Inferno and Red Alert XI
C.M.D: A short update this month, kicking off the new year, but I'm filled with that fresh motivation. A got a bunch of chapters in the work; sadly, they're not ready yet but soon! In the meantime, please enjoy a long-awaited ending for an absolutely adorable pair~
Title: Inferno and Red Alert XI
Rating: T
Warm sunlight pooled into the berthroom, glinting off personal treasures and scattered clothes, as birds sang their homely songs just outside. Heated by the rays reaching across his berth, Inferno sat, staring down at the tiny frame tucked under his crocheted blanket. Red Alert looked awful: he was thinner than normal, plating scuffed and fur matted with dirt and plaster dust, dressed only in his friend's old cardigan and a pair of slacks -both of which were equally as filthy and fraying around the edges. But as the doberman lied there on the german shepherds sheets, he was absolutely at peace, a sight that brought tears to Inferno's exhausted optics.
Words couldn't describe how relieved he was to see his friend once again.
"...Inferno?," a vocalizer whispered.
Belatedly, the youngling turned his helm towards his berthroom door, unaware of when it had even opened. Trailbreaker held it ajar, just enough to peek around the corner, but not invading his cousin's privacy entirely.
"Hey...," he continued in his low tone, glancing between the red and white autodogs. "Momma Moon is awake. I've explained everything to her, but it's been a couple cycles and she really wants to see ya. Come on."
Inferno opened his mouth, hesitant. "B-but, Red Alert...," he trailed off in a mumble.
"I don't think it'd be kind to talk here while he's sleeping," the karelian reasoned. He said nothing more after that, crooking a finger for his cousin to follow, ducking back out of sight. Groaning silently, the german shepherd awkwardly rose to his pedes, shuffling out of the room and heading downstairs.
He found both Trailbreaker and Moonracer waiting in the dining room, breakfast dishes already laid out on the table, only one half-eaten. At his entrance, his carrier glanced up from her untouched food, laying her servos on the table top as she sighed heavily. "Sit," she instructed.
Inferno did so, huffing as his sore joints relished the rest.
"Didn't catch a wink since getting back, huh?," Trailbreaker asked, chewing at a biscuit. The smaller mech nodded.
"Inferno...," Moonracer began, irritation obvious in her tone. She paused, shuttering her optics tightly as she struggled with something. "I don't... I'm not trying to... Fragging Primus and the twelve apostles!"
Everyone jumped as her servo slapped against the table, uncertain if that or the cussing shocked them more. Optics onlining, the femme looked down the table at her son sternly, a very pinched expression painting her features. "What now, Inferno?!," she demanded. "Ya found that poor pup and I bet ya feel real accomplished about it, but what are ya gonna do now? As soon as anyone finds out he's here, the Sheriff and his creators are gonna be breaking down our door to get their son back. He has a life he needs to live at some point; he can't stay hidden in your closet or something. He's just going to end up in the same situation all over again, and you can't be rushing out and 'saving him' on repeat! One of these orns, things won't work out!"
"Mama... mama, please...," Inferno whined, rubbing at his face with stiff fingers, "Aye'm real tir'd an' jus'... Can't we jus' not do this...? Red Alert is meh friend. Aye gotta look out for him."
"Frie-?" Moonracer cut herself off with a muffled hiss, dropping her face into her own palms this time. "Inferno, I know you're as sweet as molasses, but that don't mean ya need to be as thick!"
The words perplexed the tired youngling, who could only look from his carrier to his cousin dazedly. "Wha...?"
"Trailbreaker, please talk some sense into your cousin!"
The karelian finished chewing his food slowly, wiping at the corners of his mouth before he spoke. "I think...," he started slowly, "That what momma Moon is getting at, is that your friend is... Well, he thinks more of ya than just friends."
Inferno shuttered his optics slowly. "What?," he repeated eloquently.
The teal autodog vented heavily, throwing a heatless scowl toward the other mech, staring her son down last. "I just don't see how ya can miss the signs, clear as day," she grumbled in explanation. "That pup Red Alert is absolutely smitten with ya. It's not just friendship and trust, he clearly loves ya. And I suppose I can't really blame the poor thing, after the restrictive life he's had."
"But...," Moonracer continued, her vocalizer catching; ire dropping and a strange hollowness entering her tone, "It's... It's not just him. Ya feel just the same. It's so obvious... I knew one day this would come, I'd just thought..."
