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”What is this organic slag doing above my desk, and who do I have to shoot in the face to get it down?!”
Starscream's shout ecchoed in the corridor as Soundwave hurried towards the seeker's workshop. He hoped to get there in time to stop the certain death of Rumble in the claws of Starscream. If Starscream wanted to maim the guilty one, he would gladly take the beating – he'd planted the idea of messing with Starscream in Rumble's processor to start with. It had been a gentle suggestion, but it had taken root quick enough. To prank Starscream – Rumble and Frenzy had loved the idea, and when they'd asked for his permission, he'd simply nodded.
Unleashing the Cassettes upon Starscrem had been a huge mistake. Judging by the pitch of Starscream's vocals, he was about to murder the first bot he laid his optics upon. The second most powerful bot in the army was far more dangerous than lord Megatron, and if he went after the Cassettes...
”Watch it, Boss!”
”Yeah, watch it! Casettes coming through!”
Soundwave stumbled as Rumble and Frenzy ran into him, punching and pushing each-other out of the way as they rushed past, laughing madly. He caught himself against the wall, cursing softly under his breath. He rubbed his neck as he stared at the ceiling in relief and irritation both. The Cassettes ran off in the opposite direction, already bragging about their success for an audience yet to come. He cycled a deep sigh, then shook his helm at his own idiocy. He would make sure to keep Rumble and Frenzy docked for a few days, because their harmless prank could turn ugly if Starscream was in one of his darker moods.
Starscream, nevertheless, had been dire need of distraction. Soundwave knew him well enough to see the signs of an upcoming dissaster, and had decided to act before Starscream blew the whole base up – or worse, sought another fight with lord Megatron.
He frowned, thinking back at the last time his superiors had fought. It had started innocent enough, but Megatron did not take having his processor questioned very well. Starscream never knew when to back off, either. A few insults later, the whole thing had got out of hands, and Megatron had reacted with fury. Starscream had responded in kind, naturally, hitting their leader square in the face. Soundwave had tried to stop the seeker, but there was no reasoning with Starscream when it came to Megatron, and vice versa.
Still, he'd tried – but, upon grabbing the seeker's arm, he'd been plunged into a maelstrom of memory files that did not belong to him. His shields had not been able to shelter him, and his mind had almost shut down as he felt the conflicted emotions, the frustration, the consuming jealousy – all Starscream, but deeper still, he'd sensed the crippling shame his lord felt, so dark and raw, pulsing like a rusty old wound.
He'd had almost purged his tank, desperate to severe the unexpected bond. Suddenly it made sense, the anger and frustration his superior felt. They were locked in a nightmare, both of them, and neither would admit it. The abuse was severe on both sides, but as the the scars of his own past had made themselves known, he'd been forced to shut his telepathy down to protect himself. He'd stumbled out of the way as Megatron closed in on Starscream. Their lord had been set on beating Starscream into submission – that, simply go through with killing the unruly seeker.
Soundwave's interference had saved Starscream's life that day.
He remembered the cannon's blast and Starscream's wail as a thruster has hit. The seeker had been so humiliated, so angry. There was nothing Soundwave could do but to hope for that anger to dissipate quick enough. When the seeker had turned his back on Megatron, only Soundwave's touch to his master's mind, gentle and respectful, had saved Starscream from a killing blast. Megatron had accepted his quiet protest – they needed Starscream. The seeker was unpredictable, treacherous and volatile, but his genius was unmatched. Their lord had agreed, and allowed Starscream to leave without further damage. Soundwave hadn't given chase in the uproar – his place was by his master's side.
When lord Megatron had told him to find Starscream, he'd been surprised to find the seeker in the middle of a desert, slowly making his way towards the base. Words had been sparse, and Starscream had acted strangely, almost subdued, not even commenting on Soundwave's orders to fetch him. He had refused any kind of aid, had preferred to walk until his thruster could support him in flight. Upon arrival, they'd simply parted ways. No explanations were given, no questions were asked – such was the character of their agreement, and it had always been sufficient until...
Until Starscream locked me out, he finally admitted to himself.
Less than a month had passed since that fight, and Starscream was as unapproachable as ever. When he wasn't in his quarters, he was in the workshop where no bot dared to disturb him. Not even his win-gmates visited, but that wasn't exactly news. The Commander trine was a military unit, and they preferred to keep it that way. Starscream didn't make it easy for anybot, really. More worrying was the fact that Starscream left the base once already, and Soundwave hadn't been able to locate him – Starscream had only been gone for an evening, but upon his return he'd been quiet, his demeanor changed, all cold and guarded.
