Watching the original g1 cartoon and they’re just always together (well, not always always but like a lot). Like, they talk a lot together I mean. Ironhide literally jumped in front of a shot -atleast I think it was that- to save him, and then later Optimus did something similar 😭

And then in the Immobilizer episode when Ironhide thinks he’s too old to fight and quits and Optimus yells “Okay but we will miss you” as he walks away and then mumbles to himself, and I’m not making this up “I miss you already.”