local fauna.
It had been a surprisingly nice day. The temperature had been just right since Cade had woken up, and the evening that followed was just cool enough to be chilly, but not overly so. Optimus had returned from his work with his Cybertronian duties earlier than usual, so Cade took advantage of the weather by joining Optimus on a drive. They ended up in a nearby clearing, and had found a spot where there was just enough room for a Cybertronian to lounge in the grass.
Together, they had watched the sun set, and they were now quietly gazing at the stars. Cade was hesitant to call this a date, even though that’s exactly what it was. Once things with Quintessa had settled down a bit, Cade accidentally admitted to his deep feelings for Optimus. By some miracle, Optimus returned these feelings, and the nature of their relationship had changed ever so slightly over the past few weeks. It was old and new, calm and nerve-wracking, serene and exhilarating - all at once. Cade supposed this was to be expected when one was dating Optimus Prime. Unfortunately with the restoration of both Cybertron and Earth, they had so little time together, so they both cherished these little moments when they had the chance.
They had been sitting in comfortable silence for some time now, and the soft, steady rumble of Optimus' engine nearly lulled Cade to sleep. It was so peaceful out here, Cade was so overworked, and his perch on Optimus’ shoulder was so comfortable. He figured Optimus was probably close to recharge as well.
A particularly bright star caught Cade’s eye, though, and he remembered something. Something he always thought about when he looked up at the night sky.
“Whenever you look up at the stars, think of one of them as my soul.” The last thing Optimus had said to Cade before he left Earth, ready to meet his maker.
They hadn't talked much about what happened to Optimus when he was out there - Cade had been too nervous to bring it up, and he could tell Optimus still felt guilty about it. He was very familiar with the consequences of messing with a wound that hadn’t healed yet, and wanted to avoid that at all costs. But at the same time, he wanted Optimus to know that it was okay to make mistakes, and that Cade was here to listen to him.
He hated to break the calm silence, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had to bring it up at least. If Optimus didn't want to talk about it, that was perfectly fine, but Cade figured it couldn't hurt to try. Why not at least let him know he was here to listen?
Cade quietly cleared his throat. "Hey... Optimus?"
"Yes, Cade?" he said, turning to meet Cade's eyes. The deep rumble of his voice and the intensity of his optics nearly made Cade forget what he was going to ask.
Cade looked down at his hands, suddenly very nervous. "I... Um... Well, look, we haven't really talked about... what happened," he waved a hand toward the night sky, "out there. I mean. We don't have to. Right now, or ever. I just want you to know I’m here and willing to listen, if you need to talk about it.”
Optimus didn't respond for a few minutes, and Cade's stomach flip-flopped with anxiety. Had he crossed a line? He wanted to help, but as the silence stretched, Cade regretted bringing up such a sore subject.
When he looked back at Optimus, the bot was still watching him closely. Cade could practically hear that ancient processor ticking away, weighing the options.
"It is... difficult to talk about." Optimus finally concluded, breaking eye contact for a moment before looking at Cade again. "But I will try."
Cade smiled encouragingly at him. "Trying is all that I ask! If you change your mind, we can talk about something else, of course," he said.
"Certainly," Optimus replied with a gentle smile. "I think I will be okay, though. You are one of the few individuals that I trust enough to willingly discuss this with.”
Cade’s throat tightened up at that, making it difficult to respond. “I am?”
“Of course,” Optimus said without hesitation. “You are easily one of the most genuine and compassionate individuals that I've ever met. I know that I can talk to you without being judged or pitied, Cade. You have such a big heart, and you really care about others. I’m very lucky to have met you.”
Wow. That was a lot to take in.
“I don't know what to say,” Cade admitted, feeling tears well in his eyes. Optimus had told him multiple times that he genuinely returned Cade’s feelings, but it was always a bit overwhelming to hear him say such things. “I… Thank you, Optimus.”
The Cybertronian smiled at him and offered a hand for Cade to climb onto, which was readily accepted. “I'm just being honest,” Optimus said, brushing a thumb gently across the side of Cade’s head. “Let’s start at the beginning, then…”
-----
As Optimus recounted the events with Quintessa, he could sense Cade’s unease growing. The man kept shifting his weight and his gaze constantly darted around Optimus’ face as though he was searching for something.
“Cade? Are you alright?”
“Hm?” Cade looked up at Optimus with wide eyes. The surprise on his face was barely visible - the only source of light near them came from Optimus’ optics. The bright blue glow was softened by the moon above them, both illuminating and casting lovely shadows across Cade.
If Optimus were human, he would declare such a sight to be breathtaking. As it was, seeing Cade at this moment made his spark twist roughly in his chassis.
“You seem uncomfortable,” Optimus said, once he remembered that Cade was waiting for a response.
Cade sighed and stood up. “I was just thinking… earlier you said that Quintessa hit you? Right there?” he motioned toward Optimus’ cheek. “I remember seeing this huge red mark there when you came for the staff… it went away, I guess after you regained control of your mind,” he said solemnly.
