Chapter Text
The Training Center was unusually lively today.
He'd heard the first ground bridge early that morning when Chase came to inspect the simulation gymnasium one final time before his morning patrols. It was a quick ordeal, but as soon as he left, Boulder and Graham greeted him through their comms. Similar to Chase, they'd come to inspect the cloaking device and a few back up generations they missed the last few times they came. These past few weeks had mainly focused on random inspections around the base to make sure everything was in order for tomorrow.
This was the busiest the training center had been since it's opening day. As some left, others arrived to complete tasks of their own. That was how the first half of his day went, constantly being greeted by any arrival. But just as they'd come, everyone eventually left and the usual silence returned.
Heatwave had just focused back on the screen in front of him when the sudden chirp of his comm made him subtly jolt in his chair. " 'kay, I'm off!" He matched the voice to the orange bot on the transport room's security footage, slowly approaching the ground bridge portal. Hadn't he already left?
"Don't forget; the party starts at 6! I'll be back to start setting up at 5." Blades' orange arm waved at the camera before disappearing alongside the rest of him through the portal, though not before playfully adding, "Don't make us come in there and drag you out."
Heatwave resisted the urge to roll his optics and exhaled at the reminder. He glanced at the clock above the door which, to his relief, read 2:34. Plenty of time to finish this report—this last and final report on the developmental phase of the Academy.
Finally, finally, after a decade of careful planning and preparation, countless sleepless nights, and a mind-numbing amount of paperwork and reports, the Rescue Bots Academy was ready to receive its first-ever class. The mixture of anticipation and apprehension he'd been feeling for the past few months returned, along with arrhythmic spark palpitations. It had been getting worse as the opening day came closer, but stoic— stubborn as always, he didn't allow his inner turmoil to show. He simply reminded himself to breathe.
Everything they'd been working towards for the past decade was coming down to this. Tomorrow was the big day. The words 'First Day of School!' were marked on his calendar and circled in a bold red font, courtesy of Blades. As if he could forget. The date had been tattooed in his processor since Optimus had set a definitive date for the opening two years ago.
He scowled as his mind drew another blank. He's written a few hundred reports to the Prime over the years, but there was an added degree of pressure for this last one. It had to perfectly summarize his final inspections of the academy and encapsulate the grandeur of the Academy as he was told Optimus planned to quote a few of his statements to promote the Academy later on for future classes.
He was glaring at the mostly blank message on his holographic screen. Two barely put-together paragraphs were the byproduct of a full hour of work so far. His servos hovered over the keyboard, but he lacked inspiration. However, his mind wasn't entirely devoid of thoughts.
The eerie silence that resettled left eliminated any and all distractions. It was just peace and quiet, with nothing to save him from the persistent thoughts he'd been actively avoiding all day.
They were more images than the usual verbal contemplation, though he could faintly make out a few whispers in a painfully familiar accent.
Delving into introspection, he realized it'd been a while since it's been this bad.
There was a point when she consumed his every thought. He couldn't focus on anything without her in the background of his mind. Any light shade of blue triggered a visual of her optics, sparkling with their usual acuity. He couldn't bring himself to step foot in any training arena for the longest time and couldn't even punch away at his training dummy to let out steam.
Even the most absurdly random object in the room would somehow remind him of her. He couldn't shut his optics without seeing her cunning smirk, couldn't fall into recharge without seeing memories flash in his mind. There was a point where he hung on to those thoughts and memories like a lifeline, refusing to let go.
He had to commend himself. He'd come quite a long way from those low points. Now, he wasn't immediately thrown off by any mere shade of blue. He regularly beat the scrap out of his training dummy and there were even some days where she wasn't the last thing he saw before falling into recharge.
Still, he was far from over her, and though he tried, he couldn't reverse his feelings, any attempts only seemed to help them grow.
And despite his best efforts, even if he someday reached a point where he could hear her name and hardly blink, there was one day out of the entire year when all his progress didn't and wouldn't matter. It wasn't physically marked on any calendar, but the exact date remained burned in his memory. August 27, eleven years ago today.
