Chapter Text
Dragonfly was sitting in Optimus' favorite meadow. Optimus was away from the base for a few days working with the human liaisons. Her processor recognized that the current environmental conditions that would be unfavorable to a human. It was hot and humid, disgustingly so when the heat was added in.
Whirrrr. Fitz. CRACK! Dragonfly jumped and then cringed as chunks of rocks flew into the air and pelted her armour. She turned around and glared at Ironhide. “What did the rock do to you?” she asked him, her glare melting into a slight smile.
“Ah sorry,” Ironhide said, sheepishly, “Ah get twitchy out here. Was the place you ‘n Orion first got hit by ‘Cons when ya were together.”
“Yes I know that, Ironhide,” Dragonfly said, “And that’s the only reason that I consented to you coming along with me. Is there any chance you can subspace your cannons for now until we get back to base? Just sit back and enjoy nature, think of it as a chance to hone your intelligence-gathering skills.”
“Tha’s Jazz’ job,” Ironhide complained.
Dragonfly vented a sigh, “It’s also your job to protect Optimus, isn’t it?”
Ironhide stiffened and stood up straight at this statement, “A’course it’s mah job tah protect Optimus.”
“And you need to watch for sneaky Cons who would try to take him by surprise. What better way to continue improving your skills by watching nature? It’s so much smaller than a Decepticon,” Dragonfly said, “If you can catch sight of a mouse scurrying across the field, then no Con will get past you.”
Ironhide vented a sigh and sat himself down on the largest rock he could find with a thud, “Ah right, Dragonfly.”
Dragonfly laid back in the grass, offlining her optics and allowing herself to go into a light state of recharge, keeping her sensors active for signs of Cybertronian lifesigns other than Ironhide.
Fitz! Crack! Boom! Dragonfly’s optics snapped online and she turned to look at Ironhide, “Another evil rock?” she asked him, then she noticed the clouds in the sky and how dark it had become despite being mid-afternoon. “Hmmm...”
“Thunderstorm...” both Dragonfly and Ironhide said at the same time. Ironhide’s voice was decidedly wary.
Dragonfly sat up, a grin slipping onto her faceplates. “Nice, I was hoping to catch a thunderstorm under these conditions.”
“You an’ Orion both. Ah don’t get it mah self. The rain gets in mah seams. Ah’d just rather be at the base with mah weapons,” Ironhide said, shaking his helm.
“If I didn’t know you better, I’d say that you’re scared of a little storm,” Dragonfly said, turning her helm to grin at her friend.
“An’ if yah weren’t Orion’s friend, ah’d hafta shoot yah fer that comment,” Ironhide grinned back at her. His grin turned into a scowl as the rain started to fall, pinging off his armour and causing small tufts of steam to float lazily upwards from where the rain was making contact with his heated armour. He walked back to the treeline where it afforded him some measure of protection from the rain.
Dragonfly watched Ironhide, smiling and shaking her helm. Then she turned to the grey skies and bent her helm back slightly, letting the rain wash over her faceplates.
Crack - lightning arced across the sky, briefly illuminating it. “One thousand, two thousand, three thousand....” Dragonfly counted, even though she could have used her internal chronometer, it was better this way. BOOM!
::Dragonfly, ah think we should head back tah base before it gets too close,:: Ironhide said, over a private comm channel.
::We do have rubber wheels to ground us, Ironhide,:: Dragonfly replied, but she pushed herself to her pedes anyhow. Venting a sigh softly, Dragonfly felt the empty bond to her mate, ::Orion, I wish you were here to enjoy this with me,:: she said into it, not expecting a reply.
Seeing her rise to her pedes, Ironhide left the cover of the treeline, frowning as the rain hit him full force. “Let’s go then, Dragonfly,” he said, touching her elbow, then he transformed himself into his alt-mode.
Dragonfly looked one last time at the sight of the storm over the meadow, then transformed as well. ::You need any help drying off when we get back, Hide?:: she asked her friend.
::Nah, ah’ll be fine, Dragonfly,:: Ironhide said, ::After I shake out the water from me.::
::Well be thankful that the meadow isn’t too far away from the base,:: Dragonfly said, chuckling over the comm as she followed Ironhide back to the base.
As the pair was about to drive back into the base, the rain eased up into a light misting shower. Dragonfly stopped short of the base, turning around as she transformed. “How can you not enjoy this, Ironhide?” she asked.
Ironhide had driven into the base where it was dry, transformed and vented a sigh as water spilled out of his truck bed and through his frame. “That’s why....” he said, as the water pooled around his pedes, “And there is no water on Cybertron. Water an’ electronics don’t mix too well.”
Dragonfly turned to look at her friend and bit back a smile at the sight of her friend. She pulled a towel from where it hung near the entrance to the base and walked to him with it. “I’m sorry you had to spend an afternoon in the big bad rain,” she teased him, as she dried off his back. She tossed the towel over his helm and stepped away from him, smiling.
“Alright, take care, ‘Hide,” Dragonfly said, patting his shoulder, “I’m heading back to my quarters to recharge or stare at the ceiling tiles,” she said with a smile.
Ironhide, who had now pulled the towel off of his head and was using it to dry the rest of himself off, looked at her. “He’s only gone a cycle or two, Dragonfly.”
“I know, Ironhide,” Dragonfly said. “It’s just a joke we share between us.” She smiled at him and then walked off down to Optimus’ office to let herself walk through it and into their shared quarters. She vented a sigh, softly as she paused at his desk before turning to the keypad to enter the code to gain access to their quarters.
Dragonfly punched in the code to their quarters and slipped inside as the door opened for her. She crossed the floor over to the berth and stood there looking at it for a nanoclick before sitting herself down on it. Normally the berth didn’t feel so odd as it did right now to her. The berth was sized for Optimus’ considerably larger frame, not her own smaller type.
Sensing that the bond was still inactive, Dragonfly moved to lay down on the berth. She rolled onto her side, taking up her usual position for cuddling with Optimus. She was right on the edge of falling into recharge when she felt the bond with Optimus re-open, he was on the edges, but there.
::Good night, Dragonfly,:: Optimus said.
::Did you... drive all the way from the human base to say good night?:: she asked him.
::Yes,:: he replied. ::It has been a long day here.::
::You crazy, big mech. I love you, Orion. You missed Ironhide getting soaked in a storm today, though.:: Dragonfly said, grinning. ::As usual, he tried to stay out of the rain, but ended up with the water flowing from his truck bed through his frame when he transformed.::
::Poor Hide, I am sorry I missed that,:: Optimus said. ::I love you, Dragonfly.::
::Be safe, my love. I’ll see you tomorrow?:: Dragonfly asked, but she felt that the bond had already been broken again by distance. He must have turned around to go back to the humans’ base. She fell into recharge shortly afterwards, able to sleep after hearing from Optimus.