Work Text:
While out on a remote Autobot base, the lake nearby had frozen over with the dropping temperatures.
Nothing in particular was happening, so many bots took the liberty to go out on the ice, finding it thick and sturdy enough for a bot to actually walk on.
Skyfire had managed to drag Red Alert out of the security room, taking him to the lake.
“Sky, this is a bad idea.”
Skyfire smiled softly as he held both of Red Alert's hands. “It'll be okay, Red. Many bots have been on the ice all day, and nothing has happened.”
He started backing up onto the ice, as Red Alert planted his pedes into the snow.
“No…no, I don't trust it…”
“Well, what if we just went into the shallow area first? So if the ice were to break, you won't fall too deep.” He rubbed the back of Red Alert's hands. “And I'll hold on the entire time.”
Red Alert took a deep breath as he slowly nodded. He hadn't seen a lot of Skyfire today, and this was something he wanted to do.
He moved his pedes as Skyfire backed up, and soon, they hit the ice.
Immediately, Red Alert lost his balance, and was rapidly moving his legs in a panic. Skyfire tightened his grip on Red’s hands, and pulled him close.
“Are you okay?”
Red Alert nodded. “I…I think so.”
“Do you want to get off?”
Red shook his head. “No, just…need to keep my balance.”
Skyfire smiled softly. “I'll be here to help.”
Red Alert backed away from Skyfire slowly, his hands still within Skyfire's, as he figured out how to balance on the ice.
Skyfire started moving backwards, Red Alert following as he slid across the ice.
Red Alert looked down at Skyfire's pedes, and studied the way that they moved. He started to move his pedes in the same way. It was stilted and awkward at first, but as Skyfire skated along the ice, he got the hang of it.
He would have to admit, this was fun.
“Red?”
“Hm?”
“We’re in the middle of the lake.”
Red Alert looked around, finding that yes, they were in the middle of the lake.
It was romantic, they were skating under the rising moon, holding hands the entire time.
If Red Alert could reach, he would’ve immediately kissed Skyfire.
“See? I said it would be-”
Suddenly, they heard cracking.
Ice cracking.
“Skyfire?”
“It’s okay, just don’t make any fast-”
The ice gave out beneath them, plunging them into cold water.
Skyfire couldn't do anything for a moment. This was too familiar, it was happening again, but this time with his partner.
His partner.
His partner, who he told it would be okay, that they would be fine.
He snapped out of his thoughts as he heard gurgling. He saw Red Alert moving his mouth trying to say something.
Skyfire held Red close to his chassis, and turned his jets on. Soon, they were propelling out of the water.
They broke free of the water, and using the momentum, Skyfire blasted out of the water, and onto the ice, moving quickly to the shore.
He got to a large tree, and sat under it, holding Red Alert close to him as they both shivered, trying to process what had happened.
Skyfire, in particular, was stuck in the past, trying to get it out of his head.
“Sky?”
He looked down.
“I'm sorry, Red.” He held Red Alert closer to him.
“Why?”
“I said it would be fine, and it was not. I put both of us in danger.”
Red Alert snuggled in closer. “I know. But…you also said that you would hold on, and you did.”
Skyfire smiled softly as he looked out on the ice. The cold water was still on both of their plating, and Skyfire hated the way it clung onto him in particular. Made him feel…like he was back.
Back. He didn't want to be in the cold ice.
“Sky?”
“Hm?”
“You keep spacing out. Do you want to go back to base?”
Skyfire nodded as he stood up, and carried Red Alert back to base, hoping to get the cold water off of both of their plating.