If memory served him right, the whole thing panned out from the 26th. It started off as a normal day, at least as normal as it could get on an island filled with unpredictable technology. There'd been a small fire in the bakery and a delivery truck mishap when Jerry thought he found a shortcut down the mountain after delivering Mrs. Netherlander's monthly stock of supplies to her cabin, just your usual Saturday.
Patrols out the way, he returned to his office. Heatwave slouched over his wooden desk, a piece Milo carved and built as some sort of formal peace offering to the bots. It had been hastily maximized and placed in his office. He hadn't a proper chair yet. He tried a few Boulder maximized for him but he couldn't settle on any. He preferred to prop himself up on a few large crates. Clearly neither comfort nor aesthetic was on his mind back then.
A refreshing, at the time, silence enveloped the room. Kade had abandoned his responsibilities for the day to take Hayley out on a date, again. He had sworn up and down it would be the day he popped the question.
Heatwave rolled his optics as he watched the redhead confidently stride through the ground bridge knowing he'd chicken out again. In his absence, Heatwave took on his stacks of paperwork, refusing to fall further behind because of his partner's shortcomings.
He sat in silence, sorting through the mess of papers. It was a strange change of pace. He wasn't used to laid-back tasks. He much preferred being involved in the action of responding to any and all emergency calls.
Though he figured he could make do with the silence. There were no obnoxious noises, redundant rambling, constant blaring alarms, or distractions. As much as he disliked the team splitting up at first, he had peace of mind—at least when Kade wasn't here.
The silence was nice, though he'd admit it was starting to drive him a little crazy. After hours of nothing but the sound of shuffling paper and the clacking of the keyboard, he would've given just about anything to hear Chase read his police manuals aloud, Blades recite corny pop culture references, or Blurr blast his so-called 'Earth Noise' right now. Maybe not that last one, but he wouldn't mind a distraction.
A sudden knock on his door had broken his concentration. "My, you're up late." He knew that voice anywhere. Strained amber optics shifted to see Quickshadow approaching his desk and he felt a smile tug on his well-set scowl.
"Couldn't sleep." his voice was understandably raspy, given that he hadn't uttered a single word in well over 5 hours. Clearing his voice box, he tried again. "It's 3 in the morning. What are you doing here?" The raspiness was still there, and he could only hope he hadn't sounded as harsh as he thought.
"I wasn't aware it was past visiting hours." she scoffed good-naturedly, used to the firebot's grouchiness. "Sorry. I'm just swamped with work, and things have been a little too quiet for my liking." She nodded sympathetically. "I imagine so, you're not the type to lounge about, so too speak."
"Mmgh." "Anyway, I came to drop these off personally. Blades keeps forgetting to send them over." She pulled out a stack of datapads and set them on his desk.
He eyed the neat stack and resisted an optic roll. Great. Just what he needed.
Swallowing a growl, he instead managed a monotone 'thanks' and further slouched on his crate. Quickshadow watched him a few seconds longer. He'd gone back to looking at his screen, slow blinking being a clear indicator that he desperately needed a break.
"You sure you're alright?"
Heatwave spared her a glance, back struts subconsciously straightening and optics widening for illusion. "Peachy." His dull tone didn't sell it. Sighing, he gave up on good posture. "Been sorting through Kade's mess so long my mind's going numb," he finally confessed. He learned that direct answers were best with her. She was far too perceptive to fall for lies, much less half-baked excuses.
"Sounds to me like you could use a break. I'm heading to the training arena; care to join?" she glanced back at him from the doorway, a faint smile on her dermas.
Heatwave considered her offer for a moment before getting up and following her out the door. A small break couldn't hurt.
She led him to one of the many gymnasiums at the Mainland Training Center. The suggested activity was a sparring session. The usual between them.
Heatwave caught the look she was giving him. "Don't go easy on me, I'm fine."
"Are you sure? I'd hate to add to your drowsiness."
"Tsk. I'd hate to scuff that freshly polished paint job."