Soundwave didn't know what to make out of it.
Starscream had never once failed to express what he expected, or wanted. Soundwave had never been left wondering, had always felt safe withing the limits he was given. As a master, Starscream higly communicative, looking after Soundwave's needs as if they were his own. Only he'd stopped doing done that after that fight. He'd also stopped making demands on Soundwave's time, and he refused talking to him unless duty required it. Starscream wasn't a friendly mech to start with, but he'd never turned his back on their agreement before. The seeker had even shut down the private comm.links they used to contact each-other, confusing the living Pit out of Soundwave. That... that was not acceptable.
Robbed of that security, Soundwave felt lost like never before. Everything was wrong, and he was tired of silence between them. Megatron was his master, his focus in the madness the telepathy brought along. He'd brought Soundwave out of his shell, had made him function properly where no bot else had managed to, but Starscream gave Soundwave something else. Something he needed as much as the energon in his lines. Now that it was gone, he felt the loss in his very components, and he hadn't dared to approach the seeker with questions until...
Until now, really.
He glanced towards the door, listening to Starscream's snarling oaths. He winced – the seeker was ranting, balancing on the verge of exploding into action, and hunt the culprit down. The sound of a chair being kicked out of the way made Soundwave dunk the back of his helm against the wall. He stared at the ceiling in quiet despair. If he went in there, demanding answers, Starscream would either shoot him, or demand him to show his face.
It was the latter that worried him.
Starscream knew that Soundwave was at his most vulnerable when his face could be seen. Unlike what the rest thought, he happened to be a bad liar. It was a side effect of sorts, since he relied upon the battle-mask to hide his emotions. He'd never mastered the art of hiding what he felt, and he felt more than he should – it was the curse of being a telepath, but with the mask on he was safe from judging optics. Distorting his vocals took care of the rest, creating a distance between him and everybot else he much needed. Starscream was fully aware of this, hence the rules. The seeker forced him to be seen, because it was what Soundwave needed, not just craved.
Soundwave always held himself back, was controlled, quiet and loyal. If allowed, he would hide behind his duties, and erase whatever personality he had. Many thought he was more of a machine than a Cybertronian, but Starscream had seen beyond that, and showed him no mercy. The seeker's ability to break through his defenses was as exquisite as terrifying, but Soundwave chose to trust rather than fear. With Starscream he was nothing but emotion, which was why Soundwave was nervous to approach the seeker at all – to disobey a direct order would get him kicked out of the seeker's workshop, and then he would be back at square one.
He slumped, hands shaking. If he wanted answers, he needed to stay in control and remain his own master. To fall into the role he assumed in Starscream's chambers would not do him any favours, no matter how tempting. With Starscream, however, there was no middle ground, and the seeker's volatile nature made it all too easy to submit. Soundwave didn't want to look needy when he confronted Starscream. He didn't need Starscream's mastery to properly function, could manage fine without him.
Lies, his logic chip stated. To pretend that he didn't need Starscream was foolish and counterproductive, even dangerous – the seeker would scent the lie a long way and react with aggression. Berth-games aside, there was little trust between them. Starscream and the others saw him as a threat, a spy at the best. He was the enemy within, the one to rat out possible traitors. The fact that he would use his telepathy to stay as Megatron's favourite didn't exactly gain him a good reputation. Only Starscream knew how to dodge his gift, and even then it was a draw. Theirs was a complicated relationship, and a lie would only make it worse.
Soundwave felt miserable as he looked at the options he had left.
If Starscream refused to answer him, he still could break past the seeker's firewalls, but doing so would only deepen the rift between them. It would also completely turn Starscream against him, and then he would mean lose his unruly lover. Soundwave grimaced behind his mask, feeling despair claw at his spark. He swallowed hard, rubbing his neck in defeat. This – their agreement... Seen in retrospect, it had all been a horrible mistake. He should never have approached Starscream with it in the first place, but it was too late now, and the damage was already done.
