Jack sat in his garage, elbows propped against the aluminum coated desk. The cold metal dipped into his senses and tingled up his arms and raised hairs. His head was sandwich between his palms and he sighed heavily as he looked at the less than interesting concrete wall, all the lumps and bulges in the paint and crevasses in the concrete blocks casting small and long shadows. He sat quietly just thinking to himself.
Jack looked down at the reflecting scratched surface of the smooth cold desk and ran his palm across it. He closed his eyes and smoothly polished the metal with his oily skin. His mind was toying with him, squeezing on his emotions like a wet cloth, draining all his feelings into the open. In his mind he wasn't stroking a desk, he was caressing Arcee's thigh or stroking her cheek tenderly.
Mmm Cee. You look beautif-what!
Jack suddenly snapped too, eyes wide open like he'd received a blow to the back of the head, which he had mentally. He shook his head and raised his palm from the desk. He growled at himself and rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb.
"Stop, stop thinking like this please...please" He quietly mumbled to himself, shaking his head and patting his hands against his forehead, as if trying to knock the thoughts out of his ears like a shower head of emotion. The images of Arcee were mentally painted into his eyelids, every time he closed them seeing her.
Ahhh come on Jack! Snap out of it, I mean she's a robot, a giant robot! Yeah she's a friend and I'm really close to her but how can I...be attracted to a giant alien robot!
He sat thinking about it, head balanced on his left palm. He shook his head and thought how crazy that sounded.
"The news would love it. Hey look at this kid and his giant alien crush!" He mumbled to himself. Swirling his finger on the cold metal. He found himself doing it again. He groaned at himself and gave a thump to his head.
God damn it!
He had to get up from this desk. Jack pushed away, the chair scraping along the concrete floor. He aggressively trusted away from the chair, making it shudder. Jack strolled around the garage looking for something to preoccupy him. He saw some old engine parts that needed cleaning, oil and a spray of orange rust prickling it. That should keep his mind busy.
"Yeah I'll clean that, it'll keep me busy. Keep me occupied."
He took his scrubbing cloth, which was dry and scratchy and his soapy sponge from a bucket filled with cold stagnant water. After a tight squeeze of the sponge he looked at the engine block and began scrubbing hard with the scratchy rag. The dirt began to flick and peel as he viciously scrubbed the block, bright clean silver shining through. He kept scrubbing, turning his head and torso to different angles.
There we go! Something to keep me busy. Nothing else I could be thinking about...except her. Ah damn it! Scrub harder!
A trickle of sweat ran down his tensed face and ran off his cheek patting on his bent knee, sinking into the dark blue denim fabric. Jack gave a quick pause to run his wrist along his forehead, wiping the wet surface of skin, immediately swinging his arm back to scrub the dirt. After loosening the dirt and soft rust he took to the soapy sponge and softly caressed the engine block with the sponge, its soft exterior spilling over the edges as he applied pressure and rubbed the block. The bright clean silver was starting to show through.
Suddenly the garage door shuddered to life and began opening, startling Jack. He heard the faint hum of a motorcycle engine. How had he missed that? The door wasn't soundproof, he should have heard it...her.
How didn't I hear her? Oh yeah I was too busy trying to drown out my thoughts with cleaning this block!
The door ceased to a stop and the motorcycle with a female rider entered the garage. The hologram of Sadie dissipated as her headlights dimmed. The kickstand flicked out by itself and stopped her falling like a drunken human.
"Hey Jack, anyone home?" Arcee asked. He sighed and stood up, still holding the sponge.
"Nope, just me. Mom's working late tonight and her douche bag of a boyfriend's out drinking" He groaned. Jack walked over to the garage door control. With a firm hit of the squishy plastic coated button, the door began to slowly chug and drop. Natural light began to diminish in the room. Arcee turned her front wheel towards him, her wing mirror looking at him, showing him his reflection.
"Jack, you okay?" she asked. They were practically the closest friends in Team Prime. His mature age that had developed in their four years apart and her slightly happier outlook since resurrecting Cybertron meant they got along even better. Honestly he was the only person who saw this side to her, not even the Autobots did.
"Hmm? Yeah I'm okay Cee. Just got stuff on my mind" the end of his sentence announced with the slam of the garage door shutting.
Arcee began to transform, the smooth curves of the motorcycle reforming and shifting to form her bodily curves. She rolled over as she transformed and began to look like Arcee. The tires rolled away into her back and legs. She sat on her behind as the last pieces of her breast-plate and wings clipped into place. She rested back on her palms and looked at him.
