I Wasn’t Expecting That
A great many things happen during the heat of battle: injuries, deaths, acts of heroism and acts of self-sacrifice, but never love. Then again, most combatants weren’t Wheeljack, or Optimus.
They’d seen the first wave coming, and had braced for impact as much as they could. This was to have been a private conversation, held outside the base and away from prying ears under the guise of a patrol run. Wheeljack had done something that angered Ratchet, and angering the resident medic was something to be avoided at all costs. They’d expected to run into a little trouble, but never this.
What Ramjet was doing on Earth was anybody’s guess, but his presence outside the town of Jasper, Nevada was far from a good sign, and Optimus had declared that the city was protected territory, and that Ramjet would do well to step away.
Optimus hadn’t counted on Ramjet’s increased speed, and he clearly hadn’t been planning for the heat-seeking nature of the Decepticon’s missiles, either. When it locked onto Wheeljack, Optimus sprang into action, tackling Wheeljack to the ground and taking most of the blast himself. Optimus’s frame was a tiny bit thicker than Wheeljack’s - Wheeljack may be a wrecker, but he was built for science, not war, and Optimus, clearly, was well aware of that.
He was also likely aware that his spinal column was now misaligned, and he was leaking energon like a sieve, but he didn’t remain down for long, especially not while innocent lives could still be at risk. Getting, rather unsteadily, back to his pedes, he faced Ramjet, with Wheeljack standing at his side, weapons drawn even as he looked nervously over at the Prime. He gestured for Optimus to take a step back, let the less-injured warrior fight this battle, but Optimus either didn’t get the hint, or he blatantly ignored it.
Wheeljack knew that to pursue this battle would be hazardous for the Prime’s health, and so he sprung into action first, ramming his gun into Ramjet’s midsection and firing a round, the first of many shots Wheeljack would take during that fight, garnering a few injuries of his own but always well aware of the status of Optimus Prime, who stood right at his side, until Ramjet was finally pacified.
Only once the dust had settled did Optimus seem to realize the extent of his injuries. Wincing, he rubbied absently at his back plating, looking Wheeljack up and down. “Wheeljack, you’re hurt.”
“You should talk, Prime,” Wheeljack responded, though not unkindly. “Why didn’t you let me handle it alone? You were so badly injured in that first hit. F’Doc were here he’d be screamin’ his tailpipe off at you. Looks like your back is broken.”
“I could not allow one of my own to come to harm through my own inaction, Wheeljack. Above all, my team comes first, now and always.”
He’d always known Optimus was a great leader - far better than any he’d dealt with previously (especially Magnus, if he was honest) - but this, tonight, took the energon cake. What was that feeling he felt bubbling up inside of him? He’d only felt it once before, with a massive mech back on Cybertron shortly after Bulkhead had fled the planet with Optimus, but that mech was long dead, and that feeling had died with him.
Until now, with Optimus Prime, of all people. Was this what Bumblebee had referred to once as ‘a crush?’