In Prowl's Little Head (for Silverhornd)

Prowl sighed in content as he snuggled closer to the big, warm body against his back as he and Lockdown enjoyed a quiet day in the cold winter sun. Said mech chuckled and planted a small kiss on the mechling's helm, causing Prowl to blush and dig his head deeper into his chest so that his companion wouldn't see. Judging by the hearty laugh that followed, his efforts had been in vain as the expert hunter had obviously seen.

"You're so cute when you blush, sweetspark." Lockdown murmured in his audio, the black ear flicking away from the hot breath that was tickling it so.

"You know, we really shouldn't be doing this." He commented. "My frame may have upgraded but I am still a youngling until the end of tomorrow."

His answer was preceded by a snort. "That's just a technicality. No one is going to shun us because we are cuddling. Especially not with that guardian if yours still insisting that you are his charge. Slag but that dog can be scary." Lockdown gave an over dramatic shiver and Prowl couldn't help laughing as memories, good and bad, flooded him.

He had been born a weak sparkling, barely surviving the birth itself while his carrier hadn't been quite as lucky. His sire, the renowned and well respected Yoketron, had very little time to mourn his mate because he now had a young son to take care of. He was lucky enough that Prowl was a good sparkling, rarely prone to mischief and when he was, it usually consisted of him popping up in random places and scaring random dogs. When he had been three orns old, Yoketron had taken great delught in starting his only sparkling's training in order to teach him all of his tricks that made him one of the most wanted dogs because he was a ferocious fighter. His training lead him to meeting Jazz, his first friend, and he and Prowl got on like a house on fire almost instantly. They trained together and played together until the day Yoketron suddenly died from some disease, leaving them, and many other orphaned sparklings and younglings, to the mercy (or the lack of) of the Community's system for homeless pups. They had been separated until later, but the next part of his life was the most important, as it is how he became who he is now.

The day he met Optimus, he had thought him to be like every other caretaker he had briefly had. None of them actually cared despite their words saying otherwise in gentle tones. But with time and effort, Optimus had broken through the shell he had made for himself and became the one constant in his life that Prowl couldn't do without. They were alone for a couple of groons before Jazz had found them, integrated into their lives and never left. Optimus hadn't minded and had welcomed him with open servos and they had never really been apart since. Blurr came in like his namesake but he was accepted even faster. The sky blue sparkling had the same tendency to stick as close to Optimus as Prowl did and all three older dogs found it adorable. They were and always will be the closest from their little group of misfits but the others belonged just as much.

One by one, their group grew and grew until it was a true "small pack" as Megatron will call them one day. Their utter loyalty was to Optimus and to each other and they would never let anyone take their guardian away from them or them from their guardian. The Community still frowned upon them as much as they used to before Optimus took them in, but they learned not to care.

The first time he did care was the day they were sent into the woods while top dogs of all Autodog communities gathered to discus the war with the Deceptiwolves. Prowl had been enjoying just relaxing by Optimus as they watched the others playing and resting until the hunting party of the Deceptiwolves had attacked them. His sire had trained him and Jazz well and their half learned skills had been further honed in their trainings with Optimus, but the wolves were too big and too strong and then Optimus had been subdued, so it was all over. He had honestly thought that they will kill him and take them to be slaves or dinner, but instead Optimus walked first at Megatron's back then at his side as if he were already a part of his pack and not a lowly wolf. He had managed to trick the wolves with his holographic projector, but he knew both Optimus and Megatron had noticed it. The others only realized after he had spoken and the stunt had earned him Lockdown's attention.

After the whole Wasp(inator) incident, they were all even more clingy to Optimus than before, not that anyone could blame them. By the time they relaxed enough to spend extended periods of time away from their guardian, they had all integrated into the pack life and mentality, fully becoming its members and enjoying the privileges. As Optimus and Megatron danced around each other the whole vorn, Prowl had focused all of his attention on becoming as great a fighter dog as Yoketron had been. Help came in the unexpected source that is Lockdown, the older mech more than happy to help him train.

That's when everything started for Prowl, realizing how happy he was when all of the expert hunter's attention was only on him. He had still been to young to realize what he was feeling but after he matured some more, he knew he was falling in love with the wolf. Jazz had caught on pretty quickly and started teasing him relentlessly until Prowl had actually lost his cool an snapped at him that Lockdown will never be interested in a little Autodog. Jazz had apologized and tried to get him to talk about it but there was nothing that Jazz could do to make him talk, so he had turned to the one dog Prowl will never avoid.