The femme trailed off, her glazed optics dropping to the floor. Stunned, the two other autodogs also dropped their gazes; unwilling to dissect this rare vulnerability in their caretaker. The ticking clock filled the silence between them, stretching for an eternity.
"Ya need to make a choice," the dalmation announced, her sharp vocalizer breaking the spell that had overcome them all with a snap. She glanced upwards, catching the youngling's optics and held him there. "Fighting for that pup's freedom will take everything ya have and more than that. I can't even assure you'll get to join the fire squad like ya've always dreamed. But ya need to come to a conclusion before ya even entertain that idea: Who is Red Alert to you and what do ya want from him? I mean it, Inferno. Figure yourself out and quickly. Because that pup needs none of your help if you're going to just lead him around on a hopeless lead."
Sniffing shortly, Moonracer rose to her pedes, collecting her breakfast dishes in mindless activity. "Eat some and get cleaned up. Let me know when you've made a decision and we'll talk about what to do later." And with that, the femme left the room.
Wide-opticed, Inferno sat there, his helm turning slowly towards his cousin. "Did she-?"
"She's right." Trailbreaker swallowed the last of his juice, setting the glass down on the table. "She's right though," he repeated, staring back at his cousin. "I've barely had a cycle with your friend, but it's evident that you mean the world to that pup. Not to downplay your friendship, just... All that trust and openness he gives to you... He loves you. I don't doubt he feels it with the whole of his spark. And you Inferno, you were willing to go to the ends of Cybertron for him!"
"Ya need to do some serious spark searching, but I think you already know the answer. Ya just need to realize it," the dark autodog smiled, rising to his own pedes. "Go tend to your friend now."
Dumbfounded, Inferno rose to his pedes and stumbled away from the table. He'd expected yelling, he'd anticipated arguing, he... He just couldn't believe what had happened. What was his family implying? Red Alert was his dearest friend; he'd fight for him any orn, have his back against any turmoil, he didn't... Inferno shook his helm, trying to dispel those rising thoughts. No, he was just tired and his carrier was just confused, and his cousin was going along with it just to ease the tension and-
Thumping was echoing loudly from his room, wild and erratic. Ears perked in alertness, the german shepherd ran the rest of the way up the stairs, throwing his door open in his haste. He was nearly clobbered in the helm by a flying knick-knack when he did, the ceramic shattering against the wall behind him. Startled, Inferno looked from the scattered remnants now all over the hallway floor, back to his room, and the horrified youngling staring right at him.
"R-red, Aye'm s-sorry-"
Red Alert was barely standing upright in front of his dresser, fingers clinging to the attached hutch for support. When his friend spoke, the terror in his face drained away to something akin to shame and he lost his grip on the shelves, falling to the ground hard.
"RED!," Inferno yelped, rushing to the white autodog's side. He scooped the sobbing doberman up, stepping around the toppled items that had resulted in Red Alert's awkward hobbling, laying the smaller mechling back in his berth, mindful of his ankle.
"I-i'm s-so-sorry, I-i-i-i d-di-didn't- P-plea-please d-don't-!," he was wheezing hysterically, servos jerking back and forth between grabbing the taller youngling or covering his face as he wept.
Inferno felt his own optics glaze over hotly, reaching out and cupping his friend's face with both servos. "Red... Red!," he hissed, trying to break through the spell of anxiety overtaking the other as gently as he could. "R-red, Aye ain't leavin'. Aye told ya! P-please, calm down. C-come back ta me!"
Antennae above flattened ears sparked brightly for a moment, crystal blue orbs growing more alert the longer they stared up at the red autodog. Clutching the german shepherd's servos in return, Red Alert began the agonizing journey back down from his spiralling chaos, intakes cycling deep and ragged until they lessened to a shaky, soft repetition. Even though the paranoia had passed, the tears had not.
"...I-i'm s-sorry, I-inferno...," Red Alert whimpered brokenly. "I-i-i-"
Inferno shook his helm slowly, smiling despite the twisting knots in his tanks. "Nonsense, Red. Ya've had a really short hand lately," he mumbled in consolation, leaning back and letting his servos slide away from the other youngling's face. He caught the flinch the doberman gave at his retreat but he was quick to ignore it.
Instead, the red autodog focused his attention on his companion's bandaged leg, nausea growing as he noticed the purple stains colouring the gauze.
