Chasing the Flame Head Canons
Bumblebee
Bumblebee doesn't like to sleep. It's not his favorite thing to do. Oh, he can be enticed to lay down and sleep. Get Eric to hold him and lay down or just let the kid doze while in the living room while others are there and he'll sleep, but unless he's exhausted he'll find something to keep himself awake. This is for a few reasons. One is nightmares. He's always got nightmares in abundance. Another is that the idea of wasting hours upon hours of time doing nothing when he could be doing something rankles him. The last is that he's alone. He's alone and doesn't have a way to reassure himself that he has a family and has friends. He's just not geared for solitude and sleep, to him, is willing solitude.
Alex is ridiculously happy to have things made/given to him. Don't get him wrong, he loves doing things for those he loves and giving them presents, but when someone gives him something his spark gets really warm and mushy because those presents mean they were thinking of him and thought he might appreciate the gift. Even if the present is a crappy stick-figure drawing or a new phone or a hand-me-down jacket he treasures it. And it pushes him to either hug the shit out of the person or return the favor because he wants to share that ridiculously happy feeling.
Alex can't draw worth a damn. Not even Bumblebee could draw back on Cybertron and his time on Earth hasn't changed that. He doesn't really take any pleasure in drawing and his skills are lacking, so he avoids anything more than stick figure drawing. Mandatory art class in middle school was the only class he struggled with and he loathes the class even to this day.
Bumblebee doesn't mind school. He really doesn't. In fact, he likes school. Even after his spark awoke he looked forward to a day in class and it wasn't for the classes. He already knew that shit. It's because of the teachers. Coolest. People. Ever. During lunch and free-hours he manages to wiggle for himself he'll go and bounce around various teachers' classroom, chat, joke, and debate with them. They don't mind that he doesn't look to be paying attention to their lectures because they know he is. He still laughs at their jokes.
Bumblebee likes stories. He really, really likes stories. Any kind of story. Funny stories, war stories, moral stories. He likes them all. They're the best kind of education because he gets all this varied information while also being enthralled by the events. History is his favorite class for a reason.
Alex is a closet genius. No, really. From a young age, Alex looked for an escape from an unhappy household and family and since he couldn't watch TV or go outside at his young age (not without getting hurt or asked questions he shouldn't answer) he turned to books. And since he couldn't get a library card without a parent present, the books he turned to were the text books given to him by school. And so started a trend of obsessive subject learning. He never could really get into a fiction novel. He always picked out the inconsistencies with reality and how things actually were, which irritated him. So he's extremely advanced academically, even without Bumblebee's memories and specialized education. This includes, languages, because, yes, Alex was fascinated with the idea of cursing out and complaining without his father understanding him and punishing him. He is fluent in several languages, not including Cybertronian and Vosnian and Cybertronian Sign Language.
Bumblebee isn't comfortable with showing off his body. Despite how his uniform bares his entire midriff, he's not entirely comfortable with it and if he imagines anyone making a comment that could be reference his state of undress or staring too long he gets exceedingly uncomfortable and will make his excuses to leave of molt his wings. Don't get him wrong, he likes his body. He knows he's fit and attractive and he knows how to use that to his advantage, it's just the vulnerability of it. A soft unprotected stomach is very easy to bruise or cut or punch. It also feels very nice when Optimus comes up behind him and splays his hands, warm, calloused, and large, protectively and possessively.
Alex hates people who try to press their ideals and morals onto other people. Nuff said.
Alex's favorite show/comic/whatever growing up was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They were his heroes and his ideal growing up. The idea of brothers teaming up to fight evil and protect those who were too weak and save those who needed saving was something very, very appealing to him. He often pictured himself as part of their family and friends. He pictured himself being saved from his family, taken in by them. It fueled his want to learn martial arts and exploring the sewers. To this day he still has the sewers in the South part of the city memorized and gets excited about the new TMNT movies coming out because fucking finally shellheads.
Alex has never been good with kids. Younger kids are a mystery to him and he has absolutely no idea what to do with them. Do you play with them? Do you talk to them? Do you tell them to sit down and stay? Feed them occasionally? Seriously, someone help. Anabelle is okay. Will was always there when he visited Anabelle in the hospital so he just took cues from Will's behavior. But other kids? No. It's like he's never been raised with younger children so he has no frame of reference so cue fumbling attempts and please for the love of Primus don't cry!
Optimus Prime
Eric loves having someone play with his hair or scratch his scalp. If you're looking for the off button on this guy just get your hand in his hair. Disclaimer: this only works with close friends. Not-so-close-friends attempt at the risk of getting your own hair burned off. His mom used to brush his hair and play with it when he was much younger, which he on-and-off loved and hated. So the feeling is associated with family and safety as well as feeling so good on a sensitive scalp.
