It had been raining all day, and even in the late afternoon turning to dusk it hadn't let up any. Drift had been scouting through town all day, feeling refreshed in the cool rain that broke up the gradually heating days. Summer was cresting, so showers like this were a rare treat in this area. The air was still balmy, though. Just enough to make him eager to get back to base and stretch out under the fans Perceptor had installed into his work area.
As the white car drove around a corner though, a huddled mass of black caught his attention. It was too small to be human, and was shivering madly, seeming to have found some litle solace under an awning, though water dripped through holes in the fabric. Wet tires rolled to a stop along the sidewalk, and for a moment there was nothing but the sound of rain between the two creatures. Drift waited, watching, until he discovered the little form was that of a dog.
Normally, he would have passed it by without thinking much of it. But on an evening like this when the rain looked ready to drown the streets all night long, and especially in a climate where the air went cold soon after the sun went down, he allowed himself to take a closer look, thinking he'd find a collar or sense a chip in it and be able to take it somewhere safer.
Not wanting to further frighten the organic, he merely opened his passenger door, and waited, uncaring about the water that was leaving circular marks on his seat and door interior. Only after a long minute of consideration, the dog shakily stood, padded closer, and eventually ran towards the open car, diving inside and curling right up into the driver's seat. Drift shut the door and put on the heaters as soon as his new charge was safely inside, feeling more than sorry for the trembling form. But he found himself growing troubled as well. No matter how many times he scanned the dog, there was no trace of a chip, no collar or tag. The dog was a stray.
Drift started to regret letting the thing in, because now what was he supposed to do with it? He had his answer in a moment though; take it back to base, just for the night. Find it a better place to roam in the morning. Or better yet, find it a home. But to take it back to base was risky, and he was sure none of his teammates would appreciate the furry creature in their midsts, even for one night. The sight of the little thing curling up in his seat, finally looking relaxed and at ease, strengthened his resolve, and he gently pulled away from the curb, heading out of town for the base.
As he expected, even another half hour into the night the rain hadn't changed in the least. He drew up to the base still in alt form, then gently nudged his car seat, opening the door to try to scoot the dog out. It took a few tries, especially since the surroundings were strange and the sound of the weather on the metal outcropping was intimidating, but soon the dog was out and Drift transformed himself into his bipedal frame, smiling at the pup as it wagged its tail. "Heh, you're afraid of rain on metal but not of a giant metal alien? You're one strange little guy." To that, the dog merely barked once, which Drift instantly shushed him for, not wanting to be caught when he was so close. Perceptor's lab was just a few doors away, and he was not about to lose his chance of keeping his stowaway for the night. He scooped up the smaller form into his hands, gently lifting it to his chassis, and nearly losing his cool temperment when the dog pawed at his armor, baffled by the hard surface that felt somehow warm. When it calmed down and settled into his hand, he took off for the labs.
It was the last thing Perceptor expected, to see his lover walking through the door with something bundled in his hands. It hadn't been the first time though, and he sighed with no little exhasperation. "What did you bring home this time Drift?" He only turned halfway in his chair, looking over a shoulder at the white form coming closer to him, a little ball of shiny something huddled into his hand and nearly blending in with the black metal.
Drift merely leaned over, showing the cargo in his hand to the other mech. "It's a dog. I found him out in the rain. Looked like he was about to freeze to death. "
To say Perceptor didn't adore organics would be a lie, and even he felt a stab of pity. "From the looks of it, it's still young too. A puppy. I'd say it's... a labrador breed, I think. But surely there was still an animal rescue or veterinarian's office still open when you found it?"
"That's the thing." Drift paused, attempting to find better words than just the blunt truth, but upon finding none, sighed and came out with it. "He doesn't have a collar. Or a chip. Or anything. I think he's a stray. Or his family just never put a collar on him."
As expected, that news did not please Perceptor, but the scientist seemed to take it in stride, already knowing what Drift wanted to ask. "Alright, and your plan?"
"I'll keep him here overnight, and I'll put out posters after I drop him off at a vet. It'll be just for a night. And a vet will take care of him for a while longer, right? And they'll find him a home if no one claims him, right? I mean, I hear the shelters and animal rescues are overfull, so they probably wouldn't have room for one more."
Perceptor looked over the white mech with a calculating stare, then nodded his agreement. "The shelters have been full for a long time, I don't suspect they'd be too happy if we brought in another one. Alright, I'll agree to let you keep him here, but just for tonight. In the morning I'll help you with the posters."