"Yer leg is in dire need of lookin' at...," he announced aloud, to no response. "Aye'm afraid an infection is likely."
Getting to a vet was high priority for Red Alert, or he could face critical health problems if he didn't seek medical aid. Yet, if his creators found out... Inferno's brow furrowed deeply in concern, debating his options in silence. There was nothing for it, he decided dismally. His friend for sure could not make the trip into the town centre, nor would the german shepherd wish to cause Red Alert more pain, and it was a gamble that the villagers' gossip wouldn't out them, but the white youngling needed help. Professional help.
"Aye'm gonna bring the vet ta ya, Red," he shared, his optics rising to meet with the smaller autodog's own. The crystal orbs flickered about uncertainly, searching, but Inferno pressed on firmly. "Ya'll be safe here; ain't no one gonna tell on yer family 'bout ya being here. A-An' aft'r the vet fixes yer ankle up good an' prop'r, we... we'll f-figure out what ta do next. J-jus' promise meh ya'll s-stay here an' hidden, okay?"
Meekly, Red Alert nodded, dropping his gaze to the floor.
The red youngling sighed in relief. "Be back soon," he swore, giving the smaller autodog's shoulder plating a comforting squeeze. He didn't get a reply back, but Inferno didn't really expect one. Tucking the blankets around his friend for a moment, he rose to his pedes quickly, heading back out of the room and downstairs.
Trailbreaker caught him as he was grabbing his coat off the hook. "Where are ya going now?," the karelian asked, confused.
"Getting a vet," the german shepherd answered shortly, opening the door.
"Alright, let's go," his cousin added, following the youngling out of the house.
xxXxXxx
He knew that he should have stayed laying down, but terror was still gnawing at the back of his processor, compounded by the rising throbbing in his ankle. Every shift and slight bump against his plating was agony, but Red Alert muffled the sobs and dragged himself back out of Inferno's berth and across the messy floor. He was back up at the dresser in no time, digging wildly through the drawers and cubby holes, searching. A choked hiss of respite escaped him as his fingers finally closed around a cellphone; his body sliding to the floor in a huddle as the rest of his strength left him.
He wasn't all that surprised that Inferno's phone opened without a password prompt, yet the sight of his background image caused the doberman to flinch heavily. It was a selfie, a few stellar cycles old at least, with that strange karelian over one of the german shepherd's shoulders and his carrier on the other. All three were smiling, happy and full of life...
An emotion that seemed to have disappeared from Inferno's spark in the few cycles since his rescue.
What had happened to the german shepherd? Did... did he not view the white youngling as a friend anymore?
He was beginning to wheeze again, spark whirling chaotically as ghoulish vocalizers started their low hisses in his ears. With tremendous strength, Red Alert set to beating them back, rocking in place as he planted his own line of reasoning before his invisible tormentors. "Lies... j-just lies...," he muttered weakly, thumbs tapping at the phone's dialpad, "N-nothing's wrong... J-just a lie... N-not real. I-i'm better... better t-than t-this..."
His sensory grid went haywire as the cellphone began to ring, antenna blazing white-hot intensely- chaos suspending the moment the line connected.
"Red Alert? Is that you, my boy?," an older mech rumbled across the line.
"Y-yes," the doberman croaked, sniffling as his emotions started to get the best of him again. "I-i-i g-got hurt l-last night, a-and I m-missed the n-next call b-but-"
"Ssh, shh, shh...," the unknown vocalizer soothed over the phone. "You've been incredibly strong, Red Alert. You just need to be brave a little longer. Now, I'm leaving the nearby city as we speak. I should be in Yuss in a cycle. Where can I find you?"
Red Alert cycled a deep intake, clutching the cellphone tighter as he opened his mouth.
xxXxXxx
"Are you alright?"
The question caught the autodog off-guard, Inferno looking back over a shoulder at his cousin. Trailbreaker sat on the stoop of the vet's home, his expression drawn in sympathy as he stared at the youngling. Blankly, the german shepherd returned to his previous pacing; circling back and forth on the cobbled path, gnawing at the tip of his thumb idly.
"Yeah, sure, yeah...," he mumbled after a klik.
The karelian sighed, clasping his servos together loosely. "...you're thinking about him, aren't ya?," he pressed.
"Who?"
"Red Alert."
