Work Text:
"Magnus."
"Rodimus."
"Do you ever have days where you just... don't care?"
Magnus had originally meant to "firmly request" Rodimus get off the floor in the middle of a corridor usually heavy with traffic. Ratchet commed Magnus and told him about Rodimus's current position, which was lying flat on his belly, stretched out in the middle of the hall, and "suggested" Magnus do something about it. When he arrived on the scene, Rodimus apparently flipped onto his back, arms folded beneath his head, one leg crossed over a bent knee. Looked as if he were in his own hab-suite and not causing something of a public stir.
However, at Rodimus's question, Magnus was temporarily distracted. He furrowed his optic ridges and finally replied, "Commander?" Because, really, what the Hell was going on here?
Rodimus slowly grinned. "I love it when you address me as commander," he sneered, "makes me feel all important and stuff."
"Your rank denotes I address you as such."
Rodimus hummed. "But, hey, don't change the subject," he chortled. He fixed his gaze with Magnus's slightly baffled one. "Do you ever have days where you just don't care? You just," paused, flitted a hand before tucking it back beneath his head, "say 'frag it' and not give a scrap?"
Magnus tilted his head. "I am not entirely sure I comprehend what you are asking."
"You know," Rodimus huffed. He grunted, pushed elbows into the ground and sat up. His spoiler and back slid against the wall until only his legs were stretched out in the middle of the hall. Magnus watched him closely. "Where you forget the protocols and the rules and all that other tight-laced, boring slag? Days where you just feel like doing whatever you want, even if it means going against the rules or what you believe to be right."
Magnus stared. Rodimus stared back, his face curious, even hopeful. "No," Magnus said finally, and that hopeful look died like water thrown onto a tiny flame. The larger mech folded arms over his chest. "However, I feel the context of your question does not necessarily inquire 'do I go against protocol' so much as it does 'do I ever cut myself some slack and shrug things off'?"
Rodimus smiled. "Yeah, yeah," he said, pointing, "that's it. I mean, I know you'd probably never, ever break the law unless you really, really had to, and - have you?" Magnus looked away, as if debating answering, before the younger Autobot shook his head and continued: "Nevermind - What I mean is like... Someone important calls you, but you don't answer 'cause you're tired, oooor someone tells you to do something by today but you decide to put it off for later just to nap or maybe go for a drive? Y'know, little things like that." He smiled sweetly with a small shrug, hands spread.
"I," Magnus started, paused, "... can't say I have."
Rodimus pursed his lips. "I was trying to be polite and respectful about it, but Magnus," he pointed, "you need to lighten up." His second-in-command seemed shocked by this, but did not betray any emotion, as usual. "You know I can be stingy and demanding about certain things on this ship and what I expect of my crew, but that doesn't mean I want them to work themselves into early deactivation. I want my men to work hard, but also have fun." He slumped back against the wall. "And frankly: it makes us all look like incompetent clowns goofing off when you're so serious and studious all the time."
"I am sorry."
"No, you're not."
Magnus said nothing.
Rodimus sighed heavily. "Well, maybe one day you'll understand. But, yeah, there's another reason I asked you this." The blue mech waited for an answer as he watched Rodimus twiddle his thumbs. "Hoping if you actually did cut loose sometimes, you'd understand that, right now..." He paused and dropped his head back with a dramatic grunt. "I'm too tired to mooooove," he whined.
Magnus glowered. "Commander."
"I'm too tired and I don't wanna move and this spot is so," Rodimus then stretched out in the hall on his stomach, "cozy." He flexed his fingers and gave a little purr, optics dimming. "So, how 'bout for once, you just overlook the fact I'm going against all the rules on proper public behavior and decency and just..." A grumble as he got comfortable. "Let me take my stasis nap here."
Magnus wasn't sure if he was shocked or angry. Or something else. Really, he had dealt with many things in his lifetime, but never something like... this. This was just... ridiculous. Silly. And that was somewhat infuriating and embarrassing. "Commander," he said sternly, "I cannot allow you to take your nap in the hall. Your chambers are just a few--"
"I told you, I'm too tired to move."
"Yes, but unfortunately, you cannot stay here."
"Look, I'm not doing any harm."
"I can list off ten reasons why you are wrong. Reason number one: if in the instance of an emergency, you would serve as an obstacle during an escape r--"
Rodimus made this strange little noise that confused Magnus enough to shut him up. "Okay, no lectures," he mumbled and waved a hand at him. He carefully flopped onto his back and smiled at the larger Autobot. "Well, since I'm not gonna walk... How about you carry me?"
