#blastoff

No surprise, Blast Off pulled out a mirror and preened, admiring himself like a fancy little bird. Joking was tempting, but watching the shuttle admire the necklace—and once again display his ring—was rewarding and cute.

“Did I do well?”

“Cosmos... you’ve done outstanding," Blast Off cooed, turning to hide a grin. Flashy jewelry was the norm; it showed his importance. Bedazzling him with bling was right. Cosmos delivered; he knew how to handle him.

So far.

The bowl of fruit and nuts was picked up again, the fork stabbing into the fresh slivers. The sweet fruit blended with the salty crunch of the nuts. The dish was invigorating—or was that just leftover excitement from being showered with jewelry?

One thing that remained clear, Cosmos remained seated close to him- he could feel the gentle vibrations of humming engines. The smaller mech’s warm frame pressed gently against his thighs, but the shuttle wasn’t complaining. Suddenly, the attention of his date was drawn.

It felt nice to hear his favorite music whistling in the background. It felt nice to look up at the star-painted galaxy of this planet. It felt nice to be chased after instead of doing the chasing.  Most of all, it felt nice to be noticed.

It didn’t feel nice to be out of food. His belly grumbled obnoxiously, and Blast Off realized that Cosmos must have felt the dang quake with how close he sat. The empty plate was returned to the table.

“Shall I call for more biscuits?” Cosmos asked?

“I’ll be fine.” He crossed his arms over his belly. After all those appetizers, his doughy belly now domed. “Trust me, I ain't gonna starve to death.”  While far from famished, he was far from full as well. All that tasty food only left him craving more. Yet with such desire to eat came the harsh realization that... well, he was growing fat.

His belly rumbled again. His servo clenched at the growling beast, drawing attention to itself. He felt Cosmos’ optics watching and, worse, the other’s servos pressing against his bulging belly.

Blast Off flinched.

“Oh, does that hurt?” Cosmos asked, but didn’t remove his hand.

Blast Off nodded no, but stifled the urge to snap that one should keep their servos to themselves.

“Are... are you bashful about your belly?”

For a mech big into the sciences, he sure stated the obvious. So why keep his hand pressed against his growling belly? Digits gently pressed down, revealing the firmness gained from indulging in fine foods, soups, and fruits.

Blast Off shuffled his arms, dislodging the other’s gentle touch.

“I see...” Cosmos calmly responded. “My apologies for making you uncomfortable. But I can assure you, there’s nothing to be bashful about.”

“Not everyone feels the same about... this...” His digits grabbed a hold of some flab and jiggled. “Unnecessary overabundance.”

“What a choice of words.” Cosmos gently patted a thickened thigh. “But I quite enjoy your plush frame.”

The shuttle snorted.

“There’s nothing wrong with a full-framed mech.” Cosmos looked down slightly.

Was he blushing? A snark remark awaited release, but the Autobot resumed his speech.

“It’s nice to see someone truly enjoying themselves, you know?” The green and yellow flyer bit at his lower lip. “Like... if you enjoy eating... I have no problems providing you with scrumptious cuisines.”

Blast Off looked down at his rounded frame. There was no denying his enjoyment in eating. He  should do what he enjoys. But the whole social stigma around chub is gross... a sign of laziness and uncleanliness... it weighed heavily on his spark. Like how his belly weighed heavily on his lap. “You mean that?”

“Primus, Blasty. I simply adore watching how excited you get when eating.” Cosmos looked up, revealing he was, indeed, blushing. “I... I would do anything to see you so happy. Plus...excess weight is a sign of being well taken care of...yeah?” A coy smile appeared. “And I do intend to fully take care of you. Spoil you rotten, even. If it makes you happy, that is.”

Blast Off sat there, jaw slackened. How could he be so lost for words? A retort to cut the Autobot down would’ve been nice, but how to ignore the promise of pampering—especially from a suitor who started off so well?

He couldn’t help but ogle the ring again.

