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Blue optics stare out intensely at the vast ocean in front of him.
He can hear the sounds of seagulls chirping loudly above his helm as one decides to perch itself on top of him. Normally the large mech would grumble in annoyance at this or simply roll his optics to the side. He chooses not to however after hearing a small giggle to his right.
Ultra Magnus turns his helm to face the small human sitting next to him whose small hand is softly holding onto one of his digits. His optics soften slightly at this.
“Are you feeling any better?” His voice comes out somewhat rigid per usual, though there’s a gentle undertone to it.
He hears a small hum in response as they look up at him with big eyes.
Prior to arriving at the isolated beach, the bot could see the cloudiness in their eyes which seemed to hold a great amount of intense emotions. Looking into them now though, he notices that they’ve become more clearer as they give a small smile.
“Yes. I find the scenery to be really calming and comforting to look at. Thank you for agreeing to bring me here by the way.”
They lean their smaller body against his arm which causes him to stiffen instinctively before relaxing into their touch.
“Of course. Although this is my first time visiting a beach since arriving on this planet, I can understand why humans would enjoy this place. The atmosphere is, how would you describe it...serene?”
They nod their head in agreement.
Ultra Magnus can feel the cool breeze against his frame as he watches the tides move in and out. He looks back at them to see that they’re now collecting small colorful objects off the ground.
“What’s that you’re collecting?” He asks curiously with a tilt of his helm. This causes them to laugh slightly as they bring the objects closer to his optics.
“They’re called seashells. They form here naturally in the ocean and are usually swept onto the beach by the tides. I think they’re really pretty," they explain with a sparkling look in their eyes.
The Autobot gently picks up one of the shells on the ground with his digits to inspect closer. It’s a pale pink conch shell which spirals at the top. His optics watch the sun’s rays catch off its shiny surface.
“Indeed they are," he agrees with the smallest hint of a smile.
The two of them sit together in comfortable silence for the next few minutes while they take in the calming atmosphere around them. His optics glance back to them after a bit of time has passed, now deciding it’s a good time to broach the topic of why they first came here.
“I don’t intend to come off as rude by asking this, but did something happen to you before we arrived here? Although I’m still trying to understand human emotions better, I could detect from your eyes that something seemed amiss.”
Ultra Magnus asks this in a more gentle tone compared to his usual gruff voice. He waits patiently as he watches them seemingly try to collect all their thoughts before looking up at him.
“Well...I suppose I’ve just been feeling really down lately. Some days I don’t have trouble getting out of bed, but other times all I want to do is sleep forever. I struggle to look after myself because I’m too tired or don’t have the motivation to. I guess it’s just been really hard these past few weeks.”
Their gaze is now cast to the side, a saddened look now on their face. His expression is unreadable as he takes in what they said.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” Ultra Magnus questions. Although he tries to conceal it, his voice comes out almost somber. The notion that they might’ve not told him because they couldn’t fully trust him starts to tug on the mech’s spark.
They seem to catch onto his thought process after a few seconds as their eyes widen in panic.
“No no, it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that...I didn’t want to burden you with my problems. You already have to deal with so much as Optimus’s second-in-command. I don’t want to seem like some pesky human bothering you over trivial things when you could be doing more important stuff.”
His optical ridges furrow while a deep frown appears on his faceplate.
“I would never think of you as just some ‘pesky human’ to look after. It’s my duty as your guardian...and sparkmate to make sure that you’re well taken care of and happy. If I cannot do those basic things, then I am truly undeserving of your love and affection," he states firmly with an earnest look.
His helm quickly turns to face them after he hears the sound of soft sniffling and hiccups. Ultra Magnus’s optics widen as he gathers their small form in his servo gently.
“Please look at me. Did I say something that upset you?” The commander asks worriedly.
The blue mech usually isn’t one to show his emotions outwardly, though ever since he met his human sparkmate several months ago, he’s slowly warmed up to expressing himself more. Especially when his beloved is upset about something.
They still have tears running down their cheeks as they look at Ultra Magnus with glassy eyes.
“N-No of course not Mags. I just wasn’t expecting you to say that is all. What you said really means a lot to me...”
Their voice wobbles slightly as they lean their cheek against his faceplate affectionately. The Autobot lets out a low rumble in contentment.
“Of course my dear. Though I may not always be the best at voicing how I feel, please know that I’ll always care about you and your wellbeing. You hold a very special place in my spark," he speaks softly as he goes to kiss them on the forehead.
The two of them stay like that for the next few minutes. Their smaller form now buried into his neck cables as he gently cradles them against his frame. He glances up at the sky when he feels a few droplets of rain hit his helm.
“It looks like it’s going to start raining soon. We should probably head back to base before it starts downpouring," Ultra Magnus says.
They nod their head in agreement as he places them back down on the ground carefully.
The tall mech transforms into his altmode, automatically opening the passenger door for his sparkmate.
“Hey Mags?” They ask shyly as the two of them depart down the quiet highway.
“Yes?”
“I love you," they mumble out softly. Ultra Magnus lets out a small chuckle which can be heard through the radio in response.
“As do I dear," he says in an affectionate tone.
They smile at this as they glance out the window, ready to return to base where they can cuddle with their cybertronian sparkmate for the rest of the evening.