Ring of Fire

|8| - Primus Said "Not Yet"

Where the hell was he going?

The station itself wasn't that big, so you thought you'd be able to catch up to him by now. To your dismay, he stayed just out of reach. The mech could be quick when he wanted to be, that's for sure.

You skidded around a corner so you didn't crash into the wall, a smirk crossing your lips when you saw that he had hit a dead-end. No more running for him, unless he ducked into one of the rooms and locked himself in. You weren't going to let that happen, though.

"Heatwave~" You chuckled, casually sauntering towards him once he had turned around. "Why'd you run? All I did was ask you a question. You picked truth."

"I-I didn't know you were going to ask something so... so.. personal! What kind of question was that?!" Heatwave sputtered, shrinking back as you approached. He started looking for a way out, his golden optics flicking back and forth frantically, but there wasn't any.  He would literally have to push you out of the way if he wanted to escape, and that definitely wasn't happening.

"It wasn't that personal. You're just too scared to answer it."

"I'm not scared!" He protested in a fake tone of anger, trying to act like he normally would. However, he couldn't hold back a squeak of surprise when you planted your servos on the wall on either side of his head and cornered him. You smiled at him and he became even more flustered. "I-I'm not!"

"Then why is your voice shaking, Heatwave? Do I scare you?" You asked in an calm tone, grinning at him.

The fact that you were able to corner him like this and make him lose his cool gave you such a rush. No one had ever seen this side of him before. You were the first.

"Oh look, now you're blushing. Are you flustered, Heatwave?" You lowered your voice as you leaned in closer, slowly getting in his personal space. He looked uncomfortable, but you could tell that he liked it. "How about you answer the question for me, hm? Could my sweet little Heatwave do that for me?"

"I'm not your- shut up! I-I'm not gonna answer the question!" Heatwave growled. His blush intensified when you came closer, your face just inches away from his. He could feel your breath on his face and his spark racing in his chassis. Everything seemed like it had been happening so fast, and then time slowed down. "Y-Y/N!" He tried to push you away, but you barely even budged. "Just let it go!"

You simply smirked at him. "I think I already know the answer, Heatwave. I just want to hear you say it. I won't let it go until you say it."

"Y/N, you're being ridiculous!"

"Am I?"

"Stop being such an aft!"

"All you have to do is say it, Heatwave. It isn't that hard." You purred, moving one of your servos over to gently stroke the side of Heatwave's face. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

Heatwave huffed and pulled away from your servo, his blush now consuming his entire face. "I don't trust you!" He retorted, shooting you a slight glare.

You snorted and rolled your optics. Okay, time for plan B since getting Mr. Hothead to talk wasn't exactly working out. "Maybe this will change your mind." You said, giving him no time to reply as you leaned in to kiss him.

Just before your lips crashed together, the rescue alarm suddenly started blaring in the hallway.

Startled, you took a few steps back and winced at the slight ringing in your audio receptors. Why did it seem so loud? When you glanced over at where Heatwave had been, you were disappointed to see that he had taken his chance to escape. That was a pity, you had been so close to getting him to admit his feelings for you. Now you had to trudge back down to the hanger and prepare for a rescue in the pouring rain.

•
•
•

Apparently there had been a landslide since the ground was softened by the rain and now part of a road was blocked by dirt and debris. One person couldn't stop in time and now their car was trapped in the mud, so you had to pull them out and asses them for injuries.

Acting like a mindless robot when citizens were around wasn't something you liked to do. It was tedious and the phrases you had to say sounded absolutely stupid. Or maybe they just sounded stupid because you were in a bit of a mood ever since Heatwave got away. He tried to stay away from you the entire rescue, so much so that just about the entire team knew something had happened between you two.

When you had returned to the station and gotten washed off, the rest of the bots pulled you aside for a little chat while Heatwave was still cleaning up.

"Okay, I know you and Heatwave hate each other. Why is he afraid of you all of a sudden?" Blades was the first one to speak up since he was curious. "He wouldn't even go near you during that rescue!"

"Yes. Heatwave's odd behavior suggests an incident has occurred between you two. Care to explain, Y/N?" Chase added, giving you a perplexed look. Boulder nodded in agreement, not feeling the need to say anything else.

You sighed heavily, rolling your optics. If Heatwave had just talked instead of playing hard to get, it would've made things a whole lot easier.

"Y'know how I asked him if he had a crush during our Truth or Dare game earlier and he ran away? Well, I think he's got a crush on me. I was trying to make him confess, but the rescue alarm decided to interrupt." You explained.

"I knew it!" Blades cheered happily. "Dani owes me big time now!"

You were somewhat confused. "You guys made a bet?"

Blades laughed and waved his servo nonchalantly. "Well, yeah! I just knew there was something between you two when you first got here!"

"I just thought you two hated each other. But now everything makes sense." Boulder chimed in, shrugging his shoulders.

"We have to tell Cody about this!"

"No!" You exclaimed before Blades could continue, holding out your servos. "Please don't tell him. I don't want Heatwave to find out because Kade squeezed the truth out of Cody. Just keep it on the down-low for now, okay?"

Blades seemed sad, but he understood where you were coming from. "Ugh, finnneeee, but don't blame me if it gets out! I'm not really the best at keeping secrets..."

"Keeping secrets from Heatwave doesn't seem like the best idea to me, Y/N. Perhaps you should just tell him how you feel instead. Maybe then he will return the favor." Chase suggested.

You shook your helm. "He's not the sappy kind. I don't think he'll just admit it if I admit it. It would be too out of character for me."

"I would go with your gut and see what happens. Just don't overstep any boundaries in the process. That might drive him away instead of pulling him in." Boulder said, trying to offer you some advice. It was a wholehearted effort and you appreciated it.

"Okay, I'll try to remember that. Thanks guys." You thanked them, falling silent once you heard Heatwave entering the room. This was turning out to be harder than you thought.