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Jetfire blasted and flew as fast as his systems would allow him to.
It had been his longest journey, almost going for a month. The snowstorm had grounded him for days at a time, during multiple points.
The wind howled around him, and his HUD told him that it was likely a good idea to ground now.
He was so close now, he couldn’t ground now, he could see his house.
Jetfire landed very clumsily, and walked as fast as he could through the storm.
It was so cold, and he wanted to just get into the house.
And see Red Alert.
Primus, he had missed Red Alert.
He came up the steps, and opened the front door.
Finally.
He rushed to the berthroom, and found Red curled up on the berth, clutching a pillow. Most notably, Jetfire's pillow.
Jetfire carefully climbed onto the berth, and shook Red Alert slightly. Red's optics immediately opened, and he sat up quickly. Jetfire hugged him tightly, and started to rock them both.
Red Alert clung on, his breaths shaky.
“Jet…Jet, Jet, Jet…”
“I'm here, I'm here, I'm here…”
“Oh, Primus…Primus, Jetfire…”
Jetfire placed a kiss on Red's helm.
“I'm here.”
Jetfire tried to keep his voice steady, hoping to calm down Red Alert, but it was hard when he was also trying to keep himself calm.
They sat there in silence, just relishing in each other's embrace, trying to convince themselves that this was real.
After a few moments, Jetfire leaned down, and kissed Red Alert. Red's hands came up to cradle Jetfire's helm, as both optics started to spill tears, and no one could tell whose tears were whose anymore.
They broke apart, Red Alert still crying. Jetfire lowered both of them down into the berth, and held on tight to Red.
They were both exhausted, they didn't want to live like this anymore.
They didn't really have a choice.
Red Alert snuggled in closer, tears spilling onto Jetfire's chassis. The larger bot started rubbing Red's back, trying to comfort them.
“Frag, I missed you…”
“I missed you too, Red. So much.”
“Jetfire?”
Jetfire kissed the top of Red’s helm again. “Yes, love?”
“Don't leave. Just…don't leave. Please.”
Jetfire's spark sank. That was a promise he knew he couldn't keep. He would have to continue going out if they wanted to survive.
However, for tonight, he wouldn’t leave. He would stay for however long Red Alert wanted.
“I won't leave tonight, Red.”
Red Alert nuzzled Jetfire's chassis. “Primus, I wished you never had to leave.”
*
Jetfire stumbled into the house, his pedes dragging across the floor. Through hazy optics, he saw Red Alert leave their berthroom.
“Jet? Are you okay?” He went to Jetfire's side, and helped him to the berthroom.
“Jetfire, sit down.” Red joined his side, and plugged his medical cable into Jetfire's arm.
Just some exhaustion, it seemed like. Lots of exhaustion.
“Okay, nothing serious.”
Jetfire nodded as he tried to pull Red Alert into his lap. Red helped him out by climbing in. Jetfire hugged Red Alert as tightly as he could manage.
“Jetfire? Are you…mentally okay?”
“...I'm exhausted.”
“Okay. Let's…let's lay down, and you get some rest, alright?”
Jetfire leaned down to place their foreheads together.
“I…can't do this anymore. I can't.”
Red Alert brought his hands to Jetfire's helm, finding tears now dripping down on his face. “Oh, Jet…”
Jetfire closed his optics as Red Alert wiped away the tears. Red allowed it to be silent for a little while, just letting Jetfire feel his emotions before Red spoke again.
“Jetfire…if I wasn't here…say, we went different ways, or I died-”
“Don't- just don't.”
“...what would you do if I wasn't here?”
Jetfire sighed. “I…likely would've given up.”
Red Alert started rubbing soothing circles into Jetfire's face. “Jetfire…”
“I hate the idea of losing you. You…you are the reason I keep going.”
Red sighed. “Jetfire…promise me this. If I…die…promise me that you will continue on. That you will continue surviving. That you won't follow me into the Allspark immediately.”
“I'll…try.”
Red Alert nodded. “Let's…let's recharge for now, okay?”
Jetfire laid both of them down, and held Red close.
“Rest, Jetfire.”
Jetfire's optics shuttered, and he fell into recharge quickly.
Red Alert knew that a simple recharge wouldn't help Jetfire's exhaustion. He was burnt out.
From just trying to survive.
*
*
*
*
Sometimes Red Alert had to remind himself that they weren't in that world anymore.
Red Alert blamed it on the fact that Jetfire was working late, and wasn't in the berthroom with him. After checking the time, Jetfire should be home soon.
Sometimes, Red Alert would wake up, and if Jetfire wasn't there, he would start to tear up. He would think that Jetfire was out finding energon, or grounded from a snowstorm. He would think he wouldn't be able to see Jetfire for however long it took.
It takes a few minutes for Red’s mind to settle back into the present, and remember that Jetfire was simply working late tonight.
He sat up, deciding to wait for his partner instead of falling back into recharge. Red looked out the window, and saw a glimpse of the Cybertron they lived in now.
It was a far cry from the dying planet they had been stuck on for two years.
Red found it strange that even after hundreds of cycles, his mind would still think they were on the dying planet.
He talked to Ratchet about it once. Ratchet had said it was likely very traumatizing to them both, to live everyday in a world where barely anything or anyone was left.
For as long as he has lived for, and as long as he will live for, that trauma will never fully go away. Just be in the background, striking when he least expected it.
Red Alert was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard the front door open, and the sounds of Jetfire moving to the berthroom.
He peered in, and smiled softly when he saw Red Alert.
“Sorry I was late, love.”
Red smiled back. “No worries.”
Jetfire crawled onto the berth, and took Red into his arms.
Some things would never change, Red Alert guessed.
And if Jetfire kept coming home like this, Red wouldn't complain.
Not just hugging him everytime he came back, but only coming home late because his shift went late.
Or there was traffic.
Or something was blocking his route home.
Or he got caught up in work.
Not because a snowstorm had grounded him for multiple days, or he was literally halfway across the globe.
Just normal things.
Jetfire lowered them both and pulled the blanket over them.
“Tired, Jet?”
He chuckled as he shuttered his optics. Red Alert readjusted himself so that he could properly look at Jetfire's face.
Red stared at the deep lines starting to form in Jetfire’s face from getting older. He lifted his hand and started to trace them. Jetfire opened his optics slightly, looking at the hand on his face, before he closed his optics again and sighed contently.
“Primus, you're getting old…”
Jetfire opened one optic, a furrow forming on his face.
“Have you thought about retiring?”
Jetfire looked unamused. He wasn't that old yet.
“Maybe we'll retire somewhere nice.”
Red Alert smiled as he continued to trace Jetfire's face.
“I heard that Crystal City has been rebuilt quite nicely. Perhaps we'll retire there.”
Jetfire lifted his hand to a line forming on Red's forehead, and began tracing it as well.
“You can't say anything. You're getting old as well.”
Red Alert leaned closer to Jetfire's face, and pulled him into a soft kiss. After a moment they broke apart, and Red moved down to snuggle closer to Jetfire's chassis.
“At least I'll grow old with you.”