He drew several deep intakes, cycling the air slowly until his jarred systems calmed down. He was to approach Starscream in private, and without having been summoned. It went against everything he'd agreed to ages ago, and Starscream would not like it. Soundwave was willing to risk the seeker's wrath, because he had to know if Starscream had let him go. It hurt to be put aside, and he wanted that pain to go away. He also wanted to know why this had happened at all.It wasn't that he was needy and desperate to be told that their agreement still held...
If you don't believe it yourself, then neither will he, he told himself quietly.
The thought made him uncomfortable, and he couldn't ignore the sliver of fear that crawled beneath his armour. To have an attachment to the second most dangerous mech in the verse was foolish, but it was too late to pretend otherwise. He knew that losing the seeker would be devastating, but he would be able to move on, shifting his focus from his lover to his master. Starscream wasn't as lucky. His programming needed to be soothed every now and then. Soundwave had figured that out long ago – without an outlet, Starscream would go after the other dominant bot around, and that mech had no interest in being replaced. From there things could only wrong, and Soundwave would be forced to chose. And, then...
Then there would be no more Starscream.
Soundwave shifted against the wall, feeling the cold creep into his systems. Megatron was his master, and he would always protect his lord from the likes of Starscream. Specially from Starscream, but it was getting harder to keep his emotions in check. He cared too deeply about the both of them. One held his devotion and loyalty, the other fulfilled his deepest and most shameful desires. He didn't want to lose either.
He cycled a soft sigh, and looked towards the workshop. Just a few steps away, but it could have been lightyears away. Starscream was still growling, furious at the organic slag above his working station. Soundwave felt a small smile tug at his lips – Starscream liked his projects, specially those dangerous enough to offline a whole world. When the seeker felt like murdering somebot, he went straight to his workshop and set out to build weapons and other little gadgets, cursing the universe in general under his breath as he channeled his fury into something useful. He tinkered and repaired things for others too, took them apart, replaced broken bits and put them together until the wrath had left his systems.
At the end of the day, Starscream was a scientist turned soldier, not the other way around, and he was far too intelligent to keep on a leash. This made it hard for him to stay under Megatron's lead, and the problems that came with it were at the very best exhausting. Soundwave didn't know what was worse – unleashed, Starscream was as deadly as a hurricane. The seeker would never let himself be pushed down, controlled or kept in place. It made him dangerous, made him insufferable. Made him... attractive.
Soundwave shook his helm, somewhat disturbed over his weakness for the wild, aggressive seeker. At the end of the day, he wasn't willing to lose what ever it was they had. He felt too much, and it was too late to go back and change that. If Starscream had let him go, he would hurt, but move on nevertheless. If the seeker hadn't... He drew a deep intake, shuttered his optics and nodded to himself.
Now or never, he thought.
*~*~*
Starscream was still glaring at the mistletoe Rumble and Frenzy had placed above his desk when Soundwave entered the workshop. The seeker was balancing on his chair, stretching his arm as far as it got. He still couldn't reach the small branch. His looked about ready to murder somebot, and Soundwave smiled behind his mask. Starscream wasn't trying to amuse anybot, but the situation was hilarious. The mistletoe was placed in such a way that it could only be reached whilst airborne. He could see why the seeker didn't want to use his thrusters – more than half of the things lying around were of the explosive kind. He frowned, looking around. Rumble and Frenzy would never have been able to...
Laserbeak, he thought. He could see it now, how well Rumble had planned his little prank. There was an airduct just about large enough for the Cassette to move in and out of. Had Starscream seen Rumble and Frenzy, he wouldn't have been able to put the blame on them. There was no way the Cassettes could have done it by themselves. Starscream snarled and jumped down the chair, putting his hands upon his hips, staring at the offending twig. Soundwave watched him, enjoying the sight. The seeker sighed after a klik and turned, After a klik the seeker sighed, and turned, freezing at the sight of Soundwave.
He leant against the door, watching Starscream in complete silence.
”What are you doing here?”
”Soundwave: watching,” Soundwave answered him, not quite sure what to do next. This was the closest thing to an actual conversation they'd had for weeks. Starscream looked groomed and flawless as always, but there was a tension to him, as if he was afraid of something. What would that be? It was hard to rein his telepathy in when Starscream looked that guilty.
”Why?”
Starscream stared at him, tilting his helm slightly, awaiting his answer. Soundwave had a lot he wanted to say, but now that Starscream was before him, he found his vocals gone. He swallowed and made sure to keep his intakes soft and even, but it was hard. Here was the source of his misery, and he was beautiful. He wanted to touch Starscream, to worship him like the slave he was – he wanted to slap the slagger for having done this to him. His spark was pulsing too quickly, and his his limbs felt like made of lead.
