The junkyard was louder than usual tonight.

Metal groaned and shifted as massive shapes moved carefully through narrow paths of stacked cars and scrap towers. The ground trembled with every heavy step, dust lifting into the warm evening air. Somewhere behind the main barn, a deep, rumbling growl echoed—Grimlock arguing with Slug in a language that sounded more like thunder than words.

You stood on the catwalk above the barn, grease-stained gloves tucked into your back pocket, watching the controlled chaos with a familiar sense of pride. This wasn’t just Cade’s place anymore. It was yours too. You’d learned how to weld, how to sort Cybertronian tech from Earth junk, how to duck out of the way when a Dinobot decided personal space was optional.

Below you, Cade Yeager wiped his hands on an old rag, squinting up at Grimlock as the towering Dinobot lowered his massive head, eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

“No,” Cade said firmly, pointing at a reinforced steel barrier. “You don’t get to test it by charging it. That defeats the whole purpose.”

Grimlock snorted, smoke puffing from his nostrils, clearly unconvinced.

You leaned over the railing. “He means it’ll break, big guy,” you called out. “And then Cade’ll spend three days fixing it while complaining the whole time.”

Cade glanced up, smirking. “Hey, I do not complain.”

“You absolutely do,” *you shot back, grinning.+

Before he could argue, a shadow passed overhead as Strafe swooped low, wings clipping the air with a powerful rush. Slug followed, stomping past a pile of crushed sedans like they were soda cans. Even after all this time, the sheer presence of the Dinobots sent a thrill through you—dangerous, powerful, loyal in their own rough-edged way.

Cade climbed the ladder to join you on the catwalk, muscles tense from a long day, eyes tired but bright when they met yours. He leaned his forearms on the railing beside you. “You holding up okay?” he asked quietly, voice dropping beneath the noise. “They’ve been… more restless than usual.”

You nodded. “They’re not wrong to be. Something’s coming. You can feel it.”

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. Optimus says the same thing.”

For a moment, the two of you just stood there, watching the Autobots move in careful coordination with the Dinobots below—Optimus issuing calm instructions, Drift assisting Crosshairs, Bumblebee working with Hound to reinforce the perimeter. A family forged in war and survival.

Cade glanced at you, expression softening. “You know… I never meant for you to get pulled this deep into my mess.”

You turned toward him, resting your hand over his. “Cade, this isn’t just your mess. It’s our life. These are our friends. And if the world’s gonna end, I’d rather be here—with you—than anywhere else.”

His jaw tightened, emotion flickering behind his eyes. He pulled you gently against his side, forehead resting briefly against yours. “I don’t deserve you,” he murmured.

You smiled. “Too bad. You’re stuck with me.”

Below, Grimlock let out a powerful roar, slamming his tail against the dirt as if agreeing. The junkyard lights flickered on one by one, illuminating metal giants and human silhouettes alike—standing ready.