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''Mikaela!'' Sam scrambled in the sand his heart was beating uncontrollably. The burs along his body tore and stung his flesh. His torn shirt hung from his shoulders and his rags when he found himself in Mikaela's arms. She was just as beat up, her body dirtied and her clothes disheveled. Her nails dug into his arms, breathing heavily against his shoulder. ''You're ok...'' She pulled back and cupped his cheeks, looking into his worried eyes. They shook violently and drew closer for a relieved kiss.
Optimus looked down at Lennox who waved it off and turned away from the two love birds. Optimus looked up at his group and saw Ironhide gain his bearings. He moved in the sand and got to his feet. The sand was lodged in every part of his form and ground roughly down against his gears. ''Geeh'z.'' He grumbled. He rubbed his helm and looked up at Optimus, ''Are you alright old friend?'' Ironhide nodded, when he suddenly remembered, ''Ratchet-'' He turned, relief flooding into his spark when he saw the chartreuse rising to his own feet. He too looked a little disoriented from the loud blast but was able to ground himself.
He looked down at his servo and then up to Optimus. He smiled softly, and his gaze fell on Ironhide. Sand stuck in his gears and ground his mesh linings, but his pedes moved before he could stop himself. His stride rocked the earth with each step he took faster toward Ironhide.
Mikaela and Same looked up just as Ratchet slammed into Ironhide.
The weapons specialist stumbled back and grounded himself. His arms wrapped around Ratchet as their frames relaxed in relief. Their chassis' coupled and the loud whirring of their hydraulics clutching around the opposing frame. Their engines ran warm and revved happily. Ironhide clawed his servos into Ratchet's back and stumbled their framework around the sand.
Ratchet's EM field lashed out with relieved energy bursts and constant warming electrical currents. Ironhide met him in the middle with the same wavelength and engulfed the two of them in the warm, light feeling that pronounced itself in his spark.
''Ratchet,''
''Ironhide.''
Optimus smiled and chuckled softly down at Lennox as his old friends embraced each other. Fuck secrecy.
Ratchet nuzzled his partner, digits clawing and leaving chartreuse paint marks down the black frame.
Ironhide stroked Ratchet's jaw and pulled him away enough that he could look into his optics. Relief continued to buzz with powerful currents down their relaxing frames. Ratchet caressed Ironhide's chassis and grabbed onto the loose armor plates and pulled him in. Their lipplates locked in a tight kiss. They stumbled over each other's pedes and knocked into one of the old structures.
'' What are they doing?'' Mikaela asked Sam, who shrugged.
Bumblebee whirred sadly and turned away, feigning barfing.
Ratchet clawed more of Ironhide's chassis and slowly pulled away. He ex-vented heavily and looked at his sparkmate, ''I thought we were dead.'' He said it with relief and a happy tone, the last realization that they indeed were still in the desert and not the AllSpark. Ironhide pulled Ratchet back in and locked his partner in another heated kiss. Their glossae stroke and tangled in their intakes.
Ratchet let out a low moan and gradually got himself into more of a sitting position. He hooked his pedes over Ironhide's leg span and straddled his thighs. Their servos tangled and digits intertwine in the middle. Ironhide groaned happily and pulled away with a pop.
''I'm glad you're ok.''
''Likewise,'' Ratchet replied, panting. ''Although, in this condition, you'll need prolonged treatment.'' Ironhide scoffed, ''I don't slagging care.'' It came out desperate and suddenly Ratchet's intake was pressed back against the weaponist's. Ratchet snarled hungrily and suffocated Ironhide with the force of his glossa. His chassis caved and his body fell forward into the medic lustfully.
His servos groped happily down the medic's back struts and pulled at random armor plating. The racks along his shoulders turned his need to pull and tangle with Ratchet.
Optimus twisted on his heel and cleared his throat. He ignored the scene that Mikaela and Sam were guiltily still looking at, watching Ironhide grope Ratchet's aft with zero cares in the world.
Their glossae choked each other. Lubricant dripped from the corners of their intakes and mingled with Energon-stained plating. Ratchet moaned happily and pulled Ironhide in, pulling away with a pop.