”The cat got your glossa?”
It wasn't funny, and Starscream didn't laugh, only sneered at him. His words felt like a punch, and Soundwave fought himself, refusing to wince. There were things Starscream was holding back – he could feel them cluttering the air between them. He was willing to allow Starscream his privacy, but not if the glitch was going to treat him like he treated their lord. Something must have showed, or perhaps Starscream knew he was in trouble, because next time he moved, he made sure to not give Soundwave his back. The tension was palpable, and Soundwave could see the seeker react to it. Good, he thought. He didn't want to be the only one with something to lose.
How long had they been lovers? Soundwave couldn't recall the exact date, but it didn't matter. They'd been together for such a long time that they could read each-others' frames. Starscream knew why he'd come, but the glitch was hoping he would break first. If things continued like this, Soundwave would shatter.
Do you even know what you do to me...?
The words were on the tip of his glossa, but he couldn't make himself say them out loud. They would confirm what neither wanted to hear him say. It had been a mistake to get involved with the most beautiful mech he'd seen. Starscream wanted him for so many reasons, and yet not a single of those mattered right now. The seeker would never let himself fall for anything less than Megatron, and while Soundwave was useful, he wasn't, and would never be their lord. The truth hurt, but then he'd never set out to expect anything from Starscream at all. It was his own fault, falling this hard, or falling at all.
”You do know that I'm not a telepath, don't you? If you are here for Megatron, just tell him I'm busy and slag off,” the seeker burst out, hissing. ”Now, if you excuse me, I've got some vermin to hunt down-”
Soundwave hadn't expected to snap. He hadn't expected to move at all. He certainly hadn't expected to push Starscream down onto the desk either, crushing whatever toy the seeker had been playing with beneath his weight. Gauging by the look in Starscream's face, the seeker hadn't expected it either.
”What the slag are you doing?!”
Soundwave was taller, stronger, than the seeker. To pin him down wasn't difficult, but Starscream made up for the differences with all the fire that burnt in his spark. A furious Starscream was as deadly as the lord he refused to properly serve, and there were times Soundwave thanked Primus for his telepathy. This would one of them. Starscream fought him with everything he had, screamed at him, kicked him, but wasn't able to break Soundwave's grip.
It took the seeker several kliks to understand he wouldn't get free, but once he did, the fight seemed to go out of him. Soundwave wasn't fooled and probed his lover's mind. He found himself blocked with firewalls so strong it would require several days of hard work to break through. He growled under his breath, felt his frustration build up until he couldn't stop himself, and slid his mask and visors back without being told to. He stared Starscream in the face, panting. He couldn't control his features, and everything he felt was now fully visible. It made him feel weak, but he didn't care anymore.
You did this to me, he snarled within the bounderies of his mind, throwing his full weight at Starscream's firewalls. The seeker gave a hoarse shout, fighting him with weapons he didn't fully master.
”Soundwave, what the slag is wrong with you?!”
”You... you dare to ignore me,” Soundwave hissed, emotion bleeding into his features, distorting them. His vocals were rough, tinted by despair. ”And you don't care that... that I... I need...”
You. I need you, and you don't care that I can't ignore you... Glitch, I'm not only yours to use, but also to keep! How dare you do this to me, how!?
Starscream stopped fighting him all the sudden, going completely still beneath him. The seeker's optics narrowed, and his face showed equal amounts of agitation and suspicion. Soundwave's grip was hard enough to dent, but Starscream didn't complain – he could take far more than that before showing any weakness. Soundwave wasn't fooled by this sudden act of submission. His superior officer was lethal, even when held down and forced to give in. Would his hold upon the seeker's wrists lax, things would change very quickly, and not to his advantage.
Starscream arched all the sudden, his wings tense, fluttering against the surface. Such a pretty display... Such a deadly lie. The warmth of Starscream's frame, his very proximity, made Soundwave's resolution waver. He forced himself to remember why he'd approached Starscream in the first place. They knew each other well enough, and words didn't really matter. He could see the cogs turn in Starscream's mind, and cursed himself for blurting everything out like that. What he'd said didn't leave much to the imagination, and the fact that he'd all but bared himself in front of the seeker only stated their chosen roles, but everything else was...
