Happily Ever After
by Phantom
Chapter One- The Proposal
rating: *+p
Optimus winced as the automatic door slid shut on the retreating figure. He rubbed his optics tiredly. He and Alita had a fight. Again.
He frowned to himself. He just couldn't see what the big deal was. He and Alita were happy; they had been a couple for most of their adult lives and had gotten along fine. He liked the comfortable, familiar atmosphere between them. Why did she want things to change?
They'd had the same argument over and over, rehashing the same points. "You know we're perfect for each other, and if there isn't anyone else in your life, why not?" she had demanded. "It’s the logical step."
In a tired voice, not wanting to have this discussion again, he replied, "Things are perfect the way they are now, I don't want to spoil anything. I'm just not sure I'm ready for such a big step."
"Not ready?" she cried out, "five million years together, not counting the time you were AWOL, and you tell me you're not ready?!"
After that, it had always gone downhill, dissolving into a shouting match and ending when one of them stormed out. "She even wants to discuss children, no less." The idea itself wasn't too appalling, but he knew that any offspring they had would be marked for destruction. He couldn't bear to do that to a defenseless baby.
Optimus rubbed his head, trying to ease the headache that was coming on. "I need some air," he thought. More than that, he had to escape the stifling atmosphere in his quarters. He felt the walls closing in, and their angry words seemed to reverberate in the air. Shoving his chair back abruptly, he rose and strode outside.
He wandered aimlessly, finally arriving out on one of the balconies facing an indoor plaza, a favorite place for many to relax and catch up on a bit of gossip. He smiled a bit as he saw Kup gesturing broadly in the air below, telling another of his famous war stories to the Dinobots. For once, they weren't stomping around and causing trouble. Prime wondered at Kup's ability to keep them captivated. To everyone else, his stories were repetitive and rather boring. Prime's smile became tinged with sadness when he spotted a young couple below, feeding each other energon sweets and gazing into each other's optics, ignoring the bustle around them. He and Alita had been like that once.
He jumped a bit, startled, as a figure joined him on the balcony. Magnus saw what he was staring at and smiled. "Touching, isn't it?" he asked. "I hope to Primus it lasts. So, what’s up with you?"
Optimus sighed, lowering his optics, "Alita and I are still arguing. It's like playing a broken record - we keep saying the same old things and end up getting nowhere. I just don't know what to do anymore." He straightened his shoulders, determined not to dwell upon it, "Well, enough of that. How are things with Phoenix and the baby?"
Magnus brightened immediately, "Oh, Zephyr is adorable! We've got our hands full with midnight feedings, and she's got a powerful vocal box, but she's worth it." He actually sighed in happiness, "Phoenix and I have less personal time, of course, but we manage."
Optimus smiled, amused by his normally reserved friends raptures. "So, tell me," he said, trying to sound casual, "what’s bonded life like?"
Luckily, any hidden meanings went right over Magnus' head. "I never thought I'd be so happy. Phoenix does get on my case sometimes. For instance, she can't stand it when I clean my gun in bed. She says it's filthy."
Optimus chuckled, "Alita broke me of that habit the first time I did it. I found it to be quite relaxing, but she pointed out that I could be just as relaxed in a chair. She was right, it did make a bit of a mess."
Magnus grinned, "She also complains if I forget to hang up my cleansing rag after a solvent shower. She tells me that if I were human, I'd probably leave the toilet seat up. Y'know, she's probably right." The two friends shared a moment of laughter, "but mostly it's an issue of living space and consideration. I've been living alone for so long that it's hard to change my habits, but we've both been compromising and its turning out okay."
Optimus nodded, becoming lost in thought. "Thanks, Magnus, you've given me a lot to think about," he said, as he turned to go.
"Sure, anytime," Magnus said, puzzled. He turned back to watch the scene below as Optimus walked away.
Optimus wandered on, oblivious of his surroundings. People gave him curious looks as he passed by, but weren't too offended when he didn't acknowledge their presence. By now his problems with Alita were an open secret.
"Hey Optimus, wake up!" a voice yelled.
Optimus snapped out of his senses to discover that he'd nearly collided with Springer. "Oh, sorry," he apologized, "I wasn't watching where I was going."
Springer shook his head ruefully, "No kidding. What’s got you so worked up? You and Alita having problems again?"