A sharp in-vent later and they were at it again, pressing and flicking their glossa happily getting each other excited.
When they parted again Ratchet managed to mutter out a full sentence, ''You did really good.'' He praised the warrior and caressed one of his biceps. ''You did better,'' Ironhide growled and kissed his lurid collar. ''You're going to have so many war scars,'' Ratchet muttered, seeing all the unbufferable wounds up close. Ironhide hummed and tilted Ratchet's jaw. ''Optics up here, love.''
Ratchet shuddered and rubbed into the warm touches. ''Ironhide-'' He paused in their escapades for a moment to take in the gravity of it all. Coolant formed behind his optics and slowly rolled down his cheeks despite his desperation to hide it. He started to vibrate with more than just energy.
''Oh, love.'' Ironhide cooed and pulled Ratchet in softer. He pressed gentle kisses to the medic's helm and pampered him in soft rubs of his servo's down morphed armor. He whispered softly near his audial and kissed the sensitive plating. ''It'll take more than 'at to knock meh down.'' Ratchet hicked and hugged Ironhide's neck. ''You left my side-''
''Only temporarily- I'm safe, I'm right 'ere.''
He kissed Ratchet's helm and allowed him to sulk against his form. ''I've gotcha', it'll be ok. We're gonna go home and just take a good breather mmkay?''
Ratchet nodded.
'' Ok, and maybe while you're fixin' all 'em dents we can make a sport outta' it?''
'' What kind of sport?'' Ratchet asked in a grumbled reply.
''Mmm, I dunno. You fix 'em dents~ And however many you fix, I frag your processor out.'' Ratchet shamelessly perked right up. ''Serious?'' Ironhide winked and pressed another soft kiss against his lover's lip plates. ''Today shook us all up, I think we just need to unwind, fair?''
'' Fair.'' Ratchet replied, more coolant gushing down his cheeks, his shaking frame rattling when he tried to cover his optics. Ironhide softly stroked his back struts and kissed his sensitive plating.
''Now, go fix up Prime.'' He tapped Ratchet's aft and opened his end of the bond so that when Ratchet left he would still feel his lover as if he were right there. Ratchet opened his end of the bond, his frame immediately warmed with Ironhide's own spark. He vented shakily and stood. He turned to Optimus and shook his head, ''Apologies.''
''No need old friend.'' Optimus kneeled and showed Ratchet his battered left servo. ''Does it hurt?''
''Minimally.''
''That was gross,'' Mikaela muttered.
''Humans ain't no better.'' Ironhide spat and came back around Ratchet, ''How ya feelin' Prime?''
'' Well,'' Optimus replied respectfully, keeping his gaze on Ratchet's careful servos that massaged out his dented knuckle padding while Ironhide pressed another kiss against the back of his lover's helm. ''I am proud of all of you, you proved your grit today.'' Ratchet ex-vented steadily and tried to shake the wrenching feeling in his abdomen.
Lennox looked up as four large carrier choppers entered the airfield. ''There's the backup we needed ten minutes ago.'' He commented snarkily. They kicked up dust and sand as they landed on the outskirts of the town. The crews jumped from the choppers and opened the loading dock doors. Lennox looked up at the warriors and nodded. ''Alright! Ironhide, Optimus! Over there, Bumblebee, take the humans, Ratchet, with me.''
Lennox ignored the reactions and started to walk away to the carrier for the mech and him. Ratchet's expression shifted uncomfortably as he relaxed Optimus' hand. ''Feel better?''
''Yes, thank you, old friend.''
Ratchet nodded and stood. Ironhide was already walking over to the carrier for him and the Prime. He looked down at the ground, about to continue walking when Optimus called out his name. He turned and looked up with a raised optic ridge.
''Go.'' Optimus nodded. Ratchet looked at Ironhide who turned at the carrier and watched the two. ''Are you-''
'' Go on, I can handle a few hours on my own.''
Ratchet smiled softly. ''I- err-''
''Go on, Ratchet.''
The medic nodded quickly, ''Right!'' He turned and ran away from Lennox over to the carrier where Ironhide stood. He hugged the weaponist tightly and stumbled into the carrier with him, their frames cramping and slipping in beside each other.