"I'm... I'm not with Jazz..."

"Wot-"

There was a sharp tense silence between the both of you. Swallowing a little you shifted awkwardly there you sat as the Magnus' face began to obviously burn and tint with the embarrassing realization of your statement.

"But I..." He swallowed struggling to phrase his next sentence, so you spoke out first instead of allowing him to flounder like a cyber-fish out of oil, once again surprising yourself more than anything.

"Jazz and I were new recruits together, and have been friends for many cycles, no office romance I can assure you Optimus Magnus." You stated rather quickly sinking a little into your shoulders trying to hide the warmth growing in your facial plating, "I apologize for not clarifying sooner."

Optimus blinked dumbly for a few klicks before shaking his helm sharply to snap out of his trance, "No, I should apologize, I shouldn't be assuming things about my prime's personal lives, it was rude of me."

Stifling a soft chuckle you shook your head, "Again there's no problem, at least you came to me to apologize for what you felt was overstepping in my relationships, so I thank you for respecting me enough to do so, I know many who wouldn't spare me such liberties."

Pits, Why couldn't you just stop talking? The words just kept spilling out to liberally, and you kept getting odd tingles of pain over your back armor with each extra word spoken, but you couldn't stop the flow of them, especially not around the new Magnus.

It was odd, but in a nice way, and he seemed to more than happily listen, so that was probably most of it, yeah... That's why, he listens. Why was your spark feeling so warm?

The mech offered you a gentle smile, "I wouldn't see why I shouldn't, you have proven yourself to be some one deserving of a lot more respect. Being a great prime from what I've seen!"

Oh... Why did that hurt so much? He was complimenting your primeship? Still, you couldn't deny the pang that ran though your spark when the words left his derma, you were just a great prime. That's all you've wanted right? To be recognized for your work? Right?

"Yeah, thanks... Heh.." You murmured softly turning your optics away from him and back onto your rations, "Yeah... You've been doing well for a Magnus so far."

You missed the slight look of hurt that flashed over the magnus' face due to your turned away optics and the burn that danced over your back armor when you spoke, this pain was much larger than the usually happened, so much so it caused a physical reaction, one the Magnus spotted.

It was only the brief ripple of the protoform running down from shoulder to digit-tip, but it was unmistakable as to the Magnus as someone preparing to receive a strike. It wasn't something he had seen often, but it was a reaction he had noticed mos of the other cadets had when reading themselves to take a hit in training, a subconscious way for the frame to take the weight of a blow without causing much damage.

Before the Magnus had the chance to express his concern you had risen to your pedes your face quickly snapping into the professional neutral look he always seemed to see you holding during the day, when working in the offices with others, the look when you were silent.

You turned your gaze to the Magnus and dipped your helm slightly as a silent goodbye before quickly turning and sweeping away in a hurry ignoring his calls for you to wait.

You don't know what came over you, but it caused your spark to spike sharply and sent waves of what you could best describe as panic, and the need to get away, to run. So you followed it.

Rushing down the stairs from the roof you quickly made your way towards the garage as your plates began to shake, from what was undetermined. Where you would go once you got to the garage also unknown, all you knew was the was the high walls of Iacon suddenly felt a lot shorter, too short to be frank.

Way too short.