Inferno tripped on an uneven stone, nearly falling over into the surrounding hydrangea bushes before he managed to correct himself. He cast startled optics back at his cousin, yet could not maintain his gaze for long. "W-why w-would A-aye- Aye mean, of c-course! H-he's sick a-an'...," he trailed off weakly.
Trailbreaker shook his helm. "No. That's not what I meant. You haven't been acting yourself since breakfast. Is... is it so bad that you might have feelings for him?," he asked cautiously.
"We're friends!," the red autodog protested sharply, shutting his mouth with an audible click as his pitch rose oddly. "W-we... We're friends," he tried again, enunciating his words carefully, looking about distractedly. "R-red Alert i-is a good person an' a g-good friend. Of course Aye care 'bout his safety a-an' want him ta be happy! T-that's what all best friends w-want!"
"...even if that means you might never see him again?"
"W-what...?," Inferno stuttered, pausing in his kicking of the stone path and fixing Trailbreaker with a wide-opticed stare. His cousin was staring back, his expression having become more withdrawn and stormy as the conversation had gone on.
"I'm sorry, Inferno, but ya really need to figure this out for yourself right quick," he explained lowly. "We're playing a hard gamble here, and things are gonna spiral sooner than you think, no matter what ya do. If you're insistent on the fact that your relationship with Red Alert is platonic, then so be it... But chances are, whether or not you help him against his parents, he's still gonna end up leaving Yuss. Maybe even for good. Ya gotta think real long and hard about what Red Alert means to ya, Inferno, I mean it. I don't want ya to wake up one morning and clue in then that your spark aches to be with the other. Not like I did..."
"Y-yeah, well, ya found your true love even aft'r he'd gone!," the german shepherd retorted with an awkward laugh.
The karelian's scowl only deepened. "It was lucky that I ever did. Luck ain't consistent, 'Fern. Ya know that."
Inferno opened his mouth, but felt his glossa still entirely at his cousin's statement. His processor was lost at what to say; his spark rotating in slow, jagged pulses. As an unfamiliar anxiety began to sink in, there was a sound of a lock turning. Ears perking upright, the red youngling sprinted across the path, vaulting over the karelian's seated form and nearly crashing into the old vet that stepped onto the porch.
"W-woah! Inferno!? What are ya doing on my doorstep so early a morn?," the ancient hound croaked, fixing his colossal spectacles.
"W-we... ankle...," Inferno wheezed disjointedly, his mouth still unable to operate properly.
Trailbreaker stood up, placing a firm servo on the shorter autodog's shoulder and silencing his babbling. "We need ya to come to our home immediately, Doc," he informed. "We gotta pierced ankle and we think it's turning something awful."
"O-oh?" The elder gasped. "Oh my! Yer poor mama, then? Oh my, oh my...," he tittered, stepping back into the house before he got a confirmation. The hound returned to the door barely a klik later, carrying a large black satchel with a medical symbol embossed on the side in contrasting white. "Well, c'mon along then, boys. Post haste!"
The vet was waddling across the cobbled path, moving as quickly as his ancient frame would allow. Closing the front door politely, Trailbreaker went after the older autodog, leaving Inferno standing on the porch alone. The german shepherd knew he needed to follow along after the duo, but that knotting had returned, sticking thorny roots into his mind and joints. Just what was he going to do if Red Alert was forced to leave, whether good or bad...?
Spark withered an inch, forcing Inferno to finally take a hurried step back home.
xxXxXxx
It was utter pandemonium in his front yard.
The trio came to a pause just at the lip of their long driveway, staring in mix reactions of horror and confusion at the scene before them. Two Enforcer cruisers sat in the cut grass, a black sedan parked neatly behind Moonracer's truck, while another car sat crooked across the gravel. This one clearly belonged to Red Alert's family, who were now screaming from the bottom of their patio steps, trying to get past the wall of Enforcers unsuccessfully.
How had they heard so quickly about Red Alert, Inferno questioned in silent panic.
"Dearie... That looks mighty unkind," the old vet mumbled neutrally. "Might one of ya young fellers request they move aside?"
"Take the doc 'round back," Trailbreaker ordered from the side, his visor having yet to leave the chaos in front of their door. "I'll keep 'em busy, meantime."
Dazedly, Inferno nodded, gently grasping the vet's elbow and steering him to the next house. "Come this way, sir. We'll get ya inside shortly," he informed.