"Like you'd be quick enough to land a decent hit." Their banter went back and forth, each insult accompanied by a punch or kick.
Heatwave, feeling much more awake, aimed to strike her shoulder pad, but Quickshadow twisted out of the way and countered with a punch to his mid-torso, briefly knocking the air out of him.
He staggered backward to catch his breath and glanced back to see Quickshadow closing in on him with the intent of further incapacitating him. But before she could land another hit, he caught her servo mid-air and pulled her frame closer to his, stealing a quick kiss as he pinned her to the wall.
Caught off guard, Quickshadow tensed. "Wha--" she barley uttered right before her vision blurred and the room started spinning. Instinct kicked in and she only thought to hold onto the closest thing to her. She took small deep breaths all while focusing on the gold insignia she was pressed up against.
She blinked, mouth plates opening and closing with no words coming out. Heatwave grinned down at her, tainted victory painted across his faceplates. Seeing her all flustered like this counted as a win in his book. But then she randomly clung on him. His smile dropped and he thought something was wrong. "Quick--?"
Indignant, she met his stare through half-lidded optics. A faint smirk tugged at her lip components. He wanted to play dirty? Fine.
Unsettled by her change in attitude, Heatwave felt his breath get caught in his throat and a shiver run down his back strut when her servos let go of his arm and shoulder and started trailing up his windshield towards his neck.
Her sapphires fully captivated him, so much so that he hardly noticed she had him pinned on the ground. He blinked a few times, processor dizzy from the harsh impact. She sat atop him, her signature smirk mocking just as he had a minute before. Heatwave groaned in defeat and didn't bother to try to get up. "Two can play that game, though clearly I play it better." she lightly traced along his jaw down to the border of his windshield. A flustered Heatwave writhed under her touch and grumbled, annoyed that he'd let her regain the upper hand.
"But credit where it's due, you are improving." Her words rang in his processor, drawing a proud smile from him.
"I have a good teacher." He commended, hoping she'd let him off the hook. Quickshadow rolled her optics. "Can hardly say the same about my pupil."
"Hmm, degrading your own student?" Heatwave scoffed, acting offended. "Not very professional of you. I'm afraid I'll have to write you up for poor conduct." She couldn't hold back a string of laughter but still feigned offense. "Primus, you need to learn when to shut up."
"Yeah? Teach me." he challenged, optics shifting to her slightly parted dermas. Quickshadow scoffed, but her dimming optics told him she was actually considering the offer.
Neither of them knew how they got to this point in their relationship or what this point was to begin with. It started as a mild attraction to the other after the indifference, mostly on Heatwave's part, dissipated, but it never went beyond playful flirting and harmless teasing at least not up until about two years ago.
They were known to spar with each other as a form to drown their burdens, worries, and frustrations, but one particular match turned into a short make out session, and nothing was the same. Their matches gradually became more and more physical to the point where they could hardly pass as sparring matches anymore.
Friends with benefits would've been the best label to describe their relationship, and at some point, that's all they were until their mild attractions started developing into actual feelings.
Most of the team quickly caught on after noticing they spent much more time together and began speculating about their relationship, but it wasn't until an awkward confrontation with Heatwave that they learned that their leader and newest member weren't together, at least not officially.
Heatwave was aware of his growing feelings for the agent but didn't acknowledge them because he didn't know how to approach the subject or even if he should. She was his teammate, after all, and pursuing a more profound relationship seemed too unprofessional.
His teammates encouraged him to tell her how he felt, and when he refused, they tried taking matters into their own hands, going as far as dropping subtle hints in Quickshadow's presence. But in the end, Heatwave and Quickshadow never admitted their feelings, and nothing was ever made official. Putting a label on what they were seemed overly complicated and felt too restricting, so they agreed to keep whatever they had going on between them simple and nameless. And for a while, things worked out.
Quickshadow stared him down for a few long seconds before slowly inching closer to his face. Her optics never left his, and Heatwave found himself forgetting how to breathe.
