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It wasn’t a secret really
Almost everyone on base knew of First aid’s crush on Springer.
The stubborn mech just wouldn’t admit to it though, at least not to Ratchet.
First aid denied it, claiming he just enjoyed the green mech presence… or how he just liked to listen to Springer tell stories of adventures and grandeur even if he was retelling one of Kup’s infamous stories. Or how he was simply keeping Springer company during the warrior’s sparring time when there weren’t many mechs to accompany him, He was giving encouragement! And support! He was totally not eyeing the mech! There would be a multitude of different excuses the young medic in training would state after being teased by some of his comrades.
And obviously the numerous times one of the members of the medical staff startled the young nurse out of his mental drifting had nothing to do with the him either, he claim. He was totally just super focused! There were dozens of other things that he was totally thinking about and not in fact day dreaming about the big mech in question.
Perhaps Ratchet would have believed First aid’s excuses if it weren’t for the fact that Ratchet was no fool. He’ll admit that he has had his own number of crushes and perhaps a few relationships before so he was not naïve to the look First aid gets, facial mask or not, whenever the triplechanger was mentioned.
Not to mention Firstaid’s inability to not gossip whenever possible did nothing to hide young mech’s obvious liking towards Springer either. Especially if one of his favorite chat buddies was around.
“… and oh my gosh you should have seen him when he tackled the other mech he was like-“
Honestly it was probably a good thing Firstaid didn’t go into special ops because while the mech was a promising medic he was terrible at not keeping his mouth shut.
“- and then this other mech came up right behind him and was like Wha-Bam! And then-“
More sound effects and enthusiastic chatter echoed from a few storage shelves down from where Ratchet was working. If anybody asked him he wouldn’t say he was ease-dropping. He was simply minding his business, clearly it’s not his fault if he is putting away supplies and his two assistants just so happen to be gossiping just oh so loud enough for him to hear.
Honesty they weren’t even whispering.
The senior medic looked through his box of supplies thoughtfully. While Aid will openly talk about literally anything with Ambulon, including his fixation on the triplechanger, he was more hesitant to express himself with Ratchet, the medical chief got the impression this was out of some sort of embarrassment judging by his apprentice’s nervous behavior when ever personal interest were brought up.
Ratchet hummed quietly to himself. Firstaid is new to working with Ratchet after all and perhaps he wants to give off a good impression, the medic thought internally.
Ratchet strained his audio in hopes of catching more of their conversation so far it has mostly been Firstaid describing his “totally not a date” with Springer and if he understood anything from their not so secretive chattering is that Springer was completely oblivious to the young nurse’s feelings.
“… and then afterwards he came over and asked if I was busy later and I’m just internally screaming the whole time and-“
“Primus, Aid if he’s not gonna ask you out then just ask him out.”
“Ambulon are you crazy I can’t just –“
“BEEP! BEEP!- INCOMING ALERT!”
Ratchet raised his hand to his comms as a message came over the medical emergency com-line.
“In coming level 2 patients. Arrival 10 minutes”, Teletran’s monotone voice announced over the medical comm. system. Silence from his assistances indicated they had received the alert as well.
Signing, he pushed the remaining supplies out of the way for now and straightens his back. Satisfied after feeling a joint pop back in place he turned towards the remainder of the medical storage room.
“You know what that means! Enough chit-chat and get your way to the medical bay” he hollered, already turning towards the door nearby.
The echo of items hitting the floor was enough to make Ratchet smirk as scampering footfalls and a not so quiet hushed “scrap! how long has he been in here?” “I don’t know I was listening to you” Drifted his way. Chuckling quietly to himself he headed out the door, leaving the other two to catch up.
-----------------------------------
“Alright Cliffjumper just take it easy on that joint for a little while and you should be fine”
“Thanks Ratchet.” The short mech replied sliding off the berth and heading towards the door. Ratchet guess that the russet mech would be back relatively soon judging by his usual knack for getting into fights.
“Okay who’s next?” Ratchet asked as he made his way over to the last two remaining mechs.
Both a green and a red helm glanced up towards the medic from a mess of cards between them. It look like one of the earth games the humans had taught them, Uno, Ratchet believed is what it was called only the cards had been made to fit cybertronain sized hands.
The two mechs looked from their game of Uno to each other than back at the medic, with a wave of a hand Springer gestured towards his opponent “Take Ironhide. He’s gonna lose anyways.”
“You don’t know that.” the rustic colored mech remarked. Ratchet noted the dislocated shoulder joint on the older mech and judging by the lack of any real aggressive remarks, Ratchet figured Ironhide had been given some painkillers for his injuries. A quick look over at Springer told Ratchet the younger mech had taken some damage to his legs, one more serious than the other and it was unlikely that putting much weight on it would be pleasant.
“You’ve still got two cards.”
“Yeah and you’ve got like what – 12?” silver servos placing another card on a messy pile while Springer shifting his weight to prop his elbow on his lesser wounded leg, “also uno”.
Ratchet now standing behind Ironhide looked over the mech’s shoulder at his hand “I don’t know Ironhide I think the kid’s gonna beat’cha to it” he remarked. The red mech growled under his breath when he looked at his cards and then reached to pull another from the deck.
“Just finished with Hound who’s next?” a voice from somewhere behind Ratchet claimed.
An orangey-red and white form appearing in Ratchet’s peripheral vision turned to reveal a Firstaid, stopping a foot or two from the injured mechs. “Oh! Uh- hi Springer! Uh-and Ironhide” Aid chimed his tone obviously indicating that he hadn’t known just who had been among the waiting mechs.
“Hi ‘aid, ready to see me win for the third time in a row?” Springer replied with a cheeky grin.
“Ya don’t know that” Ironhide repeated stubbornly drawing the last card he could take for his turn. A triumph “ah-hah!” sounded from him when he placed his card on the played deck. The elder mech was met with raised brows from the green and gold mech. Grin never leaving his face as he placed his last card on the pile, matching them by number.
“Sorry old mech I win again.” Springer remarked with an all too smug shrug of his shoulders
“aahhh damn it” A defeated Ironhide sighed as he handed his cards over to Springer while getting a sympathetic pat from Ratchet.
“Hey you didn’t do too bad this round, you didn’t end up with the whole deck in your hand.” Chuckled Springer as he stacked the cards together and hid them away in his storage compartment.
“yeah yeah whatever” Ironhide waved off the amused comment
“Alright then-“ stated Ratchet patting Ironhide on the good shoulder and directing his attention to First Aid who seemed to have recovered from his earlier surprise. “-seeing as there are two of us and two of them, I’ll get Ironhide here if you can get Springer.”
“uh- yeah I can do that” he remarked absently before scrambling to the side of the mech who appear to be trying to stand on one leg
“Oh don’t worry I got it, I can just-“, Springer stated supporting his weight on the nearby wall
“Oh no you don’t”
“-I can just hobble or hop-“
“Springer no”
“-hang on I can-
“Don’t you dare put weight on that leg Springer” First aid demanded. Any apparent nervousness towards the big mech was gone. First aid forcefully but gently placed Springer’s arm around his shoulder and started leading him towards one of the repair slabs. Had the larger green mech stalled a seconded longer First aid might have just dragged the poor mech.
The two remaining mechs watched them go
“So how long do you think it’s gonna be till Springer picks up on it?” Ironhide chuckled quietly once they were out of hearing range.
“If he’s as thick headed as you? Awhile.”
“Heeeey”.