"You sure?" She asked, her huge blue eyes gleaming at him with a lowered eyebrow. Jack squeezed the sponge tight, white foam and water trickling from his hand. He was so angry at himself.
How? How does someone become attracted to a robot?
"Yeah. I'm fine, don't worry. So anyway what brings you by?" He asked, throwing the sponge into he bucket with a foamy splash. He walked over and sat on his desk chair looking at her. She shrugged her shoulders with a metallic whirring.
"I don't know, wanted to see my partner. Things are boring at base. Nothing I could do there. Bee's playing games with Raf and Bulks out with Miko" She explained with a groan as she clicked her neck, the pistons grinding.
"What's wrong?" He asked, looking closer at her neck. He couldn't see the problem but he could hear it.
"I'll be fine, had worse" She mumbled.
"You don't have to play the tough gal routine in front of me Cee, let me have a look"
"Uhh alright" She grumbled. Arcee moaned as she leaned over on her side slightly to his eye level. Jack looked closely at the pistons that made her neck. He gently pulled down on the metal plating that protected them. He could see one of the pistons had come loose from its bolt at the base of the neck. He reached in with his finger gently and touched the piston. It wobbled from the hinge.
"Found the-"
He was interrupted by her giggling like a little girl. She suddenly realized, eyes popping bright and she coughed and stuttered.
"You...you didn't hear that"
"Yeah, didn't exist or you'll hunt me done right?" Jack laughed as he stood back from her neck. She sat back into her comfy laid back posture. She crossed her legs, the metal clanging as she did. He reached down into his tool box, peering out of the corner of his eye at her, streching out and crossing her legs while leaning her head back.
What is she doing? Acting like she's a freaking pin-up model in a photo shoot!
He was suddenly awakened from his daydream by the clang of his spanner dropping from his grasp and bouncing against the floor. He shook his head, tightened his eyelids and continued rooting in the box.
"You sure you're alright? Nothing grinding your gears?" She asked concerned. He laughed it off.
"Oh I'm just great Cee! Just freaking dandy" he shouted to her, only whispering the last part to himself in a grimacing voice.
He picked up the spanner and walked over to her. She tilted her neck so he could see and gently reach in over the armour to see it.
"So what would happen if I told the Autobots about that giggle of yours?" He asked jokingly.
"Well, I'd rip your legs off and beat you to death with them" She said in a stern voice.
"Okay then. Stays between partners" Jack stammered.
"The best things always do" She said with a smirk. Jack raised an eyebrow.
Wait? Did she just...did she just flirt? Nah god Jack stop this you stupid kid!
Jack shook it off and looked inside her neck, seeing the piston. He gently and carefully reached the spanner in and wrapped it around the nut. He carefully twisted it and tightened it.
"Tell me if it's too tight, okay?" He asked her, a caring tone to his voice.
He stopped when the nut became stiff. He pulled the spanner from her neck of pistons and lowered himself from his tip toes.
"There, how's that?" He asked. She swiveled her head on her neck and the slight whistle of pistons in motion hummed.
"Ah. That is so much better. Thanks Jack" She said in satisfaction.
"No problem Cee." He smiled, putting the spanner on the desk. He run his hand on the metal and closed his eyes again. When his hand finally met the end of the table, the cold metal beneath his palm disappearing, he awoke.
Seriously, why brain huh? She is an alien a metal alien, why make me attracted to her?! Why?!
Jack looked back at her. She was enjoying her new neck, stretching it and smiling as she did with her eyes closed. He could admire her without being caught. Her beautiful sliver face reflecting in the garage amber bulb glow. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with his fists, squeezing on them causing freckles of fuzzy colour to appear in his sight.
He opened his eyes and she was staring at him, her huge blue optics with a hint of pink in their outline staring into his less explosively bright eyes.
"What's wrong? No more scrap, tell me" She ordered, sitting up legs crossed to avoid hitting her head on the ceiling. He took a deep sigh.
"Okay. err, I have a friend, outside of school and work" He explained, sitting on his chair and looking at his hands.
"Okay" Arcee genuinely listened to him. He shook his head.
"Forget it, it's so stupid" He said getting up. He found a heavy weight on his shoulder pressing him down into his seat. Arcee's hand.
"Try me" She said with a smile.