Optimus always holds himself still and in control. On Cybertron and even on Earth before his spark was awakened he knew how strong and powerful he was and it's just not in him to hurt people. He has too kind of a soul. Almost like a gentle giant. This applies to both his physical size, strength, and his fire ability. It kills him every single time he unintentionally hurts someone and, unless you've royally pissed him the fuck off, he's uncomfortable fighting or hurting someone even when it's intentional.
Eric has a temper. For real. It takes a lot for it to be brought to the surface, but when it does holy-shit-run. Signs of temper: blood red flames, red streaks appearing and disappearing in his hair, dark eyes, general body language telling you to fuck off kindly please, and disappearing somewhere to get some space. Don't follow. Or follow at your own peril.
Optimus is a closet prankster. Don't let him tell you or convince you otherwise because he's the most dedicated prankster of them all. One time while on Cybertron he got Prowl's energon schedule down to a science and he'd set it up so that his energon got an extra dose of ions and electrolytes (they're the Cybertronian version of caffeine) and to this day nobody knows why the fuckity fuck Prowl was bouncing off the walls with such ungodly energy at crack ass in the morning. Not even poor traumatized Prowl, who didn't figure out what was going on until the fifth day of energy crashes. Ratchet didn't mind. It got the workaholic to sleep. Jazz was excited to join in on the chaos and silently approves. Eric still carries out little under-handed pranks.
Eric is a super careful driver. He drives like a paranoid grandma. And you can't really blame him because his parents died in a car accident. So yeah. Everybody just lets him be.
Nobody believes him but there was a time on Earth when he could get under seven hours of sleep and wake up without being exhausted and a zombie. Yeah, the last time he really did that was when he was twelve or something, but it did happen. Yes, it really did happen and I'm not lying, you guys!
Optimus really doesn't know what to do with Bumblebee. Honestly, he just goes by what his gut tells him. Oh, he wants to hug the little yellow bugger? Okay, let's hug him. Oh, you wanna play and wrestle him? Do it. Wanna kiss him? Ravish him senseless to where he's no longer plotting and evaluating behind those oh-so-bright-and-beautiful blue eyes? Fucking on that train. Want to show him how special and appreciated and loved he his? Take him on a date to somewhere Alex mentioned recently. He's kind of happy Bee seems to be leading them through the relationship, initiating contact and ideas and talks because if it were up to Eric he'd just stare at the young man for the rest of eternity. That and keep him the pit away from all the leering eyes back the fuck up he's mine *flame on*
When Optimus died in the basement of Star industries, fighting with the Decepticons for the Allspark, he met Primus. He can't remember all the details, but he knows he did. He remembers hearing about his phoenix spark, how he has a long road ahead of him, and that he better treasure the gifts he got and not let certain little self-sacrificing mechs kill themselves. It didn't take him long after waking up to realize who the God was talking about and yes, Alex, that was verbatim. Don't believe me? Too bad. You're not leaving this house until you're thirty years old.
Eric had a mullet phase growing up. We don't talk about it. He's already burned all the pictures much to the disgruntlement of everyone in the house. (Bee doesn't say anything because what goes on the internet stays there forever. Honestly, Eric, you played football and made it to state. Your picture was in the newspaper. Get with it.)
Optimus has absolutely no idea how he became the leader of the Autobot army. Really, one day he was a librarian in the Iaconian Archives and the next he was in the Autobot army learning how to fight. After that, he literally just made friends with his team, somehow became the leader of various teams, made friends with them as well, and kept become the leader of larger and larger groups until he was leader of the whole army like where was I when this happened? Who the fuck decided this?! Prowl I SEE YOU OVER THERE SNICKERING!
Prowl
Prowl had the most normal picturesque life growing up on Earth. He had two parents, was an only child, went to school, got good grades, went to college and got a degree in Crime and Law, and became a cop. Nothing special about him beside his above average intellect.
Prowl was nearly missed as being an Autobot given that his spark was first triggered when he came in proximity of Jazz, which doesn't mean they met. So when his spark first flared, Jazz detected it, but didn't know who in this huge room was an Autobot. He was nearly through his awakening when Jazz figured out his soon-to-be partner was the Autobot and hauled his exhausted and stressed ass back to the Autoshop.