Wrong.
He was suddenly angry, furious at himself. His rash action might have broken the precious rules, every single one of them in fact, but slag the rules! Starscream could keep his mind-games, and shove them up...! Soundwave drew a shuddering deep intake in order to calm down, glaring daggers at Starscream. He kept scowling until Starscream made the crucial connection. When realisation finally hit, the seeker shutter-blinked, wincing as shame tinted his face-plates. Soundwave's optics never left his – he was desperate to see Starscream understand. The seeker drew a deep intake, nodding, and then he shuttered his optics.
When he opened them next, he had no words, but all the sudden, Soundwave was drawn into the one last territory Starscream had kept for himself – his mind. He gasped, almost breaking beneath the impressions that surrounded him, blinded him, and he-
He fell in love.
It was inevitable, and yet not entirely unexpected – the risk had always been there. Soundwave was no fool. He'd been doomed from the moment Starscream drew him in, and from here, there was no going back. Too late to regret, he told his wounded spark.
For being such a sourly mech, Starscream had the brightest mind Soundwave ever had the pleasure to enter. His control broke immediately upon being touched back, and he moaned loudly, helm hanging between his shoulders. This... It was nothing like the times he spied for Megatron, when he would draw information out of his rival and lover both. No, this was nothing like that at all. Starscream's mind was sharp and deadly as a laser-scalpel, but it was also crystal clear. He shuddered, then allowed himself to be drawn deeper into his lover's inner sanctum. He thanked Primus he had enough of self-control to keep his emotions hidden, because what Starscream said next, shattered him.
I left you on your own, Starscream's mind whispered, pouring liquid fire into his being. He arched against the seeker, his captive once again. I broke my promise, didn't I...? And I didn't explain, didn't even think it would hurt you...
Soundwave wanted to weep, surrounded by the luminous intellect of his rival, lover and commander. There were so many things he wanted to say, and he knew his face was naked and raw, made soft by emotions too deep to explain. He was a telepath, could snare and kill an enemy, but he stood helpless before the magnificent mech he'd willingly given his spark to.
Soundwave...
”...Why?”
He almost didn't recognise his own vocals. They were ugly, roughened by everything he felt. Starscream curled up into him, his lips so close to Soundwave's own, optics shining with emotion. There was greed there – Soundwave was efficient, and worth more than his weight in unprocessed energon. Come the day he was leader, Soundwave would be his in every aspect. Soundwave wasn't surprised to see the truth behind those thoughts. Starscream wanted him for several reasons, but beneath the greed, there was honest desire. Something else too, jealously guarded by the seeker himself. Soundwave knew better than push his luck. Starscream watched him, slanted optics burning with an unholy fire, vibrant and dangerous at once. He was the most beautiful being Soundwave had seen.
”Because... I found myself in a bad situation,” Starscream said against his lips, each syllable pronounced with uncharastical gentleness. ”And I didn't know how to... Yes, how to handle it,” he admitted softer still. ”So I had a lot of thinking to do...”
Soundwave's first thought was that Starscream somehow had found a way to threaten his lord's safety. His worried face made Starscream laugh, his cockpit vibrating into Soundwave's chassis. It was difficult to ignore the warmth against his frame, and the sweet pleasure of sensing the amusement in the seeker's mind. It was so good to be wrong that he almost crashed when Starscream leant up and planted a gentle kiss on lips.
Stupid telepath... Megatron had nothing to do with my little problem, Starscream told him then, sighing against him. But I hurt you, and that makes me a bad master...
He shuttered his optics, but Starscream's words echoed inside him. He nodded, feeling miserable. He'd come to rely on their little games, on the agreement itself, to keep his needs in check. It was difficult to admit it, even to himself, that he craved to be dominated and used. In the hands of Starscream he'd never once felt fear, he hadn't even felt shame... Not the spark-shattering kind that came with real abuse. He knew the kind, remembered it, and trembled at the memory of how it sunk its claws into him as his old master-
”No,” Starscream said. ”Never that, never ever.”
Soundwave's vents screeched, and to his dismay, he actually sobbed. He wanted to hide because Starscream not only felt his emotions, but also saw his face. Memories he'd rather not have Starscream see cornered him, and he gasped – no! This couldn't happen, because those files were so shameful, so ugly, and he was soiled by-
”Pet, come back to me,” Starscream said again, his soft vocals cutting through the smothering darkness. The pain that bore into his spark made it hard, but he clung to the seeker's vocals and his strength, let them lead him into safety. ”Soundwave, look at me.”
