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Mirage and Noah often had nights like these, nights Mirage endearingly called “boys night”, so much so that even Noah had adopted the term. The concept was quite simple: Noah would ride with Mirage around New York, sight-see, talk, get food, visit the drive-in theater, have stupid karaoke sessions and such. It was a nice way to spend time together without being cooped up inside the garage. The two had even found some desolate spots where Mirage was able to transform into his root mode freely.
One of their frequent spots included an outlook away from the city, a hidden little gem locked away behind a private property gate, (one that Noah had no qualms picking the lock to). Trees offered cover for the two, and there was plenty of space to splay out. The stars were even the slightest bit more visible, light pollution not as glaringly bad in their isolated little paradise.
This is where the two find themselves now, on an unassuming Thursday night. The sun was low in the sky, nearing the horizon line, ready to dip below the cityline.
Noah and Mirage sit side by side, gazing out at the setting sun.
Mirage turns his helm, optics scanning over Noah. The sun’s light casts a warm glow on his skin, making Noah look so incredibly alive. His cheeks were rosy from the summer heat, sweat drying off his skin as the temperature drops with the sun. There’s dirt under his nails, and his palms are calloused from work. His hair is tousled from their night out, (they had sped down an empty road with the windows down), curls awry and frizzy. Noah inhabits a body so different from Mirage’s own he can’t help but to stop and admire it sometimes.
There were a lot of differences between the two of them, earth being one of them. Mirage wasn’t familiar with everything earth had to offer, as he had remained hidden the majority of his time on the planet, and to be honest he was curious about the world around him.
“What’s your favorite thing about earth?” Mirage asks, breaking the silence that had previously enveloped them.
Noah turns his head, looking up at the mech.
“Why do you ask?” Noah queries.
Mirage shrugs, averting his optics.
“I don't know, I guess…” Mirage tilts his head and taps a servo against his pedes a few times. “Well, I don’t know much about earth. I guess I just want to know more about it– more about what it’s like to really live here, you know?” Mirage looks back to Noah, optics swirling momentarily.
Noah hums, nods, and looks back out towards the sun. It’s silent for a few moments, long enough that Mirage starts to think Noah isn’t going to answer the question. That is until the man takes in a breath, his back straightening the slightest bit.
“There’s a lot of good I could say about earth, a lot of bad too–” Noah keeps his head facing the sun as he speaks, focused on the amalgamation of warm and cool hues the lowering sun produces. “--but honestly, I think it’s the people. Which is really cheesy, I know, and I know there are plenty of fuckin’ assholes out there, but the good ones… the good moments that happen, they’re so special.” Noah’s voice is warmer than usual, a soft edge to his speech that has Mirage leaning closer, staring at his profile with rapt attention.
“There’s just so much shit in the world, that when someone makes you your favorite meal, or says something so funny your stomach hurts from laughing, hell, even if a stranger flashes their lights to warn you of some shithead cop sitting up the road, it feels good . Human connection feels amazing. ” Noah briefly looks down now, his lips quirking into a smile. “I think the absolute best thing though, is the physical aspect of connection…like hugs, or kisses. The warmth that comes from that is shared. It doesn’t even have to be romantic– like a hug from my Ma always makes me all warm inside. It makes me feel loved.” Noah trails off, smile turning bashful as the sun lowers completely.
“I guess that’s not just limited to earth though, huh?” Noah adds on, turning to Mirage with a crooked smile.
Mirage finds he can’t speak just yet, still basking in the words Noah had washed over him. He remains staring at Noah, his optics and the pale moonlight now being what illuminates him. It tints Noah in blue, the cool light bouncing off his form in a way that looks almost ethereal. That is ethereal.
“Mirage–?”
“What does it feel like?” Mirage blurts.
Noah knits his brows together.
“What does what feel like?”
“A hug.”
Noah’s face melts into one of surprise, and he almost looks a bit sad, his lips frowning just the slightest bit.
“Have you never… have we never hugged?” Noah looks genuinely upset now, mouth set in a firm frown, eyes drooped despite his looking up.
They hadn’t. Not a proper hug, anyways. They had exchanged pats, gentle hand placements, teasing pokes and prods, but never a hug. Mirage isn’t upset at Noah for it. He’s big and clunky, a hug isn’t exactly the first action one would think to engage in with someone– something that looks like him.
“No.” Mirage murmurs flatly, just stating a fact.
Noah stands almost immediately, brushing the grass stuck to his hands away on his jeans. He moves to stand in front of Mirage’s crisscrossed form. Mirage’s optical ridge raises as Noah steps forward, climbing on top of his legs. Mirage is quick to hover his servos on either side of Noah, in case he should fall.
