"I'm a rocket man
Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh, no, no, no."
(Rocketman - Taron Egerton)

☆

Venus' waking subconscious had suggested to her that the events of last night had been some kind of fantastical dream, and when the sun beams streamed in and hit her eyelids, rousing her from sleep, she considered that she would wake up in her dorm room in her normal life, her alarm for classes about to go off at any moment.

Her eyes blinked open sleepily, remnants of the day before's makeup clinging to her lashlines and lips and as she found herself lay on the reclined seat in Optimus' cab, that theory went out of the window - as she glanced out of the tinted windows and slowly sat up.

"Good morning Venus--"

"Holy shit--!" The half asleep girl jumped in her seat in surprise at the sudden baritone voice from the radio, her brain not having been awake enough to remind her to expect that the truck might talk to her.

Said entire truck shuddered with a startled response, almost as if he were startled himself.

"I did not mean to scare you. Do you need me to prevent another panic attack?" He asked quickly and worriedly, seemingly ready to transform there and then to cradle her and apply pressure to her chest like before. She'd explained what had happened regarding her reaction when they first met. Now Optimus seemed to think every time she was startled she'd fall into an incapacitating panic attack.

"No no no don't I'm fine!" Venus yelped quickly with some desperation, suddenly feeling wide awake at the idea of him transforming in possibly plain sight of people.

Speaking of that...

"Wait, where are we anyway? When did we stop?" She queried with a frown, leaning and peering out of the driver's window to find them parked up at a roadside truck stop attached to a gas station.

Venus found herself surprised that he'd known that it was an actual place to stop overnight.

"You were recharging and this seemed an appropriate place to rest for the night." Optimus spoke up as the girl hummed in approval.

"But how did you know it was appropriate?"

"I have been observing since the early hours." Came his simple, in a way almost proud explanation of his knowledge. "Many humans stopped here for resting purposes. And to do something called "take a leak" as I recall."

Venus almost chocked on thin air in surprise at that last part.

Apparently the great Optimus Prime enjoyed people watching. And now knew that humans frequently needed to use the bathroom.

Every little helps with Earth knowledge, the girl considered mentally, but was determined that her escort never use the phrase "take a leak" ever again. It just seemed... wrong coming from him.

Venus decided to take the opportunity to freshen up, wash her face and such. Optimus was quite concerned when his companion shrieked in horror when she caught her reflection in the wing mirror, said something about "horrific bed hair" and then he could only watch before she hurried off to the gas station with her duffle bag in hand.

It was then Optimus learned humans took great pride in their appearance.

Some time later, they were back on the road, she wearing a fresh pair of denim jeans, a pale blue crop top, the ankle boots and crimson red leather jacket from the previous day, her permed hair tamed back to glamorous big curls and makeup wise, winged eyeliner, her 'Venus' necklace secured around her neck and glittery purple lipstick that left Optimus stunned.

According to her, that particular decade revelled in bright colours, and everything had to be 'big', 'extravagant', and 'fabulous!'.

For a while he questioned her about how humans could change their lip colourscheme like that in awe while she multitasked, reading directions from one of the many maps while answering him.

Optimus found each of the many lipstick colours she showed him in turn alluring. Every rainbow shade imaginable came out in small tubes from her luggage. Venus wasn't entirely sure how he could see them in vehicle mode but he told her that he liked the red the best. She also felt elated when he told her she would look wonderful in any colour, her cheeks tinting pink to compliment her sparkly lips.

Prime was eager to make the most of the time that he had the company of his human companion, as he intended to keep his promise of returning her back home once their quest was complete. He was thankful for the company in general, and felt that he was lucky to have found Venus of all people. Someone willing to help him.

So Optimus asked, and Venus talked, in between telling him what turns and roads to take.

When he heard a strange deep rumbling coming from within her, Venus explained how people need to eat food to refuel, and asked if they might stop to get some as it was well past breakfast time. He was more than happy to oblige, and soon Optimus went through his first ever McDonald's drive thru. It was a little awkward, considering his truck mode was a squeeze going through the ordering lane and the cab roof hit the height barrier with an embarrassing clang, but when the blonde batted her eyelashes with a dazzling smile, the teenage male workers became much more accommodating to the twenty year old in the semi.

