Moment off duty II

It was a crystal clear night.

Not a single cloud passed the dark sky and all the stars were shining. Every now and then a comet passed. It was just one of those nights one would  just like to sit outside admiring the starry sky and feel all the worries drifting away.

It was the perfect night for stargazing.

And Speedwind was angry.

It was something that didn't happen often. Even the closest ones to the team leader only rarely got to see him driven mad. Yet there he was, sitting on the rooftop of their spaceship and he was literally fuming.

His day had started just like any other day - with a mindless quarrel between his second in command and the unofficial team mechanic. After few hours of solving the argument Speedwind had managed to make Razerlight and Kron cooperate. Then he had ordered them to take it out for a reconnaissance mission - and ended up solving yet another mindless quarrel.

Letting out a sigh Speedwind frowned. He had dealt with difficult comrades before. He had never had any trouble with even the most reluctant ones. He had always managed to keep his cool and let the arguments go in the one audio receptor and out from the other. Speedwind also had always managed to be patient with even the most challenging cases.

Yet now he felt like he had finally had it. The new team he had been assigned to definitely redefined the word challenging.

With a hot-head like Razerlight around, even Speedwind's patience had lately been drawn to its limits. And Kron made the situation even worse. Raze was rather easy to deal with, she complained a lot and was always in a bad mood, but she at least was dutiful and mostly obedient. But with Kron around, Speedwind's second in command was totally out of all control.

As for the first mentioned, Speedwind tried to keep in mind that Kron was a Decepticon, and not even officially part of their team. Still the arrogant, ignorant mech managed to hit everyone's nerves and turn every single move their team made into a disaster.

Speedwind would have easily stood either of them - separately. But he was tired of his commands being always loudly objected and his plans questioned within every single mission by two vocal processors. He was also tired of repairing all the damage Raze and Kron tended to cause.

So often Speedwind found himself fuming inside and hoping that he would just have a team that would carry out missions without managing to burn everything to dust, or at least a team that would not try burn their spaceship to dust.

But most of all Speedwind was tired of the constant, endless arguing and fighting that was going on among his crew members. Not a single day passed without at least half a dozen massive fights between Razerlight and Kron - and that didn't even include all the minor arguments they had.

So today he had just had it - after more than an hour of listening to one more meaningless quarrel, over an issue he already forgot about, Speedwind had just shouted them to shut it and had then stormed out of the command center leaving the rest of the team staring after him in awe.

He had taken it off to his favorite place to relax.

The rooftop of their ship usually served as his little hiding place, where he went almost every night before heading to berth, or when he needed to think. Most often he only needed to sit there and admire the stars for a short moment and all his troubles started to seem a lot smaller. But tonight a lot longer moment would be needed ...

Speedwind didn't want to see anyone for the time being. Even the idea of going back to solve the problems among his team made his face plating heat up in anger. No. He didn't want to talk - and even less to argue with anyone.  He just wished all the others to disappear and leave him alone for a primus-saken moment...

A silent click awoken the team leader from his thoughts. He turned sharply just to see the trap door leading to the roof being slid closed from inside.

"Amethyst wait!"

For a moment there was no movement. But then the hatch slowly opened and the creamy white helm of the team medic popped up. Her expression was a little embarrassed as she met the gaze of the team leader - yet her optics glowed with worry.

"Speedwind - my apologies." She said gently. "I didn't know you were here and I didn't mean to interrupt, since you apparently want to be left alone."

"No, no, no it's okey!"  Speedwind hastily replied before the femme managed to pull back inside. "I don't mind."

For he didn't. All of a sudden he felt how all the anger in him vanished into thin air. As if just a moment before he had not thought of telling anyone interrupting him to get lost. A genuine smile made its way to his faceplating and he reached his servo to help the femme up on the roof. "Please stay."

Amethyst hesitated, but took a hold on the servo offered and climbed up to the roof, taking a seat beside Speedwind.

"Are you sure?" She asked and eyed the mech suspiciously "You left the command center so furiously earlier  that I was sure you would not want to see anyone for the next degacycle."

"Naa, I only decided to get out to have some fresh air." The team leader grinned.

Amethyst lifted an optical ridge. With her looking at Speedwind with the 'you're not fooling me' -gaze the mech burst out laughing. He could not possibly mislead the perspicacious femme.