"But, Inferno," the hound grumbled, perplexed, "This is not yer home. You're going the wrong way, my dear boy."
"It's okay," the german shepherd assured, forcing a false grin to his face. "We gotta go in through the kitchen, but the pathway is 'round the neighbour's house. No worries; won't be more than a klik. Ya'll be able ta help meh friend soon 'nough."
"Hmm, well, alright," the older autodog vented in agreement. And a good thing too, for the yelling only spiked back at front of his house.
Gritting his denta tightly, Inferno kept guiding the vet around the back, feeling as though his plating might jump clear from his frame as his impatience and worry grew. Where was Red Alert now? Was he still going to be there by the time the pair reached the house, or would Inferno be too late? The moment he'd gotten the elder onto his back porch, unseen, the red youngling bounded into the house, rushing through the kitchen and into the hall.
"-care to remind ya to master over your own family affairs, MA'AM!," Moonracer shouted, stepping indoors and slamming the front door shut.
"Mama!," Inferno yelled at the sight of her.
The poor femme looked like she jumped several feet at the unexpected hail, spinning around to meet her son. "Inferno!," she returned just as loudly, while the german shepherd skidded to a stop a couple inches short of her. At once, her features softened and she yanked the youngling down into a hug, squeezing him tight.
"W-wha-?," her son choked, baffled.
"Idiot," she huffed, leaning back to check him over quickly. "Are you hurt? They didn't touch ya out there, did they? Were ya able to get the vet?"
Inferno grabbed the servos flitting across his frame, locking gazes with his carrier. "We came in the back; he's in the kitchen. M-mama, what's goin' on? W-where's Red Alert?!," he demanded, a note of panic entering his tone.
"In there," Moonracer answered without hesitation, helm tilting lightly to the side. "He's with another mech. Go, Inferno. I'll direct the vet."
The german shepherd grinned stupidly, kissing the dalmation's cheekplate, before he rushed into the living room, desperate to see his friend and make sure he too was okay. There was moment -where his servos became clammy, intakes stalled and there was an icy, deadly touch piercing his spark- at the sight of an injured Red Alert hunched weakly on the couch, optics closed against tears and servos clawing his ears flat. Then, pale blue orbs onlined, staring straight across the room, the presence of that crystalline sparkle making the red youngling weak in the knees.
"I-inferno!"
He was across the room in astroseconds, dropping onto the couch heavily and crushing the doberman tightly in a hug. It was only when someone coughed, that Inferno pulled away, staring over Red Alert's helm at the stranger seated on a kitchen chair across from them.
"Inferno, I presume?," the older mech smiled kindly.
His cheekplates were hot, but Inferno slowly pulled away, standing up and holding out a servo politely towards the stranger. "Yessir," he confirmed. They shook and, uncertainly, the german shepherd eased back down on the couch beside his friend. At a loud thump outdoors, and Red Alert's terrified cringe, the red youngling grabbed a cup of tea off a nearby tray, sipping it to check the temperature, before pressing it into the doberman's trembling palms.
"Here, drink," he urged soothingly. A servo remained on Red Alert's backstruts, rubbing warm circles into the plating as he faced the unknown autodog again. "What is... Who are ya? Why are Red's family here?! They mean him no good!"
The older mech leaned against the back of his chair, fixing his tie as he wrote something down on the pad lying on a thigh. "Yes, I did notice," he replied calmly. "Do not fret. I am a... friend, of sorts, to Red Alert. I've come on his behest and to make my own observations. It seems though that the situation is as he's told me, so this will be a very short affair. I just need-"
"Sorry, sorry," the vet interrupted, shuffling into the room, guided by Moonracer. The ancient hound squinted about the living room, his optics comical behind the enlarged glasses. "Oh, a tea party! How nice... Now, there was a poor dear who required medical aid?"
"Yes, sir. Ov'r here," Inferno spoke up, lifting a servo for the vet. He glanced down at the wary Red Alert, wiping away a lingering tear. "It's a'right, Red," he said, as the mute doberman looked up at him in turn. "Aye told ya Aye'd get ya help, rememb'r? Doc here will fix ya up real good an'... an'... well, all will be fine then. Yeah?"
A tiny smile curled at one edge of Red Alert's lip components.