Optimus took note that humans seemed to respond well to that sort of persuasion.

"So human males can be reasoned with by means of smiling and making the eyes look... big and shiny?"

"... Basically, I guess." Venus chuckled, opening up her paper order bag that one of the infatuated young men had kindly delivered to the truck by hand. "It's all about the eyes. Cute looks rarely fail, especially with guys."

"All about the eyes..." Prime echoed with a thoughtful hum as Venus tucked into her takeaway feast gratefully.

--

Sometime after crossing the border into Ohio in the late afternoon, the local citizens were greeted with the sight of the bright red semi rolling down the freeway with 'Rocketman' blasting from the radio through the open windows.

Optimus was continuous in requesting information about Earth and Humanity as they travelled. They'd gotten onto the topic of culture. Venus thought music would be a good example.

"This Mr John is most certainly talented in his profession." Prime commented while his companion swayed with a giddy laugh in the passenger seat in time to the beat. Before this genre they'd skipped through the radio stations that played more techno pop music that would be played in a dance club. While Venus was perfectly happy jamming to it, Optimus was not as keen. But he could not deny the talent of this flamboyant singer and his Rocketman masterpiece.

"Elton is a national treasure!" She smiled in amusement, and enjoying the fact Optimus was quite happy for her to blast the radio. Driving was just weird in the quiet. It made everything awkward in a way and the longer silence lasted, Venus remembered that she was sitting inside of a living being and Optimus would keep asking if she would like him to slow down as she seemed tense and uncomfortable on his seat.

"Humanity can not be faulted for its music." She added, and a deep vibration could be felt throughout the truck structure as Optimus chuckled in agreement.

"What is amusing?" The Prime then asked in slight confusion as the blonde human started sniggering to herself seemingly out of nowhere. He wasn't aware he'd done anything amusing.

"Oh no no it isn't you.." She restrained herself to a little soft laugh and rubbed her face. "I just thought, you're technically a Rocketman aren't you."

"Rocketman, burning up his fuse up here alone!" The song happened to hit the appropriate part as she commented that.

"I am?" He asked, a little dumbfounded.

"Well yeah, you're from space. And you're a guy who's left his world to do his job to help his friends, and you came to a different world all alone like in the song." She began to explain, as the song played on for them to listen to.

"And I think it's gonna be a long long time

'Till touch down brings me round again to find

I'm not the man they think I am at home--"

A sudden silence from Optimus then lead to the radio switching off with a crackle.

Venus frowned softly at the sudden cut off, sitting forward a little. "Hey I thought you were enjoying that?"

No response came from the Prime, concerning her more. The atmosphere in the truck that she had thought to be warm and comforting, had turned tense.

She slowly put a hand on the dashboard to try to catch his attention. "Optimus?"

The atmosphere didn't shift back to anything more positive, and the pace he was driving at slowed dramatically.

After a moment, he spoke quietly, almost in a disheartened way.

"Would you mind if we drove without music for a while?" He requested, and when Venus pulled her hand away in respect for that request.

Optimus didn't say anything else.

--

From the afternoon and into the evening, the drastically changed mood inside the cab remained down ever since that strange hiccup that was leaving Venus feeling weird herself. Mostly guilty since something had obviously bothered the Prime.

Optimus was uncharacteristically quiet. Of course she hadn't known him very long, but in the time they'd been in one another's company Optimus had been more than happy to make conversation and talk. But he hadn't said anything for hours now, and since the road they were following was pretty well sign posted Venus didn't need to read directions. So silence took over. Except a brief word when she eventually piped up and asked if they could stop for a break and some refreshments.

At the little diner, she'd gone in to eat this time in need of escaping the silence. The truck was parked outside almost in a guarding way and Venus kept an eye on him as she ate her evening meal quietly. She had little doubt he was watching her back too through the glass windows.