"Alright I admit it!" He lifted his servos up to indicate surrender, still laughing. "You were absolutely right about that latter part! I seriously hoped that all the other creatures in the whole universe would just vanish and leave me alone swallowing in my anger for the rest of the eternity."

"I can still go inside if you want to" The medic said, yet now with a little more teasing manner.

"All the other creatures - except for you." Speedwind continued and gave Amethyst a warm smile that was gladly returned by another one. "Seriously, I hope that the calming effect you have on me would work on Kron and Raze as well."

"You know them. Raze just can't help it and Kron - he just won't stop it."

"Primus - that rascal!" Speedwind shook his helm and threw his servos in the air. " He totally drives me off the wall! I wonder if I'm ever going to get used to having him around! And for the time being I don't want to see even a glimpse of that green armor of his!"

"Well you don't need to worry about that" Amethyst shrugged.  "For most probably you'll hear him way before actually seeing him"

"Or I get a door crashed on me..."

"It's Kron we're talking about - it would most probably be a bucket of dirt that would fall on your helm from above the door."

"Now that's what I call 'respecting the leader'."

They fell silent for a moment, both imagining the described scene.

And they burst out laughing.

A moment before Speedwind would have been driven mad with the thought of getting pranked by Kron. But with Amethyst laughing on his side the all of the day's events seemed nothing but a good joke among friends.   

He turned to gaze at the femme. Looking at her, with the starlight playing on her creamy armor, with little dimples around her optics when she smiled and with all the elegancy with which she moved, Speedwind could have sworn he had never seen anything that beautiful.

He could tell her. He could tell her how much he valued her friendship and support . He could tell how thankful he was for her. He could tell her how greatly he enjoyed every single conversation they had or how her laugh made shivers run through his frame every single time. He could tell her that he considered her the most amazing femme he had ever met - and also the best friend he had ever had.

Primus, how much he wanted to say that he loved her.

But as he eyed the smiling medic again Speedwind had to admit that he didn't have the foggiest clue whether the feeling was one-sided or not. They were friends for certain and Speedwind was sure Amethyst enjoyed their conversations just as much as he did. But he couldn't quite see behind her core.

Amethyst was always calm and generally treated everyone with the most welcoming manner. But the smile she usually wore was like a veil that didn't let any feelings through. Speedwind had already learned to somewhat read her expressions to tell how she was feeling, but most of the time he had no idea what the femme was thinking of. And moreover he had no idea whether the medic considered him only a friend - or something more.

After a moment of silence Amethyst was about so say something, but then she realized Speedwind was staring at her. A slight blush rose on her cheek plating and she shifted her position as if feeling uncomfortable.

"Umm ... What is it?" She asked.

"Oh it's nothing" Speedwind smiled and hastily drew his gaze away. He needed to try at least! "I was just ... thinking of ... how lucky I am to have someone like you around."

Turning to him again Amethyst lifted an optical ridge. "Are you trying to flatter me?"

"Yes I am ma'am!"

"And I thought you were the one in need of cheering up..."

"Hey, you deserve all the flattery ..."

"What if flattery doesn't sink in me?"

Grinning widely Speedwind leaned closer to stare Amethyst straight into her optics.

"Well does it?"

Acting thoughtful Amethyst grinned back at him. "I'm not exactly sure." She said and poked him on his chest plating. "Keep going, I'll tell you when I'm done with my conclusions."

"Shall I start with your breathtaking elegancy or your indescribable intelligence?"

Amethyst opened her mouth to apparently snap a counterargument, but was not able to keep her poker face with Speedwind grinning at her mischievously. Her calm grin widened and she couldn't help but burst out laughing again.

"Hey!" Speedwind exclaimed smiling and leaned closer trying to catch her optics. "Is that fair now? I was only being honest!"

Suddenly Amethyst's laughter was cut short and both of them froze.

For Speedwind had imperceptibly reached for Amethyst's servo and was now squeezing it gently.

Her expression suddenly bewildered the medic stared back at him - her optics were blank  and mainly questioning as she looked at him and waited for him to react first.

The laughter was still hovering in between them and for a moment Speedwind could do nothing else but stare at the femme. Then he took a deep breath and felt his spark to pulse double its speed.  No triple. That's it, there was no turning back anymore.