A mark? Optimus supposed that there was no way he could have seen something on his own face, but he could easily remember the dull burning where he had been struck. He touched the spot reverently with his empty servo, recalling the sheer amount of force behind Quintessa’s deceptively dainty hand.
“Here,” Cade murmured. “Let me up there,” he said, arms reaching upward.
Optimus complied, bringing Cade closer to his face. Before he knew it their faces were mere inches apart. They hadn't really been this close before - close enough for Optimus to see the pink tinge slowly overtaking Cade’s expression, to feel the soft breaths ghosting over his face, to smell the warm, earthy scent of what could only be described as Cade . It was intoxicating - he never wanted to put Cade down again after this.
Optimus noticed the slight tremors in the tiny hands that reached for his cheek, and he felt himself smile. Cade’s hands found their place on Optimus’ face, bracing him as he closed his eyes and leaned forward.
Optimus didn't honestly know what he was expecting to happen, but he knew he wasn't at all prepared for Cade to softly press his lips to his cheek.
The action was so gentle that it was almost imperceptible to Optimus’ sensors, but it was just enough sensation to make his engine purr. “What's this?” he rumbled.
Cade leaned back, his posture ramrod straight, and he quickly looked away. “Just a uhh, you know. A kiss,” he said. “Sometimes, when humans get hurt, our loved ones kiss the injury to pretend to make it better. It's just a silly thing we do,” he laughed nervously, wringing his little hands together.
Optimus hummed thoughtfully, nodding. “Ah, I see.”
“I'm sorry,” Cade said, finally meeting Optimus’ optics. “I should've asked first.”
“It's alright, really,” Optimus replied. “I was merely confused, but I enjoyed it.”
Cade beamed up at him. “Oh, really? thank goodness!” he said, the tension quickly melting from him. “Is... There anywhere else that you need to be kissed better?” he asked with a shy smirk.
“Undoubtedly,” Optimus said, thinking for a moment. “Do you recall when my sensor fin fell off? After I first revealed my true form to you?” he asked, pointing to one of the fins that adorned his helm.
Cade nodded, his eyes wide. “Oh yes, there was energon everywhere! It looked really painful,” he said with a shudder.
Optimus nodded. “It did hurt. Badly. It has long since healed, but would you mind kissing it as well, Cade?”
“Of course!”
Optimus lifted his hand so the tiny human could place another delicate kiss, this time on his head fin. This was much more noticeable - these appendages were very sensitive, and even the slightest brush could light up his sensornet.
Cade jumped when one of Optimus’ cooling fans clicked on. “Ah, sorry. I hope that wasn't too much. I know those are sensitive,” he said when Optimus lowered his hand again.
This continued for some time - Optimus recounted his battles on Earth, and Cade diligently kissed the areas that had been badly injured in the past. He had lost limbs, mostly, but there were other times that specific plates of armor had been painfully torn off. Cade even went out of his way to gently kiss the fingers of the hand that he stood on - for how many battles Optimus had survived, he had said. With each and every small kiss Optimus’ spark pulsed with delight. He hadn't been doted on like this in centuries, and had nearly forgotten what it felt like.
After Optimus ran out of injuries that he could recall, he paused, ready to set Cade down if he wished. Cade merely blinked up at him.
“You're forgetting one place that I know has been hurt many times before,” Cade said, leaning forward and placing his warm little hands on Optimus’ chest.
Right over his spark.
Optimus merely blinked, because yes, he actually did forget. He had also forgotten that Cade had seen it happen with his own eyes on multiple occasions. Cybertronians often sought to snuff out the spark in battle, so it made sense that it had been targeted so often - often enough for Optimus to brush it off and regard it as a more minor injury by this point.
“May I?” Cade asked breathlessly.
Optimus vented deeply and nodded. He cleared his intake a few times to rid of the sudden static. “Of course,” he replied hoarsely.
His engine stalled briefly as Cade leaned forward, pressing a final, tiny kiss to the seam of his chest. Beneath his armor, Optimus felt his spark surge toward Cade, seemingly on a mission of its own. It was all he could do to keep his chestplates shut, denying request after request for it to open.
“Cade…” Optimus murmured, his spark flaring even at the bashful look that was nearly concealed by the curve of his chest armor.
“Hm?”
Optimus lifted his hand so Cade was once again level with his face. He thoroughly enjoyed the squeak of surprise he received when he pressed his own lips over Cade’s torso. He hoped it was just as soft as the kisses he had received, though it was difficult to be gentle with such a drastic size difference.
“Thank you,” he whispered against Case’s chest, breathing in his scent. Optimus could feel Cade’s body trembling, and faintly detected the frantic tempo of his pulse.
Tiny hands patted Optimus on the cheeks again. “Any time, big guy,” Cade replied just as softly. “Any time.”