-Lounge-

Cyclonus walked into the lounge followed by Tailgate, who was obediently following him like a dog following it's master.

There were two glasses of energon left and everyone else had already left. Cyclonus grabbed them and went over to a table, setting them down and settling into one of the seats.

Tailgate climbed up into the other seat and scooted forward, his head just peeking over the edge of the table.

Cyclonus sighed and slid one glass of energon over to Tailgate so he could reach it. He leaned back in his chair and took a long sip of energon.

Tailgate lifted the glass with his hands and removed his faceplate in order to drink.

It was silent for a few moments before Tailgate spoke up.

"Did you really fight Whirl because he scared me?" Tailgate asked, setting down his glass and wiping his mouth.

Cyclonus paused mid-sip and almost choked on his energon. "Well... he was being a jerk! I just..."

"You did it because of me, didn't you? I can see that you're growing overprotective of me." Tailgate smirked, raising his eyebrows.

Cyclonus's face flushed red and he struggled to find words. "N-No! You're w-wrong!"

"Aww! You're blushing, Cyclonus! You don't have to hide your feelings from me!" Tailgate giggled, his visor gleaming with happiness.

Cyclonus growled and hid his face from Tailgate as he grew redder and redder. "No! Stop making me feel this way!"

"Come on, Cyclonus! Share the love!" Tailgate giggled some more, hopping off his seat and climbing into Cyclonus's lap. He hugged him tightly and sighed.

"This isn't how I wanted it to turn out..." Cyclonus mumbled, on the verge of tears. "You're supposed to be scared of me like everyone else!"

"Why would I be scared of you? You're such a lovable guy! I don't understand why people are scared of you!"

"Everyone has been scared of me all my life... I can't do anything without getting glared at. I've hidden my stupid feeling for the past several eons with no one to talk to!" Cyclonus cried, his emotions breaking through his hard shell of darkness and anger.

"Cyclonus..." Tailgate mumbled, hating to see such a strong bot break down and cry like this. He hugged Cyclonus around his lower torso and clung to him tightly. "If I knew what you were really feeling, I could've helped you! It's not healthy to hide your emotions like that."

"Now you sound like that blasted therapist, Rung..." Cyclonus huffed, wiping the tears from his optics.

"Do you see him for your problems?"

It took a moment before Cyclonus finally answered. "Yes..." he said sullenly, laying his head on the table.

"Well that's good... at least you're trying to fix the issue. Is it helping at all?"

"No... he just tells me the same stuff over and over again! I can't stand it!"

"Maybe you aren't listening good enough. Come on, we're going to Rung whether you like it or not." Tailgate hopped off of Cyclonus's lap and grabbed his hand, pulling him off the seat.

"Fine..." Cyclonus grumbled, reluctantly following the little minibot down the hallways towards Rung's quarters.

-Rung's quarters-

Tailgate gently knocked on the door to Rung's habsuite and patiently waited for him to answer. He was still holding Cyclonus's hand tightly, refusing to let go.

Cyclonus was in a sour mood already and really didn't want to talk to Rung again, but he knew it was for the best.

They heard Rung's pedesteps approaching and the door to his habsuite slid open, revealing the small, orange mech standing before them.

Rung fixed his glasses and flashed a smile at Cyclonus, who merely grunted. "Ah, Cyclonus! I see you've brought a friend with you!" He grinned at Tailgate, who nodded with glee. "Come In, come in! Take a seat and relax!"

Tailgate gently pulled Cyclonus into Rung's habsuite, the door sliding shut behind him. He let go of Cyclonus's hand and sat down in a chair next to him while Cyclonus sat down on the larger chair.

Rung patted on the chair with his hand, gesturing Cyclonus to lay down. He took his own seat next to the larger chair that Cyclonus was supposed to lay on.

Everything about Rung's 'office' made Cyclonus anxious. He didn't like how dull the lighting was in an attempt to make his experience relaxing. The only thing keeping him from getting up and leaving was Tailgate.

"So, What is it that you need to talk about? Don't be afraid to vent about your frustrations to me." Rung began, pulling out a pen and a datapad.

Cyclonus glanced at Tailgate, who nodded approvingly. He sighed, turning back to Rung. "I don't know how to control my feelings."

"Alright... What makes you think that you can't?"

"I..I don't know. I just can't figure out how to show my feelings the right way without scaring someone! The only person I haven't scared away is Tailgate..."

"Interesting... Tailgate, may I ask you a question?" Rung glanced up from his datapad, adjusting his glasses.

"Sure! Ask away!" Tailgate replied, folding his hands in his lap.

"What attracts you to Cyclonus here? Is it his personality or his attitude towards life? Maybe his looks or his character?"

"Umm... well..." Tailgate nervously tapped his fingers together, his face turning a shade of pink. "I think that he's beautiful just the way he is."

Cyclonus couldn't believe what he was hearing. His face was so red that Rung thought he was going up overload.

"Well then! We know how Cyclonus feels about, now don't we?" Rung chuckled, patting Cyclonus on the shoulder.

Tailgate giggled, glancing down at Cyclonus. "I guess so!"