Optimus had actually managed to give him sound advice despite his own troubles when he was still thinking that Nightbird was Megatrons mate. Prowl had gathered his courage, walked up to the green wolf and for a speech about why he liked the other when Lockdown had simply looked at him, sat down and asked if he would become his mate after his final upgrade. He had been left stunned and had only managed to find his reply before Lockdown put him on his back to parade proudly to everyone his future mate.

By the time Waspinator died, it was not unusual to see them together. Prowl had been the happiest he could be until Wasp died and there was that funeral, but thankfully Lockdown had been there for him. He had been glad to see that Blurr, too, had found love, although he wondered if either of their intendeds actually planned on waiting a few more vorns. Neither seemed fazed by a little more waiting and with the war coming up, they wouldn't have had time for it either.

When Optimus ended the war, a whole new conflict arose. The Primawolves wanted a Prime as their leader but Optimus was not going to leave the Deceptiwolves, but neither pack was willing to merge. In the end, all packs merged into one under the ancient name of Cyberwolves even if a few species were no longer part of this gigantic pack. Ultra Magnus and Megatron signed peace and Sentinel was demoted for his behavior. Alpha Trion stayed with Optimus, helping out as best as he could in his old age and everything was working out so far.

Then the time came for younglings to have their next upgrades and make the first real step towards adulthood and for once, it was Lockdown who had been more nervous than him. It was actually a bit funny but Prowl had not dared laugh after that first time when he got tickled for hours. Call him cowardly but Lockdown was relentless in his torture method of choice.

He sighed now as they cuddled close. It was rare that things were this calm. They might be a big new pack now, but they still had issues with each other. At times, only Megatorn was needed, other days Optimus would need to intervene and then there were days when all the leaders were needed to deal with the problem. Surprisingly enough, the Primawolves made the least trouble. They must have been too cowed after centuries under Nova, or it might be that Optimus was so different from his sire, so good to them, that they didn't want to disappoint him. Optimus may still consider his charges his first priority but he was a pack leader, too.

''Deep in thought, babe?'' A voice startled him and Prolw looked up at his intended. Lockdown's white face looked amused but Prowl could see that his optics had a sheen of worry in them. They usually did whenever Prowl thought about something, long and hard. He had asked him once why that was but the expert hunter had answered his question with another question:

''When will you change your mind?''

It had surprised him beyond words that the usually cocky wolf had asked such a question, and so timidly, too. He had asked him why he would even think he will change his mind, but Lockdown had stayed quiet. That was when he had realized that Lockdwn feared that he would chose someone else as he got older. He had talked it out with Blurr and it appeared that Shockwave had asked something similar. They had both had to get it through their thick helms that they didn't plan on changing partners but Prowl guessed that they still feared it, even if only a little.

''Yes. I've been thinking on how I got to where I am now. It was an ... interesting life, I must say.''

Lockdown snorted. ''I bet. From just what I have seen in one vorn, I bet things will become even more interesting as time goes on. Your guardian is a Prime and a hybrid of a wolf and a dog. He has united almost all of the old packs back into one with some help from the other pack leaders, defeated the infamous Nova and ended the war between dogs and wolves. I'm actually surprised he hadn't yet found a way to tame bears, though.''

Prolw smiled. ''I'm sure he will find a way to get them off of our backstruts one day.''

''But enough about him. You'll be a mechling in less than two days and I can properly start courting you. What do you want first as your gift?''

Prowl pretended to think for an entire breem, just to get his companion impatient. And just as he had expected, the green wolf repeated his question with restrained annoyance, getting him a quiet snicker from the soon to be mechling. Impatience, thy name is Lockdown. Deciding that he had tortured him enough, Prowl leaned in and rubbed their noses together, surprising the Deceptiwolf. With a warm look in his optics, Prolw gave his answer:

''You.''

Lockdown let out a startled laugh and Prowl joined in when the bigger mech couldn't contain himself and started rolling on the ground.

Yes, it had been an interesting and rough life, Prowl mused, but he decided that it was more than worth it if this is what he got from it: a loving family, a pack to belong to like he had only belonged with his sire and his many students, great friends and an intriguing intended that he could not wrap his mind about. Despite all of the hardships, it had been a good life.

And if a day and a half later found them openly snuggling in the clearing before everyone, well no one would dare tease them with Optimus giving them that warning look that stopped even Megatron and Grimlock in their tracks when they were fighting.

Yes, Prowl thought with a content rumble from his chest. Life was good and only bound to get better.