Deliberately taking her time because she felt awkward now more than anything, and bad because she'd evidently said something out of turn, the blonde accepted one of the attendant's kind offers to buy her an ice cream sundae. He was nice, and they chatted for a little while before Venus noticed the time and considered that Optimus probably wouldn't like the fact she was taking so long. He had said that time could be of the essence regarding finding his friend after all.

"You seem nice, but I've already got a guy waiting for me." Was her truthful excuse as she slipped out to the bathroom. Since time was getting on and it was getting late, Venus scrubbed her makeup off in the bathroom and changed into her flare pyjama pants, vest top, and a thin fabric robe before padding back out to her escort.

The door popped open wordlessly, and she carefully climbed in, then apologised for taking so long.

"It is fine. You seemed happy." He replied simply, still in that down, flat tone before they headed off into the night.

As they headed away from civilisation to take a path through hills that were deserted, night darkness and silence took over again.

And eventually Venus couldn't take it anymore.

"For however I upset you before, if I said something out of turn I am sorry." She piped up in a evidently remorseful way, brushing some of her hanging curls from her face. "I obviously said something I shouldn't have so I am sorry."

There was a flicker of change in the cab's atmosphere, something almost matching the girl's mood, before Prime finally spoke up.

"It is not your fault. You did nothing wrong, Venus." He told her reassuringly, but still evidently hadn't shaken off his weird mood.

"Then why the sudden mood change?" She responded carefully, not wanting him to feel like she was prodding insensitively. But she didn't know if she could bare to finish the trip with the current tension.

Yet again, another brief silence from Optimus, who had his attention half on driving and their darkened soroundings, and half on trying to think of the best words of explanation.

"Your comparison to Mr John's melody. It was correct, and it just reminded me that I am indeed a long way from home, alone, and that my comrades are depending on me." He admitted quietly, and by his tone Venus could tell it had taken a lot to tell her that.

And then, he added with a shaky, insecure tone.

"And it is hard. Their fate rests in my hands." His voice cracked a little as he murmured.

That feeling of guilt swallowed Venus all over again. She should have thought to be more careful. She shouldn't have forgotten this wasn't just a mystical cross country road trip. Lives depended on not just him finding B-127, but now her ability to get Optimus to him without being discovered.

Reality was creeping in for both of them now.

"Please do not feel bad. You were not to know." Optimus told her with honesty as he sensed that guilt radiating of the human like steam.

That comforting warmth noticeably returned to the seats, and Venus couldn't help but snuggle into the material.

"I should have thought before I spoke. I'm sorry." She murmured quietly to him with a sigh.

Now Optimus was the one feeling bad for making her feel guilty.

"... If it counts, I very much enjoyed the music." He offered to her gently in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Venus weakly smiled and nodded, then bit her lip and made an offering of her own in return.

"I'm not totally sure if I count... I'm no giant robot, but you're not totally alone." She mused with vibes of insecurity that Optimus couldn't quite understand. How could she even think that?

"Of course you count, dear Venus." He answered without a moment of hesitation with a tone of surity, and both insistence but gentleness at the same time. He slipped that 'dear' in without even reliazing.

She definitely noticed, because she couldn't stop smiling. When Prime noticed that, his radio crackled back on for the first time since the afternoon as a gesture. With appropriately, Elton John playing.

"Don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did."

"Okay, now that is just destiny." Venus giggled as she relaxed more into the seat. The warmth of Optimus engulfing her, oddly feeling like a cuddle. But it was like no cuddle she'd ever experienced before. It made her feel a strange way of content she'd never felt, well, ever.

Optimus could also feel her smaller warmth, and he felt a strange and new satisfaction from her contentment, and her proximity.

"Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid."

"I quite like this melody also." Optimus commented and allowed himself to get a little lost in the music, which he seemed to understand was the purpose of Earthen music.

With both their attentions somewhat taken by the music, neither noticed as out of nowhere, a dog stepped out onto the road ahead of them.

"I'm still standing after all this time... "

Venus noticed first, because she screamed Optimus' name and her foot went for the breaks in shock.

All that could be heard besides the screeching of tires was Optimus' panicked yells, and Venus' horrified screams.

"Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind."