randomplaces | dreamworld; the Nexus park?; Dream-sharing

The grassy clearing in the park is empty but for birdsong and wildflowers.

And then it's not.

Dreadnought lifts his optic shutters as he senses a difference in his surroundings, but something's off... things are muted. He frowns and scans the area as best he can, then concludes that he's dreaming again and waits for whatever's going to happen to happen.

Gen opens her optics slowly, staring up at the clear sky through the leaves of the tree she ways lying beneath. That's odd. She doesn't remember falling asleep outside.

Of course, as soon as that thought appears, her mind tells her that she's dreaming.

Gen usually isn't a lucid dreamer, so she is somewhat confused. On the other hand, it's better than some of the dreams she's had. She lets out a relaxed sigh and shutters her optics again, taking in the sounds around her.

A few feet away Dreadnought picks her up on his sensors and turns his head, then goes up on one elbow. "Gen... okay, I like this dream."

At the sound of his voice, Gen sits up slowly and turns her upper body to look at him. "Dreadnought? Why... of course," she says, a soft smile gracing her face. "A dream. Why wouldn't you be here."

He grins, the expression wistful. "Yeah... since I miss you so bad. It's good to see you, babe, even if this is just a dream."

Gen quirks an amused optic ridge. "'Babe?'"

One big hand reaches toward her face, the back of a finger stroking her cheek as those soft brown optics gaze at her. "It's a term of endearment on Earth."

She rests a hand on his finger, holding it in place on her cheek. "I know that, silly. I mean why babe? I think there's something else you can call me that suites me better."

"Like what?" He moves a little closer, his optics starting to twinkle.

"I don't know. You're the one that came up with the nickname thing, not me."

He's beside her now, taking his hand away from her face to pull her close and rest his cheek on her head. When he speaks his voice is a staticy whisper. "Girl, I miss you so bad. Bein' away from you... feelin' the little fits 'n starts... catchin' hints of things you hear... it's torture."

Gen leans into his embrace with a sigh. "Then why don't you ever come to see me?"

"I can't." The sadness in his deep voice seems to vibrate through his big frame as he settles onto his side so that he can hold her with both arms.

"Why not?" She pulls away from slightly, just enough to look him in the optics. "Don't you ever think that I miss you, too? That being apart from you hurts me?"

"Gen...." He makes a small sound and avoids her gaze now. "I'm a 'Con. Destroyer of worlds. A war machine. You don't need somethin' like me around."

"Dreadnought." Frowning slightly, Gen places a hand on his cheek and turns his head so he'll look at her. "You're more than that. And even if you weren't, I, I wouldn't care."

"I scare the slag outta you." He's whispering again, those soft dark optics troubled.

This dream-Dreadnought certainly sounds a lot like the real one to Gen's audials. His concern for scaring her reminds her of a half-forgotten memory from the time she spent as a cat. "I thought you said you'd never be scary to me," she laughs lightly, her optics dimming slightly.

He blinks at her laughter, wondering. "Not on purpose." In his mind the memory of the destruction of the Decepticon base starts to play and he looks away again.

"And let's be honest, hm?" She pulls his face back up. "You're hardly the only mech that scared me."

Again he doesn't resist her slight strength. "But I don't want to scare you." His optic shutters drop. "I wanna protect you."

She places a finger on his nose, beeping it. "And who's stopping you from doing that, hm?"

He gives a startled blink at the nose beep, then looks at her with surprise. "No one. That's why I've been staying away from you."

Gen stares at him blankly for a moment before pulling her finger back just enough to flick him on the nose.

"What was that for?" He frowns.

"That," she says with a frown, "doesn't even make sense."

He rumbles, his frown deepening. "I'm protecting you from me."

"Then who will protect me from everyone else?"

"Psych?"

She gives him a wry smile and lifts a single optic ridge, as though saying 'You talking about the same Psych I think you're talking about?'

And he sighs and pulls her close again, the gesture gentle and protective.

Gen doesn't fight his embrace, instead leaning in closer. "Hmm..."

Softly, he says, "I can still feel you. It hasn't worn off yet."

"You still think this is a LOL?"

"What else can it be?"

Not answering verbally, Gen instead looks up at him shyly, a light blush on her faceplates, before placing a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth.

He responds instinctively, but then quickly breaks the kiss and draws back, blinking with confusion.

Reaching up to give him another flick, this time on his forehead, she says, "For a dream, you really are making this difficult."

Dreadnought frowns, his optics searching hers, but then leans down and kisses her again, feeling something pulling him... something unfinished and yearning for completion.

Gen starts to respond to the kiss, and then...

Suddenly, her whole world shakes. "Come on, wake up. It's time to feed Cali."

Gen unshutters her optics, blearily looking into the face of her twin. She stares at him for a few seconds before reaching out to bap him upside the head.

Back at the base Dreadnought sits up sharply, sending Two flying as he scans the old mine shaft he was recharging in. "What the...."

He shakes his head, and then gets to his feet and walks out into the night, the drone tagging at his heels.