Suddenly, an electrical surge ran up her arm, making her freeze mere centimeters from his dermas.
She glanced at her built-in monitor, and Heatwave raised an optic ridge when she promptly excused herself, stating it was urgent.
He had a pretty good idea of what the message contained, and his assumptions proved to be correct when she came back minutes later with a downhearted gaze.
With her mission on Earth coming to an end with the finalizing of the Scrubber tech, it was only a matter of time before she was assigned a new mission and left Griffin Rock. Another reason why they never made their relationship official.
Now he was holding her for what could possibly be the last time, and he regretted not telling her with every ounce of his being.
"When will I see you again?"
He took her servos in his, needing to feel their warmth one last time. His amber optics bore into her sapphires, trying to memorize every shade of blue they held.
Quickshadow didn't respond immediately, doing a few calculations in her head before lifting her shoulder pads in a slight shrug. "I'm not entirely sure. The arrangement seems to be on the long-term side. Months? Possibly a couple of years."
Her spark ached seeing his jaw clench. "I'll check in whenever I have time, to make sure the building is still standing." That earned her an optic roll, but she didn't miss the slight upturn of his dermas. "Funny."
She feigned an innocent smile, gently pulling her servos from his grasp and placing them on either side of his face. His arms wrapped around her waist, and they stayed like that for a brief moment, savoring each other's touch one last time.
Heatwave swallowed the lump in his throat and forced himself to nod.
The space bridge whirled to life behind them, notifying them that time was almost up. Heatwave unconsciously tightened his hold on her as if that could prevent her from leaving.
Quickshadow wrapped her servos around his neck and pulled his face down to press her dermas against his. Sweet and warm, she almost started rethinking her choices.
They eventually pulled away, slightly more breathless than usual. Her helm tilted up with a bittersweet smile, and he felt his sparkbeat quicken, knowing time was up. He reluctantly let go of her waist and felt her servos leave his face.
Her breath caught slightly in her throat at the swirling portal that wasn't there a minute ago, and she suddenly felt lightheaded, but it was gone just as quickly as it came. Her face hardened, and she forced herself forward, refusing to get cold feet now.
Heatwave heard his teammates' voices in his head, telling him it was now or never, and he wanted to tell her. She was still here, and there was still time. But he looked past her to the swirling vortex and remembered what was on the other side; what was at stake.
He could easily grab her servo and stop her or shut the space bridge off altogether, but his frame wouldn't comply with any commands. She took a step forward, then another and another. He was watching her walk out of his life, and stood frozen in place, unable to lift a digit to stop her.
He took a staggering breath and snapped out of his haze. "Quickshadow," he called out, making her stop dead in her tracks. Heatwave swallowed his nerves and drew in another shaky breath. Primus, he hoped he didn't make a fool of himself.
Spark pounding, Quickshadow didn't turn to face him. She already knew what he wanted to say, and if she was being honest, half of her begged he'd voice those three unspoken words, but the other half knew she wouldn't leave if he did.
"I.. I..." He'd almost said it, almost, but his last reserves of common sense held him back, and he realized he was being selfish. Her mission was critical to the Autobot cause, critical to the rebuilding of their planet. He couldn't keep her from fulfilling her duties, not when he'd been the one who encouraged her to take up this offer in the first place.
As heartbreaking as it was, he had to accept it was too late. He was too late. It was a hard lump to swallow, yet still, he forced a bittersweet smile and allowed his caring side to surface in the form of caution.
"Be careful. Stay safe." It came out more as an order than a plea, yet strangely, it was one of the sweetest things he'd ever said to her.
Quickshadow released the breath she'd subconsciously been holding. Ignoring the twisting disappointment and sudden churn of her engine, she continued towards the space bridges. She told herself it was for the best. She had a job to do. Though for the first time in her life, she didn't feel so sure of herself.
"Come back to me." his voice was barely above a whisper, but she heard him nonetheless.
Standing just inches away from the swirling portal, she glanced over her shoulder with a faint smile.
"Goodbye, Heatwave."