The Light in Your Eyes

Spike walked up to Carly and watched her for a second before he spoke. She was sitting in a corner near Wheeljack’s lab, as if she were trying to stay mostly out of sight, concentrating on some sort of data storage device. She tapped the stylus against the edge of the log and looked up. Spike nearly laughed as she just about jumped out of her seat in surprise. She hastily deactivated the datalog and stuffed into her knapsack. It was probably something that some Autobots around here didn’t want her to be involved in. And by “some Autobots,” Spike had Ironhide in mind. His exasperation with Carly seemed to be mostly a puffed up act at this point, but he still grumbled more about how much the humans were involved in the war since Carly first arrived.

“I’m sorry,” Spike said. “I didn't mean to scare you.”

“Oh,” Carly said, a little breathlessly, “you didn’t. I was just, um, going over a few things from that last mission.”

Thought so, Spike thought. She’s up to no good. Women aren’t that complicated. He sat down beside her and interlaced his fingers in hers. She smiled lightly up at him and, typically, he was at a loss for words. He thought too about that latest mission, about Carly’s golden hair, about Carly falling into the ocean, and about him swimming in to rescue her. It was stupid, she had said and it was. But it was brave too, she added while giving him a kiss.

Spike’s thoughts lingered on Carly’s hair for a moment longer and he found himself saying, “I was glad that you fell into the ocean.” He almost cringed after he said it. Naturally, she was going to ask why and he’d have to explain that he and Chip were mortified to the point of laughter by. . .

“Yeah, I’ll bet you were,” she said mischievously, nudging her shoulder into his. “Guys are pigs.”

“What?” Spike asked. “Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Sure you didn't.”

“I didn’t. It gave me an opportunity to all brave and manly around you.” Spike paused. “That's all.”

“Right,” she said with a wink.

“No really.” Spike shifted closer and kissed her hand. “You bring that kind of stuff out in me, you know. I want to be your knight in shining armor.” He leaned in and kissed her. “I love to see your eyes sparkle in that way that they do. It’s like they have a light of their own.”

“Oh Spike,” Carly said, making certain that he understood just how corny he was being. But she still pulled him in and kissed him again, this time more deeply. Spike started running his hands down her back when he heard a noise behind him.

Carly obviously heard it was well, since both of them came to an abrupt stop and slid apart. Spike sensed more than heard Carly sigh as if relieved at the sight of Gears standing nearby watching them. Spike hasn’t quite sure why she seemed relieved, but at the moment he was too busy trying to regain his composure.

“Hey Gears,” he said brightly. “Nice day out, eh?”

Spike’s smile slipped as Gears said nothing. In fact, he didn’t so much as move. He continued to simply stand there, saying nothing, with his arms crossed in front of him. His brow was slightly furrowed as if he were deep in thought. Spike turned toward Carly, who shrugged.

Carly looked back at Gears. “Are you, uh, feeling okay?”

She asked the question almost hesitantly and Spike thought it was for a good reason. Ask that question to just about anyone else, human or Autobot, and usually you received an answer along the lines of “I'm fine” no matter how they really felt. Ask Gears, and you were just begging for a dissertation about all the aches and pains that ailed him day in and day out.

But not this time. This time, Gears continued to stand there. His expression never changed and not a joint so much as shivered.

“Me and Carly were just, um, talking,” Spike said blushing. He glanced at Carly and felt a little better that she was blushing as well. “We were at the store the other day and they were selling these toys called Microconvertors. It’s a total rip off of you guys.” Spike paused. “You should sue,” he added weakly.

“Maybe there really is something wrong with him,” Carly whispered.

“Yeah, maybe him seeing us, you know, made something pop.”

Carly giggled. “You aren’t that good of a kisser.”

Just then, Bluestreak passed by. He turned his head and he smiled. But then he skidded to a sudden stop. He walked over and after looking at Gears standing there with a curious glance, he turned his attention to Spike and Carly.

“What’s up with him?” he asked, pointed a thumb in Gears’ direction.

“We’re not sure,” Spike said. “He was like that when we saw him.”