"No."
"It's the only alternative. It's the only way to move me."
"No."
"If one of those ten aforementioned reasons I'd be causing trouble for my crew by lying here should happen, you'd be held responsible, since the only way to move me was to carry me, and you failed to - well - carry out your orders."
"No."
"I mean, I can make it a command."
"Would be vetoed by CR&R rule number five and no."
"Carry me."
Magnus glared down at Rodimus. Rodimus glared back up at Magnus. With a huff, the orange mech sat up then stood. He brushed his legs off then turned and got in his second-in-command's face. "Watch me, Magnus," he growled, "one day, you're going to bend and step out of line and I'm going to be the one who pushed you." With that, he stomped off, but Magnus knew he had only been joking.
Well, mostly.
A week passed since the incident, but when Magnus and Rodimus next met, they seemed to have forgotten the whole ordeal. Ratchet explained to some of the more ignorant crewmates that the two had been longtime friends and, as such, were prone to occasionally acting like idiots and then pretending their little spats never happened. Still, at least Rodimus had not been found napping in the halls and Magnus remained firm and unrelenting in his charge.
... Well, mostly.
The alien ship had seemingly come out of nowhere. Rodimus had attempted to make contact, but the sudden invaders refused to respond. Shots were fired, and both ships took quite a beating. The Lost Light had been forced to land on a small moon nearby, but the aliens followed in pursuit. As they entered the atmosphere, things went from bad to chaotic, and Rodimus found he was losing control of his vessel. Fortunately, the damage to their attackers' ship was far worse, and had only increased once the moon's atmosphere nearly yanked off their hull. One farewell blast to its bow, and the aliens turned tail, once more disappearing into the bleak darkness of empty space.
The Lost Light sputtered as it finally landed, engines coughing and spitting before finally powering off. There were no causalities, and only a few had been injured, but Rung and Ratchet got to them quickly. After everyone's nerves were settled and the initial shock and excitement died down, Rodimus slouched back in his command chair, heaving out a big, relieved sigh.
Magnus stood beside him, as he had the entire time throughout the fight. He watched his commander closely. Rodimus was utterly exhausted and still a bit jittery; he rubbed his face, as if trying to ease out the pounding processor ache.
"Magnus."
The older Autobot blinked; when he next turned to his commander, Rodimus was staring him right in the eye. "You need to get that looked at," he said and pointed to Magnus's arm. Magnus looked down; he hadn't noticed he had been wounded - there had been very little damage to the bridge, but one blast did take out a small section of the ceiling. Must have been hit by the debris. He was bleeding, but felt no pain.
Magnus glanced back at Rodimus, who had returned to trying to collect his wits. Yes, he should have gone to the medic to patch up his wound. It was only logical. And of course, he should have obeyed a direct order from his commander. But, well...
He didn't.
Rodimus grunted when Magnus suddenly, carefully, hoisted him up in his arms, until he was sitting on one giant hand, facing his second-in-command. His knees pressed against the larger mech's chest, and for a moment, Rodimus braced hands against Magnus's shoulders, to push himself free. Then, he stopped; the embrace around him tightened, assuring Rodimus he would not get down without a fight.
Rodimus slowly smiled. "I told you to go to the medibay, soldier," he jeered.
"I am sorry, sir, but I must protest," Magnus replied, simply enough. All business, as usual, but oh, Rodimus swore he saw the slight curve of a grin form at the corners of his lips. But that was impossible, wasn't it?
"I'm assuming there's some sort of rule where you worry about the captain's safety first before all others."
"Something like that."
"Is that why you're doing this?"
"There is no dire situation that would require me to apply said rule." Magnus tilted his head. "I am... simply choosing to ignore your previous order."
Rodimus laughed. "So, what?" He playfully slapped the smokestack on Magnus's left shoulder. "It takes an ambush that nearly tears the ship apart to make you act out even just a little? Do I have to use laser beams and Sharkticons with rabies to make you budge in the future?"
"Hmm," Magnus said, "I'd rather you not. Besides--"
Rodimus placed a hand against Magnus's chest, bent forward. "It'd be going against at least a billion protocols," he finished for him, smirking. Without another word or any means of an awkward moment, Rodimus bowed his head and kissed Magnus. Magnus quite happily returned the kiss, holding his captain safely and warmly in his arms.
Rodimus sat back a moment later and chortled. "Yeah, well, if you're going to carry me to my room or the medibay, get ready to break a few more."
"I suppose everyone is too in shock to care anyway."
"That's the spirit."