"I think I should-"
"Lemme see that-"
"Allow me-"
The living room erupted in his own flurry of activity. Moonracer disappeared with the stranger to the front door, the vet came over and set his satchel on the floor while he claimed the empty chair for himself, and suddenly Trailbreaker was there, pulling Inferno to a stand.
"C'mon," he urged, despite his cousin's broken protests.
Inferno cast one last look to the startled Red Alert, longing to return to the white youngling's side. He couldn't be away from the shorter autodog. Never again! To his surprise, Red Alert shot him a smile -strained, but a smile nonetheless- and returned his anxious attentions to the vet entirely, dismissing the german shepherd with his actions. That alone was enough to allow Trailbreaker to drag his cousin out of the room and further into the house.
xxXxXxx
At the end of it all, the orn had finally drawn to a close and the chaos that had flooded their lawn had dissipated, leaving only the bloated silence as shadows crept into any available nook and cranny. Pulling the plug out of the drain, Inferno wiped down his sudsy servos, standing uncertainly in the centre of the kitchen. He felt... lost, confused... drained... Probably no more than Red Alert. Just the thought of the doberman made his spark ache and the german shepherd glanced at the kitchen clock to distract himself. It was well after nine on its mechanical face; late enough to be tucked into recharge by now. Double checking that the back door was locked, Inferno turned off the lights and began the blind journey up the hall, stopping as he noticed the doberman staring out the living room window.
"...Red?," he called out softly.
The white youngling looked back quickly, his jerky motions smoothing as he recognized the red autodog in the darkness.
Cautiously, Inferno walked into the living room, slowly settling down on the couch beside the doberman. "H-hey... Ya don't look well. A-are ya okay?," he asked.
Pale optics looked up at the german shepherd quietly, turning and gazing out into the dark world outdoors. "I-i... I know i-it's good, b-but I never t-thought it would b-be like this...," Red Alert whispered, clutching the old sweater that he'd replaced the filthy one with.
"...be like 'what'?," Inferno prompted. Honestly, he had no clue what was going on. The orn had been busy enough and Red Alert's attention had been passed between strangers and Enforcers on and off the whole time. Aside from this morning, the red autodog had not been able to spend another klik with his friend.
"Getting legal emancipation," the doberman supplied easily. "M-mom... Dad... T-they wanted to j-just... ship me off. L-lock me away, 'c-cause they, th-they thought me t-too broken..."
Red Alert trailed off as his final words swelled with a sob, a tiny servo rising to muffle any other sounds. Inferno sat rigid, his optics bright in the darkness as he processed the information with horror.
"B-but, I... I-i-i'm happy... h-here," Red Alert whispered through chattering denta. "I-i-i don't w-want to g-go, a-and my t-therapist and lawyer t-think I'm s-stable too... B-but t-to see m-mom and dad s-so mad... S-sideswipe t-too... I-it hurts! I-i wish... I w-wish this didn't h-hurt them t-too."
They were going to ship Red Alert off? To some shady asylum? Like he was some inconsolable wretch in the helm who posed a danger to society?! Inferno was shaking, hot with rage, but the turmoil in his chestplates was not from anger... It was dread. Fear. Grief, even. How could someone who called themselves 'family' be so cruel to those that needed protection and uplifting the most? Coolant gathering in his optics, the german shepherd turned and stared at his friend; trembling, as he realized one wrong choice, one wrong word, and the white youngling wouldn't even exist here on the cushion beside him at this moment.
"...a-an' now?," he strained to ask the question.
The doberman shuttered his optics, ignorant to the two tears that slid down his cheekplates. "T-the lawyer has p-put the request in m-motion a-and we s-should have a h-hearing in the near f-future. I-i... I'll h-have to leave Y-yuss... p-probably for g-good," the anxious autodog answered., face twisted in some unspoken pain "M-my parents w-will probably g-go back to I-iacon. T-they only m-moved here f-for my b-benefit a-anyhow."
"N-no...," Inferno muttered, a fist slamming against the couch's arm, "No. No, no, no, no... No, Red, t-that ain't right?!"
His gaze snapped upwards at the frightened youngling, expression twisted in similar agony. "W-what 'bout yer dreams? Yer school! Yer acin' ev'ry class; we were talkin' 'bout joinin' the Firefight'rs' recruitment course togeth'r!," he exploded, rife with emotion. "Doesn't any of that matt'r?! Ya have a life of yer own ta live; a good life that ya could have here! Don't tell meh that all of it is worth sacrificin' in the name of some freedom somewhere else on Cybertron?!"