He leaned a little closer again until their helms almost touched one another.  Amethyst shyly lowered her gaze and blushed, but gently Speedwind lifted his servo to tilt her chin so that their optics met. He felt her servo resting on his chest plating.

Offlining his optics he leaned in.

"Amethyst ..." He whispered. "I..."

CLANG

A sound of a door slammed open behind them made both of them startle. The silent, warm bubble they had just been in was popped and the cold reality flooded back in.

Hastily they drew away from each other. Speedwind felt his faceplating heating up in embarrassment. He was sure that his face was just as red as his paintjob. Yet he didn't dare to eye Amethyst, so he turned to the trap door that was now wide open.

From the door peeked a tiny blue helm with big bright optics that stared at the older bots.

"Speedwind I .... oh Primus!" Piper cried out and slapped both her servos on her face as she realized she had interrupted something. "I'm so sorry!"

Once again Speedwind wondered how on earth did all the rest of their team seem to have such a great habit of timing their interruptions on the worst of moments. Still unable to turn his face to the medic the team leader nodded to his apprentice to continue.

"Speedwind, I ... I think you should come..." Piper continued, mumbling under her breath, still obviously ashamed of disrupting them. Speedwind's frustrated expression had not gone unnoticed either.

The team leader took a moment of repressing the inkling of anger and the frustration. Piper didn't mean it - this was just his usual luck and he just needed to get used to it. As a matter of fact Speedwind almost felt like laughing at the tragicomedy his life was providing. Apparently he was doomed to fail.

For a brief moment he considered of telling  Piper to go and let Kron and Raze settle their arguments themselves. But seeing the anxiety in Pipers optics and knowing that she would have not come to get him for nothing Speedwind let out a resigned sigh.

He finally turned to Amethyst. He wanted to somehow tell her that he was sorry, somehow restore that wonderful moment they had shared just a moment ago, but the femme didn't even glance at him. Amethyst sat there with her arms shakily wrapped around her knees and her gaze firmly fixed on the horizon - optics wide with something that to Speedwind looked like shock.

He had hoped for a reaction - any kind of reaction! But it seemed pretty clear that he didn't need any more hints.

His spark twisting with agony Speedwind stood up and followed Piper inside.

~~

Amethyst knew she should go inside as well. She knew she should join Speedwind and help him to get the rest of the team back in order. But she couldn't.

She simply couldn't move a limb.

It was like all the strength had suddenly been drawn out of her systems and Amethyst knew she wouldn't be able to walk since she even had difficulties of preventing her servos of shaking uncontrollably. She tried to breathe deep and calm down, but to no avail. Every single circuit in her frame felt like screaming for the mech who had just left and her thoughts were running wild - never before had she been that confused.

Had Speedwind just tried to kiss her?

Amethyst had already lost the grip of reality when a gentle servo had reached for her own. First she had assumed it was an accident, but the mech had not let go. And when the team leader had leaned closer she had been sure that at any moment her systems would simply shut down and she would faint - just to realize she had been only dreaming.

He had been so close. The memory of his face hovering only inches away from hers made shivers run through Amethyst's spine and she wondered how on earth had she managed of not leaning in herself.

For Primus' sake how much she would have wanted to!

Taking a very deep breath she shook her head. No.

"Amethyst, you need to think reasonably!" She said aloud as if it would help to settle the emotional turmoil down.

Speedwind and her, they were friends yes - but there still was no proof of Speedwind returning any of the deeper feelings Amethyst had for him. The recent incident could have very well be just a little misunderstanding. Maybe everything had simply been about some sort of a friendly confession or a secret he wanted to share or just a little closer observation.

And that sounded so stupid ...

A new wave of shivers ran through all her frame, from pedes to tips of her fingers as the memory of Speedwind's fingers around her own came back. And the fluttering feeling of hope lifted its head in Amethyst's spark again.

But what if ...

She knew she had no time for this. She knew she still needed to keep her emotions in check and act like everything was normal. She valued their friendship way to high to ruin it all with some irrational, hasty conclusions.

Finally, after a long moment, she managed to steady her shaking servos and somewhat gain the control over her thoughts. Letting out a deeps sigh Amethyst glanced at the sky where stars were still shining bright.

But, at least, she could always dream.