It was hard to follow command, but as gentle as his tone was, Starscream had given him orders. He shuddered and gave in, doing as told. Had anybot entered the chambers, they would have got the wrong picture – Starscream lay beneath him, with Sounwave looming over him. The seeker's wrists were held down above his helm, and Soundwave was between his thighs, his weight pinning him down. This didn't matter, never had. Soundwave was Starscream's willing slave, and he needed the seeker's mastery, craved it, loved it with a passion he'd never dreamt he would be able to muster.
”I wronged you,” Starscream said once they locked optics. His mind was open for Soundwave, gentle and steady. Safe. The seeker nodded, understanding so perfectly Soundwave sobbed again. ”I did this... and I promised I never would. I caused you the kind of pain I said I would never do, and for that I'm sorry. If you still trust me...”
Of course I do, Soundwave whispered. The words he would never say were on the tip of his glossa, hidden behind the line Starscream would never cross. He smiled down at the seeker, taking his youthful beauty in, silently asking for one thing, and one thing alone.
Beneath him, Starscream burst out in a soft laughter, arching into him. The kiss was slow, all soft and bitter-sweet. It held the promise of something good. This, as painful at it had begun, was something Soundwave hadn't known he needed, and longed for, during the countless years that had passed ever since that first time. He had no reason to distrust his lover, and being allowed to feel what Starscream felt, only strengthened their relationship. He would perhaps never be allowed to do so again, but once the thought reached Starscream, he was surrounded by the seeker's consciousness, clear and shining like a dying star. What he couldn't say, he simply showed, and the kiss grew heated when Starscream finally realised how much his slave adored him.
When Starscream slid his panel back, Soundwave wasn't late to follow. He held onto the seeker's wrists, rubbing against him in a slow, maddening pace. There was nothing to hide, and what Starscream chose to keep for himself was too private to share, just like Soundwave's painful past. Those memory-files belonged to him, and Starscream made a point of not reaching for them. Even then, Soundwave knew that Starscream was giving him a precious gift, and that it was the seeker's way of saying he was sorry. Soundwave sighed and leant down, stealing a kiss from Starscream, and then another, and so a third, and by the fourth kiss, he slid into the waiting, willing heat of his master's valve.
The needy moan that resonated in his mind was the sweetest thing he'd ever felt, and he found it easier than expected to map what made Starscream's engines rev. After that, he moved with the skill of a telepath 'facing his favourite lover. They had never shared emotions and fleeting thoughts like this before, but it didn't matter – Soundwave knew the steps of this dance. He lead Starscream through it, making it good for the both of them. Starscream was getting louder, whimpering and cursing softly under his breath. He pulled at his hands, but didn't actually want to be released. He was enjoying the sensation of being held, encouraging him in between kisses. Soundwave purred and aimed to please, snapping his hips to gain pace.
”The, nnghh...! The d-door...”
Soundwave sent a silent command, suckling on his master's glossa, fucking him into oblivion. It wasn't that Starscream didn't enjoy being spiked by him, but rather that Soundwave preferred it the other way around. Having Starscream's mind, and not just his frame, laid out for the taking... It changed everything, and now he couldn't get enough of it, and took what he needed from his lover. Behind him, the door locked, hiding them from the rest of the 'verse. It was their business, and he felt protective of his master all the sudden. Out here, Starscream was more vulnerable than Soundwave would ever be. Whereas Soundwave was Megatron's favourite, Starscream was not, and somebot seeing them would get the wrong impression. The rumours would damage the one mech everybot wanted to take down, or surpass.
Suddenly he longed for the safety of his master's chambers, and the whispering of sacred vows uttered in velvet darkness. He'd never realised how much Starscream's safe haven meant for him, and as he chased Strascream's moans, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders as Starscream's pleasure-drunk mind echoed his yearning. It meant everything for the seeker, and there was no denial coming from his lover, none at all.
