wishseeker | Beauty; Chapter One (Reply)

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Summery: Wheeljack hated his scars...
Rating; PG-13
Pairing: Wheeljack/Ironhide
Warnings; mentions of gruesome injuries, relationships between male pronounced robots

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Once upon a time, there was a mech who was cursed to never know true beauty or love...

Wheeljack looked away and wished whoever had insisted on placing mirrors in all the quarters an extended stay in the pit. Slowly he turned back; the face of a monster met his optics. Melted derma plating, crosshatched weld marks that still looked fresh, and the worst part, the huge chunk that was missing out of his cheek. He turned his head to the right; it wasn’t so bad on that side. A few welds but nothing compared to the damage on the other side. He shuddered and looked away snapping his mask back into place.

If anyone ever found his scars out he’d never hear the end of it. It had been a lab accident, but it hadn’t been his fault. He’d just been at the wrong place at the wrong time that day. Still no one would believe that. No one knew about his scars, but he heard the rumors. Mechs whispered he wore the mask to hide damage he’d done to himself. Wheeljack, the mech who blows up everything including himself, that is what they joked. They would mock him to his face or shrink away from him if they knew they were right about the scars.

It was better no one knew.

--
“I want to kiss you.”

Wheeljack froze and moved back slightly. “I, I’m sorry w-what?” He stuttered heart sinking, not this again please not this. When he and Ironhide had first started hanging out it had merely been because their schedules put them in the recroom at off times and they considered each other the lesser of the evils. They had quickly developed a sort of friendship and Wheeljack hadn’t thought twice when Ironhide asked him if they could go for a drive together. They’d gone on many such drives since, and he’d really started to like Ironhide. Now it was ruined.

Ironhide hesitated wondering if he had been wrong. “I like you, but I’m not good with words and stuff. I’ve been trying figure out how to show you for weeks. I figured’ I’d just kiss you but you’re always wearing that mask.” He tapped the mask and frowned when Wheeljack flinched back further.

“I’m sorry I don’t take my mask off.” He turned and started to leave, why, why, why, why, WHY! He’d even though for a moment he just might have really liked Ironhide.

Ironhide leaned forward and stopped him, “Hang on a minute.” He placed a chaste kiss on Wheeljack’s mask. “You don’t have to show me if you don’t want to partner.” He gave a smile, “I like ya and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me for any reason.”

--
Stupid. Why was he so stupid? He and Ironhide had been, to use a human term, dating for over three months now. Ironhide hadn’t said anything about his mask again but he knew it was only a matter of time. Locking the door to his quarters he took a long moment to steady himself and standing in front of the mirror removed his mask. Maybe it wasn’t really so bad?

It was hideous and he was an idiot. Sooner or later Ironhide would get upset that he never took his mask off, he would leave and Wheeljack was pretty sure his spark would fade when he left.

Ironhide was so sweet, sure he was gruff around the edges but he always felt so safe around the weapons specialist and Ironhide was more than willing to put up with his antics, but Ironhide was true to his word about not liking to talk much. He was more physical with his emotions and feelings, and Wheeljack knew even if he hadn’t said anything that his mask frustrated him.
Not that he could really kiss without the mask. Parts of his face were immobile because of the many scars and then who would want to kiss something so hideous?

Ironhide would take one look at him without his mask and leave forever. So he couldn’t show him, but if he didn’t show him Ironhide would leave anyway. So what to do? Cling to a relationship destined to fail, or make a clean cut now?

There was a knock at his door and he placed his mask back firmly in place before answering it.

--
Wheeljack was avoiding him. Wheeljack was avoiding him and it was frustrating. He didn’t know what he had done wrong. He was amazed by the scientist because even though knew he wasn’t as intelligent as Wheeljack, or as good with words, the scientist had still shown interest in him. Maybe that interest was fading now? Maybe Wheeljack was only interested until he realized just how much his intelligence outclassed his own.

Or was Wheeljack mad at him? He hadn’t mentioned his mask again since that first night but he knew it had really bothered Wheeljack. He didn’t care what the scientist looked like under that mask, he really didn’t! He’d seem some horrifying scars in his day and it wouldn’t faze him. He was assuming it was a scar anyway, pit the reason Prime wore a mask was because of his own scars. He’d seen their leader without his mask many times. Yes the scars were terrible, but scars were also beautiful; they helped shape a mech, helped tell their story.

But maybe Wheeljack had just realized he could do a lot better? That he could find a smarter, younger mech who could make him a thousand times as happy? His shoulder sagged as when he entered the recroom Wheeljack left leaving a half empty cube behind. He didn’t know what he had done wrong.

--
It was over. He leaned against the mirror and sobbed arms clutching at his chest. Rumor was Ironhide was seeing someone else now, Bluestreak or someone else like him. He was alone again and his secret was safe. With a huge sob he punched the mirror. Shattering the glass, a thousand pieces of glass scattered across the floor all reflecting back at him those horrible scars. Horrible, deformed, he HATED those scars.

He sobbed harder alone in his quarters, the stupid scars ruined everything.

The warrior left defeated, lacking the knowledge to reach the mech...