For the ask game. I think it would be really funny to see the call between Bumblebee and Optimus Prime in Accelerate from Prime’s perspective.
(Chapter 2 of Press on the Gas Pedal and Accelerate, Baby)
As amusing as it was to watch Optimus pace back and forth anxiously as he waited to for Bumblebee to answer his comms request, Elita couldn't help from piping up, "Have you considered for just a moment that you might be overacting just a bit, O.P?"
"Not at all!" He glanced at her, servo pressed against his audial receivers. "If anything, the longer it takes for Bumblebee to respond, the more justified I feel in inquiring about his status."
"Riiight," she leaned back and crossed her arms with a lopsided smile. "And I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that for the first time in forever, Bee isn't tripping over himself to answer your comm."
Instead of responding, Optimus grumbled and continued to burn tracks in the floor as he waited for Bumblebee to establish the two-way connection. Cute.
Eventually, the Prime perked up and Elita knew that Bee had finally answered. Optimus listened on the other end as the scout's fretting filtered through and gradually a smile grew across his face plates.
Mood switching from fretful to amused, he went, "Bumblebee! It is good to hear from you, and do not fret. The Terrans are quite alright." Hm, figures the cavalry unit would assume something was up with the kids since Optimus rarely remembered to return his calls, let alone reach out just to make idle conversation. With false nonchalance, he jumped straight to the point, "I merely meant to inquire about something peculiar that one of Wheeljack's drones picked up on their recent patrol. Are you aware that you and Swindle are roughly in the same area?"
Rolling her eyes, Elita kept silent and watched on as Optimus did little to hide his overbearing concern. The Autobot leader generally kept himself level-headed, as expected of a Prime, but ever since Wheeljack's drone reported that Swindle was edging a little too close to Bumblebee's spark signature it was as though the Prime threw all rationality out the window.
The peculiar dynamic between those two honestly made Elita want to lock the both of them in a room together to lay all their chips on the table and talk things out for once. She was getting tired of fielding Bee's constant calls only to turn around and watch Optimus trust the scout as his highest confidante from the shadows.
Even Megs had gotten fed up with this bizarre hovering and stormed off—although, that might have been a reaction to the grating needling of Starscream's voice on the other end of the line from earlier. The current leader of the Decepticon's in this age of peace was, in his own words, outraged and affronted at the accusations the Prime was lobbing at him. In Starscream's defense, Optimus didn’t exactly endear himself to the seeker with his implied doubt at hearing that Swindle wasn’t active under his orders at that hour of the day.
In Elita-1's opinion, all of these numbnuts were blowing things way out of proportion. Bee was a grown mech and certainly didn't need a—how did the humans phrase it again?—mother chicken intruding on his personal time. Regardless of who he chose to spend it with.
And while she did raise a ridge at his choice in mech (and wondered absently what had happened to Breakdown in all this fuss, since Bee's crush on the Stunticon was a well-known rumor amongst the ranks of her infantry cadre) it was frankly none of her business.
Focusing back on the Prime, she watched as Optimus furrowed his optical ridges at Bee's response. "Ah! I see." Clearly, he didn't if the unsure look he threw Elita's way was anything to go by. "Am I meant to presume that you two have located another Emberstone fragment then?"
And then, without consulting her first, he went, "If you need further assistance with the retrieval, both Elita-1 and I are nearby to provide support."
"Give or take an hour," she snarked, enjoying making Optimus shuffle uncomfortably at dragging her into his nonsense.
Whatever Bee had attempted to say in response was cut off by Optimus' eager, "Nonsense! While I will make sure to convey to Starscream later that we are grateful Swindle loaned his support in our endeavor to restore the Emberstone, I would feel much more comfortable if you had another Autobot there to assist you during this spontaneous excursion–"
A shocked look flooded onto the Prime's face as he was cut off. Eagerly, Elita straightened wishing that she had hopped onto the line herself to eavesdrop. Evidently, their last remaining cavalry unit developed the ball bearings to interrupt Optimus. With a quiet huff, Elita moved closer to Optimus and leaned over his shoulder, servos gripping lightly against his pauldrons. Since their communication lines were all internal she wouldn't exactly hear what Bumblebee was saying by doing this, but teasing the Prime was half the fun of being his commander.
Casting her a brief flustered look, Optimus listened to his scout with confusion as he repeated, "You're just… driving?" And as though to make sure he had gotten the information correct, he clarified, "With Swindle?"
"So it is like that then,” she commented, thrilled to know that her deduction was correct. And, not one to squander an opportunity when it presented itself, she leaned all her weight against Optimus with a hum.
Optimus did his best to ignore her. A beat. Then, "Just you two?"
"Now there's a thought," she murmured against his neck cables. "When's the last time any of us went for 'just a drive'? Seems like Bee has the right go of things if you ask me."
Whether it was her words that connected the pieces together for Optimus, or the continued words of their scout on the other end, the Prime shuttered his optics in a quick blink. "Oh." Elita laughed at how he softened both his words and features. Not that Bee could exactly see the latter. "Of course, Bumblebee. Please, carry on. I didn't mean to interrupt you two."
Elita rubbed circles against Optimus' seams, whispering, "Oh, you definitely interrupted something."
With a chuckle at her words and no doubt at the rebuttal their scout was giving on the other end of their connection, Optimus placated the scout with a, "Yes, yes, if you say so. Have a pleasant drive, Bumblebee."
Lowering his servo, signifying the end of their call, Optimus announced, "It seems as though you are entitled to some gloating. I did indeed overreact."
"I’d rub it in your face, but that’d be dragging it out too much," she released him and stretched. "Although, I am curious as to why Bumblebee has landed on Swindle of all mechs. I thought he'd confess to Breakdown once our alliance was established."
"Now, Elita, we mustn't gossip about Bumblebee's love-life," Optimus chided, the absolute hypocrite. Pleased, he continued, "I will admit, however, that I am glad for him. Of all of us who remain, it is he who deserves to find a happy ending the most. And if Swindle is the mech for the job, then I will extend my approval for the match-up."
"Bit of a frequency change from earlier, you gotta admit," she smirked at the Prime, "Considering you were convinced that Swindle was going to jump Bee and strip him for all he's worth."
"I thought nothing of the sort!" The fact that Optimus thought he could fool her after all these cycles was adorable and aggravating in equal measure. Lest he forget that he dragged Elita and Megatron both out of recharge with his fretting. "While Swindle isn't... the most upstanding Cybertronian, I'm sure that he is nothing but genuine in his intentions with Bumblebee. After all, it takes a certain kind of mech to wake up early to accompany their partner on a 'drive'."
"If you say so," personally, Elita thought it was much too soon to assume that the Autobot-Decepticon duo were going to drive off into the sunset with a human happily-ever after. A fling however seemed more accurate to describe this recent development, and she could hardly blame the scout for it.
Oblivious to the doubt lacing her words, Optimus asked, "How soon do you think a congratulatory message would be? I don't want Bumblebee to think I'm being 'nosey'—as Dot often claims—but I do want him to know that I support him on his recent love endeavors as soon as possible. Perhaps during the next gathering? Or, do you think I should let him know subtly through text?"
Jokingly, Elita answered with, "Send the two of them a basket of everything that a newly 'junxed couple would need. Maybe even make them a pamphlet about the ins-and-outs of having a conjunx."
Unfortunately, given the gleam in Optimus' optics, the Prime was actually going to take her suggestion seriously. Oh well, it would make for a funny story in the future she was sure, even as she predicted Bee's eminent embarrassment on the horizon. Sorry Bee...