Prowl loves a good game. He loves board games especially. On Cybertron, whenever he had free time (before it was stolen from him by his increasing rank and responsibilities) he loved playing "Conquer" and "Among the Stars". Here on Earth he loves playing Risk, Monopoly, Battleship, Chess, etc. The complex strategy games are his milk and honey and everyone humors him when he wants to play because they all know he'll beat their asses, so they turn it into a game or seeing if they can get away with cheating. So far only Jazz and Ratchet have had any sort of success in that.
Prowl is loved by his parents and he loves his parents, but rarely will you see him talk about them or to them. He just doesn't reach out to them often. Prowl gets this feeling that he shouldn't because he was so independent and solitary in his childhood. He knows it's twisted and that it's perfectly fine to talk to and visit his parents, but he can't help but feel like he shouldn't.
Prowl was teased mercilessly for his hair when he was younger. It is perfectly natural and no he didn't dye it that way, but that didn't stop people from berating him for being such a rebel and distraction. He would then soundly tell them and explain how they were distracting him from his homework and class. When it went too far last time, he decided that it was perfectly mature and within his rights to get even, so he stole the bully's phone, figured out where he lived, and then proceeded to forge and print fake school letters about the child's grades and behavior in class. It was extremely satisfying to have the bully's mother march him into class one day, force him to apologize to the whole class and deal out apology letters. He still has his apology letter.
Prowl likes being able to go over to Eric's house and hang out. He doesn't need an excuse or reason to be there: he's been dragged there or called over enough times that it's gotten through even his thick skull. He likes that he can just show up and slide into their company and discussions and if it becomes too much for him he can either leave or go somewhere else in the house. It's a nice safety net for him.
Before Prowl met Jazz he had no idea how to braid. He had no reason to. But then he met Jazz and started getting to know the shorter man, started becoming part of his life. As a consequence, he learned about how Jazz had to maintain his hair, which meant that periodically Jazz had to take down the braids, wash his hair, and rebraid them. Jazz hates braiding his own hair. His arms get too tired. Prowl, seeing his friend and partner struggle get frustrated for the first time since they met, offered to help. The braids were ugly, lopsided, skewed, and poorly done but Jazz wore them with pride. So now, every time Jazz has to redo his hair, he goes to Prowl. Prowl is now very good at braids. And very happy to be so close to his partner.
Prowl got drunk one time with his friends. One. Time. And he ended up with the words "You can't afford this ass" tattooed on his rear. He can't remember how it happened or why the fuck he let it happen, but he woke up the next morning with a stinging ass and Jazz snickering. He hasn't really bothered to have it removed because he hears that tattoo removal is very painful, it's not somewhere anyone except certain people will see, and he silently agrees with it. He has never gotten that drunk with them ever again.
When Prowl went to arrest Alex's parents, he took special pleasure in forcing Alex's father to the ground and then punching and subduing the man when he resisted arrest. He also went in with the intention of punishing Alex's mother in some way, but seeing the frail sickly woman changed him mind. She wasn't even mentally present at the time of the arrest and it only fuels his disgust for the blonde's former parents. No way is their youngling going to be mistreated now.
Prowl likes kids. He really likes kids. He gets along fantastically with Marcus, Jazz's son, and will play all day and night with the small boy. Bring your child to work day is Prowl's favorite day. The whole precinct knows that if there is a child in the building that either needs distracting or comfort, then Prowl should be called in. He can't resist little kids and little kids can't resist him. Nobody knows how he does it.
Ratchet
Ratchet has a little quirk. Whenever he has a twitch or a random pain on his body he'll like tap or flick that part of his body, scowl, and tell it to stop. Pretty much anything he doesn't consciously control and doesn't like he does this. Ironhide thinks it's funny as hell because one time Seb got an eye twitch, smacked himself, and told the muscle to knock it the fuck off. It's because he's a medic and healing, boiled down to really, really basic terms, is telling the patient's body what to do.
Seb loves working as a doctor on Earth. He's only confided to Prowl, who completely understands and agrees, that the fact that he looks twenty when he's thirty-two means all his patients—male and female—fall over themselves to do what he needs and it makes his job so easy it's ridiculous. And the stunned confused look when he leaves, making sure it's clear he's not interested, is just hilarious. Don't begrudge him his fun. He went through thousands of years with difficult patients.
Seb hates the movie, The Little Mermaid. He also hates crabs regardless of their similar temperaments. Anyone who tries to make a joke gets heavy items thrown at their head.
So Ratchet had a hand in helping name Sid and Sunny. He was still sore and upset about his name being Sebastian of all things and he firmly believed in the saying "Misery loves company" and his sister has always loved older names. So Sidwell and Edison were offered and loved whole-heartedly. The twins don't know. Sh.