Prime sighed, wishing that the entire base didn't know about his problems. "I guess you could say that," he said a bit edgily, "but never mind that, how's Arcee?"
It was Springer's turn to look pained, "She hasn't been in the best of moods these past few weeks, she's irritable from the pregnancy, understandably. But she's also been bothering me several times a day to satisfy her. I'll be honest Prime, I can only get it up about three or four times before I'm pooped."
Optimus nodded, trying to sympathize. He admired Springer's ease in discussing sexual problems. "I'll forgive you slight backups in your workload. I recall that Magnus fell a bit behind at this stage of Phoenix's pregnancy as well."
Springer snickered, "Yeah, he encountered the same delays. But if you think I've got problems now, just wait until she's in the last trimester, then she'll lose any interest in sex altogether. But I'll stick by her through it all."
Optimus couldn't hide his curiosity, "How are you adjusting to bonded life?"
Springer grinned irrepressibly, "Well, I certainly enjoyed our honeymoon," he teased. "It's had its ups and downs. She still gets depressed over Deathangel, but then again, so do I. I like the fact that we have a chance to become a real family, to really be there for each other. You should think about it," he said pointedly.
Optimus scowled inwardly at the last remark. "I have to go take care of a few things."
Springer nodded. "Me too. If Arcee's looking for me with that look in her eye again, tell her to use the vibrator. It's just like the Energizer bunny -- it can keep going, unlike me," he laughed, "just kidding. Maybe. Seeya round."
Optimus managed to hold in his laughter until his friend was out of earshot. Springer always had a unique take on life. The bonding itself didn't sound so bad, it was the pregnancy that terrified him. He'd seen two of the most level-headed women he'd known become frighteningly emotional and demanding. "If Alita ever gets pregnant, I swear I'll be drunk the entire time," he muttered. However, the alternative -- abstinence -- seemed even grimmer.
Soon he found himself in front of his quarters again. He entered cautiously, checking for Alita, then breathed a sigh of relief. Not there. He did have a lot thinking to do, and he didn't want to risk starting another fight. He sat down at the table, preparing to sort things out.
"Okay," he spoke aloud, "why am I against bonding to Alita One? Primus, I can't even believe that I'm considering this." He decided to do what he did every time he was faced with a tough decision - make a mental list of pros and cons. Speaking aloud also helped him to focus his thoughts. He said the first thing that came to mind, that which would give him a clue to his problems. "I don't want to feel tied down." Now that he had clarified to himself a reason, he began to examine it. "In what way would I feel tied down?"
He frowned, thinking. "I wouldn't be able to see anyone else." That seemed strange to him. "Would I want to see anyone else?" A long pause. "No, not particularly, but I'd like to think I can." So that was the problem. He wanted a back door, a way out, an illusion of freedom. "As the earthlings say, 'I want to have my cake and eat it too.'"
Now that he had reached the heart of his hesitation, he dragged it out and examined it. He hadn't been completely faithful to Alita over their long relationship, but come to think of it, neither had she. "But the thing is that we were always honest about it." Thinking aloud began to mesh with his thought processes. They had always discussed their indiscretions openly, rather ashamed but not wanting to keep secrets. He had found other women to be a nice change of pace, but oddly the most exciting part was sharing with Alita a new position or technique. His indiscretions made what they had together seem even more precious. So, would he miss other women? "No, probably just the thought that I could if I wanted to. I hope that Alita wouldn't turn into the jealous type afterwards." Afterwards? So he was seriously considering it. And the vague sense of panic and unease that accompanied her not-so-subtle hints was beginning to fade. It had been this sense of doom that had made him panic every time she looked at him with a crafty gleam in her optics.
"Okay, any other cons?......I don't want her to nag." He shuddered at the thought of her lecturing him every time something was out of place. "But would she really do that?" They practically lived together anyway -- Alita's quarters were rarely in use. He had gotten used to her straightening up a bit, but she had generally left his stuff alone if it wasn't in her way or looked too sloppy. He was neat in general. And he had to confess that he missed her presence when she wasn't there.
"Well, that's that," he muttered, surprised that his few misgivings had folded like a house of cards. But that didn't mean that he was ready to surrender to the yoke just yet, he wanted to survey all the options first.