Five years ago, she'd never had listened like this. Hell she tried to get out of taking me home that night. Maybe she'll understand. Maybe
"Okay. So this friend I have. I...I'm developing feelings for her" He just about managed to slur.
"Oh it's not Sierra is it?" She asked in a confused, angry voice. After the way she'd treated Jack over the years, Arcee was hardly her biggest fan.
"No...no It's not. She's, an old friend who I've known for years now. But she's so nice to me and she's...so goddamn beautiful that when I see her...my heart beats way to quick, you know?"
"No not really" She shrugged with a grin
"Okay my spark is glowing too much? That more like it?" He said.
"Better" She chuckled, leaning back comfortably.
"So yeah. I don't know if she feels the same way. I mean we are so different it'd never be accepted. God knows what her friend would think" He mumbled. Arcee leaned closer.
"Okay, with stuff like this you're better off asking Bulkhead" She said.
"Bulk? Really?"
"Big softy. Anyway, from what I know about stuff like this...you just need to face her, let her know. Yeah? Ask her how if she feels the same way" She smiled, leaning back.
Jack sat looking down; his heart in his throat, so big he struggled to swallow past it. His stomach was doing somersaults and flips. He took a deep trembling sigh and uttered two words to her.
"Do you?"
She looked over in shock. Not angry shock, but love struck shock.
"What?" She mumbled, leaning forward.
"Do...do you...feel the same way about me...as I do to you?" He trembled, his knee bouncing in fear.
Oh god I've just destroyed a friendship. You big idiot!
Arcee scoffed in surprise, trying to wrap her head around it.
"Jack...I...wow, I'm flattered but-"
"You don't need to say it, I know. I've been rejected before. It was nice working with you partner" He said with blurry eyes as he got up from his seat and went to go through the door to the house.
"Jack wait" She said. He looked back, hand on the wooden frame.
"Why? Why me?" She asked. Looking at him with big cobalt gleaming eyes.
"Because you're the only person I've ever been close to. I started to see you more than just a guardian or a partner. A friend...then stupidly a romantic partner"
She sighed slightly with a smile.
"It's not stupid"
"Oh really? How? Tell me how it's not stupid? I'm human! Always will be! And it kills me that you'd never see me the way I see you" Jack shouted through trembling lips and watery eyes.
"Jack I've grown to see you more than a partner or a kid to look after" She finally muttered.
"Arcee, I've spent all of my teenage life chasing girls who reject me. I got over that, but...you. I...I don't think I can" He stuttered. She leaned over to him.
"Jack Darby, you are the sweetest man I've ever known. You look after me, you talk to me. Hell you support me when no one else will" She smiled, lifting his head with her finger.
"You have no idea how much I think about you partner" she smiled to him.
"Really? you...You do?" He asked. She nodded as she sat back groaning.
"Yes. You Jack Darby, you got through to this old war bot" She sighed. Jack backed from the door.
"So you feel this...attraction?" Jack asked. She nodded slowly.
"Yeah, I do. I mean the last few nights I've laid here looking at the ceiling thinking about you. You were sleeping just above. And I mean, when you took me to your stargazing spot. That was the one of the best nights of my long war-torn life" She smiled to him. Jack smiled back.
Oh my god. Cee feels the same way. She feels the same way!
Arcee lent her head back and groaned.
"But how could it work, I mean you're human, I'm Cybertronian! We are nowhere near the same, how can we be attracted to one another!" She asked, hugging her knees. He walked over to her from the door, wiping his eyes.
"Well I mean obviously it's not physical attraction at first, more mental." He said.
Obviously not physical attraction? Dude, you just stroked a table pretending it was her body! If that ain't physical attraction then what is?
"What do you mean?" she asked looking over her knees.
"Well we get along well. I mean this is the closest we've ever been, you know. It's been a month since you came back and here we are. We've been through so much together, I mean we fought Airachnid!" He explained to her.
"We?" She asked with a smile and raised eyebrow.
"See! History between us, that's how it works!" He said to her with a smile. She leaned over to him.
"You really think it could work?" She asked.
"Well I mean it would be a challenge, but if we feel this way about one another, why not?"
"So...we give it a go?" Arcee asked. Jack shrugged.
"Why not? We both feel the same way about one another, thank god. By the way when did you feel this way about me?" He asked, probably afraid of the answer.
"When no matter what I said to you or threw at you verbally...you always supported me no matter what" She smiled at him, her checks pushing up under her eyes.