“C’mere,” Noah gestures with his hands, raising his arms out to his side.
Mirage leans closer to Noah hesitantly, not entirely sure what to do with his body. Noah rolls his eyes and wraps his arms around Mirage’s neck, pulling him closer. Mirage lets him move him freely, allowing his helm to rest over Noah’s shoulder.
“You’re supposed to hold me too, Mirage,” Noah speaks with light amusement, laughing lightly.
“Oh, right,” Mirage jolts his servos into movement, carefully wrapping them around Noah’s form, engulfing his torso and waist.
Mirage isn’t exactly sure what to do next– he doesn’t want to hurt Noah by accidentally moving the wrong way, or holding him too tightly.
“Relax, Raj. You gotta relax, man,” Noah soothes, his voice smooth like honey. “Just… close your eyes–your optics– and feel.”
Mirage complies, closing his optics and letting out an outtake of air through his vents. He can feel Noah’s body radiate warmth against him, he can feel his shoes standing steady on his thighs, he can feel Noah’s arms wrapped loosely around his neck– one of his hands is idly running back and forth across the protomesh there– he feels Noah rest his head at the very top of chassis, facing inwards towards his neck, he can feel every breath Noah takes, his lungs expanding beneath his servos and his breath tickling the sensitive protomesh of his neck.
Mirage leans further into Noah, gently pulling him closer. Another outtake of air is let out as Noah is pressed firmly against his chassis.
“There you go,” Noah murmurs praisingly.
Mirage feels warm, not just from Noah’s body heat, but he feels a warmth from within him, as if his spark was working overtime, thrumming steady in his chassis. It was as if he felt lit up from the inside. He hoped Noah felt it too. And if the content sigh that wisped past Noah’s lips was any indication, he was.
The two stay wrapped in each other's arms, quiet save for the distant sounds of the city. The warmth between them is a welcome comfort compared to the chill settling in for the night.
Mirage thinks back to Noah’s speech, and he leans back so he can face Noah again. He keeps his servos on Noah’s waist. Noah keeps his arms around his neck.
“Can we kiss?”
Noah tenses beneath him, but makes no effort to move.
“What?!” Noah yelps, eyebrows shooting up.
Mirage nearly laughs at how fast his expression had changed, but he doesn’t.
“You mentioned kissing earlier, when talking about your favorite thing on earth. I want to know what it feels like,” Mirage explains, lips shaping into a pout as he finishes.
“Raj… kissing is…” Noah trails off. His body is relaxed again now– for the most part anyways. His shoulders seem to be set on staying bunched up.
“We already hugged, why can’t we kiss?” Mirage whines, tilting his helm.
“Because kissing is– well it’s–”
“Please, Noah? Just one kiss?” Mirage interrupts, tilting his helm down to look at Noah through his optical ridges, putting on his best show of “puppy-dog-eyes” possible. (He learnt it from Kris).
Noah sighs, closing his eyes, his shoulders drop back down to their relaxed state.
“Okay, just one kiss,” Noah relents.
Mirage grins, wiggling his hips happily, prompting a chuckle and a fond head shake out of Noah.
Noah slides his hands up to frame the sides of Mirage’s face, the bot stilling his movements at the touch. His optics waver between Noah’s eyes, darting back and forth as Noah leans in closer. Mirage leans down, watching as Noah’s eyes flutter, his sight set intently on Mirage’s lips.
Noah flicks his eyes back up to Mirage’s optics, mouth stretched into an amused grin.
“You gotta close your eyes for this too.”
Mirage dutifully obliges, optics shutting at Noah’s command. He waits with bated breath until–
Oh.
Noah’s lips on his feels amazing. They’re soft and slightly chapped and full and warm and perfect. Mirage melts into the kiss, pulling Noah closer against him again. Noah hums in satisfaction, and Mirage knows now without a doubt that kissing is definitely the best thing on earth– probably in the entire universe.
As long as it was Noah he was kissing, anyways.
When they part, Noah is looking at Mirage’s lips, panting lightly to regain his breath. Mirage gazes at him with a fond smile.
“Well, that was–”
Mirage is cut off as Noah leans in again, pressing their lips together once more. Mirage lets a surprised “oomf” sound through his vocalizer before returning the kiss completely, moving his malleable lips against Noah’s.
Mirage makes sure to catch Noah’s eye when they part this time, smirking at Noah’s flushed face.
“I’m pretty sure I said just one kiss, Noah.”
“Shut up, Mirage.”