Ratchet has never liked the idea of marking his body. Didn't really believe in piercing his body or tattooing himself. He just never saw the attraction. But then he awoke on Earth to pierced ears and knew the reasoning behind them and couldn't help but like them. Ironhide helped him design the tattoo on his chest over his heart.
All of Ratchet's piercings (the three hoops in the upper part of his right ear and the two hoops in his left ear, one up high one down low) have meaning to him. Remembrance. The three are for his sister and his nephews, for leaving them behind to go into the Army. The other two are for his brother-in-law that he failed and the short-time lover he also failed in the same day. That tattoo on his chest is over band aids and bandages wrapping around his heart. Gabe signed the "cast".
When Seb first work up in Gabe's home after being brought home by the larger man he was convinced that he'd slept with Gabe. And mortified and embarrassed to death. That, of course, translated into a yelling match, a not so nice meeting with a barely awake Eric, and misunderstandings. It was the first step to a long road of healing for the blond doctor even if no one knew it at the time.
If Ratchet had his way, he would cut his hair down to a short cut instead of short on the sides and long on the top. It tickles his forehead and takes time and effort to care for and manage. But Gabe loves running his hands through his hair, tugging gently and spinning strands. It was nearly hypnotic to the older man apparently (*and it felt good having Gabe cuddle him and put his hands in his hair*)
Everyone knows that Ratchet cares deeply for all his patients. Well, everyone who matters know. They know that behind all his yelling, cursing, and throwing things that he's just trying to show he cares and was worried about them. What a select few know is that he's actually scared to death when one of his good friends or family come under his hands that he's fucking terrified out of his mind. This has happened before and he's lost people because he wasn't good enough. Only a few know that sometimes it becomes too much and he has to find someplace to be alone or else he was going to break down and hyperventilate and possibly pass out and generally just lose his shit. Those who do know generally know the signs of a breakdown coming and shadow him discreetly.
Ratchet likes watching House. It's funny, he likes to see if he can name the disease first, and he can empathize with House.
Jazz
Jazz grew up a bubbly child both on Cybertron and on Earth. He was the kid who always smiled, always with a hug, always laughing. He had endless energy that was channeled into either music or athletics. It was only when circumstances forced him to turn his back to the lighter side of the universe and dive head first into the inky, disgusting muck of the universe that he changed.
Jazz loves playing the guitar on both Cybertron and Earth. It allows him to get really into the song and move how he wants. People have walked on him rocking out more than once and they got the show of a lifetime.
Jazz doesn't feel guilty for what he has to do. He can't. If he has to torture someone for information that could save lives, so be it. If he has to kill someone for the sake of a mission, so be it. Nothing on him. It's his job and he's helping thousands. He knows absently that this isn't honest thinking and that he should feel guilty and ashamed of the amount of blood on his hands, but if he stops and does that he won't survive. Nothing could save him. It's only when lives end because of his lack of control that he allows the unending guilty to touch him.
The day Marcus was born, Jazz cried. He cried and cried for hours and hours until he practically collapsed. He created something. He created this innocent little being that is so beautiful and would grow up to be amazing and he was Jazz's. His wife would often wake up in the middle of the night to an empty bed and quiet lullabies in the nursery and happy coos.
While Bee was growing up, Jazz had a ball of dread in his spark as well as a bit of hope. He knew from the moment that Bee started sneaking away and smiling sunnily despite knowing he was in trouble. Mirage knew the moment the little youngling followed his invisible form around all orn. Fuck, even Hound knew and the mech only had one foot in Spec Ops. Jazz dreaded the idea that Bee would grow up to be a Spec Ops agent but also looked forward to it because Jazz was going to protect him and train him to be the best. Nothing but the universe ending would have a chance at destroying that bright spark of light.
Jazz is proud of Mirage and Bumblebee. He's trained a lot of mechs and femmes to be spies and as his agents, but none have attained the level that these two have. Bumblebee and Mirage are everything he could hope for and more. They were his successors, lethal, charismatic, unassuming, and powerful. These two…these two were the reasons why he survived everything he did and he couldn't be happier.
Jazz is cursed with curly hair. For real. He would practically have an afro if he didn't control it. On Cybertron he plaited it into easy braids or ponytails or whatever, here on Earth he learned about cornrows and he will not give them up even if it's a pain in the ass to redo them. Thank Primus for his lovely wife, Prowl, and eager son. And no he will not cut it. Nix that thought.