"Partners don't ditch Partners" Jack quoted to her from when they fought Airachnid in the forest years earlier.
"But Jack...I know I'm a mess. I've lost partners, events that scarred me emotionally. It's only being with you that has healed those scars... I'm scared Jack" She stammered, the blue glow of her optics appearing blurry, as if welling up.
"Of what?" Jack asked, stroking her cheek.
"Losing you. If Airachnid found out-"
"She won't. We won't tell anyone. Not yet anyway. Another little secret between partners. Sound good Cee?" He smiled.
"Best things always are" She giggled quietly. "Yeah. Okay..." She said looking him in the eyes. She held his hand to her face. He smiled at her and leaned closer.
"So you're my...girlfriend?" He asked, like a teenager at school, still nervous even after what she'd told him. She chuckled as she stroked his arm with her index finger.
"Yeah...and you're my boyfriend?" She smiled to him.
"of course, Cee" he smirked.
"This is so crazy" She shook her head while whispering a laugh. She looked down at his arm as she stroked it.
"I know. Things always seem to get crazy when we're involved" Jack chuckled.
"That's true" she nodded.
Arcee tilted her head upwards to look him in the eye.
"Jack, you remember what you said to me when I came back a month ago? Before you got on, you made me promise you something" She asked.
"Yeah, I said that if I'm going to get on, I needed to know you're not going to leave again"
"Well, I'm not. I'm not going anyway Jack Darby" She smiled as he stroked her forehead, as if trying to get her hair out of her eye, if she'd had any.
"And I promise that I will never leave your side" He swore. It was obvious they were aware of the age difference, the life span, the cruel tale of time that would end him long before her. But they chose not to dwell, enjoying the present.
"So? What now?" She asked, never having been in a relationship in her existence.
"Well, I guess we share our first kiss?" He asked. Arcee raised an eyebrow.
"Erm...okay" she leant forward slowly.
Jack placed both his hands on her polymer cheeks. He leaned his head forward, and so did she. They rested their foreheads together. He expected to feel cold metal against his head, but felt warm smooth polymer skin.
They closed their eyes and embraced on another. She wrapped her arms around his back and he cupped her face. They both slowly raised their heads back up and opened their eyes, mere inches apart now. They leaned forward very slowly and cautiously, eyes closing again and head tilting, Jacks to the right, hers to the left. They grew so near one another, they could feel each other sighing. For the first time ever...they kissed. Jacks lips pressed against Arcee's and they were began their romantic journey from there on. A tremendous weight had been lifted from their shoulders as they shared this first passionate kiss. A moment they had dreamed about for what felt like year.
Oh my god, I'm kissing Arcee! This feels amazing. It feels right. I don't care what anyone thinks...she's perfect.
Arcee enjoyed the kiss too, her eyes gently shut as they pressed lips.
Okay. Primus Arcee, you silly girl. Ah you know what; I've done what everyone else has ordered me to do for eons. I've sat in my guilt and turmoil over Tailgate and Cliffjumper for too long. No. I'm going to be selfish for once. Allspark just once! I'm going to do what I want. I want to be...with Jack
They peeled away from the kiss and lowered heads, eyes opening at the same time looking up at one another.
"Wow. So we've never done that before" Jack huffed, scratching the back of his head and grinning like a kid.
"What's the matter partner? Thought you wanted to kiss this old bot" she smiled, batting her eyelids.
"Oh no it was great, just odd. I mean I've thought about it for so long, and here we are. I finally got to tell you how I feel" He smiled from ear to ear.
"But this stays between us for now, right?" She ordered, going back to her war veteran self.
"Yeah. Not even the others can know, not yet"
"Right, Primus I don't know how I'd explain this to Optimus" she sighed, rubbing her neck.
"Well I'm happy to keep this between us, at least until you're ready to tell them" He smiled
"Thanks Jack" She kissed him again, not as long or as passionate, but still meaningful and beautiful all the same.
"Allspark could you imagine if Miko found out?" Arcee questioned, a visible shiver rattling her spine.
"Yeah, god all we would hear is, Jack and Arcee sitting in a tree. K, I, S, S, I, N, G! Couldn't bear it"
"Jack...I have a new fear" She chuckled to him.
She rested her head on his shoulder, much larger than his. From this moment on their partnership, there lives would change forever. for the better. no more having to hide there feelings.