Elation moved through his lines, powering his efforts. Starscream gasped and shuttered his optics, throwing his helm back, coming hard enough to scream. Soundwave chased the golden threads of thick, glorious euphoria, punishing his lover, stimulating the right spots, manipulating his entire being until Starscream's keening moans became sobs. He shuddered in need, closing in on his own peak. He pressed closer to Starscream, hid his face against the seeker's neck. Starscream gave him everything, and he felt ecstasy – he could see, taste and feel what his master felt, and it gave him such a rush that he groaned and allowed himself to fall, forever and ever, into the brilliant depths of Starscream's bliss-ridden mind.
*~*~*
He woke to Starscream's caressing touch.
The seeker's intakes were laboured, hitching still. His mind felt like clouds and wind, like a shooting star. It was intimate, soft and sweet, just like the constant pulsing below Soundwave's chest-plate. He didn't know what to say – all had been said, no... All was being said. He smiled against Starscream's neck, and kissed delicate cables and lines. Starscream's touch grew almost possessive, but he didn't mind that. He belonged to Starscream, was his slave and pet, but that...
That makes me yours, Starscream told him quietly.
Soundwave moved slowly, as if in a dream. He lifted his helm and looked down, carefully taking his superior's flushed face-plates, and his kiss-bruised lips. He then dared to meet the slanted optics, drawing a deep intake. The seeker nodded, and there it was, that fleeting sensation of depth and softness, of the same weakness Starscream abhorred the Autobots for. A small smile tugged at Starscream's lips, and as sudden as it had come, as fast it was gone, locked behind that line neither of them would cross.
Then Starscream looked up, and the smile was gone. He made a face, then sneered at Soundwave, his hand angling his helm.
”Look,” he said, clearly annoyed. ”Look at what your little spies did!”
”Soundwave: guilty,” he said, mimicking his vocoder. No glare in the 'verse could erase his smile as Starscream gave an indignant huff.
”What kid of organic slag is that anyway?”
”They call it Mistletoe,” Soundwave answered. Starscream frowned, his mind moving too quickly for Soundwave to follow. After a klik or two, the seeker tilted his helm, watching the small twig in confusion.
”But what does it do? What is it for? And why would your brats put it above my desk?”
Their minds were parting, and before long, Soundwave was once again alone in his own mind. He wondered too, over the choice Rumble had done, but... Well. They were his, just as Starscream had pointed out. They would know, wouldn't they? They must have understood, or perhaps even seen, how he'd suffered. He wondered how Starscream would feel about that, but the damage was already done. Nothing much to do about it. He thought of lying, but Starscream was smarter than he was anyway, and would sense his lie.
”Humans kiss under it,” he said.
Starscream pursed his lips, then lifted his arm and rid the world of the organic disgrace. Soundwave made sure not to laugh, but Starscream grabbed him and kissed him again, almost aggressive. There was no more mistletoe, but that didn't matter. Starscream needed no excuse to kiss him – Soundwave belonged to him, and the seeker spent a few good kliks to remind him of it.
*~*~*
As pranks go, this was the best Rumble had ever choreographed. He and Frenzy and the others sat in the cozy berth they shared with Soundwave, watching everything through Lazerbeak's recording. They had all felt Soundwave's distress, and had made sure to do something about it. Being as smart as Soundwave was, however, he often thought that they were less of him, and more of their programming, but Rumble didn't think so. They were just like the Boss after all this time, perhaps not as strong, but telepathy? Psshhh, that was easy compared to all the other slag they did.
”Mission accomplished,” Ravage said, stretching like the lazy fragger he was.
”Will they stay happy?”
”It's Starscream,” Frenzy told Buzzsaw, waving a hand. ”The Boss is too valuable, and he's a looker. Of course the glitch will keep him happy!”
”Well, so much for kissing under the mistletoe,” Rumble commented, watching Starscream ravish Soundwave like a starving mech as the fine dust of what was left of the twig fell down around them. The horny glitches were going in for a second round...
”It worked, didn't it?”
Ratbat seemed less pleased than the rest, but Rumble slapped his stupid helm, grinning. ”No time to be jealous, ya piece of slag! The Boss is happy, and you won't be in the way of it, will ya?”
No amount of nervous laughing could ever erase the suspicion Rumble felt when Ratbat nodded. He vowed he would keep an optic on the stupid bat, and send him to an early end if he ever saw the glitch behave anything like those files the Boss kept away from everybot. He hadn't meant to look, but he was more of Soundwave than he was Rumble, and when Frenzy laughed and commented on Starscream's purring, he made sure to keep a watchful optic on his fellow Casette.
*~*~*