"Alright then, why should I get bonded?" The first answer followed immediately. "I love her." Fine, that didn't mean he had to get married, but it was a positive sign. What else? "I want to spend the rest of my life at her side." Rather mushy and poetic, but undeniably true. He'd thought he'd die of loneliness the times they had been apart, he couldn't bear going through that again. Any other reasons? "It would make her happy. I can't bear to see her cry."
That really hit home. He had woken up several times to hear her sobbing quietly, staring out the window. She had always turned to him for comfort before, but this time he was the source of her pain, and that knowledge, coupled with her determination to hide it from him, almost moved him to tears as well. He wanted to see her optics glowing with happiness as her lips spread wide in a smile of joy. If agreeing to get bonded gave her happiness, could it really be that bad?
What was her take on all of this anyway? He had never stopped to consider how she saw it. That was very much unlike him; he was usually in tune to her feelings, but this whole thing had thrown up a big blind spot in front of him. Feeling suffocated, he had struggled to free himself without really stopping to think.
While he had felt that they had settled into a comfortable groove, she had complained that it was like a rut, and it was time to stop stagnating. He shut down his optics, frowning in concentration. He really wanted to understand her reaction. She thought that their relationship was at a standstill, okay. She was upset that he didn't want things to change, to take a chance. She knew that he was faithful in his heart, but she also knew that his optics sometimes wandered. His desire to hold onto the illusion of bachelorhood must have been insulting and frustrating. In other words, the big C -- commitment – was involved. If he wasn't ready to commit and settle down, he wasn't worth it. And what were women supposed to do when a man wouldn't commit? They left.
Oh my. That was a sobering thought indeed. Had Alita really been planning to leave him? They had been together for so long. He could imagine life without her, since they had been separated for so long -- and it was unendurable. He couldn't accept the fact that she'd break things off after so long, but her hidden secret tears pointed in a disturbing direction. Prime's heart twisted. She must of felt trapped and miserable, not wanting to leave yet not satisfied with her current situation.
He grinned when he caught sight of a thick magazine. He picked it up and leafed through it idly, admiring the various styles of bonding capes and breastplates. His mind was made up. Alita would make such a beautiful bride.
He glanced up as the door opened and Alita entered, expression darkening when she saw him there, and prepared for another battle. "Hello my love," Optimus said casually. "You know, I don't really think this green one here suits you," he gestured at the magazine, "the blue would be more appropriate for me, but I really like the white one." He tried not to laugh as her jaw dropped. She sank down numbly into the chair across from him.
Optimus continued to flip through the pages nonchalantly. "So, who do you think should perform the ceremony? Magnus or Rodimus?"
Alita's mouth worked, trying to speak, but nothing emerged. She covered her face with her hands and began to sob. Optimus was dumbfounded. He thought she'd be thrilled. Why the tears? He jumped up and rushed to her side. "What’s wrong?" he asked in concern, rubbing her back. "I thought you'd be pleased. Was it something I did?"
Alita threw her arms around him, squeezing tightly as she buried her head in his shoulder. "No, no, its just that I never thought I'd be so happy to hear those words from you. I'm just a bit overwhelmed, that's all."
Optimus sighed in relief. So that was it. Women sure had a weird way of showing that they were happy. He stroked her head as he murmured to her, "I could never be complete without you. I love you so much that it hurts to even think of being apart. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, united."
Alita lifted her head and smiled radiantly through her tears, "You always know exactly what to say, you romantic old sop." She gently removed his mask and stroked his face affectionately, then leaned in for a kiss.
Optimus pressed back gently with his own kiss, feeling the dampness on her cheeks. She broke it off and stood, smiling, as she took his hand and headed for recharge berth, breastplate and codpiece alike were tossed aside along the way. Optimus stretched out on the bed, steadying her above him as she climbed atop his body. Instantly wet and ready after weeks of abstinence or tepid sex, she found she couldn't wait and sheathed his interface within her own. They stretched their arms overhead, hands linked together, as they stared deeply into each other's optics, bodies sliding against each other. Optimus closed his optics as his body shuddered uncontrollably, his powerful emotions overwhelming him.
"My love!" he cried out as release hit suddenly, answered just as powerfully by her own. 'If bonded life is going to be like this, I should have done this long ago,' Optimus thought incoherently.
end of Chapter One
go to Chapter Two- The Bachelorette Party
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