"I-inferno...," Red Alert squeaked, leaning away from the german shepherd fretfully.
But Inferno was caught up in the whirlwind of his distress, and there was no coming down quietly. "Why can't the court stuff not happen in the city; they gotta courthouse. Th-then ya'd be able ta stay here, in meh h-home, a-an' we'd still f-finish school to-togeth'r... t-talk... h-have lunch eve'yday... g-go ta the senior d-dance...," he choked out, feeling more and more upset as the words spilled out of him rapidly. "A-aye don't wantcha ta disappear on meh, Red. Aye wanna go ta class with ya, see yer optics light up when ya do somethang ya enjoy, w-wake up wit' ya beside meh ev'ry mornin'! Aye want ya to be the happiest ya can be, Red, an' Aye want ya t-ta be here wit' me; Aye love you!"
A sudden hush descended on the tail of the confession.
The absence of rejection or approval stung, especially under the light of those wide, tear-specked optics.
Just as the red autodog began to question whether his family had been wrong after all in their assumptions, and regret grew from speaking on something that didn't echo in his friend's spark, Red Alert opened his mouth and whispered a yearning, "...y-you love... m-me? R-really?"
It was like watching the first of spring's blossoms emerge from winter's clutching frost. First, starlight magnified triple fold in the doberman's optics, the crystal surface reflecting the heavens themselves as colour dusted porcelain cheekplates spreading with a longing smile; ears perked and slender frame leaning forward an inch or so, desperate for contact yet afraid of being denied it. Inferno wasted no time reaching forward and cupping that grin with one palm, folding over the white youngling as Red Alert curled his face into the other's servo warmly.
"Aye love ya more than the universe could ev'r understand, Red," the german shepherd repeated, his forehelm pressing against the side of his companion's temple. "Yer so smart, an' gracious, an' kind-spark'd, heh, cute too... There ain't ev'r been a person like ya an' there'll never be anoth'r bett'r. Aye mean it, Red. Yer the only one for meh. Forev'r."
"I-inferno, I-i-i l-love you s-s-so much t-too, a-and I-i-i-," Red Alert hiccuped, trembling hard now. Not from fear or paranoia though. Never that when Inferno was nearby. His spark was swollen with joy, burning so intensely under his chestplates that it physically hurt all over his frame. "F-for s-s-so lo-ooong n-now, a-and I c-can't be-believe y-you w-would e-even still, w-with all th-that's ha-happened-"
Scalding lip components met the doberman's, silencing any more negative things that could have come up. Soft and heated, the gentle tension held the two younglings ensnared for an eternity, before they longed to see each other once more and carefully broke the connection, allowing them both to lean back and gaze again into their partner's optics. Red Alert had no idea when he'd moved to sit in Inferno's lap, or when the german shepherd's two strong arms had shifted to circled around his back and to the side of one thigh, but as he was drawn even closer to the taller autodog's frame, he found he couldn't care.
"Red, meh clever Red...," Inferno mumbled against a twitching ear, pecking the other's cheekplates from jaw to temple, "Aye love ya, Red, but it's late... So late... Come ta bed wit' me? Aye wanna feel ya at meh side an' know you're safe tonight."
His optics were filling up with coolant again, arms already circling around the german shepherd's neck cables as his companion readjusted him. In the astrosecond before he could reply, he was being held up in Inferno's arms like a bride, a notion that did not escape his knowledge. Indeed, it only made Red Alert blush darker while also leaving his spark and mind in an uncommon state of unified peace. Sniffling, the doberman laid against his friend's wide torso, warm and secure in the other's embrace. "I'd like that a lot," he shared, just as softly, allowing his optics to offline entirely following his consent. "I'm so happy whenever I'm with you, Inferno. Thank you."
Inferno only kissed his helm one last time, leading them both upstairs for the night.
C.M.D: Hope you all enjoyed! I definitely enjoyed writing. (And a lil' secret for the peeps that read these notes, I listened heavily to a lot of early-Taylor Swift and HighSchool musical movie songs as background music writing these two. It just works lol)This is the end of the road for me with these two, yet as sad as it to say that, it does give me more time for other stories now! Stories which I look forward to you all reading in the near future!
Be kind; give me your mind~ REVIEW, please?