As Drift's face lit up, Perceptor couldn't help but smile right back; he did always find that grin irresistable. "Alright alright, stop looking like I've just allowed you to keep it forever," he chided, rising from his chair to fetch a towel for the still-damp puppy. He threw the closest one he found around the black creature, forcing back a ticklish giggle as it licked over his fingertips, as if in thanks for giving it a soft nest to huddle into. Drift kept it close to him, resting against the flat plane of his chest plating.
Just before sitting himself down, he swept a hand upwards towards Perceptor's face, cupping it lightly and pulling the other mech into a gentle kiss, one that lingered breathlessly on his lover's lower lip, then allowed himself to ease back, sitting onto a nearby bench and relaxing. "Thank you, love." The red and black mech merely nodded, though there was no masking the little smile still spreading his mouth. "You're welcome, just don't take advantage of it."
A small laugh rang from Drift's vocals. "I won't I won't. Now come here please."
As Drift's lover closed the distance between them, he slipped a hand around the small of Perceptor's back, pulling the slightly larger form into his lap, nuzzling against his shoulder, being careful not to jostle the puppy as it started to drift to sleep from exhaustion. "Aww, look at that. He's really comfortable."
"Well you are nice and warm." There was a mutual chuckle between them, and Perceptor settled in closer, offering a small, chaste purr, which was answered with a deeper rumble from Drift's more powerful engine, though he kept it low, almost to a hum. Between them, the puppy fell into a deeper sleep, allowing Drift to shift it away, gently placing it further away on the bench, pinging the overhead lights to dim, then turning his attention back to his lover still perched in his lap, offering another rumble.
Perceptor flushed, then gently batted a white shoulder. "I hope you don't plan on trying anything while the poor dog is trying to sleep right there." He was met with a chuckle and Drift shook his helm. "No, no. But I am going to cuddle with you. It's been too long since we've been just close together like this without it needing to go anywhere."
Perceptor chided him again, "Because you're the one always instigating."
"Well you just have to stand in that certain way! And then I can't help myself because you are just too beautiful not to touch." He tried to kiss his love, but was blocked by a hand and a disbelieving frown. "Oh please, Drift. You're such a flatterer."
"I'm not flattering, though. I'm being honest."
A black finger pressed to Drift's mouth, shushing it as Perceptor looked him over in the low light, appreciating the exotic form, the one he'd grown to memorize every inch of. Quietly, he pressed into another kiss, sliding his hands to the backs of Drift's shoulders and downwards, splaying his fingers across the area of backstruts that the swordmech often melted for. This time was no different either, and Drift shuddered lightly, bringing another chuckle out of the darker mech before he made a real reply. "You're the beautiful one, Drift. Even in this dim light you're stunning."
There was a softness in his lover's voice that Drift didn't want to argue with, and he simply reached for one of the teal arms wrapped around him, pulling it so he could grasp the well-calibrated hand and kiss its palm. "As are you." Another moment of silence passed between them, with the rain playing a soft background tempo, once in a while dotted with stacatto thunder after quick flashes through the windows on the south wall. Perceptor leaned forward, pressing his forehelm to Drift's, purring again for him, especially as the usually mischeivous hands that were so adept at holding a sword started to trace over his much more plain armor, ghosting along his seams and the tubes at his waist, making him inhale a little more deeply. He started to mimic Drift's hands, slipping his fingers over places he knew were sensitive, being extra careful about erogenous zones, not wanting this to heat up and send them tumbling into the berth. They nosed each other fondly, purring and rumbling just as deep and as innocently as before, optics caught in their mutual gazes and appreciating each other's form.
It was a relaxing change, one the both of them had been longing for. One they didn't often get lucky enough to have. So neither of them wished to spoil it. It wasn't until morning started to break and Perceptor felt something furry wriggling into his lap that he realized the two of them had fallen into unexpected recharge in that same position, with Perceptor straddling Drift's legs. The puppy had awoken and was trying to join them, and looked up at the darker mech expectantly when it had gotten itself in a good position between the two metal beings. Perceptor was baffled for a moment, then softened, gently stroking over the dog's head and sighing. "I suppose we could keep you for one more night. But only if you promise you'll bring us good luck to have another night like last."
The puppy quirked an ear, then its entire head, but tilted them back to normal, then panted happily, completely unknowing of what Perceptor has asked it but overjoyed that the strange large thing that helped take care of it was talking sweetly. It snuffled its nose against the glass of Perceptor's chassis, then settled back down, licking Drift's armor until the other slowly woke. As Drift optics unshuttered and were onlining slowly, parting through the small bursts of static, he heard his lover's voice saying, "You've got ONE more night. Alright?"
Drift merely smiled groggily, pulling closer both of the weights resting on him. "And maybe one more night after that. For a long time."