Jazz did a stint as a Decepticon for a while. His family had fallen onto the lower side of the social-economics and couldn't help but sneer at the legacy of the fallen Council and the uppity noble families. The Decepticons sang a song he felt down to his core. But, still, something felt wrong. It didn't feel…right to do everything he did as a Decepticon. So he kept his comrades at arms-length, changed his name to Meister, and wrapped his image in a fog of mystery. He thanks Primus every day that he listened to his instincts.
Jazz loves watching Bee and Mirage play. He can sit back with his hands behind his head and watch the pair play whatever game they were playing at the time. Maybe they're in the rec room and chatting up of mechs and femmes and he can see in their eyes that they're updating the profiles they have in their minds or maybe they're strolling through an enemy base and taking it down with ease or maybe their playing mind games with the poor humans. He loves it when they play the flirting game. Especially when they pull him into it because he knows in that instance everyone in the universe wishes they were in this love triangle.
Dancing is Jazz's drug. He loves dancing and moving to whatever music is playing whether that be out loud or in his head. He has learned almost all the dances on Earth, all of the ones on Cybertron, and invented a few of his own. Nothing makes him relax and lose himself like dancing…Well, that and fucking Prowl, but both are awesome and something he chases relentlessly.
Ironhide
Ironhide isn't big on PDAs. He doesn't so much mind the usual hug or kiss whether that be between him and Seb or between another couple, but when it gets more heated he gets uncomfortable and typically yells at them to get a room. Ratchet thinks it's amusing and passively moves to try and break him of that. Ironhide hasn't figured it out nor does he care.
Gabe misses his little brother. Every year, on the anniversary of his death, takes three days and travels back to his childhood home to visit the graveyard where his parents and brother are buried. He generally either sits at their graves and talks to them, telling them everything that happened, or wandering around his old stomping ground, touching base with old friends and reminiscing about what had happened before. He's not sad exactly but he misses his family and they could never be replaced—Cybertronian memories or not.
Ironhide loves it when Alex hugs him. He's not big on being touched by people other than Ratchet, but the kid wrapping his skinny arms around his waist (the kid can barely wrap his arms completely around his waist!) just makes him feel warm and want to hug the kid forever. And the way Bumblebee unconsciously nuzzles his chest just melts his spark like let me protect you for forever.
Gabe is kind of in denial about his temper and aggressiveness. Pit yeah he knows he's practically a walking tank and will destroy anything in front of him, but put him among allies and he doesn't think he's aggressive. If anything he's nice. He just minds his own business, hangs out with a few friends, trains for a bit. If you do something to annoy him excessively (i.e. prank him, insult him/his friends, attack him/his friends) he'll make you stop and it's no one's fault but your own. He thinks his temper only comes out at the really bad incidents. He's nice. Really.
Ironhide's favorite drink since coming to Earth is tea. One of the best memories he has of his ma is making tea with her giant swollen belly where his baby brother was. Her tea was always sweet to the right level. He has her recipe and makes it on occasion.
Before Ironhide's pa's turned to the bottle after his ma's death he was super close to his pa. He was always trailing after him, leaning over an engine his pa had set him on, wrestling with him in the yard. His pa always had the brightest smile and the strongest hands. Drunkard or not, Gabe still remembers who he really was.
Gabe has had three divorces. All of them ended more-or-less because of his time in the army. He was away from home too much. It left a sour taste in his mouth and he never really settled into another relationship again until he met Ratchet and even then there was a sizable amount of time between meeting the irritable former army medic to actually entering a relationship with the man. Seb knows about his former marriages and has actually met one of Gabe's ex-wives. She was the only one that parted with Gabe on mutual and kind terms. They get along swimmingly much to Gabe's paranoia.
Gabe has issues with shirts. He can never really seem to find shirts that fit him right. They're either two tight across the shoulders and too tight in the sleeves or too long, so the shirts he does find that he fits in he remembers and becomes and very dedicated customer to. He also knows when any of them are missing and can either track them down to Seb (the man couldn't look hotter than he did swimming in his shirts) or a pranking Jazz or Alex.
He felt conflicted about whether or not Prowl or Jazz should get together or not. He had eyes. He could see how happy and right they were together, but Jazz was married and had a kid. It…He…Gabe still isn't sure where he sits on that issue. Marcus is a good kid. He deserves a dad. Even if that dad is an annoying shit of a Cybertronian.
Ironhide has a scar on his forehead. If anyone ever asks he says it's from a fight when he was younger and that they should've seen what he did to the other kid. It's actually from just before he went into the army. He misjudged the height of a door and ended up giving himself a mild concussion and a bleeder or a cut. His brother never let him live it down.