»Requested by: A very thirsty, TFA Bee loving me.

»Warnings: None.

»Imagine: Bumblebee listening to your newly formed troubles and offering a shoulder to lean on.

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Your eighteen year old self shuffles into the Autobot base, feet dragging on the ground like you had no energy to pick them up. Work keeps draining your social life, your parents nag at you to do all the chores while they go out to party, and to top it all off, you have to live in an old apartment building because your house was destroyed during the Autobots' battle with Starscream over the AllSpark. In other words, you felt a little empty inside; depressed and overworked. Being an adult sucks. Life caught up before you were officially ready.

"Oh, don't look so glum, (Y/n). We get to see Bumblebee and the others today!" Sari, the little girl you babysit from time to time and your best friend, skips behind you.

"I don't know why I should be excited about it, Sari. You forced me to tag along when I didn't want to." You roll your eyes and scoff, hiding your exhausted plastered face under the strands of your hair.

She scoffs back, flipping the dark red bangs out of her face and presses her palms to her hips. Her lips tip into a smirk while you quirk a brow in confusion at her odd behavior. "I know that was a lie that just came out of your mouth. It's obvious you like Bee, seeing as your eyes always light up when he is around."

A narrow of your eyes and the purse of your lips, you reach out and yank on her piggy-tail with a tight fist. You didn't need to be teased right now. She didn't know any better, she didn't know about your predicament at all, but you still couldn't help the feeling of rage bubble up into your chest. With a loud yelp, she latches her tiny hands onto your fist and tries to get you to release her hair.

"Ow, ow! Let go, (Y/n)!" Sari shouts, her eyebrows furrowed together as she pries your fingers backwards and away from her red locks.

When you finally let go, it was already too late. The others had already seen the spat between you and Sari. Optimus, along with Bumblebee and Bulkhead, come strutting up with curious optics. Ratchet and Prowl didn't care enough to come and investigate the noises of a screaming child.

"What seems to be the trouble here?" Optimus crosses his arms and peers down at you both.

Sari immediately runs to Bumblebee with frantically waving arms. "(Y/n) pulled my hair and I have no idea why!" She hides behind Bumblebee's pede, peeking out with darting orbs.

Bulkhead sends a look to Bumblebee, both of them shrugging at the other. Optimus kneels down and gets up in your face, his seeming very irritated at your actions. You didn't blame him for looking so upset. The way you handled things wasn't very mature.

"What is going on with you? Is something wrong?" He tilts his head with an optic ridge raised.

That was the first time anyone had asked you what was wrong. It felt good to know someone cared, even if you had made a big commotion for them to notice your struggle. You hang your head, the tears welling up in your eyes. Everything in you was trying was screaming to let it all out but you didn't want to let it all out in front of your friends, or your developing crush on the small scout.

"I think I'm going to head home. Sorry, Sari." You murmur, lifting your hand to wipe away the tears that threatened to spill. As much as you wanted comfort, being a burden was the last thing on your mind.

Before anyone can object, you turn on your heel and leave the base with a sprint in your step. Sari watches you retreat and lets out a fierce battle cry, trying to push Bumblebee in your direction.

"Go! Why can't you see she's upset?" Sari pushes on the heel of his pede, though, he doesn't budge.

"What? Why me? Optimus is the one that made her leave!" Bumblebee wails.

"(Y/n) doesn't like Optimus, you doofus! She likes you. Now go before I get mad!" She shakes a fist up at him.

"Okay, okay! I'm going. Wait... she likes me?" Bee tilts his head, optics wide. Sari growls and points to the exit.

Bumblebee backs up with surrendered hands, transforms, then speeds after you with the fear of Sari in the back of his processor.

Sari nods to herself, satisfied and grinning. Bulkhead bites back a smile along with Optimus who reaches over and gently pats her head. Ratchet and Prowl watch from the background, both highly confused at how a feeble human girl, Sari in all amazement, managed to frighten a metal giant way bigger than her.

•••

You kick at the pebbles beneath your shoes, chewing on your bottom lip and blinking your eyes to clear your eyesight that keeps swelling with frustrated tears. With it being pretty late at night and the streets clear of people, what did it matter if you spilled some emotions alone? The fresh air made you feel slightly better and you wanted to take the free time you had to try and clear your jumbled thoughts, though it seemed nearly impossible.

"Hey, wait!" The high pitched voice of Bumblebee calls out, the noise of screeching tires hum along with his tone.

Twisting around, you see Bumblebee speeding along in an attempt to reach you faster. He seemed to be in a hurry. You spin around and start to run, ignoring his pleas for you to stop. You didn't feel comfortable with letting him see you cry your heart out, much less see the dark purple circles that had collected under your baby eyelashes. You yelp when you're picked up by the back of your shirt and held up high in the air.

"What is with you?" Bee huffs, his optics narrowed on how you wouldn't lift your head.

"Set me down, Bumblebee. I'm not in the mood to fool around." You sniffle, swiping the tears away with the back of your hands.

"Not until you tell me what is," he lifts a yellow digit and slides it under your chin, tilting up your head to see your tearstained face. "wrong..." His voice lowers to barley a whisper.

Heavily exhaling, even though he didn't need to, he gently sets you back down on the concrete sidewalk. You shuffle your feet along the ground, sheepishly playing with seam of your shirt. Bee watches you silently, unable to form words. He had seen Sari cry many times before, but back then, he didn't know what it was. Now, after being on Earth for some time, he's got the hang of human emotions. So it isn't that he doesn't know what crying is but it's the fact he hasn't ever seen you shed one tear until now. Around the clock, you always seem so uplifted, like nothing could ever bring you down. It was one of the many things he loves about you.

Seeing your tear stained face and puffy red eyes, it makes his spark halt.

"W-why are you crying?" Bee points to your face like a child.

"You wouldn't understand." You answer simply.

"Please let me be a good friend and help you. Come back to the base with me. I'll listen to your troubles." He pleads once again, both servos clasped together at his chest.

After thinking it over, you accept. If you got all the pent up anger out, maybe your life could get back on track again. Maybe it would improve your mood.

The ride back to base is slow, seeing as Bumblebee didn't want to get to base while you were still spilling your feelings to him. You enjoyed being close to him for once without Sari by your side. You sit straight up in your seat when Bumblebee takes a strange turn, not realizing he was taking the longer way just for you.

"Well, what's bothering you?" He pipes up, making you flinch and slouch back down into his passenger seat.

"Life is getting harder. I don't have time to be... me. I'm always tired, unhappy, insecure. My parents, nobody, realize that I'm being overworked. My days are usually get up, go to work, come home late in the evening, do chores for my parents, then sleep." You mumble through the cracks of your teeth.

"Why don't you just move out of your house? So you can be free?" Bee chimes in.

"That's why I'm working so much. If I stay another year with my parents, I will kill someone. But we don't even live in a house. We all live in a cramped apartment." You curl your fingers into your hair, head dipped down into your enclosed knees.

"You're more than welcomed to come to the base as much as you like. You... already knew that." Bee chuckles to himself, the heaters cutting on at his embarrassment.

"Wouldn't miss getting to see you for the world." You tuck some strands of your hair behind your ear, cheeks flushing pink.

And just like that, it seemed like all the troubles that had built up melt away and the only thing you can do is smile the whole way back to base.

"Thank you, Bee."

"Anytime, (Y/n)."