“Speaking of which...” Cosmos grinned and rubbed his stubby hands together. The waiter returned, pushing a little cart, then placed dish by dish in front of them. The plates were colorful, looking- and smelling- delicious. Bubbly energon refilled empty glasses, and Cosmos asked for the bottle to be left behind. With a polite bow, the server made his exit.

Blast Off’s belly grumbled.

Cosmos smiled. “Well, dig in!” Cosmos went for his dish, but a servo stopped him.

“Wait.” Blast Off shyly smiled and picked up both glasses. He handed one to Cosmos and raised his own for a toast.

“Oh, absolutely.” Cosmos grinned. “What shall we toast to this time?”

“To new adventures.” He held his glass up.

Comsos did the same. “To new adventures. Wherever life takes us.” Glasses clinked, followed by a hearty sip. “Now, eat up.” Comsos patted the shuttle's belly, and this time the shuttle didn’t flinch—just eagerly reached for his plate.

“I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I sank my teeth into some fresh lobster.” The full dish was set upon his lap. The lobster tail covered nearly half the plate! The large portions of the sides nearly spilled over the edge. Large bellies could easily be filled with this feast!

“Don’t forget your melted butter.” Cosmos chuckled. “Primus, it looks more like a little bowl of soup!”

“Hmmmmmm,” Blast Off hummed as a large chunk of almost white colored meat was stabbed and drowned in the butter. “I know this was cooked in a bath of butter, but you know what goes good with butter?”

“What?” Cosmos asked, scooping his fork into his dish, which consisted of chunks of assorted seafood lying on a bed of creamy rice.

“More butter.” His mouth opened and greedily wrapped around a morsel of lobster. And that taste....very rich... and the lobster’s natural sweet flavor that hinted the ocean was enriched by the thick, creamy butter. The whole tidbit just melted in his mouth, pouring a serene sense of goodness throughout his frame. His joyous hum sounded a bit more like a pleasured moan.

“That good, huh?” Cosmos beamed, taking a bite of his meal.

“Hmmm Mmmmmm.” Speaking was hard with a mouth full of food. As soon as one bite of nirvana was swallowed, another took its place. Buttery lips were licked. Sides of crisp asparagus, earthy and slightly nutty, exploded tastefully, adding to the meal's magic. The linguini's flat, slightly chewy noodles absorbed velvety butter, enriching the experience.

One couldn’t help but continuously pile in such good stuff.

Cosmos swallowed, then dabbed his lips with his cloth napkin. “So, I hope this is... ah, living up to those expectations you often spoke of.”

“Hmmm?” Blast Off side-eyed the other, never fully able to take his focus off his meal.

“The late-night texts...” A sip of engex. A shy downwards glance. A polite cough. “How you described your perfect date?”

Suddenly, those keyboard conversations flitted before his processor. The talks ranged from flying patterns to which colors looked best in recharging rooms. The topics started innocently enough, but soon delved into personal territory. Now Blast Off understood exactly why every detail—no matter how minuscule—of his ideal date was questioned.

Exotic places—this restaurant, with its surround view of the clearest, most beautiful galaxy, fits the bill. A private atmosphere lulled one into a state of luxurious comfort. Exquisite, freshly made foods abounded with taste. Let’s not forget the surprises—he never dreamed of such lavish jewelry.

I mean, it was proper protocol—but most mechs didn’t bother with old traditions.

“Your efforts are commemorable, Cosmos.” The shuttle smiled. Half his huge lobster tail was already gone. “Had I thought you were taking crib notes, I’d have mentioned a heck of a lot more.” As if on cue, yes, that ring on his right hand flashed and was admired.

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.” He winked.

Blast Off gave an all-knowing smile before returning to the task at hand: demolishing the cyber-lobster tail. Halfway gone and still going strong! The taste was so tantalizing that one immediately suffered withdrawal symptoms when the mouth went empty. But once the taste returned, a hum escaped his mouth, his wings twitched in joy, and his belly immediately desired more.

“So...” Cosmos said, scooping himself another bite of his meal. “You know, it was really nice having someone to talk with during the deep space travel...”

“Hmm-hmmm...” Blast Off swallowed. “Many nights I stayed up late in my berth awaiting the next ping of your incoming message.”

A soft chuckle was heard. “I’m glad.”

“It was nice seeing the images of deep space.” The ‘Con politely stifled a belch as long, flat noodles twirled around his fork. “Excuse me.” He gave a sly smile. “Was nice hearing your voice...if I may say.”

“Golly, it was just nice to have a captivated audience.” Cosmos beamed. “Not many mechs like it when I prattle on about the gaseous nature of suns or numerical outputs of planets’ soil compositions.”

“Trust me, it was nice to have discussions with someone of equal intelligence.” The last green stalk of the crystal asparagus was stabbed and pressed between his lips, disappearing like a log being demolished in a wood chipper.

“Yeah...” The Autobot coughed, then licked his lips. “So, if you don’t mind me asking...”

The shuttle glanced over and was met with the shy look of his date. Cosmos optics were worried. His lips trembled when giving a little smile. His fork idly stabbed at chunks of seafood and simply pushed the risotto around.

“Out with it.” Blast Off stated. “No point beating around the bush.”

“Well...please pardon me if asking this is too brazen... but that one conversation. About... ahhhh...”

“Are you always this articulate?” The last morsel of the fleshy tail was consumed, butter messily dripping down his face. “Ooff...” A cloth napkin chased the mess, removing any evidence of sloppy eating.

“Well, I don’t mean to bring this up... and it may be a bit uncouth to ask so soon.” A sip of engex was taken. Stocking up on courage juice, one would say. “But this... crush you spoke about...Has... has anything changed...”

Primus, it felt as if he was ejected into the ice-cold realm of space! His joints stiffened. His breath caught within his chassis. And he knew his expression was that of a cyberdeer in headlights.

Has anything changed?

Every time he closed his optics, he saw the image of a grinning Onslaught. Late at night, right before drifting into recharge, he swore he could feel that large, strong frame spooning against his back. Yes, there were times he woke in a heated frenzy, swearing to feel other things press into intimate areas, only to wake up totally alone.

“It’s... complicated.” Those challenging words slowly leaked out. This plate rattled in his servos, but he managed to set it on the table without too much fuss. He swallowed hard, fearing looking at his date. Slag, shouldn’t someone of his status be better than this? There were other mechs... anyone not taking an interest in a catch like himself was clearly out of their processor.

Right?

Blast Off sighed. “I warned you of excess baggage, didn’t I?” The words came out harsher than intended.

“Look....” That servo rested upon the shuttle’s thigh again. “I understand. But I just gotta know if you are... well, interested in what I am looking for.”

“And what exactly are you looking for?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Cosmos’s hand gave a firm squeeze. “I’m looking to officially court you. And I don’t mind giving a chase... just as long as you are catchable.”

Wow. Talk about dedication! And not skipping a beat. “Ah...it...it’s only our first date...”

“I know, I know...” Cosmos bashfully laughed. “But I also know what I want. And all those late-night talks...felt we really got to know each other.” That servo gently patted his thigh. “But at your pace, my sweets. There is no rush, provided I am not... you know, barking up the wrong tree.”

Was he ready to turn the page and start a new chapter in his life? And with a mech like Cosmos? Gone was that tall, strong frame that commanded attention by just walking into the room. Gone was that deep, commanding voice. Gone was dreaming of being lifted off his pedes and carried through the threshold of their shared quarters.

His stomach sank: Cosmos put so much effort into this date, it was unfair to think so little of him based on his height. There was the promise of feeling like old times, back before the war. Before the Combaticons. Before his fall from grace. Truth be told, of all his past suitors, there was something extra put into this date.

And for once, he wasn’t talking about the jewelry. Well, not completely, that is.

“The ball is in your court, Blasty.” Cosmos returned to his plate. “You can take the lead.”

The shuttle smiled genuinely. And seeing Cosmos smile back, his spark swirled faster. His belly fluttered- and not from hunger. The thought of being courted piqued his interest. And with the giddiness of a young mech going through his first crush, Blast Off was excited about what the other had to offer.

What did he have to lose?

His belly growled as he smiled at his date. “I... I accept your courtship...”