“What are you two doing back here anyway?” Bluestreak continued as if Spike hadn’t spoken. “Hardly anybody comes back here.” With a suddenness that made both of the humans jump, Bluestreak then snapped his fingers. “I know what you were doing. You were making in, weren’t you? You were! You were making in!”

“Oh God,” Carly said mortified, trying to hide her face in her hand.

Spike opened his mouth to say something but couldn’t find his voice. With each word, Bluestreak’s voice was getting louder. He could hear the footfalls of other Autobots starting to walk closer. The first to arrive was Powerglide. He looked from Bluestreak to the humans and finally at Gears, still frozen in place with that oddly thoughtful expression on his face. Powerglide chuckled.

“I don’t even want to know,” he said and walked away.

Spike wanted to sigh in relief. Bluestreak, however, would not be deterred in his discovery.

“Jazz,” he shouted. “Jazz, come over here.”

Carly looked up as Jazz walked up beside the gray Autobot. “Oh God,” she said again went back to hiding her face.

“What’s up?” Jazz asked. He glanced once at Gears before looking at Bluestreak. “What’s all the ruckus.”

“Nothing much,” Spike said. “Me and Carly were just talking about the last mission and--.”

“They were making in,” Bluestreak said. “Just like in that TV show you guys are always watching. You know, the one about the sink.”

“Making in, eh?” Jazz said, smirking down at the humans. Spike said nothing. Carly lifted her head again and stared up at Jazz. “Yeah, well, kids will be kids. Come, buddy, let’s let ‘em alone for a while.”

As they walked away, Bluestreak glanced over his shoulder. “What about Gears?”

Jazz laughed. “I find it better to just ignore him he showboats like that. Come on, let’s go see if we can’t bug Prowl. He looked bored earlier.”

Bluestreak laughed loudly. “Somehow, I doubt that.”

Carly leaned forward and watched the two Autobots leave and turned her attention back to Gears. He had not moved at all throughout the entire exchange.

“What if something really is wrong with him?” she asked. “Maybe we should go and get Ratchet.”

“What's going on over here?”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Spike muttered, exasperated. Carly, who looked as though she were about to stand up, froze at the sound of the loud, drawlly voice of Ironhide calling out in their direction.

“Gears, ol’ buddy, why’re you--?” Ironhide stopped talking abruptly when he saw Spike and Carly sitting there. He crossed his arms across his chest in an almost exact replica of Gears’ pose. His expression wasn’t of thoughtfulness however. His expression was the look of feigned annoyance he seemed to always have around them.

“I don’t suppose you two are up to any good.”

“We were just--,” Spike said before stopping.

Before him, Gears turned his head and looked up at Ironhide before he looked back at Spike and Carly. For several seconds, nobody said anything.

Ironhide leaned closer to Gears and asked, “You all right?”

“Hmm?” Gears replied distractedly, before looking up at Ironhide again. “Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.”

Ironhide blinked. “You're fine?” he asked, obviously surprised at such a positive response.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Gears put his hands on his hips. “What?”

“Well, it’s just you’re never fine.”

Gears said nothing for several seconds, as if considering this. “Whatever. I did, however, just make an interesting discovery.” He tilted his head toward the two humans. “I found out what makes humans want to vomit.”

With that, he turned and stalked away, mumbling, without ever looking back, leaving the others to watch him leave. “The light of your smelting eyes,” Gears grumbled, bare audible as he retreated. “Cybertron below me...”

Spike and Carly both turned to look at Ironhide, who in turn looked down at them.

“I think I’d rather just not know,” he said and walked away himself.

Spike looked at Carly, who was watching some point on the floor with an odd sort of smile on her face. Then she broke out into laughter and leaned against Spike’s shoulder. Spike put his arm around her shoulder, loving the fact that she was so close to him, but hating that the mood was obviously shattered.

After another minute, Carly looked up at him again. She looked in the direction that Gears had walked, and then brought her mischievous eyes to him again.

“Come on, let’s give him something to complain about.”

Maybe I don't understand women after all, Spike thought, as she leaned in to kiss him again. And maybe that's not such a bad thing.

The End.


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